Five of us crowded into a very small car and were off to one of the most beautiful spots in Nicaragua, the Isla de Ometepe. The island in Lake Nicaragua consists of two huge inactive volcanoes with farms and small villages that have sprung around their fringe. Clouds constantly bathe the tops of the inactive twin volcanoes that tower above the villages.

We were on our way to visit the farmer's cooperative (Union Cooperativa de Alejandro Smith: Asociación de Pequeños Productores de Granos Basicos) in Myogalpa, a town on the island. DGH had donated money to the Cooperative, which serves many of the families of Myogalpa and the other smaller villages of the island.

“Volunteering with Doctors for Global Health is definitely a mixture of exposure to extreme needs and the sublime. ”

Lake Nicaragua is not a sea, but with its massive size and reputation as the only lake in the world that is home to sharks, it certainly seems like one. At Rivas we got on the boat with returning locals and watched the freight being loaded by a line of incredibly fast workers into the hold below our feet.

There are no front-end loaders or belt conveyers. To secure a line to the pilings a crewman jumps and swims the heavy line to the piling. We splashed through rough seas for an hour to reach the village of Myogalpa on Ometepe Island, enjoying getting soaked by the splashing water.

The Cooperative recently bought a large old building in town. Huge trees, mango and other fruit bearers, surround the building and attract flocks of birds. The building is undergoing extensive restoration and remodeling. A new reservoir tank is installed to provide a steady water supply. The leaders of the Cooperative made plans for the next steps to replace the front adobe wall with cement blocks and make offices on the second floor. The old wood beams and braces will remain in parts of the building. We slept in unfinished rooms and were treated to private bathrooms. The Cooperative hopes that these rooms will attract the tourists that come to the island and provide some cash flow.

Music played most of the night from a band at a home a few doors down. A matriarch of the island, a lady over 100 years of age, had died and she had requested music for the people. Nevertheless, we slept well and it is comfortable to hear the night sounds. In the villages, cities or countryside, it is routine to hear roosters periodically throughout the night trying to be the first to anticipate dawn. Pigs grunt, geckos click, and birds have night conversations. And dawn is not a time to be in bed. The activity of life starts early and loudly.

Typing class taking place at the Cooperative with the typewriters and desks donated by DGH.

A custodian family with charming young children lives in one part of the building and cooked meals for us. After breakfast, students and teachers began appearing for the special Saturday classes. One busy classroom has chairs, tables and manual typewriters provided by DGH. The teacher and her students industriously pounded the keys and enjoyed our intrusions to get photographs. It is good news that soon after the Cooperative typing school started, the public school added its first typing classroom. We donated an old laptop and perhaps it will soon give the students a chance to put their typing skills to new use.

One of the Cooperative Directors, a very dedicated community leader, took us to visit the small local hospital. He sketched out an idea that is one of the highest concerns of the members of the Cooperative. Medicines are so costly for the economically poor people of Nicaragua that usually a prescription is not filled. After the Sandinistas lost the election in 1990, a dual system of privilege was reinstituted, just as there is in the USA. Patients without "insurance" may get medicine for conditions such as diabetes or hypertension while hospitalized, but then go home without continuing medication. There are also stories of "free" or donated medicines being sold.

The Cooperative Director is eager to have a supply of medications to be dispensed from the Cooperative. At the hospital we were welcomed and given a tour by the physician Director. There are many needs for patient care such as specialist consultation. A new X-ray machine is not used apparently for lack of technical assistance. The Director of the hospital was very enthusiastic about potential interaction with DGH volunteers.

The next day we used an old truck to pick up the children in their villages along the way to a beautiful beach. We carried melons and papayas through the jungle along the edge of the beach to an even more beautiful and isolated site. Monkeys watched us pass on the trail. The swimming was delightful. As customary, at first the boys and girls remained separate in their groups. Then suddenly, a soccer ball tossed into the water became a game of "keep away." The children had tremendous and vigorous fun with the game. Boys caught holding the ball were tickled out of their senses, and the ball was wrestled away. The game went on for over an hour.

On the boat back to the mainland we watched rainbows arc over the 5,000 foot high volcanoes of the beautiful island. Volunteering with Doctors for Global Health is definitely a mixture of exposure to extreme needs and the sublime.

In This Issue:

Two Months in the "Pearl of Africa"
Beneath a Nicaraguan Volcano
Rehabilitation in El Salvador
DGH Through the Years
Human Rights Around the World
Racial Equality: A Means to Good Health
Karen's Tots Fund: A Loving Memorial
DGH Announcements