Dear Friend of our Nica Clinic,
The UN has designated today, March 22, as World Water Day.
Their goal is to remind us of what much of the world is dealing with. And we received some grim statistics… 2.2 billion people still live without safely managed drinking water, including 115 million people who drink surface water, according to the WHO/UNICEF 2023 report. And roughly half the world’s population experiences severe water scarcity for at least part of the year.
In my work with The Roberto Clemente Health Clinic in impoverished Nicaragua, I see the effects of poor water firsthand. Fortunately, I also see a dedicated team of doctors, nurses, and outreach staff doing something about it. They tend to patients suffering from kidney stones, dengue, respiratory infections, diarrhea, and other illnesses – all exacerbated by lack of clean water.
As we know (but sometimes take for granted), access to clean water plays a key role in the stability and prosperity of any community, country, or region. Gaining a safe water facility creates a ripple effect of positive change that builds a community’s resilience to shared challenges – and that is certainly true in Nicaragua. The Roberto Clemente Health Clinic, a non-profit founded in 2004, is located on the Pacific coast near rural Tola. Our Clinic operates 24/7 to provide around-the-clock primary and emergency medical care to families who would otherwise go without access to healthcare. We are the only healthcare provider in the region with an off-road ambulance, allowing our teams to reach even the most remote areas. There is no public water well system for these poor communities. The well water there is very calcified and usually contaminated by nearby septic leaks and storms.
So we had to step in, knowing that consuming clean water reduces the risk of sickness and promotes better hygiene. It was simply a matter of public health. We started the Clinic’s Aqua Azul clean water program over a decade ago – with help from generous donors like you.
We established our own water well and filtered purification system to distribute clean water to local schools, libraries, families, and other public health facilities. Now families can more easily access safe drinking water. But we offer much more…The Clinic’s nutrition program provides healthy meals and education to undernourished families. Our mobile medical team traverses rugged terrain to bring care to isolated communities. In the past year, we’ve served over 10,000 patients who required emergency care – and provided 17,000 more patients through outreach wellness checks and medicines. Our pharmacy has served over 9,000 locals and foreigners in need of urgent care.
We also run holistic programs focused on education, nutrition and sustainable food sources with our community garden. The Healthy Eating Initiative trains over 60 families in organic gardening, providing tools, seeds and land to cultivate nutritious crops. And through sponsorships, we’ve supported over 47 families, enabling children to pursue university degrees. Many families and community centers depend on us. So I’m writing you today because we need your help, especially to continue our clean water processing and distribution program.
We need continued support for the processing facility, the distribution vehicles, and the team that makes it all work every week throughout the year. I’m happy to say that we get matching funds from The Oxford Club (up to $50,000 a year), so your tax-deductible donation today could be doubled. The need in challenged regions of the Americas like Nicaragua is immense. But you can directly impact lives there… in a very positive way, for relatively little.
Here’s a breakdown of how contributions of any size can help…
Please join us in this life-saving work. Your tax-deductible gift to the Roberto Clemente Health Clinic, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, will help deliver clean water, health services and urgent care, and greater empowerment to the most vulnerable in Nicaragua. Together, we can help strengthen these deserving communities with greater health and hope.
DONATE TODAY
Thank you for your generous support!
Sincerely,
Julia Cooke Guth
Chair, The Oxford Advisory Council,
Founder & Board Chair,
The Roberto Clemente Health Clinic
[email protected]