Esperança Shipment Day: Volunteers Pack/Load Medical Supplies for Distribution in Nicaragua
(PHOENIX – October 7, 2019) – Esperança staff along with 36 volunteers from across the Valley packed and loaded a 40-foot shipping container to send supplies to its trusted partner in Nicaragua. Esperança sends shipping containers full of donated medical supplies and equipment to its partner in Nicaragua where they will be used by surgical volunteers and distributed to hospitals in need in the region.
Esperança’s Nicaraguan partner, AVODEC, will receive and distribute the $1.1 million worth of supplies and equipment to local hospitals and clinics. These supplies have been donated from hospital and clinics from across the United States – Alaska to Florida and everywhere in-between.
Back in April, Esperança staff and volunteers packed, loaded and shipped another container with $1.5 million worth of supplies to be sent to Nicaragua.
Derived from the Portuguese word for “hope,” Esperança has been dedicated to transforming lives since its inception in 1970. The Arizona-based nonprofit began its mission abroad, serving the most under-resourced and poverty stricken communities throughout the Central Amazon Region. While providing health education and volunteer medical care, including surgical procedures, Esperança quickly became known as a symbol of hope to those that have learned to live hopelessly.
Today, Esperança continues to provide medical missions in parts of Central and South America. In addition, the organization serves in Peru, Mozambique, Ecuador, Bolivia and Nicaragua, working with volunteers and indigenous partners provide these communities with access to clean water, stable sources of food, disease prevention, health education and ecological home-building.
Esperança’s domestic program in Phoenix partners with Title I schools, dental clinics and community centers, Esperança’s bilingual and bicultural health educators to provide children with oral health literacy, referrals for free or low-cost dental care and daily health and wellness exercises. They stress the importance of nutrition and physical activity, providing information in a language and at a level the kids can understand.
Known as Salud con Sabor Latino (Health with a Latin Flavor), adult classes are built around the idea that a family can be healthy, without losing touch with their culture. Participants engage in hands-on activities, such as cooking sessions and tours of local grocery stores. Further, the team offers parent-ambassador training, which teaches parents about public health and how to be a strong advocate for their children.
For more information, plus ways to volunteer and contribute, visit www.esperanca.org.
PHOTOS: https://bit.ly/2OqiUAS
