Penn State PH Brigade to Nicaragua March 2014

Start Date: Mar 9, 2014 12:00 AM
End Date: Mar 15, 2014 12:00 AM

Penn State volunteers spend 7 days in Nicaragua, improving basic home infrastructure and providing health education to help reduce the incidences of life-threatening, but preventable, diseases in a rural community. With an understanding of the holistic model that focuses on education, community health sustainability and infrastructural development, volunteers first receive a comprehensive introduction to the country\'s public health challenges and the Public Health program\'s ground-up solution. They will take a tour of the community Public Health is currently working in, introduce themselves to the beneficiary families, and meet with the Basic Sanitation Committee (CSB). Then, working side-by-side with community members and local masons, volunteers construct four infrastructure projects meant to improve the health of the home and surrounding environment: eco-stoves, latrines, pilas (water storage units), and concrete floors. Additionally, as a key component of the program, Penn State volunteers collaborate with the Basic Sanitation Committee and local teachers to help provide community-wide education workshops and training, proliferating sanitation and hygiene practices and empowering families with both the knowledge and tools to live healthier lives.