On July 9th, Healthy Neighbors International dispatched its first official team of 28 individuals to Nicaragua. The team revisited two communities previously served on prior trips and explored two additional communities. Our vision of delivering continuity of care within these communities started to materialize as the medical staff identified several patients for the initiative. Although the logistics for achieving this are still being finalized, significant progress was made during this trip.

Adding to excitement, five Nicaraguan nursing students joined the clinics through a newly established partnership with UNAN University in Matagalpa. This offered valuable insight into the training of future medical providers, with the goal of partnering with the university through our medical education initiative.

During the trip, the team also visited the Avanza stove factory in Estelí. The visit allowed the board to observe how the Ecocina stoves are manufactured and understand their functionality and impact on reducing indoor air pollution in the communities. It was inspiring to see the potential of our clean air initiative beginning to take shape.