In Nicaragua, August marks the mid-point of el invierno – the rainy season – where almost daily, brief and tropical downpours break the humid air and soak the verdant landscape. More summer than winter, despite the name, by November the rain will give way to hotter, drier temperatures, just as sugarcane workers return to the fields for the zafra, or harvest. For most in the communities, these fields represent the only job available to them, but one they know carries great risk. This impending reality makes La Isla Foundation’s work even more urgent.
August also means that many volunteers who spent their summers with La Isla Foundation will be returning to school, and though it’s sad to see them go, we are incredibly grateful for their work in helping us further our efforts. Volunteers play an essential part in helping us achieve our mission, whether through direct impacts in the community – such as by creating new opportunities with the Pulsera Project – to helping us evaluate our programming and expand our outreach – see our amazing new tourism video thanks to Angela Holford. You can read all about the volunteer experience on our website.
We have also been working hard to develop and strengthen new partnerships that will help us to secure the resources we need to see this work through to completion. Our public health team has done an incredible job of coordinating the necessary research to identify the cause of CKDnT, and designing the comprehensive intervention necessary to end this epidemic once and for all. While we are very much encouraged by this progress, we have urgent funding needs to continue our work. Currently, more than half of our funding comes from individual supporters like you, who choose to give $10/month to make the impossible happen. If you haven’t already, please consider making a recurring donation. Individual supporters at every level provide us with the flexibility and security necessary to target each of our goals according to the needs of the community, and to ensure that no special interest will ever detract from our mission: to end CKDnT and support those affected.
With gratitude,
Jason and the La Isla team
