Nicaragua 2011: Needs and Assets: A Rural Perspective

The Interfaith Service to Latin America (ISLA) has been working with the community of Jalapa, Nicaragua for more than 15 years. Due to the fighting of the contra war in the 1980s and Hurricane Mitch in the mid 1990s, Nicaragua has become the second poorest nation in the western hemisphere. Without much support of the Nicaraguan government, the people and their land have desperately needed the aid of foreign assistance. Over the past five years, ISLA have conducted household surveys to better understand the needs of the Jalapa community. Dr. Therese Zink, a professor in Family Medicine and the director of the Global Family Medicine Pathway, volunteers with ISLA and will discuss the current challenges and strengths of this rural area under the Ortega administration