Project Las Delicias, El Salvador
Below is a video about the experience Wabash College students had in Las Delicias in 2010.
Insufficient income has had a serious adverse effect on the general health and vitality of the population of Las Delicias. In February, 2008, FIMRC founded a clinic in this rural community, which is located 45 minutes outside of San Salvador, to address the principal causes of death in this area: gastroenteritis, influenza, pneumonia, and bronchitis (caused or complicated by malnutrition), bad sanitation, and poor housing. Children are particularly vulnerable to health related issues linked to poverty including diarrhea, head lice, malnutrition, and bronchial infections. A majority of the health issues are due to a lack of education, scarce resources and poor water quality.
In June of 2008, FIMRC's El Salvador clinic launched the innovative Micro Health Insurance Program (MHIP), the world’s first non-monetary model of health insurance that incorporates health incentives with micro health insurance. The program is a holistic approach to meet the needs of an underserved population of Las Delicias. Through an extensive health education program, participants earn health credits to purchase health-related products that would otherwise be unattainable due to a lack of resources. Volunteers have an opportunity to assist with this program.
In June of 2008, FIMRC's El Salvador clinic launched the innovative Micro Health Insurance Program (MHIP), the world’s first non-monetary model of health insurance that incorporates health incentives with micro health insurance. The program is a holistic approach to meet the needs of an underserved population of Las Delicias. Through an extensive health education program, participants earn health credits to purchase health-related products that would otherwise be unattainable due to a lack of resources. Volunteers have an opportunity to assist with this program.
Volunteers typically:
Accommodations:
- Spend days in the clinic shadowing the doctor during patient visits.
- Run health education lessons throughout the community on themes including hygiene, nutrition, and disease prevention
- Participate in activities with Micro Health Insurance Program
- Make house calls with Nurse or other staff from the clinic.
- Participate in the ongoing project of collecting basic statistics from the community such as family size, previous healthcare and treatment and nutrition and developing initial assessments of pressing healthcare needs.
Accommodations:
- Volunteers stay in the FIMRC Guesthouse location San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador. Amenities are similar to a hotel.
- Breakfast is provided daily by the Guesthouse staff. Lunch and dinner are purchased by volunteers at either the clinic or nearby restaurants.
- Transportation from the Guesthouse to the clinic or other locations will be provided by a hired FIMRC driver.