Lowering Poverty + Disease in Nicaragua
Donation protected
An epidemic of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) in Nicaragua is destroying families in this desperately poor region and efforts to identify the root cause of the disease have fallen short. Although the cause of the CKD epidemic was and remains a mystery, there are many who believe that the mysterious illness is associated with chronic dehydration and heat exposure in individuals working in agriculture "“ and particularly in sugar cane fields.
This video better explains the CKD epidemic in a region of Nicaragua, similar to San Juan del Sur:
A group of physicians and medical/public health students will travel to San Juan del Sur, NIcaragua for eight weeks this summer to look deeper into the causes of the CKD epidemic. We will be performing a research-based study, looking at the health statuses of Nicaraguan farm-workers in an effort to better understand the extent and patterns of disease presence. It is our hope that, if we can successfully identify the underlying cause of the epidemic, we will be better suited to design and implement a strategy to fight back.
This work is wholly supported by donations of family and friends of organizers and research assistants working on this project. All participants are paying for their own transportation to Nicaragua and their own room and board once in-country. We are trying to raise funds for all other study supplies and expenses. We need your help to generate reliable scientific estimates of CKD prevalence so that attention can be drawn to this critical problem.
Those of us organizing the project will be paying for all uncovered expenses out of pocket. If you have a friend or family member participating on this trip we urge you consider making a donation to their cause.
The approximate budget for the big-ticket project expenses include:
$1,500 Supplies
$1,500 Drivers
$4,000 Truck rental
$2,000 Fuel
$1,000 Creatinine testing in Managua
$1,000 Transportation of blood samples to Managua
Total = $11,000
This video better explains the CKD epidemic in a region of Nicaragua, similar to San Juan del Sur:
A group of physicians and medical/public health students will travel to San Juan del Sur, NIcaragua for eight weeks this summer to look deeper into the causes of the CKD epidemic. We will be performing a research-based study, looking at the health statuses of Nicaraguan farm-workers in an effort to better understand the extent and patterns of disease presence. It is our hope that, if we can successfully identify the underlying cause of the epidemic, we will be better suited to design and implement a strategy to fight back.
This work is wholly supported by donations of family and friends of organizers and research assistants working on this project. All participants are paying for their own transportation to Nicaragua and their own room and board once in-country. We are trying to raise funds for all other study supplies and expenses. We need your help to generate reliable scientific estimates of CKD prevalence so that attention can be drawn to this critical problem.
Those of us organizing the project will be paying for all uncovered expenses out of pocket. If you have a friend or family member participating on this trip we urge you consider making a donation to their cause.
The approximate budget for the big-ticket project expenses include:
$1,500 Supplies
$1,500 Drivers
$4,000 Truck rental
$2,000 Fuel
$1,000 Creatinine testing in Managua
$1,000 Transportation of blood samples to Managua
Total = $11,000
Thank you, in advance, for your generous support. We are all very excited to arrive in Nicaragua and begin working on the project. With your help, we will be giving power and a voice to a nation that has fallen victim to a faceless disease.
Organizer
Cal Sowa
Organizer
Boston, MA
