Brothers and Sisters in Christ - Nicaragua

A few years ago, I went on a service trip to Nicaragua with BASIC On a Mission in Nicaragua to host a vision clinic and build homes for the residents of Santa Patricia, a small Nicaraguan village. I had the opportunity to see the differences in life there and the residents’ inadequate access to basic amenities. A year later, this impoverished country experienced political turmoil and violence, further damaging their economy and livelihoods.

Currently, Nicaragua has been hard hit by COVID-19, the pandemic that is wreaking havoc across the entire world. While some nations have had successful responses to the spread of the deadly virus, Nicaragua’s response under President Daniel Ortega has been largely inadequate tainted with hypocrisy, concealment, and lies. Despite information stating otherwise, the government has refused to take the pandemic seriously and in fact has been discouraging scientifically-proven behaviors to limit the virus’s spread and ensure safety, including mask-wearing and social distancing. By May, the official case number had been recorded as 16 cases rather than the more accurate number of 1000+. Additionally, the government has attempted to downplay the severity by conducting secret burials with the cause of death being recorded as pneumonia and not coronavirus. The pandemic has put the Nicaraguan citizens in danger while also damaging the country’s already weakened economy, further straining the country. For more information, please read: Nicaragua and COVID19 

To add to an already painful situation, Nicaragua has been recently hit by two deadly hurricanes. The most recent is Iota, a category 4 hurricane that just made landfall in Nicaragua on November 16, 2020, just two weeks after weathering Hurricane Eta. Coupling this with the effects of the pandemic, government misinformation, and worsening economy, Nicaragua is in poor shape.

BASIC Nicaragua is asking for donations to support battered families with food and medicine while encouraging the kids to continue their education and complete the school year. The chronically ill patients have already been provided with some essential medications for 6 months and food packs, but funds are needed to support another food/medicine pack donation in December. Any and all donations to this cause would be incredibly helpful.

Thank you so much for your assistance and ongoing support!