My Soul Friend, Sister Ann

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I entered the Intercultural Medicine Program at URACCAN University when it first began in 2009.  I could not afford even the mínimum program fees and had to charge them.  During my second year I was stressed about how I would ever be able to follow my dream to become a doctor.  It was then that I first met Sister Ann McKean, CSA at the convent in Bilwi, Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua and I told her my problem.  That ángel of mine went to the university and paid my fees and when she brought the receipt to my home, I cried.  That was how I became the first Adelante Mujer student and that was the beginning of my beautiful relationship with Sister Ann Continue reading “My Soul Friend, Sister Ann” →

The Difference You Make

Nicaragua, a land of natural beauty, has a culturally diverse population, with over 400,000 inhabitants identifying themselves as members of an indigenous or ethnic community.  Many of these indigenous peoples live in the Autonomous Regions of the Nicaraguan Caribbean Coast.  In this rural area of the country, doctors and hospitals are in short supply, with a patient to doctor ratio of approximately 9,000 to 1.

According to the Pan American Health Organization, “To eliminate health inequities for indigenous peoples, Afro-descendants, and members of other ethnic groups, it is essential to promote intercultural approaches. Intercultural health models such as complementary, traditional and integrative medicine (TCIM) contribute to self-determination by promoting self-care, Continue reading “The Difference You Make” →

Sixty-One Doctors and Counting

Several years ago when Sister Ann McKean, CSA, PhD and I were talking with Dr. Manuel Salas about the goals of Adelante Mujer, we asked how many doctors Nicaragua would need. Thirty? Fifty? About how many? His reply was simple. “We will never have enough;  there is such a terrible shortage.”  “All right,” we decided, “Adelante Mujer will continue to provide financial assistance to women medical students for as long as God and our donors help us.”

On March 24, 2021 another glorious success of Adelante Mujer’s mission became a reality. Seven industrious students pronounced the Hippocratic Oath to become devoted physicians.

 

 

 

The Promotion Ceremony begins with the formal introduction of each student and her escort. Here Jenny and her father are announced as they enter the assembly. Continue reading “Sixty-One Doctors and Counting” →

The Beautiful Blessing You Are

Semester Two of 2020 has begun for the students of Intercultural Medicine at URACCAN University. Each student submitted the required grade report from the first semester and we are so very proud to announce that 49 of 51 Adelante Mujer students have qualified for funding. Below are just a few of the email messages thanking you for your financial assistance that is essential to their success.  Continue reading “The Beautiful Blessing You Are” →