FIMRC - Project Limon Volunteer

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FIMRC Volunteer Service in Project Limon

Project Limon welcomes volunteers traveling individually as well as in groups up to 16. Volunteer activities are arranged year-round, so please contact us with the dates you would like to travel!

The nature of the Nicaragua volunteer program will vary depending on the number of volunteers in each group, the length of the volunteer trip, respective proficiencies in Spanish, medical training, and the current needs of the community and the clinic. No matter what the finalized itinerary may be, every volunteer mission will prove to be culturally and socially enlightening. Each volunteer will have the opportunity to examine Nicaragua’s systems of medical provision while learning about ways to address health care disparities in the developing world.

Volunteer activities are primarily based in the Roberto Clemente Clinic, where volunteers are able to shadow medical staff during examinations and procedures. Volunteers may also have the opportunity to provide basic assistance such as taking vitals or assisting in examinations at the discretion of the clinic’s physicians. Based on itinerary and interest, volunteers spend their time alongside the clinic’s physicians, nurses, or pharmacists.

Medical professionals are enthusiastically welcomed to join our program; volunteering tasks will be arranged based on medical area of expertise. While we strive to engage student volunteers in a medical capacity, FIMRC maintains the policy that all medical care must be delivered by qualified, trained medical professionals.

Project Limon has grown over the past several years into a network of partnerships in and around Limon. Aside from the Roberto Clemente Clinic, volunteers are given the opportunity to visit and work at a nearby regional hospital, several elementary schools, and multiple neighboring clinics.

Preventative community health outreach is a major component of the service we provide to patients and families. Through this initiative, volunteers play a crucial role in delivering dynamic, engaging health education sessions to children and adults alike. Volunteers will host educational community discussions on a variety of general health topics such as basic hygiene, parasite prevention, and dental health.

Many opportunities exist to shape an itinerary to individual interests, as FIMRC’s goal is to provide every volunteer a memorable, worthwhile experience that will instill lasting impressions about healthcare in developing communities. Once enrolled, please do not hesitate to contact our Office of Volunteer Programs at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 1-888-211-8575 to discuss your particular goals for a volunteer mission.

Volunteer Inquiry Form:

The principal goals of our work in Nicaragua include:

Establish an effective system for the delivery of acute and preventative healthcare to members of this underserved Nicaraguan community;
Transition from a system of triage healthcare to one of continuous care by implementing biannual well-child visits for the entire community while monitoring key indicators of overall health;
Achieve a marked decrease in pediatric malnutrition and in the number of underweight children in the community;
Curb the devastating spread of common endemic disease caused by preventable microbial infections;
Promote and sustain programs in health education, with particular focus on pediatric and maternal health initiatives.

FIMRC strives to develop sustainable programs within the community. Project Limón started its work in January of 2009 and has since strived to provide educational opportunities for community members on preventative health issues pertinent to the population. In collaboration with GHVP volunteers, medical students and health professionals, FIMRC realized many noteworthy achievements in 2009, including:

Comprehensive community mapping of 4 communities which will allow FIMRC to identify children who will benefit from a future free pediatric health program.
Personal hygiene trainings delivered to 2491 kids.
Family planning trainings delivered to 169 adolescents.
Dental hygiene trainings delivered to 353 kids.
Delivered 16 hours of first aid training to 17 individuals from different communities.
Helped administer anti parasite medication to 2356 children.
Funded and participated in the construction of a medical waste incinerator at the Las Salinas clinic.
Provided ongoing treatment for 83 kids and families infected with lice and provided education regarding prevention.
Implemented a tooth brushing program in 4 schools.
Worked with the Ministry of Health to administer abate to water sources in 1506 households.
Organized and executed a recreation day for 150 children.
Developed educational literature about malaria, dengue, leptospirosis, H1N1, personal hygiene, dental hygiene, and lice.
Conducted a comprehensive analysis of community health.
Distributed 60 pediatric health kits to community members and patients at RC clinic.
Promoted the Roberto Clemente Clinic’s services in the community via flyers and house visits.
Tested 51 children for anemia and provided a 4-week nutrition course to parents of affected kids in Limon I.
Purchased and installed piping at Las Salinas government clinic.
Organized 5 trash campaigns.
Assisted the Ministry of Health with a government census.
Assisted the Ministry of Health in identifying possible H1N1 cases.
Conducted house visits with MINSA to monitor newborn babies.
Collected demographic data from all members of 4 communities.
Assisted in the development of an operational plan for the Roberto Clemente’s emergency transport program.
Solicited and received donation of baseball equipment to facilitate a little league baseball team in Limón.

Greg Macdonald, Project Manager
Tucson, Arizona
As Project Manager, Greg assists with the overall management of Project Limon. He brings to the position several years of international experience, most recently as Field Operations Manager for Project Limon. In his time on-site, Greg launched and managed Project Limon’s Global Health Volunteer Program, and also developed health innovations to improve the lives of thousands of children and adults in Nicaragua. Prior to joining FIMRC’s team, Greg served as a Youth Development Volunteer with the Peace Corps in El Salvador, taught English at a leading university in Mexico, and worked as a Case Manager for child welfare agencies in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Greg holds a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Pittsburgh and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Public Administration at the University of Arizona. He is passionate about making a difference, loves to travel, and will eat just about anything you put in front of him.

Martha Fuchs, Field Operations Manager
Limón, Nicaragua
Martha joined FIMRC in February 2010 as Field Operations Manager for Project Limón. New to FIMRC but not to Nicaragua, she last worked as Volunteer Coordinator for a nonprofit organization on Ometepe Island which focused on providing sustainable food systems for local farmers. Martha graduated from the University of Oregon with a dual degree in Human Physiology and Spanish. Afterwards, she worked at Oregon Health and Science University researching environmental health in agricultural communities. She is happy to be back in Nicaragua and to be working alongside staff and community members. Her favorite part of working internationally is the opportunity to meet and collaborate with new people, and FIMRC volunteers never fail to inspire her!

Housing
Volunteers stay in cottage-style hotel accommodations at the Surf Sanctuary, located a short walk from the beach and a short drive from the clinic site. Its close proximity to local homes allows volunteers to become truly integrated into the community. All rooms have electricity, air conditioning, toilets, and hot showers. Volunteers also have access to a common area with a kitchen and television.

Meals
Breakfast is provided for every day of your stay at the Surf Sanctuary and includes options of fruit, eggs, pancakes, rice, beans, and other common Nicaraguan breakfast plates. Lunch is provided at the clinic during every volunteering day. These lunches are typical Nicaragua dishes and tend to include beans, plantains, a salad of cabbage and tomato, and either fish, chicken, beef, or pork (selection changes daily). Accommodations can be made for volunteers with specific dietary preferences. Volunteers are responsible for purchasing additional meals from a list of recommended meal vendors in the community.

Transportation
All transportation is provided by reputable hired drivers with outstanding safety records.
Upon arrival at the Managua airport, volunteers are met by a driver, as well as a staff member or representative of FIMRC, and are transported to the Surf Sanctuary. Private transportation is provided for each volunteering day between the Surf Sanctuary, the clinic site, and all other volunteering locations in and around the community of Limon.

The following costs are due per-person to FIMRC for participation in Project Limon:
Program donation:

Peak (January, March, May, June, July): $699 per week
Semi-peak (December, February, August, September): $599 per week
Non-peak (April, October, November): $499 per week
Housing/transportation: $450 per week

The following are additional approximate costs:

Flights: generally between $500-$700
Spending money: $150 per week recommended.

Passport
US citizens can enter Nicaragua with a valid passport. Volunteers who do not hold a US passport must check with their respective embassies for information on travel eligibility. Volunteers are responsible for obtaining or renewing their passports.

Visa
US passport holders are not required to obtain a visa prior to travel. A tourist visa can be purchased at the Managua airport upon arrival in-country. Non-US passport holders should check with their respective embassies for current visa requirements and regulations. Volunteers are responsible for ensuring that they are legally eligible to travel abroad.

Vaccinations
We refer all volunteers to the information provided by the Centers for Disease Control at www.cdc.gov/travel for the most up to date vaccination recommendations. Please note the different recommendations not only for the country you are visiting, but also for the region in which you will be staying.

Flights
Volunteers are responsible for arranging their own flights and must fly in and out of Augusto C. Sandino International Airport in Managua (code MGA). Please click here for further information on flights.

Insurance
Volunteers are responsible for possessing health insurance which covers emergency medical evacuation. Please click here for further information.

FIMRC Payments and Enrollment Forms

Once you work with our team to confirm your volunteering site and trip dates, you will be sent a welcome message via email which will contain instructions for enrollment, as well as deadlines for the submission of materials. If you have questions about this process, do not hesitate to contact missions@fimrc.org or 1-888-211-8575.

FIMRC Volunteer Service in Project Limon

Volunteer Inquiry Form:

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