Since its inception in 2011, Nursing Heart has responded to marginalized communities who reach out to find partners in their efforts to improve local public health. For Nursing Heart, this means supporting the community in its efforts to build a new comunitario or public health space or provide medical care. In 2019, the small community of Pacoxpon initiated an effort to partner with Nursing Heart and Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing to initiate a joint public health survey program, in order to help the community understand the needs of its own residents and proceed into the future. This development of this partnership is ongoing and represents an exciting embodiment of our mission.
Community Health Programs
Working closely with Hombres y Mujeres en Accion, participants support local communities in constructing clinics, community centers, or kitchens to improve community health. Our partners have carefully screened and engaged in development work with the communities requesting these facilities. One of our primary aims is to help with fundraising for the construction so that dreams can become realities.
In 2019, the community of Pacoxpon undertook a new public health program with Nursing Heart and the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. The people of Pacoxpon seek to provide a broader range of health resources to their community. With guidance from faculty and after extensive pre-meetings between NHI|ACE and the community, JHSoN students undertook a carefully developed public health survey with households. The results of this survey have informed subsequent education programs on our regular visits with the community.
Chapina Stove Program
Globally, nearly three billion people use polluting and inefficient stoves or open flames to cook their food. Exposure to cooking smoke kills approximately two million people worldwide every year. In Guatemala, breathing in the toxic fumes while preparing tortillas and frijoles puts Maya women and children at risk for respiratory illnesses, blindness and burns on a daily basis.
The use of the Chapina stove provides:
- 99% of reduction of smoke inside the house
- 69% savings on firewood compared to consumption on open fire stoves
- Decreased incidence of respiratory diseases, skin cancer and direct exposure to fire.
The cost of one clean-burning, efficient Chapina stove for a family is $135. The benefiting family also participates in the process by contributing to the cost of purchasing and installing their stove.
Would you consider participating in this program with us?
