Our Goals SA

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MEDICAL

CARE

SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

OUR GOALS

Developing Sustainable Agriculture Alternatives for the Community

Sustainable Agriculture

A key goal in the fight against the CKD (Chronic Kidney Disease) epidemic in Nicaragua is to develop sustainable "agro-ecology" alternatives for the communities suffering from the disease. La Isla Foundation will work with the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua-Leon (UNAN-León) to demonstrate organic farming methods to residents of La Isla and Candelaria -- especially to the widows who have lost their husbands' income. We will show local residents how to produce organically grown grains, vegetables, and livestock by incorporating the use of natural "permaculture" methods and eco-friendly pest management. We will also assist residents in bringing their produce to market in Chichigalpa and surrounding communities.

Supplementing this organic farming initiative, we are creating an organic community garden at La Isla Foundation's headquarters in León, Nicaragua, near Chichigalpa. Using the garden, we will teach children in the community how to raise and keep subsistence and small-scale gardens without relying on industrial fertilizers or equipment, and we will teach students how to use tools such as organic fertilizer and pesticides. UNAN-León will also use the garden as a seed bank for the organic farming project. We will also allow community residents to use the garden to grow local fruits and assist them in making jams that can be sold to the public.

Through this effort, we hope to reduce the communities’ dependence on working in the sugar-cane fields and to promote a model of sustainable agriculture that can be replicated elsewhere in Nicaragua. The sustainable agriculture projects will also empower widows in La Isla and Candelaria to learn new skills and gain a new source of income.

CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE

OUR GOALS