Healthcare for Pregnant Women in Nicaragua

Ten years ago, Yessica Solano started her story on the Clínica Verde team after winning one of the biggest battles of her life: fighting to obtain a nursing degree so she could become the professional she always dreamed of being. She started her nursing career at Clinica Verde in 2012.

In a country where few can achieve a university degree, Yessica's dream impacted hundreds of young people through programs she developed and guided at Clinica Verde addressing gender equality, mental health and healthy youth development. In the midst of the pandemic, she helped to educate hundreds of community members on how to take precautions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Despite the loss of her own family members to Covid-19, she continued to help educate and serve patients with compassion and humanism.

"Yessi is a woman who cares for each patient as if he were her brother," says Mary Flores, project coordinator at CV. "She has devoted so much love and vocation to serve the neediest families."

"This has been my school and my home for these 10 years," said Yessica. "I have had wonderful experiences with this very special team." 

"We thank Yessi for a decade of exceptional service and resilience. She will continue to serve as an example for those who, like her, fervently hope to dedicate themselves to helping others just as she did over these past 10 years," said Flores.

We wish Yessi the best as she emigrates to the U.S. to search for new opportunities for her family.

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The Power to Decide Your Future

Mayra arrived at Clínica Verde anxious and worried with her 4-month-old daughter in her arms. Her baby was her eighth child and the young mother was searching for help and support through family planning. 

"I don't want to get pregnant again," was the first thing Mayra said to the nurse at Clinica Verde while filling out her registration information. Because of the risk of Covid-19, the local hospital would not provide surgery to Mayra to prevent further pregnancies.  

Mayra came from a rural region located about 40 kilometers away, where she stayed home to care for her children while her husband worked in the fields. The family's income was less than $100 per month.  

At Clínica Verde, her baby and children received wellness exams, which showed that the infant was underweight. The nurse offered recommendations during the consult and provided Mayra with contraceptives, which will give her the power to plan her family according to her wishes. 

Contraception can be hard to find for rural women, and abortion is illegal in Nicaragua. Nicaragua has one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancies in Latin America, and large families such as Mayra's are common in the countryside, where many survive on less than $2 a day. 

Clinica Verde is proud to be able to provide family planning services to women like Mayra who would otherwise have few options.

Thank you for continuing to support the work of Clinica Verde so that we are able to provide these much-needed services.