El Jobo*

  • Overview
  • Medical
  • Dental
  • Water
  • Business
  • Public Health

Overview

El Jobo is located in the mountainous region of central Nicaragua in the department of Matagalpa. A typical house is made of wood. The community has access to a local health center within the community, as well as a multigrade primary school. 188 students attend the primary school with four teachers and six classrooms. The primary school goes up to grade 6, and there is no secondary school located in El Jobo. Most people in the community work as agricultural laborers.

Global Brigades is currently working with the Medical Program in El Jobo and has been since the first Medical Brigade in August 2016. In their communication with Global Brigades, the top three needs expressed were lack of latrines or properly functioning latrines, limited access to potable water, and limited availability of medications. El Jobo is on the waitlist for continuing Holistic Model implementation as part of Global Brigades’ strategic plan in Nicaragua.

Municipality: San Ramon
Department: Matagalpa

*Brigades to this community are temporarily suspended at this time

Homes : 119
Population : 650
Water System : Yes
Community Bank : No
Electricity : Yes
Health Center : Yes
Community Health Workers : Yes
% of Homes with Latrines : 20%
Education : Up to 6th Grade
Distance from Lodging Facility : 45 km

Medical

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

HEALTH CARE ACCESS

El Jobo has access to a health center within their community. Even with this access, it is important to note that medications, supplies, and materials are often not available in these health centers and are dependent on government funding. There is no access to private pharmacies. Additionally, as noted above, access to trained medical professionals is limited.

During their initial communications with Global Brigades, the top three illnesses in children that El Jobo expressed are diarrheal diseases, respiratory infections, and pneumonia. For adults, common illnesses are chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, as well as gastrointestinal issues. Without access to trained healthcare professionals and medications, chronic diseases can go unmanaged, leading to further health problems. Acute illnesses can also be severe and affect the quality of life.

150

Volunteers

3,346

Patient Consultations

N/A

Vision Screenings Provided

71

Health Education Workshops

COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS

El Jobo has six Community Health Workers that are trained by the Ministry of Health monthly. Community Health Workers, or Brigadistas dSe Salud, work on a volunteer basis as advocates for healthcare within their communities. They are tasked with treating and preventing common illnesses, and some of their responsibilities include first aid, supporting and caring for pregnancies and newborns, and responding to emergency situations. They are also responsible for following up with chronic patients to ensure proper administration of medications and treatments to avoid further complications. Global Brigades is planning to establish a partnership with El Jobo Community Health Workers and the Ministry of Health, and is looking forward to providing these Community Health Workers with blood pressure cuffs, stethoscopes, glucometers, and first aid kits, to facilitate more impactful work. The presence of these volunteers and their advocacy for health within their community contributes to the sustainability of healthcare supported by Global Brigades’ Medical Program and is one of the most impactful disease prevention strategies in rural communities.

BRIGADE INFORMATION

Community members from El Jobo attend Medical Brigades in the community health center of El Jobo. This location has rooms for triage, consultation, dentistry and pharmacy stations.

El Jobo offers strong support on Medical Brigades from the community volunteers. One way the 8-15 community volunteers assist is by running intake. Intake is the very first station of the clinic and is where the community volunteers write down the patient’s name, date of birth, community, and identification number. Additionally, community volunteers manage clinic organization. They set up tables and chairs in the clinic prior to the brigade’s arrival as well as direct patients to the next medical station, once the clinic has opened for the day. Lastly, community volunteers lead adult health education sessions on sanitation and hygiene, chronic diseases, contraception, Women’s health, and water purification. El Jobo’s community volunteers are essential the efficiency and effectiveness of Medical Brigades.

AVERAGE PATIENTS ATTENDED PER DAY: 928
NEARBY COMMUNITIES: EL JICARO 1&2, BABILONIA, JINETE, ASANCOR, EL JOBO 1

MEDICAL/DENTAL VOLUNTEERS IN EL JOBO

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
Rutgers University Medical Brigade August 2016 38 University of Denver Medical Brigade March 2017 38
University of Washington Medical Brigade September 2017 32 University of Toledo Medical Brigade & Stetson University Medical Brigade March 2018 42

Dental

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

DENTAL CARE ACCESS:

While medical access is low, dental access is even more sparing. Dental services are not available within the community health centers, or even the municipality health centers. Instead, if a patient was needing dental care, they would be required to travel to one of the country’s fifteen department hospitals. This could be up to a 2-3 hour bus ride, with many needing to first walk or horseback ride to the bus stop.

368

Patient Consultations

269

Number of Extractions

366

Fillings Performed

66

Dental Education Workshops

BRIGADE INFORMATION

Working closely with the Medical Program, the Dental Program provides fillings, extractions, and fluoride treatments as a standard part of medical brigades. Community members from El Jobo attend Dental Brigades in the community health center of El Jobo.

El Jobo offers strong support on Dental Brigades from the community volunteers. One way the 8-15 community volunteers assist is by running intake. Intake is the very first station of the clinic and is where the community volunteers write down the patient’s name, date of birth, community, and identification number. Additionally, community volunteers manage clinic organization. They set up tables and chairs in the clinic prior to the brigade’s arrival as well as direct patients to the next medical station, once the clinic has opened for the day. Lastly, community volunteers lead adult health education sessions on oral health and hygiene. El Jobo’s community volunteers are essential the efficiency and effectiveness of Dental Brigades.

AVERAGE PATIENTS ATTENDED PER DAY: 928
NEARBY COMMUNITIES: EL JICARO 1&2, BABILONIA, JINETE, ASANCOR, EL JOBO 1

MEDICAL/DENTAL VOLUNTEERS IN EL JOBO

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
Rutgers University Medical Brigade August 2016 38 University of Denver Medical Brigade March 2017 38
University of Washington Medical Brigade September 2017 32 University of Toledo Medical Brigade & Stetson University Medical Brigade March 2018 42

Water

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in El Jobo but has not yet begun with the Water Program. Now in the planning phase, the financing, delivery, and installation of a water system infrastructure, or repairs to existing infrastructure will start as soon as feasible.

Currently, El Jobo has an underground well water system with in-home connections to 50 of the 119 homes. While this 42% of the community has direct connection to the water system, the water source can be dry during the summer season (November to April). For the remaining homes that are not connected to the system, many go to the river for water. The river can be contaminated from fertilizers and pesticide run-off from the community’s agricultural production.

Water System : Yes
Type of Water System : Well underground with pump (with in-home connection)
% of Homes with Access to Water : 42%
Water Council : Yes

Business

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in El Jobo but has not yet begun with the Business Program. In the planning phase, local staff is working with community members to assess the economic needs of the community, establish a community bank, and identify micro-enterprises that can benefit from on-brigade consultations. 

Community Bank : No
Community Bank Members : None
Economic Activities : Agricultural labor
Existing Microenterprises : N/A

Public Health

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in El Jobo but has not yet begun with the Public Health Program. Now in the planning phase, the financing, delivery, and installation of household health infrastructure products will start as soon as feasible.

% of Homes with Latrines : 20%
% of Homes with Showers : 0%
% of Homes with Washing Station : 0%
Common House Materials : Wood

Local Reference Points

View the map to see the closest volunteer lodging facilities, hospitals, and other relevant points of reference.

  • Feature