What does it mean to be born a girl in La Salvia

Growing up female in La Salvia is full of challenges. Our Nicaraguan clinic is located in the rural village of La Salvia. Here, there’s very little access to food, healthcare and education. Many families live in poverty, and sadly it is often girls and women that suffer the most.

Contraception and family planning are some of the main things we help with at our clinics. Unplanned and teenage pregnancies are common. Some women travel long distances 

to receive a contraceptive injection, or help and advice. For many women, it’s education, support and supplies that they have never had access to before. 

We recently treated a woman named Rosa at our La Salvia clinic. Rosa was only 49, but she was already a grandmother to eight children and a mother to six. Rosa had faced many challenges caring for her children and grandchildren. A lack of education around family planning has ongoing generational impacts, and at our clinic, our goal is to offer support, treatment and education

Malnourishment in young girls is also common. Many complain of sore stomachs from hunger, or from a diet that only consists of beans and 

nothing else. We teach families about the importance of nutrition and a good diet. For many women and girls this is difficult due to poverty and lack of access to food options.

Finally, girls face ideological barriers in La Salvia. Traditionally, they are seen as mothers and housek

eepers, which leaves them with less opportunities for education and development. We have helped many single mothers raise their children and keep them healthy. Sometimes, fathers have left, searching for a better job and more money somewhere else, for mothers this isn’t an option. 

In desperate times it’s girls that help their families, miss school, or sacrifice their wellbeing so that others are fed and looked after.

Health & Help is women-founded and predominantly women-run. We want to support young women in La Salvia (and beyond) to live their best, healthiest and happiest lives. We believe that girls should have all the same opportunities as their counterparts and that healthcare and education is the first step to get there.

Please help us support girls in La Salvia by making a donation today.