History

The UCSD chapter of Project Nicaragua was founded about a year after the UCLA chapter when Assistant Executive Director Stanley Park  in January 2006. Under his direction, a team of three students traveled to Managua, Nicaragua in September 2006 to help create a relationship with La Mascota Pediatric Hospital, conduct research on spina bifida, and donate medical supplies that had been provided by our  Chairman of the Board and Executive Advisor, Dr. Jorge Lazareff, to El Lenin Fonseca Hospital. Since its founding, it has established many relationships with organizations like the International Neurosurgical Children’s Association and AMOS Health and Hope. Project Nicaragua’s connection with AMOS Health and Hope has been used to conduct research about the prevalent rate of parasites in school aged children in San Jose de Los Remates, Boaco, Nicaragua and build clinics in El Bejuco. There are current plans to work with AMOS on a water filter project that would include the adoption of a rural community near Managua. In addition to receiving ten thousand dollars from the Strauss Foundation, the UCSD chapter has been the 2008-2009 recipients of the Chapin Cole and Melissa Higgins Lifelong Service Award and 2009-2010 Alumni Engagement Award. In 2007, Project Nicaragua sent seven undergraduate teams in September 2006; March 15–22, 2007; July 18–28, 2007; September 1–12, 2007;March 21–28, 2009; December 14–21, 2009 and December 13–21, 2010. This chapter is currently advised by Doctor George Chiang, MD from the Rady Children’s Hospital.