Community garden cultivates health in El Salvador (September 2009)
The first seedlings have sprouted in the new community garden on the grounds of FIMRC’s Las Delicias clinic in El Salvador! Staff members and local residents worked side by side to plant radishes, squash, eggplant, and other vegetables. A major obstacle to good nutrition in Las Delicias is lack of access to healthy food, and as a result, one of the most common ailments seen in children at FIMRC’s clinic is malnutrition. One of the primary commitments of FIMRC’s Micro Health Insurance Program (MHIP) is to equip community members with the tools necessary to maintain baseline health, an important element of which is nutritious food. By working with community members to transform an unused plot of dirt into a functional garden, FIMRC’s field staff aims to improve overall health by encouraging healthy eating habits. As the flagship location for MHIP, Project Las Delicias serves as a pilot site for this community garden concept, which is planned to launch at other FIMRC sites within the year.
Photos from FIMRC’s clinic, community projects, volunteer missions, and the children we serve are now available on our new Photostream at 
Five volunteers from the US and the UK recently traveled to FIMRC’s Project Kodaikanal in the site’s first-ever Global Health Volunteer Program group. Two pre-medical college students shadowed doctors at the Van Allen Hospital, assisted in the pharmacy, and designed educational posters on preventing flu and diabetes. Two volunteers majoring in social work spent extra time working with children in Kodaikanal’s crèches, which act as a combination day care center, feeding center, school, and clinic for local children. Another volunteer scrubbed in on a surgery, and several worked together to educate families on vaccination and nutrition. Despite their busy schedule, the volunteers also found the time to explore Kodaikanal, visit a coastal town and nearby city to learn more about the cultures there, and even learned to cook South Indian food. Project Kodaikanal is now recruiting volunteers for all months of the year, so please contact 
In his work as the clinic physician for Project Alajuelita in Costa Rica, Dr. Stedem oversees all clinic operations, seeing and treating all patients who come into the clinic. He brings vision and drive to Project Alajuelita in his daily work treating common diseases in the region’s youth population. As a native to Costa Rica, Dr. Stedem possesses a deep understanding of how to improve community health one child at a time.