La Isla Foundation

Nonprofit (501c.3 listed in Guidestar)

La Isla Foundation was created in 2008 by a crew of filmmakers documenting the plight of plantation workers in Nicaragua. While making the documentary "The Affected" they witnessed a chronic kidney disease (CKD) epidemic among sugar-cane workers in the municipality of Chichigalpa. They paused their work on the film, and created this Foundation to address the CKD epidemic. In this reg... read moreLa Isla Foundation was created in 2008 by a crew of filmmakers documenting the plight of plantation workers in Nicaragua. While making the documentary "The Affected" they witnessed a chronic kidney disease (CKD) epidemic among sugar-cane workers in the municipality of Chichigalpa. They paused their work on the film, and created this Foundation to address the CKD epidemic. In this region CKD is the number one killer, occurring at least six times abovethe national average. In some families, the disease has claimed the lives of three generations of men. The death rate is so high that the small community of La Isla is now known as The Isle of Widows. OUR MISSION: La Isla Foundation works with institutions and local communities to fight an epidemic of chronic kidney disease in the western region of Nicaragua. As a first step La Isla Foundation sponsored a CKD prevalence study in 2008 in collaboration with academics and health experts from The Autonomous National University of Nicaragua-León (UNAN-León), Programa Salud y Trabajo para América Central (SALTRA) and local government. The prevalence study, completed in June 2008, proved that CKD is of epidemic proportions in the communities of La Isla and Candelaria. Some of the shocking results of this study are highlighted below: • Nearly 70% of the men and over 30% of the women in La Isla have CKD • Nearly 33% of the men in La Isla have CKD in severe or fatal stages • Among the 350 families in La Isla, there are 100 widows At La Isla Foundation we create solutions to the CKD epidemic by: • Developing viable systems to alleviate poverty • Providing medical expertise to communities in need • Addressing environmental, human rights, and labor concerns International participation, support, and monitoring will initiate change. Our ultimate vision is to support and empower local communities. La Isla Foundation coordinates stakeholders and develops strategies for long-term, sustainable development. Over time, responsibility will shift to the local, regional, and national levels. We are expanding our network of alliances with like-minded institutions, civil society, and governments. Academic, social, medical, environmental, and legal resources are vital in order to address the full scope of this epidemic. We hope to expand and serve workers suffering from dangerous and toxic agricultural practices throughout the Americas. read less

http://www.laislafoundation.org

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