Our Vision:
BASIC’s vision is to:
- Succeed with its partners in improving the lives and opportunities for the people of Nicaragua through education, housing and visual health
- Train people in Nicaragua in job skills
- Lead a volunteer revolution towards humanitarian assistance
The BASIC Board of Directors includes:
President: Suzy Eberle (one of the founding members) |
Secretary/Treasurer: Vera Bamberg |
Financial Secretary: Richard Hughes |
Director of Family Relations: Vacant |
Director of Linguistics: Billy Martinez |
Other Directors: Roger Natzke, Mark Natzke, Dan Hamann
HISTORY
The concept of BASIC was conceived when in 2005 a small group of members of First Lutheran church from Gainesville, Florida went to Chinandega Nicaragua. While there they visited Santa Patricia, a refugee Camp made up of people displace by devastating Hurricane Mitch. The following year a vision clinic was held there but still the need was so great, much more remained to be accomplished. In 2007, a small delegation returned to Santa Patricia and interviewed all of the families to determine the family structure and their immediate housing, educational and medical needs. A booklet was developed outlining the families and their needs. For more family profile information you can download the BASIC Book 2014. Since that first vision clinic and two houses were built in 2006, we have seen over 14,000 patients in vision clinics in Santa Patricia and built over 65 houses.
BASIC Nicaragua was granted official non-profit 501c3 status on May 17, 2012. Thus all donations to the effort become tax free.
