Jinotega, Nicaragua is nicknamed the “city of centenarians”, and we would like to introduce you to one of our favorites: Doña Clementina. She is 97 years old and lives in the small farming community of Los Robles.
She has given birth to an unbelievable twelve children, each delivered healthy and in her home by a local midwife. The matriarch of many generations, Doña Clementina has helped raise her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Sadly she has lived to see two of her children pass away. One at the age of 17 during the contra war, and her eldest daughter at the age of 70. After her son’s death, she recounted a memory in which she hid her children so they wouldn’t be drafted or kidnapped into fighting in the conflict.
In the 1990s, she worked with her children in agricultural fields of Los Robles. They baked bread, made nacatamales (traditional dish, like an oversized tamale) and did whatever was necessary to survival. Exchanging food, such as chicken eggs and various harvests, for meat with friends in Jinotega provided subsistence for her family. (She emphasized to us several times how much she enjoys meat.)

The bathing area before the project


New bathing area


Katherinne, Doña Clementina, Roxana, and Yarisleidy


Originally from Dantanli, Doña Clementina moved to Los Robles some 45 years ago where she has lived since. She uses a walking stick now and is losing her vision. Consequently, her limited mobility makes bathing difficult, and thus she and her family reached out to Comunidad Connect for help in renovating her bathing space. As part of our Family Impact Project initiative, local families are eligible to receive such improvement to their household infrastructure after completing community service hours or if there is a special health priority in the household. Accessible, safe, and clean bathrooms and showers are essential to the wellbeing of all families, and we are happy to bridge resources from generous donors to people like Doña Clementina. Many people contributed to improving the quality of life of someone who has given so much to others during her long life – thank you to everyone that played a part in this heartfelt story of impact in the community of Los Robles.

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