Project AMOS

By: Dr. Mark Jensen

Project AMOS (A Ministry of Sharing) signals in its name both its mission and method: from the biblical prophet Amos they take their mission for wholeness and justice for the most vulnerable of society. Their method is to come alongside communities where they are invited and help a community organize and empower itself to set and reach goals of better health for their community. They are also a mission education organization, so they graciously took us along and let us share in this work and learn from them and their partners in community.
The community of Las Macias, in the rural region of Boaco, is about two hours outside Managua. Their community has struggled with high levels of anemia and malnutrition among its children. They have committed to monitor and improve these levels in several ways. This year, AMOS worked with their elected health committee (several of whom are teenagers) to find and use locally available green leaves to add to “tortas,” providing naturally occurring iron and vitamins at no additional expense to families whose access to food is limited in both quantity and quality. (Read more about this project soon on the WFUSD Food and Faith website.) This approach frees the community from dependence on outside agencies to provide packaged vitamins, an approach whose logistics and dynamics are difficult at best.
AMOS team member Alberto (on the right in this picture) led a “workshop” for health committee members, who later spread out and repeated the demonstrations across the village. Don Alberto was a masterful teacher, whose words and actions encouraged fathers and brothers to join sisters and mothers in the work of preparing healthy food for the whole family.
It was a privilege to be welcomed and taught by AMOS and the people of Las Macias. It was also a privilege to travel, serve, and learn with Justin, Kessiah, Kevin, Kim, Khelen, Skyler, and Teniesha.