“I love to serve, and to me, service means love.”
That’s how Odilis, a health volunteer in La Esperanza de Bilampí — The Bilampí’s Hope — describes the calling that has guided her for over a decade.
For Odilis, it’s not a coincidence that her community’s name echoes the values she’s lived by. It feels like a sign. A reminder that AMOS didn’t arrive in her life by chance.
Two Hours: A Journey Fueled by Purpose
Back in 2013, Odilis began her journey as a health volunteer. Guided by another local volunteer, she would travel over two hours by bus to reach the nearest health post in Kuskawás. There, she attended trainings that equipped her with essential skills — first aid, wound care, and basic medical knowledge — so she could return and serve her neighbors.
Over time, Odilis became one of the leading voices advocating for something her community had never had before: their own local health post.
A New Chapter with Light and Life
“This is a wonderful thing,” she says with pride, reflecting on the recent upgrades made to the health post she once helped make possible.
Thanks to AMOS and a team of volunteers from Pullen, a solar panel system was recently installed — a huge leap forward in a remote place like Bilampí.
For Dr. Luis Guerrero, a doctor that is serving there since 2 months ago, the impact is crystal clear:
“Now, we’ll be able to do more than nebulizations — we can also store vaccines safely and ensure that patients with chronic illnesses, like those who need insulin, have the medicines they need.”
Before this, the doctor faced impossible choices.
“If I brought vaccines in a cooler on Monday, they wouldn’t last the week. I had to take them back to Kuskawás just to preserve them, then return again.”
And for patients who walk hours just to reach the health post, that delay could mean missing a critical opportunity to get vaccinated. Now, with electricity, everything changes.
Planting Seeds of Service
Odilis has not only led health initiatives — she’s also inspired others to serve. Three years ago, her story touched Yaritzel, who had offered her home and kitchen for meetings.
“I used to cook for them and let them meet at my house,” Yaritzel recalls. “Then Odilis encouraged me to become a health volunteer. She saw something in me.”
Soon, Yaritzel passed on that spark to Brenda — another community member who, after attending a training on wound care and first aid, felt her own calling to serve.
At AMOS, we believe no one should die from a preventable or treatable cause.
It’s health volunteers like Odilis, Yaritzel, and Brenda who bring that mission to life in the most remote corners of Nicaragua — with compassion, resilience, and deep connection to their communities.
It is wonderful to read this!
Reading this story out loud in our service at FBC Cleveland today. What an inspirational story!