By Santiago Castellón
My Beginnings with WiRED International
I recall sitting in the Ben Linder Café in León, Nicaragua in 2002 with the directors of two American NGOs: Michael Lundquist, head of the Polus Center, and Dr. Gary Selnow, head of WiRED International. They were in León to discuss how their organizations could provide health and disability assistance to the local population in this part of Nicaragua.
We spent several hours over bottles of Cerveza Toña discussing the specifics of our work. This meeting was the first of many over the following year, as we worked through the details and developed a plan. My role would be with Walking Unidos, a local non-profit that, in partnership with the Polus Center, provided prostheses — primarily for victims of war and landmines. I also offered to collaborate with WiRED, which was establishing computer centers to give local residents access to the emerging internet and to provide health information for medical students and faculty at the Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Nicaragua (UNAN-León).
Since those early meetings, I have continued volunteering with WiRED as the organization expanded its efforts throughout northwest Nicaragua and into Honduras and El Salvador.
On many occasions, Dr. Selnow would fly into Managua, where I would meet him. Together, we would spend the week traveling across the three countries, delivering computers and internet connections. WiRED also distributed hundreds of CD-ROMs filled with medical information for doctors and nurses–a vital resource at a time when the internet, while useful for communication, did not yet provide the abundance of technical information available today.
Though cumbersome by current standards, those CDs were especially valuable back then.
Working on WiRED’s projects has been deeply gratifying. Over the years, we established dozens of centers across Central America, often collaborating with local Rotary clubs for logistics and U.S.-based Rotaries for funding. While not all of WiRED’s work was Rotary-funded, Rotary frequently played a key role in fostering these crucial humanitarian partnerships.
Since the war in Nicaragua ended in 1990, I have witnessed the ongoing need to support those affected by conflict, poverty and serious health challenges. When Dr. Selnow invited me to join WiRED’s efforts, I saw an opportunity to apply my skills and contribute directly to thousands of people in this region.
Why Volunteerism Matters
I write this essay to highlight the value of volunteering — of dedicating time and expertise to a cause greater than oneself, helping people who face disabilities and health uncertainties in places where medical resources are scarce and financial support is limited. Nicaragua and Honduras remain among the poorest countries in Central America; the chance to help the most vulnerable is personally fulfilling.
I am now a member of WiRED’s Board of Directors where I can contribute my time to a global community of people who suffer from many of the health and disability challenges faced by populations in my own country. The effort I invest in these programs pays me back many times over what I put into them.
My faith and personal values motivate me to serve; it is how I was raised and how I have lived. I have been fortunate with a wonderful family, a good education, and the means to provide for myself. I feel privileged to join others who share these values and to contribute to a meaningful cause. The rewards are not financial — they are personal, spiritual, and they deepen my sense of belonging to a broader community of wonderful people.
Santiago Castellón is a member of WiRED’s Governing Board of Directors. He joined WiRED in 2002, serving as a volunteer manager in Central America. Mr. Castellon has advanced degrees in Clinical Psychology and Criminal Law. Today Mr. Castellón serves as the Executive Director for Fundación Para La Rehabilitación Walking Unidos (FURWUS) and the appointed Central and South American representative for WiRED. For FURWUS he oversees its operation and manages its mission to support people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups throughout the world. Mr. Castellón oversees the development of WiRED’s Community Health Worker Program that has been developed in Los Lechecuagos in León, Nicaragua. and currently lives with his family in León, Nicaragua.
