Healthcare Ed

We went to a very poor community in the mountains today. It was terribly sad. All the children were malnourished and everyone had one meal a day. There werent many patients, but they were probably the worst off in terms of general health. I met one boy, Eli, who was devoid of shoes. I felt so bad because we were eating and he just stared at me as if he really wanted my food. I offered it to him, but he refused. I gave him a granola bar instead. He took two bites, stared at me like I would take it back, ran off, and shared it with all the other children (there were at least 15). At the end of the day, I tracked him down again and got the team leader to do some translating. He walked from his home with his sister because his parents were working and couldn't come. I gave him another granola bar and a bottle of water, hoping that the little I could do for him could at least tide him over to his next meal. That boy really made me want to cry. How can a community that has so little use all their resources to give us a hearty lunch when they eat only one time a day? How can they be so selfless with so little?

Construction

Friday - Construction

This was, by far, the hardest day of all - physically, at least. In the morning, we made bottle nets, and then we made concrete using a shovel, wheelbarrow and manpower. Boy did I ever get my hands dirty! We poured the concrete in moulds that were made and measured to the correct dimensions. Then we flattened it out and set them to dry! It doesn't sound too hard... but it really is! We also moved finished concrete slabs (about 5 girls per slab... or 2 guys haha). In the afternoon, we went to install a stove for a family. It was a very humbling experience. They had so many children to take care of, who were probably quite malnourished. They were all very short for their age. They were so grateful for the stove we were installing for them, and they had so little. They even gave us cocoa... which tastes wonderful! You open up the yellow shell and take out the white seeds and suck on them. I wish there was more we could do for them, but with this one stove we are helping to eliminate a major source of their respiratory health problems.

Saturday/Sunday - Relaxation

We spent the day in another town at a beach hotel. It was a well-deserved break after a gruelling week! We had a room with a beach-side view. I went surfing for the first time! It was extremely exhilerating =) There were tons of street vendors.

The one thing I didn't expect was for the water to burn my nostrils and eyes. I felt sorry for the children who peddled jewellery to make a living. They weren't any older than 10-12 years old, and worked from dawn till dusk trying so hard to sell their hand-made jewellery. I wish I could bring them back with me. Again the children were quite malnourished. One boy who was 10 was no taller than the average 7 year old back in Canada.

I'm super tired but recharged to take on this upcoming week!

"Indigenous" & Clinics

We have had a crazy few days. The internet here is fairly on-and-off, since I have to track down someone to be able to access the internet with their computer, and it is rare that I am the only one who needs the computer!

Yesterday we arrived at the hostel. It is so gorgeous here - I can barely believe it is a hostel! We have a courtyard in the centre of our hostel, which all the rooms look out on. Yesterday we went to Izalco's welcoming meeting. It was a really touching, changing experience. The mayor of the town talked about how the town is losing a lot of their culture because the government is no longer supporting the indigenous people in this region. He is so grateful that we are even here, offering our services to the town, that when our leader, Dr Ben Cavilla, asked what the mayor thought we could do for the town, the mayor replied, "I am speechless that you have even asked me about what you can contribute. I have been taught never to take the generosity of others for granted. I am so thankful that you are here, and can't ask for more." Amazing. The selflessness of these people, who have so little compared to us, makes me feel like I can always be so much more generous in my life. The mayor is fighting to keep his town alive, his indigenous culture alive. Speaking of indigenous - the mayor told us that the word 'indigenous' has almost become a slur because the government is so against helping the natives from keeping their culture and heritage. So the socially acceptable term is 'naturals'. It is sad that a word so built in history has become such an insult to these people.

Today, we had our first day in the clinics. Our team was on healthcare education. We saw about 170 patients, had 220 scripts in the pharmacy. Healthcare education essentially is us trying to educate the people about respiratory diseases, and hopefully help them understand what they can do to prevent contracting such disease. Some of us helped in managing clinic flow - filling out patient charts, filing patients into rooms and keeping order in general. It was amazing the kinds of things the locals were willing to change and wanted to change to make their lives and their children's lives better. Tomorrow, we will be again in the clinics shadowing the physicians. Did you know, that tylenol costs $1.00 a pill here? So many patients who come to our clinic are here for the free tylenol that we can provide. Imagine the increase in their livelihood that we contribute - even if it is just for a short time. The ability not to worry about where your next meal will come from because you have the medication you need? Priceless.

I was so touched by the thankfulness of the people here. One man spoke to me in rushed Spanish thanking me over and over for my help. And all I did was ensure that he was able to see a doctor. Another young girl, no older than 15, gave me this beautiful butterfly necklace for helping her see the doctor. I wish I had more to give these people. Even the dogs here are so underfed.

I hope I can update this blog soon - but it all depends on how much time I get with the computer!