this week

Hello all!
Things are going well here. This week we have been on the move! Sunday we went out to one of the barrios that we don’t’ spend time in usually and met with a couple people there about working on a community center for them. Apparently this is the poorest barrio in Talanga, and its pretty evident. The man we met with said there are lots of drug problems and the teens really have nothing to do there other than fall into pretty bad stuff. There are a couple of really dedicated and pretty inspiration guys that live there that we met with that are working on turning around this community. They have started a soccer league to give the kiddos something to do, and are working on getting the community center there up and running. The only problem is that there are holes in the tin roof, there is a dirt floor, no windows, no door. Basically its just a frame of an abandoned house that they want to get use out of. The other problem is that apparently there is no water for this community. I honestly didn’t know that this existed in Talanga, and an very saddened. The reason, come to find out, is that the mayor bought a defective pump for this particular area, and won’t buy a new one or try and fix the old one. Yea… So people have to walk down to a stream and get some water with this buckets, then haul it up a steep incline to get to their houses. Pretty sad. So anyways, we are going to start working on the community center, and we are really happy to help them out. I think its an ideal opportunity, people that are trying to help themselves, and just need a bit of support with logistics and possibly about $100 dollars total to put a cement floor in. Sounds good to me! So we will continue to meet with them, and the Elms College will be sending in reinforcements for a week in March and they are going to help us with some of the leg work! Hopefully I can take some pics later and get them up before and after!

We have also been going to the clinic a lot this week. Tuesday and Wednesday we went like regular and helped the nursing students. There is also a doctor that was there this week, so we have been helping with him, doing translating and triage and whatnot. Its has been really nice to work with him, because I think it’s a different perspective, and he brings a lot of energy to the project. On Thursday I went back out to Guiamaca to the clinic to help the doctor, a nurse and a group of a few others go to one of the small villages there and do a clinic. We had a great turnout, and worked most of the day seeing patients that otherwise would not have been seen, because of money, time, mobility, resources, etc.So that was a really good experience for us to reach a lot of people, and also to learna lot that we otherwise wouldn´t be able to had we not left the town clinic. Hopefuly I can get involved in these types of clinics again. We actually did a few house visits, and one woman wanted to pay us. We told her that wasn´t necessary, but she insisted. I saw a huge orange tree on her property and asked that we were payed in oranges, and she was more than happy to oblidge! 10 oranges later we hit the road back to the clinic! haha
It was areally a great time, and i´m happy we went.
Take care all!