Thursday November 23, 2023
I would be remiss without acknowledging our driver, David, who has been exceptional in these past two days, navigating some questionable paths and terrains by Canadian standards. Today, to shield us from the torrential rain, he offered a tarp that at least partially shielded us (just imagine a bunch of health care professionals who look like they’re ready to take the “Maid of the Mist” Tour in Niagara Falls with our ponchos) - needless to say, there was sufficient laughter to distract us from the pelting water and wind! Wednesday November 22, 2023 Have you ever experienced a day that felt surreal? Today was it, and I wish I had the words to truly describe all that happened. Picture our group huddled together, along with our duffle bags, in two trucks, driving for almost 2 hours on roads that felt abandoned by most of the population. Between mud trails, make-shift bridges over pristine streams, and acres surrounded by African palms and rubber trees, and the sun shining over us, it was nothing short of an adventure just to get to our destination. The village, Adelita, is a remote community inhabited by Indigenous people who were persecuted during the Guatemalan genocide; conflict that included both state and guerrilla attacks. Many don’t speak Spanish; instead, they speak one of 22 Mayan languages still in existence throughout Guatemala- “Q’eqchi”. So, in essence, we needed translators for the translators which certainly made for an extra layer of complexity and patience There were few signs of what we would consider modern, everyday conveniences including cell phones, running water in homes, electricity, and basic infrastructure. Access to nutritious food is also extremely challenging where the “tienda” (the local store) sells primarily sugared drinks and heavily processed foods. Not surprisingly, our clinical team is often assessing for tooth decay, diabetes, hypertension, and stomach issues. What was most distinctive about today’s clinic was the number of children we saw - women, often very young, with many, many children - a symbol of fertility that brings a certain status within the community. The beauty of course, is that these children are like any others - curious, playful, energetic and full of life! We also had our OT support a teenager who experienced a life-altering injury with some assistive devices, and our nurses and physician completed two home visits for those that could not physically attend the clinic. In total, we saw approximately 200 people today and after a long and bumpy road home, I’m confident that all of us will tuck-in early tonight! Tuesday November 21, 2023 This morning, with a sunny sky and the humidity making its presence known without pretense, we loaded into our vans and travelled about one hour to our first clinic destination - San Carlos Huitzil - a rural village that is surrounded by lush vegetation, a main road that dips and peaks with rocks and dirt, and a lovely two-room school.  When we arrived, the village leader was already waiting to greet us, and it was clear that the school had been prepped to accommodate our arrival, including a fresh scent in the air of clean floors and desks, chairs ready to be re-purposed into a waiting area, and tables that would serve as nursing assessment areas. We quickly set up our stations including a reception area, five nursing assessment areas, a physician consultation zone, an eye-glass area, pharmacy, and finally, a care-package area that allowed for distribution of essential toiletries and special “treats” for the children (shoes, hats, toys etc.). The reception area filled quickly--we strategically added a children’s table for colouring to manage wait times--and throughout the day we saw women, men, and children of all ages. Some could not write, others had difficulty remembering how old they were, while others were eager to help their neighbors to navigate our questions and process with them. Our translators (Monica, Hector, Alex, and Jocelyn) are clearly instrumental to the smooth running of the clinic, particularly with supporting the nurses to, as best as possible, assess the person’s needs. Lori (our “Jefa”) remarked that the true success of a clinic is if patients who have received care call their neighbors to come, and sure enough, throughout the day, we saw more and more villagers walking towards us. At the end of the day, we estimate we saw approximately 145 people, likely a good proportion of the entire village! With our first clinic in hand, we headed home, tired and sweaty but with the satisfaction that we did something worthwhile and we did it together.
Monday November 20, 2023 The answer: pack everything! After a good night’s sleep and a local breakfast with plantains and refried beans, we got straight to work. The task: divide all supplies, donations, and equipment into ten hockey bags - two bags designated for each clinic day. It felt a bit like our first unofficial test as a team - how quickly and accurately could we fill the bags together with not a lot of room to spread out, and thousands of supplies (including toothbrushes, toothpaste, vitamins, medicine, wheelchairs, walkers, nursing paraphernalia, toys, school bags etc.) to organize. We devised an assembly-line approach that served us well, and by lunch time, our collective efforts paid off with all bags ready to go. Our efficiency and focus afforded us an opportunity to explore Guatemala’s landscape including a trip to the nearby Falls, Agua Caliente; natural hot springs that felt like a hot water tap had been turned on for all those who enjoyed a few moments under it. The journey to get to the Falls was equally as beautiful, passing the Rio Dulce, a river that runs from Lake Izabal to the Caribbean Sea, and beautiful jungle landscapes that were hilly, lush, and green. Our final stop was the Rio Dulce town itself (also known as Fronteras) where we tried to haggle with local souvenir merchants (as Lori explained, a good negotiation is not only welcomed, but expected) and enjoyed some exotic fruit, rambutan, (it’s related to lychee, is red-colored, and is covered in bristles that resemble hair). As a final activity in the town, we left some donations at the local Fire Department (Abby, our youngest team member, who is both a PSW and a volunteer firefighter at home) appropriately made the official offering from the group.
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