It is high time we had a work update. Since we are less than a week from being in the US, it is especially pertinent that we write something before we go. Actually we have a couple of posts in the wings so watch out for the triple-post threat!

One of the goals of our program is to train others to give charlas or health presentations in their communities. San Andrés is 95% indigenous (or “natural” as they say here) and whose first language is the Mayan language Ki’che’, while only 5% of the populations is ladino, claim Spanish decent and usually only speak Spanish. People from the communities themselves are going to transmit the health information to their communities more effectively than we ever could. They are already members of the communities and therefore inherently trusted, they speak the language, and can more appropriately communicate the material within not only the Guatemalan cultural context but the Mayan culture context as well. We believe this to be the most sustainable part of our project and I have personally invested a lot of time, sweat, and money preparing everything for the trainings.

Our municipality does not have any promoters (well apparently some are actually contracted to be but they don’t do anything) so we spent 5 or 6 months convincing the doctor, who is also the director of the health center, that promoters are important.

After getting the doctor on board, we put together a plan, wrote up an oficio, something akin to an official letter, presenting the program and listing the different trainings that we would offer in the coming year. We have already successfully held two workshops. The first training took place in July in which we covered basic health and hygiene practices, an introduction to nutrition and how both affect one’s health. This past Thursday we completed our second workshop where we discussed the lack of potable water in Guatemala, illnesses associated with contaminated water and food, how to purify water and food preparation and care (covering food that has been cooked to protect it from flies and other nasty critters/washing foods eaten raw thoroughly, etc.).

We asked the mayor if he could provide the people that attend the workshops with a lunch and/or pay for their passage to and from the meetings. Some of the participants are from the farthest communities and pay upwards of 20Q ($2.40) for the round trip, which is actually a lot of money to the people here being that they are mostly subsistence farmers. Hell, that is a lot for us. The muni denied both requests which was not as much a surprise as it was a disappointment. Despite that, I think those that are coming will continue to participate. Mat and I pay for all of the materials (mostly handouts) and a snack. I wish that we could offer them more but these are the people that have an interest in the advancement of their communities and will continue coming without any other incentive.

We still have 8 workshops to go and plan to teach everything from the flu and respiratory infections to HIV/AIDS and domestic violence. Next May we will have the official graduation!

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We have continued working in El Limón giving charlas. *Grant Update* The grant was approved at the beginning of the month and sent to Washington D.C. The check has already been sent to Guatemala but we will postpone it being deposited until after returning from the US.

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Unfortunately the school year will be at an end when we get back from vacation and we won’t be able to return to the school where we have been working all year. It is one of the more entertaining and rewarding projects that we have going. The kids (with the exception of one class) are very receptive and the teachers incredibly supportive. The parents seems pretty open to the work as well. Once while waiting for classes to start, we were chatting with a mother whose children we teach. She went on to tell us that she had heard all about “Mariquita Cochinita“, which is the story of a little girl who had horrible health habits and fell ill because of them. Eventually she learned better habits, changed her ways, and lived as a healthy little girl happily ever after. The end. Simple story, right? But the kids love it! Songs are a big hit too or any activity that gets them out of their seats. Anyway, it was a small but proud moment that perhaps some of the stuff we talk about actually sticks in their heads and they even discuss it with their families! Official health class are nonexistent but obviously invaluable.

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Computers for Guatemala

In July Computers for Guatemala finally sent the shipment we had long awaited. 10 computers! They were ready for pick-up in another department, Chimaltenango, and all we had to do was go get them. Like all things in the Peace Corps and Guatemala, it was not that simple. Mat piled into a pick-up truck with 4 other gents from the Centro de Salud AND a hallucinating man coming down off of an 8-day bender (he was “pulling floss” out of his mouth and yelling about insects – it is a funny/sad story that Mat should elaborate on in person). Mat spent the whole day getting those computers that, it was discovered, were missing mice and keyboards.

Mat eventually got those computers back to San Andrés. Since then he has been slowly collecting the missing pieces. One day he went with a couple guys from the Centro in the ambulance to buy computer desks. On the way back from Santa Cruz del Quiché (the department capital), they came across a recently flipped camioneta. Luckily no one was seriously injured, mostly dislocated shoulders, scrapes and cuts, but the chickens that were on the roof did not survive the tumble (R.I.P.). They did have to unload all of the desks while the ambulance took people to the Centro and wait until it returned to get them. Last time we were in Antigua he got a great deal on keyboards. Now the computers are only missing mice and power cables. Of course Mat has all of the appropriate software loaded on all of the computers so they are ready to go.

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In the last month, I started a youth development group with a group of teenage girls. They are an amazing and energetic group that I’m very excited about. We’ll cover everything from communication to HIV/AIDS. Eventually, I’d like to train them on mentoring younger girls. That is the end goal as of now, but like all things, it has the ability to evolve.

There have been other things going on here and there that I’m sure to be forgetting. I can’t wait to talk to those of you interested while we are home in detail about what we have been doing. Our blog is a very watered down, censored version of our lives here because we really are not trying to ruffle feathers but rather share what our lives and the lives of the people we work and live with are like. I’m looking forward to questions.

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