Hogar de Ancianos: Granada, Nicaragua
While in Granada, we found about a place called Hogar de los Ancianos (Old Folks' Home). We went one day to visit, and consequently ended up there every morning for the remainder of our time. The ancianos, who live a slow pace, simple life were initially intrigued and curious by our presence, but soon enough, we became friends spending hours exchanging stories and telling jokes.
The majority of the patients there are abandoned and suffer from depression among other illnesses. They all have interesting and tragic stories, given that they have lived through a brutal civil war as well as several natural disasters. We met one man maybe in his mid fifties, who unfortunately is crippled with only one leg due to diabetes and suffers from severe arthritis and depression. Because the Hogar de Ancianos operates on donations, there is a dire need for resources, including pain medication. Dom got to chatting with him and found out that he actually has a prosthetic leg, but hasn't used it for over a year due to his increasing arthritic pain and lack of personnel to help support him while ambulating. One day, Dom encouraged Humberto to try and walk again. Humberto hesitated at first, but after a few steps, with Dom carefully supporting him, he was able to stand on his own. They spent every morning walking together for one to two hours. Humberto made great progress just in one week, and the help and inspiration that Dom gave him brightened his spirits and gave him hope to keep practicing.
After spending a couple of weeks with the ancianos, we got to know both the patients and the staff. We had a feeling for how the home functions and realized due to monetary restrictions and lack of resources, there are basic supplies that just aren't available. We asked the head nun if there were any supplies that we could donate to help and she timidly gave us a small list. With some generous donations from friends we were able to donate 500 tablets of Ibuprofen, 500 tablets of Tylenol, 500 tablets of Aspirin, a ton of wound care supplies, antibacterial ointment, anti-inflammatory ointment, etc.. for the ancianos.
We also found out that although the elderly nicaragüenses are frail, they do have latino blood and LOVE to dance.. walker or wheelchair bound.. not a problem! So, what better way to lift the spirits of the elderly than to provide them some emotional and physical therapy through dance and music? We hired a musical group from Masaya that plays the traditional marimba instrument and hired a local friend and her family to cook up some arroz a la valenciana (chicken, sausage, veggies and rice) with maduros, tortillas and fresh tropical fruit refresco. The band played for two hours while the elderly ate the delicious food and then danced joyfully.
Mini Biblioteca Saloman de la Selva: La Galera, Nicaragua
We spent time getting to know the director and kids of the tiny, rural school Salomon de la Selva (where we took UNM students to teach the kids about oral/hand hygiene). The director, Jose is a very dedicated, humble, and respected person who is committed to making the school as progressive as possible with the little resources available . One day while visiting the school, he expressed to us his dream of creating a mini biblioteca (small library) where the kids could read and do their homework. This idea was derived from his aspiration to create a positive learning environment for the kids. It was very refreshing to hear the ambition and desire in Jose's voice to help his community. We instantly knew that this would be a great DandY project.
The goal was to convert an old, dark hacienda building into a small library and study area for the kids. We went to the local ferreteria in town and bought ply wood, a variety of paint and wood planks to start. The school is about 20 minutes down rugged dirt roads, and because it was rainy season, no taxi wanted to risk getting stuck in the mud. Luckily, outside of the hardware store, was a man with his "cochecito" and skinny campo horse, ready to take Dominic and all of the supplies to the school. After a bumpy ride, Dom and supplies made it to the school safe and sound. We had everything to make the library and realized the only thing missing were books. But where would we find books? We found a local library in Granada who is owned by a Canadian, so we decided it wouldn't hurt to go and ask for a donation. The librarian was very generous and gave us a box of encyclopedias and children's books!
We planned to go to the school the next day and help with the construction and painting, but we were pleasantly surprised that Jose had solicited help within the farming community and finished the library by the time we got there! They used the materials that the DandY fund provided and created their own unique library with the entire community! The room had transformed from a dark, spider web filled, dusty space into a bright and colorful learning environment. We were able to share the finishing touches with the teachers and kids by painting our handprints on the wall.
Yasmin also made another "public health in a box", with medications and wound care supplies and taught/discussed with the three teachers of the school about first aid, wound care and what to do in case of so and so illness.
The entire community was very appreciative of the help and the kids were STOKED about their new mini biblioteca.
Educación Plus: El Pantanal, Nicaragua
Educación plus is a non profit organization (eduplusnicaragua.wordpress.com) founded and run by a local Nicaraguan. Its main focus is to provide nutrition and an education program to 120 impoverished and malnourished children that live in the slums outside of Granada in efforts to keep them off the streets. We have been visiting the tiny school (which is run out of the owner Ervin's home) on a regular basis, both teaching and helping with nutritious meal preparation.
A couple of friends from New Mexico (Mateo and Heather) came down to visit us for vacation, and we put them to work! Heather, a nurse work friend of Yasmin's, helped raise money at the UNMH Medical ICU to help the dandy cause. With the money donated from the MICU, Heather purchased tubs of children vitamins from Costco and brought them down south. The money also went towards a first aid kit which included wound care materials, lice/scabies shampoo, medicine, etc. Heather and Yasmin discussed and taught the basic principles of first aid to Ervin, his daughter and the other volunteers.
We took Mateo and Heather to visit Educación plus to help prepare a meal and play with the kids for an afternoon. We purchased all the ingredients from the street market and grocery store and continued on to help prepare the food for the kids that day. The meal consisted of vegetable chicken soup, bananas, milk, and a daily vitamin (much better than rice and soda!).
Escuela Salomon de la Selva: La Galera, Nicaragua
Salomon de la Selva consists of three teachers, 60 students, 7 grades (k-6th), and three classrooms.
We assembled 60 packages (toothpaste, toothbrush, soap, and information and activities regarding good dental and hand hygiene) together for the children of a rural school 30 minutes outside of Granada. To help teach the kids about dental and personal hygiene, a group of 14 UNM Conexiones students (that happened to also be in Granada) got to come along for the ride. The UNM students were a huge helpe and all the kids of Salomon had a great time with them.
The UNM students also brought school supplies, games, books, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and more for the kids.
Huge thanks to the UNMH MICU crew, the awesome UNM students and everyone who donated!!!
The following video is a recap of all the fun. Enjoy.
Wheelchair Basketball and H2O filters
We met some other volunteers living in Antigua who work for Hope Haven, which is a non profit organization that operates a wheelchair factory. The cool thing about it, is that the employees who hand make the wheel chairs are disabled themselves. We spent an afternoon learning about the project and seeing how they make the chairs (many of the patients at Las Obras Sociales have chairs from Hope Haven). On the workers break, they invited us to play a game of wheelchair basketball. Before we even agreed to play, they had already brought out two chairs. Little did we know, two of the workers play for the Guatemalan national wheelchair bball team.
Another afternoon we spent delivering and installing water filters to impoverished families who live in the highlands that surround Antigua. We taught them about the importance of potable, clean water and they even participated in the assembly of the filters.
Las Obras Sociales del Hermano Pedro
Las Obras Sociales del Hermano Pedro is a rehabilitation clinic and hospital located in Antigua, Guatemala. It was founded by Dominican friars in the 1600s and dedicated to Saint Brother Peter. Saint Brother Peter is a Guatemalan icon and is known for carrying the sick on his back through the rough terrain to find refuge and help. The clinic operates as a multi-service facility serving people from all over Guatemala. The care provided ranges from outpatient wellness check-ups, to hundreds of surgeries performed every year. It also provides a home and care for the elderly, malnourished, abandoned, physically/mentally handicapped, and chronically ill.
Dominic had the opportunity to work along side the physical therapists and help a variety of patients exercise and walk. Yasmin worked primarily with the children, assisting them eat and stimulating them through physical and occupational exercises. We both became friends with the charming yet witty elderly women and would assist them with their lunch while exchanging stories and jokes. With in the first week, the little old ladies had nicknamed Dominic "guapo".
DONATION - There are a group of about five children, all wheelchair bound, who have the ability to perform weight-bearing exercises and can walk with assistance. Walkers were limited to the adult section, which motivated us to raise money for two walkers as well as a couple of pairs of shoes for some kiddos.
Camina Bonito
Casa Guatemala - School and Orphanage
Casa Guatemala is located near the Caribbean Coast of Guatemala on the Rio Dulce. The school/orphanage (houses 150 children, schools 250) is accessible only by boat about 30 minutes from the small town of Fronteras.
We volunteered there for just over two months. Yasmin worked in the clinic that served the children as well as the small surrounding Mayan villages and Dominic worked as the librarian. We both took turns sleeping in the children's houses (roughly 60 kids per house), helping them get ready for school, do their homework, and most fun of all, their chores at 5am!
DONATION - A good friend from home made a donation of $200 to help the children eat fruits, veggies, and chicken for a week!
One Donation
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