Monthly Archives: May 2010

Relentless Rain

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It has been raining every day for the past three weeks, mostly at night, although there are occasional daytime showers.  Last night, however, it rained all night and it is still raining right now in the middle of the day.  And these are not sprinkles but a downpour that has been coming down for several hours.  There is so much water in the air that the salt in my shaker has become a viscous goo.  The rainy season is during May and June, this year with a vengeance.  We had a team of eight INFOP (Instituto de Formacion Profesional) agricultural students at the Hogar San Jose last week to help plant valeriana on the grounds and lay out future gardening spots.  They were there when our last two water tanks arrived and helped with the installation.  It was hands-on learning and right up their alley.  The final installation has unfortunately been delayed due to a missing regulator valve.  Consequently, the delivery of potable water cannot begin until the valve arrives, which I hope is soon.  For I leave on vacation June 12th and will not return to La Paz until July 3rd and I would sure like to have the system in place before my departure.

Hicks From the Sticks

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“Tengo miedo,” she said.  I’m scared.  The second-year high school student stood before the escalator at the Cascadas Mall.  She had never seen an escalator and hesitated putting her foot onto the upwardly moving step.  Many of the students at the Instituto Lorenzo Cervantes are from rural aldeas (villages) that have few services or amenities (no running water, paved streets, stores).  My contraparte Ana, the Profe Guadalupe, and myself chaperoned thirty alumnos to Tegucigalpa’s Museo de la Historia de Honduras last Saturday.  Tegus, the capital city of more than one million inhabitants, contains many wonders, the fabulous museum being one.  Although prohibited from taking pictures in most exhibits, especially the mixographs of Mexican artist Tamaya, we were allowed a little freedom.  Afterward we went to the mall for lunch and shopping.  The kids had a great day.  I had a great day.  I love my job!

Medical Brigade

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Dr Barry Byer of the Virginia Hospital Center Medical Brigade arrived with his team last Saturday to assess the Hogar San Jose’s needs.  The expectant children brushed their teeth twice that morning and dressed in their best clothing.  Sister Edith played the guitar to make the norteamericanos feel welcome.  We hope they remember us when they return to the States.  Monday, my contraparte Licenciada Ana and I returned to the prison to complete the HIV post-testing with the results of the 47 tests we did on the 11th.  Everyone turned out negative.  To document more good news, I have been notified by the ADEC water engineers that the purification tanks will be installed at the Hogar San Jose next Tuesday May 25th.  The children will soon have potable water to drink on a 24-hour basis.

A Day In Prison

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Of the 176 prisoners at the Centro Penal (15 of them women) 40 elected to have HIV tests done, a quarter of them women.  Our team is led by a dynamo of a nurse, Licenciada Ana, who has rejuvenated the approach to the education and treatment of HIV/AIDS in the departamento of La Paz.  All university graduates in the country are called Licenciado, hence yours truly, who has also been appointed to the board of the Comite Interinstitucional de Lucha Ante el VIH/SIDA, a group organized of different community activists to fight the scourge of HIV in the country, Central America’s highest.  My title on the comite is that of an Asesor-Tecnico, sort of like an educator.  Each departamento has a comite.  I personally interviewed and provided HIV counseling to 8 prisoners who chose to be tested.  The bottom pics show our arrival at the prison and the top left pic shows our team of health care workers, four of whom were auxiliary nurses in training.  It is an honor to have been selected to work with these dedicated professionals.  Three weeks ago, a brand-new CAI clinic (Centro de Asistencia Integral) opened at the hospital in La Paz, a clinic focused on the education and treatment of those in the community diagnosed with HIV.  It will be a challenge to try and overcome the stigma and discrimination in the local populace that accompanies a diagnosis like this in a semi-rural community whose citizens still take pride in being known as a Paceno, someone who was born here, and who subsequently takes pride in knowing everyones’ lineage.

Dia de Las Madres 2010

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I still have to wash my undies on Mother’s Day.  From bottom right is my pila where I do my laundry on my rooftop terraza.  I have great plans for a rooftop garden that will one day change the ecological landscape of my home.  I spend a lot of time up here, the view is terrific, as you can see from my panoramic pics.  I live right in the center of the city and across the street a new commercial establishment is being constructed. Sunday is my only day off and the only day I have to take care of housekeeping tasks. Tomorrow I’m coordinating the shipment of 20+ bags of compost to the Hogar San Jose; Tuesday I’m going to the local prison as part of a team to do HIV counseling and testing for 40 scheduled prisoners; and Saturday I am facilitating a medical brigade team from the states at the orphanage.  Interspersed among those activities are four English classes I give weekly to different age groups.  This past weekend my friend Jen came to visit from Trujillo, a twelve-hour trip away, bless her heart.  She was in town to give an HIV charla to the soon-to-be new class of H-16 Peace Corps Volunteers. There is never a dull moment in Honduras.