27 April 2008

Lunch With Friends

Earlier today we had the clinic staff over for lunch. Although we see the staff multiple times a week, our interactions always take place at the clinic and are therefore not as informal as we would sometimes like them to be. Erin and I invited the staff over to the Manna house so that we could take some time to step back from work, relax and enjoy each others company.

The lunch was a lot of fun. We made giant cheeseburgers with oven-roasted potatoes. For dessert we had brownies with ice cream. We told the staff that they were welcomed to bring their kids to our house so Esmo brought her son, Shy, and Yami brought her son, Leo. It was amazing to see just how energetic their kids were! Despite not knowing how to swim, they were really excited about being able to use our pool. So, after lunch, Erin and I put on our bathing suits and hopped in the pool to serve as swim coaches/lifeguards.

It was great to have the opportunity to enjoy an afternoon with Esmo, Yami, Sandra, and Dr. Perez. We have certainly come a long way since August.

15 April 2008

Back in School!

This morning when Erin and I arrived at the clinic Dr. Lesly, Esmo and Yami were no where in sight. Thankfully Sandra saw us walking outside the clinic with confused expressions and came over to tell us that the staff was at the school, giving anti-parasite meds to the kids. Erin and I decided to make our way over to Colegio Esperanza to say hi to the staff and see how things were going. When we arrived at the school we were greeted by a multitude of hugs from hyper kids who were enjoying their last few minutes of recess.

The clinic's staff had just finished their work at the school and was ready to head back to the clinic. As we were about to leave, Erin spotted Yelsing, one of the boys in our program. We couldn't believe it! For weeks we had been asking Miriam (his mom) to send her kids to school. Did all our conversations with her finally pay off?

Since we only spotted Yelsing at school, we wondered if his sisters Katy and Miriam, were also in class. Instead of heading back to the clinic with the staff, Erin and I decided to walk over to the Vanegas' house. Our excitement was reflected in the way we walked- there was a definite bounce to our step.

When we arrived at the house Miriam gave us a warm welcome. We asked her how things were going and how she was feeling. She was happy to show us her new smile- for as long as I had known her, she hadn't had any front teeth. Now, thanks to the help of a dentist, she has a smile that accurately reflects her sweet personality.

Miriam then told us that she had taken Katy, Miriam and Yelsing to school in the morning. I'm sure she could tell by our smiling faces how excited we were to hear the news, but we told her anyways about how happy we were that the kids were in school. She then started telling us about each of her kids. She said that Katy is excellent at memorizing information but has some trouble writing. Miriam, on the other hand, has trouble storing new information but knows how to write well. She's also a great artist. Yelsing, the oldest, is a diligent student with very neat handwriting.

It was great to see Miriam recognize the skills each of her kids has and acknowledge the importance of keeping them in school. Now we just have to make sure that she continues to take them to school each day.

13 April 2008

Strike and Clinic Update

Almost as quickly as it began, the huelga is now over. Unfortunately, those who seemed to profit most from the Churequeos' strike were those they were striking against: the truck drivers and trash collectors. Because they're unionized (and the Churequeos are not), they were able to use their collective voice to negotiate a salary increase, which supposedly decreases the temptation to take trash out of the trucks before they reach the dump. However, one father I spoke with on Saturday said that everything is back as it was before, although it is easier to find plastic bottles (which sell for 4 cords a pound... about 25 cents US).

On another, more uplifting note, Casa Base, the clinic in Chureca, has found friends not only in Austin Samaritans, a medical mission group based out of (you guessed it), Austin TX, but also la Fundacion el Samaritano, whose director is the first Nicaraguan surgeon to be board-certified in the US. Through these two organizations, members of the Chureca community have access to more specialized primary care (pediatrics, dentistry, gynecology) in addition to a surgical center. This Saturday I will take two young boys to Samaritano for surgical consultations, both for complications they've suffered for the vast majority of their lives. Additionally, Samaritano has committed to bring more specialized care into Chureca itself, with a dentist twice a week and discussions with pediatricians and gynecologists underway.

While some things post-strike may look sadly the same, there's also a lot of hope that's coming in to change lives.