Sincere Goodbye

It has been almost a week since we’ve been back from Guatemala and we all have jumped right back into our life routine. But, to me, and I’m sure to many other employees’ that experienced this trip, being back has been challenging.

During our time in Guatemala we experienced the eye opening conditions at La Esquintla public hospital, the tedious and tiring work it takes to pick coffee beans for a living, the hardships women face when living in an indigenous village and the struggles adults and children go through in order to have a chance to a better future.  But the most amazing experience of all was meeting the people of Guatemala.

When you walk down a street in Guatemala you are greeted with ‘Buenos Dias’ and a sincere smile from pretty much everyone you see. You can feel the appreciation and the kindness from the people you speak with, even if you don’t know the language. The eyes of the citizens brighten when they speak about their country and their culture. And the pace of life is slower which allows you to appreciate your surroundings and realize what really matters in life.

Since being back I have struggled with finding a medium between my fast pace life and the life I experienced in Guatemala. But, the hardest part of being back is the sometimes not so welcoming way we treat each other in the United States. If anything, from this trip, I have learned that a sincere smile and greeting can go a long way and that we as Americans have much to learn from Guatemalan people. 

Distributing School Supplies in San Rafael

The last service day of the trip proved hugely rewarding. We arrived in San Rafael el Arado, a small agricultural community that is impoverished even by Guatemalan standards. There are about 1,600 indigenous Mayan people who live there and speak Kaqchikel, one of over 20 Mayan languages in Guatemala, as their first language. Parents work as day laborers in agriculture, the poorest paid
work, so the kids work, too, to help the family survive, missing out on school. Some of the adults do not a good grasp of Spanish, the national language. This is a significant barrier for them in the wider society, in terms of ever getting ahead.

The physical environment in the town is grim and marked by extreme poverty, but the mood is brightened by the people themselves, the children bright and eager, the women and girls wearing hand woven traditional garments, embroidered with rich vivid colors and patterns drawn from nature.

Our partners in service on this day were Common Hope and Constru Casas. With Common Hope, the other Allina team had assembled earlier in the week hundreds of school supply kits in blue bags.

We got the delightful task of handing them out and seeing the excitement of the kids as they start a new school year well-prepared. The first step was getting the 720 kits and assorted other school supplies off the truck and into the school.

All hands on deck!

We did this bucket brigade style, and got giggly help from some of the kids. The kids here as elsewhere in Guatemala are friendly and playful like anywhere in the world, but the parents tend
to be a good bit more shy and stoic in their demeanor than adults in the US.
However, Nick brought out the smiles in the grown townspeople as well the kids with his amazing red beard (and huge blue eyes and total willingness to make goofy faces!) It was a great icebreaker, and nice to see these patient hardworking women laugh out loud!

The task of unloading done, we broke into smaller teams, one to work on the house construction project again earlier in the week with Constru Casa, and the other two work on handing out
the supplies to the students and their families.

Because we speak Spanish, Alissa and I were assigned to receiving the families and getting the paperwork end done so they could then go on to get the supplies. We did our very best to greet each family warmly and with respect, as far away from soulless bureaucrats as we could. Alissa shared her
warm, lively personality and I tried out some Kaqchikel salutations I had learned (via ‘TV Maya’ on YouTube!) previous to the trip, laughing along with the women and kids at my goofy accent. They appreciated the effort! We noticed along the way that the majority of the mothers could not even write enough to sign their names, and used their thumbprint instead. It underscored for us the extreme need in this town for even the most basic education.

As I mentioned, with the poverty and agricultural setting, kids are routinely pulled out of school to
help the family survive economically. So literacy is very low in the countryside. The Common Hope education project began here in 2008 and by the next year they saw a 57% increase in school attendance, demonstrating that the community was eager for this opportunity for the children. Six students graduated from elementary school in the first couple years, which was an outstanding in this community.

After several years of successes on the elementary level, the community is now looking to have some children graduate from high school, the first to do so in their families EVER. In high school many kids learn a trade, giving them a chance to break the cycle of poverty that is the lot of their parents as farm day laborers.

Common Hope has a model of sweat equity and active partnership with the communities they serve. Thus they partnered with the community in San Rafael to provide construction materials a couple years ago and the construction itself was done by community members to make big improvements in the school. With the understanding that health and family stability are critical to kids being able to stay in school, Common Hope partners with a local nonprofit clinic, El Faro to ensure access to
affordable health care for kids and their families, and makes sure that kids in school have at least one good meal a day. CH also supports social works visits to identify individual needs and help families pull it all together. How exciting for us from Allina to be a part of something that important in changing lives in this community! Great, just great to see the excited faces of the kids.

Child Sponsorship – Another Way to Connect

Abby, Tonya with sponsored child Ingrid and her

family, San Rafael

Before going on this trip, I had some doubts about how much we would actually be able to contribute as a group of North Americans coming in for a short period of time and then leaving. I wondered if it wouldn't be more efficient to get Guatemalans, who do have unemployment levels, to do the work instead. But what I saw was that a work brigade partnering with Guatemalans and focused on a particular project in a brief time period can really provide inspiring and transformative results, as well as contribute in material terms; we touched lives and gave hope as well as leaving behind practical results.

A more personal, longer- term connection one can make to these communities is via sponsorship of individual children, which is a key funding source for Common Hope’s programs. This is not something that was pushed on us in any way. The work brigade contribution that we made was highly appreciated. In my skeptical way, I have to say before I went I wondered about the
value of these sponsorships and how much difference they could make.

Ellie H and Edy, whom she began

sponsoring a year ago.

Seeing the well- thought out programs that work at not just providing food but helping children get out of the cycle of poverty, several of us did decide to sponsor children through Common Hope: Abby, Chris A., Mary, Tonya, Ellie H and me.

The goal is to help the child stay in school through high school through a variety of supportive means.
One of the sweetest parts of our day in Rafael was seeing our sponsored kids and meeting their families- amidst dire conditions, big grins and plans, working together for a better future!
Siobhán Dugan, Employee Health and Safety Specialist, APR

A photo of myself with my sponsored child, Marisol and her family

What a wonderful week! As we prepare to travel home, I am reminded how blessed we are and how much opportunity there is to make the world a better place. As Duane Schaefer said when we were visiting the Wakami village and sharing our dreams, we all share one sun and one moon. We are closer than we imagine even though we are worlds away. As I pack my bags I think of something I once heard which loosely translates to (and I mean loosely), "The ruby red sun shines harshly down in my ears but I am merely warm."

Wish us safe travels and that we make all continue to make the world a better place for everyone.

Aimee

Common Health Problems in Guatemala

Dr. Willie greets us outside the hospital

As we spent the day with Dr. Willie at La Esquintla public hospital we learned about several health problems that are common for patients in the hospital and surrounding Guatemalan communities. According to Dr. Willie, head of the hospital, chickungunya, dengue fever and nosocomial infections are all serious concerns not only effecting hospital patients but those living in the community.

Both dengue fever and chickungunya, according to the WHO, are viruses spread by mosquito bites. Both tend to present similarly with general symptoms such as: headache, fever, rash and joint aches. The difference between the two is that dengue unlike chikungunya can progress to severe dengue which is marked by hemorrhagic fevers meaning the body loses its ability to clot blood and control it's blood supply, thus bleeding out and wreaking havoc on surrounding organs. Therefore dengue fever, in rare cases, can become fatal whereas those who have contracted chinkungunya may have lingering joint pain for weeks, months or years but most patients fully recover. 

Apart from these two viruses, another type of infection has been spreading in not only La Esquintla Hospital but in all hospitals around the world. This type of infection is called a nosocomial infection, or an infection contracted from within the hospital itself. Many people hear about catching things like pneumonia and C-Diff while being hospitalized but Dr. Willie informs us that there has been another infection plaguing the patients at the Esquintla Hospital. These infections were caused by the infamous bacteria: Achromobacter xylosoxidans. According to Dr. Willie this is a very rare bacteria that is resistant to many common antibiotics meaning it has been very difficult to treat. He had to consult with doctors in Costa Rica as the bacteria was spreading through the hospital causing much devastation. It turns out this bacterial infection required up to five different antibiotics at a time to treat. In a place where resources are so low, this had devastating effects. The infections from the Achromobacter xylosoxidans bacteria turned out to be one of the most costly and deadly patterns of nosocomial infections Dr. Willy has ever experienced in the hospital. 

Even though patients continue to be at risk of catching these diseases the hospital has been implementing changes in the community and the hospital itself to decrease the risk of contracting these diseases and to decrease the spread of infection within the hospital. 

As far as preventing dengue and chinkungunya the basis is simple, avoid exposure to mosquitos. The doctors and nurses continue to educate the public on the importance of wearing insect repellant. The hospital itself does not have a central air conditioning system which in an area that temperatures often reach 120 degrees Ferenheit this is a must. Therefore the hospital often is extremely overheated and all windows are left open. The problem is that most if not all windows lack protective screens. This obviously allows insects to enter the patients' quarters and puts them at risk for contracting dengue and chikungunya. Little by little the hospital is installing individual air conditioners in patient care areas to cool the area down but also to help prevent exposure to the outside elements.

There has been some recent changes in the hospital that affect the risk of spreading nosocomial infections. Parents are now allowed and even encouraged into the hospital to help their children bedside. Previously it was a rare occasion to see parents in the neonatal and pediatric intensive care units, but now more and more parents are seen bedside. On one hand, Dr. Willie acknowledges parents are able to participate more in the care of their children and are much more aware of the care that the doctors and nurses are providing their children. On the other hand this is yet another potential source of infection for the patients as the parents are bringing in all the microbes and pathogens from not only the other parents of the hospital but also the outside community. In order to help decrease this risk, Dr. Willie and his staff require visiting parents to wash their hands every 30 minutes.

Solitary neonatal ICU crash cart

Parents tending to their children in the pediatric ICU

Unfortunately the water supply at the hospital, as with many other parts of Guatemala, is quite dubious. Dr. Willie informs us that the hospital only has running water two hours a day. After those two hours the city cuts off the supply. To make do the hospital has created a makeshift irrigation system which roughly consists of a large container of water on the roof of the building that is connected by plastics pipes and uses gravity to run to only the areas which are considered the highest need: the neonatal and pediatric ICUs. This leaves the rest of the 250 bed hospital without running the majority of the day. Dr. Willie has plans to bring in an engineer to help build a well to give the hospital the most essential element to infection control, running water in order to wash ones’ hands. So for more hours of the day, staff, visitors and patients have to make do with the occasional pump of disinfectant foam or gel found in limited areas of the hospital.

Nursing assistants documenting

Although the hospital faces an immense amount of obstacles in preventing infection in its patients and surrounding community, it is obvious that there are improvements that have and are continuing to be implemented throughout the hospital. It is quite evident that Dr. Willie is dedicated in improving the hospital’s conditions in order to provide his patients and community with safe and quality care. We look forward to helping support Dr. Willie’s vision and to see these improvements next year. 

-Nikki Stevens, RN

Allina Urgent Care

De La Gente - "From the People" and Master Chefs

Today we were able to experience the Guatemalan culture by meeting with local artisans.  De La Gente is a group that works with coffee farmers and artists to create cultural exchanges and change lives by generating economic opportunity.  This group provides loans, education and tools so that people can create sustainable businesses to help support their families.  

Many years ago some of the Antigua farmers formed a cooperative to export coffee to the U.S. Initially there were 6 members and over time the number has grown. Five of the members are women, providing a good opportunity for their advance. Our tour was given by two of the founding members who guided us on a 20 minute hike through cobblestone streets and up dirt mountain roads to see their coffee plantation.  Amidst thousands of coffee trees we learned about the process of growing coffee trees and the work entailed to turn it into the java we love so much.  Coffee beans are harvested from December to March so we were just in time to help with picking.  On average, a farmer can pick up to 50 pounds of beans in an hour and while we tried our best, we found that we still need more practice!

Picking coffee berries

After picking the beans we returned to one of the farmer’s home to continue the process of making coffee. We sorted the berries to ensure we picked only the ripe red ones and then removed the outer part of the bean by pedaling a bike connected to a machine to “deshell” them. From 100 pounds of berries the yield is approximately 20 pounds of beans, so unfortunately a lot of weight is lost by removing the shell.  The remaining coffee beans were white and covered with a sticky “honey”. Next, the beans dry for 24-48 hours and then it is time for roasting. With Lidia, the daughter of the house, we were able to roast some dry beans over an open flame as was done in the old days. Then Lidia showed us how to hand grind them using a tool similar to a rolling pin made of coarse stone rolled on a curved, rough stone tray.  Finally the ground coffee was ready to be added to boiling water so that we could enjoy it. The finished product was a masterpiece of flavors and a deep appreciation of all of the hard work that went into making it.  There are many local farms that have automated the process now but these farmers have stuck to a handcrafted brew that is far superior to other coffees you can purchase.

"Deshelling" the coffee beans

Coffee bean pickers 

After a delicious lunch with the farmers, we split into three groups and were able to choose from different activities to participate in. One group sewed purses from hand-woven Guatemalan fabric, another group pounded metal to create animal iron art, and the last group created handmade serving trays made out of Guatemalan wood and old Guatemalan trajes (dresses).  With help from the artisans, the final products are all treasured souvenirs that will remind us in years to come of our experience with the local artists. 

Master Artisans

The entire group convened for an evening out at the El Frijol Feliz cooking school. The restaurant was family owned and the recipes have been passed from generation to generation. We were divided into two groups and shown how to create traditional Guatemalan fare.  We mashed avocados, learned how to make tortillas, and sliced, boiled, mashed and fried plantains into a dessert filled with chocolate inside.  Our menu included Pepian (a Guatemalan stew), tamales, corn tortillas, chile rellenos, guacamole, two plantain desserts and other authentic Guatemalan dishes.  The result was a feast of delicious foods and flavors, and above all FUN!

Ending another wonderful day with amazing people

Through all of our experiences today, we learned that perfection takes time and working together brings great joy. 

Iximche Tikal: Mayan Past Meets Present

A short look back to the beginning of the week brings to mind our trip to Iximche Tikal, an ancient Mayan city, on the first full day in Guatemala. Since then we have seen much of the vibrancy amidst crushing poverty in contemporary Guatemala, and it strikes me that first day set the stage. Our guide, Abraham, had a deep passion and pride in Mayan history-- he was not parroting a set speech for a buck--  and his passion was infectious. As an archaeology degree graduate, he shared with us his world view that there were 5 great civilizations in the ancient world: in China, Egypt, Mesopotamia, the Incas and… the Mayans! I try not to be Euro-centric, but it was fascinating that not even Greece and Rome made his list!

 

Together we went there: Duane and Ellie Z and Ryan S and Nikki and me, passing through towns of cinderblock and corrugated metal, vivid hibiscus, jacaranda and bougainvillea punctuated by wrought iron bars and barbed wire, with the occasional well-groomed home of people of means, The van swerving on the roads crowded with people and vehicles zipping by, sometimes a whole family on a motorbike - baby included (later we would hear in La Esquintla Hospital about how frequent and severe the injuries when such loaded bikes got hit.) We chose to see these grass-covered ruins for a variety of reasons; history geekery, adventure seeking… Nikki told us one of her father’s favorite sayings was, “If you don’t know the past you can’t understand the present and aren’t prepared for the future.” Ryan S. says he’s a curious person, so he likes to know what people did and why they did it, whether they are alive today or from long ago.

Mayan Ball Game as recreated by us

Beautiful Ruins at Iximche Tikal, Guatemala

The Mayans liked to have a good time and a standard feature in great Mayan towns was the ball court. In early Mayan times the game had a religious aspect, with the game played on Earth, in the Underworld and in Heaven by divinities. The game was played with a solid rubber ball about the size of a basketball. As you can imagine, getting whacked by it could do damage and so players played with arm and shin guards. Rules said the ball could not be hit by the hands or feet, but only with the hips, knees and elbows. Goals were made by knocking this heavy ball above one’s head into a marker. It could be played 1:1 or in teams of up to 10. The stadiums were packed with avid fans. Surviving Mayan art depicts the game and its aftermath; Abraham was careful to let us know that historians and archaeologists are not in agreement about whether those depicted being sacrificed after the game were the winners or the losers! Just getting booed was not an option.

Later the game was played more for sport and entertainment of the crowd, and so under Abraham’s guidance, a backpack was set as a temporary goal marker and some of our team- Ryan, Nikki and Duane-  had a go at hitting a free shot, using a soft air-filled ball. No goals were made, but a good time was had by all ---and happily everyone survived!

Walking among the beautiful ruined step pyramids, we learned that the Mayan had a writing system for over 2000 years, highly developed mathematics, including the invention of the number zero, and a very sophisticated knowledge of astronomy based on carefully recorded observations made with the naked eye. Their religion included many gods and goddesses, who were looked to for their power over different aspects of life. Life was lived close to nature, and so their religion reflected that. In their beliefs, first humans were made of maize (corn), rather than of earth as in the Judeo-Christian religions. The four color of Mayan corn, white, black, red and yellow were sacred, as were the four cardinal directions, North, East South and West associated with each corn type, forming the pre-Christian Mayan cross, with a turquoise hue at the center. In their creation belief, the gods had spilt their own blood to give life to the first humans. And that is why  over the centuries the Mayans sacrificed their blood to the gods, who have not forgotten the debt and liked to call it in.

Wikipedia will tell you that Guatemala is about 60% Catholic and 40% Protestant Christians. But Abraham said there yet survives a Mayan religious tradition in direct and blended forms. Mayan priests are still consulted to prepare an offering for the gods to answer a particular prayer. A petitioner may ask the priest for a blessing, or to invoke harm on someone. In the latter case, the petitioner is warned that unless the harm is justice instead of pure malice, it will come back to the ill- wisher ten-fold. The correct title for these men---or women--- is ‘Counter of Days’,  because of the centrality of their calendar and astrology to their religion. For a given prayer, these sacred specialists select the specific locations and sacrifice to be offered.


And so it came about that as we reached far edge of Iximche Tikal were came upon a Mayan priest and a family about to begin a ceremony for which that location was required. With permission, we watched as candles were lit, incense made from select tree bark was burned, and the family prayed together with the priests. Fires were lit to receive the sacrifice, a couple wary chickens were tethered close by. Although it is very foreign to us, Abraham told us that that same family might also be attending church as regular parishioners, not seeing a contradiction holding sacred both religions.

So what has all that got to do with service trips and healthcare and community service and living the mission? It does! It was an immediate and profound reminder that of the immense diversity of beliefs about how the world makes sense to people, that our assumptions are not the only ones out there, and that families the world round come together when in need to support each other. The afternoon at Iximche Tikal established we are not at home, we cannot meet the Guatemalan experience with judgment or even assumptions, we need first to discover their reality to be able to engage and help, we benefit ourselves as much as our hosts when we approach with curiosity and a willingness to learn as well as share our knowledge and labor. The days that followed working side by side with each other and with our Guatemalan hosts, talking and laughing, and teaching and learning are a treasure.

Siobhan Dugan, Employee Health and Safety Specialist, APR

Building Dreams

Maria Pacheco and a Wakami business owner.

Today we volunteered with Wakami. The founder, Maria Pacheco, an environmentalist, and her staff members Flor and Eduardo took us to Patulul, a Wakami village. Wakami's website says, "Wakami Villages combine education and access to lifestyle improvements, so that people in rural villages can invest in the future of their families and communities. Our platform also serves as a mentorship program, on money management, community development, nutrition and education for children."

We were greeted by approximately 30 women, who produce high quality accessories sold in 24 countries. We began the day by introducing ourselves and sharing our dreams. Maria shared, "When you give a man a fish it is charity, when you teach someone to fish it's development, but when you learn new ways to fish together it is transformation." Most of the women's dreams focused on economic stability and supporting their children- allowing them to continue their education, have better lives and avoid working in the fields.

Next, we went to see Alejandra's home. Alejandra is a Wakami business owner. She demonstrated her new clay water filter, which she invested in over the cheaper plastic version so that the water would be fresher. Her teenage daughter, Wendy, was thankful for the water filter as before it was her job to boil the water and it was smoky and dangerous over the open flame.

Wendy and her 3 mischievous brothers.

While everyone else was checking out the kitchen, I struck up a conversation with Wendy, who just finished our equivalent of Jr. High. She said her mother wanted her to study accounting but then she began to animatedly explain how her dream is to study medicine. Although she would enjoy general practice, her eyes sparkled when she talked about pediatrics. She passionately explained how much she would love to take care of babies and children. When someone told her that she should come to the U.S., she said that she had to learn English first. She further explained that it is important to not have a translator; that only through direct communication could you truly express yourself and share with others.

White-washing the walls of the new kitchen area.

After a trip to the rural school and community garden, we began our nutrition and sanitation presentations. I was pleased to translate and was doing pretty well until I translated preservatives as "preservativos".  I was gently reminded that preservativos also means prophylactics. We all enjoyed a communal hearty laugh. I guess it's true that things are going to get a little weird whenever you put a large group of women together- no matter the differences in language or culture.

We enjoyed a meal prepared by Allina team members and Wakami women. The Wakami women were entertained by our Allina men cooking and serving them.

To end the day, we went to woman's house. As an award for top production, she received a new energy efficient wood-burning stove and some banana trees. We all split up and got to work. We tried to improve the new kitchen area with some white paint, and the planting turned in to a whole clean-up and landscaping project- leaving the home and backyard more beautiful.

Landscaping and new banana trees.

As we ride back to Antigua and reflect on the day, I am grateful for the time we shared cooking, eating and learning with these women. More than anything, how a smile and laughter never have to be translated and how everyone has a dream.

By Alissa Jones
Research Manager for the LifeCourse research project

Time with Common Hope

Our team spent the last two days with Common Hope, who is also hosting us on their campus in Antigua.  We started with a tour and learned more about their work.  Common Hope started in the 1980’s. Their mission is based on lifting people out of poverty through education, health care and housing.  They have a learning center, health clinic and dental clinic on campus and provide school supplies to all children affiliated with them.  They serve 3300 students in 3 locations, but also serve the families of the students, thus reaching out to 11,000 people.  The affiliated child must stay in school for the family to remain a part of the program.  Because health care is expensive and an illness in the family impacts a child’s ability to attend school rather than work, they provide basic health care.  Housing also affects a family’s ability to send their children to school so they provide homes for people who meet their criteria and put in sweat equity hours.  Families may also receive a stove via sweat equity.  Many people in villages in Guatemala cook over an open fire inside their home, causing air pollution and illness. A stove and kitchen is important.  School in Guatemala runs from mid-January through October.  Common Hope provides school supplies to all of the 3300 children affiliated with them.  School supplies will be handed out later this week and they still needed 500+ backpacks full of supplies to be filled.  Our team met that goal!  It was very fulfilling to feel like we accomplished something necessary and important. 

The other half of our day, we accompanied social workers on home visits to affiliated kids and their families. While at first we felt we may be intruding, we soon found that we are a help to them.  They cannot go into houses alone and our presence provided security and allowed them to not double up on social workers thus allowing them to attend to more families.  The family visits were an enlightening look inside the locked and closed doors in Antigua and its surrounding villages.  We saw clean homes, not so clean homes, but all were about the size of a room or two in our own homes and precariously built, sometimes with cinder blocks and sometimes with just aluminum sheets covered with plastic sheets to decorate them. Some homes were immaculate and some were filled with trash and the smell of rotting food and urine. Amazingly, often times 6-8 people lived in a one or two room home with one twin bed. 

We thought we had seen poverty.  Then today, we traveled to San Rafael.  San Rafael is a village of the  indigenous Kaqchikel, one subset of the Mayan people.   The main street is a dusty road filled with locked doors, people and dogs. We were let into a locked door with many women and children in bright colored, traditional clothing lined up. This is the clinic in San Rafeal, run by Common Hope.  It is bright, cheery and clean.  We then walked up a hill, straight up the mountain in loose gravel to get our work assignment. When we got there, we were told we’d need to walk down a different hill and carry up the rocks, concrete and dirt needed to make the cement floor. They’d been left there by the supplier.  We spent two hours carrying 25-50 lb bags up the slippery mountain side on our shoulders.  The young children of the home and their friends raced up the mountain in plastic sandals with supplies on top of their heads while we huffed and puffed our way up and down and back up again many times. We slipped and fell and walked around the trash and sewage, but we got all of the supplies to the home.  By the time we left, a complete concrete floor was built and the family will soon have a kitchen with a stove rather than an open fire in kitchen that looked as if it could blow over in the next storm.  This felt like a great success and the family was appreciative.

Next door to this home, we also built a roof in conjunction with another non-profit (NGO).  The children of the village all showed up to watch us and interact with us all day as they had little else to do and we were a novelty to them.  One team member created a game for them throwing extra pieces of wood into a bucket. Another who is fluent in Spanish spent time conversing with the young girls, who were like young girls everywhere; smiling, giggling and carefree just like any child deserves to feel.

The day was hard, but the people were beautiful and gracious. They work hard in difficult conditions but were happy and welcoming. The children especially were curious and friendly and it was difficult to leave them.   We left sore, tired, dirty and dusty.  We came back to Common Hope and raced for the showers and to throw all of our clothing in the laundry.  However, we realized that while we could quickly wash away the dust and dirt, the people of this community live with it daily.  We left with a greater appreciation for these people and the circumstances they live in.

By Ann Glaves
HR Director at St. Francis Regional Medical Center 

An Eye Opening Experience

Blue skies, bright sunshine and a balmy breeze accompanied us on an hour and a half drive from Antigua to Hospital Nacional de Escuintla, a public hospital “funded by the government of Guatemala” that has 276 beds. As we approached, there were long lines of Guatemalan natives lining the street, patiently waiting to enter the gates lined with barbed wire and guarded by police with guns. Upon arrival we met with Dr. W. Menendez Nieves (Willie), the head of the hospital that wore multiple hats. From MD to carpenter, nurse to janitor, teacher to director, and most importantly, a visionary; this man was the most passionate man we met today. Amidst sickness and need, he has an abundance of enthusiasm and excitement for what he envisions the hospital could become and relies on the hope that the dreams will be fulfilled one day soon. 

ICU

Upon entering the hospital you are greeted with halls filled with the “lucky” people who were granted access to the compound but now must patiently wait for a spot to open up in the crowded emergency departments. The adult ED (which sees 2,500 patients a month), pediatric ED (which sees 2,400 patients a month) and both ICU’s are located on the first floor of the hospital. They are always filled to capacity, there is no privacy to be found -- only the luckiest/sickest patients get access. There is a stark contrast to the care given to these people when compared to what I’m familiar with as a nurse in the ED. While filled with love and compassion, there is no “spa” feel to the hospital. Patients need to be extremely patient and mainly care for themselves, often needing to do things like holding their own fluid bags, filling empty water jugs with urine if not able to get out of bed, or taking their own toilet paper to the bathroom if need arises.

Pediatric Trauma Room

There is one pediatric ICU, filled with 8 beds with the most critically ill. Among the 8 children there is one oxygen tank that they share, switching off every 2 hours. Monitoring vitals continuously is unheard of and instead there is again one monitor that they must all share. While there is a crash cart, the supplies are low and the defibrillator is non-functioning.

Right next door is the 8’ × 15’ pediatric trauma room, usually filled with two cots. The spotlight does not work, there is mold on the walls and part of the ceiling is missing from damage this past winter. Located here is the one defibrillator that works in the hospital and that carries no promise of working since it only works about 68% of the time.  

Crash Cart - defibrillator does not work

The pediatric ED overflow fills the hallways on the first floor, with beds carrying 2 or 3 babies each.  A simple piece of 8 ½ x 11 sheet of paper taped on the wall shares the essential information needed for a nurse or MD to care for the infant at a glance.

OB is found on the second floor and consists of 3 different parts, each with 10 beds. Women are permitted to stay there for 12 hours after childbirth and then need to leave in order for the next rotation to come through.  This allows the hospital to see approximately 600 OB patients a month, not including the babies. Most of the women do not have any prenatal care, causing many babies to have health issues and longer term malnutrition all due to lack of resources.

NICU

The NICU and PICU also found on the second floor were by far the saddest places as I visited.  It consisted of  tiny babies hooked up to vents with multiple IV’s. Babies in simple beds being kept warm with lamps that we would normally use for desk lamps or those to keep baby chickens warm. The hospital spends 40 dollars a day, per piece of equipment (vent, pump, etc.) to keep these babies alive and is constantly facing the fear that if a payment is missed the company will come in and take it away. Due to this reality, they constantly need to make the choice as to where their money should be spent and which patients get the supplies they can afford. A glaring contrast to the United States is that there are no family members in any of these rooms during most of the time since the staff is busy.  Per Dr. Willie, family is allowed to wait outside the hospital and at noon each day, one-at-a-time might be allowed to see the infant for a short time.  Many babies will not make it out of the NICU/PICU alive and face death due to the spread of germs and inadequate sanitation despite the cleaning staff observed throughout the hospital today.

The women and men are located in rooms on the third and fourth levels.  Typically, 5-10 patients per wide open room with approximately 4 large rooms for each sex.  There is minimal to no complaining from the variety of medical or traumatic patients.

Dr. Willie 

We left the hospital with heavy hearts and many thoughts of how to help the people that have such an immense need. It is frustrating to be so connected to healthcare but still feel hopeless on being able to provide assistance due to strict government control here in Guatemala. However, we also have great hope for this hospital just as Dr. Willie and many of his staff do. At every turn we were greeted with hope and joy both from the patients and caretakers themselves. Dr. Willie has absolute hope that this hospital will continue to grow and provide better care for patients and the community.

 Written By: Tanya Meyer, RN
 River Falls Area Hospital Emergency Department

Lake Atitlan Boat Tour

Our "free day" excursion offered tourism and a first exposure to Guatemalan culture and villages in transition.

For our free day, we had three different groups of people on three different experiences that we chose to participate in, my group went to Lago de Atitlan.  

Lake Atitlan is a two hour bus ride south west of Antigua over curves and hills reminiscent of an old Valley Fair roller coaster at times, despite the relatively new pavement and divided highway.  Lake Atitlan is the deepest lake in Guatemala with aquamarine waters inhabited by several species of fish including black bass, perch, and tilapia.  The lake has no outlet rivers, so it is susceptible to variable water levels, leaving some buildings awkwardly submerged on some of the shorelines.

The boat tour departed from Panajachal on the North shore of the lake.  As we depart on our tour, I am struck by the juxtaposition of a lone jet ski cruising around between our crude fiberglass tour boat and the looming green hills and mostly dormant volcanoes that encircle the lake. Panajachel and the other villages we visited are communities rich with old local and Mayan culture, yet changing as exposure to the rest of the world increases.


The first village we visited was San Juan la Laguna, a city whose wooden dock port is surrounded by recycled plastic jug buoys holding the local fisherman's nets. The village, like the others on the lake, is seated on a fairly steep hill.  Its a place like our Duluth, MN, with its vast ,deep lake and steep position, and yet not similar at all.


Our guide brought us to the Galleria de Arte where several local adult and child artists showcase their culture with oil on canvas.  The paintings highlight local culture with bright harvest scenes, portraits, and corn presented in a pop art fashion.We also went to the Women in Colors Botanics tactile shop where we saw a demonstration of hand spinning, spooling, and dying cotton using natural ingredients like eggplant and annetto.

With the influence of cheaper clothes made in places like China and influences from other cultures, locals are buying less of the traditional hand made clothes and focusing of the opportunities with tourism.
The second village we visited was Santiago Atitlan
on the south shore of the lake, sitting below the looming Toliman and Atitlan volcanoes.  At Santiago Atitlan, we ate lunch and were exposed to another example of old local culture coexisting with world influence.  Our guide took us to see a shrine where people come and give offerings of local alcohol to a statue representing a local cultural god of smoke and liquor.  A shaman and the family who host the shrine for the year sit around the room to receive worshipers and tourists alike.From there we walked past a small deer skin on a wall, next to a drooling sleeping old man slumped on the side of the road, and in front of the teenage boys playing on their cell phones and to the large Catholic Church.  We watched as the congregation poured in with traditional white striped pants on the older men and colorful head-wear donned by women as they entered the church.

Here I am (Amber  Peterson Allina Mental Health) in San Juan la Laguna.

The boat ride back to Panajachel across the big lake was a time of reflection for my mind to process the massive download of information received on this first exposure to Guatemalan culture, a very profound experience so far even on our "free day"

We Have Arrived

22 of the 24 of us at the airport in Guatemala City.

After a long day of travel we just wanted to update you that we have all arrived safety at the Common Hope campus here is Antigua. We are all off to bed and are exited to share our adventures with you tomorrow.

Catching our ride at the airport.

Allina Health Guatemala Experience

On Jan. 10, 2015, 24 Allina Health employees will embark on a seven day trip to Antigua, Guatemala. Throughout the week members of the group will post about their experience with the Guatemalan culture.

Guatemala is located in Central America with a population of about 14 million people. It is a beautiful country with lovely people but it also one of the poorest countries in Central America. Fifty percent of Guatemalans live below the poverty line and 1/3 live on less than $2 per day.

During their time in Guatemala the group will volunteer with Common Hope and Communidades de la Tierra, visit La Esquintla Hospital, a public, government run hospital in Guatemala, to see how healthcare is provided in a third world country. They will also witness a day in a life of a Guatemalan coffee farmer and artisan.

These are just a few activities the group will participate in during their time in Guatemala. Check back during the week of Jan. 10- 17 to read about the trip directly from the employees themselves.