Transformative Experience Volunteering in Guatemala

1. Jennifer Vazquez Summer Project 2004 Proyecto Vamos Adelante Looking back on my summer, I believe it was one of the best experiences I have ever had. Throughout my past experience I have been exposed to poverty and lack of access to healthcare, among other things, both here in the US and in Mexico, but this adventure was like nothing I had ever experienced before. I went and volunteered at an organization called Proyecto Vamos Adelante, or Project Going Forward, based in a town called El Zapote in Guatemala between the cities of Antigua and Escuintla. The people in El Zapote and the eleven other surrounding towns are extremely poor and try to make their living from the limited amount of work available harvesting sugar cane and coffee. This organization does many things including giving out scholarships to children so that they can attend school, giving out food to help fight the battle against malnutrition, bringing a doctor in from Antigua to see patients, and has established a system of health promoters that give health education to the people of the towns. With my limited knowledge of medicine, I knew I would not be able to do very much, but my main goal was to go and learn and see something new. During my three week stay, I accompanied three different health promoters and had an opportunity to see what they do on a day to day basis. Four days out of the week, visited families making sure they were following along with the requirements of the program which include boiling their drinking water to avoid infections, keeping their house clean, and feeding their children the food they are given. I also helped the health promoters with the health education sessions they held once a week. On Wednesdays, I helped the doctor who came in from Antigua to see patients. Our day started at 7am and went straight through with about a 20 minute break to eat lunch until every single patient had been seen, meaning about 30 patients. The first time I helped the doctor we were getting a little behind so they had me start seeing patients. Really all I could do was take their medical history and take their vitals, but it was a huge help for them. I got a chance to see so much. I saw patients suffering from malnutrition, parasitic infections, I saw a boy suffering from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a woman suffering from hyperthyroidism, and so much more. We were based out of a house and had limited equipment. We did not have the facilities to do ultrasounds on pregnant women or even do a simple blood glucose test, so I learned how to deal with that and treat patients based on their clinical symptoms. The entire experience was just amazing. In my little free time, I had the chance to do a little bit of traveling and was able to see the beautiful countryside and experience Guatemalan culture through their markets and the distinctive Mayan attire. This was an experience I will never forget that has opened my eyes to so much more.

2. Little boy needing a wheel chair. Diagnosis has not been made, but I believe he may have Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Kids I met while visiting families with the health promoters. Giving out food to the kids in one of the towns.

3. Working with pediatrician from Antigua during the program’s monthly weight and measure sessions for the malnourished children. Many of the kids involved in the project were doing much better, other still needed a lot of help.

4. Baby and her mother during one of the Wednesday doctor sessions. The baby was slightly malnourished because the mother had no more breast milk. The mother was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and had already developed a large goiter.