A few weeks ago we had the annual Midwife workshop focused on Obstetric Emergencies. As a new member of the Women's Health and Midwife Team I was able to be apart of planning and facilitating the workshop along with representatives from the Ministry of Health, Catholic Relief Services and 3 other PCVs. In order to understand the reason for this workshop, you have to know a little bit about midwives here. There is not midwifery certification and education here like in the states; they are simply women who care very much about their communities, are well-respected within them, and have alot of experience with births (often their own). There has been a big push throughout the country to increase the number of women who give birth in hospitals, this has (to an extent) alienated the midwife community and made them feel unwelcome within the health system. They work very hard within their communities and want to be respected. Of course, the other side of this is that the health professionals are simply pushing institutional care because it is safer and there is immediate access to emergency care should there be any complications during a birth. Both groups just want the best for their communities.
The workshop we helped organize was an opportunity to bring people from different sides of this issue together to work towards the common goal of improving care for pregnant women. Participants in the workshop were community teams made up of a Peace Corps Volunteer, a midwife and an institutional health worker (ie. doctors, nurses..). During the workshop we discussed ways that people can work together within their communities to improve health outcomes, and also trained everyone on specific skills designed to decrease the number of maternal deaths. We talked about proper handwashing, sterilization of equipment, pregnancy risk factors, and warning signs of problems during pregnancy, birth and postpartum. The number one cause of death in pregnant women here is hemorrhage, so we talked alot about calculating blood loss during the birth, and immediately post-partum, and the technique of bimanual compression. Midwives can use this technique in their communities in the event of an emergency, it will buy time which can be used to transport the patient to a hospital. The hope of this workshop is that the teams will return to their communties with new information, and (in a classic training of trainers style ) teach the information to other midwives in the area. People seemed to really enjoy the workshop, and I have high hopes for implementing more training programs within the Gracias area with the two women from here who came to the workshop. It was alot of fun for me to be a part of the workshop and I'm excited to continue work with this team.
So there you go; another update on what I'm doing here in the land of mountains and mangos :) Stay tuned for more updates :)
I still miss everyone from home... please keep emailing and writing, I love to hear from people!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Fame...
Before coming down here, I wrote an essay for Peace Corps about dealing with unwanted attention. We also disscussed the topic countless times throughout our three months of training. My frame of reference for this type of attention was always the time I spent in Peru. I have very clear memories of being in rooms and having (literally) ALL EYES on me. This certainly happens here as well...However the difference is that my time in Peru only totalled 3 months. I have now been living in Honduras for more than 7 months and can assure you that the attention has neither lessoned, nor gotten easier to deal with. I have much more sympathy for how celebrities feel in the States, I've caught people here taking pictures of me (and other volunteers) with their cellphone camaras! So I just want to say, I'm sorry Angelina and Brad, I will never again buy an US Weekly without thinking about what the paparazzi put you through to get those photographs. It's truly exhausting.
I don't ever feel in danger or threatened by the attention. It's simply overwhelming. When we were in training in Yarumela, everyone in the small town knew everything that was happening with the trainees. One morning I woke up to my host mom telling me how one of the other trainees had gone to the hospital during the night because she was sick. I still have no idea how she found out so early in the morning... perhaps a phone tree for stories about the americans? :) There was also constant attention in relation to our bodies...height, weight...etc. I don't want to constantly have my stomach (or other body parts) touched and/or commented on: It can be very difficult. So how do we deal with it? Well, the reality is that I am in a different culture from my own, and I stand out. I can't ask them to stop noticing...so I have to figure out ways that I can adjust and deal with the attention. Sometimes I don't leave my apartment for a day, just to take a break. Sometimes I walk around with headphones on so I can drown out the catcalls and dirty lines. And, sometimes, I just walk around knowing that life is too short to get caught up in all the silly little things.... and if a man yells at me and says I am a "beautiful woman" I can't help it if I smile back.
I don't ever feel in danger or threatened by the attention. It's simply overwhelming. When we were in training in Yarumela, everyone in the small town knew everything that was happening with the trainees. One morning I woke up to my host mom telling me how one of the other trainees had gone to the hospital during the night because she was sick. I still have no idea how she found out so early in the morning... perhaps a phone tree for stories about the americans? :) There was also constant attention in relation to our bodies...height, weight...etc. I don't want to constantly have my stomach (or other body parts) touched and/or commented on: It can be very difficult. So how do we deal with it? Well, the reality is that I am in a different culture from my own, and I stand out. I can't ask them to stop noticing...so I have to figure out ways that I can adjust and deal with the attention. Sometimes I don't leave my apartment for a day, just to take a break. Sometimes I walk around with headphones on so I can drown out the catcalls and dirty lines. And, sometimes, I just walk around knowing that life is too short to get caught up in all the silly little things.... and if a man yells at me and says I am a "beautiful woman" I can't help it if I smile back.
Monday, August 11, 2008
jumping beans? Jumping Bag!
Remember how exciting jumping beans were when you were little? I do. I thought they were magical! Well, last week I was in a meeting with a bunch of community volunteers from the mountain villages who came into town for the day. Suddenly, a bag that was sitting in a corner with some other purses and belongings went hopping across the room (literally). I startled, and was momentarily returned to the magic of my youth...until a women got up from the group muttering about her chicken and shoved him back in the corner. So much for magic.
Aside from the occasional interruption, the meeting was great. The community workers all care very much about the people in their villages and have dedicated themselves to learning more about health, and other ways to improve the quality of life for their neighbors. It is great to help empower people with information to make the important changes in their communities.
In unrelated news, I killed the first cockroach in my new apartment last night. I was wandering into the kitchen for some water when he LEPT out from behind my water jug (I swear he was going for my throat) and then scurried across the floor. Lucky for me, I still have no furniture in the kitchen, so there was nowhere for him to hide...also, I had already invested in a can of Raid. Score: Anna 1, cockroach 0. Ants are also frequent visitors in my apartment. The other day there were hundreds of them coming out of one of my electric outlets...I don't know where they were going, but I did my best to get rid of them too. They were back the next day.
Score: Anna 0, Ants alot.
I realize this is a much shorter blog than usual. But I have a lot to do today and can't think of much more to say right now. I'll post again soon :)
love to all.
Aside from the occasional interruption, the meeting was great. The community workers all care very much about the people in their villages and have dedicated themselves to learning more about health, and other ways to improve the quality of life for their neighbors. It is great to help empower people with information to make the important changes in their communities.
In unrelated news, I killed the first cockroach in my new apartment last night. I was wandering into the kitchen for some water when he LEPT out from behind my water jug (I swear he was going for my throat) and then scurried across the floor. Lucky for me, I still have no furniture in the kitchen, so there was nowhere for him to hide...also, I had already invested in a can of Raid. Score: Anna 1, cockroach 0. Ants are also frequent visitors in my apartment. The other day there were hundreds of them coming out of one of my electric outlets...I don't know where they were going, but I did my best to get rid of them too. They were back the next day.
Score: Anna 0, Ants alot.
I realize this is a much shorter blog than usual. But I have a lot to do today and can't think of much more to say right now. I'll post again soon :)
love to all.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Home Sweet Home
Last week, I officially moved into my very own apartment. The last 5 months have been filled with so much moving around and temporary housing that it has made a huge difference on my morale and mental "settling in" to finally have a place to call my home. The apartment is very nice, although the inside is painted bright pink (for those of you who know me well, you will understand how much this goes against my nature: I was the girl who ordered the hotwheels happy meals instead of barbie just to prove a point)....One of my friends here saw it and said she felt like she was in an eight year old's bedroom..haha. That being said, I really do love the place. It is the perfect size for me, and the shower is warm (very important). My neighbors all seem very nice, and have gone out of their way to offer me help with moving and to make me feel welcome. My favorite part about finally having my own space is that I have unlimited access to the kitchen, and don't have to feel like I'm in someone elses way everytime I try to make something. The only problem so far (besides the pink) is the fact that to cook you need utensiles (knives, cutting boards, pots/pans) of which I have none. I am slowly working on accumulating such tools...hopefully by the time my parents come visit I will at least have a pan so I can show them my bean making skills. All in all, life is great in the new apartment, and I can't wait to have some visitors to share it with!
As for work, projects continue to grow, and change. A big project I have been working on is as a new member of the Abstinence Team (Please hold all judgement against abstinence programs until the end of this explanation!). The A-team has created a manual designed to be used with groups of young girls as they meet on a regular basis. I had all kinds of preconcieved notions about abstinence programs (as per my work/life in the states) that were pretty negative. I remember thinking how ridiculous it was to see people prancing around screaming "abstinence ONLY!" to groups of teens in the states, many of whom were already having sex, and some of whom already had kids. What they needed was information about safer sex, because obviously they had already made the choice to start having it. That being said, I think this program is very different, and approaches abstinence from a different angle. First of all, it targets an age (hopefully) before sexual initiation. Ideally, this means we can equipe kids with tools to at least delay their first sexual experience for a few years. This is so important when there are such high rates of pregnancy in teens....and yes, I do think talking about contraception is really important too (I do lots of that in my community)...but let's save that for kids who are a bit older, or make it apart of different programs. The different sessions in the manual all have the underlying theme of empowerment, which I applaud. It gives girls (and boys; a male oriented manual is in the works) tools to improve self-esteem, communication, and decision making abilities. I think young women around the world (US included) are in desperate need of more programs encouraging them to develop strong self-identities, self esteem, and goals for their futures. So, I guess this is my way of doing my part! We will be leading a kind of conference in a few weeks to teach a group of Peace Corps Volunteers and their Honduran counterparts how to use the manual in their communities. It is certainly not a flawless program, but I am excited to be a part of the team who is working on it, and also to use the program in my community. I hope I did the manual justice in this explanation... :) we shall see!
What else has been happening here? Well, I still work in the Youth Clinic on thursdays...although the past few weeks it has been closed when I have gone in. I'm also still going every week to the Casa Materna to talk with the pregnant women about things like Family Planning and hygiene. This is still one of my favorite projects.... What I love about working with these women is that they are a genuinely captive audience; whether this is out of desperation for some form of entertainment, or actual interest is up for debate...but either way, they tell me that they love it when I come. They ask questions, and I can almost see the lightbulbs above their heads when we talk about something that is new to them. They care about their children and families very very much, and want to do the right things for them. It can be hard because there are certain things that have become such an innate part of everyone's lives and culture (ie giving husbands first dibs on all the meat), but I know they hear me when I say that they need to eat some chicken or cow too! I said something yesterday about how I know men work really hard on the land, but it's pretty dang hard to push a baby out too...so they need to keep their bodies healthy and strong as well (this earned me some giggles and smiles). Who knows if I am actually doing anything that makes a difference in the long run...but I am learning and growing so much here, and I'm pretty sure at least one or two people are hearing what I say and will maybe even take it and apply it in their lives; can I really ask for anything more than that? I'm content and happy.
Well, this was a long blog entry...but I hadn't written in a while and thought I should try to make up for it! I hope you are all doing well at home, with your yummy cheeseburgers and big leafy green salads.
Love love love to all
As for work, projects continue to grow, and change. A big project I have been working on is as a new member of the Abstinence Team (Please hold all judgement against abstinence programs until the end of this explanation!). The A-team has created a manual designed to be used with groups of young girls as they meet on a regular basis. I had all kinds of preconcieved notions about abstinence programs (as per my work/life in the states) that were pretty negative. I remember thinking how ridiculous it was to see people prancing around screaming "abstinence ONLY!" to groups of teens in the states, many of whom were already having sex, and some of whom already had kids. What they needed was information about safer sex, because obviously they had already made the choice to start having it. That being said, I think this program is very different, and approaches abstinence from a different angle. First of all, it targets an age (hopefully) before sexual initiation. Ideally, this means we can equipe kids with tools to at least delay their first sexual experience for a few years. This is so important when there are such high rates of pregnancy in teens....and yes, I do think talking about contraception is really important too (I do lots of that in my community)...but let's save that for kids who are a bit older, or make it apart of different programs. The different sessions in the manual all have the underlying theme of empowerment, which I applaud. It gives girls (and boys; a male oriented manual is in the works) tools to improve self-esteem, communication, and decision making abilities. I think young women around the world (US included) are in desperate need of more programs encouraging them to develop strong self-identities, self esteem, and goals for their futures. So, I guess this is my way of doing my part! We will be leading a kind of conference in a few weeks to teach a group of Peace Corps Volunteers and their Honduran counterparts how to use the manual in their communities. It is certainly not a flawless program, but I am excited to be a part of the team who is working on it, and also to use the program in my community. I hope I did the manual justice in this explanation... :) we shall see!
What else has been happening here? Well, I still work in the Youth Clinic on thursdays...although the past few weeks it has been closed when I have gone in. I'm also still going every week to the Casa Materna to talk with the pregnant women about things like Family Planning and hygiene. This is still one of my favorite projects.... What I love about working with these women is that they are a genuinely captive audience; whether this is out of desperation for some form of entertainment, or actual interest is up for debate...but either way, they tell me that they love it when I come. They ask questions, and I can almost see the lightbulbs above their heads when we talk about something that is new to them. They care about their children and families very very much, and want to do the right things for them. It can be hard because there are certain things that have become such an innate part of everyone's lives and culture (ie giving husbands first dibs on all the meat), but I know they hear me when I say that they need to eat some chicken or cow too! I said something yesterday about how I know men work really hard on the land, but it's pretty dang hard to push a baby out too...so they need to keep their bodies healthy and strong as well (this earned me some giggles and smiles). Who knows if I am actually doing anything that makes a difference in the long run...but I am learning and growing so much here, and I'm pretty sure at least one or two people are hearing what I say and will maybe even take it and apply it in their lives; can I really ask for anything more than that? I'm content and happy.
Well, this was a long blog entry...but I hadn't written in a while and thought I should try to make up for it! I hope you are all doing well at home, with your yummy cheeseburgers and big leafy green salads.
Love love love to all
Friday, June 6, 2008
Baby weighing
I have officially begun the process of integrating and learning my way around my new community. In terms of living situations, I have all the basic ammenities; I have electricity (almost all the time) and running water (again, almost all the time). I have access to the internet, and plenty of restaurants to choose from if I want to go out to eat. There are also 4 other volunteers in the town (from different projects), so I have the opportunity to speak english and relax with them if I need to. It feels very different then what people picture when you say "Peace Corps", and that is something I have had to get used to. However, I do feel very much like Gracias is the place for me, and I love it here. Despite the fact that I have access to all kinds of services, the general situation in Gracias and the surrounding areas has many needs in terms of health (and other general) services. The department (like a small state) of Lempira, of which Gracias is the capital, is the poorest department in Honduras. In my area, there are high rates of malnutrition, problems with hygiene, lack of access to drinkable water, HIV/AIDS...etc. Which results in many work opportunities for me, other volunteers and NGOs in the area. This month, I have been dividing my time between various projects. It looks like I will be spending a significant amount of time working with the World Vision office on their baby weighing campaigns in the rural areas. Each community has one day a month when all the mothers are supposed to bring any of their children, who are under 5, to get weighed by the community workers. They are then supposed to recieve counseling depending on their childs weight, and whether they have met appropriate weightgain goals based on their age. Unfortunately, it is alot of work for the community workers and World Vision, so hopefully I can serve as an added body and resource in terms of both doing the actual weighing and the nutrition counseling. It is right up my alley and I really enjoy the time I get to spend out in the more rural areas in the mountains. In general there is alot of need here and just not enough services, although there are a number of organizations and groups of people who are working in the area. I am trying to learn as much as I can about these projects so that my work over the next two years can be a support and compliment to the things that are already being done. The nutrition work is definitely not my only project, but I want to try and blog about my different projects separately as they grow and I learn more about them. Hope this gives you all a better idea of my life here...
As usual, much love to everyone at home.
Letters/packages can now be sent to my new address here in Gracias (yes, it's true; there is no street address or number)
Voluntaria de Cuerpo de Paz
Gracias, Lempira
Honduras, Centro America
As usual, much love to everyone at home.
Letters/packages can now be sent to my new address here in Gracias (yes, it's true; there is no street address or number)
Voluntaria de Cuerpo de Paz
Gracias, Lempira
Honduras, Centro America
Monday, May 19, 2008
Pictures from the end of FBT and Swearing In
The first group of pictures is all from our Swearing-In Ceremony at the US Embassy. I have many, many pictures from the day...but these are some of my favorites. They are of:
1. The Health Men
2. Me and Sarah
3. Travis, me and Swish waiting for some food
4. Krisitina and I playing behind the head table
5. The group of us who lived in Yarumela (the Yarumelons)
6. The whole health group
7. Adam and I being cheesy
8. Me, Kristina and Katie being very proud new volunteers!
I decided to include a picture of the amazing (and giant) mango that I enjoyed on my bedroom floor. Yum. Also, a picture of a poster I made to use during my hygiene lessons...Im proud. :) ha
The rest of the pictures are from my going away party in Yarumela, It was very sad to say goodbye to my wonderful family! They cooked ALOT of food and we just enjoyed being together one last time. Then, the morning when we left, the entire town (or everyone who we knew) came out to the corner in Yarumela to see us off in the bus...it was amazing.
1. The Health Men
2. Me and Sarah
3. Travis, me and Swish waiting for some food
4. Krisitina and I playing behind the head table
5. The group of us who lived in Yarumela (the Yarumelons)
6. The whole health group
7. Adam and I being cheesy
8. Me, Kristina and Katie being very proud new volunteers!
I decided to include a picture of the amazing (and giant) mango that I enjoyed on my bedroom floor. Yum. Also, a picture of a poster I made to use during my hygiene lessons...Im proud. :) ha
The rest of the pictures are from my going away party in Yarumela, It was very sad to say goodbye to my wonderful family! They cooked ALOT of food and we just enjoyed being together one last time. Then, the morning when we left, the entire town (or everyone who we knew) came out to the corner in Yarumela to see us off in the bus...it was amazing.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
I'm a Volunteer!
The Friday before last was the official end of the Hondu 12 training cycle (hooray!) We all went in to Tegucigalpa in the morning, (dressed up very nicely, I should add) and spent the morning at the Peace Corps office getting more pre-service information and tours. After we were done, they took us to the US Embassy where we sang the Honduran and US National Anthems, introduced ourselves, and finally took an oath and became official Peace Corps Volunteers (to summarize). It was all very exciting, and followed by some excellent Tacos :) We also got to spend a few hours at the ambassador's house, although he wasn't home, we played some volleyball and swam in the pool. It was a really nice day...
After swearing-in, all that was really left to do was celebrate and say goodbye. It was sad to see some friends go, but I know we will all stay in touch. I'm really looking forward to being able to collaborate with my friends and other volunteers on projects in the future. Some of us are already planning a project together, so I know I will see them soon!
After finally arriving at my site, it was time to get oriented. Last week, I spent most of my time being taken up into little communities in the mountains (just to get acquanted), and wandering around Gracias trying to orient myself. I also spent a good amount of time trying to introduce myself to potential community partners, or others who might have work for me to do. I am very happy with my placement here, and can't wait to become more integrated into the community and start to work with the neighboring communities. There is alot of potential work for me here, and I hope to get myself as involved as possible in already exisiting projects, while also spending time developing some of my own.
I will try and be a more frequent blogger while in site...(this is per some requests from parents!) Thanks for continued thoughts and prayers. Love to everyone at home, and Happy Mothers Day to everyone (including pregnant friends/cousins!) Miss you all
After swearing-in, all that was really left to do was celebrate and say goodbye. It was sad to see some friends go, but I know we will all stay in touch. I'm really looking forward to being able to collaborate with my friends and other volunteers on projects in the future. Some of us are already planning a project together, so I know I will see them soon!
After finally arriving at my site, it was time to get oriented. Last week, I spent most of my time being taken up into little communities in the mountains (just to get acquanted), and wandering around Gracias trying to orient myself. I also spent a good amount of time trying to introduce myself to potential community partners, or others who might have work for me to do. I am very happy with my placement here, and can't wait to become more integrated into the community and start to work with the neighboring communities. There is alot of potential work for me here, and I hope to get myself as involved as possible in already exisiting projects, while also spending time developing some of my own.
I will try and be a more frequent blogger while in site...(this is per some requests from parents!) Thanks for continued thoughts and prayers. Love to everyone at home, and Happy Mothers Day to everyone (including pregnant friends/cousins!) Miss you all
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