Teaching some jovenes about HIVaids. Love it when they take notes!
25 August 2010
15 August 2010
Ermm . . . this is Braden.
We organized a Peace Corps Nicaragua wide Assassin game (I'll explain soon). We're just preparing with our water guns.Los Pipitos- Thrusday mornings. . .
I’ve already written about Los Pipitos. But, a little refresher is in order because now I have pictures!
On Thursday mornings I help facilitate a class in Los Pipitos. Los Pipitos is a Nicaraguan NGO that works with disabled youth and builds centers in all the departments to meet their needs. They generally are run by volunteers (mostly mothers). They have speech therapy classes, sign classes, youth groups and support groups. Anyway, I help teach a class on autovalidismo, something like a ‘how to function on your own’ class.
We open each morning asking our students, ‘como estas el dia de hoy?’ and wait. They each take their turn, go up to a box on the ground and pull out a face depicting how they feel.
This is Lenin, a young man with Downs Syndrome illustrating our morning activity. Although he does not talk much he is becoming fairly adept at signing simple phrases. Our favorite is, ‘a mi me gusta bailar,’ me, I like to dance. When ever either one of us signs it we inevitably end up dancing around the classroom. Wonderful if I do say so myself!
Spread ‘em
So I’m alive. The full body, itchy, welty rash thing has gone away. It has been replaced by another less irritating chest rash. But well, I think maybe this is part of the Peace Corps experience . . . strange tropical illnesses that come and go and no one knows exactly what causes them?
Outside of said skin stuff work is fabulous. I recently started working with an NGO connected to the group Orphanage Outreach in the United States, they are called Aldeas SOS. They have created free kindergartens in low income neighborhoods of the city. These are available to working mothers as long as the mothers attend monthly classes held by Aldeas. Sometimes the classes are about financing, sometimes they are about opening up a new small business and sometimes (this is where I come in) the classes are about health. This past month I have been visiting each center and teaching a class on cervical cancer and the PAP smear. It is absolutely wonderful, seriously. Usually class begins and no one wants to talk to the strange gringa holding a laminated picture of a vagina. Slowly, very slowly though, they start talking. Someone wants to know if she can get a PAP while pregnant. Another wants to know if the exam will take her daughters virginity. Have I already told you I love my work? Anyway, after I gave this class to 60+ women I organized a day when they could go into the health center and get a PAP without having to wait in line, get an appointment or have a male doctor. More than 80% of the women turned up. Completely gratifying.
Sometimes in health work, especially educational health work, you can’t see immediate results. But, every once and a while something like this happens. It’s awesome.
Outside of said skin stuff work is fabulous. I recently started working with an NGO connected to the group Orphanage Outreach in the United States, they are called Aldeas SOS. They have created free kindergartens in low income neighborhoods of the city. These are available to working mothers as long as the mothers attend monthly classes held by Aldeas. Sometimes the classes are about financing, sometimes they are about opening up a new small business and sometimes (this is where I come in) the classes are about health. This past month I have been visiting each center and teaching a class on cervical cancer and the PAP smear. It is absolutely wonderful, seriously. Usually class begins and no one wants to talk to the strange gringa holding a laminated picture of a vagina. Slowly, very slowly though, they start talking. Someone wants to know if she can get a PAP while pregnant. Another wants to know if the exam will take her daughters virginity. Have I already told you I love my work? Anyway, after I gave this class to 60+ women I organized a day when they could go into the health center and get a PAP without having to wait in line, get an appointment or have a male doctor. More than 80% of the women turned up. Completely gratifying.
Sometimes in health work, especially educational health work, you can’t see immediate results. But, every once and a while something like this happens. It’s awesome.
Anyway, I found this PAP charla (class) to be so great, that I also taught it as the Casa Materna. They didn’t all go out and get a PAP (every single one of them is in her late 3rd trimester), But, they did convince me they would get the exam in the near future and they invited me to dinner!
03 August 2010
The Deng (dengue)
Dengue- I don’t have it but, I’m at the point where I might like it just so that I can have a definitive diagnosis.
What I do have is a full body rash that itches and looks awesome, soar joints, pain behind the eyes, a cold and a fabulous cough. What is going on? NO ONE KNOWS. Thankfully Peace Corps put me up for a few days in a hotel in
I made a break for it yesterday and came back to Jinotega. Turns out I really do miss my work, Jinotega, the mountains and my house.
I’m resting, calling the PC office daily to check in and taking my meds. But, there is no way I’m going back to
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