1. Waiting on line to see the visiting dentist. No fidgeting or fears here, they were all excited to go. |
2. The dentist in her makeshift office, which was actually the classroom we had painted the day before. |
3. Finished patients. |
4. Getting the youngest children ready for the day. |
5. Mother and child. |
6. Students, not camera shy at all. |
7. Lining up to go to their classroom. |
8. Part of the activities today would be the students participating in the park beautification progam. These were the plants that were going to be planted in the park.In the afternoon the older students would help plant about one hundred trees, part of a Guatemalan reforestation project. |
9. The main gate to the park |
Today I accompanied the field doctors to the mountain village of San José Parrojas. It was a twenty minute drive from Parramos, pretty much uphill all the way. The doctors set up a clinic in the town community center (actually a multipurpose room), and within ten minutes mothers and children were waiting to be seen.
Photos by Giuliano Chicco, mostly.
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10. One of the two cars that took us up to San Jose Parrojas. |
11. Form Valley of the Pines, San Jose Parrojas is the smattering of white above the Tigo sign. |
12. Don Reuben, our driver and companion, points out the highlights of the valley to Hana. |
13. The medical team, Kim, Melinda and Catherine, get organized. |
14. The Parramos valley. The large white slash is not a lake. It is the rose plantation. Some of the finest roses in the world, and all the roses for the Rose Bowl Parade, are grown here. |
15. Main Street, San Jose Parrojas. |
16. His family was waiting in the clinic, and despite Catherine's best efforts, he wouldn't leave. |
17. Some children from the school at San Jose Parrojas. Tip: If you want to see children "light up," pull out a digital camera. |
18. The clinic waiting room, the dog won out. |
In 1976 there was a major earthquake in Guatemala. Half the school in San José Parrojas, was destroyed and slide down the hill. As San José Parrojas is a poor town, it still hasn't been fully rebuilt. The following series of photos are from a school earthquake drill. Every child and their teachers evacuate the school building and gather in a flat space across the road. The older children carry stretchers with the "hurt" children, put them on the grass and go back for more. Everyone is drilled in what to do and how to act, and the entire excerise was quite moving to watch.
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30. After the drill the school principal led the children in a game of "Gigantes y nanos," the Guatemalan equivilant of Simon Says. |
31. Brita reads the waiting children The Little Red Hen or "La Gallinita Roja" |
32. Paddy Cakes needs no translation. |
33. Rosa Carlota, one of our two students nurses, explains the fundamentals of hygiene, signs of diarrea and provides other basic health information to the waiting mothers. |
34. Coloring was a major hit, even the mothers joined in. |
35. Nancy and Catherine review the patient history. |
36. Hana and Margaret acted as additional translators for the medical team. |
37. Two mothers watch the activities at the school earthquake drill. |
38. Kathryn and Violetta, our student nurse, with Hana as translator, handled basic treage. |
39. Brita leads a chorus of "Head Shoulders Knees and Toes" a big hit with the children wherever we went. |
40. Future rock star. |
41. I am still surprised by the true meaning of horse power. |
42. It was getting crowded and noisy in the hall, and the medical staff was concerned, so I grabbed the guitar and immediately drew all the children outside. A veritable Piped Piper.
(photo by Melinda Zitin) |
43. "One little, two little, three little ... teeth?"
(photo by Melinda Zitin) |
44. I don't have a clue what I was doing here?
(photo by Melinda Zitin) |
45. Brita reading one of the four spanish childrens books we had on hand, again. |
46. Kathryn interviews a mother, with Margaret as translator. |
47. A ubitquitous Guatemalan activity, a pickup game of soccer, with what had to the the rattiest ball I had ever seen. |
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Meanwhile, back down in Parramos, the rest of the team was busy with the medical clinic, teaching classes, and the primary afternoon activity, planting trees. This was a big treat for our youth since they each got a machette.
(Photos by Allison Tumulty)
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49. The game white rabbit is a big hit with small children anywhere in the world. |
50. Liz enterains the students. |
51. Nothing focuses the attention like a digital camera . . . |
52. . . . but you can't hold it. |
53. Arts and Crafts began early today. |
54. Jilary, a winning smile. |
55. Allison and friends. |
56. Kathryn teaching the kids line dancing. (Only kidding, I'm not sure what they were doing) |
57. Star students! |
58. Laura and Kathryn have the kids out in the yard for PE. |
59. Liz and her friends. |
60. Jeff chooses up sides for an imprompt basktball game, |
61. Allison with her perfect friend. |
62. Katherine leads her class to their room. |
63. Los gallitos. |
64. Where's Allison? |
65. Allison with her "posse." |
66. Tree planting begins. |
67. The girls were as excited about the tree planting as the boys. |
68. Big strong seventh graders. |
69. Andreas pitchs in. |
70. Hannah, Liz and Laura claim their trees. |
71. Kathryn really gets into her machette. |
72. The older students demonstrate the correct technique. |
73. The students worked in teams. |
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