There are several pictures of a little girl with pigtails
in a white shirt and blue jeans. When we arrived at their home to do the
“makeover,” she was shy and reserved. But when I pulled the toy car out of my
backpack and rolled it across the new concrete floor to her, her eyes lit up
and the smile hit her face.
It appears that most of their homes are made of logs and
corrugated tin. How do their dwellings affect their ways of life or health?
John: Their homes are made of either wood or adobe with
corrugated tin or tile roofs. Some homes have corrugated tin on the inside. The
adobe and wood become home to insects and bacteria, which can indeed affect
their health.
Do the women generally make their own clothes?
Yes. Primarily by weaving.
What happens to the people when the organizational assistance is gone and the volunteers have left? Do the people still have access to medical care?
Helps has a referral system established and will follow up with patients needing further medical care; especially if any of the pathology reports come back as cancer. They contact that patient and assist with referral, as needed.
They have a social worker who also provides assistance to the families while we are there and they assist with referrals. Helps will also provide the patient with the needed paperwork so they can be seen by another Helps team coming to another location close by if we [aren’t] able to see them that week. Locally, they have minimal medical care. The hospital has Cuban doctors contracted to work there, and they will see patients and do some minor surgery or Cesarean Sections.
John Shafer at the school
Are those photos of the school with concrete floors and
walls?
Yes.
How many teachers per children? What are the children’s
educational experiences like?
[The schools] probably ratio 1 teacher to 35 children in
the lower grades. They learn Spanish [collectively] because most of them speak
one of the 23 Mayan dialects. The teachers are generally young and have
completed only high school.
What was the food like? Please tell us about some of the
unique fare you experienced.
The food was rice, beans and tortillas or caldo de
gallina (chicken soup). I always enjoyed eating some of their freshly made corn
tortillas hot off their newly installed plancha.
Our kitchen team prepared all our meals for the team. It
is critical that the food is prepared safely so the team can keep working and
not be at risk for getting sick.
Are the people predominately Catholic or Christian? What
is their relationship to religion?
There is not a predominant religion. They are Catholic,
Protestant, or Mayan. They are a very religious people, but they cling
to their Mayan heritage and often combine Mayan beliefs with their Catholic or
Protestant faith.
