Going Native in Nahuala
Hi guys!
On Thursday, I was called into a sudden meeting at the office. Evidently, the director of the radio station (my boss) was rushed to one of the national hospitals earlier that morning. He had not been feeling well all week, and when he woke up on Thursday, he was not able to move. All we were told was that he was lying unconscious about 1 ½ hours away from Nahuala. It was an odd situation for someone new to the team….because everyone began to cry and pray for his health. Six of us piled into a pick-up and headed to the hospital to meet with the family and check out the situation. When we finally arrived, the family was waiting outside of the hospital gates…evidently visiting hours are only from 2 – 4, even for direct family. So my co-workers and I ate at a neighboring food stand in order to waste some of the two hour wait. When we were finally allowed in, my boss had at least gained consciousness. We passed an extremely long line of people that were waiting to be seen by the doctor and/or needed medications. This is when I found out that services rendered in national hospitals in Guatemala are free of charge…but that definitely doesn’t mean it’s the best of care, nor the cleanest. Once inside the emergency wing, we were left to find the patient on our own…which means ducking your head into each individual curtain in order to see if it’s the person you are looking for. Each room had six beds, so needless to say, privacy is a foreign concept. The beds are simple cots worn over with rust, there was a bookcase in the middle of the room with a stock of medications, dirty pads and used gauze scattered about everywhere, IV bags filled with water, and a single patient bathroom way down the hall. As we were visiting with my boss, the doctor and nurses walked in…they discussed each patient’s predicament aloud while the nurses took down random scribbles in a notebook…so much for patient care or privacy. Since the services are free, patients are required to provide their own clothing, soap, other toiletries, shoes, etc…so his family had to go out and purchase these things with their own money. Sadly, several people from my office were concerned that he would leave the hospital worse than when he came in….possibly getting an infection just from the lack of hygiene. Luckily, he was released within a few days, but he is diabetic, and does not currently take insulin because he can’t afford it…which is how he ended up in diabetic coma in the first place.
This past weekend, I escaped to Quetzaltenango, known as Xela (the original Mayan name). This is the second-largest city in Guatemala, and is normally referred to as the Mayan capital, because its population is over half Mayan. Xela is surrounded by two popular volcanoes – Santa Maria and Santiaguito. And in the heart of the city lies a beautiful central park shaded with old trees and ancient municipal meetings. I specifically traveled to Xela for a package that was waiting on me – Thanks Eddy! – but I decided to stay the night and check out the town since it was about an hour and a half chicken bus ride from my site. (FYI - All my packages will be delivered to Xela now, which is relatively close and gives me a good excuse to visit civilization!) We slept at a mellow hostel near central park that definitely caters to budget-travelers – the rooms were dormitory-style with nice terraces for chilling out on. Other volunteers met up with us for the night, so we ate a nice typical Guatemalan dinner and then danced like crazy at a local club…and yes, I ate several street tacos towards the end of the night. On our way out of town on Sunday, we walked through the bustling market where they sell just about anything you can think of. We also had the best breakfast ever - two thick pancakes with bacon, ham, and egg stuck in between. Okay, this might not seem too great to you, but it’s been awhile since I had something really appetizing…
One nuisance here that I have noticed more and more is that there is never any toilet paper in the bathrooms. Both the house that I am living in and the office that I work at….every time I walk into the bathroom, a roll of toilet paper is nowhere in sight. I have gotten used to just taking toilet paper with me everywhere since I can never depend on having some when I really need it. And as some of you already know, in most of Latin America, you can’t flush toilet paper, you have to throw your paper in the waste basket….it doesn’t matter if it’s #1 or #2 : )
The last measure of full integration is to start wearing the traditional Mayan dress….and I happened to take the first baby step this week. My host grandmother makes the traditional huipiles (woven blouses) – and I have asked her to make me one of my own. She sells them in Pana every weekend – which is a huge tourist trap near the lake. They are about 500 quetzales or 70 bucks….which is very expensive for Guatemalans, but women typically only own around 3 or 4 that last them for years and years. It will take my host grandmother about 15 days to make, maybe more. Of course, I will be showing my purchase off with a pair of dirty old jeans, instead of the traditional corte or skirt. Who knows, within two years, maybe I will be dressed from head-to-toe in the indigenous garb…
So, after one full week at the office, I am a little overwhelmed with the amount of work that can be done and also the ideas that keep popping up in my head. There are approximately 11 folks that work directly for the radio, and 5 that work within the marketing department (which is the program I will be supporting). There are two new programs that need additional support and direction - and these are educational programs focused on young adults and women. I think one of the first things that I am going to try and concentrate on is providing some basic training/classes on marketing concepts and general promotion/publicity to the folks within the office. They also need a lot of help in selling radio time and advertisements to the general community, creating brochures or pamphlets to give out during their transmissions or site visits, developing an audience survey, constructing a website, merchandising, and learning basic computer skills. Unfortunately, these things cost money…so I will also have to start the fundraising campaign in order to solicit money from international organizations and local development agencies. Lots to do…but I guess I have plenty of time!
On another note, with the help of a previous volunteer, my organization was able to secure a grant from USAID for 2 new computers and 6 digital recorders. So this past Sunday, I was in the office installing the new computers. Included with the grant are 6 workshops for teaching the organization how to use the equipment…which is excellent, because I don’t have a clue how to use some of the programs dealing in audio production and editing. I also found out that because I am a volunteer, I am able to apply for a maximum of 2 USAID grants within my time here, in order to benefit the organization that I work for. It’s a lot of paperwork, but would be well worth it. Now I just need to figure out what we really need and write up a proposal for the project – this will be a long-time in the making, for sure!
As for the community that I am living in, only 40% of the people have electricity, only 77% have drinking water and 74% of these people are using latrines and have no plumbing systems. Most of the deaths during the civil war occurred in the Mayan communities that the radio station serves – which left a large widowed population to fend for themselves and their children. The town was a largely agrarian culture but nowadays the men are leaving their traditional labor sources and seeking work in larger cities or the U.S – which further displaces the family structure. So as a result, the radio has basically responded to the demands of the community by beginning the work of promotion and education of groups of men, women, peasants, and natives, on subjects that are integral to community advancement – such as women, agriculture, health, the environment, and human rights. Also, in talking with my host dad this week, it is evident that the goal of preserving the Mayan culture lies in the hearts of every local here…especially since the culmination of the civil war.
One of my primary observations this week in the office is the women that I work with. There are only two women that work in the office, and one works only in the mornings because she needs to be at home after lunch when her kids get out of school, and the other brings her baby to the office everyday. We were having a meeting on Monday afternoon with the whole organization, and all of a sudden, the one woman started breast-feeding her baby while discussing last week’s accounting. Just think if you were in the U.S. and this happened! This is one aspect of the culture that I still cannot seem to fathom…but it’s so normal and common here that no one else seems to blink an eye. Women breast-feed anywhere, at anytime…no matter what they are doing….
Alright, no mas por este semana! Have a great week peeps: )
Love,
Carin
posted by Carin Robinson @ 2:18 PM
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