C^2 Honduras 2010

Trying to keep up with my severely fabulous little sister...

(...and if you haven't checked out her blog you should: http://anniesummerinsitka.blogspot.com/)

In true Cravero child form, I brought my headlight with me to Honduras. For the record: I also brought it to Paris last year. Essentially, I never leave home without it. Just in case. Little did I know when I packed the headlight this time it would become extremely essential after barely a few days in Siguatepeque.

Sigua is the base for the organization I am working for: Proyecto Aldea Global (or Global Village Project). I am working as a volunteer for their village health program. This program includes extensive education on HIV/AIDS and mother/child nutrition. It also includes health consultations by PAG staff and basic medicine distribution. They more recently added a "water project" which includes building latrines and water filters for villages and need as well as a microcredit program.

I was sent up into the mountains (headlight and bug repellent in hand) to see all these amazing programs. The PAG team was based in a town called Minas de Oro for five days. The trip was not for the faint of heart. The drive to Minas was 4 and a half hours in a bright teal Izusu from circa 1995. (Please try to picture this teal truck driving up the side of several mountains for four hours.)

All ten of us were in a large cabin at the top of a hill. From our base we met with all the "extentionistas" who oversee the volunteers in each rural community. We collected all their records from the last 3 months of work in all the villages. It was a huge job. For the last two days we traveled to several communities to help conduct health consultations, education sessions, and restock the volunteers with building supplies and medicines.

The views from the mountains of Honduras are stunning. (However there are no snow capped mountains like Annie's Alaskan vistas) The fields of coffee beans go straight up the sides of the mountains. As we drove across the ridges my coworkers pointed out all the fields that have been made possible by the PAG microcredit program. Many of the staff members here have worked for PAG for 5-20 years. Their knowledge of the country side and their love for their work is truly inspiring.

I've included a few posts with pictures from the trip. I promise more are coming soon with pictures from Sigua and Nick and I's work here.

PAG in Minas de Oro and surrounding communities

My boss, Magda, during a consulation. PAG convened in one village with several staff members to offer health consultations to village families. A lot of the consultations concerned women's and children's health issues.

At the consultation, PAG systematically dispensed basic medicines to families in need. The woman in this picture is Nora. She is a woman from the village who is a volunteer. Each village that PAG works with has a volunteer who helps staff members keep in close contact with the health issues in the village. Driving back to Siguatepeque was long because the volunteers kept waving down Magda to talk. It is really amazing how much reach PAG is able to have into these communities with the help of the volunteers.

Minas de Oro and surrounding villages

Marvin doing an interactive training session on HIV/AIDS for highschoolers

The president of the community group in Minas de Oro that oversees the dispensing of medications brought by PAG

Delivering supplies to a rural village so that they can construct latrines. This is all part of a "Water project" that Proyecto has put together which includes building functioning latrines and water filters for rural mountain villages