Questioning Aid Work February 1, 2008

I just got back from translating for a traveling eye clinic in San Miguel and although I had a fantastic time and ultimately didn´t want to leave, it made me question the nature of this type of aid work. This is how it works. The aid agency in El Salvador goes out into rural communities and screens potential eye clinic patients. Those who look like they should be seen by the doctors are given a time and date to come into the San Miguel clinic and are asked to pay $6.00 to cover the cost of the ¨free¨consult and potential glasses. They then come into the clinic and either receive a pair of glasses, are given an appointment to see a Salvadoran eye specialist in San Miguel, or are rushed to a clinic in Santa Ana for emergency surgery. Those who receive an appointment need to come back to San Miguel a second time to evaluate their financial standing and ability to pay for any potential treatments or surguries, and then a third time for the actual treatment. I was translating for a doctor who saw the worst cases and although I found the work incredibly rewarding and humbling, it was not easy. I had to tell several people that they had permanently lost their sight and there was nothing we could do for them. Also, there were several people who had cataracts but were too old to operate on and well as a handful with diabetes in the eyes. Perhaps the worst case I witnessed was a 16 year old boy who had a rock kicked into his eye while milking a cow. The rock casued his iris to leave his eye and made quite a mess in the socket. The doctors had him rushed to the hospital to remove the eye as there was nothing else they could do. There were good stories too. There was a 3 year old with extremely crossed eyes and the doctors were able to straighten them out. There was also a family of 3 albino children who are near blind and all of them received perscription lenses and sun glasses.

My main concern is that although the clinic is meant to treat the poor, is it really reaching them? How many poor people can afford $6.00, plus the cost of transport to and from the clinic, plus the time and money lost when they are away from their farms and home industries? And although many people´s vision is improved with glasses, I can´t help but feel miserable for all those people who we couldn´t treat. I suppose the hope that something could be done to improve their vision is worth the $6.00 but still, does this type of work reach and help the people who need it most?

Second Month January 14, 2008

My followers have been harrassing me for an update so here you go…

Things are going well here in El Salvador. I am living comfortably in my house and have met everyone in my town, although I still can´t remember all their names. The first three months of service are supposed to be spent getting to know the people and the resources available inside and outside of the community so that is exactly what I´ve been doing.

I had a meeting with the community directive of my town and they decided that after my 3 months of exploration they want me to work on the following things: Continue where the other volunteer left off with the construction of a bridge (YIKES!!!), work with the NGO that visits my site every week to give agricultural training, teach English in the school, create a library for the school, start soccer teams for the boys, girls, and women, and create a community tree nursery. One of the farmers also asked me if I would teach him how to make a worm box and incorporate the compost into his current farming routine. I am pretty excited about this as I am quite fond of this particular farmer and feel more comfortable working one on one rather than in a big group. I told him I would work with him if he would then help me spread the word and teach the concepts afterwards. I think that´s a fair deal, and sustainable to boot!

So, 1.5 months left of just chatting with people and getting to know my new home. My mom sent me some seeds the other day so I am excited to start a garden (right now I´m constructing a fence of rocks to keep the cows out, afterwards I have to improve the soil) and I´m hoping to purchase a puppy from my neighbor once it is a little older. Also, I volunteered to translate for a group of American eye doctors that are coming to El Salvador the end of January to offer free eye clinics and surgeries. I´ve heard its one of the most rewarding experiences volunteers have throughout their service. I´ve also started the wheels in motion for the soccer teams and have created a penpal program with one of my old professors at UofI. With all these activities, I am afraid the time is going to pass much faster than I want!

But naturally, not everything is butterflies and roses. There are bad Spanish days, cultural clashes, and individual differences to deal with. There are days when I just want to curl up in my hammock and hide myself from the world, or teleport myself to the States for a day. And other days when the craving for snow, a mocha with whip cream, and the company of someone who understands and knows me is overpowering. But the overall experience is ¨vale la pena¨. Sorry mom and pa but I´m not coming home yet!

A while back I made a list of the things I wish I had brought with me. I want to amend that list and add my clarinet and sheet music, beverage mixes like apple cider and coffee creamer, and a video camera. My love for foreign films has developed into a desire to make some films myself and my co-volunteers have pointed out that I just might have a knack for it. I would love to make a documentary on the home industries we have here in my community including how to make a hammock, cheese, and bread. In a couple weeks the farmers are going to start cutting and milling the sugar cane using slash and burn farming and oxen. Wouldn´t it be amazing if I could share all this with you in the States? I wonder if Discovery Channel Kids would pay for the fotage and then I could donate the money to the bridge project? Anyone out there have a connection with Discovery Kids?

That´s all for now. Peace!