Tia is fortunate to have Dr. Julio join us in villages near Ojuelos. Dr. Julio accompanied us to Sayula for our promotora (community health worker) training there in March. The photo above shows him demonstrating each of the items in the medical kits for the promotoras. Dr. Julio and the others wearing blue vests are all from the Programa de Medicina de la Comunidad (PMC) (Community Medicine Program) at Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara (UAG).

A brigade of 25 medical students, professors and doctors left Sunday afternoon for the long drive to Ojuelos. Laura, Paty and her sister Monica brought the supplies for the medical kits and food for the trip. UAG’s PMC Program is generously supplying much needed medicine and lab tests for the communities. The whole brigade will be sleeping and eating with the communities, a testament to their dedication.

Keep checking back for more Notes from the Field coming over the next week!

As part of our follow up visit to El Reparo, we conducted a data collection survey on the progress and continuing needs of the communities. We discovered some remarkable changes happening already in the villages near Sayula, Jalisco:

• Significant increase in blood pressure checks from twice per year to weekly checks for villagers suffering from high blood pressure and diabetes.

• Increase from zero to 50% in the number of villagers who are brushing their teeth at least daily (twice daily for 50% of the children).

• Increased access from zero to 75% of households that have participated in nutrition education sessions including ways to incorporate more vegetables in their diets, cut back on sodium and other lessons.

• Increase from zero to 50% the number of households that no longer allow domesticated animals (dogs and chickens) into their homes, particularly near food preparation areas.

• Increase from zero to 50% in the number of people who wash their hands before handling or preparing food.

During our followup visit to El Reparo in July, we heard a variety of stories from our promotoras about their experience caring for their community members. One was particularly touching.

An elderly woman in El Reparo suffered from diabetes and terminal cancer. She asked one of the promotoras, Rosy, to travel with her to see her doctor some distance away in Sayula. The woman explained to the doctor that she could no longer make the trip into town to visit him because she was becoming too ill, but asked if he could give advice to Rosy on how to care for her.

Continue reading “A Bittersweet Story”