Here is the graduating class from Ixtlahuacan del Rio. Standing in the back is Dr. Roberto (the tall young man), to his right is Dr. Rico. Next to Dr. Rico is the Municipal President Roberto Martinez and his wife, Sra. Maria Teresa, the President of DIF (Desarrollo Integral de la Familia), and then Laura Libman (Tia). Many of the Promotoras proudly display their framed diplomas. For a list of the graduates and the communities they represent, click here: List of Promotoras Ixtlahuacan del Rio Jalisco.
Medical Kit and Bags Ready to Go
Dr Francisco Rico will be helping Laura carry all the supplies to Ixtlahuacan del Rio. Since one van is not large enough for everything, Laura’s taxi drive friend, Juan Fonseca will be accompanying her in another van. Juan has been volunteering for Tia for two years, helping Laura gather supplies and he is excited to see a graduation ceremony.
They will meet the amazing members of UAG‘s Programa de Medicina en la Comunidad (PMC) Brigade of 40 professors, doctors and students. These committed brigade members provide the education for the Promotoras, free health care for the community members, and educational classes for the schools and resident.
Check back later for pictures of the graduation ceremony!
50+ Volunteer Hours to Assemble Medical Kits
Over two evenings, our volunteers logged more than 50 hours assembling each of 20 medical kits. Each kit contains about 50 items, from bandages to syringes, gloves to stethoscopes, IV solutions, glucometers and tape. Because we buy in bulk to maximize our precious donated funds, we hold parties to count out items for each kit. Here you see Octovio from GlobalVantage Design Source counting masks and Laura is counting sterile bandages. Tia had four volunteers from GlobalVantage has appreciated the crucial help of many of its employees over the years.
Volunteers Assemble Medical Kits
Here are two of the great volunteers we had this evening helping us assemble all the supplies for the medical kits. On the left is Kathleen Phelps and on the right is Dianna Whitaker who came along with seven other volunteers which made the work go much faster! We sorted hundreds of supplies into 20 medical kits to prepare for the graduation on Friday. We enjoyed tamales while we worked and in four or five hours had most of the kits assembled.
Free Care for Those Who Need it Most
In addition to delivering the education course to Tia’s Promotoras, our partners at UAG’s PMC offer free health care consultations, treatment and medicines to the poorest of the region. Many crates full of medical supplies arrive along with the brigade. You can see here the students and professors in the traditional PMC blue vests consulting with two elderly villagers from Los Palos Altos, Jalisco.
Tia Foundation 