Laura gives a congratulatory kiss after handing a promotora her framed diploma in a large ceremony in El Salvador, Jalisco. The Tequila Municipal President stands to the left of Laura, while Dr. Francisco Rico is on the right.

The promotoras sit together during the ceremony. In the background, you can see PMC’s Mobile Medical Unit, which contains medical equipment and two examination rooms.

Whenever possible, Tia buys their medical supplies in bulk. Before a new project launch, we must count out and divide all the items. Bandages, sterile gloves, masks, IV bottles, syringes, cotton, rehydration solution, manual respirators, anti-spider and scorpion venom, alcohol and the medicines shown above, are expected to last about a year before they need to be replenished.

A year’s supply will not fit in the medical kits, so each promotora receives a large, sturdy bag full of items.

Laura and Paty spent Friday and Saturday shopping for all the supplies for the promotora’s medical kits and the items needed for the medical brigade. Early Sunday morning, we put the kits together. Mario Hernandez Garibay, Paty’s son, is pictured above. Though only in Junior High, Mario was an incredible help, just as productive as the adults. This is Mario’s second time helping Tia assemble the kits.

Paty is counting the sterile gloves that will go in the kits for the brigade doctors. Because Tia buys many things in bulk, we have to physically count the items for distribution. We finished on time and saw the brigade off, on its way to El Salvador, Jalisco.