The HEALTH FAIR

 At each of our three locations (Pocohil, Chicua, and Xepocol), our women's team presented a HEALTH FAIR consisting of eight stations for the women:

(1) THE SOLAR OVEN STATION: Jean Marconett prepared two pots of food, one with veggies and one with beans and placed them in the solar oven. When the food was done, each woman received a plate of food along with some training on how to easily make their own solar oven. The Mayan women were amazed that they could cook something so d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s without stirring it or paying any attention to it.

(2) SAFE WATER STATION:
Jean Marconett also showed the women how to easily purify their water. Our team brought three 1 liter bottles of water and some WapIs- Water Pasteurization Indicators. The bottles were H2O filled and included a glass tube with some soybean wax inside. These bottles were sprayed black on the outside and were lying on a shiny back surface (they could be placed on the roof too) at this station. They are to be set in full sun, and as soon as the wax melts, the water has been hot enough (149 degrees F – 65 Degrees C) to kill all bacteria and is safe to drink. This show-and-tell performance was extremely important because Sandy Guyse, who has become our team's water expert, has found that the stream and the wells are contaminated with e-coli.

(3) THE MICROSCOPE AND WATER STATION:
Sandy Guyse was in charge of showing the women the microscopic difference between pure and unpure water, further reinforcing the fact that just because the water looks okay doesn't mean it really is.

(4) BLOOD PRESSURE STATION: Carol Haug and Janet Komadina were in charge of the blood pressure table. The Mayan women could get their blood pressure checked, along with a brief explanation of the numbers and what they might do if their blood pressure was too high or too low. Mostly, the blood pressure readings were quite good (it's all those hills!). If anything, a few were a tad low according to our blood pressure experts,

(5) EYE TESTING STATION:
Lynn Guenette was in charge of the eye glass table. Anyone could come and check out reading glasses to see if they could see better. Our team brought along over 200 pairs of reading glasses abd over 120 pairs were distributed. Those who could afford to pay a small sum for the glasses did so, but if not, no one was turned away. The community members could also get sunglasses for a small cost.
(6) TOOTHBRUSHING STATION: Suzanne
Greenleaf was in charge of giving demonstrations on correct tooth brushing techniques and flossing techniques. After the demonstration, mothers (and children) were each given a toothbrush and dental floss.

(7) FAMILY PHOTO STATION: Susan Waughtal took pictures of families and individuals, and for 1 quetzal, the families could get an actual photo with the photo printer that Susan brought with her. Susan was VERY popular with the families.

(8) CERTIFICATE STATION: Lastly, the women stopped by the spot where Julie Rodakowski stood ready to present them with their completion certificate, congratulations from the team, a hug, and with a small bag of goodies (hotel bottles of shampoo and conditioner, soap, and other tidbits).

(text by Julie Rodakowski / pictures by Susan Waughtal)

A duo of dynamic Guatemalan NGOs, with a couple of gringo non-profits tossed in the mix, created a dynamite service/travel experience

Our team has been under the guidance of two dynamic NGOs based in the Guatemala. They have made Guatemala arrangements, provided us advice, provided translators, taught with us, and they have become our friends. The two Guatemalan NGOs are Fundacion Herencia Viva and Wings.

We have also worked closely with two US non-profits: HELPS (stoves) and "Outreach Opportunities in Mission" (overall coordinator of our trip).

FUNDACION HERENCIA VIVA:

The Fundacion Herencia Viva is a new foundation based in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. The two women who direct this NGO are a dynamite duo: Carla Gonzales and Angie Mejia. They also have had an able translator for Quiche and an all-around helper in Thomasa.

The goal of this NGO is to provide health care guidance and educational help to communities in the Mayan highland area around Chichicastenango. We worked directly with and for them in organizing, setting up, running and teaching our women's health program and our health fairs. They also organized and chose the families who would receive help building the latrines, and they chose the families who received the kitchen stoves. Their goal is to form international, national, and local partnerships, and there are well on their way to developing a wonderfully successful NGO.

Carla, Angie, and Thomasa were with us every step of the way!

Their website is still in development stages, but look for it soon!

WINGS:

Our team also worked with Guatemalan-based "Wings," an NGO which creates opportunities for Guatemalan families to improve their lives by providing them with family planning education and access to reproductive health services.

Dorcas Arelí Yol Xon, family planning educator for WINGS, went with our team to Pocohil on March 15 where she worked with the Mayan women on issues related to reproduction: when to start child bearing, when to stop, appropriate spacing of children, birth control methods, and economic issues related to family planning.

Her method of teaching was a classic method used for largely non-literate audiences: the use of pictures to create discussion with the group, role playing, and short shots of information interspersed.

The women got it with every great example, with lots of laughs interspersed, but the best part was when Dorcas encouraged the older women, the mothers, and the mothers-in-law to help the younger people and families achieve family and economic goals by following sound family planning methods. It was an excellent training session, and we all learned more about making effective presentations to women in Guatemala.

To learn more about WINGS, please see their website: http://wingsguate.org/

HELPS:

HELPS is a US non-profit which designed, built, and sent the Onil kitchen stoves to Guatemala (see other blog entries for more info and pictures of the stoves).

According to their website, HELPS International, organized in 1984, is a "US 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation that partners with individuals, businesses, corporations, local and national governments to alleviate poverty in Latin America. HELPS integrated programs include: medical care, education, community and economic development, and agricultural innovations in order to improve the quality of life for the indigenous people of Latin America."

With stove donations from Rochester, MN residents and residents from other locations in the US, our group was able to purchase 50 of the Onil stoves from HELPS, and they are a definite hit with the families who have received them! Check out the HELPS website at http://www.helpsintl.org/. And be sure to look at the other two relevant blog postings on this site.

OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES IN MISSION:

"Outreach Opportunities in Mission" was started by Kevin Schill, a United Methodist pastor whose heart is in service to others, as indicated by the goal of his non-profit: "Make a difference in your life by making a difference in the lives of others." According to his website, Kevin's non-profit offers "short-term volunteer service programs, including medical/public health, construction, and education, in a variety of domestic and international settings." His group also provides "cross-cultural education experiences and unique opportunities to learn from and about each other through sharing gifts of art and music."

Kevin was responsible for making all of the team arrangements for travel, housing, meals, and he and the Greenleafs coordinated with the three other non-profits our team worked with. The entire trip was excellently planned and executed!

Check out his website at http://www.outreachopportunitiesinmission.org/

For more information on any of these non-profits, please contact them directly or contact Suzanne Greenleaf at greenleaf.suzanne@gmail.com

(text by Julie Rodakowski; pictures by Susan Waughtal)

Torn de Alfarero (potter’s wheel) Xepocol, Guatemala

Xepocol, a small village in the central highlands of Guatemala, has never made pottery and never seen a potter’s wheel. The village has an active Methodist church, a busy local school, and many small shops along the unpaved road that is the lifeline of the village. When Carlo Gonzales asked the local minister, Sebastian Quino, if he was interested in his village learning about pottery, he said yes.



Our group arrived around 10:30 am on Friday morning. I brought a kit for making a kick wheel, all the metal parts, wood for the frame and cement for the flywheel. The pastor was on an unexpected pastoral visit, but Miguel a local weaver, met us at the church. He offered us refreshments, and we then we talked for the next hour about the wheel, where it would go and what we needed. I used my best Spanish and then Raul, our guide and translator, translated my Spanish to “real” Spanish. It was interesting to discuss something seemingly so simple for so long, but this is totally new technology for the village. In true Guatemalan fashion, we started constructing the wheel after a break for lunch. We had sandwiches delivered,but the church supplied soup and the most delicious tamales I’ve ever had.

Thursday was the last day in the village and was the day to fire the newly made pots. The village had no kiln and no ready fuel source. Pit firing is the most primitive and easiest method, but the ground is very rocky, so we choose to barrel fire. The pots went in the fire as greenware, so we preheated them first over an open fire on a piece of corrugated roofing. After warming them for about 2 hours, we loaded them in the barrel with pine needles and corn leafs and stalks. Finally, the fire on top was built. There were numerous explosions, but yes there were survivors as well. We had to leave before the barrel cooled, but I did sneak a peek and verify that there were survivors, and they are jet black. I am happy as I can be with the results.

It has been a true adventure. The people were delightful, the children beautiful, the mountains breath-taking. I would not have missed this trip for anything. I plan on returning in July to help build a kiln in Xepocol.

(Written by potter Kevin H Komadina; pictures by Susan Waughtal)

Stove Delivery

Our entire team traveled together for the first time yesterday to Xepocal. In addition to holding a women's health training, wanted to see the three new latrines the men built, Kevin's pottery wheel, and, most of all, be there for the delivery of 10 ONIL plancha stoves. When we arrived the stoves were stacked neatly in the Methodist Church's Sunday school building.

Some nearby families came to pick up their stoves, and the rest were loaded onto a pickup for delivery. We sent two teams to accompany the stoves, congratulate the families, and see for ourselves the old stoves-which were actually 3 stone fires. The kitchens are mostly small adobe buildings with a dirt floor, a fire, a small table for preparation of food, and utensils hung on the wall. Walls and ceilings of all the kitchens were totally black with soot from the cook smoke. Some were so smoky we coughed when we entered even though no fire was burning.

The families were extremely grateful for the stoves, which require 7o% less wood, saving them time and money gathering fuel. Most importantly, the new stoves burn much cleaner, reducing the risk of respiratory illnesses, a leading cause of illness in the Mayan children. The new stoves are also much safer and will reduce the risk of burns.

We have now delivered all 50 stoves! The stoves were made possible by donations from many of our team members, generous community members, and friends across the country. We have a waiting list of 25 families who need stoves, and more requests coming in as others learn about them. Each stove costs $117. If you are interested in purchasing a stove for a family, stay tuned for details in a future post.

Post and photos by Susan

Faces of Guatemala

Guatemala is a spectacular country, full of brilliant colors, textures and patterns and beautiful people--a photographer's dream.

As the"official photographer" of this expedition, my job is to focus on the camera viewfinder so everyone else can focus on the work at hand. So far (in 5 days) I have taken almost 3000 shots.

I packed a color printer so that at our women's health fairs in each village we can offer to take portraits for a small fee (1 quetzal, about 12 cents.) Many of the women may not have photographs of themselves or their families. Photographing the Mayan families has been a big hit with the women and a joy for me.

Yesterday in Chicua, Sheila was tranlsating forme as I took portraits. One woman asked to have Sheila adnme be in thephoto with her- which started a trend, the next 20 women wanted the same photo. We were sort of like mall. The photos are pretty funny, the beautiful solemn Mayan women in their beautiful huipales, flanked by two very tall, pale, grinning gringas in dull clothing.

Post and photos by Susan

WOMEN’S TRAINING

Our women's health training team:
Suzanne Greenleaf, overall coordinator
Jean Marconett, health training leader – nutrition
Carol Haug, health training leader – self-esteem
Sandy Guyse, health training leader -- water
Jayne Komadina, health training leader – back strengthening
Sheila Kiscaden, interpreter for sessions and surveys
Lynn Guenette, survey developer and coordinator
Janet Van Benthuysen – child care & chief puppeteer
Mary Schmidt – child care
Mary Moen – child care
Susan Waughtal – photographer
Julie Rodakowski – certificates and documentation writing

The primary purpose of the women's team has been to provide health care training for the women in the three Mayan communities (Pocohil, Chicua, and Xepocol).
 We worked collaboratively with three dynamic Guatemalan leaders from an NGO entitled Fundacion Herencia Viva (Karla, Angie, Thomasa). This newly formed NGO chose the three locations (places that received the stoves and the help in latrine building) and skillfully guided the entire process.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE TRAINING AND COMMENTS FROM THE WOMEN:

The Mayan women loved the picture-laden health training booklet. This booklet, developed by several members of our team, colorfully summarized all of the information presented at the health training sessions. The women carefully read the text of the book which they were able to keep, pondering every word and picture.
QUOTE: I've never had my own book before.

The women believed their water was safe, but according to testing done by Sandy Guyse, the water was contaminated. Thus, the training on how important clean water was to their family's health and guidance on how to purify the water was valuable.
QUOTE: I didn't know that I had to boil the drinking water all the time. 

Everyone laughed and laughed with and at Jayne as she demonstrated some exercises to help strengthen their backs. Several of the women indicated they had chronic back pain.
QUOTE: I didn't know I could do anything to make my back feel better. 

The women loved the section on self-esteem, and thoroughly enjoyed making the bead necklaces that were JUST FOR THEM! Carol's self-esteem session left them all feeling good about themselves.
QUOTE: Come and see my necklace!  

The Mayan children loved the child care sessions – a necessary addition to the program so that the women could focus on the presentations. They enjoyed having stories read to them, "talking" with Janet's monkey puppet, playing games, and going on a kiddie parade through their pueblo.
QUOTE: When will you come back again? 

THE BOTTOM LINE: HEALTHY & STRONG WOMEN MAKE HEALTHY FAMILIES

(written by Julie Rodakowski, pictures by Susan Waughtal)

The latrine team

The Dream Latrine Team consisted of five gringos and two Guatemalans:
GINGOS: Jim Greenleaf, Roger Borowick, John Guyse, Tom McNeil, and Kevin Schill.
GUATEMALANS: The were supervised by Nicho and his helper Raoul (also the interpreter), both experienced Guatemalan stone masons.










THE OLD AND THE NEW

They embarked daily via van over the hairpin curves, winding safely up to the small Mayan community of Xepocol in the highlands by Chichicastenango. Once there, they built five cinder block latrines for five needy families. Fortunately, the families and their friends had already dug the holes, which in some cases were 30 feet deep (big-time "sweat equity").

The dream team members helped to lay the concrete foundations, mix mortar (mud) and lay cinder block for the walls. They also helped with the construction of a sheet-metal roof, and helped place a plastic commode into the newly constructed building. Lastly, they helped put in the doors.

The families were greatly in need of the "dream team's" services and were extremely appreciative of having a latrine.

The families were also friendly and invited the guys in to see their homes and their spectacular weaving looms. They even provided some soup to fortify the guys. The women were dressed in their Mayan attire, Roger reports, although the men seem to have abandoned that tradition – at least for latrine work.

(Dictated by dream team member Roger Borowick to Julie Rodakowski; pictures by Roger & Susan )

STOVES ARE INSTALLED in Mayan kitchens!

(Team member Sheila Kiscaden interviewing one of the stove recipients)

Through contributions from many Rochester and other areas of the country, our team was able to purchase 50 stoves.

Why stoves? -- YOU MIGHT WONDER.
All of the cooking is done by the women on wood fires within the small, largely adobe, homes.

Significant health issues ensue, including

(1) SMOKE INHALATION which has become the leading cause of death in Guatemalan children under the age of 5 according to the World Health Organization. On average, the deadly carbon monoxide level in homes is twice the level considered to be dangerous.  

(2) FACIAL AND HAND BURNS TO CHILDREN who fall into open when they are playing or learning to walk

(3) DEFORESTATION which occurs at a rate of 2% per year because of the huge amount of wood required for daily cooking. Additionally, the wood has become very scarce and expensive.

(4) EXCESSIVE TIME DEMANDS ON WOMEN AND CHILDREN who must often walk long distances daily to acquire the wood necessary just to feed their family.  

(5) BACK PROBLEMS which occur because the heavy loads of wood, once found, must be hauled back home on the backs of the women and children.  

YOU MIGHT WONDER -- What kind of stoves were sent to Guatemala?
Onil stoves were purchased by Suzanne and Jim Greenleaf who collected the stove donations. Onil parts were sent previous to our arrival. These stoves provide enough heat to cook a meal with only three sticks of wood. Each stove has a chimney that vents the stove's smoke outdoors, meaning a family's home is no longer filled with deadly cooking smoke. An additional attribute of the stove is that it also can be moved around in the kitchen if necessary. To do so, the families must move the concrete block base and the venting.

Mayan families from the highlands (three communities: Pocohil, Chicua, and Xepocol) were chosen based on greatest needs in the communities.
Once the families were chosen, they did have to purchase the concrete block and the venting, with the idea that they should participate in the stove project rather than just having it given to them. The women also had to take a nutrition class.

Once our team arrived, we were able to see many of the installed stoves, and we were also able to talk with the women about them.

YOU MIGHT WONDER -- What do the women have to say about their stoves? 
Here are SOME quotes from the Mayan women:

I can cook food in a third of the time. 
 It's so great that it uses so little wood. 
 I love my stove.  
I use my stove from morning to night.
I like the fact that I can move it if I need to.  
There's no more smoke in the house. I am happy.

(text & pictures by Julie)

OUR TEAM MEETS THE LOCAL (CHICHICASTENANGO) TV NEWS TEAM

During our second session at Pocohil, a festival called "First Fruits" was also taking place "down the road a piece." Two TV news reporters from the local station came with a camera to take pictures of that festival. They saw "las gringas," two large vans, and stopped by our training building wondering what the heck was going on. Fortunately, Carol Haug was standing outside and talked with them briefly about our events, piquing their interest enough to get them to COME ON DOWN!

The first thing they saw was the work with the children and the KIDDIE PARADE. The children of the Mayan mothers were being read to by Charles Butler, were being entertained by Janet Van Benthuysen with her puppet monkey, and were playing the numerous games the rest of the child care team, including Mary Schmidt, had brought with them. The children were also ready to go on a kiddie parade through the town. The children were given kazoos, drums, streamers, and all sorts of parade items, and off they went. The TV cameras caught the parade, but they had no idea what was coming next as they proceeded down the hill to the building where the training was taking place!

THE SOLAR OVEN: The next thing they noticed was the solar oven. Jean Marconett had brought a stove from the solar oven society in Minneapolis and had set it up in the morning. During the first part of the morning training process, she took the women through the process of how to use the oven and how they could build one. She had a pot of beans and a pot of veggies ready to be placed in the oven, and the beans had been placed in about an hour before the reporters came. The reporters asked many questions about the oven and what was in it. Jean went through the process with them, and happily, when she opened the lid, the beans were steaming and well on their way to being done. The reporters took a book of recipes and were mightily impressed.

BOILING WATER: Next, they noticed the 3 plastic bottles of water lying on black shiny paper next to the oven. Our team had brought three 1 liter bottles of water and some WapIs- Water Pasteurization Indicators. They were H2O filled and included a glass tube with some soybean wax inside. These bottles were sprayed black on the outside and were lying on a shiny back surface (they could be placed on the roof too). They are to be set in full sun, and as soon as the wax melts, the water has been hot enough (149 degrees F – 65 Degrees C) to kill all bacteria and is safe to drink.. The reporters were given one of the wax tubes, and again, were mightily impressed.
WATER TESTING: But little did these reporters realize that perhaps the best was yet to come. The main reporter believed that the water in the community was clean and pure because it came down from the mountain. Sandy Guyse was sitting at her microscope and had a picture of the water she had collected four days ago. He was mortified to see the pictures and to learn the results of the testing of the water from the stream and from the well. They both had obvious e-coli contamination. They left stunned.
CARLA AND "FUNDACION HERENCIA VIVA: They then interviewed Carla, the director of the Guatemala agency our team works with, and they also interviewed Suzanne Greenleaf, our US team leader. They learned much about Carla's organization, what its goal is, and how other communities can become connected to her. Carla was thrilled with the publicity and with the fact that when the reporters left, they said, "Next time you come, be sure to call us!"
THE STOVES:
Lastly, Suzanne talked with them about the stoves that had been purchased, installed, and how beneficial they are because they don't burn much wood.

And perhaps the best is yet to come. While here, they called the national news team and suggested they come!

Stay tuned – our fame is spreading fast.

Reported by Julie; Pictures by Susan

Day 1: Pocohil

Our first day in Guatemala we dived right in. After breakfast we sorted all our project gear and had a meeting to get to know each other and talk about our goals and plans. Then we headed to our work sites, the men to Xecopol, where they would be constructing some latrines and building a pottery wheel, and the women to Pocohil to lead a women's health training and interview several recipients of the stoves.

When we arrived in Pocohil, the women of the village were already gathered in the covered porch of a home. We felt like honored guests, as they had spread the dirt floor with a carpet of soft, fragrant pine needles and welcomed us with a huge bouquet of flowers from their gardens.

Along with the women's training sessions (more in a future post) some teams interviewed women who had recently received the stoves. All in all in was a fabulous day!

We Arrive in Guatemala

Those of us from Rochester boarded a shuttle bus to the MSP airport at 2:30 a.m. on Thursday - which meant that some of us never did go to bed that night! We landed in Guatemala at 2:30in the afternoon - this was the view out the airplane window.



We got through customs smoothly and boarded three shuttle buses for the 4 hour drive to Chichicastenanga which will be our base of operations.


The country is spectacular, but the sun was setting and the vans were moving, so I only got a few good shots from the window--but you can get a sense for how magical this adventure promises to be.

The Itinerary

Here's our Work Itinerary (subject to change)
Friday 12: working in the village of Xepocol (About 30 minutes from Chichi)

MORNING:
Women's training
AFTERNOON:
Survey
Deliver 10 stoves in Xepocol
CONSTRUCTION TEAM:
building latrine(s) (working all day or half a day)
Teach pottery for Pastor Sebastian Quino

Saturday 13: working in the village of Xepocol (second day at the village)

MORNING:
Women's training
AFTERNOON:
Health Fair. If necessary continue with survey
CONSTRUCTION TEAM:
building latrines (working all day or half a day)
Continue to teach pottery for Pastor Sebastian Quino

Sunday 14: Chichicastenango

Free day / market
Optional at 5:00 p.m. cultural lecture with specialist on Guatemalan Culture addressing the history and explanation on typical dress of Guatemalans

Monday 15: working in the village of Pocohil (only one day)

MORNING:
Talk about family planning for women
AFTERNOON:
Health fair
EVENING:
Talk about family planning for men
CONSTRUCTION TEAM:
Continue building latrines in XEPOCOL

Tuesday 16: working in the village of Chicua number 3 (about 45 minutes
from Chichi)

MORNING:
Women's trainning and survery in the community.
AFTERNOON:
Weaving class for the team
CONSTRUCTION TEAM:
Build latrine(s) in Chicua

Wed 17: continue working in the village of Chicua number 3

*MORNING: *
Continue women's trainning and survery in the community.
AFTERNOON:
Continue weaving class for the team
CONSTRUCTION TEAM:
Continue building latrine(s) (working all day or half a day)

Thurs 18: Continue working in the village of Chicua number 3

MORNING:
Survey the community all morning.
AFTERNOON:
Continue weaving class for the team
CONSTRUCTION TEAM:
Continue building latrine(s) (working all day or half a day)

The Plan

Photo: Kevin Schill (our fearless leader), Carla (our Guatemala Coordinator) and Kathy Schill.

One more day of packing and preparing, then we leave for Guatemala!

"We" are 20 people, mostly women, from Rochester, MN, and the Twin Cities. Some of us are health care professionals and teachers, and we even have a few artists in the group. This is a service trip, with some educational opportunities and a lot of fun thrown in.

Most of our work will be centered in the Mayan village of Lemoa, near Chichicastenango in the central highlands region, where we are providing energy efficient stoves to families, teaching health classes for women and leading a community health fair, building a latrine, and more. It won't be all work and no play, however. We hope to take a weaving class from the masterful weavers of the village and learn how to make authentic tortillas. On our days off we will be able to spend a day at the famous market at Chichicastenango, take a boat ride on Lake Atitlan, and we'll spend a day and a half inAntiqua before we fly home.

Several of the people in our group have been making this mission trip annually for many years, but this will be my first time to Central America. I was delighted to be invited along. I will be taking lots of photos to document our project and hope to update this blog frequently while we are there.