Carol in Honduras

Water dispenser

When I originally thought about what would be most helpful for the hogar, it was to be able to link already existing services here in Honduras to the hogar.   I feel like we were able to start that today.   Visiting the Ixbalanque Spanish school, we asked Amadea (one of the owners) how we could find out about brigades (medical, dental, optometric) who might be in the area.   Amadea suggested she contact us whenever she knows there is going to be a brigade in the area.   She is also going to organize a meeting for us with the mayors wife to see if we might be able to work with an “Amigos” organization (a University with an optometric program) to explore having a week long eye clinic here in Copan Ruinas.

Visiting with Doña Delsy earlier in the day, we discussed water filters for the hogar.  There are a couple of possibilities to explore re: providing a more permanent drinking water supply.   In the meantime, we will arrange with Copan Green to continue to deliver bottles of water to the hogar.

Christianne with the dental poster

Gabrielito's ear

At the hogar today Hanna and Jean-Marie (Jay) had some questions about the medications they are responsible for administering.   We reviewed the list of medications the children are on.   There were a number of scabies treatments, steroid creams and antibiotics.   It seems like skin problems here are major.   One of the children has an infection on and behind his ear that needs attention.   There was also an infected finger and a body rash that need to be monitored.   The kids bring out the tooth-brushing poster to have Christiane read to them again every time we are there so hopefully it has an actual impact on their oral hygiene.

Tomorrow is Valentines Day.   Feliz dia del amor!

Putting the cream on Brayans foot

Robert made his daily trip to the “hogar” this morning to clean and treat Brayans fungal foot infection.   It’s nearly healed.

We met with the two girls from New Zealand who will be at the hogar until July.   We discussed a couple of children they had medical questions about.   I’ll check the kids tomorrow for the medical conditions Hanna and Jay were asking about.   We also discussed the teaching opportunities available with the animal puppets and the hygiene resources that I have.

Some smiley kids from the Hogar

They are involved in the administration of any medications and vitamins at the hogar and we’ll review those instructions tomorrow at the hogar.   They are keeping up with the tooth brushing charts and on Sunday we’ll give out finger puppets as rewards for the weeks worth of tooth brushing.  I think the puppets will be a real asset to the hogar for the months that they are here.

Linda making tortilla's - almost a full time job!

It was Massimo’s birthday today and it meant a lot of cake- at the hogar in the afternoon and also at our Posada tonight.   The painting of the hogar is coming along nicely.

Massimo

Let me introduce you to Massimo.   He is an Italian gentleman who funded the construction of the “hogar” as well as purchased the land it was built on.   He is visiting for 6 weeks and is giving the entire building a new coat of paint.   It is looking green and great!   He continues to fund some of the hogars costs and last year, purchased a mototaxi whose profits are also used by the hogar.   Unfortunately, at some point after he left last time, the taxi was taken off the road .   It’s back in business now making money for the orphanage.

Uniforms

We spent some time with Dona Delsy (the owner of the hogar) this morning catching up on information about the hogar.   She showed us some of the school uniforms that Robert had donated money for and we talked about the supply of vitamins and anti-parasitics she received from Patricia Havener  (Cristo Salva).   A group called Vitamin Angels supplies thousands of children in Honduras with ongoing micronutrient supplements.   We inquired about immunization records for the children and will meet with her tomorrow to go through these records, then establish which children may need to be taken to the clinic to be updated.   Tomorrow we will also need to visit the water depot as Dona Delsy said the water didn’t arrive today and we think the funds we supplied last visit must have run out.

Hannah, Jean-Mari, Christianne

Rosa, the mother of the child with the infection we had taken to the Doctor yesterday reported that the babe was somewhat better and had no fever this morning.   Later in the day I was able to take a look at the lesions. His face looks better and I will monitor the other lesions throughout this week.  We’ll take them back to the Dr. on Monday.

In the afternoon Robert, Christiane and I visited the hogar.   Robert spent some time at a playground with some of the children while Christiane and I re-enforced some of the dental teaching from the previous day.

Hogar Angelitos Felices

Today was an exceptionally busy day.   On the way to the hogar this morning we stopped at the Centro de Salud to inquire about the way children are immunized and who might have the records.   All the immunizations are done through the Centro de Salud and since it’s public, is a free program in Honduras.   We will ask permission to bring the children a hand full at a time to the Centro de Salud starting hopefully tomorrow.  We can check on immunization status according to the schedule and fulfill any outstanding immunization requirements.

The woman who helps at our Posada has two children who stay at the hogar during the day.   Telma, our landlady told us that Rosa’s youngest son is quite ill (has leukemia we think) and that she can’t afford the treatment or the trips and hospitalization in San Pedro Sula.   In addition to the cancer, the child has an obvious skin “infection” on his face, arms, buttocks and other parts of his body.   He had seen the Doctor last week but Rosa wasn’t able to afford the medicines.   Robert and I accompanied her and the child to the Doctor where the child was examined again and diagnosed with extensive fungal and bacterial infections.   After a number of stops at different pharmacies and then at a place where they give injections, we had medicines purchased for him and injections administered.

Brushing our teeth

In the afternoon, we were back at the hogar …… this time to do an educational  (and interactive) presentation on dental hygiene.   We showed an animated video about dental germs and hygiene.   The song I made up to the tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little star” was a bit of a flop as Christiane and I did most of the singing.   We’re not sure if the kids were too shy or if they hated our song.   They LOVED Senor Dientes (the large model of a mouth and teeth with a huge toothbrush that I borrowed from the health unit at home).   After singing, the movie and some practice brushing with Senior Dientes, we went on to a real, live brushing session.     Each child was given a chart and  Hanna and Jay acted as the sticker keepers, giving one sticker out for each time a child  brushed their teeth.    Looking at the childrens teeth today, I’m more than convinced that considerable dental care is vital.   I saw some text book cases of what looks like the baby bottle mouth posters we have at the health unit back in Alberta

Señor Dientes

I just finished having a fascinating talk with Telma’s nephew.  He is working with World Vision on a 5 year project encompassing Agriculture, Health and Food provision.   He explained the program for pregnant women and children under the age of three, the agricultural projects and the health services they provide through the program.  Wow!  It was most impressive.   And- he knows where to get biosand filters.

Today Robert and I were able to chat with the “directora” of the Amigos school.   She told us the Grade One and Three classes are full but there is room in the other grades for students.   Dona Delsy identified 5 children at the “hogar: that she felt would particularly benefit by being at the Amigos school because of learning disabilities.  It’s the Pastor we really need to discuss the possibility of scholarships for the children with.  He won’t be arriving until next Monday.

Our afternoon was spent at the hogar.  One of the children at the hogar was complaining of discomfort between his toes and the bottom of his feet.  I thought it was a fungal infection so Robert took him to the pharmacy where they bought some anti-fungal cream and powder for his shoes.  We hope it does the trick.   I met the two New Zealand girls that are volunteering there for the next few months……Hanna and J.      We gave them the shoes we had brought along to distribute as the childrens needs arose. We also put them in charge of an oversized, GIANT Snakes and Ladders game.   They are interested in whatever educational projects we do there over the next few days and will be able to monitor the brushing of the kids teeth.   They were concerned some of the children may have lice.  Some of the children weren’t there today, so I will check all heads tomorrow and see about getting lice shampoo if needed.

I would like to make sure the ladies that work at the hogar are involved in whatever education we provide  as they have small children of their own and seem to be the major care givers of the children at the hogar.