Today was our third day working at La Piedra. At the beginning of the day we split into three groups again to finish the work we had started the previous days. One group worked with the children, one group did construction and the last group walked around with Melenia, the nurse that works with Guanin, to experience the living conditions in the community of La Piedra firsthand.
The first group working with the children ended up dividing into three smaller groups. Nick and I worked with one boy, Samuel, teaching him to play the piano as he had expressed an interest in learning. We taught him how to play Jingle Bells, Mary Had a Little Lamb, and Happy Birthday. Not only did he pick up on them really quickly but was also continually enthusiastic about learning. He is an incredibly talented boy who wants to be a surgeon when he grows up. Another four of us led the class in lessons on anatomy, numbers and colors. Interestingly, there was a gradient in ability and two of the older students in the classroom really struggled with the material. So, Dushala and I took them to a different table and taught them privately. We started with the basics, such as the alphabet and eventually worked our way up to where the rest of the class was. Both students were so incredibly passionate about learning the material and having the one-on-one opportunity provided that you could literally see it through the smiles on their faces. By the end of the morning lessons, we reviewed the material and most of the students knew twenty new numbers, basic anatomy (thank you, Isabel, for head, shoulders, knees and toes!) and lots of new colors.
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The next group worked on continuing the construction on the new volunteer house. This started with sifting dirt and sand to make starting material for the cement and carrying cement from one place to another. Next, they helped prime one of the outside walls of the building for painting. And lastly, they also painted a new consultation room in the clinic that is on site. After talking to Seve, we were given the approval to name one of the buildings after UConn. Tomorrow, Rehan and Ye will be painting the UConn logo on the outside of the building to begin our legacy!
The last group traveled with the nurse approximately a mile down one of the roads. This was a great experience because we could do house visitations and give check-ups to patients who may not be able to make it to the clinic, as well as see the living conditions up close. Out of the three houses we visited, the first was by far the worst in terms of living conditions. Essentially, it was a series of three beat up sheds that could not even keep out rain. One shed had the kitchen/laundry room and the other two had beds and various living areas. There were no fans, or mosquito nets, and barely enough running water for four people, even though six lived there. Also, it was not atypical to have four kids in a single bed. This was definitely an eye opening experience because most of the things in the first house were really unexpected and unimaginable. The next two houses became progressively better in terms of space and utilities, but none of them were cleanly or really livable at all by US standards. I think the opportunity to do these home visits is definitely one of the most valuable parts of working at Guanin for these three days.
It's been amazing working with the people of La Piedra. Despite the fact they live without what we consider in the US as basic luxuries, they are always incredibly happy and optimistic. They all genuinely care about the people around them, and go out of their way to give generously whatever they have to others. It's truly inspiring to see a community of people like this and these experiences will stay with us for the rest of our lives.
- Wes and Tessa
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