Damn the Dam!

Damn the Dam! from Ya'axché Conservation Trust on Vimeo.

Check out these Punta Gorda High School students who wanted to use the power of music and dance to represent the opposition of both themselves and their communities to unsustainable hydroelectric development. This whole movie is shot on the very same river that the proposed dam was to be built upon. These young Belizeans are showing just how much the river means to the people of Toledo district and how they want to see it remain just the way it is.

Thanks to Ajax films for making this movie and to the talented TCC students who worked so hard to make it happen!

Garifuna Drumming

In early September I began to take Garifuna Drumming lessons here in Punta Gorda. In Belize one of the ethnic groups is called the Garifuna. The Garifuna people came from the Caribbean island of St. Vincent and migrated to Central America after the British invaded their island. They carried along with them their language, food, and music. Some of their music was lost. Only a couple songs remain today that have been passed down from generation to generation. Some of the songs are Chumba, Paranda, and my favorite the Punta. There are two drums the primero ,which is small and has a high sound, and the Segundo, which is large with a deep sound. A Garifuna drum is usually made of mahogany and deer skin. My teacher Mr. Ronald Mc Donald is a experienced drummer who expresses his culture through Garifuna drumming. It’s been a wonderful experience to me to be immersed in the music of the Garifuna culture.

HOPE (Helping Older People Equally)

Last week of September is celebrated as Elderly week in Belize. Hillside Clinic, in partnership with HOPE, joined in the celebration by assisting in a whole week program of health assessment, medication maintenance, health education, and pampering with manicure and pedicure (foot care). We enjoyed the socialization. I actually found my true calling….podiatry!!! I ended up doing foot care since we did not have enough volunteers for that service. You should have seen the smiley faces of our elderly patients. Some of them I hardly recognized because they were so well dressed for the event. HOPE WEEK was a great success!

HOPE patient getting special attention.

Maria doing foot care for home bound.

Student Loan Fund

Just as there is a brain drain from Belize to the U.S. and the U.K., there is the same from the Toledo District (Punta Gorda area). For that reason it is difficult to find local leadership and professionals to work at Hillside Clinic. Those that are available are in such demand that we cannot afford them. We are hoping that we can “grow our own” by offering selected young locals a loan program for studies. By selecting and mentoring gifted and dedicated young people, we hope to ensure the leadership of Hillside for the future. Jennie Ical is our first student. She is Mayan, speaks both Ketchi and Mopan, has recently received her associate degree in business at the University of Belize, and wants to pursue a nursing degree. This summer she has been our pharmacy assistant. If you know of anyone interested in investing in this program let us know. Donations go to: M & I Marshall and Ilsely Bank, 2225 North Calhoun Road, Brookfield, WI 53045.

Jennie Ical - Pharmacy Trainee

Jennie Ical and Maria at graduation at UB.

Hillside Health Care International Campus

Hillside clinic is situated about 5 miles north of Punta Gorda on the main highway. The site was donated and appears to be about an acre in size. It started out as one main building and now the area is pretty well filled with other facilities. The clinic building itself has an area where 3 patients can be seen at one time, a small storage area, a small pharmacy, and the beginnings of a small basic lab, all on the first floor. On the second floor is an administrative office, a small apartment for visiting doctors and volunteers, and another storage room. To the west of that is the “tree house” which presently houses our RN, Betty Conley on the second floor and a work area for Evert Mangar, our facilities manager, and Amelia Ramclam, our housekeeper, on the first floor. South of the tree house is the Ed Center where meetings are held, but where we hope to convert into a dental unit eventually. Our newest building is Abbey House dorm, named after Abbey Brinkman, who died in a tragic scuba diving accident a few years ago while on rotation at Hillside. The Abbey House can accommodate as many as 16 students and volunteers, with full facilities enclosed. We would like to eventually build a roof over the Abbey House to decrease the heat inside the dorm and also establish a larger meeting and gathering area.

Tree house to the right, Education Center straight ahead and Abbey House dorm to the left.
Hillside Clinic from the east with mural.
Abbey House straight ahead, Clinic to the right.

Overnight Mobile Clinic Trips

As an attempt to reach the male population of the villages that we service, we are doing overnight visits and mobile clinics to the more distant areas. One of the things that we have noticed this year is that we seldom see the men of the villages. When we arrive for mobile clinic at mid-morning they are already working in the fields and when we leave at mid-afternoon they are not back yet. So we pack everything we need to stay overnight in the Landrover, including mosquito nets, thin mattresses, food, etc, and usual clinic supplies. We set up camp at the school or community center, sometimes in the same place that we hold clinical. In the evening we hold health education classes for the men. Our first theme was “1st Aid for Farmers” and our next will be “How to Keep Your Family Healthy.” So far we have had good response and they all want us back for the next session.

Heading out for the overnight clinical.

Men's 1st Aid Class - Aguacate

Camping out in the Aguacate school.

PILGRIMAGE TO THE BLACK CHRIST ( El Cristo Negro) OF ESQUIPULAS

On April 16-18,2010, we (Betty Conley –Home Visit RN) and I were blessed to have an opportunity to go with some Parishioners of Peter Claver (our parish church in PG) for a PILGRIMAGE to the Black Christ of Esquipulas. The pilgrimage of the Black Christ is compared to Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, a bit smaller scale.

Esquipulas is a small valley, about 20,000 population. The shrine of El Cristo Negro is revered for it’s miraculous healing powers. Most famous in 1737, it cured the Bishop of Guatemala, Bishop Pardo de Figueroa of his ailments. Now, more than one million pilgrims visit El Cristo Negro de Esquipulas each year.

From Belize, we took a boat to Puerto Barrios, Guatemala (about 1 ½-2 hours ) then took a bus to Esquipulas (about 4-5 hours) from Puerto Barrios. We were blessed with calm sea and good weather.

What an amazing experience! I was so amazed to see families praying together, walking on their knees, lining up to see El Cristo Negro in the hot sun, doing their stations of the cross in the hill in the hot sun. I wished so bad that Niki and Dan was there to experience these with me. I have met people in our parish and got to know them well during our short pilgrimage. I was able to get away from busy-ness and was able to take time to pray and meditate in this beautiful valley and shrine. I wished you all could have been with me (physically),but rest assured that you were all in my prayers….