We have had a long week of training. Not only are we learning about a lot of Peace Corps policies and procedures but we have been looking at our project plans within our individual sectors of health and education.
After reading through the Peace Corps Guyana Community Health project plan and visiting a local clinic on Thurday I thought I would share some of my thoughts and information to give a certain context to my project and a few of the challenges that will come our way.
Guyana's health indicators are noted as the worst in the region after Haiti (that's really bad). Basic health continues to be a major priority issue in the country. The under-five mortality rate was 7.2 %, which means that that percentage of Guyanese children died before the age of 5. The under-five mortality rate is used by the UN and most nations as a good indicator of their health systems because it encompasses health risks faced by both adults and young children as well as by infants. This extremely high rate is caused mainly by diarrhea illnesses and acute respiratory infections that are primarily caused by poor sanitation and a general lack of knowledge on proper health prevention techniques. Animals poop freely around villages, drinking water is taken from trenches and canals that run through town and if foods and vegitables are actually washed, which they rarely are, they are washed by the same untreated water.
Add a HIV/AIDS infection rate of over 2.5% of the total population and a health project seems extremely daughnting.
But theres hope one person and one community at a time. We may not be able to change the system but we can and will work within the system to make a difference.
Thank you for your continued prayers!!!
3 comments:
You will be suprised how much simply living as a good example will effect your neighbors. They won't change right away but they will gossip about you and your stange ways. We had many people ask for our water filter when we left our community.
That being said Volunteer's main complaints are skin rashes and digestive issues. Be smart about what you eat and drink.
Someone told me the best way to get out of eating or drinking something was to say you are recovering from being sick and your doctor says you shouldn't eat that for a while. It might damage your stomach. Then it's not that you don't like what they are offering but a higher third party (doctor) has told you what to do. Or maybe that only works in Panama?
Thanks for the post.
Love,
Mom and Dad
Back when we used to live in Southern Tanzania, in a little village called Tukuyu, a series of unexplainable illnesses and deaths were occuring. A little bit of investigation led to a strain of bacteria found in the water source. Thankfully my folks never drank from the tap without quadruple filtering!! The bacteria resembled something found only in cadavers... and to make a long story short... guess what they found floating in the town's main water resevoir!? Yep...
It is amazing how blessed we are in the US with all of the steps in health awareness, right down to the water supply.
I am enjoying reading all of your posts and keeping up with the Quinlivans!
Your buddy!!
Joshua.
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