Today was a really full and interesting day. We started the morning by having breakfast at Martha’s Kitchen before getting ready for the day’s activities. After breakfast, Aide and Orlando picked us up and we traveled to Bullet Tree Falls, a small village outside of San Ignacio where we would be working with members of the community.
When we arrived, we met up with Elizabeth, the community health worker who guided us through the visits that day. She has only been doing this work for about a year, but she is incredibly passionate about improving the health of the community. She had so much energy and enthusiasm for what she does, and it was clear that she truly practices what she teaches. She shared several stories about how improving her diet and staying active had positively affected both her own health and her husband’s health as well.
We spent the morning walking around the area and helping see patients. During this time we were able to take vital signs such as temperature, blood pressure, and blood glucose levels. We also focused a lot on health education. We talked with patients about dengue prevention, how long water should be boiled to make it safe to drink, what a healthy plate looks like, and how to perform self-breast examinations. I think the education part was one of the most valuable experiences for us as students. It allowed us to practice explaining health information in a simple and understandable way. As nursing students, learning how to communicate health education is really important because prevention and knowledge can make a big difference in people’s health.
The discussion about Dengue fever was especially emphasized during many of the visits. One of the biggest concerns in the community is garbage and containers that collect standing water, since mosquitoes can breed in them. Because of that, a lot of the education focused on helping people understand how clearing trash and stagnant water around their homes can reduce mosquito populations and help prevent the spread of dengue.
The patients we interacted with were very welcoming and open to talking with us. Even though we were new to the community, they were kind and willing to listen and learn, which made the experience even more meaningful. At the same time, the limited healthcare resources in the area became very clear during some of the conversations we had. One woman asked us for advice about her sister, who had surgery six years ago and still has drainage from the surgical site. She explained that her sister had returned to the doctor several times and had been told three separate times that everything was fine, even though the drainage continued. From what we have learned, that is definitely not typical after so long. While we obviously could not diagnose anything, we suggested that it might be a good idea for her sister to try to seek another medical opinion if possible. Experiences like this really highlighted how difficult it can be for some people to access consistent or specialized medical care.
After finishing our community work, we had lunch at La Sierra Dining. Later we went back to the hotel for a short break before our next activity.
At 3:00 we went to a Maya chocolate-making experience where we learned about how the Maya traditionally made chocolate. We were able to see the whole process and learn about the cultural importance of chocolate. We even got the chance to try making it ourselves, which made the experience really fun and interactive.
After the chocolate-making activity, we had some free time. We used that time to walk around the local market, do a little shopping, explore more of the area, and eat dinner with the group.
Overall, today was a great learning experience. Being able to work directly with the community and provide education helped me realize how important teaching and prevention are in healthcare. I’m excited to see what tomorrow brings and to continue learning from this experience.