Morazán Reflection

Reflection from the weekend of Dec. 10-11:

A few weekends ago, I spent a magical and moving weekend in Morazán.  My principle reasoning for going was to attend the memorial of the massacre of Mozote.  The memorial occurs every year so no one will ever forget the hundreds to thousands of civilians, who were massacred on Dec. 11, 1981. 

To give a little context regarding the Mozote massacre:

The El Mozote Massacre took place in and around the village of El Mozote, in Morazán department, El Salvador, on December 11, 1981, when Salvadoran armed forces trained by the United States military killed at least 200 and up to 1000 civilians in an anti- guerrilla campaign during the Salvadoran Civil War (taken from Wikipedia).

Now back to just a few weeks ago.  My journey up to Morazán began Friday, Dec. 9, when I accompanied Jose (a lawyer at Cristosal) and Casey (the trip coordinator at Cristosal) to San Miguel to attend a forum against dams and mines.  Once the forum came to an end Jose dropped me off at a bus stop and from there I traveled on my own, first on a bus from San Miguel to Gotera, and after in the back of a pick up truck to a gasoline station in San Luis, Morazán, where my friends were waiting for me.  The magical part began with my bus ride as I watched the sun set over the mountains that we were slowly climbing up.  Once I got to San Luis, we grabbed some pupusas for dinner and then went to bed early to the lovely (sarcastic) sounds of the campo (roosters crowing and dogs barking). 

On Saturday we woke up early to get a hike in prior to going to the Mozote memorial.  We hopped into the back of a pick up truck and were dropped off at a trailhead in Perquin, where we hiked up a very steep slope (no switch backs).  I deff worked up a sweat but it was well worth the view.  Can I just say, the mountains in El Salvador are absolutely magical.  Check out my pictures as I’ve uploaded the pics from our hike (I may have gotten a bit carried away). 

After the hike we washed up, using a bucket (no showers in el campo) and then hitched another ride in the back of a pick up truck to El Mozote.  When we first got to Mozote, there was a mass followed by a small break in which we hiked up to a water tower where you could see a panoramic view of all of the mountains that surrounded Mezote.  After this we watched the various performances (live music, traditional dance, a dramatic performance by a university group), which continued until 11pm.  Once the performances finished everybody got a candle and preceded to do a memorial walk, which was beautiful. 

After this we headed home to sleep and on Sunday we spent some time swimming in a nearby river (which was very clean and beautiful) before heading back to San Salvador, which is about a four-hour ride.

The Beauty of El Salvador

Sorry it's been a while since I've posted: the next three posts I actually wrote starting two months ago, I just haven't had a chance to get them online.

The Beauty of El Salvador:

When you think about El Salvador, what is the first thing that comes to your head?  That it is the most violent country in the world, that it is over run by gangs and drug trafficking, that it is one of the poorest countries in the world.  All of these facts have truth to them but after living here for three months, they are not the first things that come to my mind.  I think about:

1.  The fact that when I step out my front door, which is in the middle of the city, I look up and I'm surrounded by a beautiful landscape of volcanoes and blue sky.
2.  When I walk onto a crowded bus (which is almost always) and there is no seat to be found, someone who is sitting usually offers to take my heavy bag or coffee mug so I have my hands free to hold on as the bus goes barreling around corners.
3.  The beautiful beaches, including "el barre de santiago" where you can see turtles laying there eggs, crocodiles, birds of varying colors, all of which are protected in a wildlife refuge.
4.  Beautiful sunsets over the ocean, mountains, and volcanoes.
5.  Kind, patient people who teach me how to make tortillas and tamales and always offer me a place to sleep.
6.  Lively, colorful church celebrations with fireworks, pinatas, and plenty of food.
7.  Delicious food (especially pupusas, which are making me a bit gordita), fruit and veggies that you can buy for cheap on almost every corner, and fruit liquados (milkshakes).
8.  Live music and dancing.
9.  Classical music/going to the symphony for only $2
10.  Aerobic dance classes at the gym (salsa, merengue, bachata, reggaeton, hip hop, a mix of everything)
11.  Free independent international films every Friday just down the street.
12.  and much more!

Although El Salvador is not the safest place in the world, it is currently my home and I am learning to love it here.

Mana Concert

Just a quick note.  I went to the Mana Concert on Friday (there a band from Mexico) and it was very cool being amongst a crowd that new all of the words and sang along with a ton of gusto (it would not have been the same in the sates).  I've added pics from the concert to my YASC album, so you should check them out.

Traditional Celebrations in El Salvador

So over the last week, I have had some very early mornings and awesome experiences all related to traditional customs in El Salvador.

I'll start with:

#1-las fiestas patronales de San Francisco de Asis (or in english the celebration of the patron saint of San Francisco de Asis).  So basically last weekend, I took the bus to El Pital on Saturday around 1pm to be a part of the "fiestas" from the beginning which started with the election of  the queen of San Francisco de Asis.  San Fracisco de Asis is a big deal to the church in El Pital because the church is named after him.  The election started with a parade of the 5 queen delegates (between the age or 4 and 8).  Three cars were nicely decorated with balloons and streamers and then the little girls were placed on the hoods of the cars to be paraded around the town.  After the parade we started the election process.  I had the pleasure of being a judge, which meant I got to count the money put forth towards one of the girls.  My little girl was named Carolina, and guess what she won! (I can't wait to post these pictures but I took the pictures with the Rev. Irma's camera since I forgot mine so I'm still waiting to get the pics).  In between the ballots, the women from JUL shared information on violence prevention and several of the kids performed skits and dances.  After the elections and the crowning of the queen, there were fireworks and pupusus (yum).  They had fireworks that went up into the sky and also a "bull of fireworks" which was held by one of the young men and as he ran around fireworks shot off in little spirals (it was kind of crazy).  

On to the next day.  I woke up at 4:40Am, in time to leave Irma's house at 5AM to go to an early mass at El Pital and eat "shuco", a traditional soup/drink made out of corn (it's very similar to grits).  After mass I got the pleasure to help (or it might be better just to say learn because I'm not sure how much of a help I was) make tamales.  I got to be part of the process from the beginning to the end.  We started with the corn kernels, which we took to the "molido" (the mill) to turn the kernels into "masa" (which is basically ground up corn with some ground up vegetables and water).  Then we added chicken stock, butter, and oil to the batch and brought everything to a boil.  The next step is to actually form the tamales, putting a little bit of the "masa" into a banana leaf, adding a little potato and chicken, and then rolling the banana leaf up.  Then the rolled up banana leafs are put back into water to boil and then the next step is to eat the tamales.  It was such a treat to be able to learn from the great cooks of El Pital and just to get a chance to chill and talk with them about daily life.  During the cooking process there was also games and a pinata for the kids and more decorating of the church to prepare for a second mass at 2pm that the bishop was coming to.  I unfortunately had to leave before the second mass but the women sent some of the tamales home with me, so I got to try my handy work when I got home.

#2- Dia de Muertos- The second traditional activity that I got to participate in just a few days latter was to join my Spanish teacher (Lisandra) at her family home in the "Departamento Cabanas" and in the town "Guacotecti" or in short "Guaco" to celebrate the day of the dead on Nov. 2.  "Guaco" is out in el campo, so it's away from the pollution and busyness of the city and it was super nice to just be out in the country side (I was actually able to see stars).  The basic agenda of "el dia de muertos" was lunch, a walk to the river, a visit to the cemetery to lay down flowers, a trip to the park, and then back home for dinner and desert.  Through out the day we (Rachelle- a friend from CIS, and I) were also playing with the many cousins in Lisandra's family.  Our playing ranged from playing basketball, swinging, hide and seek, to musical chairs with me signing songs from Sound of Music and "Leaving on a Jet Plane".  Rachelle also brought paper and color pencils with her so I came home with some beautiful artwork to put on my walls.  Our journey ended with waking up at 4:00AM on Thursday so that we could get back to the city in time for work at 7:30AM.  I have to say taking the bus, is always a journey in it self; for instance the buses that go back and forth from San Salvador to "Guaco" sit three on one side and two on the other and they definitely pack you in tight.  I feel really lucky to have had the opportunity to experience "el dia de muertos" in El Salvador and I deff recommend checking out my pics, which i have already uploaded to my YASC album.

So I think that's it for now; I hope everyone is doing well back in the states and I hope all of you other missionaries/YASCers are healthy and happy!

Nursing in El Salvador

So far I've been pretty impressed with the organization within the nursing department of the Ministry of Health of El Salvador and within the community health centers here.  Regarding the nursing department, everything is very regimented as they have guidelines for everything; for instance right now I am reading "Guías Clínicas de atención a la mujer en los periodos preconcepcional, embarazo, parto, puerperio, y al recién nacido" and "protocolos de atencíon de enfermería para el primer y segundo nivel de atención de salud" ("Clinical Guidelines of care for women in the preconception period, pregnancy, childbirth,postpartum and newborn care" and "nursing care protocol for the first and second levels of health care").  So far in my clinical practice, which has been in the vacine department to start, all the nurses I work with seem to follow these guidelines to a "T", which  means I've been getting a lot of feedback as there are some differences between how they do things here and how we do them in the states, for instance the site of injection.  I am slowly learning the Salvadoran way of doing things.

During my first week in the clinic, I have also been overwhelmed by the amount of paperwork that is completed by each medical professional; absolutely everything is documented and in about five different places.  Everything is also very regimented, for instance the kids can't get their vaccines before receiving their well child check, so every child that comes in to get a vaccine also ends up getting a medical check up; which is very important in a country where many kids are underweight or infected with parasites.

Along with the guidelines for everything, the nursing department has a committee for everything; making sure that there is continuous evidence based research being completed throughout the clinics, community health centers, and hospitals in El Salvador.

In general the nursing department at the Ministry of Health has taken me under their wing and set up an amazing orientation for me and all in the name of cross cultural exchange as they are not being paid for any of the help that they are giving me.  To give a quick overview of my orientation, the first week I had the pleasure of reviewing the various guidelines and meeting with various committee members to hear about the research they are completing.  Two weeks ago I started in "La Unidad de Salud Barrios", a community health center, where I will be rotating between immunizations, child and women's health, adolescent health, family planning, TB & HIV programs, and various other programs.  Starting at the beginning of December, I will start rotating between different ECOS teams, ending with the family health ECOS team that is working in El Pital, which is where I will be based permanently when I finish my orientation.  I have to say, I have been highly impressed with how organized my orientation has been.

Now just to say a bit about a different system that is not so organized, immigration.  Unfortunately, instead of spending the beginning of last week participating in the health care of women and children, I spent the first three days of the week in the department for foreigners in immigration presenting my paperwork for my temporary residency.  So, basically the way it works is that there is a list of required documents that you need in order to apply for residency, which in reviewing this list last Monday, I supposedly had everything I needed but it seems that new requirements are made every day depending on who is processing your paperwork.  So, basically you wait for 3-4 hours just to be seen and then you are told that you need something else and then you go back the next day and the same things happens; can you tell I'm a little bitter (oh well, I guess that's just they way it is and I'm working on becoming more patient daily).  Well that's enough of me complaining; coming soon I will post about my amazing weekend in El Pital this past weekend for the celebrations of the patron saint San Francisco de Asis.

El Salvador- in a state of emergency due to rain

May through November is usually the rainy season in El Salvador, but the last four days have put a new meaning to "the rainy season":


(Information and links bellow taken from Tim's El Salvador Blog)


The country is under a state of emergency.   In a press conference Saturday night, president Funes called for all elements of Salvadoran society to pull together.   As of tonight some 13 thousand Salvadorans have been forced to flee their homes, and the death toll has risen to 10.

Emergency efforts to distribute food are underway for families forced from their homes.  Donations are being received from many sources, and the Salvadoran armed forces are participating in distribution of emergency aid.


The current weather map at this link shows the weather systems which have been affecting El Salvador and also includes weather forecasts for the coming days. 


As of now, the city of San Salvador (which is where I live) has been spared from flooding, so I am fine and safe, but just a few miles away people are being displaced from there homes.  In this time of need, I ask that you keep the people of El Salvador in your prayers.

A Busy first two weeks

So, let's see, what has happened since my last post.

I've been to the Ministry of Health several times to start coordinating my first few months of clinical work here in El Salvador.  As of now it looks like I will be splitting my time volunteering with different ECOS familiares teams throughout the country.  ECOS is a new community health program in El Salvador in which teams made up of a doctor, two different types of nurses, and a community health worker go out to specific communities lacking in resources to provide primary/preventive health services.  I also hope to spend some of my time with the "Programa de Salud Integral" which is the health care program provided by the Anglican church to most of the communities that they serve in.  After my first three months, the hope is that I will start to spend most of my time in a clinic in "La Primera Via Anglicana" in El Pital (one of the Anglican communities, which does not receive health services from the"Programa de Salud Integral" and is in need of re-structuring).  Look back in my pasts posts to learn more about El Pital.

I have also increased my knowledge of the health care system here in El Salvador through political/cultural language lessons, meetings at the Ministry of Health, a visit to Hospital Rosales (the main public adult hospital), and a visit to Hospital Benjamin Bloom (the main public children's hospital). I've met with several different groups of nurses to learn about the role of a nurse in El Salvador (turns out the top dog nurses do have some prescribing rights but only when it come to preventative medicine- such as contraception; they even put in IUD's).  I also met with a group of nurses (Comite de Enfermería Comunitaria) working to establish a nursing health care model based on Dorothea Orem's self care theory (and I thought nursing theory was just something you learned in grad school- turns out the nurse's in El Salvador are putting it into practice).  When we went to Hospital Rosales we met with some nurses in a Union and some of the facts that they shared with us were very shocking; for instance there is about one nurse for every 33 patients, during an eight hour shift a nurse is not allowed to eat or leave to go to the bathroom and if they do they are punished.  I have to say, I would never be able to work in these type of conditions and I feel lucky to work in a country where I have the right to eat and go to the bathroom while at work.  I could probably right another two pages just about the health care system here in El Salvador but that might get boring (the basics are that public hospitals and clinics are over crowded, people have to wait for days on end to get care, and there is a lack of medicine but the new government is trying to work towards positive change).

I've traveled a fair amount.  I've been to the beach both Saturdays and I am slowly learning how to surf.  Last weekend I also went to El Pital with Casey (a Cristosal employee).  We met up with Irma (the priest that works in El Pital) and then made our way to the community house that was re-modeled by  JUL (look back in my past posts to learn more about this group- but in short they are a young women's group working against violence and towards positive change in El Pital) to watch a talent show.  The talent show was great and it was really nice getting a chance to see some of the members of the community again; the last time I was in El Pital was a month ago with the YLA.  It was kind of funny, when they introduced me, they said Reverenda Erika (apparently they were confusing me with Kit, the priest that also accompanied the YLA group one month ago).  Saturday night we stayed at Irma's house and then Sunday we went to two church services, one at San Mateo and the other at El Pital.  Then we took the bus back to El Salvador; I had some delicious Taiwanese food for dinner (who would have guessed) and stopped by a birthday party with a group of gringos and Salvadorans that are quickly starting to become one of my circle of friends here.

Over these last two weeks, I have also been taking spanish classes in the morning at CIS (http://www.cis-elsalvador.org/), which has been a really great opportunity to improve my Spanish, get to know more about the cultural and political situation in El Salvador, and get to know some new people.   I would suggest checking out there website, they're a pretty cool organization.  One subject that we talked about a lot this week was the presence of gangs in El Salvador, which is just supper complicated and the problem is every where.  At this point I'm not really sure how to explain my perception of the gang situation but I do want to share some movie titles if anyone if interested in learning more about this subject: "La Vida Loca", "La Mara", "Los Hijos de la Guerra", "Sin Nombre" (I think these are all in Spanish but probably have English subtitles).  I would also recommend watching "Voces Inocentes", which takes place during the civil war.

Speaking of websites, you should also check out Cristosal's website (http://cristosal.org/), since they're a pretty sweet organization as well and I'm technically a volunteer under  the Anglican church and Cristosal.

Hmmm, I think that's all I have to say for now.  Oh, last thing, I've been adding pictures to my picasa account, so you should follow the link and check them out.