June 1st, 2019

¡Hola!

       Our final day in Guatemala has finally come. We started our day with a 5:45 breakfast before heading to Pacaya, the volcano we were going to hike. The hike to the top took us around 2 hours, and the view was definitely worth it! Once at the top we roasted marshmallows on a geothermal hotspot and then stopped for lunch at another great lookout point. It was an amazing view and we were really lucky that the clouds cleared so we could see everything below. Then we started our trek down which only took about an hour. After the volcano hike we headed to Rolando’s (our host) cafe, called Spokes where we all enjoyed some much needed coffee after our early morning wake up! 

       We’re all looking forward to seeing our friends and family tomorrow and sharing all of our wonderful stories and photos! We talked a lot tonight about how this service learning experience impacted us and how it relates to our lives at home, as well as our future careers. We have truly learned so much and grown so much, as therapists and people, so please ask us about our experience! Thank you for following along and supporting our journey. We can't wait to see you all so soon!

Adiós,

Cara & Jane

May 31st, 2019

 Hola amigos y familias!

       Canillá Group: Today was our last day at Las Maripositas clinic in Canillá and it was hard saying our good-bye's to Daryl's amazing team and the staff we built relationships with over the week.  Most of us students got to go on home visits and it was very interesting comparing therapy practices in a home setting to therapy in a clinical setting.  We also finished up care plans to leave for Jose, so he could continue making progress in therapy with the clients.  Overall, we were really impressed by the team work demonstrated between the therapists and how they drew on each other's strengths to best meet the needs of the clients.  We had a safe (but bumpy) ride back to Antigua and are excited to share experiences with the rest of the Xavier group!

       Antigua Group: We made it! Today was our last day at Naomi's Home and we experienced some really tough goodbyes. Even though we were only there for two days, the children left an unforgettable impact on us. We were able to work with the girls at the home and create care plans for their caregivers to implement into their daily lives. Hopefully we left as much of an impact on the girls as they left on us. Afterwards, we got to experience a beautiful view, delicious nachos, and thirst quenching smoothies at a mountain-top restaurant in Antigua. At the end of the day, we met back up with the Canillá group. We were able to reflect on both of our experiences from the past three days and share some meaningful stories and lifelong memories. We are all looking forward to an exciting last day tomorrow. Stay tuned!

-Abby L., Olivia K., and Aminah B.

May 30, 2019

Hola!

     The Antigua group spent the day at Naomi's house in Santa Luca. Naomi's house is an organization that cares for 9 girls with a ride range of disabilities, from things like Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy and other ailments. They have live in in nannies that care for the girls 24/7. The girls have access to education and therapists, one of whom is Lisa, the OT and wife of our host Rolando. It was so fun to learn from her! We were able to conduct sessions with all the girls today, and will be heading back tomorrow to get to work with them again. This trip has really pushed us to be creative therapists and students and to think about the impact of culture upon society, disability, and therapy. We had so much fun working with these amazing, bright, happy girls. They brought a huge ray of sunshine to an otherwise cloudy, rainy day in Antigua! 

     Following the day at Naomi's, we spent some time at Rolando's cafe, Spokes. We had heard so much about the amazing philosophy behind this place and we were so happy to spend time there and drink his coffee! We had some time to reflect on the day and work on our Care Plans for the children. After that we had dinner at San Martín, in Santa Luca. 

    Meanwhile, the Canillá group has been kept pretty busy today at the clinic, with patients arriving at 8:30 and continuing throughout the day. In case this was not explained yesterday, we are staying at a clinic in the town of Canillá, which is approximately 4 hours from Antigua. The clinic has a single therapist to care for the entire town and surrounding villages, so the main goal for these few days is to help train him while evaulating new patients and making adjustments to the therapy being done. The appointments from today were similar to the ones yesterday, with many of the same patients returning. We were able to see such a large range of ages, abilities, and injuries and have learned so much from working with the different therapists. It is awesome to know that the care plans that we are leaving will continue to be carried out by the current therapist, as well as with the caregivers and individuals who received a copy. 

       Some of us were also able to go on home visits today, which involved making adjustments to adaptive equipment and providing treatment to individuals who were unable to leave their homes. It is incredible to see the difference in medical care between the United States and in Guatemala, such a errors in simple surgeries that lead to further complications or common illnesses that progress to dangerous conditions. Many patients have come to the clinic searching for diagnoses or help beyond the typical scope of practice for an occupational therapist in the States, but because the therapists we are with have a higher education, they are looked at for recommendations on any kind of medical need. We got to finish the day by seeing Mayan ruins close to the clinic! We drive back to Antigua after seeing patients all tomorrow morning, and we are looking forward to rejoining with the rest of the group!

       As a group, we have begun to do a lot of thinking of what this trip means for us and how it will change the way we think about occupational therapy. It is so hard to believe we only have 2 more full days here! Hope all is well at home. 

Hasta manana,

Molly y Laney 

May 29, 2019

Hey family and friends!

     Today, the team from Daryl's Home left for Canilla. They arrived safely and will be spending the next 3 days working in a clinic serving rural Guatemalans. Because of the teams location, they will be likely be entirely off the grid for the next couple of days, so they'll get you an update this weekend.

     Today, the DIGNA team picked up where we left off yesterday, giving vocational interviews and skills training to 7 more individuals in the morning. We compiled strengths and recommendations for all of our clients and handed those off to Amanda, the founder of DIGNA. In the afternoon, we outlined training modules including topics like community mobility, mock interview preparations and increasing adaptations for the DIGNA staff to be able to further serve their community. It was impactful to leave behind the recommendations for DIGNA as a whole, as well as each of the champions we were lucky enough to spend time with and get to know.

     
We closed our day by spending some time in Antigua's central park. It was rainy and cloudy but as beautiful as ever! Tomorrow, our team will be heading to Naomi's home. We are so looking forward to serving the children of her home!

The Antigua Team (Laney, Elizabeth, Aminah, Olivia, and Ellie)

May 28, 2019

Hola amigos y familía!

      Today is day 10 for the students in Guatemala, and day 4 for the therapists! Again, we were split into two service sites today.

      The Missionaries Group from yesterday spent the day at Digna, a nonprofit that focuses on teaching vocational skills to individuals with disabilities in the hopes that they may find work here. Due to the heavy stigma of disability in Guatemala, it is hard for even those with a slight intellectual, hearing or visual impairment to obtain employment. We spent time with 14 clients today, asking them about their dream jobs, what skills they need to get there and conducting simulation activities to help prepare them for the skills necessary to do the job. We found that the individuals we worked with are so attentive, hard working and have all the skills necessary to work. If they lived in the United States, they would likely be employed. We felt so much dissonance at this, because there isn't a lot we can do to help them get a job when it is societal stigma that is stopping them from working. We definitely saw a lot of occupational injustice in this. However, Digna is taking great strides to counteract this! They offer cooking classes and engage many of their individuals in training for cleaning, carpentry and other manual vocations. This same group will be heading back there tomorrow.
      Therapists Amy and Todd returned with a group of students to Daryl's and his daughter's homes to provide more therapy recommendations.  Todd, a jack of all trades, fabricated splints in a pan of hot water, while staff made tortillas for lunch on the stove next to him.  Amy worked closely with the head nanny, who has created an incredible sensory integration room in the home!  The students were able to rearrange their groups in order to experience how PTs and OTs collaborate to provide a comprehensive care plan for each child.  Tomorrow, this team will travel to Canilla to work at a local clinic then.
During some rare down-time, several members of the group got to watch a neighborhood soccer game and enjoy ice cream from a local shop.


-Laney and Amy

May 27, 2019

Hola amigos y familia!

Today was our first day at Daryl's, a home for children with developmental disabilities. We learned that the children are placed here by the government and Daryl and his family are trying to provide them with a family and a home not just services and a house. Daryl's daughter also has a home across the street with children that we got to visit. We worked with the therapists to provide OT and PT to the children at each home and teach the caregivers at each house how to best work with the children. This included learning transfers, positioning, and feeding/eating techniques. We also got creative by using foam from another toy to make an adaptive fork. We are excited to see what challenges and fun are to come this week!

The other group of therapists and students traveled to Missionaries to work with children living in their residential home. We worked with 14 individuals, addressing challenges such as feeding, self-regulation, tooth brushing, balance and coordination, executive functioning, fine motor skills and more! We educated caregivers on individual care plans to carry over the skills and recommendations we provided. The therapists and students worked together to come up with ideas and activities to best address the caregiver concerns! We left each individual with donations along with their care plans to support their needs. We are looking forward to visiting a new site tomorrow and enjoyed our time today with the children and caregivers at Missionaries. We are grateful for our in country hosts helping us interpret and translate throughout this trip. Talk soon!

-Gaby, Alli, and Steffany

May 26th, 2019 - Therapists

Buenos Noches!

Today has been a busy day exploring the city of Antigua and preparing for the week ahead! One of our service sites, Digna, provided us with a walking tour around the city this morning. We enjoyed getting to meet some of the clients (aka Champions) and staff. We were able to visit The Hill of the Cross and local cafes in town as well. Lastly, we visited a Macadamia Nut Farm where we learned about how they process and cultivate the nuts. After a day of experiencing the town of Antigua, we began sorting through all of the donations and prepared them for the sites. We are so grateful and happily overwhelmed by the amount and variety of donations we received! Once the students arrived to the hotel, we gathered for a meal and prepared for the days to come. We are very excited to see what tomorrow brings. Talk soon!

-Alli and Steffany

May 26, 2019

Hola!

Today we visited a famous church which combines the Mayan and Christian religions. We were surprised to hear the names of 52 children being baptized today as well as additional intentions for loved ones in the United States and we wondered the meaning behind this. Following mass, we explored the market at Chichicastenango where we got to practice our bargaining skills. The market was big and full of many cultural souvenirs including weaving, jewelry, and food. After the market we were sad to say goodbye to Dolores, one of our tour guides. Then, for lunch, we had Tortillas, which never get old and we were excited to have guacamole and steak! Next, we went to Iximche which means corn tree and is a Mayan archeological site. Here, Fidel told us about the Mayan creation story which included attempts at creating humans from multiple materials including animals, mud, wood, and concluded in creating humans from corn. He also mentioned the energies present at this site. After talking to Fidel we had the opportunity to explore Iximche more. Then, we said goodbye to Fidel and headed to Antigua to meet the therapists for dinner. We are excited to see our sites and begin working with the therapists and clients tomorrow!

Gaby y Amanda

Therapists Arrived in Guatemala!

Hola! The therapists arrived safely in Guatemala yesterday afternoon. Upon loading up our van, Joan noticed a back flat tire. Luckily, Todd and Gerson saved the day and changed the tire in the airport parking garage. What a start to the trip! The therapists went to buy groceries for the week and traveled to Antigua (with lots of traffic and entertainment on the side of the road) to settle into our hotel. We had a lovely dinner at Epicure in the evening. We are looking forward to exploring the city of Antigua today and will meet the students tonight at the hotel. We are excited about what the week will bring and learning more about each site we will be servicing! Check out our pictures of the tire change and the beautiful restaurant we ate at last night.  Talk soon!

-Alli and Steffany

May 25, 2019

Day Seven Update:

This morning was our last in Quetzaltenango. We said goodbye to our sweet host families and loaded the buses. We drove about an hour and a half to Santa Lucia Utatlan, where we were able to experience and participate in a Mayan ceremony. The ceremony was to honor our ancestors and establish a sense of balance with renewed energy for the week ahead working with the OTs. The ceremony was led by a man and a woman who welcomed us into their home. The man helped us honor our ancestors by placing a candle in the fire while saying each of our last names. We each gave thanks for our own natural resources that we appreciated such as lakes, rivers, canyons, or mountains. Then, we each placed a piece of special wood in the fire. Finally, we were able to receive energy from the warm fire by holding our hands out to it.

The ceremony was very interesting for us to experience that part of Mayan culture. One interesting point that we took away from it was the mention of the Mayan calendar and the significance of the year 2012. We had been told that the world was going to end, remember? Actually, we were told that one cycle was simply ending while another began. The cycle that was ending was the one of fear, he said, and the one beginning was the one of life. We were very glad to learn that; not only is it a better way to think of things, but it is actually accurate and taken from a proper source rather than hearing a rumor.

Then, we drove another hour to the Widow's Cooperative in the indigenous community of Chontalá. We ate lunch there and listened to the history of the Methodist Project. Pastor Diego Chicoj Ramos shared his story of how his village was controlled by the army and Civil Defense Patrol. Social gatherings were illegal in the community, so Diego went to receive permission for people to gather and worship. Without a church to worship in (their church had been bombed in the war), people collected pieces of tin to form a shelter that eventually became a new church. People of the  community were still struggling and many mothers were widowed. To provide these mothers with a way to provide for their families, they were given thread to weave and sell their work in the market, hence forming the weaving cooperative that still exists today. We greatly enjoyed hearing about the cooperative and had the chance to buy items that the women we met wove themselves.

Now, we are in our hotel in Chichicastenango for the night and we will head to Antigua tomorrow. On Monday we begin our work there with the therapists!



Hasta mañana,

Abby and Gina

May 24, 2019

Day Six Update

Hola familia y amigos;

       We started our day listening to a talk from a local Spanish teacher about health care systems in Guatemala. We learned about the major differences between private and public hospitals here. For example, 80% of those living in Guatemala use the public hospitals because entry there is free. On the other hand, only 9% visit private hospitals. These people include government officials, doctors and other individuals who are able to afford the often extensive costs of health care services. It was interesting to note how the lack of nutritional education has influenced the common illnesses seen in Xela, such as diabetes and hypertension. 

      We were able to put a visual representation to these facts when we visited both a private and a public hospital. We first visited a private hospital called Las Rosas. Although this was a small hospital, each of the 3-4 patients had their own room and a significant amount of care from the 8 specified doctors on staff. Next, we traveled to a public hospital called Regional de Occidente. Before even entering the hospital, it was obvious that there were an enormous amount of people seeking help. The rooms were very crowded, with at least 6 people per room; there was a lack of security in the hospital; and patients had to purchase their own medical supplies. Although there was a significant lack of resources here, it was obvious that the hospital staff was doing their best to provide the best care with what they had. Despite the conditions, the friendly spirits of the Guatemalan culture were seen as the patients smiled and said hello to our group as we passed. 

      We returned to the local school to listen to a man speak about his electric accident which resulted in the amputation of both of his arms, elbow down. He showed us different adaptations he has come up with to strengthen his upper body as well as teaching us to remain positive no matter the barriers we face. 

      We ended the day learning how to salsa dance and walked to get ice cream with the entire group. We’re sad to have to say goodbye to our host families tomorrow morning, but we’re excited to see what our travels hold in Chichicastenango. 

Caroline and Jane

May 23, 2019

Day Five Update

Hola familía y amigos!

     Today was day 5 of our trip, but day 4 in Xela. We traveled to Santa Anita to learn about organic coffee production. We took a two hour hike through the coffee fields, down a very, very steep mountain to some beautiful waterfalls, and back up the very steep mountain. The views were absolutely AMAZING and we can't wait to share them with you! Following the hike, we had lunch at the farm and learned about the history of Santa Anita. Like we've been hearing from most other testimonials, their history has been influenced and shaped majorly by the Guatemalan Civil War. The Santa Anita farming cooperative has existed for 21 years! It took a lot of hard work to cultivate the land, learn about organic coffee production, develop water, electric and sewer systems and create a school and childcare center. We were also able to visit their museum, learning about the tragic experiences of different people faced during the Civil War.

    Following the museum, we drove back to Xela for our reflection. One topic of reflection was things that we've seen here that we often take for granted in the United States. One thing that was mentioned was that the Santa Anita community has only been able to access drinkable, purified water since 2010. It made us realize how grateful we are to be able to access drinking water at almost any instant and also how much water we waste, without thinking twice about it. Secondly, we talked about the societal importance of education. Due to the circumstances surrounding the Guatemalan Civil War, Jose, our farm guide, only completed a third grade education. An education isn't something that has been historically important in Guatemala, as so many individuals have been fighting just to survive. For example, the community needing to focus on getting clean water and growing the coffee beans. In the United States, a higher education and a future life plan is something that is simply expected of each other. Today, and this week, has really helped us put into perspective how fortunate we are and just how much we take for granted. We are incredibly grateful for this opportunity to continue to  immerse ourselves in this culture.

Tomorrow is our last fully day with our host families. This week is flying by! Hope all is well at home.

Aminah y Laney

May 22, 2019

Day Four Update:

Hola familia y amigos!
       Day 3 in Xela! To start the day, we went to another school for student with disabilities. After a tour of the school, we were able to spend time working with the students in the classrooms and then sang songs in the courtyard with all of the students. It was so moving to sing songs with the kids and see how something so little as singing children’s songs can go such a long way. All of the kids were smiling and dancing with us and loved every moment.
      After the school, we went to Santo Hermano Pedro, which is a home for children and adults with disabilities. We were amazed at how beautiful and big the home was. Students and professors from the University of Rafael Landivar were perfoming physical and occupational therapy with some of the children, and were so kind to teach us and allow us to learn from them. The surroundings of the home are beautiful, with so many trees and spaces to pray and be outside. The founders wanted to create a peaceful space for the sick, and we were able to feel so much peace from our short time there.
       We were also able to learn so much from the directors of therapy at Rafeal Landivar, which has a program that combines physical and occupational therapy, and it is also a Jesuit University. We ate lunch at the university and were given a tour. We were able to share our Jesuit values and find similarities between our universities and ourselves.
      We finished the day by the groups switching afternoon activities, with one group going to the Temaskal for the hot sauna and the other group learning to weave at the Trama Cooperative. We are just constantly overcome by how welcoming the people of Guatemala have been to us. For example, we learned about the importance of the temaskal in Mayan culture, and they even let us experience such a meaningful ritual. It is absolutely incredible to be so welcomed into the daily lives of these people and so humbling.
       So far, we’ve come to realize that it’s one thing to learn about the culture of another country by reading books or watching documentaries, but it’s a completely transformative experience to be living in another culture. We are so grateful to have this experience and meet these amazing people who have such rich traditions and culture.

Signing off for now!
Olivia and Molly

May 21, 2019

Day Three Update:

Hola familia y amigos!

Today was a culture-filled day here in Guatemala. This morning we visited Fundabiem, which provides multiple types of therapy to children and adults with disabilities. We toured the school and were able to observe a PT and OT sessions and see the sensory room, which is quite similar to what is found in the U.S. After our tour were were able to experience a Guatemalan market and try to find food, clothing, health services and educational necessities spending only 50 quetzals (about $6.50) per topic. This was quite a humbling experience and opened our eyes to how little resources Guatemalans have to provide for their families. This exercise showed us that it is not just possible for a family to live comfortably when their basic needs are unable to be met with the resources available to them.

Later in the day, half of the group went to a weaving cooperative to learn how to weave from Mayan women. They were impressed by the women's dedication to weaving and love of teaching others to continue the tradition. The other half of the group went to a traditional Mayan Temaskal, which is a sauna used for healing and relaxation. While each of these two experiences were different, we were all able to find a deeper appreciation and understanding of Guatemalan culture.

We concluded our day with a reflection on the past two days and what has stood out to us the most. The group noted the immense friendliness of the people of Guatemala, everyone is quick to say hello and our host families are taking great care of us! We also reflected on Willy's talk (yesterday) regarding Guatemalan migration to the United States and the impact it has on each country. We are coming to a deeper understanding of a perpetual cycle leading to "forced migration", as Willy shared.

We are learning so much and enjoying our time here so far! We hope all is well at home.

Ellie y Nora

May 20, 2019

Day Two Update:

Hola amigos y familia!
Today we had a pretty long day, beginning with breakfast in a restaurant in Antigua. We then loaded up into two vans and embarked on a journey to Quetzaltenango (or Xela, for short). We were moving at a steady pace until we ran into a protest that was beginning and blocking the street. So, we got to take the scenic route to Xela, taking us about four hours! Once we arrived in Xela, we had lunch at Cafe RED and heard a presentation from Willy Barreno, who migrated to the United States to work, and has now returned to Guatemala. He focuses his time on re-integrating migrants who have been deported back to Guatemala, as well as educating kids in practical life skills, such as cooking or carpentry. We then met our host families and followed them back to their homes, where we will be staying all week! Tomorrow we have a busy day, with going to the market in the morning and then half the group will spend the afternoon at a weaving cooperative while the other half will be at a medical sauna. Hope all is well at home!!

Cara and Elizabeth

First Day! May 19, 2019

Hey friends and family!

Today was a long day for us. We all had very early flights. Thankfully, we ended up on the same flight from Atlanta to Guatemala, which made our lives so much easier! We landed around 12pm Guatemalan time. We drove from the capital y to Antigua, where we got situated in a very beautiful hotel. We learned about our hosts and about the incredible history of Guatemala. Afterwards, we had dinner at a local restaurant with some of our telecollaboration partners from Rafael Landívar. Tomorrow, we will be heading to Xela to learn more about the culture and meet our host families.


Laney and Caroline