NY/HELP January 2016 Trip Report

Group members: David Makepeace, Doug Young, Keith Lyons, Phil Schedlbauer, Judy Toner, Jeff Dorfman, Tony Turbee and Connie Frisbee Houde.

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It was my pleasure to return to The Mataderos Tribe and our clinic in La Laguna after a year and a half away. Our group of 8 consisted of veterans, except for first-timer Tony, who had no trouble adapting to the hardships of the trip and accommodations and left us all hoping he returns soon.

      Because of our loss of a coordinator last year, one of our main goals was to further train and integrate our replacement, local resident and long time friend and supporter of NY/HELP’s mission in the tribe, Joel Ramírez. Furthermore, because we had a seasoned construction crew in Phil, Keith and Doug, we had a host of projects planned and funded. Judy, as usual, had assembled quantities of educational materials for the schools and looked forward to delivering them as well as doing some painting at the clinic and the Tribal Communal Center. Our chief photographer and sewing expert, Connie, in addition to documenting the trip, hoped to rally the women to further their sewing efforts. Tony wasn’t sure what to expect but had a great attitude and a variety of skills.

      We were met at the airport by our driver, Mario, who took us to Yoro.  There we were met by our coordinator, Joel, and, after loading up on supplies in and checking in on Petronida and José Feliciano in the boarding house we used to support there, we made the trip up the mountain in two shifts. Everyone in the village was delighted to see us, as always, and we quickly settled in at the clinic and planned our activities.

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Construction Projects

      Because we had not been to Carrizal in awhile, the Tribal Council decided to send us there. We stayed in the elementary school and worked from there. Thanks to the efforts of our coordinator, Joel and Amado, the President of the Tribal Council, we had materials in place for our planned construction projects. We were able to build three homes (post and beam and tin roofs) and put stucco on the kindergarten, which was built by the last group. We bought cement for the floor, which has since been completed. The residents of this village treated us like royalty and provided all the labor we needed for the projects. Our American crew was especially impressed by the smiling “gung-ho” attitude of their Honduran counterparts.

We were very lucky to have Jeff Dorfman along to set up all the lighting and other portable technology that made our stay more comfortable than otherwise would have been the case. Judy and others not up to the 2 hour walk back to the clinic were treated to an ox cart ride. Judy, who garnered the nickname, “Reina de la Patastillo” (Squash plant Queen), was quite a sight atop the ox cart.

      Back in La Laguna the teams were very productive. In addition to putting a new roof on the La Laguna school and building 2 stoves in Mataderos, we were able to repaint the kitchen and the outside and inside of the Tribal Communal Center in Mataderos. We ran out of time for the two latrines planned and funded in El Calichal but recently learned from our coordinator, Joel, that they have been completed.

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Sewing

Connie’s energy is invaluable as she tries to organize the sewing group. I translated a meeting between her and Araceli, head of the sewers in which we made some plans including classes for young girls and trying to sew things that can be used or sold. This will involve finding more treadle machines, but Connie and I are very excited about the possibilities. Connie also took some amazing picture as usual.

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The Health Clinic

      It was great to see Mirtila again! The clinic was well stocked, as Dr. Comstock keeps a special eye out to make sure medicines are always available. As always, there was a constant flow of patients, and the grounds played host to many children who are always interested in how the “gringos” pass their time. Thanks to Keith, there were soccer balls and cleats to go around. When we returned to San Pedro we were able to fill Mirtila’s medicine wish list which Joel carried back to the village.

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Schools

      As always, Judy Toner, our staunchest education supporter, made sure the wish lists of the local teachers were filled with the myriad supplied we carried down with us from the States or bought locally. She and Tony and Connie spent an entire day making up 6 sacks for delivery to 6 villages on her list.  Camille Makepeace, who maintains a pen-pal program with a school in Las Brisas, sent down materials made by Livonia students along with letters and pictures.

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Meetings with Tribal Council

      On our last day I had a formal meeting with the Tribal Council. We discussed the following issues:

1.      I made it clear that Joel was our voice in the tribe.

2.      We discussed the setback caused by our loss of a coordinator. This led to not being able to reach some goals such as starting a Study-at-home program in Agua Blanca. This led to talk about looking for a suitable place in the lower villages to build another Centro Básico.

3.      Amado Castro, President, described a program whereby Ladinos (mixed blood people living outside the tribe), in exchange for having used land belonging to the tribe in the past, want to provide assistance to 11 villages. To receive this assistance, the tribe must first establish its boundaries. Keith Lyons is helping with that process by mapping with the help of SUNY Geneseo equipment. More to follow.

4.      We spent a lot of time solving some issues with the purchase of materials for our work projects.

5.      We spoke a lot about the scholarship program which I am trying to reorganize to provide continuity.

6.      They are looking forward to Dr. Comstock’s visit in July.

7.      Lauro Martínez has suggested that the water source he uses would work for the village of La Laguna. This idea is worth exploring but would require a major effort and expense.

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Respectfully submitted,

David Makepeace, Group Coordinator

Report from January 2016 Honduras Trip

My First Mission:

My name is Tony Turbee; I am a veteran and frequent the YMCA, in Oneida, New York.

I overheard Judy Toner talking about the work she and her NY Help colleagues have been doing and plans for an upcoming trip. I inquired about the mission and asked Judy for information regarding NY Help. Judy sent me the requested information. That night I booked passage to San Pedro Sula, on  Judy’s flight. This fit the bill…A Mission..

The journey was a radical departure from my daily routine. There was the logistics: packing, purchase of supplies/clothing to contend with, their environment, immunizations, Language, new cultural experiences and of course meeting new people.

We arrived at San Pedro Sula, a very busy airport and grouped together and exchanged currency. Then to move 18 duffel bags being stowed, in a van accompanied by 8 people. The thought of maximum axle stayed with me, as the rear end showed effects of the weight. Off we went. What amazed me about this trip from the very beginning is the logistical orchestration that unfolded among seemingly chaotic situations and the level of Calm our translator constantly displayed during what appeared to me to be a very ambiguous situations.

This group is connected. Our contacts were on point when needed. The ride into the mountains was a first. A small Toyota pickup (4 wheel drive) hauled 3 of us along with all our personal bags up a mountainous dirt/mud road that seemed to continuously ascend. The water filled ruts made me appreciate 4 wheel drive despite the thought of a chiropractor. Very bumpy in the bed of the truck.

We arrived at La Laguna’s sleeping /pharmacy/eating quarters building. This is the only building among the 12 villages that has electricity for an outside light, which is produced by a Solar Panel structure installed and donated by a French Engineering firm, as I recall being told. The dwellings were very simple, by western standards, yet suitable for our purposes. Our quarters were a small room for two, with a bed which required an air mattress for reasonable sleeping comfort. Luminosity provided by flashlight as it was very dark when the sun set. No street lights or city lights. The kitchen was simple. Cooking meals (rice and beans), sometimes pancakes was done on a stove built with local materials. The heat source was wood.

I am privileged to have befriended Ruth Garcia (Aracely) and Odina Dominguez who prepared our meals and assured our well being. They are so congenial.  This was the cultural/linguistic immersion not to be found in my area. The people were simple, polite and welcoming. The children were children. They actually played, energetically. The only visible playground was a pasture, that was a  Soccer Field when not occupied by cows, horses and goats, to graze. No resources are wasted. Everything is used until useful life is expended. We are at an altitude of 4,081 feet, miles from highway and roads. There are no stores, TV’s, power lines, radios, cell towers or any other phones, Internet, or lights. By day three it really occurred to me that I am off the grid…incommunicado.

The absence of our modern day technology was most welcoming.

We divided the work and began two tasks, in La Laguna..Remove roofing material off the school and replacing with corrugated-like metal sheets commonly used throughout the country.

The assistance of three young boys, whom I enlisted to help, accelerated that effort. Everyone likes to feel included and the offering of gummy bears that I brought, sealed the deal, so to speak. The only delay was awaiting the arrival of the truck with roofing material and supplies, purchased in the town of Yoro. Upon completion we had lunch and proceed to the next project at the Clinic building where we ate. I scraped the cinder blocks of old paint, in preparation for the new color and coat. There were 5 of us on task painting. We completed the project without totally messing up the kitchen which was confining, especially for 5 people.

.Some of the team went to El Choro to build an oven for an abode and do work on floors. The rest of us were finishing up the school.

We are headed to Carrizal for a mission that will keep the team here for a day or two. I offered to walk, as we would be taking the short cut. I was not ready for what I envision as the Honduras Death March. Being at altitude and terrain whose grades were extreme, to me, exhausted me. The others seemed OK, but then they have been here before. I garnered an even greater appreciation and respect for the kids, not the mention adults, who traverse this terrain…effortlessly. At last, I arrived at the destination  (everyone else was already there) . I was encouraged, as my Spanish gradually began to surface with the people to whom I was  just introduced. The connection was wonderful. I was making linguistic headway with the family outside their dwelling, with neighbors and family members. I admit to being caught up in the excitement of developing a rapport with the people using language.  Enough chatting, where is everybody?

This location was by far the most intensive work yet. The locals were mudding a school house wall with cement and we were hiking to one of two locations where a house was going to be framed. All the wood needed to complete the project is cut with a Machete. The tree, de-barking, poles rafters…everything. Oh yes, it has to be carried from point of acquisition to point of use.  Everything that is wood.  Inspiration as the day progressed was fueled by the fact that the family we were digging holes for support and measurement (eyeball), lived in a very small abode.  Two adults and five little children resided here. The inside of the house was humbling, to me. This is why I am here! The Mission! And as an active participant, Not observer..Empowering!  We completed the framing and then another hike, in the opposite direction up a small mountain to the next task. The hike is laborious and working in the rain did not help. But, all 7 of us persisted. Upon completing framing that house we returned to the school house which doubled as our hotel/gear storage facility.

 

Working with senior members of the community, we left the school house base and proceeded to another location that the elders determined to be a priority. More mountains to climb. My body aches from the damp, sleeping on cold floors and cool damp nights.  Blood sugar is vacillating more than the Dow Jones Industrial on a bad day. Personally, I cannot recall how many times I told myself to endure because nothing you are used to is here. Survival and endurance thoughts were on full alert. Way out of the comfort zone. Alone! Introspectively, the driving thought is this is not about me.  I gave thanks with some prayers and surprised myself with what I learned. This is what mission encompasses. Selflessness!.

The ride on an ox cart back to La Laguna was captivating. Cheno and Moreno (the lead and follow oxen respectively) kept me in awe of their power, as they effortlessly ascended the muddy road with its ditches and narrow turns. The driver was in command. There was a connection between him and is animals.

The trip presented challenges the likes of which I have not experienced in a long time, if at all. The people provided me with both hope and appreciation of what it means to have, namely, family, community,  humility, and above all appearance of  being happy. I learned that material possessions are no substitute for that which promotes longevity. Hard work and lean frames abound in the mountain compared to the city of Yoro.  Unfortunately the people are limited in their progressive education unless sponsored.

The men are farmers and grow coffee and bananas. The women are child bearers and take charge of raising children. The decisional arm of the 12 villages is centered in Mataderos, where the tribal president resides There is no infrastructure here. Mobility is by foot, low cc motorbike, horse or oxen. The primary faith is Catholic and secondary is Evangelical. Schools go up to 6^th grade. Higher requires an entirely different set of logistical and financial requirements. Medical is accomplished by the one women who serves as Consultoria. I want to note that this woman is performing an extraordinary service, for the 12 villages she serves given the extremely limited resources at her disposal. I am working on this also and will have goods to be taken on next trip.

 One young girl, Tonya, caught my attention while in Carrizal. Judy spent time teaching her and several other children UNO, a card game. Tonya was ever attentive to Judy’s effort to communicate, with her limited Spanish. Tonya’s eyes responded to instruction, body language and eye contact. And she picked up the game rather quickly. I also suspect the attention of these newcomers played a part. I watch and was impressed with Tonya and as such will be sponsoring her development, as best I can financially.

I am grateful to have the resources enabling me to participate in this effort.

 This operation is what giving is about and I plan to do more while I am able.

Thank you

Tony Turbee

Report of August NY/HELP Mission trip to Honduras

During August 2015, four people from New York State traveled to Honduras on a NY/HELP mission trip.  Arriving in Honduras on August 6^th, were experienced NY/HELPers Judy Toner (retired social studies teacher from Salamanca and Bridgeport) and Dr Gordon Comstock (family doctor from Arcade), who were joined by four-timer Daniel Beyer (a talented multi-linguist, now studying Chinese at UB) and Judy’s brother, first-time traveler Jim Carter (naturalist and retired biology teacher from Warsaw).  We were met at the airport by Mario and his “busito”, and after a side trip into San Pedro Sula to pick up more medicines, we took a 3-hour ride to Yoro.  We stopped at La Habana to pick up Jorge Ramirez (known as “Joel”), our new local coordinator, who has been helping set up this trip.  (Things have been in a bit of disarray since the sudden departure in February of our previous coordinator, Yovany Munguía.)

 

Friday August 7, we shopped for food for ourselves and school supplies and diapers for our projects.  Then piling everything into Osmún’s heavily loaded pickup truck, we headed off for the mountains.   We stopped at a wood-worker’s shop in Punta de Ocorte, where we put a $150 down payment for tables and chairs for the new kindergarten in El Chorro.  Then up the rutted logging road to La Laguna. 

Over the weekend, the unpainted portion of the clinic kitchen received a first coat of white paint, brightening up the room dramatically.   Sunday morning, we all went to the Catholic church for a service led by community members.  While all in Spanish, it was still a moving experience. 

Monday brought a visit to the La Laguna school by Jim, Judy, Dan and our coordinator Joel.  Naturalist Jim had captured some of the fascinating local insects, and gave a talk to the kids about them.  The students and NY/HELPers began planting the school garden (which is on a hillside and is laid out along contour planting lines!) 

Teachers or members of parent committees of six schools came to the clinic to pick up some of the school supplies we had for their schools.  The rest of the supplies are in four bags -- still packed from last year's cancelled trip and ready to go on the next trip in winter 2016.

Tuesday and Wednesday, Jim, Dan, and Joel went down to the communities in the lower valley (about two thousand feet lower altitude!), to investigate the status of the projects we were sponsoring there.  Joel walked both ways, but our cabarellos Jim and Dan rode horses.  They spent the night in El Chorro, sleeping on the floor at the school.  They found that the El Chorro kinder looks wonderfu1 and is fully completed.  It is a permanent cement block building and screens are even on all the windows.  The kindergarten in El Carrizal is completed except for a cement floor and door and windows.  The two are currently being used--even without furniture.  The one in Las Brisas had only a partial start and still needs finishing.

They also discovered another problem for the tribe:  in La Kiloma, another NGO (non-governmental organization, apparently from Canada) had promised to build a new school and kindergarten, but after the project ran into difficulties, they switched to another community.  However, all materials to build the school are on site and the village members plan to start building this month.  The classes have been meeting outside since the old school was torn down.  [This illustrates a general problem with mission work in developing countries:  every group wants to help, but we don’t always communicate well with each other.] 

Gordon stayed in the clinic, with great translating help from Dan when he was available, and assistance from our nurse Mirtila Garcia, who knows how to talk to this gringo – and also knows about the medical and social history of our patients.  Judy stayed in the clinic and helped Mirtila in the pharmacy while Jim and Dan were away.   We saw a moderate number of acute and infectious diseases, but like other developing countries around the world, chronic diseases such as hypertension, osteoarthritis, and even diabetes are becoming more common.  We also provided financial support so that a 2-year-old lad who had had a colostomy for bowel intussusception as a baby, could have this reversed in November.   We saw Josuë, now 6 years old, who had complications with portal vein thrombosis after his premature birth.  Last April, he had an operation to improve the side effects of varicosities and bleeding,  He is doing much better and is going to 1^st grade now. 

Thursday was devoted to meetings:  first with the Tribal Council (Consuela Directiva del Tribu), where we learned about the problems with our scholarship program for the middle and high schools.  The Centro Básico school is free, but you need uniforms, school supplies and sometimes room and board; the “Maestro en Casa” radio correspondence program also needs tuition.  Since we lost our old coordinator, we had not been able to send the second installment for the scholarships, and some students had suffered because of that.   The Council decided to set up a special bank account for the scholarship money, with 2 signatures; we will be sending money to that account.  We also learned that there are 36 students total in the Centro Básico middle school in Mataderos.   13 get scholarships there, and another 6 get scholarships for the Maistro en Casa program. (These scholarship recipients were selected by the Tribal Council from applicants from the 12 primary schools in the tribal area.)

Meetings with the La Laguna community centered on concerns about a better water system, and about improvements to the primary school.

Judy bought a number of cute dolls on horseback, and pine needle baskets, from the “Academy” of women who do sewing.  (These will be available at church meetings and bazaars this year.) 

  Our thanks to the men of the community who stayed with us at night as watchmen:  Juan, Marín, and Onán.  Joel’s 13-year-old son, also named Joel, stayed with us at the clinic during the week while going to 7^th grade in nearby Mataderos.  “Little Joel” learned some words of English and how to play Uno during his stay!

Friday, August 14, we left the clinic in a much-less-loaded pickup, and went back to Punta de Ocorte to exchange paint and drinking water bottles, then caught the “directo” bus to San Pedro Sula.  There Judy and Jim caught another bus to Copán, to see the famous Mayan ruins (and had quite a good experience there, though the bus ride was slow and bumpy).  Gordon and Dan stayed in San Pedro Sula (a city of about 1 million people) and had a chance to meet with Jimmy Alverado, our original translator and coordinator.  He invited us to visit his new English language school to speak with his students on Saturday.  We took Jimmy up on this offer, and stopped by for a couple of hours and had a great time speaking English with a small group of eager learners!

We finished the trip with a breakfast of baleadas (a Honduran tortilla specialty) and a final meeting with Joel.  Joel has been doing a lot of work in helping the communities, and we recommend to the NY/HELP steering committee that he be given a raise.  We also established a small expense account for him as well.  Joel would like to learn English – and computers – and hopes to take a university program in Yoro to get a degree in community development. 

Finally, a smooth flight to Atlanta and then on to New York state.  Home again by midnight!

Gordon F Comstock, MD

Medical Adviser, NY/HELP HONDURAS

17 August 2015