Making Progress in Loma Linda

Our first community visit went very well, but alas, it is not for us.  Maddie and I spent the majority of the day on Tuesday finding the right buses to Loma Linda, and after only 5 hours we arrived!  Don´t worry, somehow it only took us 2.5 hours to get home...

Loma Linda is an incredible little community that was only founded in 1976 by a Spanish priest.  All inhabitants abide by a number of rules that keep the town running smoothly and peacefully.  Most of the rules can be found in the Ten Commandments, but additionally, there is no alcohol, no gossip, and all members must be Catholic.  Break the rules and you´re out.

Judge all you want, but Loma Linda is so safe that you could drop your wallet in the street and find it in the same place the next day (if it wasn´t already returned to you personally).

Also, I wish all of Guatemala would mimic their efforts in the community development realm.  They harvest coffee plants and use the pulp to compost new plants.  They just built their first modest hotel, with the help of a loan from FUNDAP, a Guatemalan NGO.  In the future, Loma Linda has grand plans of becoming a self-sustaining community.

A one-year-old coffee plant that was fed only composted coffee pulp!

We spent our measly two days soaking up all the information we could from Loma Linda´s community development organization, ASODILL.  Pascual and his wife Rosa (coordinator and director, respectively) were incredibly hospitable and willing to answer all of our never-ending questions.  He even introduced us to a couple engineers from FUNDAP who regularly assess the projects in Loma Linda.  Yes, we will be meeting with them again in Xela later this month, and hope to work with them wherever we may be in the coming year.

Maddie saying bye to Loma Linda

So, we haven´t found our new home yet, but knowledge is progress.

Onward!

Dana

Contacts, Contacts, Everywhere!

So much to report, but first, a drum roll please....

Our groceries cost US$8.30!  Congrats to the 42% of you who guessed correctly.

Now if you think that´s exciting news, hear this!  We spent last week meeting with various organizations...

Primeros Pasos
A wildly successful clinic operating in the Palajunoj valley (a 15 minute bus ride outside Xela).  More than 15,000 people live here, but somehow there is only one government-appointed doctor and nurse.  Primeros Pasos staffes a physician, dentist, lab director, and dental assistant, and sees about 8,000 patients per year.  They run health education, women´s education, and children´s programs, all of which are well-attended and/or received.  I´m hoping to take a page out of their book of successes, so we´ll be visiting the clinic at the end of this week!

EntreMundos
A non-governmental organization that specializes in supporting other NGOs.  They link active Guatemalan-run organizations with resources and volutneers.  Don´t know exactly what you´re interested in?  EntreMundos can find the volunteer org. that´s right for you!  So far, they list over 160 orgs. on their database ranging in fields from development, health, and human rights to women´s empowerment, the environment, and indigenous rights.  Their database has been invaluable to us-- it´s like being handed the answers to your questions on a silver platter, without the middle man.

Somos Hermanos
A student immersion program for pre-med students.  After two months of homestays, immersion, and Spanish lessons, each student chooses an internship site to work at for the remaining 4 months of their stay in Xela.  Perhaps Manna could take some interns off their hands?  (a thank you must go out to the one and only, Will Hamlin)

Pop Wuj
A socially-minded Spanish school focused on community development!  Maddie and I are going with the school´s directors on a stove building project next weekend to introduce ourselves to the communities they work in.  Cross your fingers!


So, those are some of the very exciting connections we have made so far!  While last week was filled with meetings, this week will be filled with community visits!  Tomorrow we leave for Lomo Linda.  We´ve heard great things about the community from several sources, and have a meeting with the community leader in the afternoon.  We´ll report back soon.

Other various tidbits include my inability to stop salsa dancing, the hosting of our successful dinner party on Saturday, our travels to Los Fuentes Georginas, my first Spanish lesson today, and the fact that I´ve been on the internet for 4 hours.

Think sulfur hot tub...

A couple women digging for some nutrient rich clay.

More soon,
Dana