On Thursday morning I had my nutritional class for moms and kids in El Swampo. Both Lynn (Valerie’s intern) and I thought it would be great if we could outreach to their community in a more effective way if we have it in their community instead of making them meet us in a different location. The community’s response to my workshop was great! A total of 25 moms and kids signed in for the workshop, but we had many spectators along the sides of the concrete that were curious at what I exactly I was presenting. I had more fun with this the second time around. I though nutrition was very important, specifically to those infected with HIV/AIDS, because they must have strong bodies in order to more effectively combat illnesses, since HIV/AIDS weakens their immune system making them more susceptible to diseases and more likely to be sick longer than someone not infected with HIV/AIDS. Everyone enjoyed the workshop, asked questions, shared descriptions of their typical daily meals, and afterwards enjoyed some “Christmas” I made for them. “Christmas” was a type of desert the islanders ate that consisted of mixed fruit with condensed milk drizzled over it. It was delicious.
I had just found out an hour before my workshop that today a mom died of AIDS in the public hospital. I had met the mother’s children at Valerie’s clinic earlier that week because they liked to come over and play and learn how to write with Lynn. It got really personal when no one knew what would happen to these children because their other family members refused to take them in. One aunt even told the mother while she was in the hospital that she would take responsibility for her kids after she died. I am unsure if it was a decision strictly out of lack of resources or space. I couldn’t believe that these kids were going to be abandoned and forgotten because of an unfortunate tragedy. I became more aware of the lack of supporting husbands. Not only in this situation, but I have come across many others. Valerie, Lynn, and Kimbal discussed possible solutions in their office because these kids were very special to Valerie. I am not sure what the outcome will be, but I hope these kids are well taken care of.
I took the opportunity to travel to Ceiba with Lynn, Kimbal and a Canadian friend named Julio on my very last weekend here on the island. It seemed more like an industrialized city with malls, outdoor markets, and larger communities. It was much different than Roatan, but I think it was just as beautiful. I felt safe there during the nighttime in certain areas, but that is the same for many other places. We went to the Garifuna festival in Carozel. During the day we received a lot of curious faces because we definitely stood out amongst many darker skinned Garifuna. I had never been in a situation like that before because in California the population is so densely diverse that I fit into the blend of colors, unless my fashion is extremely outrageous. The Garifuna style and culture is so vibrant and lively. They had music playing through large oversized speakers filling up the streets with ranchera, hip hop, reggeton, cumbias, and many other kinds of music. There was a huge soccer match going on in their community soccer field and was packed with families watching. It was a cool new experience.
I have had so many community members, doctors, and other volunteers ask me if this was going to be my last time in Roatan. I think this will be my last time here for the time being since I would like to explore other parts of Central America and other Latin countries. I enjoyed and learned so much from my experiences here.
