As I have described in previous posts life here changes rapidly and most often I don’t have a clue.
Today I was learning the ropes here at the Monte de Los Olivos health post, observing an OB Intake (1st prenatal appt), when one of those serious looking 4 wheelin’ USAID trucks pulled up. Out popped a super lively smiling man named Lucas Vargas. He works for another NGO named MSH, which is based in Boston, and came to deliver a health registry to one of the communities with which we work. Despite thinking we would be working in the clinic at Monte de Los Olivos all day, Anita and I quickly changed gears and packed up for a day in the jungle (Fetoscope, measuring tape, blood pressure cuff, etc). However, I had no idea what a day in the jungle really meant.
We loaded into the grey truck (padded on the inside with very thick rolls of foam and thank GOD or my head would be mush) and drove deep into the jungle. DEEEEEEEP into the jungle we went with our bodies bouncing, flinging, and flying back and forth in the backseat. WOW is this jungle beautiful. WOW I totally understand why pregnant mothers prefer to stay home and deliver their babies. The road is ugly and I felt like my insides were going to fall out from the bouncing. Imagine if your baby was part of your insides! Uggghh.
Cadena Tropical is one of the farthest communities that we serve located 25 Km deep into the jungle. Cadena translates to “chain” or “network” and as the first settlers of this beautiful community arrived (completely exhausted) to the land in which they would settle, they couldn’t help but notice the chain of “up and down and up and back down again” of the hills through which they traveled in their new lush forest. For this reason they gave their community the name Cadena and added the self explanatory “Tropical..” In this very small community of about 31 familes (110 people) we encountered one small house. No one was home. After exploring a bit further, we found a path descending one of the cadenas of hills and down we went. On our way, we met a man carrying large blocks of wood tied to his back and supported by the strength of his forehead. Woooooooh! Exporting wood is one of the few ways that this community survives. They also grow platano, yucca, and rice.
Though we were accompanying Lucas on his mission, Anita and I had a mission of our own. We were looking for Gestantes that haven’t come for their regular appointments or are newly pregnant. When we find them, we conduct home OB appointments, educate, and promote the casa de espera. What FUN!!!!! I love my jungle career!
On our way back from Cadena Tropical we passed through Virgin de Carmen where another gestante lives. She is about 32 weeks pregnant and has not come for a prenatal visit in Monte de Los Olivos. We found her working hard in her open-to-air home, washing the clothes by hand, doing dishes, and preparing food for the day. She and her husband own a palm farm and raise chickens. After preparing a delicious papaya juice for us, she sat down to visit. We discovered that she had already begun her prenatal care in Neshuya (the closest town with 24 hour emergency service) and has had 2 visits during her pregnancy. She didn’t know about the casa de espera. Because she lives so far away her and her husband rent a small apartment in Neshuya in which they plan to live close to her due date. She said that she would consider stopping by our health post before heading to Neshuya if she is in labor. She did not have interest in staying at the casa de espera because she has already committed to renting the apartment in Neshuya. Oooooooh this made my stomach sink.
Anita and I immediately began brainstorming ideas to get the word out to women that we have a free casa de espera to use!
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