So after 10 houses and 3 kids vaccinated it almost time to return to the centro de salud. We stop at one more house and a woman standing nearby sees us, takes off running and returns running, pulling behind her a very reluctant 4 year old. He digs his heels in, but his mother prevails delivering him and his vaccination card to us with a flourish. The nurse takes care of him and then does something remarkably resourceful. Frequently after they get a vaccine kids will have a slight temperature, part of the body developing an immune response as it is supposed to. But to keep them comfortable its generally recommended that they can have tylenol. Now this mother did not have any tylenol so the nurse I was with took the sterile wrapper from the syringe she had just used, dropped 2 tablets in it, folded it over and had a clean bag of tylenol to give the mother. I was impressed.
So as we head from house to house spreading the joy of vaccines to the small children I learn a few things about the public health system here in Guatemala.
First off, unlike in the US, vaccination here is not an obligation. Rates of vaccination for polio and measles are in the 50-60 percent range in this district. (The WHO estimates that for all of Guatemala the numbers are closer to 91 percent for measles and 85 for polio). In contrast, in the US rates are around 92 or 93 percent.
So in a country where the government sends people door to door to give vaccines and balloons out I am surprised when a few of the households we stop at state that they do not want the vaccine. I ask why expecting an answer that involves government conspiracy, or as at home, fear of long range developmental side effects. But the nurse I am with says that no, the families just think the vaccines cause fevers and they do not want them.
This, she says, is a population we need to work more with.
Today when I arrived at the Centro de Salud, the nurse who has taken me on said that today I could come with her on a vaccinating trip. Which was very exciting. Every day 1 or 2 of the nurses from the Centro go literally door to door through the town of Santiago Atitlan to vaccinate children who are behind in their vaccines. Here is what happened:
The nurse, who is wearing traditional dress for Atitlan, and an assistant put on their outfits from the Ministry of Health which consist of a bright orange hat and navy vest emblazened with the ministry seal.
And then we set out, we walk a few blocks from the Centro de Salud to the spot where they had left off that morning. We walk down an alley-way which is barely wide enough for one person and the nurse knocks and yells “VACUNA!” (VACCINE!)
The door opens and inside are a man, a woman weaving and a now very scared looking 5 year old boy. The next part of the conversation takes place in the Tzutujil language, but clearly the father says to the boy “Do you want a vaccine?” and the boy says a very definite no. The nurse holds out an uninflated green balloon that he’ll get as a bribe, and so (unlike children we encountered later), he didn’t run away, or scream. He just put on his bravest look until it was over and he safely had his balloon.
And then we continue on down the street, offering Vacunas and having children eye us suspiciously, like the opposite of the ice cream man.
An age old conundrum for any young person is how to get experience when experience is required in order to get experience. The challenge of experience is even greater for young people who want to go into international fields. Opportunities are few and are often expensive. The model of the IHF has many strengths, such as working through collaborative, long-lasting partnerships and supporting the implementation of solutions to community’s self-stated needs. I think another strength of the IHF is that it provides young people with the chance to gain experience in international development while contributing to real change. In many organizations that do international development work, proficiency in a second language and experience living abroad are required even for entry level positions.
Through the IHF, students and volunteers work together in campus chapters and with partners in developing communities to implement projects that have tangible benefits. They are able to gain skills in project planning and management, cross-cultural communication and teamwork. They are able to do this with the support from their chapter members, their partners, and the IHF Central Officers who are always available to provide guidance and training. They also work together to fund raise through local and national efforts to make it possible for many to work in the field with partners. No matter what IHF members move on to after their undergraduate education, they will be able to use the skills they have gained.
The work of the IHF is not all about the chance to gain experience- it is also about working with partners to improve the lives of others. IHF members have worked to bring smokeless cook stoves to villagers in India, provide scholarships for students in Guatemala and increase access to health care in Costa Rica. The benefits that community members receive from these projects are also long lasting and will make a real difference in people’s lives. IHFers do receive experience from the work they do with the IHF, but what really drives them to take the time out of their busy schedules is because they truly want to work with partners to make a positive difference in the lives of others.
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