SEPHA Diary: Day 5

It was our last day in Limon, Nicaragua and our last day with the FIMRC clinic.  In the morning, we went to a nearby town to give another prenatal talk with pregnant women.  The site was located at a preschool with highly energetic kids.  Two of our volunteers stayed to give the talk, while the rest of us moved to another nearby town to give physical therapy to developmentally delayed children.  Kids ranged from 3 months to 8 years old.  Jessica, our volunteer director, gave us handouts which showed how to provide physical therapy to these children.  Me and another volunteer, Doris, administered physical therapy on a 7 year old girl who had cerebral palsy.  In case you don't know, cerebral palsy is a nervous system disorder that causes physical disabilities such as difficulty with body movements and muscle coordination.  She was considered the ballerina of the group because her leg would fly up towards her head with ease!  Performing physical therapy was a task though, since she didn't relax and kept stiff most of the time.  She couldn't talk so determining if something was painful for her was a challenge. 

We found out that her diet only consisted of milk.  You could tell she was very malnourished by by her skin and bones.  Her mom was open to nutrition advice for herself and her daughter, so we gave a general nutrition talk as well as a cholesterol talk to all the parents present.  They seemed hesitant to participate at first, but once we brought out our food models, they became interested and asked a lot of questions.

After our talks, we headed over to lunch at Amparo's, a nearby restaurant and house?  The tables were set up outside on the porch, and the floors consisted of tree stumps (love all the natural decor of these places we've been to).  The hostess offered us drinks (mainly orange soda or Pepsi).  I know what you're thinking. 
"But don't nutritionists and dietitians promote avoiding soda consumption?"  We do because soda has a lot of unnecessary sugar and it is linked to many chronic diseases.  But by the end of the week, Pepsi sounded so good because it was always served ice cold which definitely sounded tempting due to the heat and humidity we've been in.  It wasn't an everyday thing, and I always say "consume in moderation".  The meal consisted of chicken served in a sauce, vegetables, rice, tostones (fried plantains) and this corn meal with vegetable side dish.  The dish was really flavorful, and I was surprised to not see any beans on my plate today.

lunch

After lunch, half of us went back to the physical therapy building to give it a makeover with some paint while the other half went back to the clinic to leave a mural.  After an hour and a half of sweat and muscle power painting, we managed to get one coat of paint on the entire building (inside and out).

had to leave our mark, CSULA....MyPlate mural

Definitely was my workout for the day.  We headed back to the clinic to see the finished product the girls made....and it came out beautifully.  The mural was a MyPlate model on the outside clinic wall so people will know how to eat healthy while waiting for their appointments.

All of us, with 2 PA students from USC and 3 volunteer ambasadors

After we said our goodbyes to the clinic volunteers and staff, we headed back to our hotel and decided to have dinner on the beach.  We had to try the best fish tacos in town (I've had better in Ensanada) but they were still really good, and the salsa had a nice kick.

fish tacos

We picked up a few souvenirs (the girls looked for sea shells while I looked at rocks) and then packed for our departure to the city the next day.

It was a really great experience volunteering in Nicaragua and I have all of you to thank for allowing me to experience this adventure.  Learning about different cultures and how they manage daily tasks is truly an eye opener for me, and it reminded me a little of India.  Their access to, or lack of, fresh fruits and vegetables in the rural area was definitely surprising since I would assume most people grow their own produce.  Due to the rainy season and recent droughts, farming in Limon was not an option.  If they wanted produce they had to wait for produce trucks to come into town with deliveries, but even then that was not an option since storms prevented trucks from coming into to town due to blocked roads.  They also could travel to a larger town, located 2 hours away, but most people did not have access to transportation or couldn't find the time.  As I ponder on their lifestyle, I think about how it is here in the U.S.  We have an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables, yet most people take it for granted, consuming fast food or processed foods.  Maybe once in a while, we can all appreciate and eat a salad?