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University of New HampshireUniversity of New Hampshire Scholars' RepositoryUNH International Educator Newsletter Global Education CenterSpring 2013Spring 2013, Mission to HondurasCenter for International EducationFollow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/international_newsThis News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Global Education Center at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. Ithas been accepted for inclusion in UNH International Educator Newsletter by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars'Repository. For more information, please contact nicole.hentz@unh.edu.Recommended CitationCenter for International Education, "Spring 2013, Mission to Honduras" (2013). International Educator: the Newsletter of the UNHGlobal Engagement Editorial Board. 157.https://scholars.unh.edu/international_news/157The Newsletter of UNH Global Engagementhttp://unh.edu/cie/newsletter/2013/spring/honduras.html[7/13/2016 2:56:04 PM] SearchThe Newsletter of UNH Global Engagement Spring 2013Steve Gibson with another member of the NH Mission Teamat a clinic in HondurasBack to index pageSubscribeCenter for InternationalEducation HomeMISSION TO HONDURASStephen Gibson, a senior biology major at the University of New Hampshire, assisted developingcommunities and had a profound experience during a spring break medical mission trip to Honduras.Please note: Stephen went to Honduras on his own. The New Hampshire Mission Team is notaffiliated with UNH and UNH does not approve students to travel to Honduras, as it is on the U.S.State Department Travel Warning List.On February 21st, 2013 the 31-person New HampshireHonduras Medical Mission Team travelled abroad to Juticalpa,Honduras to provide medical aid to needy and underdevelopedHonduran communities. Coordinated by the Olancho AidFoundation, the New Hampshire Mission Team marked their22nd anniversary last February. Volunteers ranging from 16 -65 years of age, including high school students, pre-medicalstudents, nursing students, a nurse practitioner, and a Cubanmedical doctor, gave their time and expertise to provide muchneeded assistance to a developing country.Before leaving for Honduras the entire N.H. team gathereddonations of supplies from local hospitals, schools, pharmacies,and individual donors. These imperative supplies includedclothing, toothpaste, toothbrushes, combs, hats, shoes, andmedications, such as antibiotics, antiparasitics, antacids, andfungal creams. There was over 30,000 pounds of donatedsupplies shipped to Honduras two weeks before the team travelled abroad.Once the team and I arrived at the airport in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, we gathered onto an Olancho Aid Foundation school bus onlyto travel over 150 miles to Juticalpa. While driving through the nation’s urban capital city there were many stray dogs justwandering the streets; security guards with loaded shotguns at food shops; and Honduran citizens walking around with machetes.As we drove away from the nation’s capital and into the rural areas of Honduras, houses became far and few and stores and shopswere nowhere to be found. The landscape eventually faded into just spectacular hills and valleys for which Honduras is famous.As dusk approached, our team finally arrived at the OlanchoAid Foundation Volunteer House, where we would stay.Without delay, we all began to organize the medical suppliesthat had been shipped. Additionally, there were 31 overstuffedThe Newsletter of UNH Global Engagementhttp://unh.edu/cie/newsletter/2013/spring/honduras.html[7/13/2016 2:56:04 PM]A community member receiving treatmentMembers of the medical team at the pharmacy stationsuitcases filled with more supplies that each team memberchecked onto the airplane. Any personal belongings, such as achange of clothes that we needed, had to fit in a carry-on bag.On the morning of February 22nd, 2013 the team and I went tovisit the four schools that were founded by the Olancho AidFoundation. Two of the schools were bilingual. My favoriteschool was the school that launched the entire Olancho AidFoundation, the Nazareth School. Nazareth taught childrenwith special needs how to cope and become independent ineveryday life. When I visited, I met an energetic, outgoing andalways smiling child name Bicry. A nine-year-old boy who hasmultiple sclerosis, Bicry first approached me to open a squirt gun he bought. He came back with a bouncy ball and stated his nameto me with a big smile and a look of ‘let’s play’ on his face. We instantly formed a bond and we ended up playing ball together forover an hour. We rolled the ball back and forward, played kickball and soccer.Later that night I learned about an orphanage home that was next to the volunteer house the NH team was staying in. After themedical clinics I would go over to the orphanage and visit the children. We would play soccer out in the street. The children werevery excited to have company and the nuns were very thankful for our donation of shoes, clothes, and art craft supplies we gave tothem for all the children in the orphanage.The next morning, the N.H. volunteers traveled to Empalizada, which is a very poor village. When we arrived, there were morethan sixty Hondurans waiting at the gate for the medical clinic to begin. First though, we needed to take all of the medical suppliesoff of the bus and into the church where we assembled four medical stations.Each station had a specific purpose. The first station was theTriage which consisted of daily nutritional habits and healthhistory. The second was screening patients’ height, weight,waist circumference, temperature, blood pressure, heart rateand blood sugar. Assessment was the third station wherepatients were diagnosed by nurses, doctors, and premedicalstudents on our medical mission team. The pharmacy was thelast station, and consisted of various medications to treatscabies, fungal infections, heartburn, parasites, bacterialinfections, and vitamins.Throughout the nine-day trip, we were able to provide medicalaid to 543 patients. Clinics were held on four separateoccasions in Empalizada, Potorerillo, Becerra and Trojes.In both Empalizada and Becerra the team received specialthanks from the local villages for conducting the medical clinics. Local mothers within the community cooked all day to providelunch for our team. Our lunch consisted of the primary daily Honduran meal: beans, rice, and tortillas served with soda and coffee.The Newsletter of UNH Global Engagementhttp://unh.edu/cie/newsletter/2013/spring/honduras.html[7/13/2016 2:56:04 PM]On Sunday, February 24th we visited a village that had no running water. Our mission team setup a washing station at a nearbylocal river, where we washed, combed, and braided the hair of both children and adults. Afterwards, we handed out vitalnecessities, such as toothbrushes, shampoo, hats, baby supplies, and combs to the locals in the village. The greatest feeling wasseeing the smiles on the children’s and the adults’ faces. As we left, the locals hugged all of us and said “que Dios te bendiga”(God bless you) for helping their local community.Later that day I and some other team members visited the Juticalpa public hospital. This hospital was unlike any other hospital Ihave ever seen. When walking the outdoor hallways of the hospital there were many family members waiting to enter into a roomas well as stray hungry dogs begging for food from patients that were eating. It had no HIPPA regulation which meant absolutelyno privacy for patients. Our group was allowed to walk into any patient’s room without their permission. As we were walkingthrough the hospital we passed the labor recovery room and I saw eight patients in one 10x12 foot room with no curtains forprivacy. As I was speaking with a surgeon, he informed me that a caesarean section (C-section) cost $9.00 and any medication cost$5.00 in American currency. As we passed the pediatrics area of the hospital I noticed that there were no nurses or doctors ever insight, and the parents would take care of their sick children while at the hospital.Throughout the trip I was able to touch many Hondurans’ lives and I was able to experience firsthand what life is like in LatinAmerica. This experience will forever be with me as it showed me how privileged the American healthcare system is compared tothat of Honduras. It was a wake up call about how fortunate we all are as Americans. To Hondurans, just having clean water wouldbe a luxury. I look forward to preparing for the next medical mission trip to Honduras. This experience made me more eager topursue my career as a medical physician so I can help people in need.A recognition of thanks to Mary Roy, our leader and commander in chief, the Spanish translators who helped at each medicalclinic, and the Olancho Aid Foundation for keeping the New Hampshire Medical Mission Team safe.  Copyright © 2015, Center for International Education  •  The University of New Hampshire223 Hood House  •  89 Main Street  •  Durham, NH 03824tel: 603-862-2398  •  fax: 603-862-0169study.abroad@unh.edu  •  international.affairs@unh.edu

Spring 2013, Mission to Honduras

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Spring 2013, Mission to Honduras

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