Trevor: Sunday, July 8, 2007

Tom and Diane's Jeep (the vehicle for patient visits)

Showing off the Department of Health's vision statement

Two little girls at one of the patients' houses

Nutrition Month kick-off

This week, it's really started to rain. Some days, it has rained almost from dawn until dusk. I'm wondering if my clothes will dry before I leave the Philippines. It's a constant struggle to find sunlight, and we have to run out and take our clothes off of the line whenever it starts to rain.

The grade 5/6 class is held in a sleeping quarter building at the bottom of the property, and its roof has a few holes. The students have to strategically place their tables and benches in the classroom so that they don't get wet. It's really amazing to me how nipa roofing (made from a leafy plant similar to a palm leaf) can keep the water out, but it generally works pretty well, except when it's not replaced regularly. Tom has sent new nipa up to the school, so the roofing will be fixed soon.

On Monday, we went with Diane on one of her trips around the island to see patients. We were chased by hordes of mosquitoes while hiking off the road in search of a patient, and went between a few of the public schools to track down patients during the school day.

July is nutrition month, and the school held its opening event on Wednesday. Steve and I were the "guest speakers." We spoke about having a health lifestyle, and Steve spoke specifically about medicinal plants. I'm not sure about our expertise in those areas, but we figured out some things to talk about. Each grade had made a poster, and they hold cleanliness checks and various other events throughout the month. Celebrations like nutrition month help to get the students involved outside of class.

On Saturday morning, I interviewed a group of brothers for my documentary. They have 7 kids in their family, and all of them have been touched by Family to Family in some way either by attending the Mapa School or participating in the high school assistance program, or both. It was amazing to hear the struggles which they have endured, and have still managed to get a secondary education. The Mapa School truly has a family environment, not just within the sibling groups that attend the school, but within the networks that the students maintain long after they leave. When Tom and Diane need information about a former student, they will just talk to other former students, as they all seem to look out for each other.

Last night, Steve and I stayed at Paras Beach Resort, which is about 15 minutes from Tom and Diane's house. It sits right on the water, and it was nice to have air conditioning and hot water for a day. Strangely enough, I miss the school and its more simple lifestyle. It's going to be an interesting transition going back to the US.