La Romana - Day 2 (2/3/14)

Today was an outstanding day!  The beginning of the day we went to the Clinica de Familia.  The first part of the morning was sitting in on an education to families about water filters and hand washing.   After the class we had a tour of the clinic, which is a private health clinic that is focused primarily on assisting members of the bateys.  The clinic was started by an American, Steven Nicholas.  Steven's primary focus was to make sure that all members of the bateys were tested for, educated about prevention and care of and treated for HIV. The program was started in 1999 and the Clinic was built in 2004.  It still continues to work on prevention, education and treatment of HIV, but has grown to include other important health prevention and treatments as well.

 

After the tour our Providence crew went to Batey 106 to begin working on a new latrine.  The hole had been dug and the supports were in, and our job for the day was to mix the cement for the foundation!  This meant filling the wheel barrels with the gravel, pushing it up the hill to the area where the latrine was being built.  Then mixing the rocks with the sand and cement and putting all of that into the mixer.  Once it was mixed it went into the foundation.  This all sounds simple, but we did this 4 hours in the 85 degree sun and heat...  In addition to the work we had a great time with the kids of the batey!  We gave them jump ropes and balls, and kept them busy for a while!!!  The kids also loved the bubbles we gave them!  So much fun!!!

Tonight was a joint meeting with one of the Rotary clubs and our group to explain how Hand washing is needed in the schools, but without clean water,this is impossible, and how are the clubs here going to do more to assist. 

Tomorrow we are off to the schools and to install water filters on the next batey!