In January, a group of 11 Elderhostelers from all over the United States descended upon Santarém to help renovate a Children's Health Clinic for Esperança. Elderhostel is a nonprofit organization that runs educational service programs for people 55 and older in locations all over the world.
The Esperança Children's Center operates as a model neighborhood health post; providing nutrition monitoring, vaccination, prenatal care, and other basic services to the families of this impoverished area of about 20,000 people. Remarkably, it is the only fixed neighborhood vaccination post in the city, and the only alternative for prenatal care outside the federal public hospital. This post provides ongoing care to over 400 children under three years of age and prenatal care to 250 women, representing nearly 15% as many prenatal visits as the entire public sector combined. Just last year, Fundação Esperança applied nearly half the total vaccinations in the entire Municipality.
Unfortunately, the building that housed the Children's Center was old. Wooden columns were consistently needing to be replaced due to termite infestation, and the roof leaked during the rainy season which was a perpetual source of irritation for both the staff and the patients.
At the same time Amizade, Elderhostel, and Esperança where formulating a project, Gil and Joan DeBiasi, former Esperança volunteers, expressed a desire to help. Unfortunately, Gil and Joan's close friend, Dr. Doug Jinks - a long time supporter of Esperança, passed away. Gil and Joan and Doug's widow, Kay Jinks, decided that they wanted to do something important in the memory of Doug. They decided to make the new Children's Center their project. With the help of the Capital District Kiwanis club, Gil, Joan, and Kay raised over $9,000 for materials towards the construction of the new building.
This January, 11 Elderhostelers came down to build the building. The Elderhostelers ranged in age from 58 -79. They were joined in the construction by the Esperança staff and nine teenagers from the community who volunteered their time as well to the project. Most of the volunteers came with no skills and were taught by the Esperança masons how to lay bricks. It was adjustment for many of the volunteers, but they quickly got into the swing of things and in no time at all, the walls began to go up. At the same time, the DeBiasis volunteered in the Esperança dental clinic and were joined by Kay Jinks who wanted to see the project. On January 16, we dedicated the building in memory of Doug Jinks.
Because of the Amizade/Elderhostel volunteers, the Doug Jinks Children's Center will be able to provide health services to underprivileged families well into the next century and beyond.
In March, a group of students from the University of Pittsburgh decided that they where going to do something different for their spring break. 20 students and faculty came down to Bolivia to help build a adult education center for the FUNDESIB. FUNDESIB, a Bolivian nonprofit organization, centers its activities on developing the capacities of communities and their populations. Through the association of a network of local initiatives and organizations, the FUNDESIB promotes the use of available resources and technologies to address local issues. University of Pittsburgh students made their Spring Break matter by giving a helping hand in Bolivia
The students worked high up in the alto plano in the town of Caracolla. Using adobe bricks and under the supervision of our wonderful mason Raul, the students worked along side local volunteers. Within one week, they were able to complete the walls of the building.
In addition to the work, the volunteers arrived in the Bolivia at the end of the Carnival so they had the opporunity to participate in the parade. They also were able to explore Cochabamba and the largest open air market in Bolivia. The students had so much fun, they are planning to come back next year... possibly to the Amazon.
For more information regarding the University of Pittsburgh Volunteer Outreach Program you can check out their web page at: http://www.pitt.edu/~service