For my last two days of clinics in the La Corona com-
munity, my role was a bit different. I spent most of my time
entering data or working in the pharmacy, but I was also able
to spend time with the students during the charla activities.
During charla, we taught the young boys and girls the impor-
tance of brushing their teeth and washing their hands. After
the lessons, we played soccer, sang songs and learned dances
and traditional Nicaraguan games.
Public Health Brigade
After four days of clinics, we moved into the public health
portion of the brigade, which consisted of two days that
would really put us to the test. We worked in the community
of Cuatro Esquinas, located in Jinotega. From the moment we
stepped off the bus, we were welcomed with open arms into
the community and the homes of the six families with whom
we would be working.
There, the work was not the type most of us were used to—
physical labor. We worked alongside masons and the men of the
six families to build sanitation stations to improve the public
health of the community. We swung pick axes to dig trenches
for septic tanks and piping, carried and laid blocks, mixed
cement and hammered nails into boards at the instruction of
the masons. The sanitation stations we helped construct would
include a toilet with running water, a shower and a place to
wash clothes.
Our motivation came from the families we served. From
their stories and the photos of religious figures and children
that hung on the walls of their homes, it was easy to see they
were also determined to change their own living conditions.
Most of the homes consisted of one room with dirt floors,
which served as the kitchen, bedroom and living space for the
entire family. Increasing the number of public health facilities
can help prevent a lot of the illnesses we witnessed in the clinics
the days before.
As we worked alongside these people, we felt as if we became
family members. On our last day, when we completed the
The young children of the La Corona community
walking home after their day at school.
Photo by Blair Dowler.
116
WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE
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David Wro th, Riley Imla
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Gabriella Wigoda, Rac
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Cuatro Esquinas com
Pho to by Blair Dowler.
stations, we learned that the six families we served in Cuatro
Esquinas were the last to receive their stations, meaning every
family in the community now has access to proper facilities.
It was a time for celebration.
The entire community came out and held a beautiful ceremony
at a local school. An elderly lady who served as a representative
of the community read us a poem she had written, and chil-
dren dressed in traditional clothing performed choreographed
dances. One boy even sang us a song in English. It was difficult
not to get emotional, as it was awe-inspiring to see the grace
and appreciation of the Nicaraguans. We were then invited to
dance and sing with them, and then, with children atop shoul-
ders and riding piggyback, we formed a circle and shared with
them a West Virginia tradition: we sang “Country Roads.”