Greeting from San Marcos,
I am sending along the third quarter update for MHI. Guatemala is still in pandemic mode with COVID19 case increasing. However in the last week some of the travel restrictions in place since February are being lifted. Public buses are now moving between cities, supposedly with spacing between seats, as opposed to the pre-pandemic overloaded chicken buses. More importantly, there are no more roadblocks between departments.
Given the shutdown, prices of many basic foodstuffs increased sharply, causing hunger in the rural areas. As you remember, in April we allocated money to buy foodstuffs and help 200 families. In July, the MHI board approved additional money to help another 200 families. As you may have seen in our Facebook page and website, the nutrition team has been arduously distributing dried corn, beans, Plumpynut, and Incaparina, to families in San Miguel and adjacent municipalities. Many of the recipients are elderly folks and single mothers who live in rural villages cut off from the markets due to lack of transportation. We also continue to support families who participate in our rehabilitation program. Unless things lighten up significantly, we may need to support a third round of foodstuff distribution, as this is a must needed help in these difficult times.
Our rehabilitation program has been on hold since March. The delay of physical therapy during the pandemic is a world-wide problem. Thankfully most of our families have been trained to do exercises at home which will reduce the effect of delayed physical therapy in children with disabilities. Our therapists stay in contact with their patients, and are working a plan to resume therapy as soon as possible. We will follow protocols developed by the public health system in order to minimize the risk of exposing either the patient or the therapist to COVID19.
Despite travel restrictions imposed by the pandemic, I have been able to take several children from San Marcos to the capital for follow-up appointments after surgery -done prior to the pandemic-. We have several other children scheduled for medical appointments in the city: Two of our children with cleft lips/palates are receiving nutritional support in anticipation to their surgery. Their surgery will be financed by MHI. This time the surgery will need to happen with a Guatemalan medical team, as there is no way of knowing how long it will be until the US medical mission groups will return to the country. Another little girl with congenital heart disease needs corrective surgery. In preparation for that we are getting her teeth fixed prior to taking her to the heart center- bad teeth can result in a post-operative infection-. Surgeries for children with complex orthopedic problems are on hold until the pandemic is under control and visiting specialists return. As you see, in alignment with our mission we continue to bring health care to the poorest children in Guatemala, making a meaningful impact in their lives.
I really want to thank everyone for their continued support. I know how difficult the last several months have been in the US, on multiple levels. I want you to know how grateful the folks are for your help. The team in San Miguel have told me that many people literally weep when they receive the donation of food. As simple as it seems, in this part of the world dried corn means tortillas, and that means survival!
Take care everyone.
Bill