Last weekend, I partook in yet another “jornada de salud” with my host Rotary Club in a poor neighborhood in Cali. The children of the community’s school were offered free eye care/ vision tests, dental treatment, and haircuts. I was in charge of dental services registration and had quite a few stressful moments. I often become frustrated because we can never serve everyone who greatly needs these check-ins, and it was up to me to tell frantic/begging parents that their kids could not receive the free dental care we were offering. I became frustrated when I discovered that other volunteers were allowing young children (4 or 5-year-olds) in to see the dentists (even though we were told this was not allowed). I had already turned away a few mothers who told me very convincing stories about how their small kids really, really needed dental care. 80( I felt really bad about this.
1 comment:
Hi Hilary!
My name is Jamie and I am an outbound '09-10 Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar from Los Angeles. A couple of days ago I was assigned to Bogata for my year abroad. I started reading your blog with great interest. Bogata was not my first choice. However I have heard that many parts of it are quite beautiful; the urban planning is of interest to study; and that people can be very warm. I am considering appealing the decision for Argentina or Bolivia. However I could be convinced to keep with my current placement. 1) How safe do you feel as a young woman considering the recent US travel advisories? 2) What is your impression of Bogata vs Cali? 3)What advice would you give to a scholar to prepare for arrival? I know you are very busy, but it would appreciate it greatly to hear your thoughts. Best, Jamie
jamiefeld@gmail.com
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