Today I had a very interesting conversation with a patient. She is a 45-year old who has seen more than her fair share of hard ache and hard times. She has been living on the streets for the past 4-years and surviving as best she can through sex work and pan handling. She has a daily, unremitting addiction to alcohol – and has only recently freed herself from the bonds of methamphetamine.
I could probably type a paragraph like the preceding for a number of patients that I am fortunate enough to serve – but what makes Sally’s (not her real name) story so compelling is the untold elements of her life. You see – Sally has been working the streets of Portland, selling her body, under the direction of her husband. When economic times became desperate, Sally’s husband demanded that she start working the wee hours of the morning to help keep their drug habit alive.
Sally told me of the pain she feels getting into cars with men she fears will never drive her back to her street corner. She told me of the desperation she felt in staying with a man, her husband, for whom she felt such great contempt. Sally told me of the fear that she felt about her life – the life she has been living in an almost catatonic state, a fear that her life would never change.
Today Sally told me of her hope. She told me that she met a man though her work. A man who frequently came to see her - “and not just for sex.” A man who wanted to take her away from all of her sorrows. She told me that he is serving in the military and would soon return from “Kuwait” to buy a home for them to live in. She told me that he is an honorable man who once paid her husband to take her to dinner – “because he cares about me.” She said she planned to divorce her husband as soon as her “knight” returned. She told me of her great hope that this “man would really take care” of her and protect her.
I could probably convince myself that I helped Sally today. I could tell myself that the medication I provided for her infection and the time I spent listening and caring, helped to provide her with the respect and nurturing that she deserves. Yet – I would be stating these things from the comfort of my warm home, after having eaten a comfortable meal and spent time with my wonderful wife. I would be lying.
For the only true help I can offer to Sally is my continuous fight to try and create more opportunities for people like her to break free of the oppressive bonds of poverty and crippling strain of dysfunctional relationships. The only true help I can offer Sally is to bring more attention to the plight of people like her to a wider audience - so that we can build a future that supports, honors and nurtures all of our brothers and sisters.
My hope, the hope that I bring to Sally, is that we can all work together to create a world that cares so deeply about our communities that we no longer allow people like Sally to suffer in silence.
Today I had a very interesting conversation with a patient . . . and she changed my life.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Friday, November 14, 2008
HBI - In the News
Two great “news” updates from HBI -
(1) In case you miss the Oregonian's article about Mr. Bob Palandech, please see: http://www.oregonlive.com/clackamascounty/index.ssf/2008/11/deep_needs_keep_drawing_retire.html HBI is very proud to be affiliated with Bob and Linda Palandech and their tremendous commitment to "giving back." Way to go Bob and Linda!
(2) The October HBI fundraiser and silent auction was a smashing success. Just over 75 “friends of HBI” took time out of their busy, hectic schedules to join the Board of Directors for an evening of fun. The net proceeds from the event were a little over $17,000. HBI will utilize the generous contributions from our committed stakeholders to help advance education, healthcare and community development with our in-country partners. Thank you to all who attended and volunteered for this inaugural event. Stay tuned to the HBI Website and BlogSpot for information regarding HBI's next fundraiser and ways that you can stay involved.
Thank you to all our supporters.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
HBI - Project Updates
Today wraps up a very busy week of meetings. In fact, I did not know that one could have so many meetings in such a focal period of time. From Monday to Saturday, the HBI team rushed and to and from over 20 meetings. It seemed that we spent most of our time in the car or flagging cabs.
I have now come to realize that one of the greatest impacts a person can make is through the simple act of conversation and discussion. The main objective of these meetings has been to solidify attendance for the HBI and Medical Ministry International (see: http://www.mmint.org/) collaborative Arequipa wide conference in January of 2009.
The city of Arequipa currently counts a population of over 1 million people. Many of its citizens live in abject poverty. There are a number of non-governmental organizations working in Arequipa to provide assistance to the underserved – yet, there is very little collaboration and communication between these organizations and agencies. The purpose of the First Annual “Connect” Conference is to convene social and healthcare service sector NGO’s toward the development of greater collaboration and coalition building.
The Primary Goal of the 2-day conference (19-20 January 2009) is to develop an ongoing forum for communication among Arequipa-wide healthcare and social service organizations that assist the poor, to cooperatively better serve patients and to work together to solve common problems. We have developed a questionnaire and distributed this material along with a formal invitation to over 50 non-governmental organizations, faith based agencies and private sector groups.
We will compile the responses from the questionnaires into a booklet that can be referenced for future collaboration and partnerships. HBI and MMI both recognize that the need of developing nations is far greater than any one resource to facilitate – and it is only through collaborations and partnerships that we can effectively address the growing and ever changing concerns of an underserved population.
In addition to planning for the Connect Conference, we have been really busy re-writing a grant Letter of Inquiry (LOI) that we hope to submit to a large foundation before the end of 2008. The grant application will allow for a major expansion of the feeding program in the Alto Cayma communities and work to integrate nutrition and food science education into the delivery of meals.
Little attention has been paid to the interrelatedness of malnutrition and a communities access to nutritional and life skills education. With many of the residents of the Alto Cayma communities coming to the urban region from rural parts of Peru – the level of functional literacy and life skills is quite low. The proposed project will integrate health, education and nutrition delivery systems into a single focused program.
Finally, our week consisted of meetings and planning session to prepare for another conference in April of 2009. HBI will be convening the Second Annual Alto Cayma Health Professions Conference and Training Symposium. The training symposium, facilitated through volunteer healthcare professionals (physician, nurses, dentists, and healthcare administrators) from the United States and Peru who have expertise in the subject matter they will be presenting, will be a two-day intensive experience with both didactic and hands-on training.
So ends a great week of planning, preparing and communicating about unique ways that HBI can help to “bridge” resources and solutions for the needs of our in-country partners in their on-going work to deliver care, advocacy, and hope to some of the poorest communities in the western hemisphere. Even though I am exhausted, I could not have asked for a more meaningful way to spend my time. Please stay tuned to the HBI BlogSpot – we will have updates on our full schedule of projects and programs for 2009.
Thank you for your support and on-going commitment to the people of Peru.
I have now come to realize that one of the greatest impacts a person can make is through the simple act of conversation and discussion. The main objective of these meetings has been to solidify attendance for the HBI and Medical Ministry International (see: http://www.mmint.org/) collaborative Arequipa wide conference in January of 2009.
The city of Arequipa currently counts a population of over 1 million people. Many of its citizens live in abject poverty. There are a number of non-governmental organizations working in Arequipa to provide assistance to the underserved – yet, there is very little collaboration and communication between these organizations and agencies. The purpose of the First Annual “Connect” Conference is to convene social and healthcare service sector NGO’s toward the development of greater collaboration and coalition building.
The Primary Goal of the 2-day conference (19-20 January 2009) is to develop an ongoing forum for communication among Arequipa-wide healthcare and social service organizations that assist the poor, to cooperatively better serve patients and to work together to solve common problems. We have developed a questionnaire and distributed this material along with a formal invitation to over 50 non-governmental organizations, faith based agencies and private sector groups.
We will compile the responses from the questionnaires into a booklet that can be referenced for future collaboration and partnerships. HBI and MMI both recognize that the need of developing nations is far greater than any one resource to facilitate – and it is only through collaborations and partnerships that we can effectively address the growing and ever changing concerns of an underserved population.
In addition to planning for the Connect Conference, we have been really busy re-writing a grant Letter of Inquiry (LOI) that we hope to submit to a large foundation before the end of 2008. The grant application will allow for a major expansion of the feeding program in the Alto Cayma communities and work to integrate nutrition and food science education into the delivery of meals.
Little attention has been paid to the interrelatedness of malnutrition and a communities access to nutritional and life skills education. With many of the residents of the Alto Cayma communities coming to the urban region from rural parts of Peru – the level of functional literacy and life skills is quite low. The proposed project will integrate health, education and nutrition delivery systems into a single focused program.
Finally, our week consisted of meetings and planning session to prepare for another conference in April of 2009. HBI will be convening the Second Annual Alto Cayma Health Professions Conference and Training Symposium. The training symposium, facilitated through volunteer healthcare professionals (physician, nurses, dentists, and healthcare administrators) from the United States and Peru who have expertise in the subject matter they will be presenting, will be a two-day intensive experience with both didactic and hands-on training.
So ends a great week of planning, preparing and communicating about unique ways that HBI can help to “bridge” resources and solutions for the needs of our in-country partners in their on-going work to deliver care, advocacy, and hope to some of the poorest communities in the western hemisphere. Even though I am exhausted, I could not have asked for a more meaningful way to spend my time. Please stay tuned to the HBI BlogSpot – we will have updates on our full schedule of projects and programs for 2009.
Thank you for your support and on-going commitment to the people of Peru.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Lima - The city that never sleeps
I was just in Lima - well, not just . . . make that three months ago. Yet, so much has changed. Lima (and Peru for that matter) is riding the crest of a very prosperous economic and development wave. There is more construction, more visible economic infusion and more tangible identification of "new" wealth than I have seen in my 15-years of travel to Peru.
One very real example of this new wealth is the number of new-fangled cars on the roads. It seems that every where you turn (pun intended) you see new cars and new car billboards. Volkswagen, Nissan, and even BMW and Mercedes have capitalized on the prosperity of Peru and are seeking consumer converts. Yes, Lima - the City of Kings - has truly regained its regal status and is proud to show the world.
My concern, the concern that I have voiced over and over again for the past few years, is this - will any of the new wealth reach the impoverished people that make up the majority of this country's population (a recent report estimated that 45% of Peru’s population lives in poverty). Will there be a trickle down to those unable to even conceive of a fancy new car?
I heard a story today that makes me hope that it will.
Today I was told of a young woman who was recently taken to the hospital. A woman of 42 years who has been widowed and left to raise four children. A woman who suffers from severe pulmonary fibrosis and is on constant supplemental oxygen.
The priest who told me this story said that she has been visiting the woman in the hospital (she was fortunate enough to have Social Security insurance from her husband - a man who died from kidney failure only a few short weeks ago) and making special trips to the family's home to visit the children.
The family "home" is made up of plastic tarp covered walls and a tin roof. There is no running water and the only commode in the entire area for a community of over 200 people is a hole cut into the ground. The floors are dirt and the dampness and cold spring air invade the room like a frost.
The priest told me that all four children have been taking this "very badly." From the 16-year old girl who has been staying away from her younger siblings and seeking solace on the streets, to the 5 and 6 year olds who are inconsolable in their crying. The neighbors have pulled together; and the children are sleeping on the floor in the home of a single mother with only one child.
The prognosis is not good for the woman in the hospital. The priest told me that the doctors do not expect her to live much longer.
After I was told this story I was left with emptiness inside. Even as I type this post I am perplexed by this seemingly insurmountable dilemma - a young woman meeting an untimely death, and four young children left orphaned in one of the poorest countries in Latin America.
What will become of these children? I am not sure. The only thing I know is that a brave priest is working tirelessly to bring hope and strength to these tender lives in spite of the desperation that is occurring all around them.
Consumerism and the false sense of gratification that we receive when we indulge our “wants” – does not come close to the meaningful impact that this priest is making. In a country where new car sales have gone up over 50% - there must be room for four children to find a safe and loving place to begin to re-build their precious lives.
It is my hope that Peru will find a passion to reach out to the “lost” children of the Pueblo Jovenes and create a safety net of hope for the thousands of children that are facing a similar story to the one I outlined above. It is my profound hope that my next trip to Peru is equally punctuated by a palpable sense of change. A change that seeks to reach out to the poor and marginalized – and to give them hope!
Please join me in praying, in offering good thoughts, in keeping these children and this remarkable priest in your heart. We are our brothers and sisters keepers - and today I met a person who is living this moral mandate everyday!
One very real example of this new wealth is the number of new-fangled cars on the roads. It seems that every where you turn (pun intended) you see new cars and new car billboards. Volkswagen, Nissan, and even BMW and Mercedes have capitalized on the prosperity of Peru and are seeking consumer converts. Yes, Lima - the City of Kings - has truly regained its regal status and is proud to show the world.
My concern, the concern that I have voiced over and over again for the past few years, is this - will any of the new wealth reach the impoverished people that make up the majority of this country's population (a recent report estimated that 45% of Peru’s population lives in poverty). Will there be a trickle down to those unable to even conceive of a fancy new car?
I heard a story today that makes me hope that it will.
Today I was told of a young woman who was recently taken to the hospital. A woman of 42 years who has been widowed and left to raise four children. A woman who suffers from severe pulmonary fibrosis and is on constant supplemental oxygen.
The priest who told me this story said that she has been visiting the woman in the hospital (she was fortunate enough to have Social Security insurance from her husband - a man who died from kidney failure only a few short weeks ago) and making special trips to the family's home to visit the children.
The family "home" is made up of plastic tarp covered walls and a tin roof. There is no running water and the only commode in the entire area for a community of over 200 people is a hole cut into the ground. The floors are dirt and the dampness and cold spring air invade the room like a frost.
The priest told me that all four children have been taking this "very badly." From the 16-year old girl who has been staying away from her younger siblings and seeking solace on the streets, to the 5 and 6 year olds who are inconsolable in their crying. The neighbors have pulled together; and the children are sleeping on the floor in the home of a single mother with only one child.
The prognosis is not good for the woman in the hospital. The priest told me that the doctors do not expect her to live much longer.
After I was told this story I was left with emptiness inside. Even as I type this post I am perplexed by this seemingly insurmountable dilemma - a young woman meeting an untimely death, and four young children left orphaned in one of the poorest countries in Latin America.
What will become of these children? I am not sure. The only thing I know is that a brave priest is working tirelessly to bring hope and strength to these tender lives in spite of the desperation that is occurring all around them.
Consumerism and the false sense of gratification that we receive when we indulge our “wants” – does not come close to the meaningful impact that this priest is making. In a country where new car sales have gone up over 50% - there must be room for four children to find a safe and loving place to begin to re-build their precious lives.
It is my hope that Peru will find a passion to reach out to the “lost” children of the Pueblo Jovenes and create a safety net of hope for the thousands of children that are facing a similar story to the one I outlined above. It is my profound hope that my next trip to Peru is equally punctuated by a palpable sense of change. A change that seeks to reach out to the poor and marginalized – and to give them hope!
Please join me in praying, in offering good thoughts, in keeping these children and this remarkable priest in your heart. We are our brothers and sisters keepers - and today I met a person who is living this moral mandate everyday!
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