Something’s happening in rural Chapelton. It’s become physically noticeable since we’ve been here; more and more men have taken on a gaunt ghost-like appearance in their face. It seems to be related to the downturn in the economy and the subsequent loss of income and thus available food. There is 60% unemployment in Clarendon Parish (our ‘county’). Forty percent of women are clinically obese and many more, who are undocumented in the research, are overweight; so, it’s harder to notice weight loss in them. But in the men it’s easy, only 16% of men are overweight according to the research. With men already lean, any fat loss will be noticeable. I hadn’t identified it earlier even though it may have already been happening because men tend to wear loose clothing; I assume to keep cool. But, as I’ve made more Jamaican friends whom I regularly see and talk with, there’s an opportunity to see and grasp what is happening. These men, young and old, are farmers trying to feed their families and are sacrificing their personal well-being for their children and “wives”.
I’ve written letters requesting financial assistance from the government in the name of two of these men who are illiterate (this is the standard approach for those affiliated with the political party in power…those in the other party are just out of luck until or if there’s a change with an election). It’s heart breaking to hear their stories as I interview them for information to include in their requests. There simply is no work and thus no money to buy food beyond what they specifically grow or raise. There is lots of sharing and bartering but it must not be enough.
Sometimes when I consider the wellness programs we’ve started I feel a little foolish. Yes, the obese and overweight women benefit, but there is an underlying larger issue; we don’t have the tools to deal with seeing that all 3,000 residents have adequate and nutritious food supplies. One thing I’m going to suggest to our nutritionist is that when she sees the Wellness clients that she ascertains their ability to access food and, where applicable, school them on what Jamaican foods give the biggest bang for the buck.
And then there’s one effort Gary’s working on; he’s trying to get some kind of basic sanitation facilities to 11% of the dwellings in our immediate neighborhood that have no toilets or water. He’s written a grant to see if funds are available to have them built. We’re confident he will get at least four toilets built for one very large family compound. At that location we’ve tried to estimate how many people actually live on the site and are certain that it’s at least 25 but likely many more. Currently these people use the helicopter approach: eliminate in a plastic bag, tie it shut, twirl it around, and let it fly into the bush. You may be disgusted or amused by the approach but at this point there’s no other option. At the same time, just try to imagine what it would be like if 11% of your neighbors did the same; like here, vectors would be everywhere spreading infectious disease.
What lessons we’re learning!!!
On a high note, I had a fellow stop me recently and say, “hey, you’re the lady at the hospital who taught me how to wash my hands so I can stay healthy (most Americans do it all wrong too). I said yes, I’m the one, and then asked him three key questions: what is the one thing you have to have to kill the germs when you wash; what kills the germs; and how should you dry your hands? He got them all right!!!: clean water, friction (rubbing hard) all over the hands, fingers, and under the nails, and either let them drip dry or use a clean paper towel. It was good to get that simple but very positive feedback; I hope all those hundreds of other souls listening to me in the hospital waiting room over the weeks have learned as much.
We’re coming home again to see John and Stephen for a long Mother’s Day weekend in Dallas and are really looking forward to it even if it will be short. There’s nothing like hugging the two of them. Most of our fellow volunteers spend their time and money seeing the island (we’ve done a little of that) but we’d rather save up our days-off to see those wonderful guys.
Laita, Margaret
Monday, March 30, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
The latest for us in March 2009
March 27, 2009
Fruits, veggies, and more…..
Our regular walks in the community are usually dictated by the weather. If there has been a significant rain the night before we avoid the bush walks because of all the puddles and mud. So we are then relegated to the road walks which aren’t bad if we stay off the main road where some crazy taxi drivers come ever so close to picking you off.
On our most recent walk through the bush (where we usually find an orange or two to nibble along the way) we noticed that the oranges were for the most part picked…we were informed that it is the end of the orange season. A few trees still are full of oranges..mostly because these are the sour oranges..apparently they use these to make marmalade. But to our surprise we noticed little buds and then on one tree some flowers…the turn-around time from the last orange to new buds is quite fast. I stopped and asked a man in one of the orchards…he said that in five or six weeks there will be new oranges on the trees ripening. Right now it is spring…but it seems like summer with many other fruits starting to become available. Papayas are now coming into season…not very sweet yet, but good nonetheless. And then there are the custard and star apples, they taste and have the texture of custard. We cut them up and put them on top of cake or cookies, it makes a delicious substitute for ice cream and it’s much healthier. In about 6 weeks mangos will be the rage…I’ve heard lots of Mango stories…all types of varieties from big to small…from sweet to very sweet. For all intents and purposes we have been told that there is less cooking going on from May to mid-July because of all the ripe mangos. When we arrived last July the mango season was coming to an end….…so we’re looking forward to the mango harvest.
We started a garden (small area) last fall to grow some basil…(can’t find it in the produce departments of the food stores)…it is now flourishing. Our host mother has had most available parts of the property turned over for planting….tomatoes, callaloo, spinach, peas, beans….already on her property (which is a small lot about 20 ‘ x 60’) is sugarcane, banana plants, breadfruit tree, ackee tree, apple tree (Jamaican apple), and gongoo peas. You’d think it was summer back home…but its spring. Speaking of fruits and veggies the tomatoes in Jamaica are great….they are good all year long..not just during August in New England. The one thing I miss is nice green lettuce and romaine lettuce…we only have access to iceberg lettuce here…dark green callaloo replaces the spinach and is quite good.
Straying from the gustatory delights of fruit, we’ve noticed that culturally there are frequent births and deaths in our community. There are only 1,500 people in Sangster Heights which is the district or neighborhood of Chapelton where we live. There’s a funeral every week or two and twice that in births. Strangely, we have never seen or heard of one marriage that has taken place since we’ve been here. We can’t explain it culturally but it is hard to understand.
Otherwise, we are getting very busy. Yesterday's schedule was how it's becoming. 6:15 AM: ran two miles, 6:45: breakfast and shower, 7:30: Walk to hospital, 8: presentations to patients on handwashing and obesity, met with hospital staff about a fundraiser for buying computers for the records room [Chapelton Hospital is only one of two in the Parish that still handles patient records manually], & misc work in our office, 10: walked to library, 10:15: searched on the internet for information on teaching adults how to read, 11; walked to town to get some phone minutes, met with the manager of the local bank about free checking account for the local Citizen's Association and the donation of a computer or two for the hospital, walked to the Middle School to see if they had a literacy screening test that I could use with adults, walked to a local restaurant to get some flyers copied to advertise a community meeting, and had lunch, 12:45: walked to the high school for a weekly tutorial in Exercise Physiology for the football, basketball and track coaches, 2: walked back to the hospital to prepare and teach a 3 PM exercise class for staff who have done the Wellness Evaluation; 4:15 walked home, 5 waited for my second literacy student who turned out to be a no shoe [I was so thankful for the break], 6: ate dinner, 6:15 PM walked to meet a local Bishop about borrowing his church's drum set and keyboard for a Sacred Concert the Citizen's Association is holding on Good Friday. Came home and watched American Idol and was in bed by 8:30.
Tek cyar of usef an odders, Margaret & Gary
Fruits, veggies, and more…..
Our regular walks in the community are usually dictated by the weather. If there has been a significant rain the night before we avoid the bush walks because of all the puddles and mud. So we are then relegated to the road walks which aren’t bad if we stay off the main road where some crazy taxi drivers come ever so close to picking you off.
On our most recent walk through the bush (where we usually find an orange or two to nibble along the way) we noticed that the oranges were for the most part picked…we were informed that it is the end of the orange season. A few trees still are full of oranges..mostly because these are the sour oranges..apparently they use these to make marmalade. But to our surprise we noticed little buds and then on one tree some flowers…the turn-around time from the last orange to new buds is quite fast. I stopped and asked a man in one of the orchards…he said that in five or six weeks there will be new oranges on the trees ripening. Right now it is spring…but it seems like summer with many other fruits starting to become available. Papayas are now coming into season…not very sweet yet, but good nonetheless. And then there are the custard and star apples, they taste and have the texture of custard. We cut them up and put them on top of cake or cookies, it makes a delicious substitute for ice cream and it’s much healthier. In about 6 weeks mangos will be the rage…I’ve heard lots of Mango stories…all types of varieties from big to small…from sweet to very sweet. For all intents and purposes we have been told that there is less cooking going on from May to mid-July because of all the ripe mangos. When we arrived last July the mango season was coming to an end….…so we’re looking forward to the mango harvest.
We started a garden (small area) last fall to grow some basil…(can’t find it in the produce departments of the food stores)…it is now flourishing. Our host mother has had most available parts of the property turned over for planting….tomatoes, callaloo, spinach, peas, beans….already on her property (which is a small lot about 20 ‘ x 60’) is sugarcane, banana plants, breadfruit tree, ackee tree, apple tree (Jamaican apple), and gongoo peas. You’d think it was summer back home…but its spring. Speaking of fruits and veggies the tomatoes in Jamaica are great….they are good all year long..not just during August in New England. The one thing I miss is nice green lettuce and romaine lettuce…we only have access to iceberg lettuce here…dark green callaloo replaces the spinach and is quite good.
Straying from the gustatory delights of fruit, we’ve noticed that culturally there are frequent births and deaths in our community. There are only 1,500 people in Sangster Heights which is the district or neighborhood of Chapelton where we live. There’s a funeral every week or two and twice that in births. Strangely, we have never seen or heard of one marriage that has taken place since we’ve been here. We can’t explain it culturally but it is hard to understand.
Otherwise, we are getting very busy. Yesterday's schedule was how it's becoming. 6:15 AM: ran two miles, 6:45: breakfast and shower, 7:30: Walk to hospital, 8: presentations to patients on handwashing and obesity, met with hospital staff about a fundraiser for buying computers for the records room [Chapelton Hospital is only one of two in the Parish that still handles patient records manually], & misc work in our office, 10: walked to library, 10:15: searched on the internet for information on teaching adults how to read, 11; walked to town to get some phone minutes, met with the manager of the local bank about free checking account for the local Citizen's Association and the donation of a computer or two for the hospital, walked to the Middle School to see if they had a literacy screening test that I could use with adults, walked to a local restaurant to get some flyers copied to advertise a community meeting, and had lunch, 12:45: walked to the high school for a weekly tutorial in Exercise Physiology for the football, basketball and track coaches, 2: walked back to the hospital to prepare and teach a 3 PM exercise class for staff who have done the Wellness Evaluation; 4:15 walked home, 5 waited for my second literacy student who turned out to be a no shoe [I was so thankful for the break], 6: ate dinner, 6:15 PM walked to meet a local Bishop about borrowing his church's drum set and keyboard for a Sacred Concert the Citizen's Association is holding on Good Friday. Came home and watched American Idol and was in bed by 8:30.
Tek cyar of usef an odders, Margaret & Gary
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