El Chaparro

In El Chaparro, the school is the only building with electricity. Around 8 in the morning we drive up the rocky dirt road. Once the highway falls out of view, I notice a woman plucking the feathers from a chicken. An experience I had only witnessed through film or imagined. Watching this natural act felt like a breach of their privacy. I had never watched the feathers being plucked, much less a freshly killed chicken on the cutting block. I thought about how distanced I have been from the preparation of our food. This along with countless other observations has led to the reevaluation of my privilege. I am thankful for it all. 4 hours later in the day, we are presented with a plate of chicken, rice and tortillas, I ate my plate clean.

I had never needed to worry about food security, financial hardships, or expensive health care. This type of privilege has allowed me to invest my time and energy into my education, something many people are unable to do in Honduras. While conducting my interviews I ask the question, “What is the highest level of education of the wife or female head of household?” This question has provided me with both insights into the average patient and access to education. An overwhelming majority of participants have reported their highest level as primary or part of primary school (Grades K-6). While I am not sure why they did not continue their studies, I am certain about this geographical disparity. Regardless of education level, people are both resilient and rising. On our outreaches, I am greeted with a handshake and smiles. Although we are from vastly different backgrounds I feel accepted into their community as if I had lived there my whole life.

For the next 3 weeks, I will be spending 1/2 of the week at the Tegucigalpa main clinic and the other half at outreach locations. This week I visited the pueblito El Chaparro in the Olancho Department. The Olancho Department is the largest in Honduras and located 3 hours away by car. While subsiding carsickness, I was trapped by the beautiful scenery. The highway curves in-between 2 large mountain ranges. Its twists and turns take us to city Juticalpa where we spend the night. We wake the next day, leaving for El Chaparo immediately after breakfast. The small town has about 150 members. In 4-6 hours we were able to provide visual acuity tests for 82 patients. For those who qualified, we gave them the appropriate reading or sunglasses. The team consisted of Doctor. Vasquez, Viktor the optometrist and I. I am responsible for distributing the correct glasses prescribed by the optometrist and doctor. As I distributed glasses, I felt intimately connected to my patients. Gifting them glasses that would allow them to read with ease or prevent the development of future pterygiums has changed the way I value my own belongings and access to health services.

In the classroom, it is hard to imagine a village that does not have access to healthcare. While academics and creatives have created windows into this world through interviews and narratives, it cannot compare to personal experience. Working outside my comfort zone was more powerful than any classroom experience. While I have discussed objectives for global health in a worry-free lecture hall, the provision of regular health care feels distant and intangible in areas like El Chaparro. The cost of Health services is staggering and the community members are nowhere near making enough money to pay for it. I hope to further explore the logistics of this question as I spend time in more isolated communities.