Service Learning Experience Guatemala City, Guatemala Introduction For this project I fulfilled a long time dream of travelling to another country to provide them with help in any way I could. I was given the opportunity to travel with a team to Guatemala City, Guatemala with a group of 42 high- schoolers, college students, and adults for ten days.
The team had three divisions: construction, education, and medical. As a member of the medical team we worked in multiple schools around Guatemala City side by side with a doctor and dentist providing the children with much needed medications.
Agency Description AMG International is a missionary agency established in 1942 ministering in over 30 countries of the world. AMGs holistic ministry philosophy recognizes that people in extreme physical need are often not interested in the truth of the Gospel unless their basic needs are cared for. Because of this, we seek to touch lives and hearts of those in need by ministering to them on a physical and spiritual level
We worked with the Guatemala branch of AMG and had contact people that helped prepare us during our stay and in the months leading up to the trip. This agency has a base school, Verbena, where children who are sponsored to attend go for grades K-5. They also provide services to many other schools in Guatemala City. All children must be sponsored to be able to attend school but when AMG finds a child in need they do what they need to locate a sponsor for that child. (AMG, 2012) Volunteer Role Description There were six medical professionals on the medical team including myself coming from a variety of backgrounds. The medical team met at Verbena each morning and travelled together with the doctor and dentist to different schools. We administered a liquid de-worming medication to the children at each school as well as vitamins, fluoride rinses and tooth brushes and tooth paste. The de-wormer is a medication that the children need to receive every six months to tolerate the food and water they eat and drink daily without adverse reactions.
The trip was not all work though, while we were there we spent a day in Antigua, Guatemala and were able to hike a volcano, take salsa lessons, learn to cook traditional Guatemalan dishes, and shop!
The Team The Medical Team Volcan de Pacaya Verbena Critical Reflection Prior to the trip I viewed this as a very expensive and fun way to complete my service learning requirements while fulfilling a dream. I had expected it to be quite an adventure and worthwhile experience. I didnt realize how much what I was doing would impact me and my career. I knew it would be sad to see all the kids who were less fortunate than us. I did not realize the horrendous living environments they were exposed to. Many families, who were fortunate enough to have a home, lived in multi- family houses which were all stacked on top (literally) of each other, sometimes five houses high and side by side with other houses. I assumed that the kids would be sad and suffer from depression. I was wrong! These kids had some of the biggest hearts known to man-kind. They would run up to you, having never met or seen you before, and hug you with all their strength. The AMG workers said that this is because they think any white person they see is their sponsor and the reason they are able to go to school.
This trip changed my life. I did not get to provide any life saving measures but I was able to use my skills as a nurse help children in desperate need, while at the same time these children helped me. It was worth every penny I spent getting there and more.
The Kids Synthesis I was surprised that the BSN program required a service learning experience. I did not think there would be any requirements outside of the virtual classroom. I am glad there was. I learned the importance of using my skills as a nurse to help those in need without compensation for my time. Those who need help the most are generally least likely to be able to reimburse you for your help. This is absolutely a beneficial experience to learn before obtaining a bachelors degree in nursing. Our profession is about helping others after all. I would recommend this service learning project, or one similar, to anyone who is presented the opportunity. Reference AMG International - Advancing the Ministries of the Gospel. (n.d.). AMG International - Advancing the Ministries of the Gospel. Retrieved July 12, 2014, from http://www.amginternational.org/main/fs/