MEDLIFE

MEDLIFE Intern Amara Channell writes about a new facet of our educational programs -- health and nutritional workshops for the poor in Latin America:

“What can I do to make my child eat more?”

If you have ever attended one our Mobile Clinics, chances are you have heard at least one mother ask why her child is not eating and what medicine the doctors can give her to fix it. Each time the doctors patiently explain that picky eaters are not sick -- they just have a behavioral or taste issue.

Through our expanding educational programs, we have found that one of the biggest problems is that patients lack or misconstrue basic nutritional knowledge. Very few Peruvian schools offer health education, and even if they did, many of our patients have not completed school. The mothers we work with sincerely believe that the more they can make their children eat, the healthier they will be. Their goal is to have chubby children because to them it is a sign of health. Unfortunately, this means that these children are eating fattening diets, not balanced ones, with large amounts of white rice and potatoes, but not much else. Along the way they are developing greater risk of diabetes.

Although very few of our patients show signs of traditional malnutrition, Kwashiorkor or Marasmus, many of them do suffer from micronutrient deficiencies (or “hidden hunger”) which are harder to spot. Worldwide, over one billion children suffer from micronutrient deficiencies. Even though these children may seem perfectly healthy, they have depressed immune function, smaller attention spans, decreased muscle development, height stunting, and poor teeth. They are less likely to complete school because of increased illnesses and decreased brain development. As adults they continue to have issues because the lack of nutrients causes them to be more susceptible to obesity, illness, and muscle weakness. A recent Economist article states that these adults will end up with lower paying jobs, die sooner, and have poorer partners.

In the past few weeks, MEDLIFE has started trying to counter these problems with nutritional “talleres,” or seminars, for local Peruvian women. The seminars last about an hour and give women the absolute basics about nutrition as well as a chance to ask individual questions.

The presentations start by suggesting affordable changes that the women can make, such as eating eggs instead of bread for breakfast, and emphasizing how important variety is. There is an incredible abundance of affordable fruits and vegetables here, but it is not a cultural norm to include them in most meals. By adapting the new MyPlate program (developed by USDA), we can show them a healthy and balanced way to think about preparing their plates.

Sophomore Charlotte Groch, a participant on one of our 2012 Mobile Clinics in Lima, was also one of the first students to successfully use MEDLIFE's 50:50 fundraising campaign. Through our online fundraising tool, Charlotte raised $1,400 -- half of which went towards her participation fees and half of which went to the MEDLIFE Mission Fund. Recently, we used the $700 that Charlotte raised for MEDLIFE to build a new staircase in Pamplona, outside of Lima, Peru:


Charlotte's involvement with MEDLIFE began when an informative email from the organization was sent out to members of her pre-health profession club at Macalester and sparked her interest. "I looked at it and thought -- this sounds perfect for me," she said. After researching our website and listening to other student's stories, she knew that it would be the most useful way to spend her winter break.

The 50:50 Campaign was presented to her in another email she received shortly after registering with MEDLIFE. "It sounded like a great way to help me in my desire to travel, do community service, and help out with a non-profit that seemed to be doing really sustainable work. It's not just for me; it also helps out the organization at the same time." Charlotte attributes the success of her campaign to her sincerity with donors:

"I explained that it wouldn't be a one-time thing -- that it would continue on into the future by helping communities become more health-aware and by educating them about prevention."

Charlotte's funds are continuing on into the future in the form of a concrete staircase for the community of Unión Santa Fé, benefiting a community of 380 people. Check out some photos from the inauguration ceremony, and be sure to read the entire story on our website:

Learn more about Mobile Clinics >    Start a 50:50 Campaign >

2012 has started off with some impressive firsts for MEDLIFE. This January, we reached our largest number of student volunteers in a single week -- 76 students participated in two simultaneous Mobile Clinics in Lima, Peru, and made a huge impact with their efforts! We also built the longest staircase ever built during a clinic week for the residents of Pamplona Alta (Minas), and had a blast during the process. 

Earlier this fall, we introduced Joe and Tommy's $1 Tour: a journey up and down the East Coast of the United States with the goal of giving presentations at current MEDLIFE Student Chapters, starting chapters in new schools, and raising general awareness of MEDLIFE. Along their journey across 15 states -- from Baltimore down to Florida and then all the way back up to Maine -- Tommy and Joe collected single dollars from students, friends, and MEDLIFE supporters. After they completed their tour, the $323 raised in single dollar bills for the MEDLIFE Fund was donated to our most recent staircase project in Pamplona, Peru -- a third staircase in the community of Santa Cruz.


This stair construction project was born when MEDLIFE Project Director Carlos Benavides met a family from the district of Villa María del Triunfo: Sra. Alejandrina Huaya Quispe, her husband Elias Enrique, and their three children. Elias had become the leader of their small community (approximately 50 people) after leaving his home in Puno, near the famous Lake Titicaca, in order to find available land on which he could build his family a home. After we met Elias, he coordinated a meeting between his community members and the MEDLIFE team. MEDLIFE staff members presented our history of work in the region while residents explained their community's needs: infrastructure, potable water, drainage systems, and electricity. At this meeting, we came to an agreement to build a staircase in a region of Santa Cruz called the Pasaje de los Rosales.

Thanks to the community of Santa Cruz, MEDLIFE staff members, and all of our $1.oo donors for making this project a reality!