Incredible and eye-opening

I am so thankful that I got the opportunity to volunteer in Restauraciόn. I was fortunate to participate in a variety of medically-based support in the community. In Restauraciόn, I shadowed at their only hospital. The doctor was very patient and explained medical procedures to me as he was seeing the patients. One of my favorite parts was helping out with the mobile clinic. Dr. Ricardo came with us and we helped over 100 patients in one day. I also helped with the girls’ empowerment group and charla talks on diabetes, dental health, and chikinguyna (an outbreak virus spread by mosquitoes). Our talks were interactive which helped involve the children and get them excited about what we were teaching them. Since I didn’t speak Spanish, I was especially grateful of the other FIMRC staff that helped me translate throughout my stay. Playing games with the local children throughout the day was one of my fondest memories of my experience. These kids always had smiles on their faces and I loved playing games and laughing with them. Overall, the experience was beyond incredible and I value the relationships I formed and lessons I learned about others and about myself.