Great program support for volunteers and great coordination with local community organizers

While we were only in Antigua for a week, Jorge from Maximo Nivel was able to coordinate with community organizers in several neighborhoods so that we could participate in make-shift, on-site clinics requested by the communities. In the morning we attended Spanish classes and in the afternoons we went to a clinic site with the program director, an amazing organizer from Guatemala who works with the volunteers, community organizers and a local doctor. Each clinic was in a different location- one in a three-room school, one in a neighbor's one room house, one was in a 15 x 15 corrugated tin church with a dirt floor, one at an orphanage, and another in a house. The doctor provided primary care while the program director provided the needed medications selected from several suitcases full of donated medications. The members of our group were not medical professionals (the students were pre-med) but we were able provide anti-parasitics, vitamins, toothbrushes and toothpaste and hygiene education. The strength of the program to me was in the relationship between the program director and the communities he serves. He was able to create a very meaningful experience for the members of our group while, I hope, also providing some needed resources in the community.