The physical therapy students have now completed their first two of six weeks with us in Guatemala. Each week, as they continue to practice their physical therapy skills, the students are getting a better understanding of what life is like for many of the families with whom we work and serve. This week I thought I’d share just a few of the things they are learning.

The first full weekend in Guatemala, thanks to our friends with Health Talents International, the students stayed in the homes of families living in one of the 81 communities surrounding Chichicastenango. Over the weekend they experienced the following:  the distance many people travel to get to work or our clinic, the difficulty walking up and down mountain roads and small passes, indigenous family life in an adobe home with dirt floors, a church service in the community, and much more. 

The students enjoyed the opportunity.  They felt it helped them better understand possible home life of their patients and provided suitable ideas for questions to ask for best therapeutic interventions. They discovered that meals in the indigenous community are often eaten together around the stove instead of at a table, even though the students were given a table at which to sit and eat.  One student felt involved in the meal, as her table was placed close to the stove, while another felt isolated, as she felt her table was off in the corner at a distance from the family.  They also learned that many people use what we could consider outhouses as their standard toilet, having to walk outside to get there. This can be a challenge in the dark, during heavy downpours, when on the side of a mountain, and especially if someone has a disability. They also learned to be thankful and appreciative of the time and experience. You’ll have to ask them more about their weekend.

This week they had the opportunity to carry a child on their backs as the moms do when they bring their children to therapy. The moms loved giving them this opportunity and teaching them how to do it. They likely enjoyed a small break from the work of carrying their children, too. The students carried them from the clinic to the bus stop, at least a quarter of a mile.

One of the students, Julia, didn’t think it felt too bad, as she is an avid backpacker, but she said she really felt it after the child was removed from her back. She observed that in backpacking she’d have a strap to tie around her waist, putting more of the weight in her hips, but with the child there wasn’t such a strap. She also realized how it could cause back and shoulder problems with the way it is tied across the front. We further discussed the different ways the child may be carried, such as with legs opened or kept closed together, including the implications to the child.

Natalie discovered the importance of getting the wraparound tied correctly, as initially it was too loose. When one of our staff helped her tighten it, the cloth lifted up in the back, causing her child to start slipping through. Natalie had to reach her arms around and carry him as if she were giving him a piggyback ride. It was tiring. She discovered, too, how easy it is to slip or trip on the dirt roads. It isn’t easy walking with a child on your back.

This week is Holy Week and the students will get more cultural experiences, while providing therapy services to our patients at ASELSI. Stay tuned here or on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/therapyclinicsinternational/) for more.