Rotary in Guatemala 2016

 

Service Above Self Around the World: Guatemala 2016

200 medical checkups • 36 pairs of shoes • 10 water filters • 710 students • 4 schools

During the week of July 17th-24th, members of the Topeka South, Olathe Noon, and Lenexa clubs along with two members from the Washburn University Rotaract club,
 
 
two nurse practitioners from the Washburn School of Nursing, and one participant from this year’s RYLA traveled to Guatemala to help the communities surrounding Lake Atitlán. The team visited the communities of Patanatic, San Juan, San Pedro, Cerro d’ Oro, and San Pablo to serve several needs.
 
The medical team conducted over 200 medical checkups in four different schools. In an extension of Sole Mates, Topeka South and Woodland Public Charity supplied 36 pairs of shoes to the children of Patanatic and Cerro d’ Oro. The team also delivered ten water filters purchased by Rotarians and the RYLA participant on our team. (See photo gallery here.)

For the first time in their history, the communities of San Pedro and San Juan each received a clinic provided by Topeka South in collaboration with Woodland Public Charity, the nurses of Patanatic, and the Washburn School of Nursing. The room that was used for this purpose was supplied by the elementary school in each community indefinitely as part of their commitment to this project. The clinic, at first, will be attended by one of the Patanatic nurses at least once a week with the intent that nurses who are trained in the future will be assigned to these clinics. The team cleaned, painted and stocked these clinics, then presented them to the principal of each school. The clinic in San Pedro will help 385 students get access to better health care and the clinic in San Juan will help 325 students.
 
It was a pleasure, once again, to be on a team of such fine and professional people. The following list is who were on our team this year.
 
Topeka South
  • Faron Barr and Ann Barr along with their nephew, Scott Berry
  • Michael Byers and his daughter, Elizabeth Small
  • Patrick O’Kane and his son, Jacob O’Kane
  • Olathe Noon
  • Wes McCoy
Lenexa
  • Jorge Coromac and his children, Jorge and Julia Coromac
Washburn University Rotaract
  • Lauren Barr
  • Olivia Banzet
  • 2016 RYLA participant Andrew Oberholzer
Washburn School of Nursing
  • Tiffany McManis and her niece, Shalynn Basa
  • Crystal Stephens
If you would like to learn more about this trip, please go to the Topeka South Rotary Facebook page to find pictures and a day-by-day report of the work that was completed during this week. I personally thank all of the team members for their wonderful efforts and I, especially, thank all of the Rotarians who made this trip possible.

Faron Barr
Topeka South Rotary