Where In the World is Jenifer Bubenik: How to Wash Your Hands & Then Get Scabies

Friday, October 15, 2010

Global Handwashing Day! A day to be celebrated by all around the world and bring attention to the importance of washing your hands for many different reasons. In order to promote the importance of this, I partnered up with the Centro de Salud here in town; heading to them last week with the information provided to me by the Global Handwashing Folks. I also made a poster for the kids, which they promptly trashed and came up with their own PowerPoint, little three-fold handout, two awesome bulletin board standups, and some videos from Discovery Kids and Nickelodeon in Spanish. I do like to think I had some role in this, since I walked them through the Global Handwashing Day website and went through the steps of what needed to be done, a whole Training of Trainers (TOT) thing from PC…however, I can only imagine what they thought of my lame poster that I prepared for them after seeing the awesomeness they came up with. Let me put it this way, they looked like Picasso and I looked like a kindergarten project. But, my strengths are in leading people, not being an artist, so moving forward.

Today started with the main doctor of the center and I heading to the local radio station (I know, we have a radio station here!). It is really just one room with our resident DJ, Freddy, but still cool. So, Doctora Carolina and I went there at 8:00 this morning and she gave him all the information on GHD before he started the interview. About halfway in, Freddy pushed the microphone over to me and I started talking about how PC supports GHD and the WWSP (World Wise School Program), which is why we will be heading over to the kinder later to give a charla to the kids. Since I am working with my mom’s class in the states and a class here to promote cross-cultural exchange, both classes are celebrating the day. Then, I invited everyone in the community to come see me in my office whenever they need something. I was sweating so hard when I talked, so nervous. I don’t normally get nervous when I give TV/radio interviews, but doing it in Spanish is totally different! I could feel the sweat beads pouring down my forehead.

Doctora Carolina teaches kids about washing their hands

Afterwards, Doctora Carolina and I headed to the escuela where we set up for another TOT type charla. She was going to present the importance of Global Handwashing Day to the teachers, so they in turn could go teach it to their students. Although we arrived at 8:40 and the charla was supposed to start at 9:00, the teachers didn’t arrive until 9:20, leaving Doctora Carolina only about 25 minutes to present so that we could be at the kinder at 10:00 am. Thank goodness the teachers didn’t have a whole lot of questions, and right after the PowerPoint, we packed up super quick and took off. Once we arrived at the kinder the kids were all waiting for us and yelled “Buenas Dias Profesora Jenifer!” I don’t know where they got the idea that I am a “profesora” but it is cute to hear them say that and I will keep rolling with it. They were finishing their morning snack, so Doctora Carolina and I set up as they helped us move their chairs and tables. The boys like to show how strong they are by picking up the chairs really high, but actually they just knock other people in the head a lot. Finally, everyone was situated and another class joined us, leaving us with 50 little five year olds eager to hear what we had to say.

Doctora Carolina started up a PowerPoint that included a little boy going about his day playing with his dog, riding the bus, going to the bathroom, etc…all without washing his hands. It showed a germ following him around and other people catching his germ (the germ was a big green scary man) that the kids liked. Then, she shared a couple videos from Discovery Kids and Nickelodeon Spanish which had songs in them for the kids to play along with…just as they were learning the electricity went out in the middle of the presentation. This meant the projector didn’t work for the PowerPoint and the kids were left snuggled around the laptop singing the song at the top of their lungs. When all was said and done we handed out hands on popsicle sticks to kids who could tell us what they had just learned, then headed outside with my other doctor friend, Blanca. All the kids gathered around in a circle and we passed out water from buckets, spoonfuls of soap and paper towels. The doctors showed the kids how to properly wash their hands inside and out before heading back into the class and doing it with hand gel. Overall, Global Handwashing Day was a huge success and I was super lucky to have the doctors from the Centro de Salud help me! They were awesome counterparts today and I can’t wait to work with them again in the future! Back home in North Carolina the local newspaper came to my mom’s school and covered the event locally. They spoke to her about the WWSP and more, so I will let you guys know when that article comes out as well.

Me and my WWSP class after a day of washing our hands

Scabies on me; utterly gross

In the afternoon I headed down into Choluteca to the hospital pharmacy. This past week my rash from last month re-appeared. This time around I took some photos and sent them into the PCMO; who promptly got back to me with this quote “it looks like the scabies bug.” Soooo…. Isn’t that what I thought I had a month ago and the doctor told me it was an allergic reaction to mosquito repellent? Now that we are sure it’s scabies, I take off straight to Cholu and walk the 20 minutes to the pharmacy where I meet up with the pharmacist who knows me really well by now. After getting our formalities out of the way, she hands me my lotion and goes over exactly what to do. Then, she wishes me good luck and I take off to get rid of the itching. Here are the steps I must follow strictly:

All my crap in trash bags, loaded up so the scabies go away

All the stuff that must be bagged up or washed

The mattress and sheets that must go outside (and hammock)

1. Strip all my linens and clothing from my room. Wash it in hot water. Since I don’t have hot water, or three days to wash everything I own, I choose to put it all in large garbage bags and set it out in the blazing hot sun of Southern Honduras for 48 hours. I have been told it will have the same effect.

2. Go search for large garbage bags. In a country that likes to burn their trash, this poses a difficult “hide and seek” effect. I head to the supermercado full of gringos and began to pace up and down the aisles. Eventually I find what I’m looking for and buy the biggest bags I can find. I have a lot of clothes and don’t want to have to worry about running out of space. Cost=L42

3. After placing everything I own in large garbage bags, I take a long shower and scrub my body. Since the only towel I own likely is full of scabies, I simply throw it away. (Since I have had it since college and it cost $5 in 1996, I’m pretty sure I’ve gotten my money out of that. Although, it still looks almost brand new, and after making it through 4 years at App and 10 years in Cali, I was sad to see it go. Oh’, well, Adios.) This means, I shower off with a washcloth.

4. Immediately after showering off, I later myself in this white lotion “heche in Honduras” (made in Honduras) all over my body, in between my toes and anywhere from my neck down.

5. Then, I sleep in a bathing suit bottom and the only tank top I might not have touched within the last seven days. I sleep in a sleeping bag that the old PCV gave me, since mine is in a garbage bag.

6. Repeat for three days.

The scabies lotion "Heche in Honduras"

Do you think I used too much? I don't want them coming back!!!

Saturday, October 16, 2010 and Sunday, October 17, 2010

This weekend found me taking care of my scabies most of the time. After waking up, I had to wash off the scabies lotion, and hopefully all the little scabies with it. It feels utterly gross to have this all over my skin, especially since I like to consider myself a clean person. But, apparently, this is common here in Honduras and you can get it just about anywhere. So, what am I to work out in since all my clothing is in a garbage bag? My bathing suit of course! Complete with tennis shoes. I am a site to behold, but since no one can see me, I get my cardio on in my room with my bathing suit and tennis shoes, and then finish up with P90X ab ripper and leg burner. Hot stuff.

Fun, loving care package from my Phi Mu sis Becca!

On Saturday, I met up with some other volunteers to receive some information about my stove project and have lunch. While seeking out a Mexican food restaurant we heard about, Kari and I walked for what felt like an hour, but was more like 30 minutes, until we saw the funeral parlor and took a left. Then, we walked two cuadros (blocks) until we saw nothing else, so we kept going. Finally, we saw a lady cooking on her stove on the side of the street with a big sign that said “Restaurante Mexicana” so we sat down and called it a wash. After ordering alambres and tacos, I added a lemonade and the day was all good. Then, I headed to the post office where I found LOVE waiting for me in the form of a big box with my name on it and inside so much yummy gummy candy and trail mix to last me through a bunch of movie nights~! Yeah! Love and thanks to my Phi Mu

The trail mix is already gone! That only took three days!

The rest of the weekend finds me picking up my bike from the shop after another needed tune up, visiting with people around the community and some other PCV’s. I spent all day Sunday sitting in the park watching people, reading my book, watching people some more, visiting with the new vendors who have suddenly popped up in the park, and seeking guidance in the church for some of the rocky roads I have been having with my host family. For some reason I thought I would find solitude in this, but after all these years, I think I am simply just more of a mediation and yoga girl and left after about five minutes. Back out in the park I joined the kids in their futbol (soccer) game until the policia drove by and asked me if I wanted to ride along. Of course I said yes, because I like to keep on the good side of the policia, plus it is just fun to see where they might go on a ride along.

As soon as I hopped in the back seat, I asked “A donde va” meaning “To where are we going” and they replied “just riding on out to Tamarindo and Apacialagua.” Cool, just another way for me to say hello to the locals I don’t get to see that often. No more than ten minutes later we roll on up in front of a house, where they hop on outside and I continue to snap photos of the beautiful mountains, when suddenly out comes a guy in handcuffs! They are arresting a guy and brought me along! I calmly sit in the backseat as they have the guy handcuffed to one of the policia and sit him in the back of the truck, while the other officer hops in the front and we start driving back into town. And here I thought my weekends were tranquillo.

The arrest I didn't know anything about

Back in town I thank the officers for the “ride” and go for a stroll in the market. I’ve decided it’s about time I start making my own beans in Honduras, so I head to the same lady I bought my rubber boots from and tell her I’d like one libre (pound) of beans, please. She cups them into a small plastic bag for me and I pay her L16 (L20=$1) and say “Gracias!” Then, I turn back towards home and read through my PC recipe book for the “rapido” way to cook these babies. It has been over five years since I’ve cooked beans, so I want to double check. After picking through the beans for any rocks that might be there, I discover a lot of little bugs at the bottom and toss those out, too. Then, I rinse them off and cover them in hot water and baking powder, along with a little salt. After boiling them for about 10 minutes, I cool them down and cook them for about two hours until they are delightfully yummy! Topped off with the crazy stuff they call cheese here, I have myself a meal, which I share while SKYPING with my parents. Overall, a busy, but productive weekend.