Panama Service Project Blog

by Jean Plum, USM Spanish teacher

There were many parts of our experience in Panama that caused some apprehension: managing our luggage, meeting host families, breaking the language barrier and trying new foods, to name a few. One of the most anticipated events, however, was the gira. Nutre Hogar-Santiago sponsors biannual medical tours, which villagers learn of by signs and radio announcements, to carefully select malnourished children from among the indigenous population and then transport them to its centers for several months of recuperation.

We had been told that our function on this gira was to observe, to appreciate where the children of Nutre Hogar come from. That was easier said than done, as so many of us wanted to assist in some way. While the babies in the long line were weighed one by one, some of us helped sort and distribute donated clothing and toys, others helped entertain older children in the group, and still others helped to stand guard, making sure that babies given bracelets, the sickest among them, would not be carried off.

Anxious to understand the process of how the candidates for Nutre Hogar are identified, I stood close to the nurse, Oriél. Despite the line, he was very patient and careful about his work, which consisted of listening to the age and weight of each baby and then comparing it to a developmental curve. Although many of the babies were considered underweight, the nurse was looking specifically for those that fell into the malnourished category. He also quickly identified those with respiratory or parasitic infections, sending them on to see the doctor, who would then provide an appropriate medication.

There were a few cases that stood out to me that day. One of the babies had been identified right before we arrived as being severely malnourished. Her mother had not come, as she herself was fighting for her life at a hospital. When the infant returned later to Nutre Hogar, we struggled to find something small enough for her to wear. Another small child had, according to the nurse, “dientes  de iguana”. The nurse showed me this child’s teeth that had been filed into points, the parents hoping to create a better chewer out of him. The third case saddened me perhaps more than the rest. A mother came with her child who was visibly overweight, but
who couldn’t walk, talk or respond in any way. The nurse asked the mother questions about what the three-year-old could or couldn’t do and then simply shook his head. The boy most likely had a severe form of autism, and it appeared that no help would be offered to him and his family. As our own country has come such a long way in helping those with such disorders, I felt so helpless at that moment, knowing how far Panama still has to go to serve these children.

After several hours of both hard work and waiting, the line disappeared, and people walked away with their babies, medicines, new clothing and toys. Families with babies identified to come to Nutre Hogar met individually with a social worker who explained the process of giving up their babies for a time to have them return months later in much better health. Over twenty babies were so identified that day and came home with us to Nutre Hogar.

As we left the gira many of us had mixed feelings. There was a great deal of sadness about the poor living conditions of these indigenous people and in knowing that these mothers and fathers were turning over their babies. At the same time, there was a great sense of accomplishment in our work and service that day and joy in knowing that these newest residents of Nutre Hogar would soon lead healthier lives.

by Lyndsey Bohrer, CMH student

I joined  the Panama Service Project (PSP) for the second time this July 2010. I remember the first year I participated in the trip, culture shock was the first thing that set in.  At that point, I had taken Spanish classes for three years and thought I would be able to keep up perfectly.  I was shocked by how fast my family actually spoke but we soon worked out a system of communication.   When our Catholic Memorial group went to the Nutre Hogar center in Penonomé  that first day, I was not as shocked as I expected.  I learned that the surprisingly few babies at the center were actually mostly recovered.  I did not realize the full extent of the malnutrition in Panama until that year’s gira or medical mission in the mountains when we brought forty-two malnourished children back to the centers.

After the gira, I remember being told that one of the babies hadn’t survived the trip back to Nutre Hogar.  At that moment, the extent of Panama’s malnutrition problem really hit me.  I could not imagine that when that child’s mother gave her baby up she ever thought she would never see her child again.  That gira helped me to realize how much Nutre Hogar and Friends of Nutre Hogar do for these children because they give so many a chance at life they would not otherwise have.  This is why I returned this year. Nutre Hogar holds a special place in my heart and will continue to for the rest of my life.