Fishing in the Macuma River

Stopping for minute to check out a creative fishing net on the Macuma River, just before we crossed the river for the second time. The young man pictured here was a member of one of the families who acompanied us. Now adays on the principle jungle trails the only real dangers are the poisenous snakes and swollen rivers.

Regional Airport

So Alex and I were waiting at the Macuma regional airport for a flight out of the town, but due to fuel shortages we were told there would be no flights until sometime the following week. So instead of a 30min flight to our desitnation, we would be walking 5-6 hours though the jungle and taking a 4-5 hour bus ride home. Here you have a sick Ingeneira Alex bemoaning the possiblity of the hike.

Macuma: Reproductive Health

Sorry this isn't a good picture, but it has a story: I was maybe a little bored with the idea of spending 4-5 days in Macuma just talking about latrines and hand-washing (though this is of very important), so I asked the gentleman who runs the town clinic (building in the background) if he knew of any reproductive health programs for the young women of the high school (girls in the foreground).... next thing I knew I was talking (with the local Shuar Pastor David Chu) to the 150 students (men and women) of the regional high school about sex education from a Chrisitan perspective and promising the director to return in Febuary with more course materials and dedicated teaching time. These kids live in a confusing clash of cultures where traditional Shuar culture demands that girls and boys grow-up seperately and the influencial un-censured sensual modern world says anything goes. You can imagine in such a world, the idea of discernment is a little hard to come by. Teachers in this high school have fathered children of fourteen-year-old students without dismissal and often young mothers are left of fend for themselves and their babies.

He who has clean hands.

While teaching a health and hygiene course in the Shuar town of Macuma one weekend to some community leaders, Alex and I took advantage of the moment and asked to speak with children... in the midst of playing games about hand-washing and trash-picking, we asked for evidence of their clean hands (this is after a very rigorous washing and examination).

Chimborazo Days.

So this past week I was back in Chimborazo in the follow-up communities of Apunag, Shanaycu, Gaunan, and Puruyaipampa, hiking 8-10hours a day, doing house visits, checking on the wee-folk, and taking pictures of latrines, faucets and breast feeding mothers. It was a lovely, satisfying but tiring and at times not very glamorous job. Why so many pictures? Because I love Chimborazo.

Motherhood.

First a tribute to the breast feeding women of the world! Tio Elias, I understand it is not very P.C. (not like you know what that means) but this woman is absolutely beautiful and she liked the picture!

Gordita Sospechosa.

Now a tribute to all the cute, chubby, breast-fed babies of the world. I called this lovely wawa “gordita” with all the love in my heart. (Same goes to you for Isabella.). In communities where 80% of the women have lost at least one child, this is a beautiful sight.

Signing Informed Consent.

A lady in Apunag signing the informed consent on the follow-up questionare. And yes, because of HIPPA I cannot reveal her name, age, telephone or home address. But come visit me and I’ll introduce you!

Dolor de diente.

Yes my dear, I see you have a bad tooth! This little lady was about 3.5 feet tall, with global static mental development problems, a very large goiter, beefy red tongue, and a rotten tooth. We communicated with smiles, concerned nods and lots of gestures. Promise I’ll go back and see her in a couple of weeks Mom.

Walking to Shanaycu.

It was early morning and we were walking over to Shanaycu from Apunag on the main road. This young women ran over to ask us what we were doing. (Joe, I was trying to get something like your Havana-road-side shots.)

Sample Faucet.

Just a sample a still-life-faucet for Huong.

Sample Latrine.

Just a sample of a better-than-a-Hatian-latrine for Ana.

Cuyi Delicious

Wondering what was on the menu most days? Well besides potatoes, in the sierra we always have plenty of cuyi (guinnea pig). Sorry Nirali, close your eyes! (And Tina, only tell Timmy that I'm eating his pets relatives if you feel he's up to it).

Home Visits.

Just evidence that I was actually there ; ) (Janice, I’ll return the shirt!)

Doctora Babena

Babena came in because she was having diarrhea, but got more than expected. Here she is listening to her grandson's heart. The Waorani, while considered a violent indigenous group, are now most often incited to retaliate - such was the case with the recent spearing of a trespassing lumberman.

Tree of Life

The trees of the LORD are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted. Psalm 104:16. A tree on the Rio Chichugui, Waurani territory.

Wau Elegance

This is one of the elegant Waorani women of the community of Nuneno. The group of women here were straighforward and unusually talkative, particularly Marta, the health promoter. Births here are at home, with mothers and sisters helping, as there are no trained midwives or experienced parteras. For more information on a movement of Indigenous Midwives in Ecuador go to www.amupakin.com!

How beautiful are the feet of those

We were on our canoe (a very modern metal one) to a Waorani community that Compassion International works in (www.compassion.com) sponsoring children to go to school and providing medical care (in this case me). This was an accidental picture of Romelia's feet... but aren't most beautiful things in life accidental and unexpected?

Ciudad de Coca

So apparently this is one of the more dangerous cities in the country, due to factors such as the narcotráfico and tensions between indigenous populations vs the petróleros and the lumber folk. Just to share, this the view I was tortured with for many hours on the rocky road to the Puente de Tiwino. Horrible thing was that the only thing I could think of was that I needed to pee. What a painful experience.

Leaving again.

Am finished with my two month rotation in Shell, at the hospital, and am back in the world of community development. Am again in Quito preparing for a trip to the Sierra communities outside of Riobamba. And the schedule is looking good. Today I leave for the Waurani community of Taxococonanaco (phonetically at least) with Compassion International to do some well-child checks. Apparently the kids have been taken out of their jungle communities and are waiting for us in a small road-side town. The drive is about 23hours from where I am now... near El Coca (aka near Columbia).

Am very sad to have left Shell. Funny thing was that I left a lovely house full of women: including Kristen, an adventurous older Swedish lady who loves to dance, Elizabeth, a gentle pre-med student from Ohio who is a fabulous chef, Bonnie “Bonboncita” Chen a wild M4 from UCSF who has a contagious laugh and a talent for telling stories (and who is currently contaminated with big bad jungle scabies) and various other guests…. And now I’ve moved into a quiet Swedish Hostal where the residents are generally conservative middle-aged working men from the Iglesia del Pacto. Big change in house dynamics.

Ok my dears. I’m off to the bus station now. Off to Taxococonanaco .

A moment ago.

Just a moment captured in the city of Esmeraldas, where Texaco has a massive petroleum refining center and where corrupt government officials have sold off logging rights in national parks, leaving the once-emerald coastal province stripped bare and writhering in drought.

Gifts for Life?

These are the lovely hand-pumps that are installed at wells, often before a community receives "agua entubada" (running water). More than 2 million people die every year from water-borne diseases. Clean water one of the best regalos you can give a community. Are the gifts I give ever meaningful? hummm. This Christmas, I'm thinkin' of shopping at www.giftsforlife.org.

Borbón

Last week I went to the devastatingly-deforested Province of Esmeraldas with a group from Water Projects (Community Development) and Life Water (a EEUU/US based NGO), to take a look at some wells. Here you see a rincón in the city of Borbón, where the water runs acouple hours a day and the HIV/AIDS incidence is unsualy high compared to the rest of Ecuador... thanks in part to poverty and prostitution.

El Wawa

This is just a cute 31weeker (which here in the jungle usually means the baby does not survive). By now he was off oxygen, gaining weight slowly, and making his mother wonder when they could go home! Wawa, is Kichua for baby.

Life as Art.

I simply love this picture. Again, thanks to Doctorita Bonnie "Bonboncita" Chen for documenting this. Wonder how cotton ball are made? Here in Shell the nurses, when they have a free second, sit down and hand-roll cotten balls, dipping their fingers occasionlly in a little cup of water. So here's the proof. Life is art.