“I was one meter deep in the dry earth in the jungles of Peru. Skinny chickens clawed close to the edge, gawking at me from above. “Un métro más! (one more meter),” cried out Carlos, one of the 120 residents of Pediatro de Sorza. Five hours later, this 50-year-old village would have its first toilet. Who would have imagined that I would be building outdoor toilets this summer while my friends back in West Hollywood were working in computer stores and coffee shops?
I worked as a summer intern for Doctors Without Borders in their Los Angeles office, which included a three-week field visit to some of their programs in Costa Rica and Peru. Doctors Without Borders is the world’s largest independent medical relief organization with offices in over 19 countries. Each year, more than 2,500 doctors, nurses, logisticians, and non-medical professionals work in over 84 countries providing medical assistance to victims of war, civil strife, natural disasters and epidemics.
Doctors Without Borders made arrangements for me to visit Costa Rica and Peru in order to see first-hand how an international medical relief organization carries out its projects. The most interesting part of my trip was to the jungle-locked region of Ayacucho in Peru where I was able to experience the day-to-day work of a volunteer in a rural health project. Here’s some of my notes from that visit:
My host, Guy, the Doctors Without Borders project coordinator for this region, and I boarded a rickety wooden motor boat overflowing with chickens, sardines and local villagers. We headed upstream against the strong current of the Apurmac River. As the boat violently rocked from side to side, allowing water to gush in, I immediately understood why I was required to wear a life vest. One time during the boat ride I thought we were going to capsize!
We met up with Pedro and Jesse, Peruvian nurses who work with Doctors Without Borders. They work as a two-person medical team that travels to 16 remote communities providing primary health care to villagers. The four of us hiked for more than an hour and a half in the intense heat and humidity of the Peruvian jungle, passing fields of cocaine plants and bamboo huts, to the village of Pediatro de Sorza.
A sick little girl touched my heart
When walking past one hut, I noticed a young girl, maybe three or four years old, standing shirtless along with her older brother, a pig and several chickens. I noticed her extremely enlarged abdomen—a symptom of worm disease. When I had learned about the parasite in my college biology class, it didn’t really affect me emotionally.
But when I saw this little girl, standing amongst garbage, rotting fruit grinds, and broken toys, I saw how many problems she was up against. Not only did she and other people in her community lack access to adequate health care, but they also were deprived of basic human rights, such as access to a bathroom and clean drinking water. You can treat a sick person, but that won’t take them out of poverty.
The sun was setting as we arrived at Pediatro de Sorza. That night we met with the village officials to talk about the public health situation. Although the village had drinkable water, there were no bathroom facilities. Everybody just used the local fields, encouraging the spread of worms and other diseases. I suggested we build an outdoor toilet. Four villagers immediately agreed to help, but my euphoria quickly turned into fear—I had never built a toilet before! Fortunately, Guy and Pedro had experience building them, so we sat down and drew up a four-step plan. Before it got too hot the next morning, we carried out the plan:
1. Search for high ground, at least 30 meters away from the nearest water source;
2. Gather tools: machete, shovel, pick, and a hoe to dig the hole;
3. Find wood to build a floor and a frame for privacy; and
4. Dig a hole 1.8 meters deep, one meter long and one meter wide.
While Guy and two locals dug the hole, I went with the other volunteers in search of wood. We knocked on neighbors’ doors to get permission to cut branches from their backyard trees. After five hours of getting sweaty, dirty, and smelly, the village had their first outdoor toilet. Right at this time, an army of school children on lunch break, led by their teacher, stormed over to see “it.” I asked them if anyone knew what this was. Amidst the buzz of whispers and nervous feet, I overheard several boys say it was a hole to throw their friends in. I explained that the latrine was what they should use to do their ‘business’ because it would help prevent the spread of diarrhea and worm diseases. Squatting over the hole, I demonstrated, with appropriate facial expressions and noises, the proper technique. I then discussed the life cycle of the hookworm, describing how it penetrates human skin and enters the bloodstream. The kids giggled and laughed out loud.
As we finished putting up the frame for the walls, one of the men said to me, “You have done enough. Go rest. Now that you have shown us how to build an outdoor toilet, we will build more.” Hearing this touched me deeply. I felt useful. Although my time in Pediatro de Sorza was short-lived, I formed lasting friendships.
My internship with Doctors Without Borders has been an incredible experience. I have had a wonderful opportunity to apply the knowledge learned in college to help improve the health status of a community. Upon reflection, I realized that it is too easy to become absorbed in college life and forget about the suffering and poverty that burdens many people around the world. Now, I return to my studies at Brown and future goals to become a doctor with a more passionate commitment to assist underserved populations wherever possible.
If you would like information about Doctors Without Borders, or can contribute to their projects with a donation, please call 1 (888) 393-0393 or visit their website: http://www.dwb.org.”