On September 19th Hand in Hands members at large participated in our first annual City of Calgary highway clean up fundraiser. It was the perfect platform to respect physical distancing and get out as a group. Many kilometres were walked by an energetic group. There were about 16 of us walkers and drivers. We are supper thrilled at the support and the turn out. Looking forward to next years highway clean up. Thanks to Melissa for organizing and executing the planning and details.
Making the Moves
Hand in Hands is actively seeking expansion. We are in communication with a partner in Costa Rica who shares our vision and our purpose. Thanks to our first well attended round table meeting we are off to a good start! Thanks to all the brainstorming, and support to all those in attendance.
At the clinic in Tamboril with our partner MINIPEVID and Dr Rivera (Far right-lab coat)
Our team arrived in Puerto Plata and were transferred to Santiago with our driver Giovanny. The team was welcomed by our partner Dr Ruth Rivera and her husband Pastor Edwin the next day at her clinic site in Tamboril. It was a busy week of adult and child clinic with Dr. Rivera where 140 kids and adults visited our clinic. We also had the opportunity to speak at a school to nearly 300 youth! While there, we distributed hundreds of Days for Girls kits and some hygiene kits. We also had the pleasure of spending an afternoon at the Licey public hospital doing inservices and teaching skills clinics on Airway, Breathing, and Circulation with an introduction to recognizing sepsis. We donated stethoscopes to each nurse and BP kits to the two head nurses. Our visit was well received and they are anxious to have us back.
Licey Hospital- Staff inservice
Days for Girls distribution and health talk to Polytech High School in Tamboril.
Young mens class- health talk with Gabriel, a resident MD working with Dr. Rivera.
Our week ended with a visit up the mountain to Jarabacoa where we did a hospital visit delivering much needed new born baby and post partum kits as well as uniform scrubs for the nurses. We took the opportunity to spend time with Nany, our HIH intermediary, to deliver food hampers to our adopted community of Cristo Rey. A heavy rain and some flooding prevented our hike to Jimenoa falls but next time....
Vicky Bednall delivering a HIH food hamper to an elder in Cristo Rey.
Our second week we headed up to Puerto Plata/Sosua region to work with our partner Kate with Youth Upliftment International. Kate does amazing work with the Haitian community. Her love for the culture , and the kids is very authentic. We invited Dr. Rivera to host the clinic with us while we served in the community of Bello Costero. In tandem with our medical clinic, we also had the opportunity to support the teachers with the 3-8 year olds on classroom projects and some Canadian artwork :)
The kiddos just loved that Meghan!
Melissa and the gang.
Sarah helping in class.
A couple days winding down at Sosua by the Sea
This past March Hand in Hands ventured to the Dominican Republic in partnership with Cal South We provided food hampers, baseball clinics and teacher support to our Kids Alive partner there. We reached the communities of Cristo Rey and Palo Blanco. The team had a positive experience and hopes to return yearly as ambassadors of Canada, Cal South, and Hand in Hands.
Our team worked hard in schools in Palo Blanco School as well as assemble medical kits at residential programs at the Kids Alive Ark. From there we ventured to the coast to transform smiles at our team Dental Clinic for a week. The team will be missed, but we hope to see them again soon.
