What the vision clinic is all about

Sunday, January 11, 2009


A group of volunteers,mostly from Oregon arrived late last night. At 7 am some already assemble at the hacienda for the daily morning walk. They happen to take the route which leads by our acreage. Which allows me to join them as they walk by. It is still dark as I leave the yard. Slowly the sun appears. I notice that the VOlcano is smoking again today.
The group turns back way too early for me and I continue to walk a bit further up the road.
A little brown dog has been following me all along. It stops when I take a picture and keeps coming back to me. I call it Chico. I could have called it Chica, but I have not yet determined it’s gender. It even follows me into our yard.
I am not a great dog lover, but this one does not approach me and start sniffing my crotch right away. It’s cute and those big eyes look at me as if saying: "Do you want to be my friend?"
After my shower and breakfast Ramiro and I (Ramiro did not come for the walk, he slept in a bit) walk tot he Hacienda. Chico follows us. We won’t let her in, but the very first opportunity it has, it enters the gate.

After the volunteers finished their breakfasts, preparations are made to load the truck with all the equipment for the eye clinic.
We are separated into two groups. Those who are here for the first time go to Queseria Labor camp. Casa Amiga and Colonia Rotaria, a housing development for low income people built with the help of Rotarians. The other group consisting of approximately nine people drive the Project Amigo bus to Nogueras, which is half an hour drive south of Cofradia.
Diego (our driver) drops us of in town to visit the museum of Alejandro Rangel Hidalgo . Now, I must tell you that I hate musea. I figure, that have I seen one, I have seem them all. This however, was quite interesting. The museum is part of the church. Hidalgo lived here. Hidalgo was born with a talent that led him to win his first ward at the age of six. After numerous other awards he traveled to Europe and exposes 23 pieces of art at the Modern Art museum in Madrid. His most extended work are the postcards expressing Mexican traditions which UNICEF awarded in 1063 for having sold more than any other artist that time, spreading them all over the world.
Beside his painting Hidalgo also collected a large collection of Pre Columbian ceramics that were found underground. Hidalgo figured that his passion for these prehistoric things would only be sensible if he could share them with others. Hence the museum.

Next to the museum is the church and it just happened to be time for the Sunday mass.
But there is more to see in Nogueras. A beautiful ecological park is on the other side of the church. Well worth a visit. It is filled with many species of plant, but also with geese and turtles.

After we have change to see the various attractions the PA bus drives us to the Rotary Club of Colima building, where we meet the other group. The equipment for the vision clinic is already set up. We are all assigned a station and are instructed on what to do. A small group of the students from PA are here to assist as well. They all speak Spanish, which is of great help.
We learn some phrases we may need to use with the patients. Some of the volunteers do not speak a word of Spanish and I feel a bit more relaxed being able to communicate to a certain degree.
The Rotarians from the Colima club come to start the BBQ and feed us lunch before the first patients arrive. The meal consists of BBQ beef, Nopales (Cactus leaves) which are excellent from the BBQ. Beans and of course Tortillas. ne of the spouses of a Rotarians explains how she makes the salsa. Some volunteers dig up a bottle of beer out of one of the coolers and there is even a bottle of Tequila, which is being mixed with a grapefruit flavoured soda.
At 3:45 the first patients , who are referred by the health clinic, arrive and sign in. They each get a card, which is then filled in with their name and medical history. Blood pressure is being taken as well as a small blood sample. Next they go through a test to determine which is their dominating eye. They receive an eye drop to dilate their pupils and after ten minutes my station will read their prescription. This pretty neat.
I explain that I will take a picture of their eye. Right eye always goes first. The patient is asked to look in the lens. They will see an image of a bright Christmas tree and on my side I see a circle around their pupil. I push the button and the machine will take a reading. When they blink too much it is difficult to take a good reading.
Once I get the number, which show up on the bottom of my screen. I read them to my partner who records these numbers on the card. They are then send to the next station which is manned by Kurth and Gerry both optometrists from he US and Alex who is an optometrist from Mexico. The Doctors determine their status or make a diagnosis and indicates a prescription for eyeglasses on the card. This card is then taken to the computer station, which has a database of all eyeglasses available in the large cases. These are all donated glasses, soe pretty ancient looking.
It is so neat to see how some people, who have never had glasses before, are excited when they are able to read a line, or see a sign in the distance.
One lady, the age of 64, dressed in her best (not so new) light blue dress, explained to Ramiro, who was serving as translator between the optometrist and the patient that she is going back to school and is not able to read her text books. All she needs is a pair of reading glasses. It is heartwarming to see how happy she is, being able to read her own name off the card. Others may have been illiterate and want to learn how to read, but can only do this with the help of a pair of glasses.
Today was only a trial clinic. The next five days will be a repetition of today but the days will be much longer. It is very hot in the building and we ware happy when six a clock comes. We are going home and put our feet up. Tomorrow we start all over again. Guess who is waiting for us at home? Our dog Chico.