As promised, here are pictures from the summer health camps! Enjoy!
Escuela Cachulima
Medical Students and Cacha Professors – Looking Good!
So where is Ecuador? And, where is Boston? What is Dartmouth?
Small Group Activities – Hands on stuff.
First things first. We needed to know each other. We played different games.
¿Cómo te llamas?
Yeah! Snack time.
During class, we needed to know Cacha children’s definition of health?
Loving this new experience.
Caroline M. (BU) with small group.
Medical students from Boston University and Dartmouth College are
collaborating with Cachamsi and have organized a Summer Health Camp in Cacha, an indigenous Andean community in Riobamba, Ecuador. The students have prepared for several weeks in order to make this a great success. The summer camp is an excellent alternative for school children from Cacha, who would otherwise be working in the city or tending to crops and animals. For the summer of 2011, the camps will run for three weeks with a focus on health education and basic English lessons. This is quite important because these children not only need good health education but such a cross-cultural experience with medical students from the United States should be beneficial to them as well.
The summer camps started on July 4th of 2010. Four groups of Boston University and Dartmouth College medical students began the introductory lessons in the first morning. The Parrish of Cacha consists of 23 communities and extends southeast of the City of Riobamba, the provincial seat of the Province of Chimborazo. The main objectives of the summer health camps are to provide an educational and cross-cultural opportunity to indigenous children from the ages of five to fourteen during part of their summer vacation. Most of these children are grade and middle school students. This age range may present some special challenges, but we will see!
The first day was made up of introductory sessions where, among other things, we did some activities with the aim of better understanding where the U.S. and Ecuador are on the map. Small groups were also formed in order to introduce ourselves by passing balls to each other; forming a circle, children and medical students had to say their names when the ball fell on their hands. Everyone also played soccer so as to get to know each other in another manner. The children enjoyed these activities and learned something about a new culture and new people. The children were also asked to draw pictures about what they think that health means and some of them had really good ideas about its definition.
Since we all also had a great time, it seems that the dual objective will be accomplished at this camp. On the one hand, the children seemed fascinated to have people from another country in their schools, to learn about health topics and basic English. On the other hand, the medical students have the opportunity of living in a true community service project.
Pictures to come on the next post.
Help us provide ~320 school children from the indigenous Parish of Cacha in Ecuador ~ snack items for the upcoming 2011 summer health camps! For the past 4 summers, we have facilitated 3 to 4 weeks health camps to elementary school children in Cacha, Ecuador.
Cacha is an indigenous parish composed of 23 communities. Cachamsi has the privilege to work year round with different community service projects in Cacha such as the summer health camps. This year 11 medical students from Boston University and Dartmouth College have teamed up, creating lesson plans, raising funds for teaching materials and delivering health related lessons to 320 children. Originally, 120 children were signed up for the summer camps, the demand has increased to 320 children,which have surpassed our capacity to supply snacks to the children. For more information on Cachamsi’s social responsibility:http://www.cachamsi.com/index-1.html
We are asking for your contribution. Please send your check to:
Cachamsi, 402 Youens Dr., Weimar, Texas 78962
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