IT
TAKES A VILLAGE: AGUACATE BUILDS ITS OWN CLINIC ( Guatemalan Orthodox
Church – Mission ).
The
old African proverb that “it takes a village to raise a child” could
also refer to other communal endeavors such as building a clinic. We
found this to be the case in Aguacate, Guatemala, after a recent visit
(Nov. 16th) to see for ourselves how the project was progressing after
three months. To our amazement, the ambitious undertaking was more than
halfway complete and well within budget, owing to a herculean effort on
the part of
the entire community. We watched in awe as scores of village
men, with shovels in hand and smiles on their faces, gathered around
scattered sand piles to mix cement and shoulder five-gallon buckets of
the heavy mix up a rickety wooden ramp for pouring onto the second
floor.
Undergirding the newly poured concrete
floor were freshly cut pieces of timber donated by each family as part
of its contribution to the overall effort.
Wooden beams support the 2nd floor construction
Nearby stood the women of the village in
the pouring rain, stirring steaming pots of atol, a sweet rice drink
seasoned with cinnamon, for the workers.
The communal work ethic and enthusiasm of
the villagers were a marvel to behold. This would not be a one-way or
top-down charity, fostering dependency. With joyful eagerness and pride,
they were taking ownership of the project. We had empowered them to
serve each other and Christ. Like the faithful stewards in Matthew 25,
they had taken the “talent” of our financial contribution and multiplied
it for the future benefit of many. Upon inspection of the work, project
director, Robert Kirschner noted, “The craftsmanship was excellent. The
walls were straight and parallel, the poured floor was level and mortar
joints were even and well placed. Conduit for electrical service and 3”
and 4” drain lines for sewer access had been placed in appropriate
locations.”
All of this confirmed the wisdom of
Robert Lupton, who wrote in his book, Toxic Charity, “never do for the
poor what they have the capacity to do for themselves.” During this
visit we also followed up on the fluoride treatment program instituted
in August by Dr. Willie Manteris, D.D.S. Juana Pascal, the Community
Health Worker, has continued the treatments, usually done at school,
even during the vacation time. This is now being done at the village
community center and is attended by most of the children. Juana keeps
treatment records on a computer provided by the Pittsburgh-based
non-profit organization, Computereach. Additional fluoride programs in
nearby villages will be implemented with our next visit this coming
Janaury. These are just a few of the highlights we experienced during
our recent visit. We left Aguacate with a greater sense of what it means
to be community. It is nothing less than the one Body of Christ
comprised of many members, each “having the same care for one another”
(1 Cor.14:25).
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