working with all ages

My group of promoters for my Happy Heart program.
They are so pillas

The doctor from the health center came to give a presentation about Diabetes

Calculating B.M.I.

Conducting Glucose and Cholesterol exams for the community participants

Where we give our the Happy Heart Presentations in one of my communities...my work is far from corporate cubicle life

El Dia de Nino! Kids day in Ecuador!
We celebrated by having a march with all the elementary and high schools and then had a program in the center of town.

We made visers/hats and handed them out to the little kiddos who still had class.

Parade of kids

A youth group conference I helped put on about with Plan International. We did an activity were the teenagers had to pretend like they were on a radio program being interviewed as themselves but 10 years older. It was very interesting hearing the responses. Are you married? Do you have kids? What kind of career do you see yourself having?

How would you respond? Where do you see yourself in 10 years????????

Tooth fairy claims bankrupcy

I helped organize a Dental Brigade in my rural communities, and I have never seen so many teeth get pulled in one day.

I was impressed with what these dentists could do with such minimal supplies and working in a small elementary school building

Some of the kids were so brave…this little boy just had his two front teeth pulled and still walks around with a smile on his face. (He told me he had to be brave for his younger brother who needed to get a tooth pulled)

They are the reason I do what I do

No longer a freshman in PC

I went to Quito last month for mid-service medical exams and to welcome in the new group of PC volunteers. I am getting 2-3 new Agriculture volunteers out near my site, which is exciting. It was an odd feeling to not be on the other side of the fence, answering questions as an experienced volunteer and watching as the newbies head out to their sites to begin their service. I feel like I have passed my freshmen year of PC and have moved up to being an upperclassman.

After a good American style BBQ for the new volunteers, we had our traditional basketball game where the Omnibuses play against each other.

It was so good to be reunited with some of my PC friends from my Omnibus.

The blue wig seems to make an appearance at every Swear-In Party

Where the road meets the sun

This is such a beautiful song. Hope you enjoy! (One more busy month and then I will be visiting lovely Colorado!)
Grace and peace, Alea

KATIE HERZIG & MATTHEW PERRYMAN JONES "WHERE THE ROAD MEETS THE SUN" (LIVE) from SITUATION OPERATION on Vimeo.

I'll be in Colorado soon!

Yippppeeeee! It is final…I bought my ticket to Colorado! I will be home July 3-20^th. I am excited for the weddings, BBQs and good ol’ hanging out time with friends and family. Email me if you are free during those dates so we can plan to get together! I can’t wait to see all your beautiful faces! Sending my love <3

Happy Heart continued...

Happy Heart workshop

The community volunteers are getting so good at taking blood pressure

Practicing calculating Body Mass Index

Want to figure out your own B.M.I.????

Below is the formula:

Weight (kg) = B.M.I
Height (m) x Height (m)

Lbs. / 2.2 = kilograms

Ft./ 3.3= meters

B.M.I...........Category.......................Risk of Heart Disease

<18.5...............Underweight.....................Low Risk

18.5-24.9........Normal..................................Average Risk

>25..................Overweight....................Increasing Risk

25-29.9............Pre-obesity.........................Increasing Risk

30-34.9............Obesity I......................Moderate Risk

35-39.9............Obesity II............................Severe Risk

>40...................Obesity III..........Very Severe Risk

Yay! We just finished our first set of Happy Heart workshops. We taught representatives from 6 different communities in my friend Kristen’s site. Next week, we start again in my 6 communities and then onto Sarah’s 4 communities. Happy Heart is making its way across Manabi! Hopefully in the end, we will see a positive change in the number of people who have Diabetes, Hypertension and Heart Disease. I am just happy to see so many people who are receptive and interested in the program!

Here are a couple random shots from the last week...

The butterfly that decided to hang out on Sarah’s leg during the Happy Heart workshop

Joselo’s Birthday
I brought a little blue and orange to Ecuador…Go Broncos! (PS. My host brother likes to tease me about my height. I think he has inferior height complex.)

No more political jingles

President Rafael Correa ( I just liked his hat in this photo)

No more…. honking cars with megaphones spewing out political jingles…random street parties/ campaigns with loud music…traffic backed up for miles with cars waiting to receive free bleach, fertilizer and bumper stickers….houses painted with bright colored political slogans…building walls plastered with campaign posters….yes, it was an exciting yet tiresome time, and it has finally come to an end.

Sunday was Election Day. The campaigns started very early this year. In the beginning everything was fun and interesting, and I was intrigued by the way Ecuador conducts campaigns. Many of the candidates made house-to-house visits and even special trips out to my rural community. (A little different approach when everyone of age is required to vote.)

However, just like in the U.S., by the time Election Day comes, everyone has been bombarded by so much political propaganda that it is a relief when all the hype is over.

I do have to say though; I saw the most progress made on certain government projects that have been idle for months, like street construction, during the campaigns. I just hope that development continues, and we don’t have to wait for the next election season.

Rafael Correa was re-elected as president. Ecuador has had over 10 presidents in the last 10 years but Correa is changing that streak. My local government will also remain the same. The mayor is very popular in my community and will continue to serve for another term. So, no major changes in my area.

Viva Manabi!