Hannie visits ECUADORRRR

So the most exciting news for this month besides the 5000 condoms (in the blog after this) was the lovely visit from my BFA Hannah Bazur-Leidy!  She arrived on tuesday evening (Oct.9).  Chino and I had quite the adventure getting to the airport, but we made it in time and were able to recibirla a tiempo! We traveled back to Ambato the same night and spend wedesday and thursday in Ambato.  Wednesday we went to the parque de la familia, which is this park located practically on top of one of the mountains near Ambato. In the afternoon we enjoyed Cevichochos and bought fruit from my fruit lady.

Thursday she went with me to our girls group that Sharon, I and another Ecuadorian started with some 11-12 year old girls.  Hannah was put to work, being a leader of one of the groups, and did AMAZING! Thursday afternoon we went to get pedicures, which pretty much turned into a nightmare for poor hannie...here what they do is cut out the dead skin that grows inbetween your nail and your toe, and hannah apparently had a lot of these because her two big toes, bled and then became infected.  It ended up being quite a painful but hilarious experience, i didn´t laugh at her, i laughed with her..  Not to worry though, I had my handy dandy Med Kit from peace corps that saved the day!

 Friday we headed to Quilatoa, sadly it was very very cloudy and the laguna could not be seen.  But we had a fantastic time taking pictures by the Ecuadorian Grand Canyon, hannah in flip flops and all because of her poor swollen toes!  We passed through Latacunga to eat Chugchucaras and watch the soccer game, Ecuador vs. Chile (They won, YAY)

Saturday we went to Sharon´s to do some planning for the next week of the girls group and then the three of us went to Chino´s basketball game, the guys won, and Sharon and Hannah had a great time bonding over their love for Loyola (Sharon did her masters there the same time Hannah was doing her Undergrad..what a small world!)

Sunday early morning we left for the Beach!  We were at the beach through tuesday afternoon and were able to soak up some sun....not enough but it did come out for a bit.  But we did have the opportunity to sit in swings and have a drink in a grass hut type thing.  Tuesday evening we were back in quito and wednesday walked around to see some churches and the presidents palace.

Thursday was the sad day that we said goodbye...it was so amazing having her here.  I think she did quite well seeing as she couldn´t eat any gluten, being a celiac and all..but did just fine with all the variety of corn and banana products that we have here!  It was such a joy to spend time with her!!! Love you han :)

And october comes to an quite a positive end!

Hmm where to begin.....So I´ve been working with a student from another University, Fernanda, I can´t remember if I already mentioned this...we are currently working on a Programa de sexualidad.  December 1st is World AIDS day, and so we are planning this huge event.  We will have the kick off for our new program POR MIL MOTIVOS PIENSO EN TI (for 1000 motives I think of you..)

The event consists of several different organizations having different stands of various topics about Sex, ITS, HIV-AIDS...etc.  It is a concurso, (competition), the top three stands get a prize! Along with the kick off to this new program we are also doing the distribution of condom dispensors in the colleges.  For this we need TONS  AND TONS of condoms, as well as the dispensors.  With all of the designs and materials for the program our budget doesnt really cover the condom dispensor part nor the condoms, which means we needed to turn to sponsors.

Technically the Ministerio de salud here in Tungurahua is supposed to support us in our efforts for salud, but they have decided to be VERY DIFFICULT. First telling us that they would happily give us condoms, even the dispensors, and then turning around to say it was impossible because their program only covers youth.... ( over 65% of our students are from ages 17-19..HELLOOOOO) and that they couldn´t help us because we were part of the University-which apparently they weren´t aware of (complete bs)...So we had to turn to other organizations like the Red Cross,  and CEMOPLAF (kinda like planned parenthood).  Everyone told us that it would be very difficult to get these resources because the country has cut down on purchasing and therefore doesn´t have the ability to give away as many condoms as they used to.

So last friday we turned to our last resort, QUITO. The big guys.  We went to CEMOPLAF and had a very encouraging conversation with the doctor there who told us that they have about 10 dispensors in storage and that they can probably donate, BUT she has to run it by her boss first.  On the condom issue she didn´t think that they would be able to give condoms because they were short and wouldn´t be getting another supply for months.  She was appauled (as everyone else that we had talked to) that the Ministerio de salud de Tungurahua hadn´t even lifted a finger to help us.

Then we went to our last hope, which was the ministerio de salud en Quito.  We were told to go to a hospital (one of like 100´s in the city, lol) and find a specific director/doctor.  Well this hospital (Eugenio Espejo) is one of the largest public hospitals in Quito, and lets just say it was quite the trip trying to find this doctor/director.  A part from being a HUGE hospital, it has the "new" hospital (which is this hideous 80´s run down looking building) and the "old" hosptial (this gorgeous restored historic hospital).  So we went into the new hospital, asked at the front desk and were sent to Human Services...who then sent us to the old hospital...

Luckily the old hospital is next door because we arrived and saw that the front door was closed.  There was a doctor outside and we asked if there was another entrance and if she new of the doctor we were looking for.  She said that he was in the old hospital on the first floor....So we went back to the new hospital looking for this mysterious doc.  We arrived in the area of HIV-AIDS on the national level is covered and talked to a  doctor who said that he couldn´t help us, but that we should talk to the director, (who was the guy we originally had been looking for)...and guess where he was...yes, you guessed it, in the NEW hospital.  

At this point we were exhausted from being thrown around like ping pong balls.  Fernanda had given up and said that we should just go, because it was almost certain that they would, for whatever silly reason, send us BACK to the old hospital.  I told her no no, this will be the last try and if not, we will have to retire....

So we figured out how to enter the old hospital, walked to the first floor and asked for the doctor.  The secretary looked at us and said, he isn´t in.  My heart dropped...then she added, but let me see if you can talk to someone else.  So she showed us into the office of another man.  We entered, explained our situation, all the problems with ministerio de salud de tungurahua and the desperate need for these condoms...his response..."how many do you need"...we were both speechless, and had no idea....we mentioned the number 500 and asked "well how many do you have"..he went to the computer and looked up some numbers and said "I have 500,000, how many do you need".  I  was overwhelmed with relief.  We asked for 5000 and to make this long story a little bit shorter, he called down to storage and said that we would be picking up 5000 condoms.  Just like that!!  He told us that because we were from Tungurahua we should have asked the ministerio but because they were being so difficult the ministerio en quito would be happy to help!

So we went and picked up the condoms.  Ah yes I forgot to mention, we ended up getting a ride to Quito in the Universtiy car because there was a lawyer going to Quito so they decided to take us too!

We arrived back at the University with 5000 condoms and the hopes that within this next week CEMOPLAF will call and give us the ok to go and pick up the dispensors.

So it is true that there is a clearing after the storm...or however that phrase works...and on top of all of that, the man that helped us out called and said that whenever we need more condoms to just come to the ministerio de salud de Pichinicha.   Literallly the best news EVER!!!