People here don’t really understand the concept of bacteria and other microbes. If you have been following my blog, you know about my chucaque experience when I learned that it is a common belief here that being sick is attributed to evil spirits rather than having a bacteria or virus in your system.
As a health volunteer, I would like to educate the people that, while spirits may exist, little tiny animals called microbes also sometimes may be the cause of our diarrhea or cold. For example, no one here washes their hands because they think that cold water makes them sick. People at the health center tell them that they need to wash their hands, bodies, and food, but no one explains to them why. So, Chris and I developed a session that teaches about microbes and sicknesses.
It was very interesting to go out into these little communities and talk to the people. Many of them have less than a 5th grade education. But they were really receptive to what we taught them. It was a great learning experience for not only them, but also for me. I realize that if no one ever teaches them, they were will never know. The doctors here can continue to tell them things without explaining. One of my goals here is to be on the level of the people and make sure they understand why they should practice health lifestyles. If they don’t understand why, they are never going to change their behavior.
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