When no local person would agree to accept the position and go for the training, the sponsoring NGO asked Orbelina to take the job. Her isolated, mountainous region covers three small communities with 180 families, some of whom are more than two hours walk from her clinic. She usually spends two hours each morning in the office seeing patients. And the rest of the day she walks through the countryside with a bag of essential equipment and pharmaceuticals visiting families and answering questions about basic health care and household sanitation. Orbelina will meet with any sick person, but she concentrates her efforts on children and mothers.
Respiratory problems are second, and malnutrition third.
To qualify for this training, Orbelina had to have completed nine years of school. In addition to her busy days, she also volunteers to teach literacy classes several evenings a week at the local school near her health care building. I may be tired, but I am very happy. The community of El Paterno appears to be happy, as well. Recently they gave her 20 pounds of their scarce beans as evidence of their appreciation for all that she does for them.