Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-11-29
BY JESSIE FAINT EVANS.

Panamanian school teacher who
succeeded in doing something about
the fact that her pupils were listless
because they were shivering with
malaria, undernourished and the
victims of hookworm, has arrived in
Washington for a years study Of
United States agricultural eco
Monies.
Senorita Hooper is to be given
first hand knowledge Of the Govern
ment agricultural programs con-
Quoted by the Bureau of Agricul-
tural Economics under funds
granted by the ONCE of the Co.
ordinator of Inter- American Affairs
On her return to her native Pan
ANA, it is expected she will set up
home demonstration work similar to
that organized by the Extension
Service in the United States, al
though she will also be concerned
with general economic adjustments
Meantime, her new book, Rural
Social Life in Panama." is attract
ing considerable attention in the
United States as we'll as in the Gen.
trail and other Latin American re-
publics.
Single Handed Effort.
This humanitarian educator who
comes from the land that lies ad
jacent to our American controlled
Panama Canal and the Canal Zone
has warm, friendly smile. But
she is modest to the point of shy
ness in telling of her remarkable
single handed efforts to bring better
living conditions to the cana
pesinos," the poor farmer families OF
her one-time pupils.
What was really most important
she confided, was when I realized
what I could do in little ways to
better living conditions in the homes
from which my pupils came.
Nearly always the composite
picture was the same. A worn
mother would be surrounded by heI
little brood, all anxiously watching
the limited amount of cassava she
would be cooking over an open fire
A no less expectant audience woulc
be the intermingling group OF hogs
chickens and a dog or two, hope.
fully keeping an eye on the process:
for possible left-overs. In a tiny
patch of ground wrested from thu
jungle, a peasant farmer would bt
YEARLY trying to scratch the soil II
an effort to till the meager crops"
With a fire and zeal that die
not stop to measure the immenslt!
of the task she was undertaking
a heritage possibly from her Irisl
father, who came to Panama a.
a mining engineer, she threw her
self into her mission during ever.
! moment at her command. Afte
school hours with the cooperation
of the Agricultural Department o
Panama and the United State
Canal Zone Experimental Garden
she distributed better seeds ant
varieties of vegetables and plant
immune to prevalent diseases.
Made Follow-up Visits.
Twice week, either on foot O.
on horseback, Senorita Hope
made a follow-up campaign in he
visits to see how her missionar.
efforts were coming along. In add
ton, with the help of the Health
Department of Panama, she eX
planned simple facts about tropica
diseases and their effects. Twlc
month she persuaded the parent
to come to her school with thei
children to see films and movie
. about malaria, tuberculosis, hook
. worm, the care of children ant
, proper eating habits.
DR.. Romulo .Roux, who was il
, charge of the work of the Rookie
, Teller Institute in Panama, helpe'
her tremendously. Senorita Hope
declared. He invited the hes
doctor in Panama to explain simpl
facts to the families, provided tn
films, the movies and speakers an
time l could get an audience to
gether to see and hear them"
Aware of the love of music in he
people, she even wrote the words t
simple songs the children coul
sing about the agricultural an
sociological pioneering she was at
tempting. A good musician the
set the words to music for hel
Presently the songs became S
popular word of them reache
other communities, so In her spar
time" Senorita Hopper made copie
of them for many rural schoc
teachers lin order to have tn
leaven of any merit they Nigh
have extend as far as 1t would"
Mosquitoes Disappeared.
None of these things was don
, on a very large SCALE" she EN-
phasized. AT first we failed a
many times as we succeeded, nc
because my poor farmers refuse
to improve their agricultural worl
but because I had not the trainin
1 for what I was doing, had no none
and so little time. But in tw
years the mosquitoes had almos
disappeared in my village becaus
my people were being careful wit
drainage and mothers and the Chi
dren were such a wonderful hel
in not letting the rain water col
: lect and become stagnant breedin
pools for the mosquitoes.
The malaria was being success
), fully fought, too. Before I wa
: able to bring the doctors and healt
: speakers to the parents and tn
children, they refused to take qui
S nine because they thought it ws
po<on. BY changing 1t to Govern
|, ment medicine 1900 quinine pill
previously refused were soon use,
!. with the people anxiously begin
!. for more, because they were seein
for themselves the relief 1t woul
!. bring from their shivers an
|, shakes"