Nothing is as it seems...

After teaching class today, I stopped by the primary school to check out the local NGO’s health campaign. The Doctora in Tumpa had given me the heads up, saying that she and the NGO workers would be administering fluoride and providing physical exams to the kids. When I walked in the room, posts were set up around the perimeter: the weight/height station, the fluoride station, the pharmacy station (we'll get to that later), the Doctora’s station, and the letters/pictures station. I greeted everyone in the room and went to sit with the doctora, who was alone, looking extremely bored.

“This is taking so long… there are still so many kids left,” she said.
“Oh well right, but, this is a really great thing that you all are doing for the kids – the free health care, and all” I commented.
“Ehhh… not exactly,” she said.

The Doctora proceeded to explain that this health campaign was less than perfect. The physical exams are given during school hours, but in order to administer any medicine or treatment, parents must be present… and there were no parents around when I was there. Also, there was barely any medicine. Despite being examined, the children were not receiving the full health care they needed. Suddenly it seems like they were putting on a big show…and my eyes drifted to the…letters & pictures station. The kids were drawing pictures and writing cards to their overseas sponsors, whose donations probably made their physical examinations possible that day. For those of you back in the US who have donated to an organization to benefit kids, and have at one time wondered where your money is going, well, here’s a snapshot.