Lauren's Sabang Community Project

Last year the Peace Corps volunteers put a park in Sabang, so we decided to add onto it this year.  We added a bench made with trash bricks.

There is a large problem with trash here.  Many items are sold individually because many can not afford to buy things in bulk.  Detergent is bought in individual packages for one load at a time for 5 pesos, shampoo is in one use packages, etc.  Besides this many cities do not have in place a disposal system - don't have dump trucks or land for a dump site.  Much of the trash is burned including the plastic bottles.  By building this bench it helps use just a little bit of the trash that is around town and helps the children see how long plastic bottles last when in the environment.

  

Step 1: Rinse out plastic bottles and let dry

Step 2: Collect trash to stuff the bottles

Step 3:  Find as many women and children to help stuff the bottles with trash and fill with sand

Step 4:  Find as many men as you can to help build the frame of the bench with cender blocks and concrete

 

Hospital Fun

We understand it's been a while since we have made any updates so were going to make up for the past month or so.

        We made it a whole six weeks before being hospitalized with dengue, a pesky little tropical disease carried by mosquitos.  Alan and I were both not feeling well and made a trip to the hospital where we were hooked up to IV's and given a hospital suite.  This suite came with two hand crank beds, a tv with no remote, gourmet food and IV stands with no wheels. What wasn't provided is pretty much everything else, when checking into the hospital you have to buy a pillow, toilet paper and thermometer. Now hospital food is never good and when you have dengue you have absolutely no All this aside the staff was friendly we are fully recovered.appetite. So when whole fried fish and "stew" are sitting in your room the smell furthers your loss of appetite. Alan lost 6 additional pounds that week. 

        They know you have dengue by drawing your blood and checking your white blood cell count and platelet count.  Your normal platelet count is above 150 - mine was at 20.  You have body aches like the flu, no appetite, nausea and if your lucky you get to throw up a couple times as well (don't forget, you are carrying your IV stand around while all of this fun is happening).

        The first IV given to me in my right hand came out so the second day at the hospital my IV had to be moved to my left hand.  They used a larger needle just in case I needed a transfusion - first try, a vein was busted.  They proceeded to tell me that I was dehydrated and it would be difficult to get the IV in.  I told them to come back after a couple of hours so I could drink some water before trying again.  Second time was a success - thank god.  They have to draw your blood everyday so I had it drawn twice in my right arm, three times is my left and once from my finger because my arms were so bruised they couldn't keep drawing it from them.

        Lessons I learned - next time your in the hospital state side just be glad toilet paper is provided, a whole fish isn't looking at you for dinner and you have wheels on your IV stand.