Clinic

Hi Guys,

So as I wrote in my last blog I am helping one of the doctors re-paint the clinic at AFE as they were rather bright colours! 

The clinic provides daily care for around 30 people a day with a team of around 4 people working tirelessly from 8am-12.30. They provide a range of health care for trash dump workers and the local community at AFE. 

It also provides a clinic for the students at AFE daily if they injure themselves at school or come to school with a problem.

The clinic has 3 doctors rooms, a pharmacy, a toilet and a waiting area.

When we arrived a month ago and saw the colours I didn't feel they were very clinical and were very bright. 

I don't know how we got on to the subject of repainting (holly and I), but I'm guessing the mention of maybe wanting to spend my afternoons doing a decorating project of some sorts if needed- jogged it! 

3 weeks later in the massively busy schedule at AFE we have started to repaint! 

We are painting most walls a medium grey, and are going to paint feature walls in each room a burnt (I think) orange! There were hopes of me painting a mural but I don't know if I'll have time! We have also had to cleanse some walls and paint mould prevention on them. 

The paints and equiptment initially cost around £80. We began work today once school finished at 12 and have already gone through half a tin of paint for two walls!! It looks as though we may have to buy some more paint! 

I would love to raise the money for the paints for the clinic as its an expense the clinic could really do without spending and use it for medicines and equipment instead! 

So, I guess this blog post is a gentle plea for donations! I would ideally like to raise £150 for the clinic as the original cost of £80 will rise due to the need of more paints! Any extra will go towards the clinics running and equipment expenses! 

If you would to donate, here's a guide of how:

1.On the AFE donate page you will fill out a form about donations. 

2.It will ask you to select an option- please select AFE CLINIC.

3.Select the amount you would like to donate.

4. In the NOTES box please write:

Paints for clinic- h&a. 

5. Submit your gratefully appreciated donation! 

All that's left to say is THANKYOU! It may only be paint but will make a big difference! 

(My blog wont let me upload pics- sorry ): If you have me on Fb I'll put them up there, and will make it public others who dont)


Lots of Love and THANKYOU from me and everyone at AFE X

http://www.afehonduras.org/donate

AFE's clinic

So in my final week at AFE we are going to start painting the clinic at AFE! I've been wanting to do it since I got here but the school have been so busy with other teams here I had to hang fire!

The walls are currently half yellow and green, and half dark blue and light. It doesn't go together and the separating lines for the colours are all messy and an artists nightmare! 

(This is when I can tell I'm my mums daughter!)

So now we are going to repaint it all a light grey, and then I've designed some murals and hopefully one of which will go up on the wall in the waiting area. 

The aim is to make it a sterile but light area, with a bit of fun to give children something to concentrate on whilst waiting! 

Hopefully that will begin on monday- though we may not finish in time for my departure but I know there are people to carry it on! 

I would like to raise the money for the paints that were bought- all in all I think it came to around £80.So if you lovely blog readers would like to donate towards the cost then please do! I don't know how I will work the donations with being here but I will update tomorrow/ Sunday on how that would work! 

Lots of Love, and thankyou for support :)

E

AFE update

Life at AFE has very much become a pleasant routine! School starts at 8 so we get the rapidito bus from the community to school.

Lessons are 45 minutes long and I either have 4 or 5 lessons a day. I'm teaching all grades in Primary school and every class is different. It keeps my day lively as one class I'll have 11 crazy second graders and the next I'll have 5 calm third graders! 

The main thing is that the kids are so loving here- I probably won't have even walked through the gates of school and will have received 5 hugs of 'Goodmorning!' Seeing smiles on the kids faces throughout the day is something so amazing. Amazing to think that they can have fun and learn at AFE, relax and help others, though sad also as when they leave at the end of school they will either go to the trash dump for work or back to bad living conditions.

That doesn't deter the amazing team at AFE though- the kids wouldn't have half a chance if it wasn't for the caring teachers! 

It's sad to think that next week is my last week- a month here has gone very quickly! 

Though now I'm collecting air miles hopefully I'll be able to get back here sooner than I thought! 

E! 

Valetines at AFE

Valentines day was a day I thought would suck being travelling and my other half back in england- though I have to admit I rather felt OK! 

At AFE on the Friday we unexpectedly had celebrations for valentines day instead of lessons! A whole range of activities were played out on the football pitch infront of AFE- all done in a rotation with every year group! 

Teaching can sometimes restrict the level of friendships you build with children as they will always see part of you as a teacher. Not having much time with the kids apart from In lessons- I wanted to get stuck in with activities to try and cross that bridge. I ended up finishing the activities covered in water and flour (a bad mix in hair)! 

I guess it was the 'Emily's new let's get her!' Idea, but it was great fun none the less! At the end we had a presentation for valentines cards they could give to their best friends! It was a lovely little moment and even better at the end when I had been given a total of 5 cards by some of my students! 

If there was going to be something that didn't make you miss your loved ones (as much) on valentines day- that was sure it and it was lovely!! (I obviously still missed loved ones....!) 

Lots of belated valentines love,
E!

Different life from home!

I always took for granted hot water, I never thought about running water and a flushing toilet. Well here I am In Honduras, showering out of a bucket and using a toilet that doesnt flush. At first it was really difficult to adjust too, but its getting easier to shower with a bucket! I do, however, look forward to that first hot shower in the future and flush of a toilet! Oh the simple things in life! 

Teaching is great fun though difficult also. Some kids seem to take advantage of my little Spanish (I don't blame them) and so I had children climbing on tables and fighting whilst I turned my back to write on the board! It may have all been in good spirits- just frustrating for me when I don't know how to ask them to sit down! 

Currently in the school there is also an American team of around 12 people doing some construction work. They are regular visitors and so know the importance of speed to make it better for the kids. I've started to help in the afternoons, doing labour such as digging up a concrete floor and shovelling it in to buckets! Its hard work but good upper body strength building so I don't gain lots of food babies from the amount of tortillas I am eating a day! 

An american team means more american English, and apparently I'm picking up a twang! Every time I Skype or call home I get asked why I'm talking like an american (though many Americans here would disagree)- its because I've encountered aprox 3 Englishmen in the whole of my trip so far, the rest have been american! The teams here still take enjoyment out of my calling my 'pants' trousers, and uderwear, pants! 

Off to now do zumba with a group of students and people from the community! 

Adios, E

AFE and the Miller

For those who know me well, and maybe those who don't, would laugh if I said I was going to be teaching at AFE. Well go ahead and laugh- as I am! Primary school! 

It was incredibly daunting when we arrived at AFE on Monday morning, and during our induction got told I would be teaching! Its something I have not done before, and was an area I was unsure on! However, it seems to be going OK (touch wood)! 

I teach Calligraphy, Biblioteca all week, as well as an Art and Agropecuaria lesson a week! I have 4/5 lessons a morning each day, until school ends at noon. I'm teaching 2,3,4,5th grade and the classes sizes range from 5 kids to 15! 

Its great fun but also testing, especially because I don't speak much Spanish. The kids seem to understand that and so I'm rather fortunate. 

When I was last at AFE in summer 2012, I became good friends with a particular student called Ruth. We barely spoke then because I knew no Spanish, so I was excited yet apprehensive to return and see if she remembered/recognised me despite the odd letter between us! It was amazing, that during my induction, she recognised me and we had a big hug to say hello and 'I can't believe you came back!' I now teach her 6th grade class. Some students did recognise me so it made me happy and amazed- this school will always have a place in my heart! 

I'm living in a community called Linda Miller, with a family of 2 and another volunteer I got paired with in Guatemala. Its lovely and peaceful, until the dogs start barking! 'There are around 600 people in the Miller, but around 800 dogs!' And it does feel like that, when one barks, they all bark! It can be disturbing at night but I'm sure after a month it will enable me to sleep through almost anything! 

I'll update more later tomorrow! 

E