Ronit's Corner: This past May I traveled to Guatemala. It was one of the highlights of my year and I want to share my incredible four-day adventure to Central America with you.

When I signed on to take the trip, all I really knew was that for four days I would be traveling to an area called Esquipulas, Guatemala. That is where Medicines for Humanity has established 25 village-based pharmacies, trained pharmacy aides, and provided access to essential medicines to the people living in the rural villages. I knew that I would be travelling with six others and we would be staying in a monastery. And that, there in the land of coffee, we would meet extraordinary people.

Prior to the trip I had five vaccination shots. I shopped at REI to pick up some serious climbing gear and equipment, waterproof hiking boots, and thin, long clothes to protect me from mosquitoes, yet appropriate for hot steamy weather… I felt as if I was back in my army days.

The day of our departure, very early in the morning, Bill drove me to meet my traveling companions. “Take care of my wife, Tim,” said Bill jokingly with some amount of real concern in his voice to the man leading the adventure. “No problem, Bill. I will bring her back in one piece,” smiled Tim. 

“Hi, my name is Ronit, and I’m very excited to meet you all,’’ I said. I sat next to Peter, a distinguished man who seemed nice and kind. “Hi my name is Patty,” said a high-energy woman with a big smile and determination in her eyes. Next to her was a very bright and reserved man named Frank, her husband. He said hello and shook my hand. Danielle Gagnon, who had just joined the staff at MFH two months before as their Associate Development Director, came too. She looked quiet and relaxed in her Red Sox hat as she climbed into the van. And then there was Tim Bilodeau, MFH Executive Director. He is a big but gentle guy, with a low voice, a sincere look in his eyes and a childlike smile

“Wow,” I said to myself “this should be interesting trip.” And off we went to catch the 5:00 a.m. flight to Guatemala City.

We arrived in Guatemala around 1:00 p.m. where we met our interpreter, Mariana; MFH in-country coordinator, Eduardo; and our fearless driver. 

“We hope to get to the Monastery before dark,” said Tim as we piled into the van. The doors locked and before I knew it we were through Guatemala City and into the more rural areas. We climbed and descended mountains and drove along the edges of cliffs. It seemed like it did not matter to our driver, or anyone else on the road, that just outside the van were very steep cliffs and deep, deep valleys, and that the only thing that separated us from a deadly fall was 3 feet of dirt. Then came the incredible torrential rainstorm and strong winds. 

Four hours later we arrived at in Esquipulas... safely.

The sight of the huge coffee plants on the mountains behind the monastery was amazing and overwhelming. The monastery itself was so beautiful, yet simple: white stucco with lush, beautiful gardens. The surrounding streets were filled with people dressed in traditional Mayan clothing. I was fascinated to learn that there are many Mayan sub-cultures and the differences are expressed by their clothing… the pattern and shape of their skirts, mostly. 

At the Monastery, we each had our own room where we lived just like the Benedictine Monks. We slept on the hardest beds ever. “Sleep is not for pleasure” is definitely the philosophy. Showering was very interesting given the water flow system… even turning on the water was a puzzle. There were many bugs and spiders throughout the room. 

In the morning however, I was woken up by the beautiful sound of the Monks chanting. It was 4:00 a.m. The chanting was so profound that I was brought to another level of awareness. I dressed quickly and left my room. I explored the grounds, found a cup of coffee, and met up with Tim. We walked around the monastery together; it was absolutely serene. It is amazing how one morning walk filled with true simplicity and natural beauty can bring such great satisfaction.

At 8:00 a.m., we started our trip out to the rural villages in the mountains of Esquipulas. Our mission was to visit four of the village pharmacies and meet the volunteer pharmacy aides. Travel was very tough. There are only dirt roads outside of the city area and they are very rocky and rough. One really needs a jeep or a truck to handle it.

I learned that these villages have no source of income other than coffee beans. Coffee beans grow on very steep mountains. The steeper the mountain, the better the quality of coffee because the coffee plants’ roots thrive in cold temperatures and on cold, running water, so the higher the mountain the better. You can imagine how hard it is to pick the beans. Since there is only one crop a year, the work is limited to a three-month harvest period. 

Many of the villages have no running water, no electricity, and most of the people live on $1 dollar a day. Most of the villages have little or no resources, so the art of survival is day-to-day.

We met four incredible women who invited us into their very humble homes. The homes were barely shacks, mostly with one room divided in two by a blanket. Hung on the simple walls were many pictures of children. Most families have six or more children. 

In each of the homes we visited we saw the Medicines for Humanity pharmacy cabinet filled with medicines to treat ailments like fever, diarrhea, infection, and pain. I saw firsthand that the people in these rural villages, more than fifty miles away from any hospital or pharmacy, now have access to basic, life-saving medicines because of MFH. 

These volunteer pharmacy aides walk 50 miles to town to be trained once a month, and pick up a new batch of medicines. Somehow they make the long journey back to their village either by hitching a ride or walking. They do it for no money. They do it simply to serve and save their community. They are my heroes.

These women, who are so poor, love their children and fight for their survival every day. No child should die for not having these simple medications, and no mother should watch her child die, but more than 20,000 children throughout the developing world die every day from the lack of basic medicines.

At Maxime we donate up to $1 per service, every day. Since April we have donated $2,302 to MFH. I am inviting you to join me in saving the lives of children. And, I thank you for coming to Maxime; because each time you do we can donate another dollar to Medicines for Humanity.

If you would like more information about MFH or any of their Project Lifeline sites, please visit www.medicinesforhumanity.org.

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