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La Hora Chapina All the Healthy Schools news that’s fit to print January/February, 2009

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Anemia Mania! What is it and how can we prevent it? Content: Tricks of the Trade: Energy highs and lows

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The Cure: Falling from above

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Letter from the Editor: I think I can

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Healthy Recipes: Choco-berry smoothie

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La Hora Chapina Publisher: Sheny Huerta, shuerta@gt. peacecorps.gov Editor: Kristina Crawley, kcrawley@ gonzaga.edu Senior Reporter: Kristina Crawley, kcrawley@gonzaga. edu La Hora Chapina is a newsletter dedicated to providing PC Guatemala volunteers with information regarding the Healthy Schools program. La Hora Chapina welcomes letters to the editor.

Anemia “occurs when the level of healthy red blood cells (RBCs) in the body becomes too low,” according to an article posted on KidsHealth.org, which also provides information in Spanish. The article goes on to state that “this can lead to health problems because RBCs contain hemoglobin, which carries oxygen to the body's tissues.” The disorder often results in fatigue and stress on bodily organs. The World Health Organization classifies anemia in children under the age of

2 as a severe public health problem in Guatemala. As of 2007, 56 percent of children under 2 in Guatemala were anemic, as were 39.7 percent of those under the age of 5, according to a study posted on Nutrinet.org, a web site dedicated to information about nutrition in Latin America and the Caribbean. While anemia can be a hereditary disorder, it can also be caused by an iron deficiency. To prevent this second type of anemia, an iron-rich diet is of utmost importance, especially

among young children and teenage girls beginning menstruation. The new monthly blood-loss in girls going through puberty increases the amount of iron they need to consume. Iron-rich foods include iron-fortified grains and cereals, red meat, egg yolks, leafy green vegetables, yellow vegetables and fruits, potato skins, tomatoes, molasses, and raisins. Note that drinking tea or coffee with a meal significantly inhibits the body’s ability to absorb iron, while vitamin C promotes it.

The Smack Down! Happy New Year 2009 and much success in your endeavors to improve the lives and health conditions on hundreds of Guatemalan students! It’s time to renew the bonds established with your counterparts and parents. Begin home visits with them, check school conditions, do teachers trainings. This recommendation is especially for the group of

colleagues leaving this year. Sheny and I will start visiting some of you in January, in preparation for your close of service and follow-up. Visiting the schools prior to our visits will make you familiar with the school’s status and make the orientation to the teachers and parents easier. Seventeen PCTs have been accepted and invited to come to the Healthy Schools

Project this year! Five of them are men. They arrived the 7th of January. Please join me in welcoming them and make them feel en su casa!

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La Hora Chapina

Tricks of the Trade with Seño Katie We’ve probably all noticed that elementary kids are usually more radioactive than tranquillized, but there are days when the kids are just beat. Either way, the kiddoes just can’t pay attention. So what do we do? The best way to deal is to understand what mood the kids are in before starting the lesson; read your students. For example, if they are acting like they’re high on Red Bull, have them run around the school a couple times (do it with them!) and then play silent ball* for a minute afterwards. This releases some energy and then refocuses their brains. All this should only take 5-7 minutes and is totally worth it in order to get them back on track, even if you have to cut the lesson a little short. And what if they are coming off their morning

caffeine high? You can do the same as above (the exercise wakes them up), or if there’s no chance (i.e. they are so tired they are staring at an imaginary doughnut hovering six inches from their face), gather them in a snug circle on the floor and read a story instead of your lesson. Keep Valentine Matasanos in your bag just in case. Don’t worry about missing an entire lesson because there’s no sense in trying to cram new information into their brains when they’re too distracted to absorb it. It’s okay if they already know it by heart as long as they like the story, plus it gives them a nice simple reminder about microbios. Make the characters’ voices extra goofy and let them finish lines for you to keep their attention.

Try this out when the kids just can’t seem to focus their brains and before you lose yours altogether. *Silent ball is a simple game. The kids sit on their desks and pass the ball (or any other safely passable object) to each other in the classroom without making a single sound. If they make noise, they have to sit in their seat and the ball is no longer passed to them. This is also a good game to practice self-control and helps with the ever-so-difficult concept of raising your hand and waiting to be called on before speaking. Katie Noren-Yeagle is a Healthy Schools PCV living in Aguacatán, Huehuetenango. She is a graduate of Linfield College in McMinnville, Ore. with a bachelor’s degree in early childhood and elementary education.

“There’s no sense in trying to cram new information into their brains when they’re too distracted to absorb it.”

The Cure Comparing traditional remedies in Guatemala with common First Aid practices One day last year, several of my teachers were working on repairing the roof of the school, replacing some lamina. A few minutes in, I heard a loud crash and looked up to see one of the teachers looking through a huge hole in the roof, shouting that Profe Giovani had fallen through to the ground approximately 25 feet below. I rushed into the classroom to find Profe sitting upright on the floor with two other teachers pulling him to his feet. Though stunned he was able to stand and was soon walking around. His scrapes were treated with water, iodine and bandages, but the teachers were convinced he was in shock. To treat this they filled there mouths with a water/liquor mixture and then sprayed him with it. A local healer was then brought to the school and performed some chiropractic procedures to help with pain he was having in his hip. The next day he went to the health center to be seen and luckily all was well. General first aid recommendations would be that the victim not be moved until it was determined there were no serious injuries. After a fall of a similar magnitude, the victim should receive professional medical attention as soon as possible. -Kristina Crawley

*If you’ve experienced unusual or uncommon first aid practices here in Guatemala, send an email to Kristina Crawley at [email protected]. Did it seem to work? Why did they do what they did?

January/February, 2009

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Letter from the Editor

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can think positive Jacaltenango received its biannual visit from a group of U.S. doctors and Habitat for Humanity volunteers a few weeks ago. Last year, during my site visit, I had worked in the clinics with the doctors helping to translate and was excited to work with the group once again. I translated for three days, including one day in the aldea of Buxup, where one of my schools is located. At the end of the week, I had this feeling of having come full circle, especially having just completed my first year in country and with the start of the new school year on the horizon. I began to see Jacal and the peo-

ple who live here the way the doctors and volunteers see them – the way I saw them when I first got here. And seeing my students’ smiling faces and having them run up to me the day we went to Buxup was just what I needed to get me excited for classes to start again. Starting out the year in the same manner I had when I first came to site felt like getting a fresh start. I was surprised to feel so renewed and energized. After ending last school year with a mix of relief and anxiety, I had been waiting for that refreshed feeling to hit at some time during the break. But it wasn’t until I got busy with the doctors and planning my kick-off workshop that I felt the motivation return.

I’m not breaking any new ground by saying the hardest part of our job is staying positive in the face of so many challenges. My goal this year is going to be to maintain this positive attitude. It’s a lofty goal, to say the least, and I don’t expect to be 100 percent successful but I’m going to give it a shot anyway. I think the trick will be remembering that no matter what the pitfalls, this is an experience I’m glad to be having. Alright, that’s it for the cheesy stuff. I’ll try to be more entertaining with the next column. Although my newfound chipper-ness could make that difficult. Happy New Year! Peace out, Kristina Crawley

Healthy Recipes Choco-Berry Dessert Smoothie 1 handful blueberries, strawberries or blackberries (or a mix of all three) 1/2 cup milk Ice al gusto 2 spoonfuls (or more) of hot chocolate mix or coco powder if you can find it 1/2 banana.

Blend all ingredients, adding ice first. If you’ve got access to protein powder add it to the drink for a boost. Note: You may have to search a bit if you don’t have a freezer but you should be able to find a tienda that freezes bolsitas de agua. If you don’t have a blender find a neighbor who

does and have a smoothie party! Contributed by: Kristina Crawley La Hora Chapina is always looking for new healthy recipes. Please email yours to Kristina Crawley at [email protected].

Quote of the Month “Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.” —James Baldwin