Musings from Ecuador...: The least of these...

Quito City Dump (and Extreme Response Daycare)

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Today, my birthday, we spent all day at the dump!!!

Poor people in Quito are desperate for survival. Some of them are so desperate they sort through trash at the Quito landfill, then sell anything that can be recycled. Even though the city benefits from having less trash to bury, the workers don't get paid anything for their work. They simply work for what they can make selling recyclables. The city limits the number of individuals who can do this and even hires people to supervise them. The work continues 24 hours a day with two 12-hour shifts. Most workers can make between $30-$40 a week -- up to $70-$80 in a good week (if they are young and can get around fast).

In many cases, both husband and wife work together so they can make more money. Extreme Response has built a day care for children of the workers, so there is a place for them to go while their parents work. The daycare building is where we spent our day -- screening folks that can't even think about making health care a priority -- until something hurts so badly they can't stand it.

We screened all the children and the workers who wanted to participate. Extreme Response didn't really expect a good turnout. If the workers chose to come to the health screening, they would have to factor in what my son refers to as "opportunity costs" -- when they're getting screened, they're not making money. But, amazingly, we completed 150 sceenings! I worked at the oral health station doing assessments on dental hygeine/overall oral health and could hardly believe the amount of dental decay I saw in the mouths of these individuals -- even the preschoolers. Nearly every patient will be referred for extensive dental work. In fact, as a result of our screening, Extreme Response is now aware of the need and will get a dentist to come out and take care of these people on a small fee scale basis -- $1.00 per visit. I'd never realized until today how much I take flouridated water, toothbrushes and toothpaste for granted. We live in such a blessed country...

I can't describe the smell of a city dump -- you just have to experience it. At first, I thought I'd not be able to adjust. Then little by little the smell seemed to be turned down in my brain. That is... until the workers walked into the screening room. The stench was beyond description. It was only the grace of God that helped me get through those first few patients. But they were such ordinary people, so much like me. They were so grateful and greeted us so warmly. Who could help but be drawn to them? Still, God had to do a great work in all of us to get through that morning's screening,

and the smell lingered.

We thought the screening would never end. We were so tired and the people kept coming. It wasn't fun. Even the children had terrible dental decay -- many complained of pain.

In late afternoon, we left the dump and went to a Chinese restaurant for an early dinner. Dr. Moss informed us we were going to return to screen the second shift workers. I can't say the mood on the bus was light -- we were just so tired. But the Lord did a mighty thing... As we returned to the dump, we didn't realize the mood of the entire group had lifted. It wasn't until half-way through the evening screening we realized we were having fun. We were actually laughing and enjoying screening the workers! And the smell wsn't so difficult to tolerate as we reached out and cared for them. I saw them through different eyes as I touched their faces, their skin. And the night was just beginning.

Later, we learned the plan was for us to fix 100 sandwiches and feed the workers that night at 9:00 for what Extreme Response refers to as an outreach night. Hosea, the fellow who ministers to the workers thanked us for being willing to open our hearts to the workers, for being willing to touch them and provide health screenings to them. He told us that most of the workers cannot read or write, that they consider their job the least desirable job in the world and that they are shunned by the community, that many times they offer their fist for a handshake, forcing you to take their arm, which is (a little) cleaner than their hamd. With hardly a dry eye in the room, Dr. Moss asked us to form a line and shake the hands of the workers or hug them and greet them lovingly one more time as they came for a brief meal. She said we could opt out if we wanted, but not a single student would make that choice...

At a little after 9:00, the workers began arriving. With eagerness, all of us formed a long line and, though their hands were filthy, we shook them and greeted the folks warmly once again and acknowledged them with dignity and respect. After they were seated, we served the workers ham & cheese sandwiches with a napkin, bananas, and hot chocolate (it was 55 degrees) and Hosea offered a long prayer of thanksgiving. After we handed out the food, we watched them carefully eat their sandwiches and bananas. They used the napkins and banana peel to hold the food while they ate it, never touching the food with their hands.

We went to the dump this morning to bless these people and in the end, we were the ones who were blessed. As Hosea said, "After all, God gave us skin that can be washed..."

...a good lesson for novice nurses.

Here are some of the children at the day care...