Friends of ASAPROSAR
169 Libbey Parkway, 2nd Floor
Weymouth, MA 02189
Tel: 781-331-1544
General Information for Volunteers
Background
Friends
of ASAPROSAR (FoA) eye clinics are held annually under the direction and
sponsorship of ASAPROSAR, the Salvadoran Association for Rural Health
(Asociacíon Salvadoreña Pro Salud Rural) . ASAPROSAR provides preventive health
care and health education in remote areas of western El Salvador, where health
care conditions are primitive. The founder and general director of ASAPROSAR is
Dr. Vicky Guzman, a Salvadoran physician who has dedicated her life to
developing a model health care program for the rural poor in her country.
ASAPROSAR was founded in 1985, with a small amount of money from American
friends and Vicky’s considerable skill and expertise.
The
first eye clinic was held in 1989, during the war, and was facilitated by one
ophthalmologist, two optometrists and four volunteers to dispense and fit the
eyeglasses. Eye care was the most desperate health care need for rural
Salvadorans and the was prevented people from gaining access to care. Campesinos, i.e., people who lived in the
rural areas, could not afford eyeglasses, even if they knew what their prescription
was. The proportion of people, blind
with opaque cataracts was incredibly high.
The needs were great and rthe resources were virtually absent. The group committed to visit El Salvador
yearly and we have been told that we were the only medical group in the world
to serve the people in El Salvador during the war, without a political
agenda. The group has now expanded
considerably and usually consists of about fifty people each trip. Those from the United States work closely
with personnel from ASAPROSAR, who may or may not help in fitting eyeglasses
and who coordinate all clinics. Approximately two thousand people are examined
by our doctors on each trip and most of them are fitted with eyeglasses.
Glaucoma testing is also carried out and many hundreds of sunglasses are
distributed. Removal of cataracts, foreign body extractions and other surgical
procedures had been done, in the past, in cooperation with the local free
public hospital. However, in 1999, for the first time, the surgery was done on
site, in newly constructed and furnished operating room suites at the ASAPROSAR
headquarters. Since then Friends of ASAPROSAR (FoA) has financed the
construction of an additional annex to the surgical center and we continue to
perform all our surgery on-site, including procedures as complex as corneal
transplants.
In
2006, we expanded our work to include diagnosis and treatment of hypertension,
diabetes and general cardiac conditions with major financial investment in
stocking the pharmacy at ASAPROSAR in order to treat the very large number of poor
people who would not, otherwise, be able to afford the necessary medicines to
treat their debilitating diseases.
Participation
in our campaigns is generally a very rewarding experience, regardless of the
capacity in which one works. While most agree that the work is fun, “work” is
the key word. The hours are long and there is always plenty to do, from
counting and sorting eyeglasses to dealing with any number of details which may
arise along the way. While there is always a small amount of time set aside for
relaxation, sight-seeing and shopping, the purpose of the trip is to carry out
a successful campaign, treating as many people as we possibly can during the
time that we have.
It is very easy to make a difference in this part of the
world. People often lack even the most basic resources and appreciate the
clinics and the care they receive from the “Norteamericanos” immensely. In
fact, people often walk from many miles away for many hours to wait in line to
receive an eye exam and, usually, eyeglasses, the chance to see one of the
other doctors, obtain medications, etc... Those volunteers that have
participated in the trip have almost always decided to return year after year,
and often feel inspired to bring a personal touch to their work in some way.
The following information will help you to prepare for the
trip. It is always helpful to know in advance what one may anticipate for
living conditions. etc.
What to Expect
(1) We fly into the capital of El Salvador which is San
Salvador. The drive from the airport to the ASAPROSAR training center and
headquarters, in Santa Aria, takes approximately 1 1/2 hours. Santa Ana is the
second largest city in the country.
Friends of ASAPROSAR makes all arrangements for travel (unless someone
wants to make their own) and ground transport.
(2) Clinics have been held in various communities around
Santa Ana in the past but more recently have been held in the city of Santa
Ana, at the ASAPROSAR headquarters, and in San Miguel, about a 6 hour drive
from Santa Ana. Surgery is done only in Santa Ana at this point.
(3) Accommodations
are dormitory style at ASAPROSAR with rather Spartan bunk beds but many people,
particularly the surgical staff, enjoy the opportunities for interaction and
choose to stay on site. Linens and pillows are provided but if you are fussy
about your pillow, you may wish to bring your own. Hotel accommodations are
available nearby but cost more. All volunteers working in San Miguel stay in a
hotel.
(4) Showers are usually hot, but not always. Electricity
and/or water may be shut off at points during the day but less so over the
years. Bring a flashlight and be flexible. There are flush toilets (yea!!),
though you must not flush the toilet paper (boo!!!). There are separate
containers for toilet paper disposal.
(5) The weather is warm and pleasant, but generally not
humid. Temperature is usually in the 80’s in Santa Ana, but hotter in San
Miguel. Bring sunscreen and a hat is useful. Bring one sweater/sweatshirt just
in case. Dress is casual. Men do not need a tie or sports jacket, but men and
women will need one casual, but appropriate, outfit, such as would be worn to a
nice restaurant. Jeans/cotton pants are fine for ninety percent of the time. Many
people wear scrubs. If you have them,
you may want to bring them. Short
shorts/tight shorts are customarily not worn and may be considered offensive by
many of the older Salvadorans. The same should be said for skimpy, revealing
tops. Bermuda shorts are fine.
Comfortable shoes are a must! We wear ASAPROSAR tee-shirts every clinic day (if
possible) in the dispensary, one of which will be provided for you to keep if
you are a first year volunteer. We try
to be as culturally sensitive as possible and that is often reflected by dress.
(6) Do not count on facilities being available for laundry,
except hand washing, of course. You will be able to pay a staff worker to do it
for you, but try to bring enough stuff with you to last.
(7) We are careful about where and what we eat but we do eat
local food prepared by local people in typical style. Most meals are provided
on site and are excellent. We will sometimes decide to go to a local restaurant
as a group. In San Salvador, you can be on your own for meals but most people
stay in small groups. We cannot
guarantee that you will not have gastrointestinal problems but if you limit
your eating to the things you are offered within the group, your chances of GI
problems are significantly reduced. If
you are exceptionally fussy about what you like to eat or have a extremely sensitive
GI system, you may not wish to come along. Not only wiIl you be miserable but
we will be short of help! Special dietary needs can almost always be accommodated,
if made known ahead of time, e.g., vegetarian, kosher, etc..
(8) It is not wise to go off walking, shopping, etc., by
yourself, outside of the hotel area in the capital! Throughout the entire trip,
your time is generally structured, both because of the amount of work to be
done and for your own safety. Local knowledge is necessary for safety and, even
then, it is very risky. We do have fun though, honest! In almost 20 years, we have never
experienced a serious problem with respect to the safety of one of our
volunteers.
(9) It is not necessary to speak Spanish before you go, but
you will be able to communicate with the local people more and the trip will be
more enjoyable if you learn the basics beforehand. “Friends of ASAPROSAR” pays
for a number of translators, but usually not one-on-one, unless you are an eye
professional and it is absolutely necessary for examinations, etc... Therefore,
you may wish to begin early to learn key words, phrases, questions and
sentences that you will need to use repeatedly in the fitting process. The
“old-timers” can help you with this. Remember, this is Central American
Spanish. If you are so motivated, there are really good computerized programs
and CDs to learn beginning Spanish but, remember, it is not required. If you are interested, you may want to check
on the Pimsleur series. Many of our
volunteers have learned basic Spanish with the system.
(10) No one is allowed to come on the trip who does not
expect to work in the clinic unless arrangements have been made for work in
some special program. You will be assigned to a job and a job site. You will not be able to self-select on site.
(11) Clinics will be held 6 days with 200-250 patients
scheduled per day in the clinic plus the surgical patients in Santa Ana.
Wake-up call is usually around 6:00 AM and dinner usually over around 9:00 PM
but sometimes much later, especially for the OR crew. Days are long and you will
be exhausted, hot and sweaty most days.
(12) We have learned that we need to place limits on the
consumption of alcohol but we certainly encourage everyone to relax and spend
time with each other in the courtyard at the end of the day. We do not expect
alcohol abstinence but we do expect people to use common sense.
The primary purpose of this trip is to carry out a
successful campaign and provide desperately needed help to as many poor people
as we can. If you want a relaxing vacation, with a lot of time to
tour/sightsee/shop, this trip will not be enjoyable for you.
More information specifically for dispensers/fitters:
If you are volunteering to assist in the eye clinic and are
not an eye health professional, you will need to be trained to dispense and fit
eyeglasses. The day before the first clinic day will be an organization and
training day. When the clinic opens, you will apprentice with an experienced
person until fully trained. Everyone is always encouraged to ask for
consultation/advice when faced with a difficult prescription or fit. We are
happy to help you to learn the necessary skills to work in the clinic but it
takes significant time from our experienced volunteers and, therefore, as a
general rule, we ask non-eye-care-professionals to commit to returning on
future trips. Volunteering, while knowing at the outset that you will
never go with us again, is a major handicap to us. We fully recognize, however, that you cannot
know if you would like to go with us a second or third time until you complete
your initial experience and, with the best of intentions, sometimes people
learn that this is not a good fit for them.
General Information on Costs:
The economy of El Salvador is based on the American dollar
and the U.S. dollar is the common currency.
FoA will advance the funds for the air fare, hotels, room and board at
ASAPROSAR and all group meals. A bill
is sent out to volunteers after the trip.
All costs to volunteer in the campaign are tax-deductible.
Everyone is generally expected to underwrite his/her own
costs. Round trip fare is usually around $600.00. Last year we used Taca
Airlines and the trip from Boston was non-stop. Flight arrangements are made by
FoA as a group, to the extent possible. Costs of food and lodging at ASAPROSAR
are approximately $40.00 U.S. per day per person. San Miguel will be
comparable. Each person pays for his/her own room and board so the donations we
raise throughout the year go to benefit the project (supplies, etc.). We
usually also have a group that flies on American Airlines because some of the
group choose to arrive before the others or leave after the others in order to
fit in a few days of rest and relaxation.
Total cost of the trip, excluding souvenirs and gifts,
usually will be between $1,200.00 and $1,500.00. This will include lodging,
meals, bottled water, other drinks, flight and other transportation. The last
night in the country, prior to the flight home, we spend in a "ritzy”
hotel (Hotel Presidente), with a pool. Bring your bathing suit!
As noted above, some of the volunteers choose to go to El
Salvador early or stay on later for vacation at the hotel. That decision needs to be made at least
sixty days prior to our departure and you will not have the option of changing
your plans without significant penalty.
If you decide to go early or stay later, FoA will make those
arrangements as well. In the past, we
have consistently been given a great group rate at the hotel and people have
enjoyed their stay.
At least two months before the trip
(1) Check your passport to make sure it has not expired. As
of this revision of this document, you will not need a visa to enter the
country but you will need an entry permit.
A visa can be obtained easily, however, and will save you the cost
($10.00) and the time waiting in line at the airport in San Salvador for the
entry permit. if you are not a US
citizen, you will need to check with the Salvadoran embassy in Washington DC or
your nearest consulate.
(2) You will need to be immunized for typhoid, tetanus,
diphtheria and polio. Check with a travel clinic on the status of boosters. You
should seriously consider permanent immunization for hepatitis A and B, if you
are not already immunized. Otherwise, you should get a gamma globulin injection.
Check with your own health care provider regarding malaria
protection. We generally use chloroquin
tablets, 500mg once per week. Begin two weeks prior to leaving and continue
with the weekly dose for four weeks after returning. Many of the volunteers do not choose malaria prophylaxis and no
one has ever had a problem but one never knows when there will be a first time.
Some of the volunteers take a half-dose of antibiotic daily,
beginning on the travel day, as a prophylactic measure against “Montezuma’s
revenge”. Again, check with your own PCP about whether or not that makes sense
for you. Each year, we end up treating
some of our own crew for GI problems and dehydration. We are well prepared to do that if necessary but please keep in
mind that most of these problems stem from eating food from local vendors on
the street, drinking too much alcohol, not drinking enough water and/or lack of
sleep. If you become a “regular,” you
will begin to build up antibodies and prophylaxis will be unnecessary but, even
the locals are affected, at times, by the things they eat and drink. Their public health standards are somewhat
different than you are used to.
We pack everything, except personal belongings, in enough
time to have a 40 foot cargo container arrive in El. Salvador, by ship, prior
to our arrival. We schedule a packing
day, usually late in November or early in December, each year. Everyone who can possibly get there comes to
help and we need everyone who can be there.
We usually pack in a warehouse in Brockton.
Suggested list of items to bring:
If you have some towels you want to give away, bring them
along, use them and leave them at ASAPROSAR.
They provide towels but they are sometimes smallish.
soap, shampoo and other personal toilet articles
rubber thongs for shower, especially if you are staying in
the dormitory
facial tissue
sunscreen
hat
flashlight (extra batteries)
Pepto-BismoI
pen(s) – bring extras if you have them
comfortable shoes and cool, comfortable clothing
medications that you routinely use at home
film, extra batteries for camera
sunglasses
mosquito repellant (Some of the volunteers bring netting for
their beds in the dormitory.)
ear plugs (if you need silence to sleep)
hair dryer (current same as U.S. but you will need an
adapter if it has a 3-prong plug)
clothes hangers
book light (and extra batteries)
a sweater or sweatshirt
We are in El Salvador during their dry season and it hardly
ever rains at this time of the year.
You will have access to a telephone, with the use of a
calling card (AT & T, Sprint or MCI), or, if you want to call collect
(expensive), you can do so. You can’t count on someone in the office being able
to speak English, if someone from the U.S. is trying to call you there.
However, in an emergency. someone could send you a FAX at 011-503-447-7216, or
to phone ASAPROSAR, the number is 011-503-441-0646. E-mail is available all day
at our work site in Santa Ana, but has not been available in San Miguel.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to
contact Helen or Alan Gruber at 781-383-9780 (home) or 781-682-1060 (office), as
well as the FoA number above (usually voice mail).
(Revised 06/06)