Final Clinic Day!
Celebration Time in Pamplona!
On our fifth day of the mobile clinic we went to Pamplona, which is one of the largest slums in the Lima area. Pamplona is also the neighbourhood where we have been building stairs all week. In total, our team managed to build two entire staircases. Another 150 patients were provided with medical services today putting our grand total to approximately 1400 people helped this week alone.
The end of the day was a huge a celebration as we held the official inaugurations for the two stair cases built by our McGill brigade. When we arrived, the stair cases were painted the signature MEDLIFE red and decorated with balloons and streamers everywhere. Community members greeted us with smiles, Inka Cola, and crackers. The area was filled with music and dancing as we celebrated our “muy grande” accomplishment.
The village leaders gave heartfelt messages of thanks and appreciation to everyone involved conveyed by our very kind translators. The common message from all of the people of Pamplona was one of optimism for future generations and of awareness of the world that exists outside our own comfortable lives. One man talked about fate and how we were meant to be there to help them and realize the conditions that these people live in. He expressed sincere hope that we would never forget them and the lives they lead. Other community members wanted to ensure that they could continue to count on MEDLIFE to help their neighbours and friends in the future. There is still much to be done but every little bit really does make a world of difference for them.
A few volunteers got the chance to give their take on their experiences over the past week. The stairs were a huge highlight as most of us have never been able to take part in something that is so permanent and life-changing for another human being let alone so many. Going back to see the finished project we all could look at the stairs and know that we were a part of that. It was truly wonderful.
medlifemcgill.com 