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Work with disabled children, Mexico
In September 2004 Sinead and Helen set off for the Pacific Coast of Mexico to take part in a five-month project at Pina Palmera, helping to deliver healthcare, education, therapies and equipment to disabled children in rural communities.In the villages and ranchos of rural Oaxaca, Mexico, there are no hospitals or clinics and there is a high rate of disability in children. Twenty-one years ago a small project called Pina Palmera was set up to try and help. Today, they are still going strong.  Sinead and Helen were the first Echo Communities volunteers to take part in this project and both had great things to say about the project. 'The best thing about working at Pina was probably the hydrotherapy sessions that we helped with. We would take the kids down to the ocean and swim and play with them. These are kids that would not have ever left their house had it not been for Pina and to see them laughing on the beach was fantastic.'One of the things that makes Pina Palmera unique as a project is the atmosphere in the centre itself. The staff are a mix of Mexicans and workers from all round the world. 'Working alongside people of all different nationalities was great, although the language barrier was definitely a challenge to start with. Everyone took their turn in all aspects of the work and although it was sometimes hard, the tremendous atmosphere meant it was never a chore.' As well as running the centre, Pina also deliver their services to rural communities who have no access to healthcare and this is done by literally filling a pick-up truck with staff, treatments and equipment and driving to the communities. Pina is the only organisation that does this in the area, so without them and the vital help volunteers give, a lot of children with disabilities would go without.  'Pina is really interesting because they deal with the social and cultural aspects of disability as well as the physical. Occupational therapists work alongside the medical staff to help those with disabilities make a valuable contribution to their communities. I worked quite a lot in the workshop at Pina helping to make toys and gifts for tourists to buy, which helps with funding the centre.'The duties at Pina are really varied with volunteers taking responsibility for the running of the centre as well as the project work. Probably the most important qualities for volunteers to have are flexibility, the willingness to do whatever is needed and the initiative to help out in any way that is needed without having to be asked. The minimum length of stay at Pina Palmera is five months. Volunteers live and eat on the project and work a basic five-day week although not necessarily Monday to Friday. Pina is located in the coastal village of Zipolite, about an hour from Puerto Escondido.  Click here >> for more information on this or any of the volunteer experiences Echo Communities offer Click here >> to email Echo Communities |
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