A Visit to MINSA (Ministerio de Salud)

This is about as "business attire" as I get these days

They say it’s not what you know, but who you know. My new friend Jorge Letras, who I met at the Penn State Latrine Conference in Piedra Gorda, said he’d set me up with the “right people” at The Ministry of Health , sub-sector DAPOS the water and sanitation group. And indeed he did. It might have taken me hours just to find the right building in the sprawling MINSA complex. And it certainly helped to have a government official introducing me around. My Peace Corps ID scored points, as well. I found out that we can indeed get free water quality testing and other tech support for my Water Committees – and all we have to do is ask the “right people”. I also got some legal questions answered about

One of MANY buildings in the MINSA complex

illegal water uses and implied rights-of-way for the aqueducts, which will solve 4 current problems my folks are having. This is HUGE news and a great step forward for the Water Committees. Bingo, Bango, Bongo. I came home loaded with a USB full of documents and contacts.

Th Dolphin Club was formerly a US Navy Club

To top it off, Jorge took me to his private club (The Dolphin Club was the club for US Navy Brass, before the Canal changed hands) for lunch – ceviche, grilled sea bass, asparagus and apple pie like my Nana used to make. Color me – one very happy (and grateful) camper. Yes, the rewards from Peace Corps service are sometimes quite tangible. And tasty.

Due to the extreme dry conditions here in Panama, my shower has become a haven for all manner of critters seeking the residual moisture from the concrete walls. A Whip Scorpion shed its skin/shell. Note MacGyver shower head of 1/2" threaded PVC cap. Regular shower heads plug up with the fine suspended particles. Not my simple head.

Momma dog is down to just 4 pups from her litter of 8. Coincidence that she only has 4 enlarged tits?

The Rest of the Story : The Case of the Well Intentioned Water Line Pickle

Elsa - community leader - and still my friend

As Paul Harvey used to say “And now, page 2 – the rest of the story”:

After the water line incident earlier this week, I felt I really needed to clear the air with Elsa. We have too much good history and friendship to let it end. As I walked the 3 km in from the PanAm to Ipeti, I ran through an assortment of apologies, defenses and lectures in my mind, trying to anticipate what she might say. But, before I got to the main part of the village, I passed Jacquelin and Roberto’s house and she came running out to the road, all excited, with a smile as big as the sun. “Look” she said, pointing down at her very attractive paruma – the bright colored skirts that the Embera women wear. OK, I thought. Nice skirt, but why is she showing me?  “Very pretty” I said “And how is the water connection working?” She rolled her eyes and blurted out “NO, Don Goyo !! This is a gift from Dona Elsa !!”.

Elsa giving me an Embera tribe tattoo

What ??  It took a moment for the full impact of what she had said to register. But, when it did, an enormous wave of joy broke over me and a chill went up my spine. Something wonderful had happened that I didn’t yet fully understand. Jacqui had gone to Elsa and Lisandro, the Water Committee President to thank them for the connection to the aqueduct, as I suggested – quite a brave move on her part. She and Elsa had “a good talk” and Elsa gave her the beautiful paruma as she left. We both knew what a HUGE gesture that was – coming from someone like Elsa and a symbol of being one of the village women. I told her I needed to go see Elsa and just about sprinted into the village.

As an aside, they love the new water supply. “it is very clean and has good taste” was her quote. After using river water, I guess it would be.

Elsa’s response was a bit anti-climactic. She is not the warm, touchy-feely type, in any case. As I walked up to her all grinning and fighting back tears, she simply and flatly said “Goyo, I am sorry I was angry with you. I had so much hate for that man (referring to Jacqui’s dead father Roberto, a drunk and Police Captain who beat Elsa’s brother to a pulp and caused him to lose use of his hand, along with hurting many others in the community). It was not anger for you. We are friends.” That told me all I needed to know. It takes a really big person to admit they are wrong and Elsa showed me her larger than life character in those few words and even more with her gift to Jacqui. She is every bit the beautifully strong woman and community leader I knew her to be. And then it was over.

As I moved in to give her a hug, she sort of deflected me away and asked quite matter-of-factly “So, when will you give the charla about the septic tanks?” Back to business as usual, as if nothing had ever happened. But, something had happened – something wonderful that I didn’t expect. After talking with her mother (who witnessed our earlier altercation) and her husband, I guess she realized that her deep hatred for a dead man, had no place with me or his children. When I finally got back around to telling her what a beautiful thing her gift was, she deflected again, saying “it was nothing”. Well, it wasn’t nothing and she knows it. Her gift of a paruma to Jacqui was a PROFOUND act of grace. Even as I write this now, I am fighting back tears of joy at witnessing such a touching and beautiful gesture.

And so, the little village of Ipeti Embera, Panama has regained its impressive sense of community, Jacqui and her daughter and brother have good, (“very clean”, as she says)  water and will hopefully no longer feel like outcasts, my emotional roller coaster ride is ended and Elsa is, now more than ever, my respected colleague, friend and hero.

Sometimes, the Universe throws a hard breaking curve ball. And sometimes that curve ball gets sent sailing right out of the ballpark. With the bases loaded.

More toilet talk

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In A Pickle

Working the PVC magic 

As an outsider, not knowing all the local history and politics, I sometimes get caught in the middle of some feud or quarrel. To use the baseball vernacular “In a pickle”. Today was one of those days.

Jacquelin happy to have water

A couple of weeks ago, when the Brigades volunteers and I were finishing some Bano units in Ipeti, I noticed that one was not hooked up to the water. Jacquelin and her brother Roberto explained that they didn’t know how to work with PVC, so I volunteered to install their water line. Today, I did just that. It only took a few minutes and the ½” line was connected to the Bano shower and wash basin. And I ran an extra line to their house with a spigot on the end. Then, I went into the village to arrange a connection to the village water system and that’s when the trouble began.

I found Elsa, treasurer of the Water Committee and a good friend, at her tienda (store) and told her about a new needed connection. Just fine, until I told her where it was. No, it’s not possible, she said and stormed off. Her husband Juaquin saw my shock and pulled me aside. It seems the family I had helped was “a bad family”. The father was a drunk and got into fights with many folks in the village. He was hit by a truck on the PanAm a few years back, leaving Jacquelin and her brother alone. Jacquelin then got pregnant and had her baby out of wedlock. And Roberto is gay.

I pleaded with Juaquin that no matter what people thought about their personal lives, they lived in the community and had a right to a water connection – not to mention the fact that I had just bought, transported and installed all that ½” PVC and Brigades built a nice new Bano unit.. He then had a rather heated discussion with Elsa, who finally relented, but said they had to pay the connection fee and 1^st month water first. She glared at me as I shelled out the $7 to cover it and wrote a Permiso. Marco, the water system tech was working on the chlorine drip system at the water tanks and I got him to come and make the connection, before Elsa changed her mind.

I later got more of the background from my friend Don Pablo. The father, also Roberto, was indeed a nasty fellow. He molested (raped?) several girls and beat up several men. But, the real reason for Elsa’s reaction (which Joaquin failed to mention) was that Roberto sent her brother to hospital in Chepo  with many injuries. He lost feeling in his hand permanently. The folks in Ipeti went to the Police many times, but he was a former Captain in the National Police and nothing ever happened. He also beat his wife and the kids. All the more reason his children should not have to pay for his despicable behavior.

Sporting my headband

As for Jacquelin, she was ecstatic to have water at the Bano and by the house. She had been walking to the river for their water every day, with her little girl. She gave me a bright Embera headband that she made and then hugged me and cried on my shoulder. I can only imagine her shame of being rejected by the village and her relief that someone finally came to help. I asked her to please go to Elsa and thank her for the water connection.

In my heart and gut, I still feel like I did the right thing. I hated to have a confrontation with Elsa, who is (or was) a good friend and community leader. But getting the family a good water supply seemed a worthy quest. That’s what I’m here for – to improve peoples’ lives. Maybe my support of the family will help heal the rift. Maybe not. I just hope I’m still welcome at the next Water Committee meeting.

Who put a valve on the drain field line?

My second community service in Ipeti today was much easier and less emotional than Jacquelin’s water line. As I was leaving the village a man approached me and said the septic tank for his new house was not working. Sure enough, the tank was overflowing. But the solution was simple. For some unknown reason, the contractor had installed a valve in the tank overflow line. I just opened it and everything was fine. Nice to work the magic in 15 seconds or less.

 

Nice chicken coop

The day's tomato harvest

The tilapia pond

I chanced upon a Global Brigades agricultural group at the Finka, did my Sanitation talk and then viewed the projects there : Raising chickens and tilapia fish, tomatoes, cabbage and peppers with drip irrigation.

Talking with two older Kuna men at the bus stop. The Ipeti River is at its lowest level in many years, they say. The long boats can barely get out to Lake Bayano. They have to pole much of the way and cant use their outboard motors. But, they also say the fishing for the big Tilapia is the best ever. Compare this recent photo to last year at this time.

Road Trip

Pottery in La Pintada, Panama roadside stand

I love a good road trip. For me, no road trip is a bad road trip. I started from home at 4:30am and caught the Coaster to just outside the City, as close to the airport as possible, to avoid the ridiculous $30 fare from City center. I arrived at the airport only to find that the flight I was meeting was delayed over an hour. . It gave me a chance to check out the huge new airport terminal that is under construction. The terminal, new Metro line and a long overdue monster bridge over the Canal near Colon are the 3 big public works projects at the moment. After a while, the rest of the Global Brigades crew showed up and the volunteers from Penn State Medical College arrived, along with 3 big carts of medical supplies and equipment.

Med student volunteers tour a rural clinic in La Pintada

The drive to the beachfront resort of San Carlos was over the Centennial Bridge at Gamboa, which I had not enjoyed before – a longer route to cross the Canal, but far less traffic and a great view of both sets of Canal locks. As luck would have it, one of the new mega post-Panamax container ships was in the huge locks right below us. I swear, they almost look bigger from the air. Then, it was a winding drive through dense jungle, before re-joining the PanAmerican Hwy. I got to play tour guide, pointing out the local trees and sights and had some interesting chats with these first-year med students.

Piedra Gorda is home to the first Spanish mission in Cocle province

On the western side of the Canal, the PanAm is a 4 or 6 lane super highway, with billboards touting the classy resort properties, Rolexes,  BMWs and legal services for off-shore accounts. It hardly seems like this could be a country in need of assistance. Or, as I call Panama – the most over-developed developing country in the world. The truth is that very near the towering luxury beach front condos are lots of little villages without good water or sanitation facilities.

Don Geraldo is the perfect and innovative host

We stayed at a retreat center with a view of the beach. Unfortunately, a private golf course with concertina wire atop its fences prevented actually walking there or swimming. But, the volunteers were in good spirits and the food was good. I treated them to a pre-dinner lecture on various sanitation options and history. Not exactly the best aperitif, but it didn’t seem to diminish their appetites one bit. I got stuck in a bunk room, with 5 other men – 4 of whom snored – which was something I’ve not endured in a while. I slept surprisingly well.

Geraldos composting toilet uses the urine
stored in the 5 gal bucket as fertilizer and pesticide

The med students were the most motivated and punctual of any of the volunteer groups I’ve worked with and we departed 5 minutes EARLY. We drove further out the PanAm to Penonome and then to the clinic in La Pintada, where they were slightly aghast at the lack of medical diagnostic equipment. The staff have to rely more on human observation, which was maybe a lesson to these aspiring MDs and PAs. I was able to show them mangoes, bananas, cashews, coffee trees and Noni up close and personal, which none had seen before. La Pintado, as the name implies, is home to a large group of ceramic artists. They may not rival John Leas Hidalgo artists, but they are good and prolific.

Geraldos innovative improved cook stove and oven

We then headed to Piedra Gorda (home to the oldest Spanish mission in Cocle province) to visit Don Geraldo at his organic farm, besides his extensive coffee, mango, cabbage, onion, avocado and banana nursery and plantings, he has a worm farm, large improved cook stove and oven and a composting toilet, nearly identical to the Brigades design. His innovation that most caught my eye was a mens’ urinal, which was a bottle top and hose, leading to the urine drain line. He actually uses his collected urine as a foliar fertilizer and insecticide (mixed with baking soda) and I learned some tips on proper use (which mostly involves dilution), which I’ll pass along.

My primary purpose on the trip, besides being interpreter, tour guide and teacher to the volunteers, was a lunch meeting with Don Geraldo and two other sanitation gurus. All four of us are passionate about sanitation work and the discussion was spirited, sharing our collective experience. The result was perhaps a novel concept of merging some design features of a latrine kit I saw in Roldan, Peru near Will Jenson’s site of Quilmana and the urine diverting seat  that is used in composting toilets. The concept is to have a unit that is light enough to easily be moved (about 200 lbs), which brings the cost down dramatically and negates the need to build on site and to clean out the compost, while still delivering the nearly odorless quality of a dry bano. Brigades wants Cecilio and I to build a prototype, which I’m excited to do.

The rest of the week, the med students will be hosting multiple free clinics in the area. They came loaded with supplies, portable EKG, x-ray, microscopes and ultra-sound equipment. So, I jumped ship in Penonome and caught one of the big luxury cruiser buses back to the City and then a Coaster home. Tired and well satisfied.

Volunteers, big Wood and Chamber Pots

The Volunteers just keep on coming. This time, a mixed group from U of AZ, Pace and 4 Yalies. (I took it upon myself to deliver the news about the Ivy basketball play-off results - They wished Princeton well in the NCAA tournament). They got to experience mixing concrete by hand, mortaring concrete blocks and setting them, sawing rebar and pacay (a very tough wood). Once again, impressed by

their good hearts to use Spring Break for service to others and their work with a smile. Rather than party on a beach somewhere lapping up beer.

Benildo’s 84 year-old father is getting one of the new GB Bano units. He felt the drainage pit was too small, so he jumped in and doubled its size. He is one tough cookie !!
I'll be happy if I'm this strong at 74.

Here’s a load of wood headed to the mill, that is king size. Note that all logs are marked by inspectors as to point of origin and permit #, to insure that it is not wood pirated from the Guna or Embera reservations. Pirating wood has greatly diminished, but still goes on. Just ask my neighbor. When a single tree can be worth $10,000, the temptation is high.

The chamber pot in its simplest form

The Chamber Pot

In Piriati yesterday, I saw a woman carry a bucket out to her latrine and dump the contents inside. Not wanting to embarrass her, I asked my friend Jonathon if this was common practice. I was surprised to learn that it is VERY common practice – I’ve just never noticed it before. He says NOBODY goes to the latrine after dark. EVER. He seemed amazed that I didn’t know this after living in the 3^rd world for 6 years. Truth is – I’ve never had to use a latrine the whole time outside the US. I’ve always lived in a house with flush toilets – In San Luis, Lima and here in Torti. And none of the Volunteers who used a latrine ever mentioned it.

An elegant seat for the humble chamber pot - 1800's

My powers of perception duly chastised , being a Water & Sanitation guy, I decided to investigate the chamber pot and here’s what I found:

As a prelude to the toilet, the chamber pot has a long and noble history. We know that they have been used since 600 BC by the Greeks. They remain in common use in many parts of rural China and the Philippines (and other 3^rd World countries) today and are frequently given as wedding presents to assure the couple’s good luck. The device has gone by many names in English, to wit – jordan,  jerry,  guzunder, potty, or thunder pot. It was also known as a chamber utensil or bedroom ware. In Spanish, the simple “cubo” (bucket suffices.

Whatever the name, the concept and purpose is simple. It provides a convenient, indoor receptacle for human bodily waste, which can then be removed to a more suitable disposal site. In a wealthier home, it would be removed on demand by a “chamber maid”, who discretely covered it with a cloth or its own lid and carried it away. In the upscale parts of cities, the pots were stacked in the alley, awaiting the morning arrival of the Chamber wagon or Sweet wagon (possibly the origin of the modern “Honey Wagon”). In less opulent parts of town, the pots were simply emptied into the street gutter, where they joined horse manure and other waste. In rural settings they were carried to the cesspool or deposited in the outhouse.

The Chamber Pot came in all sorts. For the wealthy, they were elaborate porcelain affairs with matching tops, often set below an ornate chair with a large hole in the seat. For the less fortunate, they were a simple ceramic bowl, often with a convenient handle. The poor often used whatever cooking or mixing pot was available from the kitchen. Thus the expression “He doesn’t have a proper pot to piss in”.

There were even songs about the infamous pot, such as this British ditty:

Well, I took the crayfish home, and I thought he'd like a swim
So I filled up the chamber pot, and I threw the bugger in
In the middle of the night, I thought I'd have a fit
When my old lady got up to a-have a shit
Husband, husband, she cried out to me
The devil's in the chamber pot, and he's got hold of me

Children, children, bring the looking glass
Come and see the crayfish that bit your mother's arse
Children, children, did you hear the grunt
Come and see the crayfish that bit your mother's cunt
It's the ending of my story; I don't have any more
I've an apple in my pocket, and you can have the core

Although, now that I think of it, I did use a cup or bottle on occasion to avoid the long hike to the basement bathroom in Witherspoon Hall late at night.

Ipeti Intrigue

Too adorable not to be the lead photo

If you’re a little kid in Ipeti, Panama, you have no TV or video games or even much in the way of toys. So, you go out with your brothers and sisters and make your fun. In this case, it was knocking mangoes out of the tree. The brothers did most of the throwing and poking, but the girls collected the fruit and retrieved the throwing sticks. It looked

like great fun and they even got a few mangoes. And a mango hat (left).

Kitchen sink and counter top

Just 6 weeks after they broke ground, the new house for the newly-wed brother and his bride is complete !! Some last minute touches included a vent in the bathroom (good thinking) and a wash basin on the back porch to minimize grime inside. Total cost was just around $5,000 , as they had estimated. Turns out, they already owned the land, so

Front door on and locked. BAM !! DONE !!

that it. No mortgage, but still some tile work and painting. The couple moves in this week, with furniture gifts from others in the family.

Sections of palm tree make excellent seats

A big old palm tree had to be taken down in Ipeti. But nothing went to waste – the fronds were used for roof thatch. Trunk sections make great seats or stepladders. They even made some slabs from near the base for table tops, which with be covered in resin.

Or a non-OSHA approved step ladder

The community work party finished the thatch on the new Casa Comunal (meeting hall) today and hope to finish the floor this afternoon. Meanwhile, a group of ladies cleaned the elementary school. Wouldn’t it be nice to have such community spirit in the US?

Another fine group of Global Brigades volunteers showed up to work on the Bano units in Ipeti. This group was from UNC Chapel Hill. After a class on general sanitation and composting toilet 101 from Prof Goyo and a brief walk to point out interesting features, they went right to

work.

My good friend Don Pablo couldn’t believe my camera would make movies. So, I took one of him and showed it to him. I only wish I had video of him watching it !! Like a little kid .     Click here for video

I couldn’t resist this scene of thatched roofs with 3 big Ciebo trees in the background. Near Huancucho, Panama, just off the PanAm Hwy.

Around Pueblo Nuevo

This is what community looks like in the Embera indigenous village of Pueblo Nuevo, Panama, Every day, the women who have time gather at the traditional round thatched Casa Comunal to watch any pre-schoolers who need watching, cook a meal for everyone and work together on their crafts, which they sell. It looked like a happy scene to me – plenty of laughter, chattering and likely some gossip. This frees the young mothers to catch up on house chores or shop, etc.

Imagine if we trusted each other and cooperated and helped each other more, instead of feeling like we must be totally self-sufficient islands.

Imagine…..

Stetson Brigade

We had 22 terrific volunteers from Stetson working in Pueblo Nuevo on the new Bano units (composting toilet, shower and wash tub). It was a HOT and humid day, but they troopered on. It was a delight for me to spend the day with them. They are bright, hard-working and really interesting. Also asked a TON of questions, which I enjoy.

It says a lot about these college kids that instead of spending their Spring Break at the beach lapping up beer, they have chosen to explore a new country and culture and do some good and promote international understanding. Lord knows, we need all of that we can get with Trump at the helm. They give me hope in their generation.

Way off on the edge of Pueblo Nuevo, I found this old composting toilet. Benildo said it was built 10 years ago. Same kind of seat as I used in Peru and good overall construction. Looks like it was used until both sides filled up and then abandoned. The hut next to it is empty. Next week, I’ll use it as a demonstration of what the (very) well mellowed compost looks like. So not a total loss.

This is the classic NGO latrine, built from corrugated metal. Hot and stinky as can be. A couple of the volunteers tried to use it, but turned back by the odor when they got to the door. It really is hard for me to imagine how anyone uses these things. Can they hold their breath that long ??

This is the standard shower area in this area of Panama. Metal or plastic side walls with no roof. A small concrete “shower pad” at left. You dip a bucket in the water barrel and pour it over your head. Kinda like that Ice bucket challenge, but not so cold.

There’s a new colt on the block by my cottage. He and Mom seem to be doing well. I’m also seeing many young calves in the cattle fields. Must be spring.