November 2014
Six veteran ACTS participants and one new recruit enjoyed a two-week trip that was packed with progress on existing initiatives, and introduced some new ones.
ACTS has been working with El Rosario to establish a dental program and clinic. The community built on relationships made in the past year with a dental school in San Pedro Sula and hosted a dental brigade in which 16 dentists and dental students provided needed care to 127 adults and children. Construction is well underway on the dental clinic. Next steps include equipping the clinic and finding the best way to provide an on-going dental health program for El Rosario and the surrounding villages.
Another major project was to develop a local wireless network and initiate a computer program. There is at present no Internet in El Rosario – the mountains make it difficult. Many people in El Rosario seek computer literacy both for now, and for when they have access to the Internet. ACTS member Ethan La Rochelle came up with an elegant solution – he built a wireless network; packed it full with Spanish language informational resources like Wikipedia, Khan Academy courses, games and more; installed computers; and gave lessons to volunteers on a new El Rosario Technical Committee. The system is already getting good use as an important informational resource. Built by Ethan, the system has quickly become known as the “Ethan-net.”
The team worked with the community to host a tag sale to benefit the clinic, a workshop on safe handling of pesticides, and a popular Community Day, all in the Education Center. Team members visited active micro-bank projects, and several individuals with special medical needs. Meetings with all of the local leadership committees offered assistance with record keeping, and included discussions on anticipated programs for the coming year.
