Sometimes Emily and I get asked to throw in our two cents on local issues. This might be because we’re funny, or because we’re the only college graduates within hours of here, or because we’re the village mascots, or because we’re gringoes… or maybe just because they’ve come to trust us. The jury’s still out. Anyways, last week I sat in on a meeting about the Plan de Emergencia (Emergency Action Plan) that the health committee is trying to get everyone to support. The idea is that everyone in town pitches in some money, so that if someone has a critical illness or accident, they can pay someone to take them to the hospital. This is a great idea, seeing as how we have no ambulance in town and the closest hospital is about 5 hours away in Huehue. And we know the need is there, as we just buried someone a few weeks ago who died of a pretty preventable problem.
Since Emily wasn’t there (she was giving a lecture that got scheduled at the same time), I had to do the talking to represent Team Fanjoy. They asked me to get up first, and make some pithy remarks to kick off the meeting and fire up the populace. I have gotten better and a little more confident at my Spanish, but I still feel like I’ve got a long way to go. Here’s what I said, as best as I can rememeber it:
Trajehin heq’ hemasanil, hex wanab’, hex wustaq. (that bit is in Q’anjob’al)
Como ustedes saben, Emily y yo somos nuevos aqui. Por eso, podemos ver algunos ventajas que tienen ustedes. La primera es sus recursos: en este comunidad, hay mextol y enfermeras, también un doctor, Q’anjob’alense. La segunda vantaja es sus líderes. Son amables, inteligentes, y quieren ayudar a la gente. La tercera es lo mejor: ustedes tienen la voluntad y fuerza a mejorar sus propios vidas. Pero hay una cosa que ustedes no tienen: el apoyo de su propio gobierno. Por favor, no esperen en extranjoeros o Alvaro Colom a dar dinero o ayuda a ustedes. Hay un dicho: Dios ayuda a la gente que ayuda a su mismo y su vecinos. Espero que ustedes apoyen al Plan de Emergencia. *translation follows at the end of the post
Afterwards, various people got up and said their bit. I could only follow a small part of it, as the meeting was in Q’anjob’al. But I understood the gist of this guy’s message: “Why”, he asked, “are we so afraid to give 10q each for this plan, yet all of you gave 10q last week to the family of the guy that died? Does it make sense to let people die, yet still pay the same? I’d rather pay it first, and see my brother or sister live.”
Most of the other speeches were along similar lines. All the big names in town weighed in: Nas Palas, who always speaks emphatically and everyone respects a heap; Don Ximon, whose speaks quietly and slowly but is never interrupted; Manuel, who has a silver tongue that beguiles the populace; Don Tomax, who is the head of the town development board. Even younger guys got up in support of the plan. Hopefully their passionate appeals did some good.
Then, two days later, the first case-in-point came. Emily and I were woken up at 3:45 by a desperate call from our friend Luky. Her sister Marcie was having terrible pain in her abdomen, and vomiting uncontrollably. Emily knew from previous discussions with Marci that she’s had abdominal tumors before, but who knows what this could be? “Take her to the hospital,” Emily told her groggily.
“I can’t!” Luky moaned. “We don’t have any money!”
Well, there you have it. “Call Manuel,” Emily advised her. “That’s what the emergency plan is for.” We know there is already a little money in the fund, as they’ve been collecting a quetzal per person at our health lectures.
“I called him, and he’s not answering,” she replied. Hmm. So, we pondered some, and we all eventually decided it would be best for her to send her brother on foot to rouse the sleeping Manuel.
We left for our meeting in the south about 3 hours later, and didn’t find out how it all turned out until we got back to our village today (since no one would return Emily’s calls). Manuel came by and told us that they took Marci to the national hospital in Huehue on Friday, she was there for a few days, then returned today (Monday). We’re going to go by and visit her tomorrow, to find out what really happened.
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And here’s the English translation of my speech:
Good afternoon, my sisters and brothers. As you all know, Emily and I are new here. Because of that, we can see some advantages that you have. The first is your resources: in this community, there are teachers and nurses, even a doctor, who are native. The second advantage is your leaders. They are friendly, intelligent, and want to help the people. The third is the biggest: you have the will and strength to make your own lives better. But there is something that you don’t have: the support of your own government. Please, do not wait on foreigners or the President of Guatemala to give you money or aid. There’s a saying: God helps those who help themselves and their neighbors. I hope that you all support this Emergency Action Plan.