There were several services offered by the Humanitarian Mission in Tumaco. There were surgeries on the boat like"Operation Smile" but there were also services on land.
There were veterinary services for large and small animals, preventive medicine that checked water and food sources,
dental, general medical, pediatrics, optometry, and a lot of education programs in schools and for professionals. Many of these services were offered at a large school that had a series of separate classrooms in different buildings. This is where I worked translating and at the end, working with security at the exit gate.When we arrived at the entrance gate in the morning we saw hundreds of people in this terrible long line that began at the end of the previous day. They were actually pretty patient for their long wait and the children did remarkably little crying.
(a personal note here: the first thing I noticed when I returned to the states after 2 years away was how much and how loud the children cried everywhere)
So, see the military in the first picture? They are Colombian Army and National Police and they were wonderfully professional and courteous yet nobody resisted them when they said "no". (the police told me that Tumaco is the only place in Colombia that a civilian has ever punched a member of the National Police) they do all this without yelling. The lieutenant who was in charge at this site never said anything in more than a conversational tone. He just to do something and they said "si mi teniente" and that was it.
We entered this gate and got our assigments for the day and worked from about 7 am to 4 pm more or less, depending on when the doctors finished. We rotated lunches so usually there was about 20 minutes break. I didn't seem to matter.
The classrooms were often open like in the dental office, but for medicine or women's health they were divided with these light tarps. Patients waited out of the sun, but it was so hot and humid.
So, see the military in the first picture? They are Colombian Army and National Police and they were wonderfully professional and courteous yet nobody resisted them when they said "no". (the police told me that Tumaco is the only place in Colombia that a civilian has ever punched a member of the National Police) they do all this without yelling. The lieutenant who was in charge at this site never said anything in more than a conversational tone. He just to do something and they said "si mi teniente" and that was it.
We entered this gate and got our assigments for the day and worked from about 7 am to 4 pm more or less, depending on when the doctors finished. We rotated lunches so usually there was about 20 minutes break. I didn't seem to matter.
The classrooms were often open like in the dental office, but for medicine or women's health they were divided with these light tarps. Patients waited out of the sun, but it was so hot and humid.
