Sarah Rachal

This fall, I had the opportunity to work with Primeros Pasos for eleven weeks, and I would have been happy to stay even longer. I am currently working on my medical degree as well as my master of public health, and Xela was the perfect place to experience the myriad intersections between these disciplines. I came to Guatemala with the goals of learning more about public health delivery in low-resource settings, understanding challenges in clinic administration, and improving my Spanish, but I learned much more than I anticipated. I had the good fortune to work on projects with Mónica, our outreach program director, Verónica, our volunteer coordinator, and Camila, our outgoing development director.

Although I had significant prior experience working with clinics and public health projects in the United States, I was constantly learning from the team’s creative solutions to various challenges, their careful use of resources, and their ability to connect with both local and international partners. Working with Mónica to update the monitoring and evaluation plan for the community outreach program was incredibly humbling, as I quickly learned that any data collection plans needed to be flexible and feasible given resource and time constraints, a constantly changing political and social environment, and variable literacy levels in the valley. Outside of my specific projects, I also benefited from my interactions with patients in the clinic and with children and families in the communities I visited. Although I still have a lot to learn about Guatemalan history and culture, I hope that my increased understanding of local beliefs about health, family dynamics, the typical Guatemalan diet, and how Guatemalans interact with the health care system will help me to become a better, more empathetic health care provider for my Central American patients in the United States.

Outside of Primeros Pasos, I was able to take advantage of plenty of opportunities and experiences in Xela and other parts of Guatemala. In Xela, I took Spanish lessons and lived with a host family, learned how to dance both salsa and bachata, and explored the local mercados. I unintentionally visited during a culturally rich few months and got to take part in the September feria, the festival for the Virgen del Rosario, and Día de Todos Santos. I also took advantage of the weekends – from traveling to Lake Atitlan, to seeing the kite festival in Sumpango, to hiking Santa Maria.

Overall, my favorite thing about Guatemala was the buena gente. From the family in Tierra Colorada Alta who always sent us home with fresh vegetables, to the many locals, expats and travelers I met in Xela, I was amazed by how friendly and generous people here are. I recommend that any volunteers immerse themselves in the culture here as much as possible – Xela is a special place, and your time will go by faster than you expect.

Disfrutalo!