World Health Day : How are we helping?

I have decided to focus on an important and timely topic this week, seeing as World Health Day took place just this Tuesday! Good and easily accessible healthcare is something that a number of us take for granted (myself included.) For the families of Flora Tristan this is something they could only dream of. Healthcare in Peru for those with little money does not have a great history; with those with money seeing a much higher standard of healthcare. We are however seeing a number of positive strides taken throughout the country. 

Giving Aid

Making the water safe for drinking!

In our last Health Report, HOOP parents expressed concern mostly about the access to clean water and nutrition which is still a problem for a number of Peruvians.

At HOOP we use the support of a number of doctors, dentists etc. to help out when possible, and in 2014 we received aid from a variety of sources. Through our collaboration with Dentists without Borders, 240 individuals were treated, providing 329 free dental procedures.

Additionally, 63 health checks were made by a doctor. The most common problems of the HOOP kids are fever, dental and eye problems and stomach pain. Due to donations, we were able to provide stomach medicine to 103 different people. Every donation is so important to the community!

We also helped arrange six workshops, conducted by nurses in 2014. Nutrition is so vital for the members of the community since a number of health issues can arise from a poor diet. 

Dr Chihhao Chen, helping one of the HOOP kids

Throughout 2015 we hope to continue to support our HOOP families in ways that are most helpful to them.  

Just a few weeks ago we had a great doctor from Taiwan come out to Flora Tristan. He made a number of check-ups on the children and then followed this up with recommendations for the parents. We really appreciated him helping with our project and would just like to thank him again for his help!

Physical AND Mental well-being.

Mental health is just as important as physical well-being, so having someone to be there for the families regarding a number of issues is a vital part of what we do.  Marisol, who is our HOOP resident Psychologist knows the community really well and has a wealth of experience. As we begin our programme next week, our collaboration with her will be an important part of this.

If you are reading this and you like the idea of coming to Arequipa to volunteer your time and skills, we would be really glad to hear from you! Your help would be truly appreciated out here by the families and us. Keeping the HOOP families healthy and happy is truly our number one priority.