Fundacin Familias de Esperanza

Student Role

Students are able to perform a variety of tasks within the four focus areas of Common Hope (education, health care, housing, and family and community development). In previous years the students interested in healthcare and public health had the opportunity to assist in the dental clinic, medical clinic and pharmacy in tasks such as reception, filing, calling patients, pharmacy, counting pills, washing pill bottles, translating for dentists, and assisting doctors and nurses with their tasks. At times, students also participate in mobile clinics and community health fairs. They also were involved in the Partner School program, where they assisted Common Hopes educational promoters by tutoring and teaching at the public schools. Previous students distributed their time among various programs at Common Hope. At the clinic, they were able to assist nurses during pre-consults, administer nebulizations to those with respiratory illnesses, help in the pharmacy when medications and other supplies needed to be organized & distributed, and shadow doctors to learn about how they evaluated and treated their patients. In Apoyo Juvenil (after school program), students tutored and worked with children helping them on subjects like math and English. Students also had the opportunity to participate in the early stimulation program for children ages 0 to 3 years. This program teaches the mothers techniques to stimulate their childrens development of language, motor skills, cognitive perceptions and social abilities. Within this program, students supported Common Hope professionals with developmental evaluations and playing with siblings while mothers and babies were in their sessions. Students also spent two days per week at the indigenous villages of San Rafael or San Miguel Milpa Altas, located outside of Antigua working at the local clinic, and supporting early stimulation and after school programs. Students also were able to participate in home visits with the social workers. On Saturday mornings, students taught English classes at Common Hope. This summer, students will be able to continue supporting the activities in the health clinic as former students have done in the past in Antigua, San Rafael and San Miguel. They will also have the opportunity to observe some of the psychology programs and participate in the home visits with social workers. Students are also expected, when necessary, to aid Common Hope in other areas of need. This could include translating, working in the housing/construction department, preparing materials for schools, etc.