Notes from the Field

(University of Minnesota public health students are writing about their experiences abroad this summer.)

By Dominique Lopez-Stickney
Writing from Oaxaca, Mexico

I made it to Oaxaca, Mexico a week ago. I have been pretty much busy since I arrived. I stayed in a hostel for a few days before my homestay, along with the other NGO interns. There are 8 of us, all involved in different projects around the city-state-and country. My project is dealing with a home for the elderly who don’t have family to live with or other resources to take care of themselves. My job, which I created, is to conduct a needs assessment of the kitchen/foodservice/nutrition of the residents. My days are typically like this:

I work from 9-12 on the project in an office, then sit with the residents from 12-2. So far I have begun to write surveys for the residents, cooks, and the director in English & Spanish, and have started writing the report for the project. I am also going to interview a resident who speaks English very well about nutrition & food served. Um, then I walk back home for lunch around 3p. The walk is 40 min each way, so walking consumes a lot of my day. Then, from 5-8 I have Spanish classes at and English/Spanish school in town, and I am in a class by myself so I have them help me with my survey questions, etc.

We’ve also been exploring the city a lot. This weekend a few of us are going to a town a bit away to explore and buy famous clay jewelry, then Sunday we’re going with ProMexico (the organization I am here with) to a town to meet women weavers, whom the organization also works with. It’s been a bit hectic in the city because of recent “scandals� in the gubernatorial elections, by the candidate Ulyses, and the teachers are on strike, and have been hijacking busses and using them to block roads coming into town and around town. Next weekend we are taking a trip to Puerto Escondido, on the SW coast of the country, to learn to surf & lay on the beaches.