January/Februrary 2008 Newsletter
The Guatemala Medical Relief Program (GMRP) was started in early 2004 by Doug Hansen
and Shelley Weston of the Thiensville-Mequon Rotary Club. This year was the 4th medical
mission to Oliveros, Guatemala. Past District Governor, Kico Gandara, from Guatemala,
who now lives in Madison, offered his ranch and the neighboring school as a home for our
mission. This year, 41 volunteers traveled to Oliveros from January 23, 2008 through
January 31, 2008. A Rotarian and his son, George and Scott Morelle from Sheboygan,
donated an eighteen wheeler trailer and tractor for transporting supplies. There was
also a Matching Rotary Grant to help fund the project.
The clinic opened at 9:30 on Friday, January 24 and was open on Saturday, Sunday,
Monday and Tuesday morning. We saw a total of 823 patients during that time frame.
Services offered were medical, vision, pediatrics, podiatry, dental and pharmacy. We
had 3 physicians, 4 physician assistant students, a podiatrist, 6 dentists, 10 nurses,
a member of the local Lions club, and 9 other volunteers as well as 3 Rotarians who did a
water project. 2 villages now have clean, fluoridated water!! An extension of the
project started in 2007 was assisting middle school students with scholarships to
attend school beyond the sixth grade. We currently are supporting 10 children.
Clubs participating with volunteers and dollars are Thiensville-Mequon,
Slinger-Allenton, Hartford, Mequon Thiensville, Cedarburg-Grafton, Elmbrook,
Hartland-lake County, Port Washington, West Allis, West Chicago, Sheboygan, Elkhorn,
Milwaukee North Shore Sunrise, and District 6270.
Future directions are to continue to serve the people of Oliveros, rewire and repaint
the school, expand Power Flour and medical education initiatives, increase patients’
access to Guatemalan healthcare, and provide scholarships to local middle school students.
This is truly a multi-club, District 6270 project to help several communities in
Guatemala have a better, healthy life.
You can find pictures from Rotary involvement in Guatemala here.