Today was a day that was jam-packed with festivals. In the morning, we worked at the community health fair where we gave out our routine vitals such as blood pressure, blood glucose, respiration, pulse, BMI and temperature. We provided the vitals in the waiting area of the community center as people waited to vaccinate and take physicals of their babies. Before people left, we invited them to have their vitals taken free of charge. We also handed out our nutritional pamphlets and exercise pamphlets that groups made to encourage healthy living. Many of the attendees were pleased that the pamphlets were written in Spanish. Since many mothers were spending their time waiting, we also took the opportunity to conduct our needs assessment with those who were willing. The new data from San Antonio should compliment our data from the surrounding rural communities. We also brought our health services to a group of people waiting outside the community center.

Overall, I felt like people were very apt to having their vitals taken. A particular man asked me what his blood glucose number meant, as I explained to him that his reading was normal. And, for the kids we had a station with crayons and health related coloring books (i.e. nutrition and dental hygiene) to keep them busy. The next big festival was the cultural day at the United Pentecostal School where students, dressed as different cultures performed. Some were dressed in the white creole clothing, the white and red dresses of the mestizos or the flower patterns of the Mayans. The gathering was a time for us to enjoy the community and play with all the kids that we have taught for the past two weeks. Our goodbyes to the kids were filled with high fives and hugs.

After lunch, we went to the San Antonio Women’s Co-op for an afternoon of reflection of our experiences over the week. Andrea asked us to reflect on our expectations, assumptions, and future plans for our interventions. She also asked us to draw a picture of our most memorable or impact moment from the week.

To close our reflections, we spent a fun filled hour at the school with some water balloon fights. We became so soaked that this was the first time that I felt remotely cold. We finished the day with a final feast at Mrs. Antonia’s house. We spent dinner full of laughs and reflection as our Belizean adventure came to a close.