Discussions with Elisabeth, Professor Botto, and Doug Wendt

I wanted to post some of the things some amazing people have told me about health in and background about Maya Guatemala.
The first involves an interview with Elisabeth Hess, a BYU student who went to Guatemala and took excursions to the Maya villages of K'iche descent. She told me the biggest problems they have faced are job security and food security; in other words, it is quite difficult to save anything for the family.
She said that diarrhea was a huge problem because the water is not sanitary in certain areas. Also, the teeth of even the children are rotting. The men work in the cities, leaving the women in rural areas behind for periods of time. There are twenty three national languages there, and there are many market days. Unfortunately, during rainy season the roads become really muddy, making travel to governmental clinics very difficult.
Lastly, she said that despite their struggles, they are incredibly hard-working.
Next, I talked with Malcolm Botto, a head professor over the Kennedy Center at BYU. He has been to Guatemala among the Mayans and told me he did know of a nurse that works there who can tell me more about Maya health care history. He told me the health care situation in Momostenango is not good and should be investigated.
Finally, I chatted with Doug Wendt, the winner of BYU's 2009 Social Venture Competition called the Tipping Bucket. He also has been to Guatemala among the Mayans and loved the idea of health clinics where they are needed and pointed me to organizations who can help me research more.

This was a long post, but it is well worth the time to research this. I am excited to present more research coming very shortly. Thanks.

Discussion with my aunt (Susie Roper)

This past Monday evening I visited my aunt's house to discuss researching the history of health care in Maya Guatemala. She happens to be a professor at BYU Provo teaching a course called Research Methods. She gave me a few great pointers to remember while researching. The first was to start by asking the head of the Social Sciences department at the Harold B. Lee Library for more information on this specific topic. This was great advice, because he will know where to find more, and he may lead me to other resources such as the internet.

Second, she told me to narrow my topic down. This is important because when one is researching they must begin with an argument (hypothesis), and then they should find research that supports that thesis. For example, my argument would be that as time has progressed from the 1950's to the present, health care was more widely distributed and had increased quality care in Maya Guatemala. If one finds evidence wholly contrary to the hypothesis, then one should state that.

Third, we concluded I must branch out and search in medical journals, the internet, those with practical medical experience, and additional sources in order to cover my bases.

I am so grateful for her generosity and hope all of you learned something to use when researching your topic of interest. Thanks.

A couple of great updates

First of all, I just wanted to express my gratitude for the Wikipedia assignment we just completed. It forced me to think about how to take the research I have and put it into a professional format. If you're interested in the contribution I made, the link is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guatemala. I added the section entitled "Medical anthropology and pluralism."

Second, I am pleased to announce a friend of mine--Aaron Holmes--found out about a doctor who just came back from Guatemala with his medical supplies. So guess who is going to ask him about the history of health care down there? You guessed it.

Third, Malcolm Botto just returned from a study abroad in Argentina. Professor Botto teaches K'iche at BYU Provo and will be helping out with my Social Venture Competition project. He also knows quite a bit about the Mayan culture, having worked there himself.

Link to my wiki; the motive behind this blog

I recently created a wiki that corresponds to the research I'm doing for this blog, which is actually the reason I created this blog in the first place. For those of you who are interested, the link is http://microconnect-socialventureteam.wikispaces.com/. I will be entering the BYU Social Venture Competition in late January 2011. This competition is about having the best business plan that addresses a social issue, such as poverty. I plan on going with my team to Guatemala and teaching health in a community setting and ways to renew local resources as well as capitalize on business solutions for resources (such as eco-tourism) that help make the communities sustainable. We plan on going to around four locations. I am so excited! If any of you know about health care, education, international development, environmental solutions, or tourism (or if someone else you know does), please let me know!