The First DB Peru Health Fair and Soccer Tournament 2009

DB Peru Feria de Salud y el Primer Campeonato Copa DB Perú

The jungle village of Mangua on the Napo River was chosen as the site of the first DB Peru Health Fair and Soccer Tournament.  On August 7, people from 22 nearby villages attended – more than 700 in all, some traveling 4-5 hours by boat.  To assist with this huge event, 30 volunteers from the United States, New Zealand and Peru were on hand, including 5 doctors, 4 medical students, and 10 nurses and students.

While teams from each village fiercely competed throughout the day for the championship cup, classes were set up in the vacant school rooms.  The physicians conducted classes on for health promotores (lay health workers) and for the midwives.  Demonstrations on back safety gave people ideas for prevention of back injuries and exercises to be used instead of medicines for pain.  The local government clinic in Mazan provided staff to assist with family planning and birth control pills.   Classes were presented on diarrhea with demonstrations of how to make oral rehydration solution using local products, such as sugar cane.   Other classes were on snake bites and first aid.

In order to present both Western and native health ideas, the health fair was rounded out with 2 special presentations.  The first was classes given by a local shaman, who presented information on natural plants and barks for traditional healing, which was well-received by hundreds of people.

The second was a huge food demonstration presented by the Dr. Edward from the Mazan clinic.  Some food was prepared ahead of time and everything was carefully labeled on display.  All of the food was locally grown and easy to obtain.  In great detail, he showed how combinations of certain foods like beans and rice make complete nutritional foods.  Although jungle diets are quite simplistic, he had various ways to prepare the chickens and chicken blood, fish and fish salads, yuca and platanos, as well as the many, many fruits, such as cocona, camu camu, papaya, aguje.  Eating vegetables or drinking milk is not part of the culture of the jungle villages, so not included.

The look and feel of the community was one of a holiday picnic with women having spread out food and drinks in various shaded places on the sides of the soccer field and people cheering for their teams.  Children were running and playing in numerous games planned for them, in addition to participating in dental classes.  At the end of the day, trophies were presented to the top 3 winners, and the winning team received new red and white DB Peru polos.  This event was one of our most successful in reaching so many people with health care and healthy living information.

Diana Bowie

President, DB Peru

www.dbperuong.com