Dear AHMEN,
I'm sorry I have not gotten back to you sooner about our Honduras
trip. I
started to write you a note earlier, but the words just didn't
seem to do
the experience justice. But it seems to be that way in all my conversation
with friends and family. I look at there faces and conversational
nods and
just know that they really just cannot fathom the depth of the
experience.
So here goes... We had an unbelievable experience. Everyone in
the villages
was excited to see us and the hospitality would make any southerner
take
note. The children loved to see us and speak the English they knew,
and
laughed at us as we tried our Spanish, everyone was laughing. The
interpreters we had were extremely instrumental in the success
of our
mission, especially Mario, who quickly became "Papa Mario".
We treated
approximately 1500 dogs, cow, pigs and horses in about 5 days,
unheard of in
the states. We were able to leave parasiticides to last the next
2 months
for the dogs, and 6 months for the horses. I feel we made an impact
on the
community which will not just enhance the well being of the dogs,
well being
and productivity of the livestock, but also the health of the Honduran
people. For instance, in one village we saw an infestation of Sarcoptes
scabei, "scabies", which is zooinotic and could be seen
in the children as
they were bringing their dogs to us. We had medicines to treat
these dogs
and to leave with families for 6 weeks of treatment. I believe
we made an
initial dent in the treatment of this condition, but more is need
in this
community. We appreciate everyone who helped our trip be successful,
both
financially and through hard work!
Thank you very much for allowing our group to work under the AHMEN
name and
I hope the veterinary outreach can continue to be a success in
the future.
Unfortunately, I don't have pictures on my computer. Please let
me know if
you need more pictures for the web site.
Sincerely,
Mary Edmonds
AUCVM class of 2010 |
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