Panterra :: MySchool Journal

Daily Journal

Journey of Giving - Medical Expedition

Day 1 - Part 3

The Fishing Community of Isla Pardito

The Island of Pardito.
Generations of families have been traditional fishing here since 1916.

The panga arrives with medical/dental supplies and personnel.

Dr. Alvarado and her medical team are greeted by some of the residents.

Pilar, one of the senior residents consults with
Dr. Garcia before her medical and dental care.

They have been friends for many years.

Dr. Alvarado gets her team (Jan, Louise and Lucas)
organized while their patients start to congregate.

Their first patient and a dear friend, Simon.

Jan, Lucas and Louise attend to one of the original members of the families.

The community was happy for the personal care and attention.
Until now, their healthcare was done in La Paz. A 4 hour panga
ride (if the sea conditions are favorable) or one hour panga ride
to San Evaristo on mainland Baja and then 3 hour 4WD to La Paz .

Dr. Soto and her team (Anna and Michelle)

Set up and ready for work.

Busy at work. It was just the beginning.

A couple of patients look on.

Dr. Chung (Chiropractor) works on a patient.

His work is very much appreciated. These fishermen work long,
hard hours, keeping in mind they practice traditional fishing by hand lining.

Meanwhile, the builders unload building supplies for a palapa.

With the advice of the residents, we decide where to
place the palapa and what the design of the palapa should be.

Measuring the length of the posts.

Lining up the posts.

Framing the posts.

Attaching the support brackets.

The structure is sturdy and intact. Everything is coming together!

Lining up the support beams and everything looks good.

Finishing touches on the roof. It's completed.

The new palapa looks good and fits right in.

If you notice, you can see the new palapa to the right of the white house.

Isla Pardito is the heart of all Panterra expeditions. Student and adult programs alike. The people here are the most beautiful I have ever met in my life. I have been honored to know the original family and have shared in the grief of the loss of Henrietta and Pepe; Gilberto and Celia's parents. Unfortunately, both Gilberto and Celia were in La Paz at the time of our visit.

For over a decade, I have visited this community. My life changed and grew with every visit, even to this day.

Many Panterra participants (a couple thousand school children and adults, I kid you not) have visited and each one has come away enriched in their lives. We have always been greeted with open arms and hearts, and over the years my lousy Spanish, but excellent body gestures and sign language, have built a relationship that none of us will ever forget in our lifetime.

It is with great honor to visit and build a much needed replacement palapa (the original blew away in a hurricane a few years back) and more so, to administer healthcare to these beautiful people.

Of all the places in the world, this is truly where my heart lies.

Lela the naturalist

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