Love In Motion Trip
Each year, the Presbytery of Long Island El Salvador Partnership and APRODEHNI holds a health campaign in several rural communities in El Salvador to help provide basic health care and medications to children and their families. Over the years, Love in Motion has provided basic medical care to about 27,000 people who might not otherwise have seen a physician. A drop in the bucket in terms of total population, but an important drop nonetheless. And, at least two times, Partnership physicians diagnosed people who were seriously ill, who then were able to get to a hospital for treatment. The trip not only serves as a primary source of medication and vitamins for these rural people, but also an excellent means of advancing health promotion and disease prevention.
Health services provided include:
- Outpatient consult (physicals)
- Medical treatment.
- Immunizations
- Children growth/development assessment.
- Maternal/infant health care.
- Women’s health care/pap smears (Cancer of the cervix is the first cause of death among women in El Salvador.)
- Health promotion/disease prevention (parasitism prevention, cervical and breast cancer prevention, nutrition, hygiene, water purification)
- Dental care
The trip also includes an educational/entertainment program for the children while they wait. This program includes Bible stories, songs, games, dancing, and crafts...and a lot of smiles.
While individuals with medical experience are welcomed, you don’t need such experience to be part of this trip. If you can count out vitamins, fill in quantities on labels, dance the Macarena, or hold a baby, you can be an effective part of a trip team. Cost of the Love in Motion trip is generally $900 (there is sometimes a bit of flexibility, depending on airfare charges), which covers airfare, accommodations (including breakfast), and in-country transportation. Money is due six weeks before departure date.