[English] My experiences in Cerro Seco

As I wrote in my last blog report my experiences of the first week, in this report I will try to describe how my last 4.5 weeks have elapsed. The first thing that comes to my mind is that the weeks have passed completely different than I initially expected... in the positive sense! In the Netherlands you can predict one week in advance each day with a good accuracy. Not here! Even at breakfast you ask yourself curious what this day will bring. You really are away from the organized and stressed Europe. In one word: Delicious!

I traveled to Cerro Seco to do something in the education. During my previous project I volunteered in a biological research center as a research assistant in the rainforest. In Cerro Seco I wanted something different and wanted to nibble at the field of education. I absolutely nog have a background in education. I'm just a graduate biology student, but they are open to everything here in Cerro Seco. No bridge is too far. Before I went to Cerro Seco my expectations were that I would do a lot in education. But as I just wrote, all the expectations you have are not worth anything (in the positive sense). There is so much to do that you don’t know where you want to help. You are always needed. To give you a short example: I have contributed as a volunteer in building a greenhouse, maintaining a trail, creating a garden of Aloe Ver and so on. Of course I've done something in the education as well. I have given a few lessons at a primary school, once as a teacher at a secondary school and I also particpated in a number of education meetings. The point I would like to make is that you can do every thing you want. You are the one who decides what to do next. You want to do more in education? No problem. Do you want to help in harvesting sabila leafs? Just do it!

It would be a very long and boring story if I would describe every activity in this report. However, I want to highlight an activity that has touched my inner core.

Around ten days ago I noticed a puppy, which was dirty, wounded and left behind by his mother. He was crying under the house where many volunteers sleep. The previous night, I heard a puppy crying all the time under the house. The next morning I immediately took a look.

As I said, I found a small, dirty white puppy with a big wound on his back and left behind by his mother. He looked at me with such big sad eyes that I just had to help him. I called Marcelo, whose father is a veterinarian and so knows a lot about veterinary medicine. We performd a surgery on the spot on the street, simply because everything in Ecuador is possible. Marcelo himself had a little medicine and a surgical kit in his bedroom, so it was no problem. We had the wound cleaned and have injected a purple disinfectant gel. After a little food in his stomach, he slept all day (and night).

The next morning we had him investigated and we found out that there were maggots crawling out of his eyes and ears. We had to do something and so surgery numero 2 was done. In total we removed more than 50 maggots from his ears and more than 10 from his eye, we have also cleaned the wound again. I hope this puppy wil get an owner in the future. The best thing for him would be if Cerro Seco were to adopt the puppy as their "house dog". To bring the puppy more to attention in Cerro Seco I gave him a name, or rather a notion, "Lobo Blanco Cerro Seco" (the white wolf of Cerro Seco) and I think it worked pretty good! The crew and the volunteers thought it a cool name and came looking for him regularly! That day I constructed a cage for him to sleep in.

Every thereafter it was my task to care for Lobo Blanco. Every day we gave him an injection to kill al the maggots that probily still resides in his body. We also cleaned the wound on his back and ears daily. It is also my task to give him food and water.

2 days later he seemed to be a bit stronger but it all went wrong on day 4. Someone who works at the camp in the construction saw the dog and his wound and has tried to heal it with a strong spray that kills worms. This strong stuff he injected into his ear so that now his ear is even more inflamed. He was crying the whole day of the pain. After this incident I kept the spray well hidden. It was certainly a positive effect on the attention he received from others. He is now officially called Lobo Blanco and more and more people come just to watch him.

And now ten days after I found him, I leave Lobo Blanco behind in Cerro Seco. His health improved tremendously. After just one week he began to wag and a for days thereafter he also became very playful. He has gotten a lot of energy, a very good sign. The only thing that I am worried about is that someone here in Cerro Seco have to care for him. Otherwise it would al be for nothing. I am hopeful that they will care for him but entirely sure, you never are!

Lobo Blanco is just a single snap-shot from my many experiences here in Cerro Seco. You see, everything is possible here in Cerro Seco. You can also set up a project to supply all the stray dogs in Bella Vista (the village adjacent to Cerro Seco) to help. Even starting an Animal Rescue Center is possible.

Every skill a volunteer has can be used here!

I can recommend every future volunteer to work here. No matter what your interests are, everyting is possible! Join us!

Remon
(The Netherlands)

 Lobo Blanco (day 2)

 Here I'm building a house for him

 Lobo Blanco (day 4)

 Veterinary work

 Lobo Blanco (day 10) Much better, don't you think?!!!

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