The Trip of a Lifetime to Belize

When Garrett Gutermuth, a junior communications major, and Desmond Atem, a junior nursing student, and 16 other IU South Bend students traveled to Belize with Assistant Professor Caren Rossow and Assistant Dean Kristyn Quimby, it wasn’t your ordinary college spring break trip. The weather was warm and tropical, but the mission was different.

Health assessments and education for 330 children, ages 4–14, in a school in Succotz, near San Ignacio, Belize, were key components of the trip’s mission. With little awareness about the health implications of diets very high in sugar, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, untreated cavities, and obesity are major problems for the people of Belize. In fact, the population has the highest incidence of type 2 diabetes in the Caribbean.

Before leaving the U.S., the group developed course objectives culturally specific to Belize. Working with Eliu Yacab, director of Heart to Heart Belize, they wrote modules to educate and assess the health of children about healthy diets with less sugar and the benefits of physical exercise. “We wanted to intervene at a young age and instill the ideas early,” said Atem. “We learned what kids eat, what’s available to eat, and developed health education modules that incorporated these foods and encouraged the value of healthy behaviors such as brushing teeth and physical activity.”

The students gained some new carpentry skills in Belize too. They spent a day building picnic tables for a local park. The director of Heart to Heart and the mayor had been trying to get the tables built for six years to reduce the incidents of contracting parasites from eating on the ground. Parasites are so prevalent in Belizean children that the Ministry of Health treats children twice a year for the condition.

In addition to the satisfaction they got from helping others, the students gained new perspectives about cultures different from their own and about their futures. “Students go on this trip with no idea of what they want to do with their lives,” said Rossow, who has traveled with students 12 consecutive years to Belize. “They come back with a new sense of purpose about their future careers. It gives students direction.”

As Gutermuth and Atem reflected on their experiences, they were most grateful for the opportunity to interact with the people and experience a culture very different from their own. “It changed the way I think about other cultures,” said Atem, who is from the country of Cameroon. “It was the trip of a lifetime. I went to get some practical nursing experience. I got that and so much more.”

Gutermuth noted that there was a richness in the peoples’ lives despite the lack of wealth. “They have a strong family life. The men usually work at some manual labor job, and the women stay home and care for the family,” he explained. “And despite the lack of financial resources, the men, women, and children are very happy.”

Rossow also noted that children who were screened and found to have vision or acute dental issues were referred to agencies and clinics to get immediate treatment. “The health screenings we did made a difference in these children’s lives,” said Rossow. “We didn’t just go in and say ‘you have a problem.’ We presented solutions through education and treatment options for those who needed it.”

As Atem reflected on his trip, he said, “I came back with a lot more than I thought I’d get.” After his experience in Belize, he plans to continue his studies and earn his nurse practitioner’s license and perhaps even a PhD He would like to work in an international organization like Doctors Without Borders. Gutermuth thinks he would like to go to law school and advocate for others who need help. “I had no idea what I wanted to do when I graduated. It was a lifechanging experience for me,” said Gutermuth. “This trip gave me a much clearer perspective about the direction I want for my future career.”

Rossow was touched by the closeness and the dedication the students developed in their short time together. “I’ve never had a group gel like this,” said Russow. “They took the initiative. Some are still in contact with Eliu Yacab, the Heart to Heart director. We had no TV. No phones. Yet, we were all so happy!”