** Don't worry this is not inappropriate.
I had the amazing opportunity to work with the incredibly talented group of individuals from CDNA Community Development Network of the Americas helping them to translate to my fifth and sixth graders information about sexual education and first aid skills. To say it went swimmingly well was an understatement.
Amanda the Founder of the organization is a pretty miraculous lady she is studied abroad in Chitre Panama when she was in college, which is where she began to see the need for sex education in Panama and then she came back after she finished her degree to start this awesome organization. She typically invites a small group of medical professionals from the U.S. to come for a few weeks every summer to give charlas (talks/sessions) in schools around Panama and Costa Rica as long as the school permits them to. The minestry of education sent someone to my school in Las Minas but by some miracle Amanda's husband happened to be cousins to the MEDUCA rep that they sent down so they let us continue with our talk and gave glowing recommendations.
In Panama they don't allow sex ed to be taught in schools, they will typically hold classes for parents of students if they are interested in coming, however they are hardly in depth and are rarely well attended. Basically, what Amanda has done is AMAZING and super radical in conservative Panama, but that kinda makes it all the better.
We covered emergency first aid techniques like the heimlich manuver and what to do if someone is bleeding from some appendage and about to die, which was necessary and helpful but it got SUPER interesting when we started delving into sex! Most of the students had never been spoken to about sex or anything even touching the subject, so you can imagine they sorts of questions we got during the Q&A portion. The most outlandish that we received was probably when one of the students asked if you could get STD's from having sex with animals..... Wellllll that was interesting, goes to prove that I live in the campo.
Some of the photos we got were PRICELESS and the students clearly loved the talks and getting to ask questions since we got bundles of them. The next day a bunch of students came up to me asking when the group was coming back,just proof that these kids need and WANT to learn about this stuff, it is imperative that Amanda continues doing what she is doing down here otherwise these kids will never get the information they need.
My kids and our group... I am the ghost on the right hand side being blocked out by the light
Seth, Amanda and Daniel answering some more questions
One of my students saving Sierra's life with CPR
One of the many fascinating questions we got from my students.... soooo likeeee how can I answer this one.....
Seth and Amanda being awesome
My favorite photo: this is the reaction we got from students as Amanda and Daniel demonstrated the proper technique of putting on a condom.... PRICELESS
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