Thanks to the Montecristi Foundation, Inc., an eye doctor visited Pile last Saturday. The doctor conducted exams for weavers, their families, and many others in the village, and new glasses will be delivered in a few weeks. Here are some photos from Gabriel and Andrea. Eye doctor, carrying her equipment into the village. The...
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Remember the boy whose story appeared on BBB’s website and that we reposted here? He’s doing well with his new glasses! Here’s a photo of him from Christmas: His mother reports that his eyes are improving, and as his eyes change the Foundation continues to provide him with new lenses. The many weavers who...
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The Montecristi Foundation, Inc. ( MCF ) has provided free safety masks to the weavers of Pile. This is the first time in history that the weavers have had any way to protect themselves from the potentially hazardous sulfur fumes that are an essential part of the process. Sulfur powder is critically important to...
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When we first began to provide free medical care to the village of Pile nearly a decade ago, ours was the only medical care available in the village. The government of Ecuador had not yet “discovered” Pile. We started with a couple of experimental medical days, funded by The Panama Hat Co. of the...
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The Foundation brought an optometrist to Pile, provided free eye exams, and free eyeglasses. I was there when the optometrist came, and I was shocked to discover that most of the weavers literally couldn’t see what they were doing. I had high hopes that a dramatic increase in fineness and evenness of weave would...
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While we were eating and buying hats woven by her daughter-in-law, the woman’s five-year-old son was in perpetual motion, running in and out of the house, all around the room, under the table, happily squabbling with his sister and brother at every opportunity. Typical five year old, right? Except for his eyes. As I...
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In addition to the physician assigned to Pile, there is a midwife, a nurse who can give injections and IVs, and a layperson elected by the civic cooperative to be responsible for health-related issues and projects (translation: paperwork). We are bringing these people together for the first time, to get to know each other...
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