To recruit patients, the Huehuetenango Rotary Club has printed posters like the large one you see on the left. Smaller posters dot the community and the surrounding areas. Radio announcements spread the word further through ads bought by the local Rotary club. As well, the Hospital de Especialidades purchases radio spots and apportions some of those spots to advertising the Iowa MOST mission. Some doctors who also purchase radio advertising turn over some of their spots to publicize the mission throughout a wider area so there are more ripples.
Every year there are patients from Casa Colibri, the clinic in the north with which we have a relationship. The clinic advertises and also provides transportation for the day long trip to Huehuetenengo. This year seven patients have come.
Word of mouth is a powerful tool. A Guatemalan medical student doing a rotation in a rural area heard of the mission and brought a family to the Hospital de Especialidades.
The sister of the wife of a Huehuetenango Rotarian had a friend from Chiquimula far to the south who she alerted. She knew her friend had a child with a cleft and she knew her friend would come for help. She was right.
There are so many ways the word spreads and Iowa MOST is deeply grateful for that. Because of great publicity support and because the mission has been a reliable presence for eight years, many people get the news. Excelente!
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