Trajectory

Trajectory is a word that, before coming to Guatemala, I had only heard about in the context of projectile motion in physics class. It’s a simple enough concept- an object’s trajectory is the path it follows upon launch. But during this trip, the word trajectory has adopted an entirely new meaning in my mind. From two of our incredible teachers Rabbi Abie and Dr. Lauri, I’ve learned how simple things that we take for granted in the US can completely change the trajectory of a child- that is, their path of life leading to their destination.

On Tuesday, I worked with Rabbi Abie in glasses and had the privilege of finding the perfect pair of glasses for our patients to improve their vision. Having had poor vision as a child myself, I know the importance of glasses in order to better see the beauty and vibrancy of the world around us. But I had never given much thought about the importance of glasses in a more concrete setting - school. Children with poor vision can’t see the chalkboard in school so they don’t learn the material as well as the other students. Then they can’t answer the teacher's questions and to avoid being singled out, they go to the back of the classroom. Now, they really can’t see and have an even more difficult time and the teacher may even treat them like they are stupid. Eventually, they will believe they are stupid themselves and will lose their drive for learning. The students won’t ever live up to their full potential- be it a scientist, engineer or author- because they never got glasses. When we gave them glasses, we enabled them to excel in school. We changed their trajectory.

With Dr. Lauri, I saw even more profound effects of changing trajectory through the water filters known as Ecofiltro. Many of the families we saw drank tap water, and that unfiltered water is swarming with infectious agents, parasites and bacteria. The children of the community were especially prone to illness from drinking this water and would often get chronic diarrhea. They’d lose so many nutrients and end up falling off the growth curve- their trajectory for healthy growth and development. Dr. Lauri, with the help of our awesome translator, Diana, had the power to educate families about the importance of drinking clean water and connecting them to the Ecofiltros. It was astounding to see how something as simple as a water filter could bring a child from the lowest percentiles of developmental progress to thriving.

This trip has inspired me to look for ways to change the trajectory of those around me. I’ve learned that these life changing resources are often very simple and well known, all it takes is getting connected to these resources and the education on why they are so important. I’ve seen our medical team change the trajectories of our patients, but as a result of this incredible trip, the people of Guatemala have changed my trajectory to be a medical professional dedicated to educating and caring for those who are marginalized and forgotten about.

Prasun Shah