I study in a medical school that prides itself for its “community-based” education. Whereas, other schools only expose their students to the community near graduation time, and that for only about a week. We are sent into the community from our first year until we graduate. We are responsible for guiding them, and empowering them to make wiser decisions to the betterment of their lives.
As part of our curriculum, we must pass a community diagnosis report regarding the conditions of the community assigned to us. Part of the report covers the Nutrional Status of children 0-7 years old. To gather such data, we had to measure the weights and heights of these children in a what is commonly called as an Operation Timbang. Yet, what we had thought to be a simple house-to-house procedure almost turned into shambles!
Armed with weighing scales, tape measures, and a bags filled with lollipops we ventured into the community.
The first house belonged to a family assigned to my care*. The son was anxious, but cooperative. He seemed to be afraid to step on the weighing scale, but his mother forced him and he had to comply or else face her wrath. For his participation, he was given 2 lollipops.
We thought we could could do the same process to the other houses, but we were wrong. Word soon spread of our presence. Neighbors called the children of the community to have them weighed. Since the house was not that large, we moved to a more centralized location as dozens of children poured in.
Most children had no qualms with their weights and heights taken. Others fought back the irrational fear of being weighed, fearing more the jeers and scoldings of adults who came to see what the commotion was about. Others were bribed by the prospect of the lollipop reward. For their participation, all of them had their share of lollipops.
Yet a minority of children refused to be weighed. They would cry loudly as if the weighing scale would bite or burn them. Lollipops could not bribe them. Jeers made them more adamant. So we decided to use another method. We would weigh a parent first, and then have one carried by that parent to get their combined weights. We recorded the weight difference as the child’s weight.
Nevertheless, some children even refused to get carried by a parent. They would squat and try to stick to the ground, as their parents or guardians tried to lift them. Fortunately, they became more cooperative once we moved the weighing scale to their houses.
Yet despite these setbacks, the Operation Timbang was completed. We now had our data to for the community diagnosis report. We also learned about another side to the community we were assigned in.
It is much like a spider web except that it is made of lives and not of silk. One part transmits signals to all the other parts. All parts contribute to the whole.
With this knowledge, we can better guide and empower them.
*As part of the curriculum, each member of the class is assigned to several families. He is responsible for monitoring their general, social, and health statuses. He acts as mentor, confidante, and a private consultant. In this way, the college hopes to produce graduates who are in tune with the culture and heart of the community.
