Home Remedies from Around the World Part 1

This past month we have been talking about health care with our students. In my upper level English class, we discussed some home remedies that my students use. I learned so much from them!

 

Home Burn Remedies

From cooking mishaps to fun in the summer sun, we all have burns sometimes.  Here are a few of the responses I received from my students on the best ways to take care of them.

El Salvador ~ When I get a burn, I use aloe vera on my burn. I put tomato on it and then I feel better. I put cold water on the burn. I use honey and put on the burn.
Iraq ~ When I burn my hand, I will put tomato paste on a burn.
Venezuela ~ When I have a burn, I put onion on it, I rinse in a lot of cold water, or I put a slice of potato on it.

So naturally I had to look up the benefits of putting a tomato slice on a burn, and sure enough there is a chemical called lycopene in tomatoes that reduces the heat from a burn and helps relieve the pain. Additionally honey has antiseptic properties for burns, and potato slices, especially the peel of a potato, will hold a lot of water and keep a burn from drying out too fast. Finally onion juice, too, has natural pain relievers.

 

Home Cough Remedies

 

The cold season is finally winding down, but allergy season is making its presence known, so my students gladly gave me ideas to help with coughing.

Guatemala ~ When I have cough, I drink hot water with honey and ginger.
Ukraine ~ When I have a cough, I drink tea with honey, ginger, and lemon.
Ethiopia ~ I drink milk with honey and garlic. I mix garlic and milk together. I boil for a few minutes and after that drink I feel better.
Eritrea ~ When I have a cough, I drink warm water. I drink lemon with tea. I take vitamin C; for example, lemon, tomatoes, or an orange. We have to drink hot water early in the morning.

 

The remedy that surprised me most here was the garlic and honey milk. Although both garlic and honey are said to have benefits for colds and coughs, I do not know if I could stomach warm garlic milk. I might have to stick to the other suggestions.

 

 

Catch me next time when I discuss even more home remedies!

Written by Heather Glidewell, ESL Instructor

S.T.E.P. Up to Work

One of the main goals of refugee resettlement is self-sufficiency for the individual or family and a big part of self-sufficiency is becoming employed. However, for many of our refugees, it is not as simple as just looking through the Help Wanted section in the newspaper and applying. Having lived in a refugee camp for most of their lives, some refugees do not have any work history and others were not able to finish school; reasons which can hinder the employment process. This is where our Education Department steps in to help. Five years ago, the Center for New Americans introduced S.T.E.P. classes into our program. S.T.E.P. stands for Skills That Employ People and these classes focus on skills needed for employment. There are two main types of S.T.E.P. classes – skill-based and work-focused. The skill-based classes teach skills applicable in many different areas of work. We have classes that focus on interview skills, workplace technology, and even measurement. (Many other parts of the world use the metric system instead of the US standard system for measurement.) The work-focused classes teach skills specific to one area of work like food service, manufacturing, and housekeeping.

Two Patient Care students enjoying traditional coffee during their class celebration

One work-focused class, Introduction to Patient Care, recently finished. Patient Care teaches the basic skills to work in healthcare. The class focuses on learning about pain and pain management, proper safety techniques, psychological health and caring for the elderly. Instructor Carol Hudson says, “This class spends a little more time on the vocabulary [of the American health system] than it does on physical experience.” But this is what many of the students need. Carol explains that many of the students in Introduction to Patient Care already have some medical training from their former lives and that for them this class is a stepping stone to an actual career. “Many refugees see that healthcare is a growing industry and that there are many opportunities, especially if they have prior experience.” After successful completion, some students decide to enter into a Certified Nursing Assistant Program at one of the local colleges or others may find work in the hospitals as a patient care assistant.

Introduction to Patient Care class celebration

Carol, a former nurse herself, has enjoyed teaching Introduction to Patient Care classes for many years. This most recent class has been extra memorable for her because of how inquisitive the group was. “This is the first time I was unable to finish all of the coursework on-time! They just had so many great questions and discussions,” says Carol. The students seemed to enjoy it as well. They organized a celebration party and assigned each student a particular food item to bring.

 

Kristyne Walth, Volunteer Coordinator, LSS Center for New Americans

Wealthy is Healthy… Literally

That’s right, I’ll say it – wealthy is healthy. Speaking to physical health, the numbers simply don’t lie. Those with more money are physically healthier than those struggling to make ends meet each month. With poorer overall health, health care events and consequential costs usually go up; meaning more debt for those that already can’t afford it. In reality, there are more reasons that just health care that the wealthy are more healthy. Stay tuned to find out a few reasons why as well as tips to overcome some of the barriers.