Internship Entry 5 (English Translation): Evaluation of the first weeks/ theme of choice.

For this post, I'll write about something that has caught my interest, which will be a brief history of the Hospital de la Caridad in Seville. It is a very old building, unlike the nursing home where I worked last summer (though only in the activities department, not medicine).

I was in literature class when my teacher said something about Manara, the man who founded the hospital in the seventeenth century. In a poem by Antonio Machado, there is an allusion to Manara, and my teacher explained that he was very important to the history of Seville. Miguel Manara, who was born in Seville in 1627, lived in a very troubled time in Spain; there were many rich, but also several poor; natural disasters such as the drought of 1682 and the flood of 1683 caused tension and a weakening of the city, both in numbers and in spirit; and the plague of 1649 reflected the need to change and restart life.

The logo of the Santa Caridad: a heart and a cross. 

Manara was a nobleman who lived in a palace and had an extravagant education. However, after the death of his wife his way of life. An internal struggle caused him to give up all of his wealth to build a hospital to benefit the poor, the sick, the brothers of Seville.

Although Mañara died in 1679 , his work and mission continue even today. La Caridad, which also has a church, was intended to bury the bodies of the abandoned or killed, and help men without resources. Today, there are more than 80 men in the Casa- Hogar. Men are admitted based on their level of need, health, and loneliness. From my experience, it seems like a real botherhood, inspiration and hope for all who live in the Hospital - Residence.

Here is webpage for la Santa Caridad , for more information:
http://www.santa-caridad.es/

There is also a museum in the Hospital, which I haven't yet visited. When I go to see it, I will share!

Although there are many differences between the Charity Hospital and Wiley Christian Retirement Home, for example, the ages of the buildings (I still can't believe that the Hospital is older than my country ... ), there are many similarities, as well. The two work mainly via charity, donations from those who live nearby, many times the people who go to the respective churches. There are religious and humanitarian missions, to give to people in order to improve the lives of "brothers". There is an affiliated church in both.

I keep learning new things ...I can not believe it's already my fifth post in my blog ! As they say in Spanish, too: time flies, especially when you are enjoying what you're doing.