Off for an early start because this is another very big day. In the morning we were supposed to:
- meet with Steve
- meet with the Permanent Secretary
- meet with Gaudencia
- go over the building with Steve and Gaudencia at the site
None of it happened. We met Steve on the street where he told us he had to go out of town for an emergency meeting; Gaudencia in desperation took her son to a mine hospital in another city (he broke his arm two weeks ago and has been told every day that "we'll do the treatment tomorrow"); and the Permanent Secretary had a line of folks needing to see her that went halfway down the hall outside her office. We re-scheduled for the next day and went to the apartment to pack a lunch to take to Kantolomba. No water in the flat. Jen found this out when she attempted to do up some dishes. Okay, okay, all in a days work. Then the blender did a swan dive onto the floor, and we began to consider that this might be "one of those days." Perhaps we should take to our beds and set the alarm for tomorrow?
We decided food sooner rather than later might help. Dave fixed us a good lunch while Cheri finished up some communications with the Monastery. (Yes, those hardy souls continue to do all the homefront work while we gallivant around, and we are grateful every day.) Once fortified, we hopped in our still-broken car and limped out to Kantolomba.
Waiting for Theresa to bring up the seven or eight students who would receive care during the medical meeting with Magnus, we inspected the tote bag Georgiana sewed the night before. The sewing teacher was convinced that Nelly and Georgina simply would not be able to make anything decent. Hand sewing machines, no electricity, no education...even though Cheri was wearing a lovely pair of "trousers" (not "pants," pants here are underwear, a language difference that produces many laughs), made by these very ladies, he would not budge from his opinion. Well! Turns out Georgina is the sewing superstar! Everything about the bag she made is perfect. You know, you hate to say I told you so... And we learned something very fun: Both Georgina and Nelly have treadle Singer machines, which, it turns out, we can add a motor to for $50. Much better than the $500 to $600 price tag for a new electric machine.
Georgina (left) sporting the chitenge bag she just completed.
Waiting also gave us time to hear about their morning from the rest of the group. All five of them were in a taxi at 8 a.m. on their way to Kantolomba. Theresa had selected 80 of the 100 new students (the 10- to 15-year-olds), and part of the team photographed them while the rest of the team gave out to the little kids copies of their photographs taken a couple of weeks ago. Not only did the little guys get photographs, they did art projects, and got a piece of candy! Don't try to convince these young scholars that school isn't fun.
Magnus asks if he can color, too.
Hard at work.
Tom captures the masterpieces on film.
Mariam (Josephine's daughter) enjoys the photo of herself.
As does everyone!
Troy poses with friends.
And, finally, there was a passing of the baton from the soap-makers to the Living Compassion gals. The gals will take over production, with the school and community center their recipients, until we can get a soap cooperative up and running.
Brian stirring, while waiting for the soap to boil.
The "patients" arrived, and Doctor Magnus set up his clinic. The women watched attentively as he explained to all of us how to make simple disinfectants; how to keep containers, hands, and wounds clean; and how to safely apply bandages. We agreed later that the kids were far braver than we would have been under the circumstances. Dave introduced them to the tradition of a treat to take one's mind off the recent misery.
Magnus explains the importance of keeping everything sterile.
Dave comforts the patient.
Treating a burn that has become infected due to absence of healthcare.
Pauline (one of the Living Compassion women) assists Magnus with a patient.
The patients all finished (notice Dave's hand on the right with the bag of treats.)
It was good on many levels that we had this "mini-clinic." We discovered two of the children also need to go to the clinic--the burn, and one of the very infected cuts. We will have four going in daily, five if we can convince Elizabeth, the ten-year-old, to continue her treatments. Elizabeth stopped after the first day, and when we asked about it were told she had refused to go and her mother's response was, "I can't make her." Very hard not to express judgments about that, given the child will die without treatment.
We got another piece of good news when we asked Veronica what she wants to do after she completes her twelfth grade. She wants to be a nurse! Yea! She will train with Magnus while he's here, learning how to tend to the simple injuries and conditions, and we can have her train with Dr. Obi and the nurse who will be coming out for the bi-weekly and monthly visits. We will also train Everesto, Pauline, and Martha to do the minor procedures, giving us a great medical crew.