10-19-2011

Hi again! I (Judy) had the day off today so Bud and I visited Ubuntu where ITEC, the group working with him on the Sierra Leone electrical set-up, recently installed a new generator and switching gear to go from commercial power lines to the generators. He was able to see their installation and have a better idea of what he will need to do in Sierra Leone. He has also been asked by ITEC to check the location at Zimba where they plan to come sometime next year to see if the location for the equipment is satisfactory.

We also went to a Craft Shop where they have many carvings, baskets, and other things made by the local people. Beside it is the Vision Restaurant where we had a great lunch. The Craft Shop restaurant and Ubuntu Campus (contains secondary school, and primary schools) as well as a place where people come in for HIV/AIDS education, sewing lessons, computer training, etc. All these things as well as a small airport is within an organization called Macha Works. So, in Macha, they have the hospital, the Malaria Institute, and Macha Works. It’s all very interesting.

I visited a place behind the hospital today where the bedsiders, people who stay by the bedside of a good friend or family member stay while hospitalized. There are a few shelters back there, but mostly the people live outside. They each have their designated cooking areas. Behind them is the market where vendors sell used clothing, all kinds of supplies, including food, detergent, oils, soaps, cooking pots and serving dishes, etc. The vendors go to Choma and buy their supplies in large quantities and then, for example, divide a box of detergent into one cup sizes and wrap it in plastic to make it affordable for the bedsiders who are staying there.  I took several pictures today and then printed them and gave them copies…they were thrilled! They laughed and showed all their friends. It was a fun afternoon!

Pam Leslie has gone home (we’ll really miss her!!) and Jerilynn Spring has come for the second half of the semester. Jerilynn, who is a Nurse Practitioner, brought Bud a knee brace which seems to stabilize the knee a little better. After she examined the knee, she

threatened him within an inch of his life if he didn’t stay off it more and keep it elevated, so he has really been trying to do better! We have a driver with a Land Cruiser here in Macha, and he has been wonderful about driving Bud wherever he needs to go.

Late this afternoon Chris Book, Macha Institute Administrator, offered to take half the students to climb to the top of the water tower. It’s about 75 ft. tall. When they get on top, they are able to get a great aerial view of Macha. The students loved this experience even though it was somewhat intimidating to climb!  Chris will take another group tomorrow afternoon.

10/22  We returned to Choma last night; everyone was very tired but glad to be “home”; since this has been our home base, we felt like we were coming home.

The night before we left Macha, several of the students worked the night shift where more babies seem to be born. All the students except our male student have now delivered babies. They have been so excited! This morning before we left, they all got to fly in a 6-seater airplane which takes short trips over the entire Macha compound. There were four groups which went up, including Bud and one of our drivers. They all love it and some were able to get some nice pictures.

We have a couple days here and then head for Zimba on Tuesday afternoon where we’ll stay through Sunday lunch. There is a Wesleyan mission hospital at Zimba where the students will be doing clinicals. We’ll also be visiting an orphanage one day while there. We will have no internet access during our time in Zimba.

When we return to Choma on Sunday, November 6, we’ll be here until we leave for U.S.A.   Till next time J.  

Written 10-15 Sent 10-17-11

This is a somewhat lazy Saturday; we gave the cooks the morning off and two of the students made pancakes for everyone (they even made some for me from cassava flour J). They were wonderful. Most of the students ate pancakes and watched Untangled, so they really relaxed before getting back into their class requirements.

Pam, Bud and I went to town to buy fruit to take to Macha for this next week. It’s a very rural area, and doesn’t have grocery stores, etc. They do have a market which we hope to visit while we’re there. We leave Sunday afternoon for Macha and return to Choma Friday afternoon. We will have even more limited access when we get there.

Then the following Tuesday afternoon, half of us go to Zimba Hospital, and the other half to Namwianga to an orphanage. After five days, the two groups will switch sites so all of us go to both places. Mike and Cindy Helvie are overseers at Zimba Hospital while Drs. Dan & Joan Jones are in the U.S., so we look forward to seeing them again.

I had an interesting day yesterday.  We were in Macha, and I went with six students to the outreach mother/baby clinic. They did a well-baby clinic where they weighed the babies in a canvas baby seat attached to a scale which hung on a tree branch. Then they took their cards which they carry with them and went to another line where they looked to see which immunizations were needed. From there, they went to the line where all the immunizations are given.

In another area, they checked pregnant Moms regarding the status of their pregnancy as well as for syphilis. Most are also tested for HIV/AIDS; if they are positive for HIV/AIDS, they get their husbands and go to a counseling clinic. In the counseling clinic, they tell them all about signs and symptoms of possible complications to watch for in any pregnancy as well as to start them on medications if they are HIV positive. Yesterday, they tested four young couples who were pregnant and found all of them to be HIV negative!! That was a real praise! These clinics are really amazing. They are held under thatched roof verandas with stones or bricks for seats. The people are so patient and do not get annoyed when they have to wait in the lines. Many of the women are carrying young babies or children, so if the baby gets fussy, they just start nursing them.  It’s an instant pacifier!

Yesterday morning, the computer tower broke down, so we have no computer access at all. This will be actually loaded onto the blog site when we arrive someplace with computer access!  They seemed to think it was a fairly major problem, so who knows when it will be repaired!

We arrived in Macha last evening and were able to purchase internet coverage today. Have a great day !