27/03/2010
Hello again!
We have had a busy last two days. Yesterday, Nicole and Genny spent the morning at Family Hope Sanctuary (FHS) helping out with the school activities. The kids were wild and energetic since it was the last day of school before the weekend. There were about 30 kids, and since it was our third day there, they had gotten to know us pretty well. They would climb into our arms and on our backs and everywhere we turned there was another child who wanted a hug. They knew we usually had treats with us, so they would search our pockets for candy. We had a busy morning at the school, but before we knew it, the morning class was over and had left to walk home. Annie, Mary, Linda, and Queen spent the morning running errands and getting ready for Mount Sinai Day. They picked up $1,300 worth of formula to be handed out to the HIV+ mothers registered with Mount Sinai. Mount Sinai provides formula for HIV+ mothers who have HIV- infants, so that they will not breastfeed and risk passing the virus onto their babies. The Center provides formula to the mothers until their children turn one year-old, then they provide food parcels until the children turn two. Though we are excited about our ability to donate formula, we know that the amount we gave to the Center will only last for one month. We all spent the afternoon putting together food parcels with the food we bought on Wednesday. We made 300 food parcels for the mothers registered at the Center. It was extremely hot and sweaty work, but we had 7 of the mothers from the Center helping us do the work, so we were done very quickly. Everyone here is extremely helpful, and wants to lend a hand in any way they can. Solomon and Danny (two of Mary’s friends) have given us rides, picked up last minute supplies, and even helped us count and bag vitamins for Mount Sinai Day. We went to bed tired and ready for the next day.
Mount Sinai Day started for us at 6:00am. We got to the Center and got to work. We set up tents and chairs, starting making peanut butter and jam sandwiches for breakfast, and organized the clinic area. Before we knew it, the women began to arrive. Mount Sinai does a pick-up day once a month, where the mothers come to get formula and food parcels, weigh-in themselves and their babies, and receive ongoing education. The Center is run by Christa, though she always says that her mothers do all the work. She works night-shift as a nurse and can only spend mornings at the Center, since she is not paid to run Mount Sinai. Christa welcomed us to join in on the pick-up day., so we could run our women’s clinic. We checked blood pressure and blood sugars, made and served breakfast and lunch, brought in a social worker to talk about rape and domestic violence, and handed out the food parcels and vitamins. Most of the women were registered with Mount Sinai, but some of them were from the community and had come to the Center just to visit the clinic and get a meal. It was amazing to see all the women and children that came to be a part of this day. What was even more amazing was looking at the large group of women, and knowing that most of them were HIV+, and then looking at all the children running around and knowing that they were HIV- thanks to the work that Mount Sinai has done. After a long day we arrived back at Rivendell around 2:30pm and chose to relax for the rest of the day. We all took our first swim in the little pool near our rooms. It was extremely cold and felt amazing on our sunburns. We ordered pizza (African style - a.k.a. - no tomato sauce) and sat in the shade, reading and relaxing.
We’ll go to bed soon and tomorrow we leave to spend 2 days on the coast in Swacopmund. We’ll spend that time strictly as tourists, before getting back to work preparing for our next two medical clinics taking place next week, and for our Easter party for the kids at FHS. We’re all looking forward to a few days break, since we packed a week’s worth of activity into four days. Everyone has something they want to do in Swacopmund. Though Linda would love to be going skydiving, Nicole is actually the one who will be jumping from the plane. Linda instead is looking forward to walking on the beach, feeling the ocean breeze. Annie is excited to see the Namib Desert again, which is the largest desert in the world. Mary will be watching the sunset on Dune 7 and cannot wait to see the ocean again. Queen is looking forward to having a weekend to just kick back and relax. I will be four-wheeling in the sand dunes and buying more souvenirs than I can fit in my suitcase. And we’re all looking forward to seeing the local crafts and visiting the wood market as well.
Check out the pictures! We will update again soon. Thank you again to everyone who has helped to make this work possible. Food is hope to the Namibian people and you are present in every outstretched hand that we are able to fill. Keep us in your thoughts, there are many more days ahead.
~Annie, Mary, Linda, Queen, Nicole, Genny
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
We have arrived!
25/03/2010
Hello friends and family!
Let us first apologize for the delay. We have run into a few problems in the last few days that have prevented our first update (flat tire, late rental van, attacking lions - just kidding about the last one). So, here we go!
We have arrived safely in Africa! We walked off the plane onto the tarmac (felt like movie stars) at 10:00am. After a few lines and one lost bag, we walked out of the airport extremely tired, but glad to finally be in Namibia. Mary's friends picked us up and drove us to Rivendell, where we will be spending our first 10 days. It is beautiful here, everything is green and though it is hot, there is usually a nice breeze to cool us off. We have begun planning the medical clinics we will be doing next week. There are many details to work out, but thanks to everyone who donated funds or supplies, we feel very prepared. We have a lot of shopping to do - buying food for our food parcel donations, buying candy for the kids for our Easter celebration, buying formula and bottles for Mount Sinai, and so much more! Also, don't worry, we got our lost bag back! :-) It was full of medical supplies, so we were very concerned that it wouldn't make it's way back to us. But it arrived and nothing was missing. So the supplies will still get to where they are needed most.
Many things are different here. We bring treats for the kids, and if we do not have enough, there are no cries of "unfair!". Instead, they are simply hopeful they will get something next time and are happy just to be with us. Some kids walk 5 miles or more to get to the school we help at, since they know they will get a hot meal and their families do not have to pay for them to attend. We watched one child eat half of her lunch, and then take out a container and pack up the rest to take home. She could not have been full from that little amount of food, but she must know that her family needs to eat too.
We are working diligently to prepare for our medical clinics next week. We are organizing our medications, trying to round up additional volunteers, and renting tents and chairs. Advertising for the events is hard, but we know that the promise of a meal will bring many people. We worry that too many people will come, and we will have to turn some away. We will help as many as we can, since many of these people have never had a health screening before. In Namibia, there is one doctor for every 7,000 people. Though that doesn't seem like a lot, it is one of the higher ratios in Africa. But in rural communities, there is little to no access to health care of any kind.
Annie and Mary are glad to meet up with old friends, though there are some faces that are gone from the last trip of 3 years ago. They spent the first day calling all our Namibian friends and setting up times to meet and plan our different events. We are so lucky to have connections throughout the community, as it has made planning our events much easier. Everyone remembers Annie and Mary and are so excited that they have come back (and brought friends!). It is hard to believe that we have only spent 3 days here. Each day is so packed that it seems like much longer. Though we have only been here for a short time, people are already asking us when we will be coming back. We still have many days ahead, but we know it will not be enough. So, we are already wondering when we will be able to make our next trip too.
Goodnight everyone!
~Annie, Mary, Linda, Nicole, and Genny
(Pictures will come soon!)
Hello friends and family!
Let us first apologize for the delay. We have run into a few problems in the last few days that have prevented our first update (flat tire, late rental van, attacking lions - just kidding about the last one). So, here we go!
We have arrived safely in Africa! We walked off the plane onto the tarmac (felt like movie stars) at 10:00am. After a few lines and one lost bag, we walked out of the airport extremely tired, but glad to finally be in Namibia. Mary's friends picked us up and drove us to Rivendell, where we will be spending our first 10 days. It is beautiful here, everything is green and though it is hot, there is usually a nice breeze to cool us off. We have begun planning the medical clinics we will be doing next week. There are many details to work out, but thanks to everyone who donated funds or supplies, we feel very prepared. We have a lot of shopping to do - buying food for our food parcel donations, buying candy for the kids for our Easter celebration, buying formula and bottles for Mount Sinai, and so much more! Also, don't worry, we got our lost bag back! :-) It was full of medical supplies, so we were very concerned that it wouldn't make it's way back to us. But it arrived and nothing was missing. So the supplies will still get to where they are needed most.
Many things are different here. We bring treats for the kids, and if we do not have enough, there are no cries of "unfair!". Instead, they are simply hopeful they will get something next time and are happy just to be with us. Some kids walk 5 miles or more to get to the school we help at, since they know they will get a hot meal and their families do not have to pay for them to attend. We watched one child eat half of her lunch, and then take out a container and pack up the rest to take home. She could not have been full from that little amount of food, but she must know that her family needs to eat too.
We are working diligently to prepare for our medical clinics next week. We are organizing our medications, trying to round up additional volunteers, and renting tents and chairs. Advertising for the events is hard, but we know that the promise of a meal will bring many people. We worry that too many people will come, and we will have to turn some away. We will help as many as we can, since many of these people have never had a health screening before. In Namibia, there is one doctor for every 7,000 people. Though that doesn't seem like a lot, it is one of the higher ratios in Africa. But in rural communities, there is little to no access to health care of any kind.
Annie and Mary are glad to meet up with old friends, though there are some faces that are gone from the last trip of 3 years ago. They spent the first day calling all our Namibian friends and setting up times to meet and plan our different events. We are so lucky to have connections throughout the community, as it has made planning our events much easier. Everyone remembers Annie and Mary and are so excited that they have come back (and brought friends!). It is hard to believe that we have only spent 3 days here. Each day is so packed that it seems like much longer. Though we have only been here for a short time, people are already asking us when we will be coming back. We still have many days ahead, but we know it will not be enough. So, we are already wondering when we will be able to make our next trip too.
Goodnight everyone!
~Annie, Mary, Linda, Nicole, and Genny
(Pictures will come soon!)
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