Field Update August 3, 2014
Well this has been a very eventful week! First of all, my missionary
friend Christina came to visit me from Zambia and I had a great time showing
her Bukavu and Panzi. It was a fun week, but unfortunately I did not take many
pictures while she was here. But she did do a nice cameo in one of the little
videos we tried to shoot last week, so that might make an appearance later on…
For most of the week we were working on various office things:
fund-finding, shipping container logistics, legal paper work,etc. But at the
end of the week we got to go back up to Kavumu to help Dr. Imani and the MSD
team to get the village clinic ready for its grand opening (hopefully next
week!).
Most of the day was spent moving beds and other items from
one room to another in order to get the flow and room plan just right.
Some of the heavier equipment was a little more challenging
to move…
But in the end it all got moved.
It was awesome to be able to watch Dr. Imani and Dr. Racine
explore the Solar Suitcase donated by WeCareSolar. The look of glee on their
faces at the level of lighting provided by the Suitcase’s accessories was well
worth the crazy hassle I went through to get this thing through Canadian
customs last month.
Both Dr. Imani and Dr. Racine were also really excited by
the different medications that were donated by Collaboration Sante
Internationle in Quebec City.
There was some frustration having to do with the shelves for
the pharmacy not being ready when we arrived. Without them it was very
difficult for Dr. Imani and Dr. Racine to finish the setup and inventory of
their pharmaceuticals. We got to go with them to see the carpenter who was
working on them.
After we were done setting up we had a outdoor meeting to discuss logistics and pray together for the opening of the clinic.
The folks in the community seem very pleased with the impending
opening of this clinic. Everywhere we walked Dr. Imani ran into people who
wanted to greet him and discuss the clinic. As a maternal health specialist, he
seems particularly popular with the ladies, young and old.
And to top it all off at the end of the day, Dominique and I got to ride
motorcycles back to Bukavu at the end of the day through the beautiful
countryside – an excellent day.
