Our day began at Kasongo, where we returned to assist with recasting Violet and Peter’s club feet. Faithful Friedah was ready and waiting when we arrived. We were happy to see Peter wearing his shoe/boot Dr. Steve had given him, and Violet was using her crutches. The casts were in much better condition than previous weeks, and there was marked improvement for both children, but especially for Violet. The alignment of her little feet was much straighter, and she complained that the ball of her foot hurt sometimes. She has been walking on her toes, and not the side of her foot! Friedah was so excited to share this wonderful news with us.
We also learned from Friedah that Bridget had a prescription from the hospital which needed to be filled. We said we would go into to town to the drug store, but she said there was no need for that long drive. We could go to the drug store at Twapia, which is much closer. Twapia is the community across the street from George, which is where the neighboring compounds do their shopping. Believe me, you haven’t shopped until you’ve shopped at Twapia! Friedah directed us to the parking lot, a small area in front of the lines of stores, where a few vehicles were randomly parked, avoiding the huge craters and the sharp stones protruding from the dirt. Then we were off walking. Down narrow passageways, between small stands constructed of rugged timbers, cardboard roofs, and when needed, doorways covered with empty cement bags stitched together. It was difficult to take in all our surroundings as we walked, because we had to watch our every step. The pathway is uneven with mounds of stones, and small dirt craters similar to those on the roadways, and every so often there was a small puddle to step over. We passed tomatoes, greens, fish, clothing, shoes, household items, lace, hardware – anything you could possibly want. It was the fourth drug store that finally had the Amoxycillin we were looking for. I was amazed that there were four drug stores in Twapia! But they aren’t like the drug stores in the U.S. The drug store was maybe 5’ x 10’, constructed out of old scraps of wood, and the front painted yellow with the words “Drug Store” etched on the front. Inside there were about five wooden shelves with a few over-the-counter medicines and even fewer prescription medications. Most of the medicines were for malaria, fever, and deworming. Then I saw the prescription the hospital had written. Friedah produced a small scrap of paper which contained Bridget’s name, the medication, and the dosage. The young woman behind the counter filled a small plastic bag with the pills, and returned the prescription to Friedah. Ron soon appeared with a small bag of treats. While we were in the drug store, he had found his way to a woman cooking fritters over a small charcoal fire. They are a sweet dough, deep fried, which cost only 200 kwacha each (about 5 cents). Hot off the fire, and so delicious!
Then we were off to the Rotary meeting in town. Once again we received a very warm welcome, as each member greets us with a smile and that distinctive Zambian handshake. We took the laptop with us today so the members could see the progress at the building site. They were happy to see the face bricks being installed on the building, a sure sign of progress. Mr. Sharma, our Zambian angel here on earth, received a well deserved round of applause as he was recognized for providing warehouse storage, and continuing to provide transportation for the cement. Every time we visit Rotary, someone volunteers to help in some way. Today, Martin, from the Times of Zambia committed to printing an article about the OMNI project.
We also learned from Friedah that Bridget had a prescription from the hospital which needed to be filled. We said we would go into to town to the drug store, but she said there was no need for that long drive. We could go to the drug store at Twapia, which is much closer. Twapia is the community across the street from George, which is where the neighboring compounds do their shopping. Believe me, you haven’t shopped until you’ve shopped at Twapia! Friedah directed us to the parking lot, a small area in front of the lines of stores, where a few vehicles were randomly parked, avoiding the huge craters and the sharp stones protruding from the dirt. Then we were off walking. Down narrow passageways, between small stands constructed of rugged timbers, cardboard roofs, and when needed, doorways covered with empty cement bags stitched together. It was difficult to take in all our surroundings as we walked, because we had to watch our every step. The pathway is uneven with mounds of stones, and small dirt craters similar to those on the roadways, and every so often there was a small puddle to step over. We passed tomatoes, greens, fish, clothing, shoes, household items, lace, hardware – anything you could possibly want. It was the fourth drug store that finally had the Amoxycillin we were looking for. I was amazed that there were four drug stores in Twapia! But they aren’t like the drug stores in the U.S. The drug store was maybe 5’ x 10’, constructed out of old scraps of wood, and the front painted yellow with the words “Drug Store” etched on the front. Inside there were about five wooden shelves with a few over-the-counter medicines and even fewer prescription medications. Most of the medicines were for malaria, fever, and deworming. Then I saw the prescription the hospital had written. Friedah produced a small scrap of paper which contained Bridget’s name, the medication, and the dosage. The young woman behind the counter filled a small plastic bag with the pills, and returned the prescription to Friedah. Ron soon appeared with a small bag of treats. While we were in the drug store, he had found his way to a woman cooking fritters over a small charcoal fire. They are a sweet dough, deep fried, which cost only 200 kwacha each (about 5 cents). Hot off the fire, and so delicious!
Then we were off to the Rotary meeting in town. Once again we received a very warm welcome, as each member greets us with a smile and that distinctive Zambian handshake. We took the laptop with us today so the members could see the progress at the building site. They were happy to see the face bricks being installed on the building, a sure sign of progress. Mr. Sharma, our Zambian angel here on earth, received a well deserved round of applause as he was recognized for providing warehouse storage, and continuing to provide transportation for the cement. Every time we visit Rotary, someone volunteers to help in some way. Today, Martin, from the Times of Zambia committed to printing an article about the OMNI project.
1 comment:
The girls loved the pictures!! Now we can put faces to names. Marna thinks it is so cool that grandpa has such a cute baby named after him! You are doing such great, difficult work. We are praying for you every day!
Lots of love,
Dorene, Jeff and the girls
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