03/02: Tostan
I was delighted when I heard that Ndeye Fatou had been able to arrange our meeting with Tostan. I had first heard of them when Joanne gave me a CD of an interview from NPR with its director Molly Melching shortly after our first trip. Then in November prior to this trip there was an article in the Parade section of the Chicago Tribune. Tostan has singlehandedly been able to reduce the incidence of female circumcision in Senegal by 70-80% in the past 10 years, simply by setting up informal groups of women in villages to discuss health needs and letting them take action. The women saw female circumcision as a human rights issue, as women were unable to “buck” the system (choose not to be “cut”) without essentially being shunned by the community. By educating not only their own community, but all the communities around them, to the hazards of this procedure and the fact that it was not required by Islamic law, the women were able to induce villages to sign letters of agreement that FGC (female genital cutting or circumcision) would not be allowed in their community. I was enchanted with the idea of this as a Human Rights issue—How absolutely correct! I immediately resolved that I wanted to meet these people when we were in Senegal.
Well, e-mails went unanswered and Karen tried phone calls too, for two years and connections were made but broken and timing didn’t work, etc. We didn’t know until about 36 hours in advance that we would be able to meet with them—through connections Ndeye Fatou had with them through her prison work. Tostan does prison work in Thies similar to what Ndeye Fatou does in Rufisque and Camp Penal.
Their office in Dakar is only a half mile or so from Karen’s home, on a quiet residential street. We were greeted by Molly herself—I was thrilled! I explained to her quickly what we did and what I was interested in—a working connection and education in their methods for our Wellness team. She welcomed all of us and led us to a large meeting room—which we filled with her staff, our nine of Team Trinity, plus Karen Ujereh, Ndeye Fatou, Dr Bashir and Nicole and Valerie from the Wellness Team. After introductions were made, she described the entire process of how Tostan was started , then invited in her assistant Malick who described their current work with the talibe, the boys who beg in the streets. Talibe means student and at one time boys were sent to marabouts to be students of Islam. Now however, families send their half-grown boys when they can no longer feed them and the marabouts make them beg for food and money or goods. If they don’t bring in a certain amount every day they are punished—and the Senegalese are told by the marabouts that bad things will happen to them if they don’t give alms to the talibe. Malick told us he was told by a marabout to give 17 yards of fabric to a talibe or he would lose his job, and even though his job is to stop the exploitation of the talibe he felt uncomfortable. Tostan works with neighborhood families to feed and clean up the talibe (they aren’t even given shelter by the marabouts)—give them a bath and clean their clothes once a week.
We then discussed what the Wellness Team and Tostan could do together—there was a lot of excitement among the participants as to the possibilities.
I felt so gratified as we left—it was definitely worth all the work to arrange the meeting. How glad I was that I had persisted!
-- Carol
Well, e-mails went unanswered and Karen tried phone calls too, for two years and connections were made but broken and timing didn’t work, etc. We didn’t know until about 36 hours in advance that we would be able to meet with them—through connections Ndeye Fatou had with them through her prison work. Tostan does prison work in Thies similar to what Ndeye Fatou does in Rufisque and Camp Penal.
Their office in Dakar is only a half mile or so from Karen’s home, on a quiet residential street. We were greeted by Molly herself—I was thrilled! I explained to her quickly what we did and what I was interested in—a working connection and education in their methods for our Wellness team. She welcomed all of us and led us to a large meeting room—which we filled with her staff, our nine of Team Trinity, plus Karen Ujereh, Ndeye Fatou, Dr Bashir and Nicole and Valerie from the Wellness Team. After introductions were made, she described the entire process of how Tostan was started , then invited in her assistant Malick who described their current work with the talibe, the boys who beg in the streets. Talibe means student and at one time boys were sent to marabouts to be students of Islam. Now however, families send their half-grown boys when they can no longer feed them and the marabouts make them beg for food and money or goods. If they don’t bring in a certain amount every day they are punished—and the Senegalese are told by the marabouts that bad things will happen to them if they don’t give alms to the talibe. Malick told us he was told by a marabout to give 17 yards of fabric to a talibe or he would lose his job, and even though his job is to stop the exploitation of the talibe he felt uncomfortable. Tostan works with neighborhood families to feed and clean up the talibe (they aren’t even given shelter by the marabouts)—give them a bath and clean their clothes once a week.
We then discussed what the Wellness Team and Tostan could do together—there was a lot of excitement among the participants as to the possibilities.
I felt so gratified as we left—it was definitely worth all the work to arrange the meeting. How glad I was that I had persisted!
-- Carol
Yes, we made it home on Friday, February 1st at 12:30pm! Nine hours from Dakar to Atlanta and then a short hop to Chicago. It was made more interesting by news that Chicago expected a significant snow Thursday night into Friday. Would we be stranded in Atlanta? But Delta came through - as did the snow removal crews at O'Hare airport - and we had no problem completing the trip. There was a foot of snow to be plowed, but being home again was welcome.
At the airport, the team said its goodbyes and arranged to get together at Joanne's house a week later. Everyone was tired but happy and satisfied with the trip. The final statistics are yet to be computed, but it appears that the team saw somewhere just short of 560 patients.
There will be a few more posts to complete the story, but we thank everyone who followed our trip and prayed for us during our mission. Your support was very real to us and helped considerably. There are many stories we will want to relate to you! Peace to all!
-- Tom
At the airport, the team said its goodbyes and arranged to get together at Joanne's house a week later. Everyone was tired but happy and satisfied with the trip. The final statistics are yet to be computed, but it appears that the team saw somewhere just short of 560 patients.
There will be a few more posts to complete the story, but we thank everyone who followed our trip and prayed for us during our mission. Your support was very real to us and helped considerably. There are many stories we will want to relate to you! Peace to all!
-- Tom
30/01: Wednesday 1/30
Yesterday we visited Nianing, the only village that we have seen each trip we have made to Senegal. It is perhaps our favorite place to hold a clinic - it was the first clinic of our first trip. The people are uniformly pleasant, they are very attentive to their health and that of their children, and they have invested in employing a school teacher for the village. Perhaps they seem more "progressive" to us than other places.
The two hour ride was uneventful until we made one stop to rotate some seating. One of our team didn't see the street curb (which goes DOWN to shed water into the sand, not UP like ours do to form a gutter) and took a header. Luckily, this person only suffered an abrasion on the arm. Of course, with all the supplies we had on board (sort of a MASH unit!) we patched it up quickly. Everything is fine now.
We arrived and set a limit of 100 patients so to get home by 7pm. The quarters were a little cramped but we were very efficient. We started at 11am and by 3pm we had seen 90 of the 100 patients. Lunch was late (as was the water) and we ate at 3:30 after completing the 100 patients. There was no one waiting - so for the first time we were able to leave without a feeling of having to cut off care.
The lack of drinking water became a noticable problem. Some of our team got a little stressed and others got very tired. I guess we just didn't bring what we needed to get us through a hot day before the lunch arrived. Lesson learned.
I forgot to tell you that the bus was fixed! The new engine cost $1600. We have used it on the final two clinics - it was great to have the leg room. However, on the way back from Nianing, the radiator fan stopped working and the engine began to overheat. Dion (our driver) pulled over in Mbour and look for a place to help fix it - I couldn't determine how he decided where to stop because all of the car fixing shops look alike. However, he picked one and after about 30 minutes the problem was diagnosed (broken wire) and repaired at no cost! Strangely, two men simply dropped what they were doing and dove into the job, seeming to enjoy the challenge and the satisfaction of receiving our profuse thanks. I can only imagine how a service station back home would have presented the problems to us.
Once back in Dakar, we supped at Karen's house and retired for the night after sorting the many excess items we have for donation here. Tomorrow the team will be meeting briefly with TOSTAN and then beginning the shopping that has been postponed for so long. A couple of the team have mild GI issues, but hope to be back to normal tomorrow.
-- Tom
The two hour ride was uneventful until we made one stop to rotate some seating. One of our team didn't see the street curb (which goes DOWN to shed water into the sand, not UP like ours do to form a gutter) and took a header. Luckily, this person only suffered an abrasion on the arm. Of course, with all the supplies we had on board (sort of a MASH unit!) we patched it up quickly. Everything is fine now.
We arrived and set a limit of 100 patients so to get home by 7pm. The quarters were a little cramped but we were very efficient. We started at 11am and by 3pm we had seen 90 of the 100 patients. Lunch was late (as was the water) and we ate at 3:30 after completing the 100 patients. There was no one waiting - so for the first time we were able to leave without a feeling of having to cut off care.
The lack of drinking water became a noticable problem. Some of our team got a little stressed and others got very tired. I guess we just didn't bring what we needed to get us through a hot day before the lunch arrived. Lesson learned.
I forgot to tell you that the bus was fixed! The new engine cost $1600. We have used it on the final two clinics - it was great to have the leg room. However, on the way back from Nianing, the radiator fan stopped working and the engine began to overheat. Dion (our driver) pulled over in Mbour and look for a place to help fix it - I couldn't determine how he decided where to stop because all of the car fixing shops look alike. However, he picked one and after about 30 minutes the problem was diagnosed (broken wire) and repaired at no cost! Strangely, two men simply dropped what they were doing and dove into the job, seeming to enjoy the challenge and the satisfaction of receiving our profuse thanks. I can only imagine how a service station back home would have presented the problems to us.
Once back in Dakar, we supped at Karen's house and retired for the night after sorting the many excess items we have for donation here. Tomorrow the team will be meeting briefly with TOSTAN and then beginning the shopping that has been postponed for so long. A couple of the team have mild GI issues, but hope to be back to normal tomorrow.
-- Tom
29/01: Clinic In Djiam Nadjio
The value of this mission extends across many different levels. First, our presence with the people we serve fosters a basic human contact that is the foundation for all relationships. Being with the people of Senegal helps to break down the barriers in our own minds and melt away any perceived divisions between "us" and "them". As we care for people, we are able to be Christ's feet, hands, ears, eyes and smile, fulfilling our purpose. We smile and laugh as we try to build a bridge across the language chasm that challenges our work. We spend time with these people and listen as they communicate their medical problems. We suggest solutions that may range from diet and lifestyle changes to prescribing medications. We bring gifts for them and for their children. We each have something to give these people and something to gain from them. It is beyond the capacity of words to describethe connection.
Yesterday's (Monday's) clinic near Djiam Nadjio ("jahm NAH joe") went very well. We saw 111 patients-men, women and children. One of the women was 100 years old. About an hour before we were ready to go, we gave the children materials to make bracelets. Here is a picture of the children displaying their bracelets.
OK, I'll have to put the picture on later. Enjoy your day. - NF
Yesterday's (Monday's) clinic near Djiam Nadjio ("jahm NAH joe") went very well. We saw 111 patients-men, women and children. One of the women was 100 years old. About an hour before we were ready to go, we gave the children materials to make bracelets. Here is a picture of the children displaying their bracelets.
OK, I'll have to put the picture on later. Enjoy your day. - NF
28/01: Monday morning 1/28
Over the weekend we drove to and from St. Louis. On Saturday, we conducted a small (22 people) clinic at the village of Gandon, in cooperation with Rev. Bako's feeding program there. The number of people we saw was small because be started late in the day and Carol was our only physician (Dr Bashir's team remained in Dakar). The children at the feeding center were especially cute.
We stayed overnight at the Hotel Residence in St. Louis - a picture-postcard example of colonial French designs - and on Sunday we worshipped in Rev. Bako's church. As always, it was a high-energy service! Afterwards, we saw a demonstration of Rev. Bako's "pen project" making handsome wood-highlight ballpoint pens and mechanical pencils to fund his programs. It was very interesting - they make between 40 and 50 pens each day they work and have sold them to many people and even agencies. After this, we went to a restaurant in St. Louis right on the river - very pretty - and had a fine lunch.
The trip home was made more exciting when we were stopped just outside of St. Louis by the police (a routine event) and it was discovered that the driver of our rented bus had let his chauffer's licence expire 10 days previously! Our choices were to pay a "fine" or wait for a new driver to come out from Dakar (5 hours) to drive us back. So, after paying the fine, we had to pray that we would not be stopped again (most major towns have these random checks) and have to repeat the same process. We approached each subsequent checkpoint holding our collective breath - and managed to get home without another stop!
Today we are going to a town about 90 minutes from home to conduct a clinic in a church. Dr Bashir's team will be with us, so we should be able to see about 100 patients in the time we will have. Our final clinic will be tomorrow.
-- Tom
We stayed overnight at the Hotel Residence in St. Louis - a picture-postcard example of colonial French designs - and on Sunday we worshipped in Rev. Bako's church. As always, it was a high-energy service! Afterwards, we saw a demonstration of Rev. Bako's "pen project" making handsome wood-highlight ballpoint pens and mechanical pencils to fund his programs. It was very interesting - they make between 40 and 50 pens each day they work and have sold them to many people and even agencies. After this, we went to a restaurant in St. Louis right on the river - very pretty - and had a fine lunch.
The trip home was made more exciting when we were stopped just outside of St. Louis by the police (a routine event) and it was discovered that the driver of our rented bus had let his chauffer's licence expire 10 days previously! Our choices were to pay a "fine" or wait for a new driver to come out from Dakar (5 hours) to drive us back. So, after paying the fine, we had to pray that we would not be stopped again (most major towns have these random checks) and have to repeat the same process. We approached each subsequent checkpoint holding our collective breath - and managed to get home without another stop!
Today we are going to a town about 90 minutes from home to conduct a clinic in a church. Dr Bashir's team will be with us, so we should be able to see about 100 patients in the time we will have. Our final clinic will be tomorrow.
-- Tom
This evening (Friday), we arrived at Mamjarah microcredit group at about 5pm. This group is an economic development project of the Anti-Poverty Initiative begun by Sebastian Ujereh. It has been operating successfully and growing steadily for six years.
Located very near to the Dakar Airport, this microcredit group consists of about 20 women who have a variety of small businesses including restaurants, and jewelry and fabric sales. Many of them prepare food in their homes and sell it to people at the airport. Others have small restaurants or stores in their homes. Some of the other women hold positions within the group such as treasurer and business manager.
During an introductory meeting where our team and all members and leaders of the microcredit group were present, we learned that this group is "the best". These are very hard working women who have developed a cohesive bond with each other based on mutual trust. The atmosphere seemed to be very communal. There were many children gathered around the building where we set up the clinic.
This time, we had a pharmacy. We also had a pharmacy in the first two clinics (in the villages). In the two prisons, we gave each patient's prescriptions to the prison authorities. The pharmacy area is the last step in the process. After meeting with Dr. Carol, the patient may be prescribed vitamins, calcium, or medications, based on Carol's diagnosis. Our team has brought vitamins, children's vitamins, calcium, and a supply of a few medicines to give to pateints. Other medicines the Carol may prescribe must be purchased by the patient at the local pharmacy. We give the patient the vitamins and/or medication and, with the help of translation, explain how it should be taken. As we put the little plastic bags in the patients' hands, we remember the hours that we spent counting the pills and filling those bags.
Cathy was a hit with the children when she took her Polaroid camera outside and began taking pictures of each child. At first, the children were so excited and curious that Cathy had to create a system to maintain order. She began photographing each child, writing "2008" on each picture, and giving the picture to the child. After a while, she began to take group and family shots, due to the high demand and limited packages of film. There were many smiles.
Most of the women spoke Wolof, so I made use of my mini dictionary. For instance "tuogulkai" (too-OH-gool-kai) means "come sit down". I used this phrase when I asked patients to sit down before taking their temperatures and blood pressures. It's fun to practice another language, even when I get it wrong. It becomes a good source of humor for everybody.
As the sun set, we planned to close the clinic because our space had no electricity. What a surprise when someone threaded an extension cord through the window and hung a lit bulb on a hook and gave us a couple of flashlights so that we could continue to see! Eventually we had reached our limit and closed the clinic, packed up and got on the bus.
Tomorrow morning we are off on the four hour bus ride to St. Louis ("San Lou-ee"). We will be spending the night in a hotel and returning on Sunday. Time to get some sleep. - NF
Located very near to the Dakar Airport, this microcredit group consists of about 20 women who have a variety of small businesses including restaurants, and jewelry and fabric sales. Many of them prepare food in their homes and sell it to people at the airport. Others have small restaurants or stores in their homes. Some of the other women hold positions within the group such as treasurer and business manager.
During an introductory meeting where our team and all members and leaders of the microcredit group were present, we learned that this group is "the best". These are very hard working women who have developed a cohesive bond with each other based on mutual trust. The atmosphere seemed to be very communal. There were many children gathered around the building where we set up the clinic.
This time, we had a pharmacy. We also had a pharmacy in the first two clinics (in the villages). In the two prisons, we gave each patient's prescriptions to the prison authorities. The pharmacy area is the last step in the process. After meeting with Dr. Carol, the patient may be prescribed vitamins, calcium, or medications, based on Carol's diagnosis. Our team has brought vitamins, children's vitamins, calcium, and a supply of a few medicines to give to pateints. Other medicines the Carol may prescribe must be purchased by the patient at the local pharmacy. We give the patient the vitamins and/or medication and, with the help of translation, explain how it should be taken. As we put the little plastic bags in the patients' hands, we remember the hours that we spent counting the pills and filling those bags.
Cathy was a hit with the children when she took her Polaroid camera outside and began taking pictures of each child. At first, the children were so excited and curious that Cathy had to create a system to maintain order. She began photographing each child, writing "2008" on each picture, and giving the picture to the child. After a while, she began to take group and family shots, due to the high demand and limited packages of film. There were many smiles.
Most of the women spoke Wolof, so I made use of my mini dictionary. For instance "tuogulkai" (too-OH-gool-kai) means "come sit down". I used this phrase when I asked patients to sit down before taking their temperatures and blood pressures. It's fun to practice another language, even when I get it wrong. It becomes a good source of humor for everybody.
As the sun set, we planned to close the clinic because our space had no electricity. What a surprise when someone threaded an extension cord through the window and hung a lit bulb on a hook and gave us a couple of flashlights so that we could continue to see! Eventually we had reached our limit and closed the clinic, packed up and got on the bus.
Tomorrow morning we are off on the four hour bus ride to St. Louis ("San Lou-ee"). We will be spending the night in a hotel and returning on Sunday. Time to get some sleep. - NF
Thursday we worked with prisoners at Camp Penal women’s prison in Dakar. The prison itself is larger than the women’s prison in Rufisque, and there is a much larger men’s prison nearby. We arrived, had a meeting in the warden’s office, and set up the clinic without delay. We set up in the courtyard, an open area with a big shade tree.
In contrast to the people we have served in the villages, most of these women have had some sort of medical care in the past. This is because of their more urban location and the fact that they are more sophisticated in general than people in the villages. Joanne and I worked in the “lab” area, testing glucose and hemoglobin levels. Tom and Cathy handled the patient intake process. Kathe worked with Dr. Carol as a translator for French-speaking patients. Chris worked as a second doctor, consulting with patients with the help of a Senegalese translator fluent in Wolof. There was a sense of calm in the atmosphere.
Pastor Joseph Bleck, the “Superintendent” of the United Methodist Mission for the country of Senegal, introduced himself and sat with us in the lab area for awhile. Pastor Bleck made a visit to Camp Penal today because it is one of the many ministries that the mission supports. Pastor Bleck routinely visits this and other prisons in Dakar and the surrounding areas. He visits the youth prison in Dakar every Tuesday. He spoke to us about the importance of forgiveness and the way that he integrates this healing process into his work with prisoners and their families.
We asked him how he makes the difficult choice of which people are most in need of his ministry. With limited resources, Pastor Bleck must often decline requests for assistance. Logistical challenges also contribute to the difficulty of providing support to people outside the urban centers. Transportation costs are high, prompting the support of some programs to be discontinued.
After four days of medical mission work, the group will be going by ferry to discover Gore (“Go- ray”) island, one of the centers of the West African slave trade, as well as a UNESCO historical site. This evening, we look forward to working with a microcredit group. Thanks to the United Methodist Church, this group has been able to expand their activities and provide more opportunities for others to start small businesses in Senegal. - NF
In contrast to the people we have served in the villages, most of these women have had some sort of medical care in the past. This is because of their more urban location and the fact that they are more sophisticated in general than people in the villages. Joanne and I worked in the “lab” area, testing glucose and hemoglobin levels. Tom and Cathy handled the patient intake process. Kathe worked with Dr. Carol as a translator for French-speaking patients. Chris worked as a second doctor, consulting with patients with the help of a Senegalese translator fluent in Wolof. There was a sense of calm in the atmosphere.
Pastor Joseph Bleck, the “Superintendent” of the United Methodist Mission for the country of Senegal, introduced himself and sat with us in the lab area for awhile. Pastor Bleck made a visit to Camp Penal today because it is one of the many ministries that the mission supports. Pastor Bleck routinely visits this and other prisons in Dakar and the surrounding areas. He visits the youth prison in Dakar every Tuesday. He spoke to us about the importance of forgiveness and the way that he integrates this healing process into his work with prisoners and their families.
We asked him how he makes the difficult choice of which people are most in need of his ministry. With limited resources, Pastor Bleck must often decline requests for assistance. Logistical challenges also contribute to the difficulty of providing support to people outside the urban centers. Transportation costs are high, prompting the support of some programs to be discontinued.
After four days of medical mission work, the group will be going by ferry to discover Gore (“Go- ray”) island, one of the centers of the West African slave trade, as well as a UNESCO historical site. This evening, we look forward to working with a microcredit group. Thanks to the United Methodist Church, this group has been able to expand their activities and provide more opportunities for others to start small businesses in Senegal. - NF
24/01: Thursday 1/24
Another women's prison today - Camp Penal here in Dakar. This prison is where women awaiting trial or sentencing are held. Rufisque is one of the prisons where women are sent to serve out their sentences.
We saw a total of 80 persons - 61 prisoners and the remainder guards and their family members. We saw several babies and toddlers being cared for - including a set of twins. The inmates may keep children with them until they are 3 years old, when they must be taken by someone outside the prison.
The clinic went relatively smoothly - with Chris again doubling Carol at the doctor's table. We left the vitamins and other medicines there with the nurse, along with the encounter cards holding the specifics for each person. Nancy organized crafts for the inmates as they waited for the doctors. We had a hearty lunch with the warden while the prisoners enjoyed the same food, too. There was excitement in the air.
Mary and Russ spent the day with Nancy's sister Karen V. Then went to talk with a local HIV/AIDS program director we met at Karen's house on Sunday, and to several other stops in Dakar to photograph and find music for the DVD. They joined us for lunch at the prison and then continued on their mission - eventually visiting a bookstore near the University of Dakar.
Tomorrow is a partial day of rest (and certainly welcome after the past four days) where some of us will go to Goree Island and others will sleep in, hang out, and probably shop. A few of us are pretty stressed and need the break. In the evening, we will be doing a very small clinic for women in a local microcredit group. On Saturday, we travel to St. Louis - about five hours to the north
-- tom
We saw a total of 80 persons - 61 prisoners and the remainder guards and their family members. We saw several babies and toddlers being cared for - including a set of twins. The inmates may keep children with them until they are 3 years old, when they must be taken by someone outside the prison.
The clinic went relatively smoothly - with Chris again doubling Carol at the doctor's table. We left the vitamins and other medicines there with the nurse, along with the encounter cards holding the specifics for each person. Nancy organized crafts for the inmates as they waited for the doctors. We had a hearty lunch with the warden while the prisoners enjoyed the same food, too. There was excitement in the air.
Mary and Russ spent the day with Nancy's sister Karen V. Then went to talk with a local HIV/AIDS program director we met at Karen's house on Sunday, and to several other stops in Dakar to photograph and find music for the DVD. They joined us for lunch at the prison and then continued on their mission - eventually visiting a bookstore near the University of Dakar.
Tomorrow is a partial day of rest (and certainly welcome after the past four days) where some of us will go to Goree Island and others will sleep in, hang out, and probably shop. A few of us are pretty stressed and need the break. In the evening, we will be doing a very small clinic for women in a local microcredit group. On Saturday, we travel to St. Louis - about five hours to the north
-- tom
Today, Wednesday, we held a clinic at Rufisque women’s prison. The town of Rufisque is not far from Dakar. It took us less than an hour to reach our destination in the middle of the town. Traffic was unusually light this morning and we did not have any flat tires-yey!
Our Trinity UMC group has an established relationship with this prison through a member of the local church in Dakar. Our group held a clinic at this prison last year. During our introductory meeting with the prison official (a woman) we had the opportunity to ask questions about the prisoners. All of the prisoners and all of the uniformed guards are women. We learned that the women here are not only from Senegal, but from many other countries on the continent. They are from Ghana, Mozambique, and as far as South Africa. The lengths of their sentences vary, as do their crimes. Some are here simply awaiting trial, and some have been here for as many as ten years. A few of the women have their children with them. Before setting up the clinic, we were permitted to tour the prison, but we were prohibited from taking any photographs or even writing in a notebook.
This was generally a healthier group of patients than we have seen in the villages. The women are given a relatively balanced diet. They sleep on mattresses and have mosquito netting in their dormitory-style rooms to help protect them from malaria-carrying mosquitoes. They do all of their own laundry, cleaning and cooking, as well as embroidery work. They are permitted to have visitors on Wednesdays and Sundays. For most of the prisoners whose families are far away, there are not many visitors, although we did see a few. We provided compassionate contact along with medical treatment. The women were quite personable, eager to speak English if they could, or teach me new words and phrases in French and Wolof. One of my favorites is jamakajam ("jahm ack jahm"), which means "peace, only peace", or literally "peace with peace" in Wolof.
We were without Dr. Bashir and his group today, so Dr. Carol was the only doctor. We saw 27 prisoners, 3 babies and 9 guards. How many doctors do you know who have seen this many patients in three days? Please pray that the members of our team are given the stamina they need to accomplish this work. Tomorrow we will go to Camp Penal women’s prison in Dakar, a larger population but a relatively shorter commute. - NF
Our Trinity UMC group has an established relationship with this prison through a member of the local church in Dakar. Our group held a clinic at this prison last year. During our introductory meeting with the prison official (a woman) we had the opportunity to ask questions about the prisoners. All of the prisoners and all of the uniformed guards are women. We learned that the women here are not only from Senegal, but from many other countries on the continent. They are from Ghana, Mozambique, and as far as South Africa. The lengths of their sentences vary, as do their crimes. Some are here simply awaiting trial, and some have been here for as many as ten years. A few of the women have their children with them. Before setting up the clinic, we were permitted to tour the prison, but we were prohibited from taking any photographs or even writing in a notebook.
This was generally a healthier group of patients than we have seen in the villages. The women are given a relatively balanced diet. They sleep on mattresses and have mosquito netting in their dormitory-style rooms to help protect them from malaria-carrying mosquitoes. They do all of their own laundry, cleaning and cooking, as well as embroidery work. They are permitted to have visitors on Wednesdays and Sundays. For most of the prisoners whose families are far away, there are not many visitors, although we did see a few. We provided compassionate contact along with medical treatment. The women were quite personable, eager to speak English if they could, or teach me new words and phrases in French and Wolof. One of my favorites is jamakajam ("jahm ack jahm"), which means "peace, only peace", or literally "peace with peace" in Wolof.
We were without Dr. Bashir and his group today, so Dr. Carol was the only doctor. We saw 27 prisoners, 3 babies and 9 guards. How many doctors do you know who have seen this many patients in three days? Please pray that the members of our team are given the stamina they need to accomplish this work. Tomorrow we will go to Camp Penal women’s prison in Dakar, a larger population but a relatively shorter commute. - NF
23/01: Clinic In Pambal
The flat tire thing seems to be a theme for us. While traveling north on the road toward Thies, our left front tire (the one we got yesterday) blew out. Luckily, we had a spare on top of the bus and were on our way again in no time. If you have not already guessed, new tires are not prevalent in Senegal. Most available tires are ones whose previous punctures and leaks have been repaired. Stands selling tires are common along Senegal’s roadsides.
We picked up Dr. Bashir and members of his team, filling the bus to capacity again today with 14 of us on the way to the village of Pambal. During the three hour ride, I sat in the back seat with two of my new Senegalese friends from Dr. Bashir’s wellness team and sorted and prepped my materials for today. I was in a good position in the fifth row next to the window to take in the scenery and I also got some excellent pictures. We rode further into the Senegalese countryside than we had yesterday. Beyond Thies (“Tiez”), we passed forests of ronier (“ron-yey”) palms and roadside sellers of beautiful baskets as we went through Lalane (“Lah-lan”).
There is tremendous mutual respect between the leadership in the villages and our mission team. Both Kayar and Pambal have a traditional (ancestral) leader such as the chief, a political leader like the village mayor, and a spiritual leader or marabout (“mare-a-boo”). The ceremonial meetings that are held before the clinics begin convey gratitude, cooperation, and a hope for continued partnership with our group. Where the care of people is involved, prior barriers and divisions seem to melt away. This is a beautiful thing to witness.
We expected that Pambal would be a village similar to Kayar (also spelled Cayar by the people in the village). However, this time we had called ahead and asked the leaders to limit the number of patients to 80. Although many than 80 people were waiting to be seen, the village leaders understood that we had to set a limit or we would be there all night. The officials of the village created a list that gave priority to the most critically ill and also allowed for the people of high status (i.e., elders) in the village to have the opportunity to be seen.
We picked up Dr. Bashir and members of his team, filling the bus to capacity again today with 14 of us on the way to the village of Pambal. During the three hour ride, I sat in the back seat with two of my new Senegalese friends from Dr. Bashir’s wellness team and sorted and prepped my materials for today. I was in a good position in the fifth row next to the window to take in the scenery and I also got some excellent pictures. We rode further into the Senegalese countryside than we had yesterday. Beyond Thies (“Tiez”), we passed forests of ronier (“ron-yey”) palms and roadside sellers of beautiful baskets as we went through Lalane (“Lah-lan”).
There is tremendous mutual respect between the leadership in the villages and our mission team. Both Kayar and Pambal have a traditional (ancestral) leader such as the chief, a political leader like the village mayor, and a spiritual leader or marabout (“mare-a-boo”). The ceremonial meetings that are held before the clinics begin convey gratitude, cooperation, and a hope for continued partnership with our group. Where the care of people is involved, prior barriers and divisions seem to melt away. This is a beautiful thing to witness.
We expected that Pambal would be a village similar to Kayar (also spelled Cayar by the people in the village). However, this time we had called ahead and asked the leaders to limit the number of patients to 80. Although many than 80 people were waiting to be seen, the village leaders understood that we had to set a limit or we would be there all night. The officials of the village created a list that gave priority to the most critically ill and also allowed for the people of high status (i.e., elders) in the village to have the opportunity to be seen.
