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