Today is Friday, and marked the end of my first workweek at the Banjulunding Health Center. It was a very interesting week, and culminated in the documentation of hundreds of infant vaccinations and a potential TB exposure. The potential TB patient did not cough or sneeze in my presence, which greatly decreases the risk of me getting it if he indeed is infected. I will know for sure on Monday if he is positive for the disease, after the tests come back from the laboratory.
The week finished up with many positives. I've been maintaining my daily 5:00pm lifting session with Poppa and the Guys, and have been enjoying African meals with American twists (ketchup on nearly everything). Today I was a "VIP" at the local soccer championship, and sat front-row at midfield to watch the two teams battle it out. In the end, the blue team won 2-0, and our friend Liz was the honorary trophy-giver to the captain of the winning team. I was invited to play in a soccer game Sunday morning, as the locals think that all of my Wesleyan Football gear means I am good at soccer. They will soon learn my inability to kick and/or dribble, but it will be fun.
I'm looking forward to next week, and another interesting group of firsts at the hospital. We will be having a clinic in a neighboring village on Tuesday, and I look forward to giving my first vaccinations of Penta, Pneumonia, Polio, Yellow Fever, and Measles. So much learning has already occurred, and I'm sure much more will occur.
Looking forward to a relaxing night of reading on my Kindle. The breeze is blowing nicely, a luxury that removes the stifling heat if only for a few moments.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
It Has Been Almost One Week
My bag was found, and I now have it back! It took a small detour to Konakri (spelling probably incorrect) and then found its way back to me. I'm very glad to have more than one pair of clothes to wear and fresh contact lenses to put in.
It has begun to rain and we have already seen plenty of cases of Malaria at the health center. On my first day, I "helped" the midwife deliver a baby girl to an eighteen year old woman. She did nearly all of the work, but I assisted in very simple tasks such as cleaning the newborn and listening to the fetal heartbeat. I also have helped transport patients in need of more urgent care to the major hospital in Banjul, the capital. One of the most noticable differences between the health care systems here and back in the U.S. is the sanitation and hygienic practices. They are much, much more lax here.
I have also been sucessfully keeping up with my workout regimen here. I have a routine now where I meet some of the older men of the village (led by a monster man named "Poppa") at 5:00pm and we all lift together. The workouts they do are diabolical--yesterday we did over 200 reps of biceps...
I am doing well but of course the limited internet access makes it difficult to update often. Hope you all are staying cool!
(Also, I heard the Heat won the NBA finals. Very sad to hear this.)
It has begun to rain and we have already seen plenty of cases of Malaria at the health center. On my first day, I "helped" the midwife deliver a baby girl to an eighteen year old woman. She did nearly all of the work, but I assisted in very simple tasks such as cleaning the newborn and listening to the fetal heartbeat. I also have helped transport patients in need of more urgent care to the major hospital in Banjul, the capital. One of the most noticable differences between the health care systems here and back in the U.S. is the sanitation and hygienic practices. They are much, much more lax here.
I have also been sucessfully keeping up with my workout regimen here. I have a routine now where I meet some of the older men of the village (led by a monster man named "Poppa") at 5:00pm and we all lift together. The workouts they do are diabolical--yesterday we did over 200 reps of biceps...
I am doing well but of course the limited internet access makes it difficult to update often. Hope you all are staying cool!
(Also, I heard the Heat won the NBA finals. Very sad to hear this.)
Friday, June 22, 2012
Hello From Afirica!
Hello everybody,
This will be a short post because I only have ten minutes left at the internet cafe. I'm doing well, despite the airline losing all of my checked luggage. I am hopeful I will get it back soon, otherwise it will be one outfit for me for a long time. This place is amazing, and these people are the friendliest I have ever met in the world. They have so little, yet are so willing to share what they have. I even am allowed to use their makeshift weight room, which is sort of an old auto-parts collection, but nonetheless offers me the ability to keep lifting good weight! I will try to upload pictures later, but the electricity has only been on in our village for a total of two hours, so internet access is sparse. I'll try to write more soon, I already have a lot of stories.
This will be a short post because I only have ten minutes left at the internet cafe. I'm doing well, despite the airline losing all of my checked luggage. I am hopeful I will get it back soon, otherwise it will be one outfit for me for a long time. This place is amazing, and these people are the friendliest I have ever met in the world. They have so little, yet are so willing to share what they have. I even am allowed to use their makeshift weight room, which is sort of an old auto-parts collection, but nonetheless offers me the ability to keep lifting good weight! I will try to upload pictures later, but the electricity has only been on in our village for a total of two hours, so internet access is sparse. I'll try to write more soon, I already have a lot of stories.
Monday, June 18, 2012
The Pratt Institute and Orientation
Today was the first day of orientation for OCA at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. I got to meet all of my fellow group members, and we did some "ice-breaker" exercises to get to know one another better. Of course, my first ice breaker was that I had to greet everyone by rubbing noses with them. Not even Wesleyan can prepare you for that one.
We also learned a lot about keeping an open mind and an open heart while abroad, in order to more fully capture the experience. One thing that I remember Lorraine (the orientation leader) saying was that without a willingness to take another viewpoint and to walk in someone else's shoes, you will not change and grow as a person throughout this experience.
And although I wish to change and grow as a person, I do not wish to return home being a snob about it, thinking that everyone should be more grateful and complain less often. I realize that hardship is everywhere. Going to Africa can certainly change one's perspective on what he/she takes for granted, but most of all it should provide a gateway to connect with other cultures and races on the human level.
Sadly, that was probably the deepest thought I've had all day. On a separate note, I am really excited about my fellow group members and optimistic about our summer together. Yes, there will be times ahead where we are full of frustration and angry at each other, but everyone seems rational enough to move on and avoid obduracy in conflict. Two of my group members especially pique my interest and excitement:
Austin is the only other male in our group, and besides that natural bond we share by being the only XY chromosomes, we also share an affinity and need for working out and eating right while abroad. His motivation lies in his commitment to the US army, as he is entering his final year as a cadet at West Point. My motivation lies in my commitment to the Cardinal football team, and our collective goal to win the Little Three and NESCAC titles this year. It pleased me tremendously to learn that Austin packed a plethora of workout gear: ab rollers, ropes, weight sacks you fill with rocks, protein powder, peanut butter, and a list of lifts that rivals Coach Black's summer workout regimen. I can't wait to not lose weight in Gambia.
The other group member I want to discuss is Liz. Liz is the oldest member of our group, I'd say about 45-50 years of age. She is a nurse in the emergency department at a rural Texas hospital, and the only one among us with any real and practical medical knowledge. After learning that the medical center we will be working in boasts 4000 patients a week and one nurse, I realized that Liz's skills will be in high demand and I will be able to learn a ton by working alongside her. I plan to stick close to her throughout the excursion.
That's all for now. I plan to write more when I get the chance. I pray that I'll wake up for our 4:45am departure for JFK Wednesday morning! I leave you with a picture of my dorm room here at Pratt institute--not as nice as 231 PineA will be next year, but good enough for me. God bless.
We also learned a lot about keeping an open mind and an open heart while abroad, in order to more fully capture the experience. One thing that I remember Lorraine (the orientation leader) saying was that without a willingness to take another viewpoint and to walk in someone else's shoes, you will not change and grow as a person throughout this experience.
And although I wish to change and grow as a person, I do not wish to return home being a snob about it, thinking that everyone should be more grateful and complain less often. I realize that hardship is everywhere. Going to Africa can certainly change one's perspective on what he/she takes for granted, but most of all it should provide a gateway to connect with other cultures and races on the human level.
Sadly, that was probably the deepest thought I've had all day. On a separate note, I am really excited about my fellow group members and optimistic about our summer together. Yes, there will be times ahead where we are full of frustration and angry at each other, but everyone seems rational enough to move on and avoid obduracy in conflict. Two of my group members especially pique my interest and excitement:
Austin is the only other male in our group, and besides that natural bond we share by being the only XY chromosomes, we also share an affinity and need for working out and eating right while abroad. His motivation lies in his commitment to the US army, as he is entering his final year as a cadet at West Point. My motivation lies in my commitment to the Cardinal football team, and our collective goal to win the Little Three and NESCAC titles this year. It pleased me tremendously to learn that Austin packed a plethora of workout gear: ab rollers, ropes, weight sacks you fill with rocks, protein powder, peanut butter, and a list of lifts that rivals Coach Black's summer workout regimen. I can't wait to not lose weight in Gambia.
The other group member I want to discuss is Liz. Liz is the oldest member of our group, I'd say about 45-50 years of age. She is a nurse in the emergency department at a rural Texas hospital, and the only one among us with any real and practical medical knowledge. After learning that the medical center we will be working in boasts 4000 patients a week and one nurse, I realized that Liz's skills will be in high demand and I will be able to learn a ton by working alongside her. I plan to stick close to her throughout the excursion.
That's all for now. I plan to write more when I get the chance. I pray that I'll wake up for our 4:45am departure for JFK Wednesday morning! I leave you with a picture of my dorm room here at Pratt institute--not as nice as 231 PineA will be next year, but good enough for me. God bless.
Saturday, June 16, 2012
One Day Away
I also want to acknowledge the Hartford Steam Boiler Company, without whose generous scholarship money I would be unable to travel on this trip. The airfare, food, accommodations, and insurance are all included in the cost of the trip, and thus the fee was quite high. This burden was lifted by the generous folks at HSBC, and I want to express my sincere thanks to them.
I must say goodbye for now, and I hope to post again soon. It's my last night in West Hartford, and I plan to spend it surrounded by family and friends.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Just Beginning...
So far, I've been compiling supplies and clothing for my trip. The backpack to the right is my luggage, a Kelty Red Cloud 90L internal frame pack. It is truly massive, and should have no problem holding my clothing (mostly scrubs), toiletries, sleeping bag, and, of course, gifts.
A few days ago I bought a new camera, since Las Vegas proved the old digital camera to be on the fritz. This one boasts 16 megapixels and a 5x zoom, so I have no excuse (save my photographic ineptitude) to not bring back many quality pictures of The Gambia. On Google Images there are some great pictures of the Banjul and Serrekunda areas, and I am really anticipating viewing the Gambian landscape and culture with my own eyes. It certainly will be different than Connecticut.
Here's hoping I don't get too sunburned...
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