Unpacking Mongu! Health Options - #2

My last post that I shared with you, was the clinic that Hands of Hope  (http://www.handsofhopeonline.org/), built in the bush of Western Zambia.  It is an amazing building in the middle of 'no where'.  The clinic is well maintained, clean and accessible to 1000's  in the village who had no resources. 

A couple of days into our trip,  as I arrived to teach a knitting loom class (another blog, another day), we were met by Alan.  He was sick and needed to get to the hospital! A divine appointment!! Our driver, Victor,  was able to take him immediately to the hospital.  This trip is about 15 miles from his village into Mongu!

Alan is our 'hero'.  He is a young man from the village of Lutendee, who has made a huge difference in this village.  He helped to oversee the building of the school.  He is the spokesman and communicator between us here in the states and our work in Lutendee.  He has a vision and desire to help his people!

As I shared in the last blog, I am showing to you what most of the world has for health care options. This is the hospital.  3rd world hospitals are like this.  This one was pretty clean compared to most.



The photos are from our visit to see Alan.  He had to have surgery. He was blessed to have been able to get to the hospital.  Remember, the distance between the villages and the town of Mongu is vast. People walk, ride a bike, take an ox cart but vehicles in the bush do not exist!



In 3rd world hospitals you bring your own bedding, your own food and your caregiver is most likely a family member.  Here you can get free medical care, but your treatments come after those who can pay are cared for.  Paying and non-paying patients receive the same services.

The broken ambulance below was donated from another country. It doesn't work :(.  The Chech Republic donated this vehicle. Nothing is new in this part of the world.

         

Circumcision Unit 

Hospital Directory

Emergency Room Entrance

Alan's village

Alan home healing! He lives in an immaculate mud hut!

Pictures are worth 1000's of words.

Access to this health care is hard to come by.  The people are grateful for this place.  Count your blessings!

 Alan is healing well.  We are grateful for this fact!  

Unpacking Mongu! Health Care Options - #1

All in a days work!

Life has gotten in the way of writing.  It is time to catch up on my last journey before my next one begins.  Having been to Mongu, Zambia now 6+ times, I work hard at thinking about what to share.  I recently came from a meeting and the same questions are always asked.  Putting our heads around a culture so different from ours is hard, even with the best of pictures and a good story.

I have several areas of life here in the Western Provence of Zambia that I want to share with you. Each is a unique part of this culture and the way of life. The outside world is changing rapidly, here traditions, poverty and ignorance keep these people trapped.  How do we bridge these 1000's of years traditions into helping them?

Today health care is the topic.  A HOT one here to be certain!!! I thought I would reflect and hopefully show you, what a major part of the world (not just Africa) experiences and allow you to ponder yours.  When I return to the states and hear our moaning, complaining and discontent I want to cry.  We have so much and we appreciate so little.

I will start with the village options.   Hands of Hope (http://www.handsofhopeonline.org/) has made a HUGE difference in the remote villages we work in!  There is new clinic and this time in our visit we saw it in action!!!   Immunizations were being administered.  This activity was encouraging to us! The resident nurse (below) was so excited to see us and show off what was happening! She has been here since day one.  Getting medicine here has been another hard fought victory.  Finally, 'our' people are being helped.  The mortality rate is HIGH, and this clinic has brought some medicine and hope as well.

The pictures below will show you the 'normal' options for those who live in most of  Zambia. I took these pictures in a village a couple years ago as we were building the new clinic below.

Outside of a birthing clinic in a rural village.

Inside of the hut were piles of clothes and a bed.

The above hut/clinic was the option available before Hands of Hope placed a clinic within 'walking distance'.  Below, a beautifully built clinic in the bush!  The walk is still long but hope and help is here!  Buildings, such as the one below are not found in the bush. Women can give birth here if they can or desire to make the trip. I am delighted to be part of Hands of Hope, that has made this facility available to these people!

The villagers dress up to come here!  Bananas are made available for those who wait. 

Immunization Day!

The resident nurse and her patients!

To avoid making this blog too long I am going to end with the clinic and begin a new post with the hospital.  Once again I ask that you reflect on what these pictures depict.  These people are grateful and know they are blessed. 

Most of my blogs will not be promoting Hands of Hope (http://www.handsofhopeonline.org/). 

However, the funds raised on this side of the world ALL go to help these people!  ALL!  I work with them because it is truly an organization that is for the people.  If you want to give, your funds will ALL be used for wells, another clinic (even further out than this one), agriculture eduction and more.   

Someday is not a day of the week!

Each time I return from a trip someone says "someday I want to go with you or....".   Some day never comes!  Someday is not a day of the week.  As the years creep up on me, way too fast, I realize how blessed I have been to take adventures! Since childhood I have looked for ways to explore my world. I desire to nudge you out of the ordinary and into seeing God's creations humans and nature!  Perhaps nudging you to make a difference in someones life by just showing up to help.

My curiosity about life has been as simple as exploring an abandoned old house as a child and finding a closet full of bats, peeking in windows of places I could not enter. walking in a stream bed and delighting in the stones under my feet as I looked for crawdads. Or, in a not so smart move, placing a cigarette car lighter to my lips to see if it really was hot. (It was 😆 very hot.) Cars really did have those gadgets, smoking was a 'cool' habit.  Curiosity opens up your world!

At 67 I am still very curious.  I long to do more adventures and peek into more windows and huts and shanties. For each time I experience a world different than mine, I am reminded that I can learn so much from other cultures and people groups. I can also help in some small way to bring hope or smile if even for a day.   There is a richness in each culture that I strive to find. As I do find it I am able to return home humbled and grateful for what I have learned.

Stop waiting for someday!  It never arrives!  Choose one thing to do and ask the questions necessary to make it happen.  There is never a perfect time for anything!  That is a myth that traps us for life.
My adventures make me tired and some days a bit achy but oh the experiences and memories are so rich and worthwhile.  The chance to help others or to explore our world will change you like nothing else can.

The happiest people I know are those who give to others and step outside of what is comfortable or seemingly predictable to experience life.