We had another good day working at the Manna School, screening the remainder of the kids from the school as well as other children from the village. Each day we have diagnosed between 5 and 10 kids with malaria. We treat them with medication - usually a course of Quinine along with one other medication that I can never remember the name of. There is also a Chinese herbal treatment that has been very effective but we are not currently treating them with this. Mike, the physician in our group, would like to figure out a way to start growing it in the village so they can produce their own herbal medication for malaria treatment. I think that would be awesome.
This afternoon we stopped at a pharmacy in town to stock up on malaria medications as well as antibiotics and de-worming medication for the next village we are working in starting tomorrow. They sell every kind of medication over-the-counter, including some that are actually considered controlled substances in the United States. There are no prescriptions or MD orders required to get the medications. We walked in and there were about 50 people bellied up to the pharmacy counter buying medications. It looked like they were sitting at a bar drinking, but instead they were getting medications for their ailments. They decide what they need and self-medicate themselves. It's craziness! Anyway, we paid about $50 for a ton of medications - it was fantastic! We will be able to treat many kids with malaria and worms, etc. for so little money!
We had an extremely warm welcome when she arrived at the school today. We thought yesterday's welcome was a good one, but today was even better! All the kids came running around the building to greet us (there are over 200 school kids) and the elders of the village were sitting in front of the school waving and yelling "Welcome! Welcome!" I had one lady grab me and say "Welcome! You are my friend! I love you!" It was insane.
By the time we left, however, the elders of the village had become angry at us because apparently someone told them that we were dispensing "free medicine" to them today. We aren't sure why tehy were under this impression. In fact, Bridging the Gap has tried very hard to keep their program focused on treating the children of the village for malaria and worms and supplementing them with vitamin A, rather than getting into treating adults too. This is simply because of the limited resources of the organization and the desire to remain focused on the primary goal, which is to improve the health of children through malaria detection and treatment, de-worming, and vitamin A supplementation.
As we walked out of hte school to get into the van, the women were grabbing us an d saying things in Igbo. While I couldn't understand what they were saying, I could definitely tell that they weren't happy like when we had arrived this morning! They were yelling and clearly upset. Eventually, one of the women went up to Queen and Queen was told that they thought they were getting free medication from us today and they wanted to know why we were "breaking our promise." Queen explained to them that it was never our plan to give out medication to them and that they had been misinformed. We got into the van and as we drove away less than 60 seconds later they were smiling and waving once again, shouting "goodbye!" It was so bizarre how quickly their emotions toward us changed! But I'm glad it ended the way it did. For awhile there we thought there might be a riot!
On our way home, we stopped at a museum for Nigeria's war history. It is near where Queen lives. It costs 100 naira (Nigerian money), which is less than 1 U.S. dollar, to get in. Queen went up to pay for our admission and they crossed out the price on 4 of the 6 tickets and wrote "200 naira" instead. The cheaper tickets were for Robert (an African American guy that is on the team) and Queen (obviously black because she's Nigerian) because they are black. Us caucasian people had to pay twice as much for admission to the museum! Queen was very angry that they charged us more and she was quite vocal about her opinion. She's a feisty Nigerian, that's for sure. (-: It was kind of funny. It's typical to get ripped off and charged more in these places because we are from the U.S. and they think we have money to spend, but I've never had them be so blatant about it!
Now we are back at Queen's house where we will be staying again tonight (thank goodness). Queen knows a lady that wants to make us traditional Nigerian clothing before we leave. We just finished getting measured by they lady and she will go to the market tomorrow to pick out material for it. I'm excited!
I hope all is well at home. I will try again to get some pictures on the blog tonight after others have used the internet for email, etc. Have a great night!!
Love,
Erin
Friday, February 27, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
So apparently the cockroach next to the bed was not the only one here. I went to shower last night and there nearby was the BIGGEST COCKROACH EVER. I was so freaked out - I think I showered in record time and somehow I kept my eyes open so I could make sure he wasn't coming near me. He kept getting a little agitated but thank God he didn't move too much closer.
We are off to work now. It's another hot one here in Nigeria! I am excited to start working today though. It's going to be a good day.
I hope you all are doing well. I will hopefully get some pictures posted at some point (still having problems with that). I really, really want to share at least a few of them with you all. If nothing else, I will post them as soon as I get home. But I'll keep trying.
We are off to work now. It's another hot one here in Nigeria! I am excited to start working today though. It's going to be a good day.
I hope you all are doing well. I will hopefully get some pictures posted at some point (still having problems with that). I really, really want to share at least a few of them with you all. If nothing else, I will post them as soon as I get home. But I'll keep trying.
Yay! Ceiling Fans!!!
2/26/09 @ 7:30
Queen is a nurse that is from Nigeria but works and lives in Minnesota. She works at United, the hospital in Saint Paul that I used to work at before moving to Des Moines. Queen owns a 9 bedroom house about an hour and a half away from the village where we are working. She has taken us to her house for the night (and possibly tomorrow night too). Her house is not super luxurious or anything, but after last night it is heaven on earth. She has ceiling fans, and some of her rooms even have air-conditioning! The windows have screens, too, so we won’t need to use our mosquito bed nets. Also, she has a shower! Queen has been wonderful - she's a wonderful person and she is very protective of us here. We are so lucky to have her with us!
This weekend we are going to a different village to work. We will be doing the same things as part of the same program to detect and treat malaria, and improve the health of children there in general through Vitamin A supplementation and de-worming treatment.
Steph just came in and told me she has located our first cockroach. He’s lying belly-up on what has just now been identified by her as my side of the bed for tonight. At least he's belly-up (dead). What a friend. (-:
Thanks for checking in and I’m sorry it took so long for me to get something posted on here. I appreciate your thoughts and prayers while I’m here. I feel like I’m truly part of an amazing effort here in Nigeria, one that has already saved the lives of kids in the village. I am confident that this project’s plan of attack is both appropriate and effective. It seems to be well-organized and as efficient as anything can be here in Nigeria!
Good night!
Queen is a nurse that is from Nigeria but works and lives in Minnesota. She works at United, the hospital in Saint Paul that I used to work at before moving to Des Moines. Queen owns a 9 bedroom house about an hour and a half away from the village where we are working. She has taken us to her house for the night (and possibly tomorrow night too). Her house is not super luxurious or anything, but after last night it is heaven on earth. She has ceiling fans, and some of her rooms even have air-conditioning! The windows have screens, too, so we won’t need to use our mosquito bed nets. Also, she has a shower! Queen has been wonderful - she's a wonderful person and she is very protective of us here. We are so lucky to have her with us!
This weekend we are going to a different village to work. We will be doing the same things as part of the same program to detect and treat malaria, and improve the health of children there in general through Vitamin A supplementation and de-worming treatment.
Steph just came in and told me she has located our first cockroach. He’s lying belly-up on what has just now been identified by her as my side of the bed for tonight. At least he's belly-up (dead). What a friend. (-:
Thanks for checking in and I’m sorry it took so long for me to get something posted on here. I appreciate your thoughts and prayers while I’m here. I feel like I’m truly part of an amazing effort here in Nigeria, one that has already saved the lives of kids in the village. I am confident that this project’s plan of attack is both appropriate and effective. It seems to be well-organized and as efficient as anything can be here in Nigeria!
Good night!
Night 1 and Day 2
2/26/09 @ 4:00pm
We worked at the school again today, seeing more kids for malaria screening and general assessments. It went well. We actually finished seeing the kids earlier than expected, so we agreed to see some of the village adults since the Bishop really wanted us to. We were told that “even if you can’t do anything for them, they believe that simply having you touch them will solve all the problems in the world.” We didn’t want to promote this myth, so we tried to be clear that they needed to seek treatment for most of their ailments from their community doctor. For some reason, the fact that we are from the U.S. and have white skin makes them think we are able to perform miracles on them. It’s very awkward. Dr. Talberg kept telling the people that their village doctor is “a better doctor than me.” They looked at him like he was crazy!
Last night was an absolutely miserable night for sleeping. I have never been so uncomfortable in my life. I came here completely prepared to sweat like crazy and be quite uncomfortable. But last night was unbearable. We had to keep our door and windows shut all night for security reasons. There are no ceiling fans and no electricity, which I suppose would make ceiling fans pointless anyway. There is a generator on the grounds where we are staying, but they turn it off at night. I am hoping tonight is better! Dr. Talberg, who has been here many times, said that last night was the worst he’s ever experienced. And he’s quite possibly the most easy-going, laid back person I’ve ever known. So I didn’t feel so bad when I was bordering on a panic state at 2am when I couldn’t bear it! . Steph was almost in tears from midnight until 3am. I felt like I had to keep myself somewhat collected (on the outside) in order to keep her from freaking out! Steph and I had to share an abnormally small double bed, with our two single-sized mosquito nets rigged together with hair clips, string, and rubber bands over the top of us. It was so hot we felt like we were suffocating. Kathy, one of the other nurses, got up this morning stating that it was her mission to figure out a way to get back to Lagos in order to get on a plane to go home to Minnesota today. Fortuntely, we all rallied and no one went home today. It also didn’t help that we were feeling as isolated as ever since we couldn’t make any contact with family at home since arriving here.
We are currently on the lookout for a place on the side of the road to purchase a toilet seat for the toilet in the place in the village where we are staying. For some reason, toilet seats are not standard in Nigerian bathrooms. In fact, I have yet to see one. Actually, I take that back – I have seen toilet seats, but none that are attached. Usually they are either absent completely or they are sitting on the floor next to the toilet. It’s the strangest thing.
We just tried something called sooya (I’m sure I’m not spelling that correctly, but that’s how it sounds anyway). It’s thinly-sliced, spicy beef on a stick. I’m thinking this is a new idea for the state fair…
So far I have not gotten any mosquito bites. It might be the 4 cans of Ultrathon I’ve used already.
So far the bugs aren’t too bad. I have seen a few very large spiders, but no snakes, rats or cockroaches, thank goodness!! I am also trying not to look TOO hard for these things. We have seen a lot of pretty large lizards, which I don’t mind. After all, lizards eat mosquitos! Therefore, lizards are always welcome near me.
We worked at the school again today, seeing more kids for malaria screening and general assessments. It went well. We actually finished seeing the kids earlier than expected, so we agreed to see some of the village adults since the Bishop really wanted us to. We were told that “even if you can’t do anything for them, they believe that simply having you touch them will solve all the problems in the world.” We didn’t want to promote this myth, so we tried to be clear that they needed to seek treatment for most of their ailments from their community doctor. For some reason, the fact that we are from the U.S. and have white skin makes them think we are able to perform miracles on them. It’s very awkward. Dr. Talberg kept telling the people that their village doctor is “a better doctor than me.” They looked at him like he was crazy!
Last night was an absolutely miserable night for sleeping. I have never been so uncomfortable in my life. I came here completely prepared to sweat like crazy and be quite uncomfortable. But last night was unbearable. We had to keep our door and windows shut all night for security reasons. There are no ceiling fans and no electricity, which I suppose would make ceiling fans pointless anyway. There is a generator on the grounds where we are staying, but they turn it off at night. I am hoping tonight is better! Dr. Talberg, who has been here many times, said that last night was the worst he’s ever experienced. And he’s quite possibly the most easy-going, laid back person I’ve ever known. So I didn’t feel so bad when I was bordering on a panic state at 2am when I couldn’t bear it! . Steph was almost in tears from midnight until 3am. I felt like I had to keep myself somewhat collected (on the outside) in order to keep her from freaking out! Steph and I had to share an abnormally small double bed, with our two single-sized mosquito nets rigged together with hair clips, string, and rubber bands over the top of us. It was so hot we felt like we were suffocating. Kathy, one of the other nurses, got up this morning stating that it was her mission to figure out a way to get back to Lagos in order to get on a plane to go home to Minnesota today. Fortuntely, we all rallied and no one went home today. It also didn’t help that we were feeling as isolated as ever since we couldn’t make any contact with family at home since arriving here.
We are currently on the lookout for a place on the side of the road to purchase a toilet seat for the toilet in the place in the village where we are staying. For some reason, toilet seats are not standard in Nigerian bathrooms. In fact, I have yet to see one. Actually, I take that back – I have seen toilet seats, but none that are attached. Usually they are either absent completely or they are sitting on the floor next to the toilet. It’s the strangest thing.
We just tried something called sooya (I’m sure I’m not spelling that correctly, but that’s how it sounds anyway). It’s thinly-sliced, spicy beef on a stick. I’m thinking this is a new idea for the state fair…
So far I have not gotten any mosquito bites. It might be the 4 cans of Ultrathon I’ve used already.
So far the bugs aren’t too bad. I have seen a few very large spiders, but no snakes, rats or cockroaches, thank goodness!! I am also trying not to look TOO hard for these things. We have seen a lot of pretty large lizards, which I don’t mind. After all, lizards eat mosquitos! Therefore, lizards are always welcome near me.
We Have Arrived Safely!!!
2/25/09 @ 7pm
Well, it’s been a long journey, but I am happy to report that we have finally arrived in the village! Starting on Monday afternoon, I flew from Des Moines to Minneapolis, Minneapolis to Amsterdam, and Amsterdam to Lagos, Nigeria, arriving in Lagos around 8pm Tuesday night. We were exhausted. We rented a couple of hotel rooms in Lagos near the airport. The “hotel” experience was, well, memorable. I’m still not sure how they could possibly charge us $70/room, but whatever.
Steph and I woke up at 3:30am wide awake. We talked and laughed for the next two hours of the night because we couldn’t sleep – I think we were so sleep-deprived that delirium had set in. Everything seemed funny to us... until we had to get up after only sleeping about 6 hours over the past several days and nights! The time difference is 7 hours later in Nigeria than at home in the Midwest.
This morning we got up early and took an in-country flight from Lagos to Owerri, Nigeria. It was a bit of a turbulent ride and the pilot drove the plane around the turn on the runway like a racecar driver drives a racecar. When we got to Owerri, we had to drive about an hour to our final destination in the village of Atta.
A man at the airport came up to me and asked if we were from the U.S. I told him we were. He said “that’s good!” I said, “Is it?” He said, “Yes! You are Obama people!” We’ve gotten the clear impression that Nigerians are very happy by our country’s recent election results. It makes me less nervous to announce that I’m from the U.S. when asked!
We arrived in Atta and met Ben, the village bishop whose home we are staying in for the next two weeks. Ben and others here were extremely happy to see us arrive, which was nice. We had not even gotten our luggage out of the vehicles before Ben told us we had to go to the clinic because “the village is waiting for you.” Apparently we were wasting no time in getting to work! This was just fine by me, though, because I want to do as much as possible in the few short weeks we’re here! It didn’t hit me until 3 hours in that we had not yet eaten today. We just finished eating for the first time and it’s 6:30pm.
We saw kids from the school in the clinic today for malaria screening and general assessment. We checked their heart, lungs, abdomens, skin, etc. The way we screen for malaria is by evaluating each child for splenomegaly (enlarged spleen), abdominal pain, fevers, difficulty sleeping, and poor appetite. We also rule out typhoid, which can present with very similar symptoms (usually more intense abdominal pain though). We have a laboratory at the clinic where we are able to run basic blood work such as complete blood counts, etc. We are screening all of the school children as well as children from the on-site orphanage for malaria. If we do detect malaria or typhoid, or other such disease, we treat them with medication.
The “program” we are a part of administers Vitamin A supplements (tablets) weekly to each child in the village. Vitamin A supplementation alone has been proven to reduce mortality in under-developed nations such as Nigeria by 25%! It’s a simple way to make a HUGE impact on the prevalence of unnecessary deaths. Vitamin A has many benefits.
These same children also receive a three day course of Mebendazole, which is a de-worming medication for abdominal parasites, every 3 months. 1 in 3 children here have worms at any given time. The most common type of abdominal parasite is round worm.
Today was awesome. It feels like we are part of something that is working here in Atta and has been proven to save lives as well as improve quality of life for these kids. This program is very focused and specific, which is awesome because we can see the difference being made. I am so relieved to finally be here and I was so glad when we were put to work immediately after our arrival. It was perfect!
The people in Nigeria are wonderful. They seem genuinely happy (in fact, they were recently ranked the happiest country in the world!!!) and hopeful, and they are extremely grateful. They want to do everything for us, which is actually pretty awkward at times. They won’t let us carry any of our bags or walk anywhere, even if we want to! They are gracious and kind people, and they seem to like to give us hugs when they meet us! They are so happy to have us here and clearly have a great deal of pride in this country. I feel safe and protected.
Thanks for checking in - I hope to be able to write again soon! Unfortunately, we do not have internet access where we are staying, so we have to go to Owerri each time we want to communicate. We are also having trouble with the cell phone Steph brought to use. Tonight we are feeling very distant and out of touch with people at home. In addition, we are over-tired and extremely hot. It’s not a good feeling. Thankfully, though, we have each other which is helpful.
Good night!!
Well, it’s been a long journey, but I am happy to report that we have finally arrived in the village! Starting on Monday afternoon, I flew from Des Moines to Minneapolis, Minneapolis to Amsterdam, and Amsterdam to Lagos, Nigeria, arriving in Lagos around 8pm Tuesday night. We were exhausted. We rented a couple of hotel rooms in Lagos near the airport. The “hotel” experience was, well, memorable. I’m still not sure how they could possibly charge us $70/room, but whatever.
Steph and I woke up at 3:30am wide awake. We talked and laughed for the next two hours of the night because we couldn’t sleep – I think we were so sleep-deprived that delirium had set in. Everything seemed funny to us... until we had to get up after only sleeping about 6 hours over the past several days and nights! The time difference is 7 hours later in Nigeria than at home in the Midwest.
This morning we got up early and took an in-country flight from Lagos to Owerri, Nigeria. It was a bit of a turbulent ride and the pilot drove the plane around the turn on the runway like a racecar driver drives a racecar. When we got to Owerri, we had to drive about an hour to our final destination in the village of Atta.
A man at the airport came up to me and asked if we were from the U.S. I told him we were. He said “that’s good!” I said, “Is it?” He said, “Yes! You are Obama people!” We’ve gotten the clear impression that Nigerians are very happy by our country’s recent election results. It makes me less nervous to announce that I’m from the U.S. when asked!
We arrived in Atta and met Ben, the village bishop whose home we are staying in for the next two weeks. Ben and others here were extremely happy to see us arrive, which was nice. We had not even gotten our luggage out of the vehicles before Ben told us we had to go to the clinic because “the village is waiting for you.” Apparently we were wasting no time in getting to work! This was just fine by me, though, because I want to do as much as possible in the few short weeks we’re here! It didn’t hit me until 3 hours in that we had not yet eaten today. We just finished eating for the first time and it’s 6:30pm.
We saw kids from the school in the clinic today for malaria screening and general assessment. We checked their heart, lungs, abdomens, skin, etc. The way we screen for malaria is by evaluating each child for splenomegaly (enlarged spleen), abdominal pain, fevers, difficulty sleeping, and poor appetite. We also rule out typhoid, which can present with very similar symptoms (usually more intense abdominal pain though). We have a laboratory at the clinic where we are able to run basic blood work such as complete blood counts, etc. We are screening all of the school children as well as children from the on-site orphanage for malaria. If we do detect malaria or typhoid, or other such disease, we treat them with medication.
The “program” we are a part of administers Vitamin A supplements (tablets) weekly to each child in the village. Vitamin A supplementation alone has been proven to reduce mortality in under-developed nations such as Nigeria by 25%! It’s a simple way to make a HUGE impact on the prevalence of unnecessary deaths. Vitamin A has many benefits.
These same children also receive a three day course of Mebendazole, which is a de-worming medication for abdominal parasites, every 3 months. 1 in 3 children here have worms at any given time. The most common type of abdominal parasite is round worm.
Today was awesome. It feels like we are part of something that is working here in Atta and has been proven to save lives as well as improve quality of life for these kids. This program is very focused and specific, which is awesome because we can see the difference being made. I am so relieved to finally be here and I was so glad when we were put to work immediately after our arrival. It was perfect!
The people in Nigeria are wonderful. They seem genuinely happy (in fact, they were recently ranked the happiest country in the world!!!) and hopeful, and they are extremely grateful. They want to do everything for us, which is actually pretty awkward at times. They won’t let us carry any of our bags or walk anywhere, even if we want to! They are gracious and kind people, and they seem to like to give us hugs when they meet us! They are so happy to have us here and clearly have a great deal of pride in this country. I feel safe and protected.
Thanks for checking in - I hope to be able to write again soon! Unfortunately, we do not have internet access where we are staying, so we have to go to Owerri each time we want to communicate. We are also having trouble with the cell phone Steph brought to use. Tonight we are feeling very distant and out of touch with people at home. In addition, we are over-tired and extremely hot. It’s not a good feeling. Thankfully, though, we have each other which is helpful.
Good night!!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
About Nigeria
Location: The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in the north. Its coast lies on the Gulf of Guinea, a part of the Atlantic Ocean, in the south. 
The red area is Imo State. This is where I will be working in Nigeria. The village of Owerri is the capital of Imo State. Imo State is named after the Imo River.
Capital: Abuja The red area is Imo State. This is where I will be working in Nigeria. The village of Owerri is the capital of Imo State. Imo State is named after the Imo River.Largest City: Lagos
Official Language: English
Recognized Regional Languages: Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba. The local language in Imo State is Igbo.
Nigerian Government: Presidential Federal Republic
President: Umaru Yar'Adua
Republic Declared: October 1, 1963
Population Estimate: 148,000,000 - Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and the 8th most populous country in the world.
Currency: Nigerian Naira
National Symbols of Nigeria:
Flag: Bicolour (green and white)
Emblem: Coat of Arms of Nigeria
Anthem: Arise, O Compatriats
Animal: Eagle
Bird: Black Crowned Crane
Flower: Costus Spectabilis
Sport: Football (soccer!)
Nigeria's Coat Of Arms Health Care In Nigeria:
Health, health care, and general living conditions in Nigeria are poor. Life expectancy is 47 years (average male/female) and just over half the population has access to potable water and appropriate sanitation; the percentage is of children under five has gone up rather than down between 1990 and 2003 and infant mortality is 97.1 deaths per 1000 live births. HIV/AIDS rate in Nigeria is much lower compared to the other African nations such as Kenya or South Africa whose prevalence (percentage) rates are in the double digits. Nigeria, like many developing countries, also suffers from a polio crisis as well as periodic outbreaks of cholera, malaria, and sleeping sickness. As of 2004, there has been a vaccination drive, spearheaded by the World Health Organization, to combat polio and malaria that has been met with controversy in some regions.
Monday, February 16, 2009
About The Organization
"Bridging The Gap" is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization. It was founded approximately 10 years ago and it seeks to reduce the incidence of malaria in children in the village of Owerri. I am traveling to Nigeria with a team of 6 people - one physician, four RNs (one of which is Steph, one of my very best friends), and one non-medical support person. We have been assured that we will have plenty of work to do during our time there. Ben is our main contact person in the village and he has arranged our scheduled. In our communications with Ben leading up to our visit, we made it clear that we want to work hard. In looking at our schedule, I think we will be plenty busy! I can't wait. I'm anxious to know exactly what we will be doing so that I can share it with you. I think it'll mainly be performing screening for malaria in the kids of the village.
Africa Here I Come!
Hi Friends!
As many of you know, I set up a blog when I went to Haiti last January. I have decided to do it again this time for my trip to Nigeria. It is a great way for me to let you all know how things are going and the good your money is doing through my team's efforts.
Feel free to check in as often as you'd like while I'm gone. I will be leaving Des Moines on Monday, February 23 and returning to Des Moines on Friday, March 6.
Thanks for all of your support of me in this project. It truly means more to me than you could possibly know.
Love,
Erin
As many of you know, I set up a blog when I went to Haiti last January. I have decided to do it again this time for my trip to Nigeria. It is a great way for me to let you all know how things are going and the good your money is doing through my team's efforts.
Feel free to check in as often as you'd like while I'm gone. I will be leaving Des Moines on Monday, February 23 and returning to Des Moines on Friday, March 6.
Thanks for all of your support of me in this project. It truly means more to me than you could possibly know.
Love,
Erin
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