Happy New Year !
I spent 29 Dec 2006 – 7 Jan 2007 on vacation. The New Year’s Eve weekend (which as also the Islamic feast of Tabaski) was spend in Niger’s capital, Niamey, with our head doctor Susan and her husband, who was visiting. We had a great time walking around, visiting the museum/zoo and local craftsmen, drinking and talking. The first day of the year, I descended the Niger River in a motorized dugout canoe into the Park of W (the river forms a W at that point) where I stayed for three days. It was really a good, relaxing vacation. I went out every day with my guide, Moussa. Even though this is not the good season for animal spotting, we saw green monkeys, red monkeys, baboons, crocodiles, buffalos, a few different species of antelopes and several of the 350 different bird species in the park. I saw lion prints. And the last evening, we had five elephants just in front of us for about 20 minutes.
My vacation wasn’t really planned, but my directors told me to take it then, because I wouldn’t have time afterwards. Our program has changed here, and we have a lot of restructuring to do. In 2006, we treated around 60,000 children (only in our district) for moderate and severe malnutrition. Now that the malnutrition rate has fallen, we will treat only the severely undernourished, but will help the government to offer free healthcare to children under 5 years old. This is going to cause quite a few changes in the staffing.
I’m working long hours, but I’m still learning new things every day. I’m working with a great group of people, both local staff and expatriates. And I’m having fun. What else could one ask?
1 comment:
Happy New Year to you Ed,
What a man you are! I'm so thrilled with what you have accomplished. You told me years ago what you hoped to do and you did it. Wow! I'm so proud to know a human of your calibre. You are an inspiration.
I'm glad you enjoyed my book. It has gone through 3 self-publish editions and now the 4th is in the hands of an agent who finds it has market value, and who knows, maybe a home at with traditional publisher. I no longer care much about it as life as taken another sudden but most wonderful turn for me.
I've recovered from a long bout of life-threatening cancer and hepatitis B (compliments of my Haitian experience) and now have been verified by the VA as being disease-free and healthy as a horse. God, I feel good.
The new twist is that I'm moving back to France next week. I've been working with Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly (an offshoot of Les Petits Freres des Pauvres in France) in the States for the last 4 years and during the International Convention in Paris in October I requested a transfer to Paris and it was granted. While this is essentially a 'benevole' position (I'm to do dinner-fund-raisers at all the nascent and struggling sites throughout Europe: Poland, Spain and Ireland for the most part)the psychic remuneration is overwhelming and hopefully it will carry over and count for something as I try to follow in your footsteps.
When I finish my letter of 'motivation' and other pertinent information I will submit it to your renowned organization in Paris. I'm hoping Doctors without Borders can use a man like me, where hard work is a natural function and my love of humanity continues to grow. Wish me well as I do you.
ps: Having been forewarned by you about e-mail snafus I've included this personal info as a blog, hoping you will receive it.
With deepest sentiment,
Malcolm
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