Harare tour like no other

I began my goodbyes to Thomas and Steffi my friends from Germany.  I then attended a religion class for form 3A4, which translates into a junior in HS level.  Isaac Fernandez a Jesuit scholastic led a discussion about after life both in Catholic tradition and the ATR (African traditional religion).
Sr Dominica & Fr Mark Hacket arrived just before teatime at Makumbi.  They both were worked at Makumbi for many years and are good friends of Jane and Philip.  We tour around the mission and they shared stories of the past.
We ventured over to preschool for a final mobbing and singing of We are the children.  We need food.  We need clothing.   We need shelter.  We need education.  We need exercise.  But most of all we need love.

We shared lunch with the Jesuits and the departed for Harare.  Fr Mark proceeded to provide a tour that I guarantee no tourist gets.  We headed to the most opulent neighborhood where those who are insiders to the ruling party live.  These dwellings make Pittock Mansion look small.  We went then thru a rich but less opulent area.  We turned up by the racehorse track.  A shanty village had reappeared after only months ago been mowed down by the government in the middle of the night.  To bring stark contrast in directly across the road the was a home under construction which was 3 levels high, brick and stone in the design of the Great Zimbabwe.  Mark was not done yet though.. We headed to Imbare the slum area of Harare.  At some time in the past 10-15 story high dormitories were built intending to house only one person, but families the size of 10 were now occupying the space.  It was a gruesome sight with raw sewage flowing in the street. 
But the saving grace was ending at Harare Central and getting to see Tinotenda one more time before leaving Zimbabwe.  I happily found him standing in the hall holding on to a chair.  I was greeted with a big smile and hug.  I doubt he recognized me, but this is his response to getting attention.  It was again difficult to peal Tino off but knowing that soon he will have a new home in L’Arche made it much easier to leave. Sr Dominica has now been enlisted into my check in on Tino army.
Thursday before leaving for the airport we made a trip to L'Arche Zimbabwe.  They have just completed a second home.  We got a tour and met some of the core members..  The director Alice knows Dominica and will expidide Tino's move.  It did help that she knows there is money coming once he is moved in.  I'm sure it will be a signifiant adjustment, leaving the only place he has known since 3 months old.  I am confident that in a L'Arche community Tino will grow and reach his potential, and the community will be enriched by his spirit, smile and hugs.

Sunrise @ Makumbi

My 05:30 perch near satlelite dish

Last Day at Makumbi

This was my last full day at Makumbi Mission.  While I knew from Jane and Philip that I wanted to come to Makumbi...I did not anticapate how powerful an experience it would be.  I can draw comparisons to both St Mary's Alaska where I was as a JVC in the mid 70's and my trips to Peru, but there has been something totally African and unique to my experience here in rural Africa.  I can feel it but I am not sure I can yet put words to it.  I can safely say Africa has drawn me in.  I hope and anticipate this won't be my last trip to Africa.  There are many doors along the way on our journey of life, I am happy I opened this door and came to Zimbabwe.  Certainly there are many things one can say about life in Zimbabwe: failed state, beauty, wild animals, oppression, poverty, dictator,  sun, ....but I will remember the spirit and voices of the people joyfully singing.  And the desperate embraces of the orphaned children.
I will forever remember Tinotenda.
Tozonana Zimbabwe
(Until we meet again Zimbabwe in Shona)

Monday in Makumbi...kids, baskets and strong women

The 8th graders and 12th graders are writing thier national exams this week and next which determines future coaurse work in high school and entrance into university.  Makumbi has taken a quiet and serious turn.  @ 06 in AM you will find students lined up in front of the groto in prayer.  I again spent my morning with the preschoolers.  The teacher is amazing 43 kids today...we sent one back to the home because of suspected measles...that will make the next weeks here interesting.
In the afternoon a grounds keeper was so happy to find me, on my first day at Makumbi i had asked if there were local people making baskets and carvings.  He brought a women from a not so close village.  I have two beautiful baskets, she asked $3.00 for each.  I had to run back to my room to get cash so I folded up 10 and placed it in her hand.

Jeffery a retired professor from U of Wis Maddison brought me down to the womens cooperative to meet Paula.  WOW!  The women have literally built a training center for in the begining just women to learn skills from carpentry ( check out the hand made coffins), peanut butter, micro fiance, organizing, basic buissness management, batik.  They had immpressive flow charts on the wall regading projects.  One project is combatting gender violence.  As the women earn their own income they begin to even the playing field and become less dependent.  They have also included men in the trainings to decrease the risk of violence..All on $20,000 a year.

Tinotenda

Today I finally was able to connect with the director of L’Arche.  After3 failed email attempts; I was able to reach Alice by phone.  Three is the magic number because it also took 3 calls.
L’Arche has just completed the assessment and application process.  Tinotenda is scheduled to move to an L’Arche home on Nov 10.  The spirit works in mysterious ways.  I will leave some money to assist L’Arche in caring for Tino I invite anyone who would also like to donate to contact me.   I am overjoyed at this development.  I simultaneously fell in love and was heart broken with Tino at Harare Central Children’s Hospital where he has lived since he was abandoned at age 3 months.  Most of the time he was in his crib in a room by himself.  The sisters (nurses) were too busy to attend to Tino.
Visiting Tino became a daily activity while I was Harare Central.  Each day we expanded our world together.  Eventually getting outside on two occasions. I was determined to hug him every day, but deep down my goal was to get him out of the hospital.
 I headed to Makumbi mission with the goal of exploring the possibility of Tino coming here.  But it became clear as I explored this option with Fr Mueller that Makumbi was not the best solution.  Fr Mueller asked if I knew of L’Arche? And yes I have been involved with L’Arche in Portland.  The small world took hold.  Another volunteer has been involved with L’Arche had the phone number for Alice the director, Isaac the Jesuit scholastic’s father is involved with L’Arche here in Zimbabwe…..long story short the wheels had already begun to turn.
I will leave Zimbabwe with a lighter heart

The rains have come finally

Last evening I was treated to a fierce  thunder and lightening storm.  The dry earth of Africa tried to soak up the water but most pooled on top.  It has been since April when the last rains fell.  So every one is joyful.  The rains are about 2 weeks late this year.

SUNDAY

Sunday
The children began to rehearse for mass at 05:30.  Since I was going with Fr Mueller to the out station villages I was not planning on attending but I can’t resist the African voices.
I grabbed my camera and again recorded the singing.  I can’t describe the experience of African singing, and I’m sure my recordings won’t do justice.
Sunday we had eggs for breakfast and brown bread..A treat.
Fr Mueller was saying a second mass after breakfast so we waited for him to finish before leaving for (Mshabora ) The truck was filled with 14 people in the bed of the truck.  They took pity on the old person and I got to ride up in the cab.  The church we were going to was about 40 k.  We passed many out stations on the way. . Out stations are the decentralized parts of the mission parish.  We arrived to the singing having already begun.  Before getting inside we had to shake hands with about 50 people.  Again the singing was amazing.  It is hard to determine exactly when the services starts and ends, because the singing and witness talks just keep going.  3 hours later we stepped out of the church, to another round of hand shakes.
There was another level of poverty here and many more elderly people.  Today an elderly woman gave the witness talk about her deceased husband.  Despite the language barrier I could feel the emotion of he talk.  After she sat down she continued to wipe her face of tears.
As we returned to the truck there was a new batch of passengers.  Steffi and I were asked to walk so the family could direct Fr to the gravesite for a blessing.  Some young people escorted us through the fields a short cut if you will.  When we arrived they were singing and poring water over the cement graves.  At the completion we crossed the field to the home.  Fr and Steffi and I were escorted inside to places of honor.  We were served food and drink.  We were given mounds of rice, a small chicken wing and some sauce over the rice and a watered down orange drink.
I felt so honored to participate in such an intimate family event especially being white and not speaking Shona.
Fr Mueller shared in Shona what I had been doing the previous 2 weeks in Harare.  One of the family members has a daughter with an unrepaired cleft lip.  So I promised to alert the family through Fr Mueller of the dates when Operation of Hope returns in August.  So my coming was a gift to me and a gift to this family.

Sisters, Vistas & path finders

Saturday in Makumbi

Saturday at Makumbi.   A quieter day at the mission.  Thomas a young man from Germany is also staying at Makumbi.  This is his second trip to Zimbabwe.  He just completed his student teaching in Germany and hopes to stay for at least one year if not forever.  He volunteered to accompany me on a walk out to one of the villages outside the mission.
We had no real plan we just went in a direction.  As it was we arrived at the Makumbi Hospital.  We were not allowed to tour because the Matron (head nurse) was not there.  But we had a nice visit with the two sisters (nurses).  Interestingly one of the sisters wanted to come to rich America.  This she imagined would allow her to have a house a car an education for her children.  She was surprised to hear that many people in USA with lots of stuff are not happy.  She works full time and makes $150 a month.  The cost of goods in Zimbabwe is not much different than in the states.  This gives a new definition to working poor.  Physicians make a similar salary, only they have more opportunity to work multiple jobs to support their families.  They pay back their educational costs through service at government hospitals like Harare Central.
We continued on down to the main road for a bit then took a right on a path heading to the mountain.  There had been a recent fire so the scramble up the granite rock was blackened.  Thomas and I looked like coal miners!  But the vista was worth the charcoal experience.  We watched a family of baboons scamper across the field we had just transversed.  We had an aerial view of the straw roofed shacks in the village.
We found a less steep decent, since we scramble up on all fours.  As we reached the base of the rock we passed two dwellings, we decided to inquire about the best path to the mission.  The three kids and 4 dogs greeted us warmly.  I noticed the name  carved into the door.  Thomas then realized this was the home of a man who works at the mission, whom he had visited earlier.  On the way up the mountain Thomas had told me the story of a man and his family.
The man's sister’s husband had died of HIV.  She and her children were desperate to survive.  She turned to prostitution and alcohol.  Still life was difficult financially.  He built a second house next to his and moved his sister to Makumba village.  She had contracted HIV either from her husband or in a life of prostitution.  She unfortunately continued this life style, frequently bringing a man home in front of the kids.  She also was prone to beating the children.  One day after witnessing this he beat her.  She reported him and he got in trouble with the law.  Luckily there were people able to stand up for him.  The chance that these children will become prematurely sexually active, drink and turn to violence and perpetuate this destructive circle is very high.  Yet these same children showed compassion and concern as we took the wrong path from their house.  They ran after us and led us to the road.  Life in rural Zimbabwe mostly leads to a dead end…..but the human spirit is a powerful thing maybe these kind kids will get a break..Let’s hope

The youngest at Makumbi

This baby has only been here for 2 months.  He came with an infection on the skin of his chest.  When clothing is hung out to dry larva embed in the fabric, the burrow under the skin.  So laundry here geys ironed to kill the larva. 

My Makumbi little friends

Alvis is my friend who comes to visit me every day.  Then a baby waiting at nap time.  Pre school kids before our hike.

The veneer cracks

Well today has been difficult.  Many moments of tears.  The magnitude of need, of dead ends, the taking advantage of the most venerable...the children is overwhelming.  The orphaned children are so very needy, lacking one on one attention.  They crave physical touch and contact, they literally crawl all over you.  You can't really hide when you are the WHITE visitor, one step into view and you are mobbed. 
Since there is only one mother in each home and 10-12 children, they are left to manage them selves for much of the time.  They do not learn boundaries or expected behaviors,  I don't mean expected by our culture, but by responsible Shona adults.  An example in a village one would not expect children to chase and injure the animals.  But here the orphaned 4 & 5 year old's chase the cows and hit them with sticks and rocks.  A behavior that does not get curbed because of the ratio of 110 /8 children to adults.  The orphaned kids also are not performing well academically when the reach secondary school.  They are trying to identify where to intervene and how.  There are so many needs it is not an easy task to fix. At 5 the secondary school students were filing into the church, filling it from front to back.  I can not describe the sound of the African voices it is so beautiful.  The sing in harmony boys and girls.  Today I was sitting in the last row, older boys joined me they had base voices and literaly the bench vibrated with their voices.  Before you know they were swaying and claping full of joy!

My mountain goat friends

A preschool full of mountain goats!

Today I went over to the preschool for the orphanage kids.  $0 between the ages of 3 & 6. They had there lunches in tin cans and some even had little back packs.  Stefi a volunteer from Germany played her guitar and sang.  The kids said their prayers then we headed to the "mountain" kinda like Mt Tabor only granite.  We walked for a half hour to the base of this granite rock.  I had at least 2 kids hanging on when i was walking.  When I sat down there were 6.  They were like mountain goats climbing this rock.  They can not get enough attention and affection.

Makumbi

Play ground soccer

These kids were playing with a wadded up piece of cloth  wrapped in plastic!  They have the moves, and can juggle like pros.  Can't wait to pull out the new soccer balls.

Makumbi

My friends Jane Salisbury and Philip Stanton worked and lived in Zimbabwe about 20 years ago.  They were at the Jesuit Mission Makumbi.  You can refer to the web site lower down on blog page.
It proved to be challanging to arrange a ride from Harare to Makumbi...But here I am.  I was picked up by a Jesuit Isaac from the hospital.  It was about an hour and half ride on a washboard paved road.  We arrived after dark.  Dinner with the Jesuit community was waiting.  After dinner Fr Mueller the Jesuit Superior gave me a moon lit tour of the mission.  Which I retraced in the light of day. The connection to WiFi is by satelite, so I sit out on wall outside the office to get internet.
My first activity was to attend the secondary school asembly.  The voices of the children gave me goose bumps.  It was half in shona the tribal language and half in english.  All the academics are in english.
There are apoximatly 800 children here, 100 in orphanage, 400 in secondary, 300 in primary school.
Today I am just getting my barrings and trying to recover from the 16 hour days at the hospital.
Tomorrow I am going to the orphanage to hold and hug babies, I'm just going to try to be a spoonge and experience this place.
I will attempt to learn the Shona greetings.  The kids say Good mourning How are you?  So maybe I can learn some Shona

Tuesday Goodbyes

We did 10 small procedures.  Packed and began our goodbyes.  For me the hardest goodbye was to Tinotenda.  As soon as he saw me he wanted to go for a walk and put a death grip around my waist
We walked for a few minutes, but since I already started to cry he was a bit confused.  I knealed down and hugged him and pealed his arms off before I burst into a full cry.  Crying now typing.  Have already began exploring if Makumbi has capacity to care for him.  Mortality rates in Zimbabwe are 35 & 38 years for women & men.  This is a harsh place for those with handicaps.  Even a cleft lip is seen as punishment for doing something wrong.  Most of the kids we saw the fathes had left as soon as they saw their child.  So having CP  most children either don't survive or are turned out to street at 18 and left to die.  My heart breaks for this beautiful boy.  Ok I an sobbing and can't see the computer.

Monday Monday

This is actually Wed AM 06.  I am at Makumbi Mission.  I am going to back track and share Mon & Tues updates.
So afer a reekend of R & R we headed back to hospital for our last 2 days of surgery.  In between surgeries we began to inventory and pack away supplies for next year.  We all cherrished the last days of working with our Zimbabwe friends.  Two nurses worked with me in the PACU, Lydia & Gladys.
As in most mission trips some kid has an issue.  Monday afternoon a women walked in with an orphaned little girl with a cleft lip.  We figured we had enough time to slip her in.  How's that drive up surgery.
She was the last case of the day.  She woke up quickly in PACU, she did very well..   gave her first dose of Tylenol and handed her off to Sherri.  At the end of rounds which was always the last thing we did before leaving the hospital.  She was foun listless and with an Oxygen Sat down in 80's ( not good)  we stimulated her , gave her sugar, 100% O2.  Had her cough and deep breath as well as you can make a 3 yr old. Started a new antibiotic for aspiration.  Her lungs sounded like a matag washer.  Bit by bit she perked p.  Kathy Clinch our annestesiologist, Travis one of our surgeons , & Dave our ENT Resident stayed the night.  1 AM she really turned the corner.
We had moved her into the Peds ICU......but could get NO labs, CXR, and only had access to the meds we had brought.  So despite being in a hospital we were on our own.
She did fine and will go home Wed or Thur with a new face.

Safari

Safari

Safari

 

Went on a safari today thanks to Veronica Swanson who encouraged me to do so.  WOW So Col!!!  We drove 2 hours from Harare, down a highway...then dirt road to the Imara Game reserve.  We had tea, one has to be civilized about these sorts of things.  Then hopped on a cart pulled by a tractor and off we went  for 4 hours.  First stop was an enclosure, (the only one) for the lion and lioness.  We were seperated to prevent us from becoming lunch!     I squatted down to take picture and was eye to eye with the big guy ...he growled very ferouisly.  I would not want to come face to face for reals .  These BIG VERY BIG game animals were feet away. from our tractor pulled cart.  

The elephant walked right up to the cart and stuck his trunk in.  Kinda scary.  We ate lunch down by the river and had a great pirch as animals came to water and bath.

We returned to lodge for more tea. How Cool was that!

Zim music

Last night en mass we went a movie theater to listen to a very famous Zimbabwe musician Oliver Mtukudzi.  WOW!  I am having difficulty importing from my iPhone but will get tech assistance in USA
He would sing one word and the place would erupt singing all the words with him.  Danceing in front of theater seats.  The opening act was his daughter & husband and their group, they joined in later as well.
Half of the team got pulled on stage...picture a bunch of white folk dancing in front of 500 Africans who really can dance.  Thank GOD I was in second row.  They are coming to hospital to sing for our kids tomorrow.  These folks on this team have the party gene!!!!!!

Tinotenda goes outside...sunshine, wind and dirt!

So is that a cute guy or what!  Today is an off day but the Doc's were going to the hospital to round on the kids we had operated on earlier in the week and send them home.  So I went to visit Tino.  WE DID IT...we walked laps in the hospital and the went outside.  I picked him up and walked to grass and dirt.  The sun was breaking out, the wind was blowing.  Tino had a big smile.  Now getting him to back inside was a little tricky.  A Zim staff person taught me how to say let's go in Shona, which helped get him back to the ward.

Friday.. week 1 wow so much...Singing

Well one week down.  So much to take in....difficult to pull it all togeteher.
We started the day out at the Hospital with the Zimbabwe nurses thanking us with singing us a song.  So beautiful and touching.
Later in the recovery room I had a baby who was Very fussy The 2 Zim nurses who did solo's just happened to be in the PA CU... HMM... I asked them to sing to the baby.  In minutes this baby was asleep.  Later I will add a video of the singing.  I think it is very African to sing, so I am appreciating the simplicity of their voices.
Each day I learn a little more about my new friend Tino.  He is close to 7.  Today I had hopes of taking him out to the fresh air and sunshine.  Today when we arrived he was out of his crib in the hall...we never had seem him out of the crib in 5 days...maybe we are trend setters.  So off we go walking with his walker... when we approached the door he sat down NO going for Tito.  So I decided to follow his need .  We back tracked and went in the opposite direction.  Back and forth we went for a half an hour.  Until i need to go and recover the first surgeries.
Kathy Clinch is a pediatric anesthesiologist from Minneapolis, she is one kick in the pants.  Every night she finds someone to poke fun at.  She led the Zim & our staff thru the OR doing the Congo on Wed.  Yesterday she convived Travis one of the surgeons to lead the line doing the chicken dance thru the other surgeons room.  Today we did a line dance thru the ward for the kids and families.
Wed evening I thought she should get some of her own medicine.... so at dinner I slipped away with another team member...some one from Minneapolis.... we took a some of the yard art and plaed it in Kathy's bed.  Rumor has it that she only saw it when she got in bed.....needless to say I am dead meat because I got caught on video and my accomplice was a SNITCH.....the yard art is now traveling from room to room

My new friend Tinotenda

Tino as he is called has CP, he has some developmental delays, and he is non verbal.  He was abandoned at the hospital when he was 3, he is now 6.  He mostly spends 24/7 in a crib in a room by himself.  I inquired why is he alone in a room, the response was they don't want him to get sick.
I asked if I could take him out of the crib, and they said they would change his nappy (diaper) and he likes to push a chair.  I put the crib side down and before I knew it I had boy wrapped around my neck.  I sat down and Jessica the CNN journalist started snapping away.  Tino let out a primal scream.  I put him back on crib not knowing if he was happy or scared.  But in 2 seconds he was wrapped around my neck again. For 20 min we walked around the ward.  He was sporting a huge smile.  wait until you see his face, he has a huge dimple on his right cheek when he smiles.  Every few steps he would reach out for my hand.
They could not remember if or when he was out side.  Tomorrow Tino and I are hitting the fresh air and sunshine.

Water who needs water......me

Well would't you know today we have no water in the hospital.  It has been reaching 90 in the OR's.  By afternoon EVERY kid comes out with a fever.  So water can be kind of important, Especially if you are fortunate enough to have a mild case of travelers revenge!  Better life thru Cipro.

Blessing

2 stories...Blessing and the boy in a cage

Blessing.. his name..  When Blessing was 9 he picked up a land mind, thinking it was a walki talkie he put it to his face and it detonated and blew off the lower jaw and face.  He showed up a few years later at an Operation of Hope screening.  The surgery he needs can't be done here.  so funds are being raised to brig him to the USA for surgery.  In the mean time he is being put thru school to assist him in his dream of becoming a plastic surgeon.  He is 2nd in his class in chemistry...life can be such a powerful motivator.
Blessing spent the day with us, what an impressive young guy.  His mom has moved to South Africa with his sister.  Last he saw them was 2008.  He lost his cell phone so he can't even talk with family... so  an anonymous Donner might have to buy a cell phone.

Today I had some time before the next patient came out of surgery so I wandered about the hospital.  Walking thru I noticed there was a boy, oh maybe 5-6 in  a crib all alone in a room.  As I passed by he reached out so I stooped to hold his hand.  He then wrapped his hands around me and held on in a death grip.  I hugged him and proceeded to burst into tears....  I inquired into his story.  He has CP ( Cerabal Palsy.  He is in fact 6 and has been abandoned.  My heart breaks for this little boy.  I have decided that every day will include a visit to this boy.  I hope I can hold him out side his crib.  Every day I am here he gets a hug and a kiss.  My batteries died in my camera but I will get his photo soon.  Kathy our anesthesiologist wants to take him to the PACU to hang out with me all day.  Tomorrow's mission find out his name!!!
Some wear defects on the outside...some of us hide them on the inside.  Who is to say one is any better than the other?

Day 2....the boy who needed to pee & being a bully

Well our day begins with french press coffee to the veranda outside my room.  The British occupation left it's mark.  Oh yeah this is at 05:30,  We then have a lovely British breakfast...eggs sausage, bacon ;fried tomato...I have never eaten so many eggs... Today I had fresh fruit, yogurt & granola..much better.
We go by mini bus to the hospital by 0645,  Set up and start the day of surgery!
Lots of children with profound facial deformities.  Similar to Peru significant need and overwhelming gratitude.'
The forth case of the day was a six year old boy who had a cleft palate repair.  He wolk up nicly, then screamed for an hour and 20 minutes.  We gave pain meds ...NO change.. We tried to find family unavailable...We gave sedating medicine (versed) No change.  None of the Zimbabwe staff spoke his dilect... I had picked him up and was rocking him. f inally his unnncle came in and because he spoke multiple languages we were able to communicate.  My little guy needed to pee.  Poor guy.  After he was fine.  We also learned they had traveled 36 hours to come for the surgery, and we were the first WHITE folks he had ever seen.  I'm sure we made a lasting impression.
At 2 PM we needed to stop operating in one of the rooms.  One of the Zimbabwe surgeons does not like that we come and use his ORs.  He believes the Zimbabwe goverment pays us rich ammericans to come.  So he had a screaming match and we had to cancel a surgery today.  The politics in the USA hospitals pale in comparison.
So we left the Hospital at 9:00 PM ate at 10...it is now 11:30 and I need to repeat the drill in O Dark Hundred.  Sorry I can't tell more stories.

First Day of Surgeries

We slogged our way thru 6 cleft lip surgeries today.  Our first case start time was 9:30 vs 7:30.  All and all things went well.  The highlight was the last case.  A HUGE cleft lip deformity on a 12 yr old boy.  His mom came into recovery and just fell into m arms crying... we didn't want her to cry alone so we all joined in.  So this is why we come.

Big Cousin

Big cousin could not stop holding his little cousin

 

 

PACU

Sandy's PACU

Look Windows in the PACU

So much need and so little time

SOo this is why we come

Simon says GREEN LIGHT!!!!!!!!

We just got back from hospital, we are GO for surgery tommorow.  We did 2 days work today in 9 hours.  Will try to upload pictures and story after dinner @ 9 if i cn stay awake.

Name change

Today is a new day we hope to be given permission to proceed and do what we came to do take care of children with cleft lips and palates. 
In the meantime we have changed our name from Operation of Hope to HOPE to OPERATE!
If all goes well we will unload the 50 duffels into the OR theaters and begin screening on Monday and operate on Tuesday.

I was given the assignment to kiss all the babies I meet by Marla an anestesiologist who does kiss ALL the babies! 

Set up day....almost

We arrived at Harare Central Children's Hospital at 9 am to set up.  We were unable to enter the clinical area of the hospital for 4 hours.  Protocol is of utmost import here and something has gone wrong internally.  We are unsure if we will be granted permission to use the hospital and perform surgeries.
After 4 hours were allowed to move our supplies closed to the OR theaters.
There is a meeting Sunday AM at 8 wit the health minister, the administrator , the matron and the director of our program and the two surgeons.
We are hopeful that we will only lose a day and hit the road at full tilt on Tuesday.

Todo we are not in Kansas!!!!

Arrived safe sound

Arrived safe and sound.  Will blog when my brain arrives in Africa>