There are several core values that ensure we all work towards to the same goal. These are to love God, to love and serve others, to be people of integrity, and to be people of excellence in all we do.
In trying to work to these core values the crew are usually at the least pleasant, the holding open of doors, passing another and saying ‘Good morning’ asking if someone is well and meaning it. From the work perspective it means giving our patients the best chance that we can by doing the most relevant surgery for them.
During the week I have been working with someone I first met up with in 2008 in Liberia. I have worked again with him in Benin in 2009 so to have the opportunity to work together again is great as it means I know how he works, what he likes and to my advantage, he knows how the department is run so I’m not constantly teaching. We have had fun together as we have worked on the best ways to anaesthetize some of our patients who have difficult airways and so cannot have a breathing tube put down in the most conventional manner. Always having a plan B in mind gives us constant challenges. Just how do you work it out when someone is unable to open their mouth because of noma, a disease that has the potential to destroy the lips and gums and causes tethering of the skin around the mouth. There are ways of doing these things but one does have to be creative at times!
The weekend has given me a little time to relax and as I only go shopping when I need to buy something I actually ventured out to the shopping areas yesterday with another couple of UK ladies. Sherrie-Jane lives in Somerset and is working in the ship shop/Starbucks/snack bar on the ship. She found out about a church that is training young women in tailoring. However they only had a couple of old machines. Having visited the pastor and his church, she decided she would ask her local Rotary club to help fund some new machines. This they have done and along with other monies that she has received since making the ships crew aware of the project 4 new treadle sewing machines and an overlocking machine were purchased and delivered to the church. They are now installed in the building they are using and are ready for use tomorrow morning. I along with a Scottish anaesthetist who is here at present and who was the other member of our shopping trip yesterday, purchased scissors for the training workshop. We bought 3 different sizes and presented them today.
Some of the girls with their tutor and one of the new machines in the picture. Travelling to the church this morning was an interesting exercise as taxis had been book but then the driver wanted to charge double the going rate so we decided that all 7 of us would travel on the poda poda which is basically a 14 seater vehicle. Thankfully we managed to find one quite quickly and we were all able to get on the same one. Much cheaper than the taxi too so the church offering benefitted!
This evening we were privileged to have a group of students from the Wells international music school come to the ship and take part in the community service. They are actually in Freetown for 10 days working with a couple of schools and joined us for the evening. Great music, very talented young people including a tall lad with a deep voice singing counter tenor...
The week ahead sees the last week of big surgeries as we begin to wind down. Time now to start packing up and as I shall be unpacking at the other end in Togo I need to make sure I pack it all so I can find it all when I unpack!
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