Mikwòb

This week was full of ups and downs – literal up and downs as we went up to the clinic Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and sentimental ups and downs as well.

On Monday, Gemy, Clif and I built a tipitap in front of the clinic for all to see and hopefully, to use. For those unfamiliar with Tippy Taps, they are a simple solution to hand washing in places without running water. They require 4 pieces of wood, a gallon jug, a bar of soap and some string. A little ingenuity and the ability to dig 2 holes and presto! Hands free hand washing!

Our Tipitap, it all its glory

The highlight of spending the day explaining the tipitap to patients and people passing by was a conversation with one petite, middle-aged woman. She approached the tipitap without hesitation and seemed receptive to my stump speech. Being slightly hyper by nature I spoke quickly and quite possibly incoherently. Explaining the benefits of hand washing to kill microbes and prevent diseases like cholera, I spouted off my somewhat rehearsed monologue. I asked if she understood everything I was saying and she responded “no.” This in and of itself thrilled me. People ALWAYS say yes, they understand what I’m saying. This is clearly untrue as half of the time I don’t even know what I’m saying. I asked her what she didn’t understand and she answered “what’s a mikwòb?” This was too good to be true! I was then able to explain to this woman in very simple terms the germ theory of disease, encourage her to create her own tipitap at home and to spread the knowledge to her family and friends. Public Health for the win!

The low of the week was on Tuesday when we said goodbye to Clifton, my new fast friend from New York. He returned home in time to beat the blizzard but he left behind a quiet house only his infectious laughter could fill. Thanks for letting me share your family time Clif! Tout moun isit ap sanje ou.

The rest of the week has been beautiful as always. I never cease to be amazed at the vistas here and at the incredible amount of work Dr. Wolf and Nurse Cherlie accomplish. The construction at the clinic site continues on at a steady pace and we are all eager to start seeing patients in the new buildings. A team from New Jersey is coming in tomorrow to help paint and build shelves and bring the Sant de Sante Gatineau (Center for Health in Gatineau) into its new home. I anticipate the upcoming week to be full of more ups and downs, and per usual, always more highs than lows.