Report from Joe Gammon:
Successful meetings with Dr. Bekui, District Health Director, Badu Kwaku, District Health Liaison. Great appreciation for the work Bright Water is doing. The District’s internal health screenings indicate dramatic reduction in water borne illnesses in the BWF project areas. Interested in ways Health Service nurses could help expand safe water education using the Bright Water method.
If feasible Dr. Bekui would love to do a pilot program to train Health Service nurses in the BWF methodology and teaching materials, with an end goal of implementing throughout the district. That would be quite a force multiplier to consider. Hydrachem will support printing materials.
Dr. Bekui feels a real partnership and appreciation for BWF and the huge health impact made already. That feeling of partnership was deepened by Steven Aboagye’s offer to donate badly needed medical supplies to the district, and Hydrachem’s role in providing tablets and supporting his request to potentially cover the cost of educational materials.
By tender mercy and for a better purpose, the frustrating 24-hour delay of Stephen Aboagye’s luggage resulting in his still having 20 Mother New Born Kits (MNK) donated by Relief Society sisters planned for delivery to another AED client on the day we arrived in Accra. He felt inspired to offer these to Dr. Bekui and then assembled a group of pregnant ladies who are part of their maternal care unit to present these to. He explains the role of BWF bringing safe water to the district, the importance of safe water treated by chlorine tablets in the health of children, and the new MNKs before introducing Dennis and Stephen.
Stephen Aboagye demonstrated the contents of the newborn kits as the mothers-to-be looked on with great interest, even clapping, oohing and ahhing for some of the nice contents. He lost them for a few minutes when one mother went into labor and became the first to use the newborn kit.
At the end of this fairly long and originally unplanned visit, one day after our previous day’s visit, Dr. Bekui and his whole staff were quite animated and excited- not only about this wonderful event, but for the coordinated efforts and resources we all bring together with a desire and commitment to help improve health in his district.