24 November 2018
Day 18, Saturday with Carol and Richard
We collected Carol and Richard from Ocean Bay at about 10am and set off for the SOS maternity unit in Bakoteh. It is in the same 'strip' as the SOS schools that we have visited so frequently, but I have never been there before... I have to confess that I had not even realised that it was there.
Carol had some baby hats and little jackets, knitted by herself and a friend, and I had the last of the baby blankets and some more hats from the Southwater ladies.
We were shown into the office of the medical director, who very kindly decided he would show us around the unit himself and would make sure we found some babies!!
It is a really well run unit, with a considerable amount of equipment (and the expertise to use it) even though it is quite small by Gambian standards.
We did indeed find some babies and also met the senior midwife, as well as being shown the pre-labour ward and several other areas.
The unit has fairly recently invested in a large van that they have turned into a mobile clinic for outreach purposes. They have periodic trips upcountry, going right up as far as Basse, covering both sides of the river. Quite an undertaking...
We left the remaining goodies with the midwife...after the director had counted everything for his records. He said he likes numbers and to get them correct is a must!!
Having spent quite a long time there, we went on down through Serrekunda, with a couple of short stops along the way, to Musa Corr's house. Musa was a mainstay of the dining areas of the Atlantic Hotel for many years and was much missed when he went, first to run the Atlantic restaurant at the airport and now into full retirement. It was wonderful to see him and his lovely family and we stayed to chat for some little while.
Although retired, he is not sitting doing nothing! He and his wife have started a second hand carpet business...and he has a plan to open a small street coffee and tea place there, maybe with some small cakes!! I said we would certainly come as customers if he did so...
Back to Ocean Bay to drop off Carol and Richard and then return to Sand Beach. Wandifa and I went through all the paperwork once again..really, not many gaps at all.
Family visiting again tomorrow, including a couple of our women's groups, as I have some items to give out to them...so the minivan is due to be arriving at 10am. Goodness, the time has gone so fast...
Carol had some baby hats and little jackets, knitted by herself and a friend, and I had the last of the baby blankets and some more hats from the Southwater ladies.
We were shown into the office of the medical director, who very kindly decided he would show us around the unit himself and would make sure we found some babies!!
It is a really well run unit, with a considerable amount of equipment (and the expertise to use it) even though it is quite small by Gambian standards.
We did indeed find some babies and also met the senior midwife, as well as being shown the pre-labour ward and several other areas.
The unit has fairly recently invested in a large van that they have turned into a mobile clinic for outreach purposes. They have periodic trips upcountry, going right up as far as Basse, covering both sides of the river. Quite an undertaking...
We left the remaining goodies with the midwife...after the director had counted everything for his records. He said he likes numbers and to get them correct is a must!!
Having spent quite a long time there, we went on down through Serrekunda, with a couple of short stops along the way, to Musa Corr's house. Musa was a mainstay of the dining areas of the Atlantic Hotel for many years and was much missed when he went, first to run the Atlantic restaurant at the airport and now into full retirement. It was wonderful to see him and his lovely family and we stayed to chat for some little while.
Although retired, he is not sitting doing nothing! He and his wife have started a second hand carpet business...and he has a plan to open a small street coffee and tea place there, maybe with some small cakes!! I said we would certainly come as customers if he did so...
Back to Ocean Bay to drop off Carol and Richard and then return to Sand Beach. Wandifa and I went through all the paperwork once again..really, not many gaps at all.
Family visiting again tomorrow, including a couple of our women's groups, as I have some items to give out to them...so the minivan is due to be arriving at 10am. Goodness, the time has gone so fast...
