One door closes, and another opens....

It is in that light we have decided to withdraw completely from the Fulani Camp outreach. The reasons are many and complex, and we are sad to take such a decision, but we have explained it to the community leaders and they realise that they have moved forwards, they have changed their ideas and they have gained. We remain on positive terms with them, but from a distance.

As always in all parts of the world, there are many reasons, most of which mean nothing to those who are not in the thick of it all and trying to explain it all often only leads to greater misunderstanding!

We believe that the people of the community will take the contact that they have had and use it positively and powerfully as they move on to new pastures and new projects. We also look forward to channelling our energy and resources into some exciting new areas, knowing that we have made a difference and have opened eyes, ears and minds to learning and health.

Others wishing to pick up where we have left off will have a good foundation, and we wish such folks well. However, we know that we must channel our energies in more wide reaching ways and will be announcing some exciting new developments in the coming months.

UPDATE:

The lady with a broken leg is still refusing to go to the hospital.  Unable to stand on the leg, and still being adminstered to using 'local solutions', we are continuing to lobby the community to work together to get her to seek appropriate care.  The positive side is that many in the community believe that she should go to hospital - a massive change from a year ago.  Change is slow, and we hope that we will have positive news soon.

Fighting tradition and fear...

Audrey has finally been able to meet with the lady in the Fulani Camp with a broken leg. Her report was not terribly encouraging. This incident happened a few weeks ago now, and the lady has still not been to hospital. Interestingly, her own family wanted to take her, as have other members of the community. However, the lady is so, so scared of having her leg amputated that she refuses to leave her home.

She is laying on the floor with two wooden splints and a dirty cloth wrapped around her leg. There are a lot of 'herbs' on the leg. We are told that the 'healer' came with a razor blade and made a series of incisions to 'release the blood' and to 'enable the herbs to enter'. This is a common source of infection.

Audrey tried to see the leg better, but the lady wound not permit it. There is a limit to what we can do.

Audrey will visit again next week and try to get her to join her at the hospital, having 'encouraged' community members to work on the challenge.

Sadly, the stats are not good. 70% of all broken femurs in West Africa result in death. Many others result in amputations. Normally inappropriate, late or non- treatment is a major factor. We hope that this lady will not suffer from infections and secondary complications.

This really raises the need for better education at all levels in regards to general health and to build confidence in the 'hospital' as a place where you can get help.

Our challenges appear to get bigger every day.

Fulani education Center update

Submitted by Michaela Sholes

Attendance has been a bit lower in the Fulani camp since the rainy season has been in full swing (bringing with it sickness and discomfort due to the cold wet weather), but it is those who are dedicated and who continue coming week after week who encourage us. It is also little surprises like realizing the children in the camp were on holiday today as well, following the Ghanaian holiday yesterday (Republic day), so we got to see their cheerful little faces again.

Although the men's session was almost non-existent today as they were either sick, running errands, or simply absent, we were able to use that time to review with the children who had come to join in. Despite the challenges with an inconsistent taxi driver to take them to school, most of the children are still attending even though they now have to take a tro-tro into town. This isn't the ideal situation as the tro-tro doesn't take them directly to school, but rather drops them at an intersection about a half mile away...however, we are simply glad to see that they are finding ways around these challenges. We were so glad to have them come visit us this morning though and it really was a lot of fun to spend the time reviewing with them and singing the songs they'd learned from us before. Barikisu demonstrated for the other kids all the hand motions for the "Hand-Washing Song" while Mamuna was very proud of her rendition of "Head and Shoulders".

Unfortunately, we didn't get to spend very much time with the women as some heavy rain put a damper (quite literally) on our class. Amina had just finished sharing with the group her review of the talk we gave last week on burns and we were settling in to review our letters when we found ourselves in a heavy downpour with just enough wind to make it impossible to hear each other well...especially when there are babies and kids to add to the mix. (These women inspire me, by the way.. I had a hard enough time being able to pay attention in college when it was just managing myself and perhaps a noisy student sitting near me. These ladies are trying to concentrate and learn, even while having young children and infants coming up to them for this or that, needing to breastfeed, etc...) So, we decided to save our literacy section for next week and closed the class for the day so people could get back to their homes and avoid catching a cold.

We hope that the weather and other forces will work in our favor for nextweek's session!

Law of Averages

Submitted by Ben Sholes

So, roughly a month ago now we started encouraging the Fulani men to consider using a budget system.  It quickly had an initial impact of showing them how much they were actually spending on the items they decided to track.  However, the cool thing about budgeting is that it gets more effective over time (if you have the discipline and the right techniques).

As of the last Fulani session, we finally had enough spending data to start taking a look at trending analysis.  Across two spending categories, we were able to take weekly totals over a month and derive an average of what they "should" be spending on those categories (from a purely historical perspective).  Today, we got to see the results of using those "average" numbers, and they were surprising.  Not only had the men used their numbers to try to limit their spending, there were cases where they were purposely changing their habits to "beat" their average number. A good example of this is one of the men consolidated his normal twice a week trip to get food to a once a week trip thus cutting his food transport costs by half.. He said it required moving money around from other purchases, but he understood that ultimately he would be spending less money overall. Can you say, "I think he gets thepoint"?

It will take a lot more time, discipline, and experience to perfect juggling finances for these guys.  But, I'd say they're on the right track.  Great job, fellas.

Surprise!!!

Submitted by Michaela Sholes

You know those surprise moments that catch you off guard and you're so excited that you just want to hug the person, even though it would be completely inappropriate? That's how I feel about health education and the moments when you actually see it changing behaviors and having an impact. Ben and I stopped by the Fulani camp earlier today to catch up with Alai for a moment. We were sitting under the tree in their front yard talking when, mid-sentence, I noticed something... There was a fresh mosquito net hung over an area on the front porch of Alai's house!

I should explain why this makes me so happy: a few weeks ago, I wrote a blog about working with Alai and Amina in order to take some pictures for the malaria poster. During that photo session, we took pictures of the net Amina has hung over her bed which she shares with the children. We learned during this session that Alai actually sleeps outside on the front porch every night in order to keep an eye on the cows, and that, although he makes sure his family sleeps under a bednet, he himself did not! We took a picture that day as an example of a behavior that individuals should try to avoid in order to prevent malaria. This was particularly poignant because at the time, his daughter was battling a rather severe case of malaria and spent about a week going back and forth to the hospital to manage it. So, at some point between then and today, he has taken the initiative and has hung a net over his sleeping area of the house too!

SODIS .. it's working

Submitted by Michaele

An interesting discussion was held during the women's session at the Fulani Camp yesterday. We had finished the literacy session and were discussing some of the health education topics and demonstrations that have been held, when Audrey was curious about actual use of the information. She asked if any of the ladies had tried the SODIS method for water disinfection or could provide a little bit of feedback. At first we were a little disappointed as it seems that Amina and Alai's family are the only ones to have tried it thus far, but when Amina shared her experiences with SODIS and the difference it had made for her family, we couldn't help but be reminded that things are changed one life at a time. Amina explained that they like the taste of the SODIS water so much that they use it for cooking as well, and since they've been drinking it, their family has seen a marked decrease in tummy troubles like diarrhea! Some of the other ladies in class had been absent for the SODIS demonstration and followed the conversation by asking her to show them later how to do it for their families as well. We are so glad to be able to have provided an option that helps improve the quality of life for even just one family, but it is extra encouraging when you see how that one family begins to share their successes and inspire others!

A penny saved is a penny earned...

Submitted by Ben Sholes

Three weeks ago, we distributed a rough budget template sheet to the Fulani men in an effort to help them understand how they were spending their money. Despite the sheet only have two categories (transport and phone credit), the results were pretty clear: they learned that they didn't realize how much money was going toward those two items. Goal number one accomplished!!

Riding that wave of realization, we continued to talk about what that fact means. We discussed about how to look at trends in their week to week spending, how much the total cost of each item compares to their total revenue, and if the items that they are tracking are actually money makers for them. After sufficiently blowing their minds, the universal question that was asked was, "Are we spending too much money on these items?" And, like a smart group, they answered their own question: more categories needed to be tracked! Goal number two accomplished!!

Next week we'll continue with more about money management as well as get into wound management.

Amina and Alai, helping Mom make a difference

Submitted by Michaela Sholes
Readers who are regular followers of the MoM blog have no doubt heard me mention Alai and Amina on a few occasions. For those of you who are a bit new, Alai and his wife Amina are not only our main contacts in the Fulani camp, but are also a lovely family as well! They have three children, the most recent of which is baby Hamidu, who is the most adorable chunk you've ever seen! Alai keeps watch over some of the cattle in the community while Amina tries to bring in a little extra income by making and selling a local food called "Wagashi." They have been invaluable supporters of our work in their community and quite frankly, we wouldn't be able to do much at all without them! In the group sessions, they are always the first to enthusiastically join in whatever new topic we've introduced that day, even if it means being a little silly (like when we taught the community the Handwashing Song).

I wanted to write about them today because they are a huge part of what makes up the "faces" of MoM. Whenever we seek insights about the community or how to improve our efforts, they are always willing to talk candidly with us, especially if it involves a cup of tea!. They have supported our efforts to the best of their ability, working with us to find sustainable ways to manage getting the community children to school and being willing to at least try our taught health education activities. They have also been very kind in helping us with developing our ETCHE posters! This week, both Alai and Amina were a part of our Malaria health education poster, and modeled behaviors like sleeping under bednets, wearing appropriate clothing (closed shoes with long sleeves/pants or long skirt/cloth) in the evening to avoid being bitten.

Many thanks Alai, to you and your family! Your willingness, cheerful spirits, and support help encourage us to continue doing what we do!

AvTech, teaching what they've learned

Today was a lesson in flexibility for all of us involved in the Fulani Educational Center. We had some trouble getting into the camp because of the thick mud caused by last night’s heavy rain. After moving some folks around into the back for extra weight, we were able to manoeuvre our way to the camp. When we got there, folks were a bit slow to show up, and when a disagreement broke out a few houses down the road, one by one our pupils began to leave to go observe/assist in the disagreement. Finally, when it was all settled, we were able to start our classes – over an hour late. We made the best of it by having shortened sessions for everyone and by doing a shared demonstration of the SODIS method of cleaning water – courtesy of the AvTech girls. All kinds of illnesses can be transmitted through water, and we’re trying to educate the Fulani in ways that they prevent them. The community was definitely interested in this new information, and we hope that it will be an effective way for the people in camp to get clean water.

There wasn’t time to have an academic session, but a great many of the women brought their pencils and books back, which was a great encouragement! I happened to see one flipped open and line after line of A’s and B’s popped out at me…I was so happy that they’d actually practiced the letters that we’d learned. I hope that next week there will be more time and that we’ll get to review and move on to some new letters! This basic literacy is so important because since organizations like MoM send information out in English, and since things like pill prescriptions and bottles will be printed in English, the Fulani people will need a basic understanding of the language to be able to better care for their families and themselves. It is a work in progress, but is certainly a worthwhile effort on everyone’s part.

'A' says Ah.....

Submitted by Rochelle Milam

So today was exciting for several reasons! For one, today was Fulani camp day, which is something I look forward to doing every week that I’m here. Today Ben talked more with the men about their  our hope is that with a better grasp of their spending and earning “habits”, they will be able to plan for the future and better their lives. The women’s group was a bit smaller than last week, but as we worked through writing and sounding out the first few letters of the alphabet - keep in mind that the majority have never been to school it was exciting to watch them labor over each letter. We taught them a short song to help with sounding out the letters that I hope will be very helpful in the long run. It goes to the tune of “Farmer in the Dell” and goes “The A says ‘Ah’, the A says ‘Ah’. Every letter makes a sound, and A says ‘Ah’!” They laughed at it, and stumbled over some of the words, but when we asked them later what the letter A ‘says’, and a good deal of them remembered! I’m so very excited for next week.

Feeding the hunger for education

Submitted by Rachelle Milam
From 5-1-12

Today was my first day working at the Fulani camp, and as I looked out at the faces of those gathered to learn, I was reminded why I'm studying to be a teacher. These people took time out of their day to sit on a bench under a little (for lack of better word) shack because they want to learn and they think it's important. What more encouragement does a teacher need? When I went in today, I only really planned to do a kind of assessment, to see what they remembered and where would be a good place to start. I learned that most of the women, many of whom have spent little to no time in school, could write or at least recite the alphabet and some numbers. It reminded me that there is a stark difference between ignorance and simply being uneducated. These women are so bright - when we did our short health education bit, they were quick and thoughtful with their suggestions on how often and in what situations one should wash their hands so as to avoid the germs that bring so much illness into this region. I look forward to working with these amazing women more.

The children - well, first let me say that there is a reason I chose to be an elementary education major, and these children were such an encouragement to me. I wasn't sure what to expect because many of them are young and haven't had much, if any, formal schooling. However, when asked, they stood there and sang every song and recited every rhyme that they knew. There was much more than I expected. It made me grin to watch a little boy fold his hands behind his back as he sang "Row, Row, Row Your Boat", clearly proud of himself for remembering each word. The kids are all so smart, and I'm so excited about what other songs I can teach them to help them learn. We tried a song about the days of the week using "The Addams Family" tune, and they loved the snapping fingers part, but couldn't quite get the rhythm down. No worries, though! There's always next week!

Today's experience really opened my eyes in a few ways. I think we in the Western world often make unconscious assumptions about people in countries like Ghana without even really realizing that we do. I'm guilty of it as well, even after living here for part of my life. I was genuinely surprised when I saw all that the women and children had picked up in a short time, and I think it's because often times we assume that if you don't have a formal education, you must not know much of anything. It's a horrible thing to think, but in a culture that says you don't have much of a chance of doing anything important in life without a degree or two, education ends up being very important to our views on what we know. To be confronted with the fact that these people who've lived in the bush their entire lives could be so incredibly smart...well, it humbled me. I had to very quickly adapt my way of thinking. I hope I have more moments like this. It's always amazing to me what you can learn if you're just willing to open your eyes and see people for all they are, instead of simply what you perceive them to be.

Education is a prized gift

Submitted by Rachelle Milam

Tuesday was technically the start of the new school term here in Ghana, and though some children may not have looked forward to it, there were 5 new children from the Fulani camp registering for this term. Added to the ones who were registered last term, there are now 11 kids from the camp attending school - a huge testament to how views in the camp have changed. It was not so very long ago when there were no Fulani kids in school because of lack of money, lack of transportation (The school is quite a ways from the camp and way too far for kids to walk), and lack of support. Because many of the adults in the camp (especially the women) are uneducated, the people did not see the need to send their children to school. Then, for a long time, only one boy from the camp was attending and that was because he was able to get a bike that he could ride to and from school every day. On Tuesday we were happy to watch his brother enroll into school.

It may seem like a small thing, these 11 kids finally being in school, but not when you look at the long term effects. Because this generation has the chance at a formal education, it is very possible that they will be able to change their communities for the better as they grow. I watched one little girl sit very carefully in her brand new uniform, and I wondered when the last time I'd really been thankful for my schooling was. It's hard to be thankful for something you take for granted.

 I want to congratulate those who have worked so hard to see this become a reality. Who knows how many lives have been changed because someone decided to care enough to visit the Fulani community and encourage them to send their kids to school? I can't wait to see the effects in the community, and I can't wait to continue working with a group so eager to better themselves.

Back home again

Submitted by Rachelle Milam

When I stepped off of the plane in Accra, several things hit me at once. First, it was hot! Second, the smells of the city of the city were so familiar that for a brief moment, I couldn't take a breath. Third, and possibly the most surreal thought, I was finally in Ghana again! I grew up here in the Brong Ahafo region, about 10 hours by car (or 2 hours by plane) north of Kpong, and though I have 13 years of experience in this country, there's something very unreal about being back again. This time I'm not here because my mother and father have work to do...this time I'm here to work.

Today was my first full day on the field, and it certainly wasn't boring! The day started earlier than my jet-lagged body would have liked, but once I was out of bed, it didn't feel like the day really ended until after dark. I sat in on my first "team meeting", and Ben gave me a tour of the workings of the field. I got to see the planes and where I'll be working with the AvTech girls (who, for the moment, remain somewhat cautious of me). Then, I got a real welcome to the field by helping to push a truck out of the mud. I've never been so pleased to have dirty shoes! The rest of the day was spent helping Ben and Michaela prepare for tomorrow's drop by typing up lists, editing, and printing other materials. I had never really grasped how much work goes into preparing for one of the ETCHE drops, but I'm so glad I got to be a part of it!

Next week is when the real fun begins. On Tuesday, I go to my first meeting with the Fulani, and I have to admit a certain amount of nervousness. As any person, I'm apprehensive of what I do not know, and right now, I simply do not know what will happen. I'm excited, I'm thrilled for this opportunity, and I cannot wait to see how this experience helps me grow, but I really can't wait for that initial meeting to already be over and done with!

Besides my work with the AvTech girls and the people in the Fulani camp, I'm going to be wearing a lot of different hats (everybody at this field is)! I look forward to more African food, my first time in a small plane, and all the things I'm sure I'm going to learn in the next four months!

Until next time!

It's a Sister act for MoM

Each and every volunteer who comes to MoM brings with them unique talents or perspectives that help us grow in different ways and we appreciate them all. We picked up a new volunteer last night who is special to me for much more personal reasons. I am proud to let you know that my sister Rachelle arrived safely and will be spending the next four months working with MoM to support our efforts in a number of areas. Born in Accra, Rachelle spent much of her childhood here in Ghana, first in the Upper West Region and then in the Brong Ahafo Region until 2005 when my family relocated permanently back to the US. Although her primary focus during her stay will be one-on-one support to the AvTech girls in their grammar and math development, Rachelle is also looking forward to using her background in education to help reorganize sessions in the Fulani camp! 

Working to resume classes in the Fulani school

Submitted my Michaela Sholes


Audrey and I had a lovely time at the Fulani camp this morning, where we met with the community for a much more informal session than we've had as of late. Many sessions recently have targeted a specific group in order to gather their feedback as we determined the best way to move forward with the education classes, but today was open to anyone and we had a great group show up!

We began the session with our announcement to them that we would be resuming classes in the community the first week of May, so it will coincide nicely with the start of the new term with public school as well. By that point, my sister Rachelle will also have arrived and will be focused on getting the sessions started again as she spends the next four months with us! The community got a big kick out of the fact that she and I have both lived here as long as we have and our Twi is still "kakra kakra" (small small). It gave me an added incentive for me to improve my language skills!

Following our announcement about the classes starting again, Audrey and I did a short health education session on washing hands. I gave them a brief talk about the role proper hand washing can play in preventing disease in the camp and pulled from my days as a Preschool teacher with a song many of my former students are familiar. Sung to the tune of "Frere Jaques", we modeled washing the top and bottom of the hands as well as in between the fingers. Francis Norman, who had joined us for our session, played his violin with our song as we called on various people, both young and old, to model the song for the group. It was great fun for all and we shared lots of laughter!

The group also enjoyed a short talk and hands-on demonstration from Francis regarding his violin and the different sounds it makes. He took many volunteers to touch the violin and to try to play the instrument and it was cheering to see their faces light up as they realized they were helping to make that lovely noi...I mean, sound! Francis and his friend from Germany also brought with them some balloons which made for lots of cheer, despite one or two unfortunate little balloons that got too close to the spiky grass!

We will continue to be in touch with the community as we determine what days of the week work best for the different sessions, as we will now be holding the women's group separate from the children's group, in addition to starting the men's group with Ben.

There's no such thing as a simple wound

Submitted by Michaela Sholes

Last week, while we were having a follow-up meeting at the Fulani camp, we met Osmanu, the young son of one of the ladies who has been attending the education classes. We could hear the poor little fellow crying from a ways off, as he made his way over to where we were gathered. His little foot was caked in fresh blood and we learned from his mother that he had had a boil on the side of his pinkie toe. Apparently, the boil had just been pricked by something sharp on the ground, causing it to burst...and resulting in the mess and his tears. Before leaving that day, we cleaned his foot and advised them to take him to the clinic in order to get it dressed properly. I confess, I was more than a little worried about having another Asamau-type of experience with this little boy.

Today, after our meeting at the school, we stopped by the camp in order to follow up with the little boy and see how his foot was faring. Although his wound is definitely still healing and looks painful, Alai has confirmed that Osmanu was taken to the clinic and that they have been cleaning his foot and putting GV on the wound (GV, although technically ill-advised as long term use can cause blood poisoning, is commonly used here in Ghana to dry up wounds and is still a far better solution than cow dung!). He is walking though, albeit tenderly, and we were glad to see that he was wearing shoes as opposed to the bare feet from the week before. We will continue to monitor his wound and check in on the little fellow as he is one of the 4 new students to be starting school in May!

Fulani school registration

Submitted by Michaela Sholes

Time is a funny thing out here...  I find that no matter how long I live here, this particular concept is one that I must constantly remind myself of (especially when I am tempted to get panicky over it).  Those who haven't been here might think it funny that each appointment made must have the specification as to whether it will be "Ghana time" or "clock time", but in fact it is essential to distinguish in order to avoid losing half your day and potentially much of your sanity. 

Audrey and I met at the Fulani camp early in the morning to accompany some of the parents to Iliasu's school in order to help them register 4 additional children for the upcoming school term.  We arrived a little early to pick them up as we had set up a 7:30am appointment with the school, only  to discover that everyone was still off bathing and getting ready.  Finally setting off around 9:30 with the parents and children in tow, we arrived at the school with our prepared apologies...only to find that the administration weren't bothered about it in the least (apparently the only ones not working on Ghana time are Audrey and I!).

The meeting with the headmistress didn't go quite as we had planned, although that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.  She and the administration coordinator (Madame Felicia) explained that registration typically occurs at the beginning of a term or at a time when the child is ready to go right into classes.  Since their school is currently writing their end of term exams, she advised that we return at the start of the next term (May 2) to officially register the kids.  That is really just a formality though, as they have already taken down the information from each of the children and have verbally accepted them into the school.  Understandably, the headmistress expressed some concerns regarding the likelihood of the children's future attendance, referring to the children from the camp who had been registered before and stopped coming to school.  Audrey explained to her the challenges identified by the Fulanis concerning transportation and the costs of uniforms and assured her that the parents have addressed each challenge and are working towards sustainable solutions.

The headmistress and her administration were very encouraging as they spoke with the parents about ways to plan for the next term and took the time to lay out what needed to be done between now and May 2. It has actually worked out well for there to be a few weeks before the new term as it gives the parents additional time to save up for uniforms, book fees, and other school related costs. We will continue to work with the families to address challenges as they occur and encourage them to explore feasible options.

Update on Fulani Camp

Submitted by Audrey Binney

As planned, Michaela and I set off early to the Fulani camp to meet the women who were going to accompany us to the school (Natriku R C School) which was supposedly of closer proximity to their camp than the one we have been focussing on (where Elias attends, Holy Family RC school). It became very clear after 15 minutes of driving that there was no way any child could walk to that school. Nonetheless we carried on and went ahead to meet the Head as planned to explore the structure, facilities and costs involved. We visited their facilities including all the classrooms with a very warm reception from each. We were satisfied with what we saw and concluded it was no different to Holy Family RC school. Of course the issue which brought us here in the first place was they would rather have their children in a school within walking distance.

We came back to the camp and held a follow up meeting with the men and women.

The mothers agreed this school did not fit that criteria and jointly with the men decided they would rather send their children to Holy Family RC.  They have come to the decision they will fund the transportation to send the kids to school and have made an arrangement with a local driver who they trust. This is a good result if they stick to it! They have agreed to send back to school the 8 children who registered and stopped attending last year. They have 5 weeks to sew the uniforms for the children which became a stumbling block last year and contributed to them dropping out.  2 or possibly 3 new children will register next week. Michaela and I then went to the school to let the headmistress know our intentions, that the 8 will be returning and a further 3 registering next week. She assured us the uniform situation will not be an issue if they begin without it. We took the opportunity to check up on Elias. The teachers are very happy with his progress and they tell us he is now Class prefect! We are so proud of him and his achievements….he is certainly a good example for the other children to follow.  We are still working hard to get his brother to start attending next term.

So next week Michaela and I will be meeting the parents of the children who will be registering, at the school where we will assist with their registration.

The key challenge here is whether they will spend/can afford  to sew the uniforms, pay the registration fee (for the new ones) and afford the cost of their books and daily lunch allowance. We’ll keep monitoring their progress.

Fulani camp update

Submittted by Michaela Sholes

Audrey and I had our second session in the Fulani camp, this time to speak with the women. We had a great turn-out to the meeting with 11 women, many of whom had been attending the educational facility and so had personal experiences upon which to provide feedback! We discussed a variety of topics with them and received some interesting thoughts. When Audrey asked the women what their understanding of Medicine on the Move does as an organization, none of them had much of a clear idea, which enabled us the opportunity to emphasize our vision of support through encouragement and training, rather than through physical resources. They seemed very open to this concept and agreed that it should be that way. In addition, it was encouraging to hear the women express that they have seen visible improvements in their families’ health after applying information they’ve learned from our sessions regarding washing hands, basic wound management, etc… One of the interesting things that we learned from the ladies group is that Mondays (which have typically been our “Fulani Camp Day”) are actually the least convenient for them to attend meetings. Based on the same information coming from the men’s side as well, Audrey and I have decided that our meeting day will have to change to either Tuesdays or Thursdays. We will assess which will work best for MoM and do our best to meet their needs. Finally, our discussion led to the issue of the school-aged children attending school and the logistics involved. The ladies have suggested a school that is closer in distance to the camp and wouldn’t require the children to walk along the busy Akuse road. Audrey and I, as follow up with the ladies, have arranged to meet them at this school on Tuesday to meet with the administrators and assess whether or not it is a viable option.