Salut, ca va? ca va bien merci, ca va, ca va bien :)

Det er sådan, alle samtaler starter her i Senegal. Og når man bare går rundt på gaden, så får man godt nok sagt ca va mange gange.. men det er hyggeligt nok!

I den seneste uge har vi gået til franskkursus på de lokalegymnasier (For Kaths vedkommende hjemme hos lærerens forældre i et mørkt rum med neonlys) - og franskkursus har vi da godt nok brug for. J Det er bare noget sjovt, fransk vi lærer.

Vi har haft ret meget fritid, så derfor har vi lavet sjov og ballade i Senegals gader både om aftenen og dagen. Det er rigtigt sjovt at gå ud om aftenen, fordi det føles som om, man er i en hip hop film fra 90'erne. Alle står og danser for sig selv, mens de kigger i de store spejle, som er overalt på natklubberne, og mændene kaster rigtig mange håndtegn :)

Ellers har vi været kulturelle og set en fuglepark (Der er blevet taget en masse billeder til Line) og en lokal landsby. I fugleparken sejlede vi rundt i en båd, men båden gik i stykker, og der var leguaner, vildsvin og krokodiller omkring os. Totalt typisk Afrika! Men det var nu meget sjovt at se fugle og diverse dyr (Vi elsker alle dyr i hele verdenen... NOT). Kath synes, at vandplanterne var det flotteste.

Efterfølgende tog vi til en lille landsby. Det var rigtig spændende fordi, man kunne opleve, hvordan afrikanere virkelig bor, og vores guide fortalte om senegalesiske traditioner og familieforhold. Bagefter spillede han på trommer og sang sange, mens vi sad og drak senegalesisk the, og delte kop med alle på turen.. mmmh..

Derudover har vi været ved nogle "lækre" pools på hotellet... Og har fået farve, wuhu!

Og så skal vi snart ud og surfe med en af de andre unge hernede fra i de vilde bølger.

Håber i har det godt.

Toute a l'heure!

On Wednesday I went to Regina Pacis, the hospital. But not to work! After prayers and "la viste" (observing dotors doing the rounds of the rooms everymorning) I went on an outreach program to a local school to do check ups for the orphans of the attending the school. 

I went with

• Kwame,
• Some other project abroad staff,
• A nusre, an intern and a doctor - all from the hospital
• Another volunteer, from denmark (who is doing 4 months in Togo and previously worked at REgina Pacis and an Orpahnge and is currently doing outreach programs).

It was half organised by the other volunteer because she worked had worked at the loal orphanage and wanted to hva their health checked; so the program was only for the orphans who attended the school. In total theere are apparently 93 children at the orphanage but we checked about 65 childre. We set up several stations and the system went like this-

• First Kwame would write the children's name and age on a peice of paper and assign them a number.
• Then Maria, the other volunteer and myself would check their temperatures but not blood pressure because they were under 18. We wrote the temperature on their sheet. We only got through about three children at a time because we had four thermometers but one was borken. It was slow work because it took 4 to 5 minutes to get their temperature but it was fun chatting ot the kids; and they were all interested in us!
• From there we directed the children to one of the two doctors who checked them and prescribed some medcine if necesscary; it was generally nesscesary.
• The children then went top the nurse with their prescription and she gave the orphan carere the medication with instructions of how frequently to take them. Hopefully they will use them all at the right time but it will be a big job for the orpahn carer because by the end he had three big bags of medication. Regina Pacis, the hospital I am working at donated a lot of medicines! Easily 200 seperate medicines!

It was tiring in the hot sun but worth it! At the end teachers and parents were coming up waqnting a free consultation. We got served lunch brought over from Regina Pacis with was welcome after a long morning!

Unfortunately I missed out on watching a circumsicion at the hospital becaus I wasn't there yesterday but I am sure there will be plenty more!

Today, 13 Jan., is a public holiday but tomorrow, friday, I will be going on an outreach porgram to a small village. That Should be fun!

/Users/sisson/Pictures/iPhoto Library/Originals/2011/Togo, Africa January 2011/P1000204.JPG

We went to Togoville on the weekend with the one of the sons, Francis, and Regis. Togoville used to be the capital of Togo. It perhaps has better infrastruce in the streets than Lome but the houses are all like mud huts.

First, we also went to a school for blind children but unfotunately they were all on holiday. However mum bought five packs of 20 pieces of chalk that the blind children make themselves there. Mum will give them to her teaching collueges and Antionette (who is a principal and teacher at a primary school).

Then we saw the original memorial of independince: the current one is in Lome and quite a grand affair!

Afterwards we went to a cathedral that was really well maintained. This is probably because it (and Togoville) was visited by a pope because the virigin mary was said to have baan seen crying blood on Lake Togo (which the town is situated next to).

The people of the town are vodoo so there are many statues around called fetishes. One for the market, one for women, one for men, one for two ancient tree.   We got a tour from a local man; it cost 1000CFA. We probably would not have been able to find the fetishes let alone have known that they were fetishes.  We also went in a traditional boat which only took one man rowed us!

  Then we had lunch at the local hotel which was of reasonable standard (chicken and frites). It took about an 45 minutes to an hour to drive back to Lome. And then Regis had to go catch his plane back to France! All in all a good trip. I will upload photos when i find the cord.

please excuse spelling errors and the lack of puntcuation because I cant figure out the french keyboard.

Day 1