A Year Later, Success in Bumwalukani

A few weeks ago, I returned along with my friends Ben and Sarika to the rural community and clinic where I worked last summer. I'm proud to say that a year later the men's group that I helped initiate is still running strong. They have gone from just attending regular health education meetings and writing a constitution to a full fledged community health operation with an office and ongoing projects. Using a point-system provided by the Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children (FIMRC), the group has recently assessed the varying levels of sanitary conditions of most the homes in the five villages that make up Bumwalukani parish. The group is also working with another FIMRC intern this summer to design a renewable fund to help alleviate the problems it's documenting in the community. Ben also brought a computer for the group, which they've already begun lessons for how to use. I should also mention briefly that the start up money for this men's health group was half provided by the members themselves and half by the University of Minnesota FIMRC chapter. (In the picture above: the Arlington FIMRC Men's Health Group [I lobbied for a shorter name] President Robert and me outside the office)

Besides the amazing success of the men's group , FIMRC's clinic has also transformed substantially. Under the leadership of its new field operations manager, David, the clinic has gone from having a quasi-alphabetical patient record system made up of small notebooks to a digitalized version hosted on computers that also have access to wireless internet. I'm not joking, there is wireless internet, though extremely slow by our standards, in the middle of this rural community in the foothills of Mount Elgon. It's amazing to see. Besides the new order and technology, the clinic has also gone from only having a nursing assistant most days of the week to now having a full-time medical assistant. The clinic has also just begun constructing some additional space, which I believe will host a small lab and maternity facility.

(In this Picture: Milly [the clinic's cleaning lady amongst many other roles], me, Edwin [nursing assistant], and Ben standing at the entrance to FIMRC's clinic)