tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587477192273784502024-03-05T12:18:49.031+01:00Chad ChatterMonthly news from Mark and Andrea working at L'hopital Regional de Bardai, Tibesti, Chad.Mark and Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809839853421432386noreply@blogger.comBlogger97125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2058747719227378450.post-53146536335964794982022-02-08T04:34:00.009+01:002022-02-08T17:15:33.131+01:00Towards a greener Sahara: Part 4 <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDtsjEBNBWcMuAH3Fgs3vHVQLqnzq9E87FzAEW-ZzbpW2Lfkn2m6BaDaNSqEpW9E-OJmlCDCygPZXXsJ5mM59BmPrrEDHaNG8GaF0rky-eWxM41ezoXj4c8zIwZceROGuY5GjLzHmcgxdbm0Lb4tHyPT6k0lEIU88DrET4YqzKgDo1wpPzZueZYs8/s1660/pic 1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="1660" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDtsjEBNBWcMuAH3Fgs3vHVQLqnzq9E87FzAEW-ZzbpW2Lfkn2m6BaDaNSqEpW9E-OJmlCDCygPZXXsJ5mM59BmPrrEDHaNG8GaF0rky-eWxM41ezoXj4c8zIwZceROGuY5GjLzHmcgxdbm0Lb4tHyPT6k0lEIU88DrET4YqzKgDo1wpPzZueZYs8/w640-h141/pic 1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The Saharan summer is about as hot as anywhere on earth, at that time of year we live most of our life out of doors or in simple rooms made of mats that afford shade, and we sleep on mattresses in the open air of our yard. But what happens in the winter when the inclination of the earth means that the northern hemisphere receives less of the sun’s rays. As in the UK the days become shorter and the nights longer, but being further south the change is only about 45 minutes across the year. However, the temperature change is much more significant, instead of mid-day 40C in the shade the temperature struggles to reach 20C and at night the warmth of the day is quickly dissipated and we regularly record lows just before sunrise of 3C. A couple of weeks actually got to zero with a sheet of ice in a bucket. <p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijw83b4NU_fh7quq__7r-MVow64ksginTiaHPOOwnm7oGuLQkBY7pa9R1fmGDKuqXF0nwyC4XRTbZB-Kzig93LGgmqjO9nLNkIIOuB5r1SYGq7u59d5wTO8Pcj7q1q8SvEFfUbq9WBWNnf5YBXehGX6gmDNvHhMzlBR_RPa8XEvu1eIbYGIf1jitY/s484/pic 2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="363" data-original-width="484" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijw83b4NU_fh7quq__7r-MVow64ksginTiaHPOOwnm7oGuLQkBY7pa9R1fmGDKuqXF0nwyC4XRTbZB-Kzig93LGgmqjO9nLNkIIOuB5r1SYGq7u59d5wTO8Pcj7q1q8SvEFfUbq9WBWNnf5YBXehGX6gmDNvHhMzlBR_RPa8XEvu1eIbYGIf1jitY/w320-h240/pic 2.jpg" width="320" /></a> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><p></p><p>Thankfully we do have one more substantial room that has thick stone walls and a flat mud roof supported by wooden beams and an array of palm branches, but how do we keep it warm? The traditional human response over many millennia has been to wrap up warm and burn a lump of carbon rich wood. Then with the industrial revolution came fossil fuels, and later oil and gas followed finally by the 'carbon free' revolution of nuclear fission. All of these come with an environmental cost.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3gf6ogtLhMtHQn4nMhvHqbcyAo29SGnmXRgeJRQGuJ5ki-aIBQUzkW8E6K2C5iz-iI7oYAnQs6imKmdK-TWFS1_NTdrq3YqL3tbM0SYO4hDF1-aQmN4QnhI2j0II-yyrJPxWad5evJ9OXg3ZirSWoXjYZGlNp77n3t-hrYIzUUhLz94yzc1h_7FM/s440/pic 3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="330" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3gf6ogtLhMtHQn4nMhvHqbcyAo29SGnmXRgeJRQGuJ5ki-aIBQUzkW8E6K2C5iz-iI7oYAnQs6imKmdK-TWFS1_NTdrq3YqL3tbM0SYO4hDF1-aQmN4QnhI2j0II-yyrJPxWad5evJ9OXg3ZirSWoXjYZGlNp77n3t-hrYIzUUhLz94yzc1h_7FM/s320/pic 3.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>There is a small firepit outside in the yard, we have used it twice so far this winter, but we can’t safely have a fire in our room as carbon monoxide would be a serious risk; there are no windows and naturally we keep the one door shut. Amazingly enough the room is always warm and we sit in it on an evening with a temperature of 19C as the temperature plummets outside. The thick walls and roof absorb the heat of the day, often being one or two degrees warmer than the air outside at midday. Even on the day when at dawn the temperature was 0C it was 16C inside. A simple cost-effective solution carbon free solution to heating. This room is great for evenings, but we are not true troglodytes, and so we don’t sleep indoors.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBWc4Q3hOW1abiPR3N_svUcZlnhYL-3MINSdeWjDZV0XmOVRa5nv4mGdb9OxvtdJcqqUUpEehcoFz-KFPskEcJ4VpHVOVvvZ_G1lVO2s3bjMapP-VnfTYFmaCUAlzR4Dkz775NU0zlRHQE73XrZ_Tou06mN5S6v4ktFcwRdUIs4tTbPWH6QLN8Zo8/s1378/pic 4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="549" data-original-width="1378" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBWc4Q3hOW1abiPR3N_svUcZlnhYL-3MINSdeWjDZV0XmOVRa5nv4mGdb9OxvtdJcqqUUpEehcoFz-KFPskEcJ4VpHVOVvvZ_G1lVO2s3bjMapP-VnfTYFmaCUAlzR4Dkz775NU0zlRHQE73XrZ_Tou06mN5S6v4ktFcwRdUIs4tTbPWH6QLN8Zo8/w640-h255/pic 4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>We prefer to sleep our mat covered bedroom, it is well ventilated and the kitchen and stone room along the walls of the yard against which it is built shield us from the intermittent cool breeze. We sleep on the floor but the foam mattress insulates us from the cold ground and we have an all-weather sleeping bag with a liner from the UK all of which is covered by a heavy blanket from the local market. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHi90pwfjbrg96_d5yR3tYcQQ0k4ECu6Q54D2Wvd7bwYhNmYlUPmgP1jsQP2qSQI1bdwCKt4XviFsX4ugSZKNzpqycvI7r8CEeGUA0hi-XbqCjHfiqpSIl5IqsWYsJjyaL3YA8r__ZSaS1U83mcCmDOTLT2izMf8xXWeCKCgny8hWYS3IR-k-GFSg/s585/pic 5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="585" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHi90pwfjbrg96_d5yR3tYcQQ0k4ECu6Q54D2Wvd7bwYhNmYlUPmgP1jsQP2qSQI1bdwCKt4XviFsX4ugSZKNzpqycvI7r8CEeGUA0hi-XbqCjHfiqpSIl5IqsWYsJjyaL3YA8r__ZSaS1U83mcCmDOTLT2izMf8xXWeCKCgny8hWYS3IR-k-GFSg/w400-h300/pic 5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>We are first awoken just before dawn by the call from the mosque and then as the sun’s rays filter through the matting we know it’s time to get up, to a rather chilly bedroom, put on a thick jumper , and do some exercises . Then whilst one of us prepares a breakfast of semolina to be taken in our nice warm retreat ,the other has the hand chilling job of washing up the pots from the night before. Back in our stone room for breakfast we soon warm up </p><p>As for our other energy needs, all of our electricity for lights, computers, telephones, small fridge, charging batteries etc comes from solar panels on the kitchen roof and sun is in plentiful supply all year round. Our cooking is done using a solar oven and on one kerosene burner, 1.5l of fuel a week and we walk the 5 minutes to work into town for shopping and don’t use a car from one month to the next.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlJ_dpVTvnfcdKVKd9yPFFD_HgpdInAPaiM6Xul8cxJz95BnhgNRrxH3_G7l_VuElp2yH_Wb6jxMRDEy90S1pOuSqILdmKRllCbmI15yUgP2xU71KUwqkLN57PH1gvlveO17E_O3l7kt_1QMAUU1Qo8-oJpq0zatmrfW0PRK7fsCHoSu2tMhukzjI/s306/pic 6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="306" data-original-width="230" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlJ_dpVTvnfcdKVKd9yPFFD_HgpdInAPaiM6Xul8cxJz95BnhgNRrxH3_G7l_VuElp2yH_Wb6jxMRDEy90S1pOuSqILdmKRllCbmI15yUgP2xU71KUwqkLN57PH1gvlveO17E_O3l7kt_1QMAUU1Qo8-oJpq0zatmrfW0PRK7fsCHoSu2tMhukzjI/s1600/pic%206.jpg" width="230" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR8z3Hr79e-LKyFWcC7Ffh6epNSVlXp5_bVE8UbdQMOO6_ddi5Kh2t-3ew9J3WHbCt8_NzZznOYu8pfZ_G3T9hxc6AUGdI4BH64eADCoWEnTxyOTGfC9TqBt_QxKUrdAkdFyv_t3-AXoOM45YnFfE7ccBk4CRuJibBhQv4f2EsUF_WCH0nN7gQf7E/s501/pic 7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="329" data-original-width="501" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR8z3Hr79e-LKyFWcC7Ffh6epNSVlXp5_bVE8UbdQMOO6_ddi5Kh2t-3ew9J3WHbCt8_NzZznOYu8pfZ_G3T9hxc6AUGdI4BH64eADCoWEnTxyOTGfC9TqBt_QxKUrdAkdFyv_t3-AXoOM45YnFfE7ccBk4CRuJibBhQv4f2EsUF_WCH0nN7gQf7E/w320-h210/pic 7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Due to circumstances we have become inadvertent eco warriors, at least on a daily basis. However, there are one or two issues, unfortunately the Cessna Caravan which MAF use to fly us 1700 km to Bardai does burn aviation fuel, for the moment there is no choice, but a prototype battery powered Caravan flown last year has a range of around 200km, so there is some hope for the future. Then on our annual flight back to the UK we are responsible for plenty of CO2 emissions, but at least that is offset by BMS with environmental projects such as the solar panels for Bardai hospital still trying to do our bit for a greener Sahara.</p><p>Writing this we do not want to be out of touch with reality of life in the UK or Chad, saying “keep warm and well fed” and overlooking other people’s physical needs. (James 2:14). We know that we are amongst the fortunate in our housing and equipment, well adapted to living in specific ecological niche climate, a very small town with a warm mid-day sun, no serious wind and very dry. It would be quite different sleeping outside in the wet and windy Britain, or for that matter living in a cold and damp house trying to decide whether to eat or feed the meter. Our faith should compel us to action to alleviate this poverty that is sadly all too common.</p><p>For those of us with comfortable warm homes, our experience does show the importance of very good insulation, turning down the thermostat a degree or two, appropriate clothing and thick bedding in reducing both heating bills and helping the planet by reducing carbon emissions. Oh, and we forgot to say, slippers on an evening and bed socks, both of which we associated with the older generations are also very useful, even for fashion conscious youngsters like us.</p><p><br /></p></div>Mark and Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809839853421432386noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2058747719227378450.post-22134938520022913382021-10-07T21:04:00.008+01:002021-10-07T21:25:55.340+01:00Spot the Vaccine<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4w5V2rVKDxyWkXKOZz6jrHvaTNGF4-V1Zi0ZkPefepXTta4vpmwc0nKFc-x42Qdu7LSxjSYVADZcLWbi5B2cHTPBNsnx_cxGh-HmuSYDCEI2VMKm7cXM2Khww45JOrt1qEX8nIOzv63M/s940/1.+7+10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: white;"><img border="0" data-original-height="706" data-original-width="940" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4w5V2rVKDxyWkXKOZz6jrHvaTNGF4-V1Zi0ZkPefepXTta4vpmwc0nKFc-x42Qdu7LSxjSYVADZcLWbi5B2cHTPBNsnx_cxGh-HmuSYDCEI2VMKm7cXM2Khww45JOrt1qEX8nIOzv63M/w522-h392/1.+7+10.jpg" width="522" /></span></a></div><p><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In order to try to encourage a higher number of page views for this blog we have decided that</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> it is time to have a competition with an eye watering prize, an all-expenses paid* trip to a remote desert hospital where you can experience at first hand both the satisfaction and the challenges of providing health care in an austere environment. To enter is simple, all you have to do is look at the picture above which shows some of the donations of useful equipment and supplies received by the hospital for the Covid pandemic and put an X in the place where you think the Covid-19 vaccine is hidden. The lucky winner is the person whose X is closest to the actual position of the vaccines.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span><i><span style="color: white; font-family: courier;">*the trip includes full board and lodgings in Bardai for a 7 day visit and the necessary invitation letters but excludes the cost of a visa, international and internal charter flights to and from Bardai. It is also necessary to be in possession of a yellow fever vaccination certificate, a negative Covid PCR. and, recently added by the Ministry of Health, proof of Covid-19 vaccination. Always read the small print. Who ever said competitions were fair.</span></i></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: white;"><span>----------------- -------------------- ----------------- </span> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;">Bardai is a remote small town situated at 1043m (3400ft) above sea level, high up in a</span><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;"> remote oasis in the Tibesti mountains of northern Chad. It has many thousands of date palms which fill the wadi (dry river bed) due to underground water at just 3-7m below the sandy surface. Although little rain falls on Bardai itself, the wadi floods once or twice a year filled by rainfall on the thousands of square km of bare rocks in the surrounding mountains including Emi Koussi the highest point in the Sahara at around 3000m (10,000 ft). Access to the town is difficult, in all directions you have to cross the inhospitable Sahara Desert; a day’s travel to the North and you arrive in the desert towns of southern Libya, four days travel to the South and you arrive at the Chadian capital, Ndjamena. Many of the world previous epidemics must have passed Bardai by, diseases are unlikely to travel great distances when the only access is by camel train or in the 20th century by slow moving lorries. But now, with the gold rush, there are many more fast-moving pick-up trucks and people coming and going. There is a thriving cross border trade with southern Libya from where most of the food and fuel for the local market comes, along with the possibility of corona virus transmission.</span></div><p><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;">We have been aware of this risk from the outset, 18 months ago. At that time, it was unclear how easily the virus would spread and which age groups were affected. So, we prepared for the worst, with the help of BMS and the local authorities we created an isolation unit, and got supplies, of oxygen masks, pulse oximeters, cleaning materials, local made personal protective equipment and essential supportive drugs including dexamethasone ready. We got new small generators so that we could have oxygen 24 hours a day from our 3 functioning oxygen concentrators. At the same time health education messages were also made throughout the area, using mobile phones with local language films and with face to face, hopefully socially distanced, meetings. We made the clinical diagnoses of the first cases in June of 2021, there was one death but thankfully probably due to the young age of the Chadian population, (50% under 18 years), and the fact that most of life is lived out of doors, there was not a major epidemic. For various reasons a large part of the population refused to admit that we had cases and we had no possibility of laboratory testing so could not 100% prove the diagnosis. Although we could take a specimen it had to be kept cold and get to the lab at Ndjamena in less than 48 hours, and that was just impossible. So officially there was no Covid in Bardai.</span></p><p><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;">Despite that the Ministry of Health sent more supplies including the in-vogue Chloroquine and Azithromycin treatment, hand gels an extra oxygen concentrator a non-invasive ventilation machine (CPAP) and training materials. </span></p><p><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;">Throughout the first half of 2021 whilst we were in the UK it sounds as if there have been a number of our friends and colleagues who have has unusually heavy coughs and colds which have taken much longer than usual to get over, it always sounded like Covid to us, especially as we were aware of the growing number of cases and deaths in southern Libya. Fortunately during our time in the UK we had been able to receive 2 doses of vaccine.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDeAKkVPw_Mo74rGnOpseuXCuk6nlZiBBKuTTjy_vXNFdRMGdmhWnj0gmKWuxjD6MpTDSSbIe9ah80gn38b8OtQfD_pZGMztSs2TjGMqiuuydXTwtcEpECh9Rfj1ud4nBIBBsWztb8kG0/s836/2.+7+10.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="836" data-original-width="583" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDeAKkVPw_Mo74rGnOpseuXCuk6nlZiBBKuTTjy_vXNFdRMGdmhWnj0gmKWuxjD6MpTDSSbIe9ah80gn38b8OtQfD_pZGMztSs2TjGMqiuuydXTwtcEpECh9Rfj1ud4nBIBBsWztb8kG0/w295-h422/2.+7+10.jpg" width="295" /></span></a></div><p><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;">Just after we returned from the UK in July a final piece of kit arrived, the most expensive yet, a Gene Expert PCR machine and associated protective equipment for the laboratory personnel. It has been sent so that we can look for Covid cases, and at the same time it can be used for tuberculosis testing and for monitoring HIV cases. It coincided with an outbreak of the more infectious delta variant in Libya and a number of weddings in Bardai. Soon afterwards people started coughing but the enthusiasm for testing in the local population is not great, most often patients refuse the test and return home saying its just a bad cold. Over the past 3 weeks we have tested just a handful of suspects and confirmed 3 cases. There must be many more in town, but thankfully so far this time, no complications. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: white;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1877" data-original-width="1408" height="459" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVDfMROiuVdIGCK7oWwoFOyltvoYFwHmNwgW5mE4KWiUPlAap9GwqAINWFNFmZBj0CtR1dr8ZfaZdDvcqwEo-YFlVDJ6e-g2uI7ufg9HeE3fw51QtAUqVl98RQ2GlgDfszMeM5KWfOgA4/w345-h459/3.+7+10.jpg" width="345" /></span></span></div><p><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;">We would never have imagined that we would have so much equipment and supplies to deal with the pandemic, the Ministry of Health, WHO and BMS have really done a good job in getting us prepared. However, in the face of a full local epidemic we have far too few nurses, and our supplies of single use PPI would soon run out. It would be so much better if our nurses were vaccinated, we would still need to take precautions but the risk of infection and possible transmission to other vulnerable patients would be so much less.</span></p><p><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;"> The truth is that despite all the efforts to prepare a diagnostic and treatment centre it would be so much better if we could prevent Covid by vaccination. Frustratingly, one year after the President of South Africa called for a TRIPS (patents) Waiver, the talks at the World Trade Organisation are still stalled and vaccines are still being sold at unnecessarily high prices. In the competition for the restricted supply it seems that booster doses of vaccines to ensure immunity amongst the vulnerable in the west is a higher priority than protecting the elderly, the vulnerable and health care workers in Africa with their first and second doses. Like the competition above, it is not fair, you have no doubt guessed that there is no vaccine hidden in the picture at the start of the blog, so you can’t win. The vaccine hasn’t arrived in Bardai yet, hopefully it will soon, and there will be enough of it to be useful.</span></p><p><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;">Why is it that potential low-cost producers in South Africa and elsewhere are having such difficulty getting access to the necessary technology and patent permissions to increase the vaccine supply? Future generations are likely to view this is a crime against humanity, albeit one done stealthfully by vested interests, rather than the usual bombs and guns. </span></p><p><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;">Which side of history would you like to be on? Are we a society of sheep or goats?</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;"><i> “For I was hungry and you gave me food,</i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;"><i>I was thirsty and you gave me drink,</i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;"><i>I was a stranger and you welcomed me,</i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;"><i>I was naked and you gave me clothing,</i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;"><i>I was in danger of Covid and you gave me a vaccine.” </i></span></p><p><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;"> Matt 25 (35-36) slightly altered NRSV</span></p>Mark and Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809839853421432386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2058747719227378450.post-69463260681453626122021-08-16T19:43:00.003+01:002021-08-16T20:02:57.751+01:00Neglected Tropical Disease?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgANOKqJhc2GKtXcgd_Q1IwYxvJfXFmYWhw3qmuINHqAKMjTchmvITdFbRbpEy3XrKQve850Yj3Ste8JpNqbRK0QeZfAjfC0KdxqkBAEJxl5ljnNBr35kgQ-PH6xHtfhu30XVb7aSIQM24/s701/2.1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="310" data-original-width="701" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgANOKqJhc2GKtXcgd_Q1IwYxvJfXFmYWhw3qmuINHqAKMjTchmvITdFbRbpEy3XrKQve850Yj3Ste8JpNqbRK0QeZfAjfC0KdxqkBAEJxl5ljnNBr35kgQ-PH6xHtfhu30XVb7aSIQM24/w640-h284/2.1.jpg" width="640" /><br /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: white;"><span><br /></span><span></span><span><span face="sans-serif">So what is a neglected tropical disease, and why did UK aid announce new support for them in 2019?</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: white;">To explain let’s start with a normal tropical disease that you will have heard about, Malaria. In the capital of Chad, N'djamena it is the wet season, the rains fall over 3 or 4 months filling the River Chari with life giving water that in its turn fills lake Chad and enables this otherwise arid zone of Sahel to be fertile and habitable. The water also collects in puddles and ponds and the mosquitos multiply and the same rains also give rise to the deadly malaria season. When we worked at the Guinebor II hospital we recorded the annual change between the months at the end of the dry season April and May with 20 positive malaria tests a month and September October with 600 positive tests. Overall malaria causes about 15000 deaths a year in Chad, mainly in children under 5 years of age. Malaria is acknowledged as a major health problem in sub-Saharan Africa and in Chad there has been for many years a national program of prevention with bed nets and free treatment, thus it is not a neglected tropical disease.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTl38jiPBP0sfFNuWKQWO8zzFR2zOc05Bzt7sQ9SKqYIhS__51cG2KCZNUahF7D8PyGqy92HgQIF1Q-QdegUhI57cI4gHDrnryZTcT20Eb_ZG_4GHDBELIatuQcsbjVb-L-NlWpeuTi14/s220/2.2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: white;"><img border="0" data-original-height="149" data-original-width="220" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTl38jiPBP0sfFNuWKQWO8zzFR2zOc05Bzt7sQ9SKqYIhS__51cG2KCZNUahF7D8PyGqy92HgQIF1Q-QdegUhI57cI4gHDrnryZTcT20Eb_ZG_4GHDBELIatuQcsbjVb-L-NlWpeuTi14/w400-h271/2.2.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: white;">In Bardai, in the mid Saharan Tibesti mountains it only rains once or twice a year and, due to the fact that there is therefore little free-standing water, there are few if any mosquitos. Even the few that there are would have difficulty maturing malaria parasites as it is often too cold or even too hot for that to happen. The few cases of malaria that we see are amongst travellers who have bought the infection with them across the desert, in the same way as someone can have malaria in the UK after a holiday abroad.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: white;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: white;">However, there is another disease that is transmitted by an appropriately named sand fly that does not need pools of water to reproduce. It also kills children under 5 years of age and last year we treated 63 cases. It is fatal without treatment nearly 100% of cases die a slow death due to anaemia, bleeding, malnutrition and infection. The disease is called visceral leishmaniasis, you may or may not have heard of it. It is classified as a neglected tropical disease due to the fact that it kills a comparatively small number of people and those in developing countries and so has not received the attention that it merited, and yet it is still a major problem communites affected like the Tibesti.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span>In order to understand better, lets look at death rates due to Covid in the UK. Around 2000 people have died in every million of the UK population, the young are usually less severely ill and it is mainly but not exclusively the elderly and those with underlying health conditions who have been most affected. We have organised fundamental changes in the way society functions, quarantining, lock downs, social distancing and mask wearing and have committed billions of pounds to find a vaccine and a cure. This has been a once in a generation, or even once in a century event.</span><br /><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: white;">Last year by treating 63 cases of leishmaniasis we treated at a rate of about 1400 per million of population. All had a fatal illness without treatment, that occurs every year, and yet treatment here only began 3 years ago. Assuming that we are not yet diagnosing and treating all the cases in this mountainous region the death rates up till 3 years ago when our treatment programme started was also about 2000 per million, (but there are only 45000 Teda). This time it is children under 5 years and not the elderly who are most affected. Imagine a similar scenario with an illness killing children, that many children in a small town of 45000 people in the UK, what sort of response would we have made?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span>To its credit, the British government has been at the forefront of the fight against neglected tropical diseases paying for research into better and simpler diagnostic tests and less toxic more effective treatments. It also has been supporting the treatment programmes in East Africa, where Sudan and Kenya have seen very large epidemics of visceral leishmaniasis, and tens of thousands of lives have been saved every year. </span><br /><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: white;">We initially diagnosed in 2018, two typical cases that died due to lack of availability of treatment in Chad. It was the cause of much discussion in the Teda community and a year later the Ministry of Health started to supply our hospital with free drugs (in 2019). A church in Birmingham supplied us with free tests so that we could be surer of our diagnosis and pick up earlier cases. Once we had the supplies we were amazed at the number of cases that we were able to treat.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKeETti3VTPnLTy0lBMyuLRnncFL8Rbjb7KgKmr8dXpMnUg2YJUrK-Z0Q_RohfarqJ5IfLKLY-tR66kBVD9zJIlXF9jgZhjbkTqgIzfEro0CMMVZADKG8BnVaP7T7y07nBRvFRc4guSYE/s1217/2.3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: white;"><img border="0" data-original-height="732" data-original-width="1217" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKeETti3VTPnLTy0lBMyuLRnncFL8Rbjb7KgKmr8dXpMnUg2YJUrK-Z0Q_RohfarqJ5IfLKLY-tR66kBVD9zJIlXF9jgZhjbkTqgIzfEro0CMMVZADKG8BnVaP7T7y07nBRvFRc4guSYE/w640-h384/2.3.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span>Our results caught the attention of World Health Organisations Neglected Tropical Diseases unit, and they wanted confirmation that Chad was an endemic country. At their request we took specimens of blood from our patients with us on the plane to N'jamena and they sent them or leishmaniasis PCR in Madrid. The results definitively confirm that the disease is in Chad. A national programme with support from the WHO is being set up and will also look for cases in other parts of the country. </span><br /><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: white;">Free treatment and testing is essential for a successful program. If we were to buy the branded medicine Glucantime® (Meglumine antimoniate) Sanofi-Aventis, it would cost us over £250 to treat a small child. In N'djamena I treated a small number of adults whilst working at the Guinebor II hospital at over £500 a case. That is about a monthly salary for a doctor or 4 times the minimum monthly employed wage, and an impossible sum for most Chadians. Thankfully the generic medicines provided by the government are less expensive and what’s more provided free to the population.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigPsK_YXstcgWsHTcbnKlykurc2ajbiRBn2fcu-4fEKC10Gpn1YYQ-I4l6vLI2g14AE21CPlKi-CNd6GzRjr2mBpTDlVNnKn8heyt9XqtrAgDAJUA9P3lTsKRdrkyxxr-hYvKPTxSk6Hc/s1099/2.4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: white;"><img border="0" data-original-height="824" data-original-width="1099" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigPsK_YXstcgWsHTcbnKlykurc2ajbiRBn2fcu-4fEKC10Gpn1YYQ-I4l6vLI2g14AE21CPlKi-CNd6GzRjr2mBpTDlVNnKn8heyt9XqtrAgDAJUA9P3lTsKRdrkyxxr-hYvKPTxSk6Hc/w400-h300/2.4.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr></tbody></table><i><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: white;">The hospital pharmacist with part of a recent delivery of drugs and tests for the next year.</span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><!--StartFragment-->
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="color: white;">And so, along with Royal Society of
Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, I am deeply saddened by the 4 billion pound UK
Aid cuts recently narrowly voted through in the face of cross party opposition
including all the previous five living Prime Ministers, Theresa May, David
Cameron, Gordon Brown, Tony Blair and John Major. As a result this year the Neglected Tropical Disease budget is to be cut
by 150 million pounds and one of the expected results is that funding for free
treatment of Leishmaniasis the East Africa will no longer be provided by UK Aid,
this will cost thousands of lives and in
my opinion diminish the standing of Britain in the world.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<!--EndFragment--><span style="color: white;">At the same time the Royal Navy is impressing the world with its newest ship, an aircraft carrier, on its maiden operational voyage through the Mediterranean, Suez Canal and now around the Far East. It will eventually have a full complement of 24 F-35 Lightning II fighter bombers at the cost of 190 million pounds for each plane. One plane costs more than the cut in the Neglected Tropical Diseases budget. The Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier itself cost about 4 billion pounds, which happens to be the total UK aid cuts for this year. Perhaps the government hopes to re-define our post Brexit reputation as a leading world military power rather than as a leading compassionate world developmental power. I hope that this is not the case, and that the treatment of neglected tropical diseases will not become a forgotten part of British policy.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: white;">The prophet Micah spoke of a future time when God will act:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: white;">“He shall judge between the nations,</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></i></div><span style="color: white;"><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span> and shall arbitrate for many peoples;</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span><br /></span></i></div></i><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span>they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, </span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span><br /></span></i></div></i><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span>and their spears into pruning hooks;</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span><br /></span></i></div></i><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span>nation shall not lift up sword against nation,</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span><br /></span></i></div></i><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span>neither shall they learn war anymore;</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span><br /></span></i></div></i><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span>but they shall sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees,</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span><br /></span></i></div></i><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span>and no-one shall make them afraid:”</span></i></div></i><span><div style="text-align: right;"> (NRSV)</div></span><span><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div>The prophecy is not only something that we should hope for, but also be something that we aspire to and work towards. May we all play our part in bringing it to pass both in the UK and throughout the world. Re-instating the UK Neglected Tropical Disease budget would be a good place to start. </span></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p>Mark and Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809839853421432386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2058747719227378450.post-1784948927716087582021-08-04T18:34:00.046+01:002021-08-04T18:58:29.752+01:00Crumbs from your table<p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #3c4043; font-size: 10.5pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8V93BWKARsw_WhWZ3wG9TezwueEYyaxv5jRjPvKaK3mePeujsdhYhAXBVkVkSiMeRfKTS_rHOmFa8FPKXA_Z0bsZ85HcKmRqs5kaEnN_ij462AgiML4n1tKOKKAG3elC2inSYa3zFZTY/s1428/Picture+at+top+reduced+.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1399" data-original-width="1428" height="629" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8V93BWKARsw_WhWZ3wG9TezwueEYyaxv5jRjPvKaK3mePeujsdhYhAXBVkVkSiMeRfKTS_rHOmFa8FPKXA_Z0bsZ85HcKmRqs5kaEnN_ij462AgiML4n1tKOKKAG3elC2inSYa3zFZTY/w640-h629/Picture+at+top+reduced+.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large;"><div><span style="color: white;">At the start of this millennium the HIV pandemic was largely under control in the west but was still wreaking havoc in sub-Saharan Africa. The number of cases were rising at our TB hospital in Macenta, Guinea and there was little that we could do apart from palliative care. The required drugs would have cost over $5000 per patient per year and were way beyond the budget of a small NGO to pay. </span></div><div><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: white;">Amazingly all that changed after a long fight between activists and pharmaceutical companies generic medicines became increasingly affordable for low income country programs but external funding was still required. Bono, from U2, had visited a hospice in Uganda where patients were sleeping and eventually dying three in a bed , the sisters who served there were simply overwhelmed, what could he do to help?</span></div><div><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: white;">He recounted to Q magazine, </span></div><div><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: white;">“I went to speak to Christian fundamentalist groups in America to convince them to give money to fight AIDS in Africa. It was like trying to get blood from a stone.”</span></div><div><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: white;"> His frustration and anger pours out in the lyrics to the song</span></div><div><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="color: white;">Where you live should not decide</span></b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="color: white;">Whether you live or whether you die</span></b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="color: white;">Three to a bed Sister Anne she said</span></b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="color: white;">Dignity passes by ...</span></b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="color: white;">You speak of signs and wonders</span></b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="color: white;">I need something other</span></b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="color: white;">I would believe if I was able</span></b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="color: white;">But I'm waiting on the crumbs from your table ...</span></b></i></div><div><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: white;">Thankfully HIV is now a treatable disease in sub-Saharan Africa. There are still hurdles of societal prejudice and shame to be overcome, but even in remote places like Bardai where we practice medicine in a Ministry of Health hospital, we have a good supply of tests and triple therapy available free. Unlike other parts of Africa HIV/AIDS is not the major health problem here but for those individuals that need treatment for themselves or to protect partners or their as yet unborn child, the medicines are still essential.</span></div><div><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: white;">Some of the same frustration that Bono sang about is building now around the response to Covid-19. The Peoples Vaccine Alliance have spoken of the weak efforts to vaccinate lower and middle income countries with charitable donations as crumbs from the table. Last week the WHO was talking of the disparity between the high vaccination rates in the rich nations (56% of the UK population fully vaccinated) and the 1.5% of the African population. It has been suggested that as a minimum, all medical personnel and vulnerable people throughout the world should be vaccinated before we start administering 3rd booster doses of vaccines in the rich nations. Sadly it seems likely that this call for some sort of equity will be ignored and the government will continue to talk of its financial support for COVAX and vaccine donations from the UK, rather than addressing fundamental questions of vaccine equity.</span></div><div><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: white;">This week the UK has at last started to send 9 million Astra Zeneca vaccine doses manufactured in the UK overseas. The first of 30 million doses promised at the G7 summit are to be delivered by the end of this year, with a further 70 million by June next year. That sounds a lot but it is only enough to vaccinate 50 million people. The problem is that we live on a planet with a population of 7 billion, so that is only enough to vaccinate a mere 0.7 % of the world population. About half of doses announced will be given to COVAX and will be distributed according to an equitable plan, the other half will be given directly as a gift from the UK as the government engages in ‘vaccine diplomacy’ supporting friendly nations with whom we have or aspire to closer ties. All this amounts to crumbs from the table, albeit gratefully received. </span></div><div><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: white;">The Foreign Secretary, who along with his advisors decides where the doses should go, said “ We are doing this to help the most vulnerable, but also because we know we won’t be safe until everyone is safe”. Meanwhile at the same time the UK and Germany are lobbying the World Trade Organisation’s against a TRIPS (patents) waiver, this blocking the historic move, supported by a majority of nations including France and the USA, that would allow scaling up of manufacturing across the world, and the production of the billions of doses needed in a quicker and less costly manner. Crumbs from the table charity is being used as an excuse not to talk about and implement just policies such as the TRIPS waiver that would be the real solution to the problem of vaccine equity.</span></div><div><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: white;">It is not unknown for the government to selectively quote the bible when speaking, so if reading the Bible is going to inform government policy perhaps ministers should read about some biblical principles in story form starting with the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31. It is quite a shocking story, both for a first century and a contemporary 3rd millennium audience, and it speaks equally well to economic systems and individuals. </span></div><div><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: white;">Meanwhile the reproach from Bono about injustice and indifference towards HIV/AIDS remains relevant during the current pandemic. Whether we like the music or not the words cut us to our hearts.</span></div><div><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: white;">Where you live should not decide</span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: white;">Whether you live or whether you die</span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: white;">Three to a bed Sister Anne she said</span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: white;">Dignity passes by ...</span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: white;">You speak of signs and wonders</span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: white;">I need something other</span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: white;">I would believe if I was able</span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: white;">But I'm waiting on the crumbs from your table ...</span></i></b></div></span><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: x-large;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"></i></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLMpmB0qfPaFSnEeKSf76Mck3uoawdmmUf4LMJTdN1ChcYFf3b0cvZWpOm6zuubS4w3a-UBAZ2Kkhy3Mo1jg6bECtzwwtkiRGFgTr8VmjjhpfCECOLYsObvTH2c_r_xj3CG55Kx7nD6Hs/s600/GP1SVA7K_Low_res.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="338" data-original-width="600" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLMpmB0qfPaFSnEeKSf76Mck3uoawdmmUf4LMJTdN1ChcYFf3b0cvZWpOm6zuubS4w3a-UBAZ2Kkhy3Mo1jg6bECtzwwtkiRGFgTr8VmjjhpfCECOLYsObvTH2c_r_xj3CG55Kx7nD6Hs/w547-h308/GP1SVA7K_Low_res.jpg" width="547" /></span></a></i></b></div><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="color: #3c4043; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></i></b><p></p><div style="mso-element: comment-list;"><div style="mso-element: comment;"><div class="msocomtxt" id="_com_4" language="JavaScript">
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<!--EndFragment-->Mark and Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809839853421432386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2058747719227378450.post-65486703003663477552021-07-04T22:25:00.002+01:002021-07-04T22:28:21.887+01:00Why does it have to be like this?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjstrrK4oSfskdSIUrhlbEVlYW-nvo1xa_DN3SF81yR4Mb8wSQ_-x6Au9uEhMBCPUR2wsU70tujzMf-OUqYXvrP-DCOLzLiieipCbmLyIM3BlevdoTsMUnThRkoY3OfpsXF4nyhZQzbu6o/s2048/20201215_083712.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1370" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjstrrK4oSfskdSIUrhlbEVlYW-nvo1xa_DN3SF81yR4Mb8wSQ_-x6Au9uEhMBCPUR2wsU70tujzMf-OUqYXvrP-DCOLzLiieipCbmLyIM3BlevdoTsMUnThRkoY3OfpsXF4nyhZQzbu6o/w429-h640/20201215_083712.jpg" width="429" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">My neighbour in Bardai gave birth at home in her<a> yard,</a> just an hour or so after I had been
round at her house chatting. We had discussed the need to go to the hospital for
the birth, the <a>fact </a>that she had often had difficulty delivering the placenta and had been taken to the hospital before for emergency treatment. There was a <a>risk</a> to her life if it happened again. In the end the desire to deliver in her own
home, with her younger sister, won over. For many generations Teda women have given birth this way. When they were
travelling in the desert or living in isolated communities, who could be
there to deliver the baby? Not a midwife or a doctor, so best to deliver alone
on the sand .This time the placenta finally delivered just after she had called for help and as we had her husbands car
ready to take her down to the hospital, a mere 5 minutes away. Her delight at
not having to go to the hospital, with the risk of being seen by a male nurse or
doctor and perhaps some shame at not achieving a delivery at home, was almost
palpable.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Rapidly the main room was made ready with drinks, biscuits
and sweets and the best seats and a low table bought out making a place where she could receive friends each day. She remained behind a curtain in one corner of the room so she would
not be seen. After a week more celebration again as the baby was named and a big
feast held. Then another month at home
resting and being looked after by her family, her only responsibility feeding
her new born.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">It all sounds idyllic but what if the placenta had not
delivered ,what if she had started to bleed and even if she had arrived at the
hospital there hadn’t been a trained midwife or someone who<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>could organise a blood transfusion. All of
which can easily be the case in towns like Bardai. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">What if she had been forced to travel across the desert to
another hospital and what if she like many women in Chad hadn’t made it <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and had left her 5 children motherless.
Maternal mortality remains a huge <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>problem in Chad with a maternal mortality ratio
of 1,140 deaths /100,000 births making it one of the riskiest places in the
world to give birth.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">It seems a long way
from the NHS with it's<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>clean hospitals,
blood banks and doctors and midwives that we <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>know. With <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ambulances ready <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to rush you to help if you do decide to have a
home birth and there are complications. As a consequence the UK the maternal death rate is 7 deaths /100000 births, 150 times lower than Chad<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">But there is also another statistic here hidden away, the
sad fact that if you are a black woman in England you are also at a much higher risk
of death in pregnancy. In fact according to the latest MBRRACE report, the risk is 4 times higher. Many
factors are of course involved such as a predisposition amongst black women to
high blood pressure and diabetes as well as other illnesses. There are also the many
social determinants of health such as poor housing and low levels of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>education but these don’t explain everything. The
Royal College of Obstetricians is of course seeing what can be done in the
medical world and has set up a race equality task force. But it seems there is
so much more to it than that and we all have a part to play in how we behave
towards<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>people of different ethnicities than our own.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">What can we make of
the fact that <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a study in America has
shown that black babies in the first 28 days die at 3 times more often than white babies. However when black doctors look after black neonates this disadvantage was reduced by 50%, an unbelievable number, what does it reflect? However the same effect is not
seen amongst pregnant women when they are cared for by doctors of the same race.
It is felt that for women the effect of structural racism is already too deeply ingrained to allow
this to have any further effect. Of course you may say these figures don’t compare to
Chadian levels of maternal death , but that doesn’t stop it from being a huge injustice
that needs to be <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>righted.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHopnSdWxvGZkfxxeCYMPPsmLC8vP4RwXj-R-xVa1KUWPt5cgmgpMY837ricM2WM-duYupPTWwz9o_J0XAkq_Dvo5CPKC8ssefYkgMwpdBhKL57yzRtH9UwaaWLjgM-3C4ao-YhOznh2o/s1260/E2uMqymX0AIGDnQ.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="916" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHopnSdWxvGZkfxxeCYMPPsmLC8vP4RwXj-R-xVa1KUWPt5cgmgpMY837ricM2WM-duYupPTWwz9o_J0XAkq_Dvo5CPKC8ssefYkgMwpdBhKL57yzRtH9UwaaWLjgM-3C4ao-YhOznh2o/w466-h640/E2uMqymX0AIGDnQ.jpeg" width="466" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">So lets look at an example of a pregnant woman in the Bible
and see what lessons we can learn about
how we could act. Many people look at Mary as the Holy Virgin calm and serene
at all moments. Actually she was likely a teenage mother of Jesus who had a very risky
birth far from home and then became a refugee. She was also the inspired author
of the Magnificat, full of references to justice and peace and to over
throwing the powers of the age. So the true reality may be that, far from being meek and
mild, she was a revolutionary figure. In
the past the British in India forbade the singing of the Magnificat from fear it
was too revolutionary; it was also banned in Guatemala in the 1980s for the
same reason. Nowadays apparently almost all the songs we sing which include the
Magnificat stop before we arrive at the parts mentioning bringing down rulers
and sending the rich away. We need to stand up to the truth both in the way we use the Bible
and what we see in society.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">We need to ask what is it we want, the Virgin Mary as mother
of Jesus meek and mild or Mary as mother of Jesus, a revolutionary, challenging us to speak out against injustice in the U.K or in Chad? Challenging us to think what we will do when faced with the injustices of our world?</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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</div>Mark and Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809839853421432386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2058747719227378450.post-3712075956006543882021-05-31T22:33:00.003+01:002021-06-01T08:20:26.808+01:00Vaccine 5: Acting justly, loving mercy and walking humbly?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV0XRxFOL9J23hbvTSavUXO-r7alkqsnFLMhOh02E3QTSfM-xXix1ftlSe39hHEaaIt96_K898svG2DgItX4GgESnDT-HF-Di0Stx4RTgiF81WH1dNIPza8plG3r9HggaYXmA9W_hmwGg/s2048/20210526_103743.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV0XRxFOL9J23hbvTSavUXO-r7alkqsnFLMhOh02E3QTSfM-xXix1ftlSe39hHEaaIt96_K898svG2DgItX4GgESnDT-HF-Di0Stx4RTgiF81WH1dNIPza8plG3r9HggaYXmA9W_hmwGg/s320/20210526_103743.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 36pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/2058747719227378450/1917956024728701728"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"></span></a></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwdpmdy7SbZHooTkibEXgH8nxrEyJMigJh2aaGwSNjfYTr2J0Wmts3PZDc7_WJmmJgLQD8oVfGnplHV8mO7tljooq7nE3SlE1ud8o7E2fE-k12HQcbIM0tKXtqE9DnrBoAID-OK2eH9pU/s590/oxford+1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="64" data-original-width="590" height="104" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwdpmdy7SbZHooTkibEXgH8nxrEyJMigJh2aaGwSNjfYTr2J0Wmts3PZDc7_WJmmJgLQD8oVfGnplHV8mO7tljooq7nE3SlE1ud8o7E2fE-k12HQcbIM0tKXtqE9DnrBoAID-OK2eH9pU/w958-h104/oxford+1.jpg" width="958" /></a><b></b></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /><b><span style="color: #4c1130;">EXPEDITED ACCESS FOR COVID-19 IP</span></b></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #ff00fe; font-size: large; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The following guidance explains how we approach licensing COVI-19
related IP to 3rd parties in these exceptional circumstances.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 51.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 7.5pt 51pt; mso-line-height-alt: 16.8pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></i><!--[endif]--><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 18pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">OU and OUI will expedite access to Oxford IP to
enable global deployment at scale of associated products and services to
address the COVID-19 pandemic</span></i><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 51.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 7.5pt 51pt; mso-line-height-alt: 16.8pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></i><!--[endif]--><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 18pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The default approach of the University and OUI
regarding (1) will be to offer non-exclusive, royalty-free licences to support
free of charge, at-cost or cost + limited margin supply as appropriate, and
only for the duration of the pandemic, as defined by the WHO</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 18pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The team
at Oxford University started working on a vaccine early, very early, in fact, before
the problem began. With government and charitable funding over many years, they had been working
on how to quickly deliver a vaccine for an unknown epidemic, <a href="https://youtu.be/ddDiyIKUP0M" target="_blank">Disease X</a>. As the first news reports of an outbreak of viral pneumonia were coming in from
Wuhan, the WHO confirmed on the 9th January 2020, the cause, a novel corona virus. The next day, even before the first reported fatality due
to SARS-Cov-2, the scientists at the Jenner Institute of Oxford University
had a planning meeting for an eventual vaccine for this new
problem. Three weeks later the problem became a WHO -Public
Health Emergency of International Concern, and that concern about
Covid-19 officially became a Pandemic on the
11th March 2020. So the UK based Oxford vaccine had started, much earlier by two months than
an adequate public health response. But there was still, as we said
last time, a long and uncertain wait. Perhaps realising that with
97% public and charitable funding it should give something back to
society, perhaps inspired by Jonas Salk, the University pledged a
non exclusive, royalty free licencing system; It had clearly caught
the spirit of the times. Here is their undated <a href="https://innovation.ox.ac.uk/technologies-available/technology-licensing/expedited-access-covid-19-related-ip/" target="_blank">web page</a> in full </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 18pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Now over
a year </span><span style="font-size: 18pt; text-align: left;">later we know that the search for multiple vaccines has borne fruit which
exceeded the most optimistic projections. According to the WHO by the 24th May
2021 a total of 1,489,727,128 doses of vaccine have been given, which is
amazing. The Astra Zeneca vaccine is especially good for world health as even
isolated places, like Bardai, have the necessary normal temperature
refrigerator technology required for storage. Unfortunately the early
global solidarity expressed by Oxford University and many political leaders are
long forgotten. An exclusive deal was struck for the Oxford Vaccine with Astra
Zeneca on 30th April 2020. This has effectively shackled the manufacturing and
rollout of the Oxford Vaccine. Through deals, the details of which have not been published, Astra Zeneca has established manufacturing sites around the world, notably
licensing the Serum Institute of India, and aims to produce 3 billion
doses of vaccine this year. This sounds good but firstly vaccines are not being
produced as quickly as hoped, leading to undiplomatic wrangles between counties and secondly
the world has nearly 8 billion citizens, and has need of an estimated 14
billion doses of vaccine for the initial control the disease.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; text-align: left;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Km61NEy2_ojktf6g6wgh6UcpTalgXe_GF4YWnjH0HnmeE8nFQJCZu4WmOBOybOoslZdKmuGkulFbf3v1JmeOcVn9XQwi990e94YAf4TVHPzyU3VTTAOIWH2KSvIwyjpngcUZNx3W-_8/s421/Picture5.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="251" data-original-width="421" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Km61NEy2_ojktf6g6wgh6UcpTalgXe_GF4YWnjH0HnmeE8nFQJCZu4WmOBOybOoslZdKmuGkulFbf3v1JmeOcVn9XQwi990e94YAf4TVHPzyU3VTTAOIWH2KSvIwyjpngcUZNx3W-_8/w640-h382/Picture5.png" width="640" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">The
Astra-Zeneca vaccine is said to be not for profit and should have been equitably
distributed through COVAX for at risk populations and health workers around the
world according to need. Unfortunately now the primary supplier of the Oxford
Vaccine for Africa, is the Serum Institute of India. It will be
unable to meet its obligations this year as all of its production is
needed to control the epidemic in India. The Oxford University graph
above demonstrates the richest countries are getting most of the worlds doses
supplies and this will continue as long as supplies are limited. For instance the UK
has given 61 million doses for its population of 68 million
compared to 18 million doses for the whole of African population of 1.35 billion
people.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 18pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Everyone
needs urgently to have access to the vaccine which is why so many people
in so many countries led by South Africa and India have been campaigning for a
patent waiver and technology transfer similar to that originally
envisaged by Oxford University. Only by massively expanding the number of
manufacturers can we right the injustice of having 60% of the total UK
population with a first dose of vaccine where as Africa has only vaccinated
1% of its population. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 18pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Recently Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus (WHO- Director-General)
said at the World Health Assembley,</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 18pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><i>''There is no diplomatic way to say it: A small group of countries that make and buy the majority of the world's vaccine control the fate of the rest of the world.''</i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 18pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Despite
great opposition from the major pharmaceutical companies the Biden- Harris
administration has decided that the United States will support the planned
patent waiver, saying</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 18pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><i>'' These extraordinary times and circumstances call for extraordinary measures''</i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 18pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which has
supported global health an especially childhood vaccination over
many years was strongly against the waiver but recently changed it's mind
and published,</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 18pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><i>''No barriers should stand in the way of equitable access to vaccines including intellectual property, which is why we are supportive of a narrow waiver during the pandemic</i>''</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Sadly
the arguments at the WTO continue and about the only thing the UK and the
European Union are capable of agreeing on is their strong opposition to the
patent waiver.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 18pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO71aDppQlBdO10xSpjDGUaDC6r-1EegfjNUDjxgM_aHL7SFVjNEQK_b4KLVDIpcPknf7ZYCdGa8Fiy0wygB62B7ziUmAOQqIcu5r1Qo-pSBKNr4HlaNnleH05W3Il7tIljUdzLh2gCks/s610/Picture4.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="380" data-original-width="610" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO71aDppQlBdO10xSpjDGUaDC6r-1EegfjNUDjxgM_aHL7SFVjNEQK_b4KLVDIpcPknf7ZYCdGa8Fiy0wygB62B7ziUmAOQqIcu5r1Qo-pSBKNr4HlaNnleH05W3Il7tIljUdzLh2gCks/w640-h398/Picture4.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; text-align: justify;"> Perhaps you would like to express support for this vaccine waiver which could
change the world for the better? As well as considering sending a donation to India and
Nepal why not tackle the problem at the root, by campaigning to increase the
production of low cost effective vaccines as requested by South Africa, India, the USA and a total of 118 of the 164 members of the WTO.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 18pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">You could
petition the <a href="https://actions.oxfam.org/great-britain/peoples-vaccine/petition/" target="_blank">Prime Minister</a> it takes a minute of your time or even write to your
the <a href="https://act.globaljustice.org.uk/uk-government-drop-vaccine-patents" target="_blank">Secretary of State for Trade</a>, it takes a little longer but may make a huge difference if we all do it . </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 18pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Can we ''act justly, love mercy and walk humbly'' and work for a better world? </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 18pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Yes we can! </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 18pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Should we ? </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 18pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Yes we should!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 18pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Must we ?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 18pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Yes we must!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV0XRxFOL9J23hbvTSavUXO-r7alkqsnFLMhOh02E3QTSfM-xXix1ftlSe39hHEaaIt96_K898svG2DgItX4GgESnDT-HF-Di0Stx4RTgiF81WH1dNIPza8plG3r9HggaYXmA9W_hmwGg/s2048/20210526_103743.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="567" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV0XRxFOL9J23hbvTSavUXO-r7alkqsnFLMhOh02E3QTSfM-xXix1ftlSe39hHEaaIt96_K898svG2DgItX4GgESnDT-HF-Di0Stx4RTgiF81WH1dNIPza8plG3r9HggaYXmA9W_hmwGg/w756-h567/20210526_103743.jpg" width="756" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">A demonstration at the Department of International Trade during the recent G7 Trade Ministers meeting</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Mark and Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809839853421432386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2058747719227378450.post-19179560247287017282021-05-26T13:23:00.001+01:002021-05-26T13:59:22.109+01:00Vaccine 4. Prevention is better than cure<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="218" data-original-width="780" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBVuLydjDlf61JOVw-exSUYxWhF-LFTiuGO6CDgG79C9ivSpoKf3helCMADJ7Egw7sjfyxwZzOIuDPY743LWzvL2yGsKS1Kkf3NPoENNmNcigSQXy0bmeeZLz7cF6RnW0o_LhG6VnuKLI/w954-h266/hospital.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="954" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Covid-19 satellite hospital at Bardai, a re-purposed police station. </i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Cast your
minds back to April 2020, the first lockdown had begun on 23rd March, but
despite this the deaths due to Covid-19
were still rising at an alarming rate.What could be done to stem the tide of the
pandemic? </span></i></div></span><div><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Hopes were already being pinned
on a vaccine, but would it be possible to make one? How much would it cost?
And more importantly how long would it
take? According to the Welcome Trust, in normal circumstances $500
million over 10 years. The quickest ever was 5 years for a mumps vaccine.
However fortunately there were new technologies, mRNA and adenovirus vectors,
and so Sir Patrick Vallance, UK Chief Scientific Officer, was suggesting 12-18
months. There were grounds for hope but a long and anxious wait was just
beginning. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Meanwhile
what could be done to help people before a vaccine would become available? The
first response was already in place, an unprecedented lockdown
to slow the rate of transmission, the second was to boost the capacity of
the NHS to cope with the number of patients needing hospital treatment especially
lifesaving oxygen treatment.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">On the
3rd of April, 11 days into the first UK lockdown, to prevent the risk of NHS hospitals
being overwhelmed, NHS Nightingale London was declared operational. The
Excel conference centre had been converted into a hospital in less than 2 weeks. The initial capacity was 500 hospital beds with the possibility of 4000. More complex equipment was harder to come by, innovative manufacturing was needed and in the
meantime some came from surprising places, such as working ventilators given by
the BBC's Holby City film set. The cost of the conversion and equipment was £57
million and 6 more provincial centres were to follow.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">In Bardai,
at the hospital, we were trying to respond to the situation, by delivering
health education messages on hand washing, mask wearing and social distancing
in the community and improving hospital hygiene and infection control. Our ADP
linguist colleagues made a health education film in Teda that passed from phone
to phone.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ScIYhCAXNuNIe6VHSewm7xr-ZV6hbvE7Xp-_K6ruKVClIfpiEPRBN72VoUjKFpQ3Z-kXrbWH2uMsMb8sNIG9kuuqs4bTIXSWhzbITVbUw53bsreSnuHLqHRpvpmPj0UzlQSiUBDVABc/s416/PPE+%25282%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: arial; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="377" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ScIYhCAXNuNIe6VHSewm7xr-ZV6hbvE7Xp-_K6ruKVClIfpiEPRBN72VoUjKFpQ3Z-kXrbWH2uMsMb8sNIG9kuuqs4bTIXSWhzbITVbUw53bsreSnuHLqHRpvpmPj0UzlQSiUBDVABc/s320/PPE+%25282%2529.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We also
realised that our small hospital was at risk of being overwhelmed by even a
small number of cases due to </span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">inadequate
separation of Covid and non-Covid patients and uncontrolled visiting fuelling
any epidemic. The local authorities offered a very good solution; the disused
police station with a perimeter wall could be transformed into a separate Covid
satellite hospital. Help from the WHO and Ministry of Health would eventually
arrive but in the meantime BMS supported the </span><span style="font-family: arial;">rapid organisation of a water
supply, triage area and other changes. The main </span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">hospital had basic equipment such as beds and
trolleys in storage and so within a couple of weeks we had a unit. We even had
a small quantity of disposable PPE that had arrived by chance 6 months before,
that was initially supplemented by surgical gowns and scrubs made in town and eventually
further supplies from the Ministry. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjz0eYw3qUEeV5i6Izp0HN-ofVmhCjrwh9KH2YBS6ZzhXDjKBfrAZTNyCq1TQbMlajgUjBGHp5OG4y74_ioKxcjVDMycNxqSXL6tIkg-f3UPu3b6kSZdte5x7PCY25Hk1S5cKZPX7qg6g/s2048/20201110_114102.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjz0eYw3qUEeV5i6Izp0HN-ofVmhCjrwh9KH2YBS6ZzhXDjKBfrAZTNyCq1TQbMlajgUjBGHp5OG4y74_ioKxcjVDMycNxqSXL6tIkg-f3UPu3b6kSZdte5x7PCY25Hk1S5cKZPX7qg6g/s320/20201110_114102.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Orders
for plenty of oxygen masks and other essential medical equipment were made from
the UK and these eventually arrived along with essential medicines such as <span style="font-family: arial;">dexamethasone, paracetamol and antibiotics from N'Djamena. </span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Rather like
the UK Nightingale hospitals, our satellite hospital has been little used,
although we did have a handful of highly probable cases in the town (we had no
tests to confirm them). Thankfully we didn’t get sustained transmission, but
having seen the scenes from the UK, Europe and the US we were right to prepare
as much as possible. Despite all our preparations the day a more transmissible
variant arrives in Bardai we will be at risk and still would have difficulty coping. The reason
for this is the same as one of the drivers of the unfolding tragedy in Nepal
and India, a lack of oxygen.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">From the
outset we were aware that this was a major weakness. In the UK we assume that
nearly every bed in a hospital has a piped oxygen supply, and if not, there is
a full oxygen cylinder nearby. There is no chance of replenishing our empty
oxygen cylinders in Bardai, but we do have four individual patient oxygen
concentrators, an amazingly high number for such a small hospital but only two
were working. Fortunately, one was repaired by missionary colleagues from
Germany and the Ministry of Health sent us another one. BMS bought 2 small
generators that could run 6 hours on, 6 hours off to supply the necessary
electricity 24 hours a day. Large numbers of oxygen concentrators have
been given by the WHO and other donors to Chad, and hundreds of thousands
throughout the world but as an article in today’s </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/2058747719227378450/1917956024728701728" style="font-family: arial;"><span color="windowtext">Guardian</span></a><span style="font-family: arial;"> shows, once an epidemic strikes
there is usually not enough oxygen to meet the 10 to 100 fold increase in
demand. As a consequence Covid is no longer a disease predominantly
affecting the older population, many people of all ages die. We must of course
help in any way we can to get oxygen and supplies to everyone that need it, but the volume of equipment and
the training and skill required to do anything other than the simplest oxygen mask
treatments means that this can never be the best solution for most of the
population in low and low middle-income countries. Building Nightingale hospitals in advance all around the world is just not possible.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><b>What is
needed is a vaccine freely and equitably available for all, after all
prevention is better than cure. </b> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-large;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div><span style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-transform: uppercase;"><a href="https://www.bmsworldmission.org/appeal/campaign-for-a-covid-free-world/" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b></b></span></a><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.bmsworldmission.org/appeal/campaign-for-a-covid-free-world/" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghrcnJ2BDaUrVdvqMevVrnAbQGmS6JDywE2xhusLTtcbp1YTWVs3nEfVHioXAl2wkam_MDCa8Wrmx_5JVNN-9GxColg4BxgqqGvTeEd09QmasZdvxrd9XHu6GeaoTcwdiJ-5BGDq8QjkU/s120/image.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="116" data-original-width="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghrcnJ2BDaUrVdvqMevVrnAbQGmS6JDywE2xhusLTtcbp1YTWVs3nEfVHioXAl2wkam_MDCa8Wrmx_5JVNN-9GxColg4BxgqqGvTeEd09QmasZdvxrd9XHu6GeaoTcwdiJ-5BGDq8QjkU/s0/image.png" /></a><a href="https://www.bmsworldmission.org/appeal/campaign-for-a-covid-free-world/" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>CAMPAIGN FOR A COVID FREE World Click for news</b></span></a> </div></b></span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span face=""proxima-nova",serif" style="color: #7f2884; text-transform: uppercase;">JOIN THE GLOBA</span></b><b><span face=""proxima-nova",serif" style="color: #7f2884; text-transform: uppercase;">L CHRISTIAN MOVEMENT FOR </span></b><b><span face=""proxima-nova",serif" style="color: #7f2884; text-transform: uppercase;">EQUITABLE VACCINE ACCESS</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span class="font-raleway"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif" style="color: #565656; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-text-raise: 8.5pt; position: relative; top: -8.5pt;"><a href="https://bmsworldmission.cmail19.com/t/d-l-qplitk-ewyuykq-h/"><span style="color: #41637e;"><br /></span></a></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-large;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p></div>Mark and Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809839853421432386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2058747719227378450.post-11886079265854377162021-04-04T22:09:00.002+01:002021-04-05T17:56:37.650+01:00VACCINE 3: The present<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6CvozrweITiTpBX3pU92DlO4e5K1CR_egErray50hJr-z08qUDahOtotQiGZKv5nj3syRidu8FnLjVOIGm9JcDuMBQ5rpR2mh4Mh9kTbO8flQPd4Mvh9NoqtV9KmlqkYk3FJgzFg9OBk/s727/vaccinating+bardai+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="409" data-original-width="727" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6CvozrweITiTpBX3pU92DlO4e5K1CR_egErray50hJr-z08qUDahOtotQiGZKv5nj3syRidu8FnLjVOIGm9JcDuMBQ5rpR2mh4Mh9kTbO8flQPd4Mvh9NoqtV9KmlqkYk3FJgzFg9OBk/s16000/vaccinating+bardai+%25282%2529.jpg" title="National Polio Vaccination Day, Bardai 2018" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Bardai 2018: Launch of National Polio Vaccination day</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"> <span style="font-family: arial;">At the end of the last post I encouraged you to sign a BMS <a href="https://covidfreeworld.org.uk/petition/">petition</a> which expresses solidarity with those countries who are proposing a TRIPS (patent) waiver. This would enable production of COVID vaccine in sufficient quantity so that it can be rapidly and equitably available throughout the world. BMS, through the Peoples Vaccine Alliance, are partnering with many organisations ,one of whom has produced a 5 minute video that explains the gravity of the situation and offers a solution, <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JHhkeVmZK_n6P_AOVhz5OD4N5HvuW8R-/view?usp=sharing">Manifesto for Life</a>.</span></span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The problem over commercial medicines may seem to be enormous: changing international treaties to allow patent free drugs may seem a very difficult thing to do. But actually it is not necessary, because it has already been done. The TRIPS waiver mechanism was negotiated at the 2001 WTO talks in Doha as a response to the AIDS epidemic sweeping southern Africa and elsewhere. It paved the way for widespread distribution of low cost HIV treatment. Previously the annual cost of branded triple therapy of $10,000 per year made it impossible for all but the citizens of the richest nations to be treated. Suddenly, </span><span style="font-family: arial;">with a generic equivalent made in India, the price</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> fell to $350 per year. This has saved many millions of lives in middle and lower income countries. By 2018 the price was as low as $75 a year, that is 15p (20 cents US) a day; as a consequence effective drugs to treat HIV are supplied by the Ministry of Health to all hospitals in Chad, including Bardai, for free distribution. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"> Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, the Director General of the World Health Organisation, recently said 'the gap between the number of vaccines administered in rich countries and COVAX (supplying low income countries) is growing every single day and becoming more grotesque every day' He proposes using the same already established mechanism of the TRIPS waiver to address this situation,saying, ' These provisions are there for use in emergencies......if now is not a time to use them, then when?' </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">The recent posts on this blog have been exploring the history of the campaign against polio and there is at least one more lesson that we can usefully apply to the current situation with COVID-19 </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"> <b>'NO ONE IS SAFE UNTIL EVERYONE IS SAFE'</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">In 2011, one year after our family's arrival in Chad to live, work and attend school, there was a spike in polio infections. One hundred and thirty two cases of paralytic polio were recorded and probably many more cases were missed. That amounted to 41% of the total cases in Africa, and Chad was considered a reservoir of infection that risked contaminating the neighbouring countries. A new programme of National Vaccination days was started, the first being inaugurated by President Debi Itno, with representatives from WHO and UNICEF, plus, from GAVI, Bill Gates in person.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcgisjlae74VQRO9Ufgi5UJphc21Me1_7mFnYOKc_bVP89V78QjaT-OlcBO9doGvF79s_QXz9nWSINK0GgJm2h2pXdROrmsz47JxXY7zx8K2XZUfB5V5MDajHCnkqYWKIcTnaaoFKlKX8/s2048/the-number-of-reported-paralytic-polio-cases+%25281%2529.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1446" data-original-width="2048" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcgisjlae74VQRO9Ufgi5UJphc21Me1_7mFnYOKc_bVP89V78QjaT-OlcBO9doGvF79s_QXz9nWSINK0GgJm2h2pXdROrmsz47JxXY7zx8K2XZUfB5V5MDajHCnkqYWKIcTnaaoFKlKX8/w400-h283/the-number-of-reported-paralytic-polio-cases+%25281%2529.png" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">The campaigns rapidly bought the situation under control and by 2014 there were no reported cases. The photo at the top of the blog is of the last mass campaign in Bardai, 2018. After that routine polio coverage was continued through routine childhood vaccinations.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">In 2019 there were a concerning 10 cases of paralytic polio and then in February 2020 (not on the graph) a serious outbreak began resulting in 99 cases across the country. This spread across the borders to Sudan and The Central African Republic. The Chadian epidemic accounted for about a quarter of the worlds cases. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic it was difficult to get the resources to mount a response, but finally in November 2020, two vaccination campaigns 14 days apart managed to vaccinate 3,3 million children across the country including Bardai and the Tibesti.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">This rapid reversal of the progress in eradication of polio shows that the WHO estimate of 200,000 cases of polio a year worldwide , if we fail to eradicate it in the last remaining endemic countries,is not a fiction, but an alarming reality. As we noted before.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><b style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> 'NO ONE IS SAFE UNTIL EVERYONE IS SAFE'</span></b></div><div><b style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">The Covid-19 virus presents a much greater problem than polio. It is spread by aerosol and that makes it much more difficult to control by simple hygeine measures than a disease like polio which is spread by food and water .In addition the Covid-19 virus is also capable of mutating and so can escape from the antibodies that are produced by vaccines. The polio virus does not mutate and the vaccines have remained effective for many years. Therefore for COVID even completely vaccinated countries could be reinfected by a vaccine resistant strain coming from non vaccinated countries. Logically We need to seize this opportunity to vaccinate everyone in the whole world. Then we can hopefully eliminate the disease. If not we will spend the next few years or decades with intermittent lock-downs, always be chasing a new vaccine and adding increasingly complex and expensive travel restrictions.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A year ago, </span><span style="font-family: arial;">when fear reigned at the height of the first wave, vaccines were but a distant hope. T</span><span style="font-family: arial;">he President of the European Commission </span><span style="font-family: arial;">spoke for many when she said</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> ',We need to develop a vaccine. We need to produce it and deploy it to very single corner of the world. And make it available at affordable prices. This vaccine will be our universal common good'</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Even now, as vaccine nationalism takes hold and the vaccine gap between the haves and the have-nots widens every day, let us get back to a spirit of true international co-operation, pass the TRIPS waiver and organise technology transfers so that as many doses as possible of vaccine can be made this year.</span></div><div><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #383832;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">If the moral imperative to alleviate suffering and death overseas is no longer enough to motivate t</span><span style="font-family: arial;">he WTO</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> and world leaders</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> then surely long term self interest economic and social should lead them to the same conclusion.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b style="font-family: arial;"> 'NO ONE IS SAFE UNTIL EVERYONE IS SAFE'</b><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Today is Easter, a day of hope for new way of life, as we are writing this we received a <a href="https://fernandogros.com/a-franciscan-blessing/" target="_blank">Franciscan blessing</a> from a friend, it speaks of striving for justice, we pass the last part on to you.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">...may God bless you with the foolishness to think</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">that you can make a difference in the world,</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">so that you will do the things which others tell you</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">cannot be done</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://covidfreeworld.org.uk/petition/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="153" data-original-width="900" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHeWKE6fxz1QSwUJuRFcBMIAgKz8Sz_8pExmlgNNA6C6tknmxRZofke67b8_aZEodTde9jyGJdUbf32FgofC742cpKZVKjuDwgBAmuaBRFOFXlGRtColWhC1L42CBHIw7Z74mxGAQUmy4/s16000/Covid-freeworldEmailBanner1-9900000000079e3c.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></span></div>Mark and Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809839853421432386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2058747719227378450.post-24169285276156283462021-03-25T21:41:00.006+01:002021-03-26T08:02:20.976+01:00VACCINES 2: Thirty years later<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc1idtUixEjpA1nmEv6pjwBRtImdLcqOuMp0WZR3sBrAGfFhnTdgZ3o6jEscuTN40LdQmiU53Ar3id4XMdMWiZfiFMjEARUP-viyvmKB6vyZyGGdJZKUbVBfrDyBlFWL87D2HjqmZ9qEw/s1600/Stadium+Ramadan01+%25282%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc1idtUixEjpA1nmEv6pjwBRtImdLcqOuMp0WZR3sBrAGfFhnTdgZ3o6jEscuTN40LdQmiU53Ar3id4XMdMWiZfiFMjEARUP-viyvmKB6vyZyGGdJZKUbVBfrDyBlFWL87D2HjqmZ9qEw/w640-h480/Stadium+Ramadan01+%25282%2529.JPG" title="Macenta- Gunee Forestiere" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Macenta, Guinee Forestiere, where we arrived to work in 1993, Polio was still rife.</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><br /></i></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">In my last post I explained how polio, a disease that was feared by my mothers generation, was rapidly bought under control<i> <b>in the western world</b> </i>by new vaccines which, as they were not patented, were able to be made rapidly available by multiple pharmaceutical companies. This is an interesting lesson for dealing with the current COVID-19 pandemic. Are there any other lessons that we can we learn from this story?</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">By the time that I first went to school, although there still were occasional cases, the threat of annual polio epidemics in the UK was already the memory of a previous generation. Later in my final year at medical school (1984),the last case of polio in the UK caused by transmission of the wild virus was recorded. </span></span></p><p></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzQGTT2cbZALYb6yp2XrivtDAxPETANGG2sm5ltYMda7lGRdnEv4JgOEkDbzt62g3lmyjvJzSBqMHxUENEFM62zUuBeQn0f8MZxUX8zxAdHEiFDyV76jI-SU-fEU9VnxvdQnSJ33qNxBo/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="269" data-original-width="383" height="329" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzQGTT2cbZALYb6yp2XrivtDAxPETANGG2sm5ltYMda7lGRdnEv4JgOEkDbzt62g3lmyjvJzSBqMHxUENEFM62zUuBeQn0f8MZxUX8zxAdHEiFDyV76jI-SU-fEU9VnxvdQnSJ33qNxBo/w468-h329/image.png" width="468" /></a></div>However despite the amazing generosity of Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin the problem worldwide was still a massive one. In 1988 there were still an estimated 350,000 cases of paralytic polio each year, with about 10% of the children dying. That was the year that the WHO launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU22lazeLm-0IWqMc7wHe8M5ak7kP1Laux0urZTHHGNDTJOKRyzjZ95vwtjeHhlnknjOtWs8RfPPz9WbHSF8zWSiioxCPFUYYUN38tE4v4WhswTr3ky4M04Fq4FC8L7L3O1ze3OhlGfbI/s1535/P1010026+%25282%2529.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1535" data-original-width="793" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU22lazeLm-0IWqMc7wHe8M5ak7kP1Laux0urZTHHGNDTJOKRyzjZ95vwtjeHhlnknjOtWs8RfPPz9WbHSF8zWSiioxCPFUYYUN38tE4v4WhswTr3ky4M04Fq4FC8L7L3O1ze3OhlGfbI/w332-h640/P1010026+%25282%2529.JPG" width="332" /></a></span></div></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Five years later, </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Andrea and I arrived in the hot and humid town of Macenta, Guinee Forestiere. It was forty years since the discovery of the vaccine, yet tragically polio was still endemic. Each year I would see young children who had been either recently paralysed or were living with the consequences of contractures. Often </span><span style="font-family: arial;">they were crawling on their knees unable to use any muscle strength that they had regained to walk. At the Centre Medical we worked together as a </span><span style="font-family: arial;">team; the physiotherapists taught exercises, the orthopaedic workshop made callipers and splints, and in the operating theatre we did tendon release procedures guided by the newly published WHO manual.</span></div></span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbWR4uLmJ_4Ahl-QTrkUKBBjcQICQOtK9bYfOlFC7eo4wi0M-fBGJzWFgipigI14TYutpBYdZWFdAjHh6EOav6EQ3v91Sjdu2qwq-61CpMdOjhct0rjgCcRYjyvrInzSm-gTR1ovLieZk/s200/unnamed.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbWR4uLmJ_4Ahl-QTrkUKBBjcQICQOtK9bYfOlFC7eo4wi0M-fBGJzWFgipigI14TYutpBYdZWFdAjHh6EOav6EQ3v91Sjdu2qwq-61CpMdOjhct0rjgCcRYjyvrInzSm-gTR1ovLieZk/w320-h320/unnamed.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Bg3g4AEe-WMxvuaghgTRv9MqKFC9_WlwJANfONfUK7h0KrCi_u_AF8F0W_d99r-1IGs-EMBZKi1s0tlvcYck71dJrP3eHo4Sl9ktBU98DK-Oud6-kx2dKO9NYyffEkaVuCgjUiMJpPc/s1200/9789241544573_L.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="849" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Bg3g4AEe-WMxvuaghgTRv9MqKFC9_WlwJANfONfUK7h0KrCi_u_AF8F0W_d99r-1IGs-EMBZKi1s0tlvcYck71dJrP3eHo4Sl9ktBU98DK-Oud6-kx2dKO9NYyffEkaVuCgjUiMJpPc/w226-h320/9789241544573_L.jpg" width="226" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Thankfully prevention was also beginning, polio vaccines were being distributed to the fridges in the new health centres that the Mission Philafricaine were building in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. For the first time the people of the region had access to routine childhood vaccinations. In addition each year, </span><span style="text-align: left;">on two special national vaccination days,</span><span style="text-align: left;"> every child under 5 in the country received a dose of oral polio vaccine. Healthcare workers passed from door to door with a polystyrene insulated cardboard vaccine carrier emablazoned with "KICK POLIO OUT OF AFRICA" No-one was exempt,my daughters must have recieved a total of 12 doses by their fifth birthday. Within a couple of years of the campaigns beginning </span><span style="text-align: left;">I no longer saw newly paralysed children, but there were still plenty who needed help from the time before the vaccine.</span><span style="text-align: left;"> Similar campaigns were taking place everywhere with dramatic results, the graph below shows the global situation. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtu9HIl46X_Y2mVeNPpBQatoBcMVl6E3GOFsT9xC0KDS0YgE3-XL9DwMRvokaHNsLdF0iKFW_EAPNA1yFmyYESM6IiR_5HogRWv7IZutZ0yBulLE1QcVfmbXGQsNvRCZo8E0FhzAkb0XM/s333/Polio+graph.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="189" data-original-width="333" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtu9HIl46X_Y2mVeNPpBQatoBcMVl6E3GOFsT9xC0KDS0YgE3-XL9DwMRvokaHNsLdF0iKFW_EAPNA1yFmyYESM6IiR_5HogRWv7IZutZ0yBulLE1QcVfmbXGQsNvRCZo8E0FhzAkb0XM/w640-h364/Polio+graph.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">In Macenta the dramatic change was bought about by the arrival of the cold chain. In 1991, just prior to our arrival, there had been an epidemic of meningitis and the only way to get vaccines into the region had been in a truck from the capital alongside deliveries of frozen fish.These were being made by a family of Lebanese traders to a chain of depots selling fish to the local markets. Thanks to this unusual support lives were saved, but the need for the provision of a dedicated medical cold chain had become clear.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The WHO estimates that their polio campaign has lead to 80% of the worlds population now living in polio free countries and that 18 million less children have been paralysed as a consequence. There were only 22 cases of wild polio virus reported in 2017, a great success but we not quite there yet, and it has taken 60 years.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Sadly despite the potential supply of large volumes of patent free vaccines it took 30 years before adequate supplies arrived in Guinea because of the lack of development of the healthcare systems in low and middle income countries, notably, cold chains. Thankfully cold chains are in place now even in remote places such as Bardai, our current somewhat dryer home mid Sahara. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZRSwxEPjq4p4Wd0b-TTA2AjZ2biXfVNBLFOGwae2yyFXzGR8_RFPeOjViE-BLftIiT8y-KZ6VNIiIrAkDkcRnll8zdPqejMOosslXDvJ9XzomgKawLUmuL_Dmtq_uE2A_4LtDiEt3_5o/s2048/20200130_094629.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1152" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZRSwxEPjq4p4Wd0b-TTA2AjZ2biXfVNBLFOGwae2yyFXzGR8_RFPeOjViE-BLftIiT8y-KZ6VNIiIrAkDkcRnll8zdPqejMOosslXDvJ9XzomgKawLUmuL_Dmtq_uE2A_4LtDiEt3_5o/w225-h400/20200130_094629.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br />The Provincial hospital where we work has an excellent solar powered fridge supplied by UNICEF and we are able to supply polio vaccine to the most remote villages each year for the National Polio Vaccination Days. Due to the terrain it actually takes about a week to get around them all using the hospital ambulances. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">So with the current COVID-19 pandemic, we are fortunate that the necessary infrastructure is already in place, but where are the vaccines? So far 25 million doses have been given for the African population of 1.35 billion whereas we in the UK have given 32 million doses for 68 million people, that is a 25 fold difference. This disparity represents what the WHO has called a potential 'catastrophic moral failure' of inequality. We need to campaign for our government and the World Trade Organisation to enable sharing the knowledge and technology so that a low cost vaccine can be equitably and freely available throughout the world. This is best done by a TRIPS (patents) waiver, which is supported by the majority of nations but opposed by pharmaceutical companies and rich western nations. If you want to show solidarity with your global neighbours click on the BMS <a href="https://covidfreeworld.org.uk/petition/" target="_blank">petition</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://covidfreeworld.org.uk/" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 18.6667px; font-weight: 700; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;"><img alt="" data-original-height="116" data-original-width="120" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXA4ciPoyNMIk6gJsC2GEvMTzdhEkLZOmxyVAD7KWvL_WFhGaY7fbBedn90pzKmy7z5Vd1gCt-V8OaoIPPL9CHbSAQaOS8uRzlu04f2uwTSMbzEmHIuh7qpqkTKpmnvKhB0i1mk5O3Dzs/" width="248" /></a><span style="clear: left; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 18.6667px; font-weight: 700; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;"></span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: #7f663b; clear: left; font-size: 28.98px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: start; text-transform: uppercase;"><a href="https://covidfreeworld.org.uk/" style="clear: left; color: #ffcc77; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>CAMPAIGN FOR A COVID FREE WORLD</b></span></a></span><p style="background-color: #7f663b; color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 28.98px; text-align: start;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #7f663b; color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 28.98px; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: start;"><b><span face=""proxima-nova",serif" style="color: #7f2884; text-transform: uppercase;">JOIN THE GLOBA</span></b><b><span face=""proxima-nova",serif" style="color: #7f2884; text-transform: uppercase;">L CHRISTIAN MOVEMENT FOR</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #7f663b; color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 28.98px; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: start;"><b><span face=""proxima-nova",serif" style="color: #7f2884; text-transform: uppercase;">EQUITABLE VACCINE ACCESS</span></b></p></div></span><p></p></div>Mark and Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809839853421432386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2058747719227378450.post-87390093061578294462021-03-17T17:16:00.027+01:002021-03-24T20:52:35.953+01:00VACCINES 1: ‘Could you patent the sun?’<div class="separator"><div class="separator" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="325" data-original-width="411" height="513" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK0GqDj4TBUoUW23eN8cfPs-e5lORgtENIlCE89pdtlyAFDp-ZxTkGcZIk_3viUUstCiyiDoEhBfWxY8l7BnX9xyhRur_OU4mbcv0AwqVH_qnf-3A3w6TMUAun3ET2yjyUQEKow7tGVcg/w651-h513/image.png" width="651" /><i style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"> A
hospital ward with patients treated with iron lungs USA 1952</span></i></div></div><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Patents: there is an impasse so far at
the WTO talks on establishing a TRIPS (patents) waiver to enable an equitable and timely, production and distribution of COVID vaccines across the world. It seems
that for the rich nations it is unthinkable that this should be proposed, it is
apparently just not the way our world works. But it doesn’t have to be this way.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">My mother would remind our family
in the early seventies how fortunate we were that the swimming baths were open
through the summer holidays. She spoke of how polio epidemics had forced them
to be closed, along with cinemas before the vaccine was found. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Polio had been growing threat with seasonal epidemics
throughout her life and by the early 1950’s was getting out of control with
each summer bringing new localised but devastating epidemics. It is caused by a
virus spread from one person to another through food or water contaminated with
human waste. For the vast majority it passed as a mild gastroenteritis but for
a small number fever and muscle pains were followed by varying patterns of
temporary or permanent paralysis. In the UK several thousand were affected each
year, about 700 died, and some required months of help to breathe with ingenious
iron lungs. In 1950’s America only the thought of nuclear war caused more fear:
It was a worldwide phenomena.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Despite President Roosevelt having launched a nationwide
appeal in 1938 to fund research and support for the affected, there was no
solution and the situation was getting worse. The 1952 epidemic in the USA was
the worst ever with 57 000 cases, 21 000 with a permanent paralysis, and 3000
deaths. In that same year, Jonas Salk, a
virologist in Pittsburgh who had been working on polio for several years, announced
that he had a candidate vaccine. In 1955, following a trial with over a million
children, the injectable vaccine was declared both safe and efficacious. The
following year mass vaccinations started in the UK and annual numbers of cases
fell rapidly so that by the time I was born just 5 years later, in 1961 annual
case number had fallen by over 90%, and shortly afterwards with the change to an
oral vaccine, found by Albert Sabin, cases rapidly became vanishingly rare in
the UK.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">This is an
amazing success story, but we have yet to mention the most surprising yet
crucial part of it. On April 10<sup>th</sup> 1955, the day that the vaccine was
declared safe and effective, Jonas Salk spoke with CBS news,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"> <i> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erHXKP386Nk" target="_blank">Interviewer</a> : <b>"Who owns this patent?"</b></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><i> Jonas Salk: " <b>Well the people I would say</b></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><i><b> There is no patent</b></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><i><b> Could you patent the sun?"</b></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Remarkably Albert Sabin also chose not to patent his oral polio vaccine, so that it could be widely and quickly produced and used for the benefit of the whole world, he said</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><b> "A scientist who is also a human being cannot rest</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><b> while knowledge which might be </b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><b> used to reduce suffering rests on the shelf"</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The COVID-19 pandemic is far more deadly than polio ever was, so now that we have a vaccine surely exceptional circumstances demand exceptional measures once again. Let us join with the WHO, BMS World Mission and a majority of the worlds nations in <a href="https://covidfreeworld.org.uk/petition/" target="_blank">petitioning</a> the WTO and our leaders so that the necessary special approvals can be made and patents lifted so that COVID vaccines can be made worldwide by any company that has the capacity to manufacture them</span><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">"</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></b></span></p>
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</v:shape><![endif]--></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixza6exRWAJpwhsBiZ9DlEX8gsE1W4J5BZNGs4XPmkQUw2eOnj_OAa5vJD-rON-qef0Ub4AFPeh2HpLywgmkSSUnq7XN6O90kSZyDWnWrrq8MaFCqHv02c6JsSIEC5IugqoQKBq43Jqnk/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://covidfreeworld.org.uk/" style="font-size: 14pt; text-align: left; text-transform: uppercase;"><span style="color: black;"><b><br /><br /></b></span></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="clear: left; color: black; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-transform: uppercase;"><a href="https://covidfreeworld.org.uk/" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-transform: uppercase;"></a></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: 700; text-align: center;"><span style="clear: left; color: black; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-transform: uppercase;"><a href="https://covidfreeworld.org.uk/" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-transform: uppercase;"><span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="116" data-original-width="120" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXA4ciPoyNMIk6gJsC2GEvMTzdhEkLZOmxyVAD7KWvL_WFhGaY7fbBedn90pzKmy7z5Vd1gCt-V8OaoIPPL9CHbSAQaOS8uRzlu04f2uwTSMbzEmHIuh7qpqkTKpmnvKhB0i1mk5O3Dzs/" width="248" /></span></a></span></div><span style="clear: left; color: black; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-transform: uppercase;"><a href="https://covidfreeworld.org.uk/" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-transform: uppercase;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>CAMPAIGN FOR A COVID FREE WORLD</b></span></a></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span face=""proxima-nova",serif" style="color: #7f2884; text-transform: uppercase;">joiN THE GLOBA</span></b><b><span face=""proxima-nova",serif" style="color: #7f2884; text-transform: uppercase;">L CHRISTIAN MOVEMENT FOR</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span face=""proxima-nova",serif" style="color: #7f2884; text-transform: uppercase;">EQUITABLE VACCINE ACCESS</span></b><span face=""proxima-nova",serif" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span class="font-raleway"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif" style="color: #565656; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-text-raise: 8.5pt; position: relative; top: -8.5pt;"><a href="https://bmsworldmission.cmail19.com/t/d-l-qplitk-ewyuykq-h/"><span style="color: #41637e;"><br />www.covidfreeworld.org.uk</span></a></span></span><b><span style="background: white; color: #202122; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><i><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></i><p></p>Mark and Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809839853421432386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2058747719227378450.post-17064236946239967142019-12-15T19:03:00.000+01:002019-12-16T23:23:35.685+01:00Towards a greener Sahara: Part 3<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij-V8KqB1VUMm1AN7kPnpclaBWn2Bnjcrj7eHoJRkbCWM9PcMNNv0DhUYhrdep5ACdOmUkeRQKaACXFscr5LeUq3aXlbfnidoOVUyXSGmi2umZiGGbm3mUP_ZNzQSiHk26G1oLCOxq54A/s1600/20190928_105958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij-V8KqB1VUMm1AN7kPnpclaBWn2Bnjcrj7eHoJRkbCWM9PcMNNv0DhUYhrdep5ACdOmUkeRQKaACXFscr5LeUq3aXlbfnidoOVUyXSGmi2umZiGGbm3mUP_ZNzQSiHk26G1oLCOxq54A/s640/20190928_105958.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Away in a manger no crib for a bed. The little Lord Jesus
laid down his sweet head.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">It seems to me at Christmas we enjoy talking about how Jesus
didn’t have a proper cot or crib and had to lie on straw, but we don’t often
mention his other needs such as food and nappies. Why not?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all they are also part of a babies
basic needs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Thinking about this an article in the BMJ caught our eye
this week as we catch up on back issues whilst in the capital -<b>Support
breast feeding and the environment. </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Most of the talk about breast milk vs bottle feeding
concentrates on the value of breast milk and the risks of bottle feeding. WHO
estimates around 800,000 children under 5 die world-wide per year as a result
of bottle feeding. A few days ago I had a message from Bardai telling me that
one of our cleaners at the hospital had lost her baby after it was initially admitted
with diarrhoea and dehydration and the family decided to take it to Libya for
care. Almost all Teda women bottle feed and we spend a lot of our time dealing
with diarrhoea as a result of poor hygiene. The bottles have an offensive smell
of sour cheese, they are so dirty. Breast feeding is so much easier than
sterilising bottles and much cheaper. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMrmqNWAeP39pWY4UE1oJBvJFNq-BE-OY1agoLF_l_vMxxJ2w8km6tXpb7SZeY-halts5Mw8ZHKV1OysAcJ3_lvxHL9kDsp0bV5T4VQJTPnDVLDfs1nC-zjqxPq9X7MZThFeGn4MsbsMo/s1600/IMG-20180906-WA0009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="944" data-original-width="531" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMrmqNWAeP39pWY4UE1oJBvJFNq-BE-OY1agoLF_l_vMxxJ2w8km6tXpb7SZeY-halts5Mw8ZHKV1OysAcJ3_lvxHL9kDsp0bV5T4VQJTPnDVLDfs1nC-zjqxPq9X7MZThFeGn4MsbsMo/s400/IMG-20180906-WA0009.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">But now it looks like we have another reason to encourage breast
feeding. The environmental effect of breast feeding we can assume is small as
it uses few resources and produces minimal waste. When it comes to formula
feeding let’s start with the milk. The water footprint to make one kg of
powdered milk is an incredible 4700l and we shouldn’t forget the methane
produced by the cows giving the milk (methane of course trapping heat in the
atmosphere 30 x more than C02). Cows milk alone is not nutritionally adequate,
so palm oil, coconut oil, fish oils and minerals are added, only adding to the
environmental costs of production. Interestingly only 40-50 processing plants
exist worldwide, so imagine the food miles transporting the raw ingredients and
then distributing the milk world-wide. Once the milk is finished we have to
consider what to do with the 86,000 tonnes of metal and the 364,000 tonnes of
paper left -land fill is the usual option. These figures are from 2009 and
apparently use of formula has doubled since then. So it looks like formula milk
is not a very eco-friendly option and that’s before we start thinking about buying
and making bottles and sterilising them and heating water for the milk. In the
UK alone estimates of the carbon emissions savings gained by breast feeding
instead of bottle are the equivalent of taking 50 000 to 77 500 cars off the
road per year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">We can safely assume that Jesus was breast fed and Mary and
Joseph didn’t have to worry about such issues. Unlike the 78 million children
who are not breast fed in the world, the 76% of children not being <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>exclusively breast fed at 6 weeks in the UK
and of course our Teda friends.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">What about the other end of the baby. There has been a lot
of discussion about cloth versus disposable nappies and the fact that <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">using both electricity and hot water to wash and
dry cotton nappies makes them less eco-friendly than you would imagine.</span> Washing
at lower temperatures and line drying would clearly reduce their impact. However
this is far from the only consideration, for a start nappies have to be
transported around and obviously you need a lot more miles to transport disposable
ones than cotton! Then they have to be disposed of; in the UK estimates are
that they make 2-3% of land fill as they slowly disappear.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg5eMlKymzAZild3-2xbQqeDAkxekyLAUIICjGh9j14YGYHCq-3kdVuLcV2E1ooP_ie4GXuL66peukEEBeLziJD6buXimxd94w30nztBbxghcRiLaS5RUgNRaQHDnqsyysW9oBavIZDjU/s1600/IMG-20191209-WA0004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg5eMlKymzAZild3-2xbQqeDAkxekyLAUIICjGh9j14YGYHCq-3kdVuLcV2E1ooP_ie4GXuL66peukEEBeLziJD6buXimxd94w30nztBbxghcRiLaS5RUgNRaQHDnqsyysW9oBavIZDjU/s640/IMG-20191209-WA0004.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Things begin to look
even less ecological when you start to consider production; it takes 3 times
more energy, 20 more raw materials and 2 times more water to make a disposable
nappy compared to a reusable one. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Sadly Bardai doesn’t do too well. Although where we live
most clothes are washed by hand using no electricity and dried on the line ( easy
when it doesn’t rain) all of which should make the cloth option even better.
However most of our Teda friends use disposable nappies and they are disposed
of just about anywhere, with no concern for hygiene and waiting for the next
500 years to pass before they disappear. All the other problems apply too , they
have to be brought to Bardai in trucks across the desert and of course they
have to be manufactured as well. It could be time for some interesting conversations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Let’s get back to Christmas, I guess Mary didn’t have the
luxury of nappies in any form and must have used some eco-friendly extra
swaddling for Jesus and that’s not so uncommon in Chad either, it can be
disconcerting to end up wet when giving a baby a cuddle! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">So after all this cheerful information what next? May be
this year as we celebrate the birth of this special baby it might be the moment
to start thinking and working out what you can do to make a difference to
protect this beautiful world we have been given.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ZRIaa7GJSjMLJsv22OQPjuRd5dBx_Y7d9ku0_AHEYTmVX60rfXRZ4gba-0zWGtwN2TJIn4EN80xM5kmliMRg-7Cmqa05_vlqTdYGHNBoPpIFVig3WILgnyeLEKcCg4KN2Abd2qUkjaA/s1600/20191121_160100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ZRIaa7GJSjMLJsv22OQPjuRd5dBx_Y7d9ku0_AHEYTmVX60rfXRZ4gba-0zWGtwN2TJIn4EN80xM5kmliMRg-7Cmqa05_vlqTdYGHNBoPpIFVig3WILgnyeLEKcCg4KN2Abd2qUkjaA/s640/20191121_160100.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Happy Christmas and many blessings for an environmentally friendly New Year</b></span></div>
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<br />Mark and Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809839853421432386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2058747719227378450.post-40471653208560178312019-11-29T10:24:00.001+01:002019-12-01T03:15:51.705+01:00Towards a greener Sahara - Part 2<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrs1OrIq6WF7sWLOu1jc9W6JAF5RHk3gSbtNZ8-2n9HfLlPv-w1f-5gG1PygOY9W00Up0MuJvHPG6EtI2_vebYwQz8H_2nNYDBUwvADVf3Oj8MfIfXiirtiEe1BG6lvNP22YPB8bPJ14s/s1600/Blog+11+2019+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="1242" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrs1OrIq6WF7sWLOu1jc9W6JAF5RHk3gSbtNZ8-2n9HfLlPv-w1f-5gG1PygOY9W00Up0MuJvHPG6EtI2_vebYwQz8H_2nNYDBUwvADVf3Oj8MfIfXiirtiEe1BG6lvNP22YPB8bPJ14s/s640/Blog+11+2019+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The hospital gates are open for a day.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">The loud speaker on
the small mosque on the far side of the wadi crackles into life at 4:30 am,
awakening the faithful and calling them to prayer at dawn. It is the coolest
time of day but not yet the cold season so the temperature is a respectable 15C.
There is a slight chill in the air but <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>we are sleeping outside in our yard. Sometimes
I say a short silent prayer from my bed, sometimes not, either way I am soon
asleep again until 6am. I don’t hear it every day but a few nights ago I did
and shortly afterwards there was the sound of the gates opening in the
neighbours yard and a couple of petrol engines coughed into life. They sat
there running for 10 minutes or more, to make sure the engine was warm, and then
I heard the cabin doors <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of the pick ups slamming
shut, others passengers were no doubt <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>climbing on the back that is already piled high with luggage and with a cry they were off
down the rocky hillside <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>on their
adventure- to the gold fields. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-f0XbH2ubnqaK8I0nZ82X2f8pHN4XjzftvwNWM5L6h45cfgn-8frd4gaDiR4D5vgu2CTYqcqcwR0FLfkroBug4ENy12vxNTYeTPnXaJsLrZ0jieduoWmCr_Ecvnt5CGTnmgRqJ06KC4w/s1600/Blog+11+2019+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="442" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-f0XbH2ubnqaK8I0nZ82X2f8pHN4XjzftvwNWM5L6h45cfgn-8frd4gaDiR4D5vgu2CTYqcqcwR0FLfkroBug4ENy12vxNTYeTPnXaJsLrZ0jieduoWmCr_Ecvnt5CGTnmgRqJ06KC4w/s200/Blog+11+2019+2.jpg" width="195" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">The Teda, it seems to
me, are never happier than when they are travelling. I guess that in the past
that the men spent time away from their villages in the mountains riding on
camel trains, but now camels are rare and are used as a source of meat rather than
transport. They have been replaced by Toyota pickips, be they the lighter slightly more
economical Hi-Lux pickups or the more rugged and thirsty Land Cruisers
preferred by the military and those that can afford them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyX_iE2RSWkGqmPoFp1QcV0-owcg7FDHcxNTNGJpd-eX8cYVqzwFx-JF0Bxjp07yn91jeuVtWn2XvdTRhjywzBHqBwjwhARENuXJ6UvMpSq46iARDVoD6XEdgdckxDLrWWBRZEAyaZB_c/s1600/Blog+11+2019+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="927" data-original-width="716" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyX_iE2RSWkGqmPoFp1QcV0-owcg7FDHcxNTNGJpd-eX8cYVqzwFx-JF0Bxjp07yn91jeuVtWn2XvdTRhjywzBHqBwjwhARENuXJ6UvMpSq46iARDVoD6XEdgdckxDLrWWBRZEAyaZB_c/s400/Blog+11+2019+3.jpg" width="308" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Energy efficiency label in Bardai.<br />Verdict poor.</span> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">So what happened to
the motorbikes that are so comparatively cheap to buy and economical to run? A fuel efficiency of giving<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>80-100 mpg. There are two in
Bardai and they are rarely seen in use. In the Tibesti the distances between
towns are such that you need to travel with all your fuel and water plus
sleeping equipment, and you wouldn’t ever travel alone. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even driving around town for short trips would be difficult
due to all the loose sand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So unlike Ndjamena
and the south of the country, where motorbikes outnumber cars 10:1, and saloon
cars and taxis similarly outnumber SUV’s, in Bardai a small means of transport
is a 4X4 petrol powered pickup giving about 26 mpg. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ1Czbq7LZ5f_jyb6LyA93pnsivDQ4T99w0CvfeoHBfmvK0tvtfaBL4ap9tvQfcZJA1cIuKX75F1V9yd_LosFPLYY_XBQckWykZ0EedrqZI3JntfL6cd2GKxR2GNL0ObX8Jrg_T8sDo4g/s1600/Blog+11+2019+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="855" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ1Czbq7LZ5f_jyb6LyA93pnsivDQ4T99w0CvfeoHBfmvK0tvtfaBL4ap9tvQfcZJA1cIuKX75F1V9yd_LosFPLYY_XBQckWykZ0EedrqZI3JntfL6cd2GKxR2GNL0ObX8Jrg_T8sDo4g/s640/Blog+11+2019+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At the Drive Thru Pharmacy!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The young Teda men
drive them around all the time, even f!or short trips of a kilometre or so
around the town. Fuel economy is not a consideration with a price of 40p a litre from Libya as opposed to 80p in Ndjamena. Engines are left running not
only to warm up (Is that really needed) but also
whilst trying to fit in a quick consultation at the hospital and then drive
straight on the 50 meters to the pharmacy to get the drugs. Actually as the
hospital has got busier we have limited that by trying to keep the gates locked so as
to diminish the risk of accident in what should be a pedestrian zone. </span><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">If the Teda lived in London perhaps some criticism of their choice of expensive 4X4, or indeed any personal vehicle could be justified. The effects of CO2 and other pollutants are significant both for the health of the planet and its human population. But what other choice could be practical for this isolated mountain dwelling people? Many of them live in homes that cost much less than their vehicles with no sanitation or running water. The long distances on sand and mountains, on unmade roads, means that it is either a camel train or 4X4. I know which I would choose. At least off road vehicles are used o<i>ff road </i>here, unlike in the UK where many are only <i>off road </i>when parked on the pavement of a congested city.</span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ouwnryfFyvcUxb16MRZQ_teOYg9LrlQYRdE6XE2CBcBe8EVtbjAWzZ6KqnqTy8Im9T0QgWNDsJKx44UnEAkEMM3IWgMdfwaMxb9NxuBhSBJGuRSgNFhuj8DWklucsGeNXykx_Df2q-o/s1600/Blog+11+2019+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="844" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ouwnryfFyvcUxb16MRZQ_teOYg9LrlQYRdE6XE2CBcBe8EVtbjAWzZ6KqnqTy8Im9T0QgWNDsJKx44UnEAkEMM3IWgMdfwaMxb9NxuBhSBJGuRSgNFhuj8DWklucsGeNXykx_Df2q-o/s640/Blog+11+2019+7.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Gold mining equipment, sand sifters, for sale in Bardai</span></td></tr>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">The sheer numbers of
vehicles up here is amazing, where <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>did
all the money come from. The cheapest new <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>pick ups <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>coming from Libya are £24 000 and another
£8000 for Chadian import taxes ( the latter rarely paid in this remote province). In a
country where nurses and teachers are paid $300 a month this is a colossal sum.
Many of the men struck it rich with the early part of the gold rush when large
nuggets were being readily found in the superficial sands using metal detectors. A
vehicle cost about 500g of gold. It was all <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a bit of a lottery you might find some <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>large nuggets, you might find nothing or you
might be really unlucky and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>find an
antipersonnel mine. However prospecting for nuggets finds just a small <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a fraction of the available gold, now the men
are digging large quantities of auriferous sand and rocks and using air blowers
they can sift it and get about half of the available gold. It is less efficient
than traditional water washing but water
is in short supply and there isn’t even enough for basic hygiene; diarrhoeal
illness, typhoid<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and viral<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>hepatitis have been frequent problems. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last week I heard of 2 new tragedies, one
immediate and one long term. The first was of a mine collapse that killed 30
people up towards the Libyan frontier. Unsupported mine workings in rich seams
of gold bearing dirt are dangerous. I saw a photo of a similar accident from
September, a large group of men lined up around a large sunken linear crater in
which another 30 men had lost their lives, there were no survivors. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">The second and long term problem is
that of using mercury, a very dense liquid metal, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to improve the yield. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reportedly using this technique 80g ($3500) of tiny flecks of gold can
be found in a sack of 50KG of dirt. The process is simple using a small amount
of water to make a suspension of the dirt mercury is added and all the gold that comes into
contact with the mercury dissolves in it making an amalgam. The mercury is then
gently heated <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and it boils away leaving grains of pure gold. The problem is that
mercury which can be inhaled is toxic in many ways including neurological and
psychiatric syndromes. In other gold mining sites around the world mercury poisoning is a
major problem as environmental contamination of fields and water supplies
around villages leads to birth defects, mental retardation in the next
generation. At least up in the remote wilderness only working men are found and
so the risks are confined to them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Gold, if it is well
managed, is a potential blessing for the economy of the Tibesti. It could bring
about major beneficial changes for the local and incoming populations and since
2012 there are some big changes in population and markets. The immediate <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>problems associated with infectious disease,
accidents and insecurity are all to some extent acknowledged but so far the
long term issues arising from environmental pollution, be that from vehicles or
mercury, are not even on the radar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdFe1nBrl74HpsOJy73YvjXFdbc16O8BFplgitQ_Pi8UVyPIFJO2HI6O1JK59Ch5eV3L-HuTekvXq1HDsGu24X8JQHnk58OjEl3cozDLN2pyXy_MYrKZ4NGxdsvdt5JxYG3U1Na9A7qlg/s1600/Blog+11+2019+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="631" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdFe1nBrl74HpsOJy73YvjXFdbc16O8BFplgitQ_Pi8UVyPIFJO2HI6O1JK59Ch5eV3L-HuTekvXq1HDsGu24X8JQHnk58OjEl3cozDLN2pyXy_MYrKZ4NGxdsvdt5JxYG3U1Na9A7qlg/s640/Blog+11+2019+5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYtHnyNxHMCg6IKXAD81o-bHtdq-U3wuF1ThczkPU0-BZOW9Rc_ABiltoGgrLXlhAA9IK0bx40P-hQrvr-llhe-ld1-dk3FBgZgC_fyASD3GZ7aghB7mzZwrpTx_xJ6b4MQCBj3BbzK8Y/s1600/Blog+11+2019+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="284" data-original-width="631" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYtHnyNxHMCg6IKXAD81o-bHtdq-U3wuF1ThczkPU0-BZOW9Rc_ABiltoGgrLXlhAA9IK0bx40P-hQrvr-llhe-ld1-dk3FBgZgC_fyASD3GZ7aghB7mzZwrpTx_xJ6b4MQCBj3BbzK8Y/s640/Blog+11+2019+6.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In a cloud of dust, showing off to the girls using the new 'camel'</span></td></tr>
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<br />Mark and Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809839853421432386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2058747719227378450.post-14704435148594324302019-10-06T18:32:00.001+01:002019-12-15T19:09:10.329+01:00Towards a greener Sahara: Part 1<br />
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A question : September 20<sup>th</sup> 2019, where were
you?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And what did you do?</div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfZXCUoyBgq7JEYAx-veouQgQ5Vsh1GL9-p71cSf6fOKiEnhJLo-a9mjvtw8EqKyfZ3y2RabPzp8sM4RnQ9t6uOHmV0MMrvcwpC1Bx4Z7RC5iySDT7aHekWr1m2LtI3ksY_cmAOageRvQ/s1600/blog+1+%25287%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfZXCUoyBgq7JEYAx-veouQgQ5Vsh1GL9-p71cSf6fOKiEnhJLo-a9mjvtw8EqKyfZ3y2RabPzp8sM4RnQ9t6uOHmV0MMrvcwpC1Bx4Z7RC5iySDT7aHekWr1m2LtI3ksY_cmAOageRvQ/s640/blog+1+%25287%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The evening before, we were in London drinking coffee with
Rebecca. When we compared plans for the following day, they couldn’t have been
more different. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqcIZMCxhX6fUdnqHbyfHi8j_a8RO5930LrL-1FBoD0ju2nA_QTIrfHMg4JKeo6SlU4-Mwr4Lkh_7F5NUbfI_sDXaGw0b6gM-FI2pkKelqOUFbl0YCaTYFFYr27ahe-Qcs7NvjuwwydlM/s1600/blog+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="337" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqcIZMCxhX6fUdnqHbyfHi8j_a8RO5930LrL-1FBoD0ju2nA_QTIrfHMg4JKeo6SlU4-Mwr4Lkh_7F5NUbfI_sDXaGw0b6gM-FI2pkKelqOUFbl0YCaTYFFYr27ahe-Qcs7NvjuwwydlM/s320/blog+1.jpg" width="178" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celebrating Mark's <br />
birthday at 35,000 feet</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpEqiX1oD8GbqM-FD9rENIX8zsqw-A57r2qz2Az6iV0VZEtR9giXW7SKbzU8dZ-seVn1MfbtsbcvBNDRy_G7-z8-0N4f0q-zV0G1gtS1otm0_tq65jstJKyx8euTvqpiy2tVkZj-h0PQ0/s1600/blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="605" data-original-width="340" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpEqiX1oD8GbqM-FD9rENIX8zsqw-A57r2qz2Az6iV0VZEtR9giXW7SKbzU8dZ-seVn1MfbtsbcvBNDRy_G7-z8-0N4f0q-zV0G1gtS1otm0_tq65jstJKyx8euTvqpiy2tVkZj-h0PQ0/s320/blog.jpg" width="178" /></a>She had made a difficult
decision to skip lectures from her course at King’s College London and join with
members of the university Students for Global Health Society and millions of young
people around the world on the Global Climate Strike. </div>
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We would have loved to
join her too but instead we had to wake up at 3am, walk to Terminal 4 Heathrow
and board an Air France flight to Paris then on to Abuja and finally Ndjamena,
a journey of at least 3500 CO2 emitting air miles.</div>
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Could we have done the journey in a different way? Horse and
cart, sailing boat and camel train would have made for an interesting blog, and
would have been quite in the spirit of Greta Thunberg’s recent voyage to the
Climate Change Action Summit at the UN. Alternatively we could have symbolically
delayed our flight, but in doing so we would have missed the special MAF
charter flight to get out team back to Bardai. In reality neither were
practical possibilities, we needed to get back to work supporting and
developing the health services in the Tibesti mountains- mid Sahara. However neither
we, nor BMS World mission, are ignoring the impact of our travel on climate
change. How could we? It is the poor and disadvantaged that we seek to serve
who will suffer the most from its consequences. Accordingly all our miles
travelled by air to and from Chad or on home assignment are logged and a
financial carbon offset is set aside for the BMS Eco-Fund. In an imperfect
world, this helps to reduce the unintended consequences of our travel.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR8lygZBXzFtS-YrPMmzZZSwMYhxiVet4r44hZFCAyVjzExufbkARqwlf6280L0iDE_hDZmNj1KbTI0cIvY1kPSXdCKvQcW2Q1YxQxnSi64ZPhkGqxOsExC26PW-jejJyukdqlT_El37Y/s1600/blog+1+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1034" data-original-width="1379" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR8lygZBXzFtS-YrPMmzZZSwMYhxiVet4r44hZFCAyVjzExufbkARqwlf6280L0iDE_hDZmNj1KbTI0cIvY1kPSXdCKvQcW2Q1YxQxnSi64ZPhkGqxOsExC26PW-jejJyukdqlT_El37Y/s640/blog+1+%25283%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<o:p> </o:p>The Tibesti mountains are one of those places where a small
change in temperature or rainfall could completely alter the character of the
towns and the life of the people that live there. The Sahara is no stranger to
climate change there have been previous profound natural changes on the flora,
fauna and way of life as it becomes drier and drier. Five to ten thousand years ago , during the last ice age, the Sahara was green and the mountains and
valleys were the habitat of elephants, giraffes, ostriches and other exotic
animals. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKWLkFAuLs4187hJ7_Ak_yyxxNJUvaRBMnKVPYz0hcYJiwaBc1zVjQhxildGW_1qkVno0ZNCAOgOn1VODXmcp5-1hyphenhyphenM9Q6ezk2AzqRg5wB7uQq1ahT726cXvi1zpu-09keyWz7LLDTbQg/s1600/blog+1+%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="287" data-original-width="430" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKWLkFAuLs4187hJ7_Ak_yyxxNJUvaRBMnKVPYz0hcYJiwaBc1zVjQhxildGW_1qkVno0ZNCAOgOn1VODXmcp5-1hyphenhyphenM9Q6ezk2AzqRg5wB7uQq1ahT726cXvi1zpu-09keyWz7LLDTbQg/s400/blog+1+%25284%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a>The evidence can be seen in the
fossil record at the museum in Ndjamena and also carved on to rocks and cliffs
some of which are at just a couple of km from our house. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the Teda people migrated here, their
tradition says from Egypt in about 600BC , the tropical animals had gone ,
perhaps it was them that introduced the camel ( strictly speaking dromedary) to
the area. They may have seen however have seen some North African elephants on
their way through modern day Libya. (Hannibal’s hometown Carthage was nearby on
the Mediterranean coast).<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg49jUHW4iuab4HhhPBPjFBsmM3RLSZuYLwcFzgXxQosPN80TbnQ9MZf2dcnWfbTGDAOSi9KvNRNNiXUgKKNMPrcVNJonVDXVmbPbTep9OWgZt8e0KZJL9ONBRbP14_5WdyhDLOTt8byu0/s1600/blog+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="407" data-original-width="543" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg49jUHW4iuab4HhhPBPjFBsmM3RLSZuYLwcFzgXxQosPN80TbnQ9MZf2dcnWfbTGDAOSi9KvNRNNiXUgKKNMPrcVNJonVDXVmbPbTep9OWgZt8e0KZJL9ONBRbP14_5WdyhDLOTt8byu0/s400/blog+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flooding in the wadi</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They settled <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in the
mountains mid Sahara at various places where water could be found, sometimes at
springs where water flow out of rocks and sometimes in places like Bardai
beside a <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>wadi (a mostly dry seasonal river
that floods after rains come in the mountains) . In Bardai they found a place
where the water table would have been just below the surface of the sand <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>along with associated small lakes and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>permanent wet lands. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each year the rains came the wadi would flood
and the life sustaining superficial underground water would be replenished. The
date palms, which need to be able to get into a water table at most four metres
from the surface flourished<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and much of
the local culture and calendar revolved around the dates, climbing and
pollinating, harvesting, using the trunks for housing, the spines as pins, the fibres
from the leaves to make ropes, the bases of the branches for firewood, the
branches themselves as supports for the long reeds growing in the wetlands
which are used for making partition walls and roofing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj4m0Ij5YOMSzXDeyAIWQEqM1gABE37kOMJ1kTdA6e-JZvGpoGeygtLoHiuSm8iWN7A4Nk9vvC8hy9PhXbWcUuHuOXPoUDso2qLYXd5kzdxFFc5Aqj0LETA-_7jtyMLVhTPbnl-d1y468/s1600/blog+1+%25288%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="753" data-original-width="742" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj4m0Ij5YOMSzXDeyAIWQEqM1gABE37kOMJ1kTdA6e-JZvGpoGeygtLoHiuSm8iWN7A4Nk9vvC8hy9PhXbWcUuHuOXPoUDso2qLYXd5kzdxFFc5Aqj0LETA-_7jtyMLVhTPbnl-d1y468/s400/blog+1+%25288%2529.jpg" width="393" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An old well</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now the traditional way of life in this rocky oasis is under
increasing threat. The palm trees are still there, producing plenty of dates,
but the water levels are falling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Forty years
ago there were many gardens and fields throughout the valley, water was drawn
from wells using the simple old technology of a counterbalance bucket and the
water poured into open channels that irrigated the enclosed fields. Vegetables
and amazingly enough wheat was grown to make the traditional Teda flatbreads.
Water must have been plentiful. Now there are just one or two of these farms
left growing lettuce, rocket<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and okra,
no one grows wheat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The disused wells
look dry, the wetlands have gone and the water table has fallen to between 2
and 3 metres. The local people say that it just doesn’t rain like it used to.
Climate change is significant but hasn’t been the only impetus to change, the
turn of the century rebellion that lasted about 8 years took a generation of
men off the fields, joining the rebels, or fleeing to Libya or Ndjamena. The
remaining villagers,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the elderly, women
and children were obliged to live in the towns. Once peace came in 2008 the
discovery of gold and the open frontier with Libya have lead to an influx of
cheap flour and other foods, all this coupled with climate change there has
been no incentive to return to the old way of life. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJjv_SWuGMBLuwN9FHvBoT8UeqUxa2tfViAb3_FG80IT5_iM8b16qru536B9yxhYPlGii7QPUJgY1n-lpDwcGIs2abLu3agCMESmIuGWw763F1BeT-gEYsePrnPGwQXXEVz1BmJfJ3rAs/s1600/blog+1+%25285%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJjv_SWuGMBLuwN9FHvBoT8UeqUxa2tfViAb3_FG80IT5_iM8b16qru536B9yxhYPlGii7QPUJgY1n-lpDwcGIs2abLu3agCMESmIuGWw763F1BeT-gEYsePrnPGwQXXEVz1BmJfJ3rAs/s640/blog+1+%25285%2529.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After the floods at the hospital</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the UK we are getting used to extreme weather events and
flooding. The Teda have lived with the risk for thousands of years as a nice
flat dry wadi can become a raging torrent. Presumably Jesus had experience of
similar events in Palestine, the wise man built his house upon the rock, the
foolish one built his house upon the sand ( The Bible Matt 7 24 onwards).
Villages and markets were traditionally built on rocky hillsides beside wadis.
Now in Bardai there are many buildings on the flat broad sandy areas at a
reasonable distance from the main wadi as it is so much easier to build there. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This year heavy rains have come and wreaked damage, the
walled hospital filled with muddy water and only avoided serious internal damage
when the gates were opened and the water could flow out. Abdoulaye, the
gatekeeper awoke to find his small tin shop flooded and lost a lot of stock. He
has been here since 2008 and had never seen rain or flooding like it. The same
flood waters shot through the town to get to the main wadi, destroying a number
of shops. In a nearby village there was much more damage and loss of livestock.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLeug8EO9MsNpzflkUFdmQZzLv6l0-nBhWOST_A-pPb6ubDly72U0udOtVhyo7TeZKhIbvBMcDQz7lpMrDsExk0DYIJJgOM1ZyogatzF44HsdutuOk_qyjczITdDct7jcU7esDqo_u2ug/s1600/blog+1+%25286%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLeug8EO9MsNpzflkUFdmQZzLv6l0-nBhWOST_A-pPb6ubDly72U0udOtVhyo7TeZKhIbvBMcDQz7lpMrDsExk0DYIJJgOM1ZyogatzF44HsdutuOk_qyjczITdDct7jcU7esDqo_u2ug/s640/blog+1+%25286%2529.jpg" width="360" /></a>The eco system here is finely balanced, at times hot and dry
with temperatures of up to 45C in the shade in the hot months, at others overnight
temperatures approaching freezing at night in the cold months. There is little
local rainfall and the town is reliant on periodic flooding of the wadi from
water that falls on the vast areas of bare rock on the surrounding mountains.
Too little, irregular rain and the date palms will die, too much rain at one
time and the destruction of property and life is serious. This balance could be
jeopardised by even a small rise in global temperatures and accompanying changing
weather patterns. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You can see that there have been some important ecological
changes in Bardai, as in the rest of the world. Over the next 3 or 4 months we
plan to look at how we and our neighbours live here and how that impacts the
environment.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Mark and Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809839853421432386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2058747719227378450.post-31284442515873666942019-05-12T18:06:00.002+01:002019-05-12T18:07:30.399+01:0010 (1000) Reasons why it’s good to be in Bardai<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
We have been back in Bardai for 2 months now and thought we
would share with you some of the joys of being here.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "lucida console";">Sweet smelling flowers (and tasty
vegetables)in the garden<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "lucida console";"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0NLPNXO3UiWRWmaumd2gBqauEwGQyMpEc8xQxp0ccTPu8hVAJ3ZlGa-kqLCFRQYzKscr64hmxx8E2Gau0PLj8e8CsPGZMJQi1OOiaIiTBFWWiGnNnuJkMR3rdirWfPKDTqK6X0RZFcp8/s1600/20190430_062414_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0NLPNXO3UiWRWmaumd2gBqauEwGQyMpEc8xQxp0ccTPu8hVAJ3ZlGa-kqLCFRQYzKscr64hmxx8E2Gau0PLj8e8CsPGZMJQi1OOiaIiTBFWWiGnNnuJkMR3rdirWfPKDTqK6X0RZFcp8/s640/20190430_062414_resized.jpg" width="360" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxH-21VQdeGDF5lvB0THFt7CCRLMeGzmMxE4hxddm3LotITpxwWffKvLT566QI_izhrqP2iD5Q_ODYr_6z1Rk5A4gkikcd2cwxwsf9LpkEOao5qd4vOrcxc2YdkLGNSctFelZhN8zKM5U/s1600/20190430_065253_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxH-21VQdeGDF5lvB0THFt7CCRLMeGzmMxE4hxddm3LotITpxwWffKvLT566QI_izhrqP2iD5Q_ODYr_6z1Rk5A4gkikcd2cwxwsf9LpkEOao5qd4vOrcxc2YdkLGNSctFelZhN8zKM5U/s640/20190430_065253_resized.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Imagine our surprise when we arrived back to see the sweet
peas we had planted<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in October sprouting
well. We have now had 2 flowers and there are many more on their way. Sweet peas
in April strange but beautiful. Not only that but<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the warm temperatures here although they have
not been too high just yet ,mean that everything grows so rapidly. We planted
green beans and courgettes when we arrived back 8 weeks ago and have already
eaten plenty<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of courgettes and some
beans. It’s amazing to see and we are also enjoying all the herbs and the
spinach that our neighbour watered for us whilst we were away and so kept
alive. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Living an ecological life</span></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Living in the middle of the desert means that we have plenty
of sunshine and our house is completely powered by solar power. We have a solar
fridge which works remarkably well and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>we also have<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>solar oven. We also
don’t own a car so walk everywhere except for occasional lifts from people who
find it strange that we are on foot. It’s a much more ecological way of life
than when we are in the UK or Ndjamena.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Helping to treat our previous next door
neighbour<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
Our previous next-door neighbour had a major bleed after
giving birth and only just survived, when we arrived back she was still very
unwell. After admitting her to hospital we were able to diagnose that due to
the bleeding she now had another problem, where she was not making the
necessary hormones she needed to make breast milk and to maintain her blood
pressure. She is making a good recovery now and it’s great to see the
improvement and not only that but MAF were
able to bring us the drugs needed to treat her at just the right moment.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFONrtQNpJ87ceq_QT9WWteS5fbiqQ1lpLNFSteFwtvQDO5EjpnHvHL6THGqVUqvlOc2RRZnRchyphenhyphenAsRwZeZVDmGAZNnH1bHNCLX31A2a0uQyFvbmCK-jp5aOAtgg6ifEyYc9rZhN18FWg/s1600/20190430_101608_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFONrtQNpJ87ceq_QT9WWteS5fbiqQ1lpLNFSteFwtvQDO5EjpnHvHL6THGqVUqvlOc2RRZnRchyphenhyphenAsRwZeZVDmGAZNnH1bHNCLX31A2a0uQyFvbmCK-jp5aOAtgg6ifEyYc9rZhN18FWg/s640/20190430_101608_resized.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our previous next-door neighbours</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Fresh vegetables and fruit</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Life is full of surprises here and it was always fun to go
to the market and see what had arrived from Libya. When we first arrived back
fresh fruit and vegetables were in really low supply and weeks were going by
with no fruit. In the last few weeks things have dramatically improved and we
have been excited to buy green peppers and Kiwi fruit for the first time here
and plenty of carrots, apples and aubergines. It makes meals more interesting
and means our dried supplies will last a little longer.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Operating a man badly wounded in
the abdomen</span><span style="font-family: "maiandra gd" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi248g-jfszX-_UqPweJiczllLEG-oz23sEuMhpxI9nT-rhf883lQTDyqNCG9jnjTDNacJFl9TM8FV6P-benhGpdvM9m90maslevJ-cwgGdg2AIyU77HdKg57JAH-3At-HP6dTPh7wIpP4/s1600/20190412_130323.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1033" data-original-width="1600" height="411" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi248g-jfszX-_UqPweJiczllLEG-oz23sEuMhpxI9nT-rhf883lQTDyqNCG9jnjTDNacJFl9TM8FV6P-benhGpdvM9m90maslevJ-cwgGdg2AIyU77HdKg57JAH-3At-HP6dTPh7wIpP4/s640/20190412_130323.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mark with the now recovered patient</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A few days after we started back at the hospital a man was
brought in seriously wounded by a gunshot wound in his abdomen. He had been
shot by someone robbing his lock up store on the goldfield 12 hours before. He
had somehow survived the journey but was now shocked and seriously unwell. After
resuscitating him he was taken for major surgery and his bowel , bladder and
his abdominal wall repaired. The good news is that we were there and he
survived the surgery to be able to return home tomorrow after his tooth has
been removed! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Celebrating the birth of our
next door neighbour’s baby</span><span style="font-family: "baskerville old face" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMcVoitxkdfcS7rwsUPetHjBw9fUlzWm8FRwQyAxNVmevmnfwlSW9gRaqtAj_QTKLVaFpMfIGP0huHuZeSOB_m_FpZjYekDlzAp_jl49OTgFrYf6vcCbRAozxz7yq7xF7EsX_PWRJ6wwg/s1600/5b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMcVoitxkdfcS7rwsUPetHjBw9fUlzWm8FRwQyAxNVmevmnfwlSW9gRaqtAj_QTKLVaFpMfIGP0huHuZeSOB_m_FpZjYekDlzAp_jl49OTgFrYf6vcCbRAozxz7yq7xF7EsX_PWRJ6wwg/s640/5b.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Food at the naming ceremony</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Three weeks ago I was called hastily to our next door
neighbours at ten pm. The baby had been born and the placenta wasn’t coming. Despite
my previous advice home delivery had still been the birth of choice. We set off
to the hospital after a few minutes, where the placenta was easily delivered,
and we were home again by midnight. A week later was naming ceremony day after
cutting onions early in the morning and peeling endless garlic it was off to
work then back at lunch time for a delicious meal. Since then regular visits
have been made as it’s a long time 40 days to spend in the house and there’s
plenty of time to chat and drink tea.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiStVq1Ydbjtve2qlZeqVtDtDAdJjq2PjgOyonphMlhEsKNKqb0okwPszReOFhNZmL9MS_BxG7asnogjakPBygYcaexyxIXM3b7HTiBESAf3YLgw4pSjsk62-XviwCshD7h2zSd_jOLiuE/s1600/5a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiStVq1Ydbjtve2qlZeqVtDtDAdJjq2PjgOyonphMlhEsKNKqb0okwPszReOFhNZmL9MS_BxG7asnogjakPBygYcaexyxIXM3b7HTiBESAf3YLgw4pSjsk62-XviwCshD7h2zSd_jOLiuE/s640/5a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Helping with preprarations</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br />Having the toilet with the best
view in the world!</span><span style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A while ago my sister sent me a picture of the view from the
toilets in the Shard it is pretty impressive but I immediately sent one back of
our amazing view of the mountains and not only that but the clear skies mean
that every night we are surrounded by a canopy of stars overhead<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and can clearly follow the moon through its
full cycle often not needing <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>our torches
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>as it shines so brightly.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZYjC0Z07TthnTiQihtS87yB5QxhBhBu7yZAS2gzkei85I8SuHlzEfiW3Ta7NNDdEplhEmF2QBpoXK_1jYZ7kcxGVoT-mKJR1TytW1S_PmxPdnQI3bZ9OR8KrJHVeCSQ8NsPOhMkjdq7s/s1600/20190430_062529_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZYjC0Z07TthnTiQihtS87yB5QxhBhBu7yZAS2gzkei85I8SuHlzEfiW3Ta7NNDdEplhEmF2QBpoXK_1jYZ7kcxGVoT-mKJR1TytW1S_PmxPdnQI3bZ9OR8KrJHVeCSQ8NsPOhMkjdq7s/s640/20190430_062529_resized.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from our loo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Baptisms at church</span><span style="font-family: "estrangelo midyat";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "estrangelo midyat";"><br /></span></b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh45A9iiZTHrkHakP7D3HXPUyj7SNfBX-Qe5wfKFQ5neh4DULF17P-UXQMhggouz_4ULUbDFBCU8br0Oi4CizMkYY9TkknK7mIqMcgVyJ3OjJvSo4F7W5JQd7cHr-vM1mK2nvjSpb9iQ6c/s1600/20190324_083830.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh45A9iiZTHrkHakP7D3HXPUyj7SNfBX-Qe5wfKFQ5neh4DULF17P-UXQMhggouz_4ULUbDFBCU8br0Oi4CizMkYY9TkknK7mIqMcgVyJ3OjJvSo4F7W5JQd7cHr-vM1mK2nvjSpb9iQ6c/s640/20190324_083830.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baptisms just outside the church</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Our concrete basin outside the church was back in use 2
weeks ago and we celebrated the baptism of 2 church members. It was an early
start at 7 30 and the water although not plentiful was warmer than it had been
in January last year. It was great to be there to witness the lives transformed <div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fondue in the desert</span></b></div>
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We received a message from our colleagues <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>who are back in Switzerland for the birth of
their baby that we should check out their stores (as they had been unable to
return here after our time in Ndjamena)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>and eat whatever was out of date. Great news when we found several
fondues and the first has already been eaten with home-made bread prepared by
Helen our Swiss midwife . <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Easter sunrise over the mountains</span><span style="font-family: "goudy stout" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYdekNnX6Qr2wgly9evlY-HrgWvnkbWZbfxFtPdqQh23OX5LHZbn7bQyNpjwmn8wAwEF2fYQ6qS2MY7m-B3Y3fXrBwYiFtQgLHFzGRxqslqnUImmx8pcjWXTsaAdgYMYkdtjF55TYTVoQ/s1600/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYdekNnX6Qr2wgly9evlY-HrgWvnkbWZbfxFtPdqQh23OX5LHZbn7bQyNpjwmn8wAwEF2fYQ6qS2MY7m-B3Y3fXrBwYiFtQgLHFzGRxqslqnUImmx8pcjWXTsaAdgYMYkdtjF55TYTVoQ/s640/9.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breakfast after sunrise</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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On Easter Sunday morning we climbed up the mountain nearest
the town and watch the sunrise .We have done this now each year we have been
here and although it involves an early start it has been a great way to
remember<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the resurrection of Jesus . We
celebrated afterwards with a tasty breakfast and then the church service. It’s
great to be back and be able to do this again. In Ndjamena there were no
mountains and a ladder to look over the wall is just not quite the same.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfBNStDzNrYwHPAY_Q0x5N8OaU2rluugVRmRBK-Ahv41vKFjS-u18ZbeyK05qEhLXTyrN6IN3gklA6rM75NeALDg_erctGnQ0MDET8lorw_19b3CPyky2L22-DbkTUIxEDlWJ2LuNW9tM/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="617" data-original-width="800" height="491" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfBNStDzNrYwHPAY_Q0x5N8OaU2rluugVRmRBK-Ahv41vKFjS-u18ZbeyK05qEhLXTyrN6IN3gklA6rM75NeALDg_erctGnQ0MDET8lorw_19b3CPyky2L22-DbkTUIxEDlWJ2LuNW9tM/s640/8.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise on Easter Sunday</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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A taste of life in<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Bardai -We hope that you too are able to experience in your lives the ‘joie
de vivre’ that we have here.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Mark and Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809839853421432386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2058747719227378450.post-53994682078601460332019-01-02T22:40:00.002+01:002019-01-03T06:13:20.514+01:00A Tale of Two Cities.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqU8dgzt-w5UCRCEbyZ3sAlRMFoAEjBfBGdRAwQ5B4tkN2Rwo1zpoyJqPe-2JupTCnruyBT2TzwpQfIp900el-n17ZCKXVNAXcD-hmuO9-X2qnJiBnjeGkSA1KIswwtP6SHEB7ZwVf1uo/s1600/20181215_171212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqU8dgzt-w5UCRCEbyZ3sAlRMFoAEjBfBGdRAwQ5B4tkN2Rwo1zpoyJqPe-2JupTCnruyBT2TzwpQfIp900el-n17ZCKXVNAXcD-hmuO9-X2qnJiBnjeGkSA1KIswwtP6SHEB7ZwVf1uo/s400/20181215_171212.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-Jw8us05hSe6693InoYEGl8Njpdyp41HVVMetUzm5XotjJ9pOXrPhZl_JQR4R2_7QuXkvyfaV4IZ0m06i2v8-sBEeqQqlcS4O82hiBH4kC-UTnlmxhuAkhpLJLt1zzWDBwDhsg1tVhg/s1600/20181218_084306-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="840" data-original-width="1600" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-Jw8us05hSe6693InoYEGl8Njpdyp41HVVMetUzm5XotjJ9pOXrPhZl_JQR4R2_7QuXkvyfaV4IZ0m06i2v8-sBEeqQqlcS4O82hiBH4kC-UTnlmxhuAkhpLJLt1zzWDBwDhsg1tVhg/s400/20181218_084306-1.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">That may not seem a very seasonal choice of Dickens titles,
to which I am obliged to reply, ‘bah humbug’ and carry on regardless. So ‘A
Tale of Two Cities.’</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">The first 'city' is really a hotel, it is as big as a village
and exudes importance. Built in the style of a Roman palace it has a defensive
wall, and huge gates with armed guards. Situated by the river it makes an
impressive sight, and all the trappings of worldly splendour have been added,
huge tastefully furnished entrance lobbies, an amazing swimming pool and gardens. <a href="https://www.agoda.com/en-gb/hilton-ndjamena-africa/hotel/n-djamena-td.html?cid=-218.%20%20">See for yourself by clicking here</a> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivYpumOH0B-3BRJRqZUZVoYGeghrEJ2cd4wihbhvA5TSPV86GRI9jciwC7rh2A7MRvlHxFHeZ1LMA9JlND9Y6dB7hOxRorJCX1vBUaOm7qvffdzMqQvOs5W23botO2y44jUNLVXjekH0c/s1600/20181215_154604.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivYpumOH0B-3BRJRqZUZVoYGeghrEJ2cd4wihbhvA5TSPV86GRI9jciwC7rh2A7MRvlHxFHeZ1LMA9JlND9Y6dB7hOxRorJCX1vBUaOm7qvffdzMqQvOs5W23botO2y44jUNLVXjekH0c/s640/20181215_154604.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOonMnV8o13b9X5-aZd2GBoBaqB39hG6wEZvE4I1VH50uXAhjfsjivVU7duzdIil6IwTmYWGS-u_-wxC6u4fVJGXdIhB9WgHejogt6dXFHTj85uNOPVhL0QTkkeqbUimm26ViFhAlRgGE/s1600/lights.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOonMnV8o13b9X5-aZd2GBoBaqB39hG6wEZvE4I1VH50uXAhjfsjivVU7duzdIil6IwTmYWGS-u_-wxC6u4fVJGXdIhB9WgHejogt6dXFHTj85uNOPVhL0QTkkeqbUimm26ViFhAlRgGE/s320/lights.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">The vast conference/ballroom can seat 500 at tables, has
chandeliers, air conditioning, and offers a very fine selection of coffee and
vienoisserie mid-morning, plus sumptuous buffet lunches from what are no doubt
excellent kitchens. All this was less impressive than the very interesting well
organised meeting organised by the Ministry of Health over 4 days in mid-
December. It was a bit of a surprise to get a telephone call from the Regional
Health Director in the Tibesti whilst driving in a rather battered looking
yellow taxi to the Health Ministry building. The line was very poor, but I
eventually understood I was to go to the Hilton straight away and represent him
at the meeting. Once there I saw that a major theme was Maternal Mortality and
so Andrea joined me the second battered taxi of the day to grace the otherwise
impeccable fleet of 4X4 and limousines on the forecourt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">It was really a very informative set of meetings, with
presentations and debates amongst the participants from the 23 regions of Chad,
all the major hospitals, the various programs and agencies, malaria, TB, HIV, UNICEF,
WHO, etc. The second day, having been directed to our seats amongst the Chadian
Regional Health Directors, and feeling a bit conspicuous, someone spotted us and assuming that we were with a large NGO, thought we should be on the other side of the room, but
then agreed we were already in the right place.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpPBvl8R_A2gm2tXl8bS1k9j-WdcK3Q2HTKRlMWp5M5lfEqGuNGI8lS4JVPQ1PHAunyAmCk9C9jRLW4yBOMG_68xvP609XvTjqQP4TnMpkgGQZRmoAiCBwX7QGwYkkxFz7iAEDAabf4qU/s1600/20181214_173544.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="414" data-original-width="1600" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpPBvl8R_A2gm2tXl8bS1k9j-WdcK3Q2HTKRlMWp5M5lfEqGuNGI8lS4JVPQ1PHAunyAmCk9C9jRLW4yBOMG_68xvP609XvTjqQP4TnMpkgGQZRmoAiCBwX7QGwYkkxFz7iAEDAabf4qU/s640/20181214_173544.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">In addition to the main theme, Important subjects such as
rural health mutual assurance, the currently bankrupt national Central Pharmacy
warehouse, immunisation programs and the National budget were discussed.
Perhaps the most important for us was how to encourage government employees who
are deployed to places such as Bardai to actually go to their postings rather
than simply remaining in Ndjamena and drawing their centrally paid salary. It
seems there may be a move towards decentralisation which may help.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As well as gaining a better understanding of the health care
system in Chad we renewed and made a number of new contacts, and even had a
brief talk with the health minister, who had some words of encouragement for our work
in Bardai.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">We sensed that there was a genuine attempt to address the
major problems and can only hope that in a years time we can hear of targets
for immunisation being reached, more doctors and nurses working in the regions
and a revitalised Central Pharmacy supplying low cost, good quality, generic
drugs throughout the country.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaQCxoovbFKAdxva55W_DVu96IepPR8QV_GKpActzM3VYpfGUbnSyDVlRFH-jYxfqdWGp8xNMOXeVlWOs-EQglRdfGQna4g_2q9ShwgIroCS0PpcjtP0iCdjvBo2QHkz_xnSWzMrO1zDM/s1600/camels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaQCxoovbFKAdxva55W_DVu96IepPR8QV_GKpActzM3VYpfGUbnSyDVlRFH-jYxfqdWGp8xNMOXeVlWOs-EQglRdfGQna4g_2q9ShwgIroCS0PpcjtP0iCdjvBo2QHkz_xnSWzMrO1zDM/s400/camels.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0_FVjxmIxuJ1tEQ88fhZOiEFKr5zn04GWo3EcpDX-TavAjX8F9yYLgCBjJS7MH8OPLBkUSzFqsLip_i9PHV9h7JGDhtpk3b506i33WDW3XOFb8tQSpXhTGPKhNfgw0KYj4YpLEvdzW-s/s1600/cows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0_FVjxmIxuJ1tEQ88fhZOiEFKr5zn04GWo3EcpDX-TavAjX8F9yYLgCBjJS7MH8OPLBkUSzFqsLip_i9PHV9h7JGDhtpk3b506i33WDW3XOFb8tQSpXhTGPKhNfgw0KYj4YpLEvdzW-s/s400/cows.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Two days later just before Christmas we had</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"> a completely
different experience, a journey from the centre of Chad to the margins took us
to Teriturenne, a village about 8 hours drive north of Ndjamena. The second
half of the route is across the same area of Sahel that had proved impassable due
to rain at the start of our journey last August. Now it was bone dry and it was difficult to believe that
the large herds of cattle and other animals that we saw will be able to survive
until the next rains; passing from water hole to waterhole and eating the
meagre ration of spontaneously dried hay that thinly covers the area. The
rolling hills of sand and earth have scattered trees with occasional villages
on the higher ground.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPskwT4OrItq7EMFyMtNBgq-CZ-6jMpaDUPRO45yDRic88D7ZhFA28QKuHFkw6jYTrdrjwD0acil7zSdFKgdVUFo37pDJW4sU0qucRMRcY7B4cGiinhmuXDJjik3aNkqTwLfOhGObIqaU/s1600/teriturunne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="1600" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPskwT4OrItq7EMFyMtNBgq-CZ-6jMpaDUPRO45yDRic88D7ZhFA28QKuHFkw6jYTrdrjwD0acil7zSdFKgdVUFo37pDJW4sU0qucRMRcY7B4cGiinhmuXDJjik3aNkqTwLfOhGObIqaU/s640/teriturunne.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">It is said that ‘A city on a hill cannot be hidden’ but if the
houses are spaced out single room mud brick buildings without electricity it
can be very difficult to spot, especially as we arrived at Teriturenne after
night fall. There are about 60 homes in the 2 halves of the village. Light is
not the only thing that is lacking. The name of the village Teriturenne means ‘one
water pail village’ and that water supply is 1-2 km away down a steep sandy
hill to the low ground, where the water is close to the surface. Despite this there is a thriving school in the local language that is attracting about 150 young
people and children from the surrounding area. This is a new concept to learn to read in Dazaga and then teach French later. The same project is now working
to get a solar powered well into the heart of the village, and as we arrived a
team of experienced Chadians were working to drill a well by hand 60m deep. It
was night and they had been drilling since midday and they continued working by the lights
of one of our vehicles. The bore was completed and lined with a plastic tube by midnight. It
was a real community event with women gathered round , </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GY1XADMZc8M" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;">ululating</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"> and garlanding the most enthusiastic worker;
three men rode up on horseback and pranced back and forth and then rode off
with gusto. The joy was palpable and the next day the news on everybody’s’ lips
was ‘the well was born’.On the next trips the water tower will be erected, and
the solar water pump installed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">We were there to see whether there was any possibility of
having a small health clinic in the same village. We spent most of the day
travelling over 100 km around the local area looking at what clinics were already in
place. Fortunately, we had talked with the Chief Medical officer for the region
at the Hilton Hotel just 3 days before to get his permission for the visit. We
were travelling with a Chadian who is now a teacher in the University having
done a master’s in law in the UK and who is seeking to help his birth village.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Recurring themes in all the villages we visited were the
lack of drugs in the clinics, the problem of getting women having difficulty
in labour to hospital, absentee staff, and a total lack of even
basic dental care. They seemed less concerned about the lack of a good complete
vaccination program and seemed proud and content with the once a year anti
polio campaign.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipBz503jF9piXf_Nx_oCaSrZOsz4lXDQ8OKW-LUGuGxlLatBO2iZmGrhLzNP6mMqXPJVNeut5qW1mldhgeMxZO-wNy2mYfyNiMkJrxUaRaXHvWykVXY-8KVoSLll8hBcqG76KNrif2tXs/s1600/20181215_211651.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipBz503jF9piXf_Nx_oCaSrZOsz4lXDQ8OKW-LUGuGxlLatBO2iZmGrhLzNP6mMqXPJVNeut5qW1mldhgeMxZO-wNy2mYfyNiMkJrxUaRaXHvWykVXY-8KVoSLll8hBcqG76KNrif2tXs/s400/20181215_211651.jpg" width="225" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">In the evening we learnt about the reality of rural
healthcare, there may well be a small clinic about 10 km away,but there were
two patients who were seriously unwell and had been for 2 or 3 days, and no one
was making any effort to get help. (apart from asking the visiting doctors after dark).
The first was a man who was severely dehydrated with a diarrhoeal illness and
another a young girl with a severe infection of the face and a high fever. We had
an emergency kit with us and were able to set up the necessary intravenous
drugs in their homes, something which we never do elsewhere, but it was clearly
a day to bend the rules. The young girl was improving by the next morning and
after a second injection could continue with tablets. The man needed more care
in a hospital or clinic, but refused to travel, so on our way home to Ndjamena
we stopped off at the clinic 10 km away and spoke with the local informally
trained nurse. We paid for the necessary medicines and he agreed to go and give
them. He knows the village as his son is there staying with friends so that he
can go to the school. We have since heard that both have done well. Later this month we can
check on them when we go back to speak again with the local people, do
some health education and treat any dental problems that are there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">And now a question to consider; in which city would you expect to see God
at work, at the Hilton or in Teriturenne? The answer we are glad to say is that
we have seen it in both. However, if you are wise enough to be looking for a
baby, try the village, the stars are truly amazing. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
Mark and Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809839853421432386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2058747719227378450.post-71352012495393051192018-12-14T21:48:00.004+01:002018-12-14T22:15:42.239+01:00Waiting for Christmas<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwgWuI2AtyncXSrdaFKgVgHLCzwfTd9cMBv0T6muqQ4QhB_zBnXqk3wHIkQIzmQ3mtdQTvxJidGeHUi1hQNMYhqE5my0fxLc1cJSrTHloKz2OcUzBQhekptsuj1FQB-2jx3UMn2gkp32Q/s1600/20171223_114432.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="747" data-original-width="1600" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwgWuI2AtyncXSrdaFKgVgHLCzwfTd9cMBv0T6muqQ4QhB_zBnXqk3wHIkQIzmQ3mtdQTvxJidGeHUi1hQNMYhqE5my0fxLc1cJSrTHloKz2OcUzBQhekptsuj1FQB-2jx3UMn2gkp32Q/s640/20171223_114432.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">So here we are still in Ndjamena and not yet sure when we
will return to Bardai, we are praying for a peaceful resolution to the conflict
the start of which caused us to come to Ndjamena 6 weeks ago. It’s a strange
feeling because being in Ndjamena, which was previously our normal Chadian
place to be: It suddenly seems a special and luxurious place almost half way to
being in England!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">So in true Christmas celebratory spirit lets tell you about
the 12 days of fun.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">No1.Watching Hippos by the river<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_rFv1FSlDPeIdvhfHLKJJz6VfsJl3-5e3sQJ_AW-k8vPuYgdKTxbHL55cz60gbQya11aV-ICrLG7MzQO7-n1eWCdaHAUUAO0tuxeJdZwL5mJ1TPX_cUrUNmOcfseruhc0yu1ECjrd698/s1600/20181113_113222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_rFv1FSlDPeIdvhfHLKJJz6VfsJl3-5e3sQJ_AW-k8vPuYgdKTxbHL55cz60gbQya11aV-ICrLG7MzQO7-n1eWCdaHAUUAO0tuxeJdZwL5mJ1TPX_cUrUNmOcfseruhc0yu1ECjrd698/s400/20181113_113222.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">We spent a week in a new missionary retreat centre by the
river and while we there not only did we see lots of beautiful birds and
sunsets but a family of Hippos too. They announced their arrival very loudly
the night we arrived and their departure the night before we left.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">No 2. Having the chance to go to a
wedding.<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZO2h-wG4-IbrYRHhxDBGXQgNl-lVLtnHIgvhXzXpKTOxPoffGBVMc3sNMc2eks6Y2Ruu2j5MSe4mbTRjGBhVG8hwfCN_ogIKbynGxLZee8ksUBuIbfpShlNE9MEpEBjru1aODr9_uW9Q/s1600/20181116_132634.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="663" data-original-width="1600" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZO2h-wG4-IbrYRHhxDBGXQgNl-lVLtnHIgvhXzXpKTOxPoffGBVMc3sNMc2eks6Y2Ruu2j5MSe4mbTRjGBhVG8hwfCN_ogIKbynGxLZee8ksUBuIbfpShlNE9MEpEBjru1aODr9_uW9Q/s640/20181116_132634.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">We had heard that Yola one of the nurses at Guinebor was
getting married and were wondering how to send her a gift. Well we were not
only able to do that but to be at her wedding too it was fun to be there with
the other staff from Guinebor and celebrate with her.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgf0KZfIkZew3ALigz8dvYhUvO3hywB-fCny0Z_nV-4U0gpGj5qT4lLvABcpndnkqy5cZrU7pINYwPTH4zOf-nhWiFXzjzEpoYlMfF0cFyZ7ifpH2oXBJbwJm29xrKVDnre1QLx1P-Fh0/s1600/20181116_132240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgf0KZfIkZew3ALigz8dvYhUvO3hywB-fCny0Z_nV-4U0gpGj5qT4lLvABcpndnkqy5cZrU7pINYwPTH4zOf-nhWiFXzjzEpoYlMfF0cFyZ7ifpH2oXBJbwJm29xrKVDnre1QLx1P-Fh0/s400/20181116_132240.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">No 3. Being at the Team conference.<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">We spent a great week being taught more about Jesus our
shepherd and how to follow him and hearing how others are doing that all around
Chad. We also had fun together visiting the farm we used to go to with Ruth and
Rebeca horse riding for a barbeque amongst other things .Including Mark wearing
a Manchester United outfit(very stressful) as there were no others available at
the market and we had to dress up in something representing our country.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">No 4. Going Swimming.<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF9nsIBl0IschKEPoTOmdyAFoDUbXTLQeleHLWigvaQZlAxh6SDP2FAbmm1VuuVcLEAvoTccnHASp9MXzG_3ItTyAPc-tcPxmnfNA4DRe9TSNbiMXh9v3eD7vhFySFS5SMcgmD1WiqIws/s1600/20181109_105716.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF9nsIBl0IschKEPoTOmdyAFoDUbXTLQeleHLWigvaQZlAxh6SDP2FAbmm1VuuVcLEAvoTccnHASp9MXzG_3ItTyAPc-tcPxmnfNA4DRe9TSNbiMXh9v3eD7vhFySFS5SMcgmD1WiqIws/s400/20181109_105716.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">A relaxing day was spent at the pool with only 3 colleagues
to share the 25m pool for most of the day. Mark finally managed to achieve a target that he set about 5 years ago with Ruth and Rebecca, to swim the same number of lengths as your age. (They had the advantage of youth) .</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">No 5. Having a washing machine.<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Actually this is more than one day you’ll be glad to hear,
but it’s very nice not to do our own washing by hand.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">No 6. Eating out.<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp5egIWJOjY1tTfuZVYzaqT2iIVVgcuWzNgEZ022ay0o514GTNQLyQ8XUGxPeeywCvvkkHIUayKZusdSEKWLoTz_2QnGYE1hXPefGl3arUuUsxPyfXixEsWkWQzjrpcehJZbh8mMpHyTI/s1600/20181201_125528.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp5egIWJOjY1tTfuZVYzaqT2iIVVgcuWzNgEZ022ay0o514GTNQLyQ8XUGxPeeywCvvkkHIUayKZusdSEKWLoTz_2QnGYE1hXPefGl3arUuUsxPyfXixEsWkWQzjrpcehJZbh8mMpHyTI/s400/20181201_125528.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">We have been out a few times notably for Thanksgiving where
half of us were Americans but also recently to have a sandwich in N'djamena’s latest
newly decorated café where you can eat in a taxi bus.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">No7. Having (even book) shops to
visit.<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">From the same café come bacon and ice cream, delicious
treats not available in Bardai. Except for the one time when we turned our solar
fridge into a freezer and it valiantly fought outside temperatures of 44C to
make ice cream at -14C, a staggering 58C difference inside and out. We have
also been to a bookshop and managed to buy some great medical books to take
back to Bardai.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">No 8. Having language lessons.<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Well it’s not exactly a treat but it is good to have the
time to do this without other demands on us and we have found a teacher who is
really patient and helping us to progress.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">No 9. Going to the theatre.</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">We were hearing about Rebecca's theatre trips in London and thinking
how nice that would be- now since being here we have been to one guitar concert.
a play about child soldiers and some modern dance. All at the French cultural
centre in town in an outside theatre, it has been a real pleasure.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">No 10. Having Whats app and internet
in the house.<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Its lovely to be in more frequent contact with our family
and we are really enjoying this but trying not to get too used to it.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">No 11. Not being freezing cold.<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Actually at first we were a bit warm but now temperatures
have dropped to a cool 33C by day and 15C at night. It’s certainly easier than
wrapping up every night and sleeping under layers of blankets, Bardai is 4C
overnight. However we know what we would really prefer.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">No 12. A Christmas craft market<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg62E1ZaL3doVCYXYAs4x6jfWxN_HEX5Pno1wH0cuGpNhrqJVr5b-0ODfHrxhItTZzQetBAOKT9sMqblR0IyMaX5JkzqsILhyelHgeqeI1bE7grrLb_oqngfCvan4wEAPXPWX-kvEBh6a8/s1600/Hilton+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="414" data-original-width="681" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg62E1ZaL3doVCYXYAs4x6jfWxN_HEX5Pno1wH0cuGpNhrqJVr5b-0ODfHrxhItTZzQetBAOKT9sMqblR0IyMaX5JkzqsILhyelHgeqeI1bE7grrLb_oqngfCvan4wEAPXPWX-kvEBh6a8/s400/Hilton+.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">This year there seem to be several of these. Last Sunday
afternoon we went to the Hilton an experience in itself! An opulent 21</span><sup style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">st</sup><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">
century version of a large Roman villa. They had a craft fair including a stall
from the Acacia project that Rebecca worked with and a huge tree and lots of
decorations. There will be another with products from around Chad at the French
cultural centre later in the month and yet another at another hotel later on.
There are Christmas carols playing in the supermarket too.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8PJPcKLjCeTJYWexBXE5B_ksOg61VolbAo7jwEuWjnRTG3fV7GNFaG0lJUWdkp44Lm9JO9P3CfrqdiYADVhZMd0levLyiuAM4HLllAsmg3IJrekIRgOd9f-ci5jN2ySnqcDz1Oe-5xN4/s1600/20181118_085633.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8PJPcKLjCeTJYWexBXE5B_ksOg61VolbAo7jwEuWjnRTG3fV7GNFaG0lJUWdkp44Lm9JO9P3CfrqdiYADVhZMd0levLyiuAM4HLllAsmg3IJrekIRgOd9f-ci5jN2ySnqcDz1Oe-5xN4/s400/20181118_085633.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">This year we are going to enjoy celebrating here in Ndjamena
with an English carol service by candle light and Chadian church celebrations.
Although we would have equally if not more have enjoyed this in Bardai and
actually the mincemeat and Christmas pudding are still there. Not to mention
our presents and decorations. Despite this the Grinch hasn’t stopped Christmas
coming. We like you will be celebrating the birth of JESUS.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW1425wV4j_KdslzoDvndXMmeu866tCpps3kCyQGtK9UDewBgqfGhcAvLQvvz9mRjl_vAtDK7X9prj401PQnGrpI12qtweb3WMqBPVlyCQxbJvIo6WUvQ0gqpS9qFUGr5hyphenhyphenM8OqCW5dGc/s1600/20181207_104131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW1425wV4j_KdslzoDvndXMmeu866tCpps3kCyQGtK9UDewBgqfGhcAvLQvvz9mRjl_vAtDK7X9prj401PQnGrpI12qtweb3WMqBPVlyCQxbJvIo6WUvQ0gqpS9qFUGr5hyphenhyphenM8OqCW5dGc/s640/20181207_104131.jpg" width="360" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">We have a ‘tree’
and are using it as a reverse advent calendar putting on one decoration a day. I
am going to try and make a<o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">cake and homemade mince-meat so we’ll see how that
works. I’ll be lucky if it’s as good as my solar cooker cake last year</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">We pray that you like us will be able to celebrate and know
the presence of the Prince of Peace this Christmas where-ever you are.</span><br />
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Mark and Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809839853421432386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2058747719227378450.post-34453015596701207362018-11-14T21:10:00.000+01:002018-11-15T00:23:39.830+01:00After the War - Lest we forget. <h2>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Armistice Day, 11/11/1918, was rightly commemorated last
weekend around the world. At last, after four years of terrible industrialised
fighting and unprecedented death and destruction, the war to end wars was over. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">An old weapon, the underground tunnelled mine had been perfected and was used
with devastating effect at Messines Ridge in 1917 when 19 nearly simultaneous
explosions of a massive 455 tonnes of explosives killed an estimated 10,000 German
soldiers. (ref 1). But as the war drew to a close, these traditional mines were
being replaced by the new much smaller, at first improvised and then factory
made, landmines. These were placed in the ground to defend against the new
chariots of war, trench busting tanks. They have become an indispensable part
of the military arsenal.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">In the late 1960’s and 70’s our family made an annual visit
to my aunt and uncles farm at Burgh le Marsh. We visited nearby Skegness and
played on the beach for days on end. I have many happy memories but a couple of
things fascinated me, the faint memories of WW2. A small number of ex-army
landing craft which rolled along the beach giving rides to fun loving
tourists, and a disarmed sea mine acting as a collection box to help
shipwrecked sailors. Old military equipment being put to a better use, memories
of a distant war. But it was only 25 years since the end of WWII, the beaches
at and around Skegness had been part of the 1,997 minefields laid around the UK
in 1940 (ref 2). In total about 350,000 mines were laid to prevent an invasion, and
then removed, often with considerable difficulty and cost in human life. Around
Britain accidents happened through the 1950’s with residual munitions, I don’t
recall hearing of any in my lifetime, certainly they weren’t frequent. However,
whilst writing this I found that in a controlled explosion an old anti-tank
mine was destroyed at Gibraltar Point not far from Skegness in 2015 (ref 3).
The de-miners had done a good, brave, but imperfect job.</span> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMXlA6yStSW-5q6cvxkBDPAy-Afbhmcp7WpYIRfcjYCmQeGaFVshjkuvXRBNRfCGgJFhG3U-dvK_7eI7M-UALdmPRFVnbBS3qEfnQwxwDzDmeNb7IvKzA0XdDXQFAI6NLhfVM9tfPWOrY/s1600/minefield.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMXlA6yStSW-5q6cvxkBDPAy-Afbhmcp7WpYIRfcjYCmQeGaFVshjkuvXRBNRfCGgJFhG3U-dvK_7eI7M-UALdmPRFVnbBS3qEfnQwxwDzDmeNb7IvKzA0XdDXQFAI6NLhfVM9tfPWOrY/s640/minefield.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Driving into the Tibesti on a white stone lined road</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">As we entered the Tibesti from Zoar-Ke last year we saw a
destroyed tank and other vehicles from another past war, the Libyan- Chad war
of the 1980’s. We also saw the white stones by the roadside which mark areas of
potential minefields. It was all from some conflict some 30 years before and
yet as we entered Bardai there were zones either side of the road which were
unsafe to drive on. It all seemed a little unreal, but we asked questions and
were told that as long as we stayed on the roads we were reassured that we
would be fine, that there were no mines in Bardai itself, and there were
many less accidents than there had been a few years ago. The local demining
team was still active and once in a while there was a controlled explosion of collected
anti-tank mines. The people in danger we were told, were incoming goldminers who
didn’t believe the local Teda when they said that a zone was dangerous. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWFMiIJHsDG9OEqBwYbaACeZdHfaPl6y8Zb5FQyoAM7Cs8uVrl6lkEO8TPRQjbBwdAJZ7K-WODjMIiZHVgmwpXYsCRWxFpPVLk8nmsZW6UXEkxzkRAPw0TutwUJRttmnrHMYyN-KZObK8/s1600/MAG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="608" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWFMiIJHsDG9OEqBwYbaACeZdHfaPl6y8Zb5FQyoAM7Cs8uVrl6lkEO8TPRQjbBwdAJZ7K-WODjMIiZHVgmwpXYsCRWxFpPVLk8nmsZW6UXEkxzkRAPw0TutwUJRttmnrHMYyN-KZObK8/s640/MAG.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A controlled exposion in the Tibesti -MAG</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPP9_huJKZL7WYLjeK8FsuwZXUBKSxtzLMkw2onzs27TIZBcY0Tl2AO3l2vPXvbcFkxMouJUJbQ4HjkvAPEg_uG_C6yg2D2kTswZpeodP6-SJ736jtK2CNyDI8vKfyllyFihitGsJSuIE/s1600/MAG+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="137" data-original-width="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPP9_huJKZL7WYLjeK8FsuwZXUBKSxtzLMkw2onzs27TIZBcY0Tl2AO3l2vPXvbcFkxMouJUJbQ4HjkvAPEg_uG_C6yg2D2kTswZpeodP6-SJ736jtK2CNyDI8vKfyllyFihitGsJSuIE/s1600/MAG+2.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">The task of demining the Tibesti is more difficult than the
beaches in the UK. MAG have worked here since 2004 (ref 4). The British
minefields had been marked and surrounded by barbed wire and other defences so
as to avoid accidental entry to the minefields. The mines were laid above the
tide line and in many cases the mines were wired together to facilitate eventual
removal and prevent migration. I don’t know how the minefields in the Tibesti
were marked, but mines in wadis get washed downstream when the dry river beds
flood, and through years of rebellion and civil unrest mines have been lifted
from their original sites and used to booby trap roads. For these there are no
reference charts. Naturally the roads, dirt tracks, have been swept for mines,
but nothing is static.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">One day we went to a neighbouring village for a wedding,
there were many pickups parked by the mosque. Our Teda friend parked as neatly
as possible to save space but was told to go no further forward as there was a
mine buried, in a small area marked by white stones, right in the middle of the
village. An hour or so later, on leaving, our vehicle was hemmed in, and so a
man stood in the circle told us to drive forward over it, there’s nothing here
he said. We decided to wait all the same, best not to take a risk. Is there
really a mine there, who knows, apart from the man who laid it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">A short while later there was an explosion on a well
travelled road to another village, just up the wadi from Bardai. A large lorry heading
to market with many passengers on top had set off an anti-tank mine. Thankfully
only the tyre was blown off, perhaps the mine had sunk deep into the sand. A
fortunate escape, but all the same there was an impressive hole. A colleague of
mine from the hospital lives about 200m off the road at that point on a small
rocky hill. He doesn’t have a car but rides a motorbike.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">So how common are landmine accidents around the world? The Nobel
Peace Prize winning International Campaign to Ban Landmines collates statistics
from each country and publishes The landmine and cluster munitions monitor. (ref4).
These and following statistics for Chad come from their 2017 report.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Around the world in 2016 there was an increase in the number
of incidents related to mines and discarded munitions with 8605 casualties, at
least 2089 were fatal. Most casualties were civilians (78%) and 1544 (42%) of
those were children. These are the highest figures since the Mine Ban treaty of
1999 which bans the laying of mines that are activated by human contact (antipersonnel
mines) </span><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">but not yet those activated by
vehicles.</span><o:p></o:p></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiutS3KuNwBUKYPrYLOqTQRhs12U_rqT4IgstkRHYKrHuVw-Hl_b_tX7rZY1E6uwrZodmn9C17DPxCkvC9M9EYFdYAex0Nx6RmT-xhTFHd1tqm2MoVgCUfBRJgpHoqKSol2Gm0e2xTC1RA/s1600/Mag+5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="752" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiutS3KuNwBUKYPrYLOqTQRhs12U_rqT4IgstkRHYKrHuVw-Hl_b_tX7rZY1E6uwrZodmn9C17DPxCkvC9M9EYFdYAex0Nx6RmT-xhTFHd1tqm2MoVgCUfBRJgpHoqKSol2Gm0e2xTC1RA/s640/Mag+5.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">There have been 3011 casualties recorded in Chad by the
Landmines and Cluster Munitions Monitor with 1179 deaths. Recently a decreasing
trend has been apparent with 27 casualties in 2016, with no reported deaths.
Thirteen were caused by mines and 12 by old shells etc and in 2 cases it was
not declared.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">In the last 6 months these numbers on a graph have become
real to me. Twice I have been called to the hospital to treat young men who
have been in a pick-up truck that ran over a mine whilst off road out of town. They
both died of multiple blast injuries. Whilst I was in the UK in the summer
another two people died in another couple of incidents. In the first a young
man who took a different route into town because of the flooded wadi, and in
the second the wife of a friend of the ADP was killed. She had been at a busy
meeting place under a tree on the edge of a local village and was killed as she
was driven away. All of these were local
Teda people and all caused by anti-tank mines laid over 30 years ago, but which
can still be laid under the Ottawa Protocol.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">A fifth young casualty was a gold miner. He was at work when
he came across something unusual, a plastic canister that he didn’t recognise.
It was an antipersonnel mine. These are designed to maim and not kill as the
injured require help from colleagues further depleting an attacking force. It
blew up in his left hand. He arrived at the hospital the next day after a long
drive with improvised bandages over both of his hands, he looked terrible. Once
he was stabilised we operated the same day, amputating the remains of his left
hand at the wrist, and cleaning up his badly injured right hand plus all the
other shrapnel wounds and flash burns to his chest arms and legs. He was cared
for by his friends who had to feed and wash him every day. I was amazed that
how cheerful the young victim was as I visited him. He was it seems simply glad
to have survived and to be receiving treatment. What more he was going to get a
functional right hand. After 2 more trips to the operating theatre and finally
skin grafts to his thumb and fingers he was able to hold a spoon and feed
himself. He left the hospital exactly one month later returning to his home
town in the east of Chad.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOLOJlpoHFOMv_VnLKpi_hsCKT_MEAcaGCJP9UeXsq_Ozg1T9hQ59jLDn4c2ARqt_kKI-m6G2zF4eTvPKmVGin_TJM2W_xIuKMpZ5gVtn0_HxBi8F1rgFoxVh-mDxxTaD8hfD5RE9ZdcY/s1600/IMG_20180905_083859.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOLOJlpoHFOMv_VnLKpi_hsCKT_MEAcaGCJP9UeXsq_Ozg1T9hQ59jLDn4c2ARqt_kKI-m6G2zF4eTvPKmVGin_TJM2W_xIuKMpZ5gVtn0_HxBi8F1rgFoxVh-mDxxTaD8hfD5RE9ZdcY/s640/IMG_20180905_083859.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: start;">A young man who doesn’t smile for photos</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">These five families and many more like them will never have
the possibility of forgetting the danger of landmines. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">World War I underground:
unearthing the hidden tunnel war. Peter Jackson. BBC News . Magazine 10
June 2011<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Evans, Roly (2017) “World
War II Coastal Minefields in the United Kingdom” Journal of Conventional
Weapons Destruction Vol 21 Iss 1 Article 9<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Anti tank bomb explodes at
Gibraltar point- Skegness Standard .Facebook Jan 14 2015<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">w.w.w.maginternational.org/what-we-do/where-we-work/chad/<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Landmine Monitor www.the-monitor.org</span><o:p></o:p></li>
</ol>
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<br />Mark and Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809839853421432386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2058747719227378450.post-38296764255554940982018-10-11T22:39:00.001+01:002018-10-11T22:39:34.039+01:00It's raining again...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaNZlnJcQ9qFxpWy1qBrZLDHgi3dTIp8-rfAa6EI93MevnSHRi-h5P2pJpm3dwJFanysZWLqiwWUJciOJTGx9msSWaP4VZJB-fBa4tkiTFkT0cNI3RQchdoVpyf6uZKE14O-UQvsNAXe0/s1600/1_resized.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="816" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaNZlnJcQ9qFxpWy1qBrZLDHgi3dTIp8-rfAa6EI93MevnSHRi-h5P2pJpm3dwJFanysZWLqiwWUJciOJTGx9msSWaP4VZJB-fBa4tkiTFkT0cNI3RQchdoVpyf6uZKE14O-UQvsNAXe0/s640/1_resized.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Half way through our trip... only two more days to go!</td></tr>
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It’s raining again – we happily sang along to the words of
Supertramp at a concert 3 days after arriving in the UK for a British summer.
As weather forecasts it was a bit wide of the mark, the driest summer in
England since we were 15 years old, scarcely a drop of rain. What’s more it was
pleasantly warm, with temperatures in the low 30’s.</div>
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It was only two months later as we flew into Chad that we
encountered rain. It was not unexpected in Ndjamena as it is wet season in the
Sahel, the life-giving annual rains that enable the millet to grow. As we flew
in we saw that the usually flat brown landscape was green with large areas of
flooding. Soon we would be travelling North across the Sahara <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to Bardai and we wondered if Ruth and Rebecca
who were travelling with us, might even experience a<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>rare shower in the desert, just enough to to
wash the dust of the windscreen. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEv0baIxMxBrjnwQ6jTGYQniFcNyHbaoFH93Pra8tFFLxbLTmFrBjJ6ZJr5zosQJPLKMfr0iiBP0LswnvPMZiONP3Xu2fTMnePGgjstLupddicer5-1JdsAj_GWIqRuZ_wI_WaPkk9sT8/s1600/2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1317" data-original-width="1517" height="553" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEv0baIxMxBrjnwQ6jTGYQniFcNyHbaoFH93Pra8tFFLxbLTmFrBjJ6ZJr5zosQJPLKMfr0iiBP0LswnvPMZiONP3Xu2fTMnePGgjstLupddicer5-1JdsAj_GWIqRuZ_wI_WaPkk9sT8/s640/2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Setting off from N'djamena</td></tr>
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At 6 am 6 days later we set off in a loaded pickup with our
2 Teda guides to cross the desert. All went well until we reached the end
of the tarmac road at Massakory 3 hours north of Ndjamena. The sky was black
and when the storm came it was impossible to see so we stopped the
truck. As the rain abated the road ahead
resembled a huge lake and it was clear we couldn’t go on. A rapid decision was
made to turn round, retrace our steps on the tarmac road for an hour and go a little further north east and find a longer but drier route to
head onwards to the desert and Moussouro. We all agreed we didn’t want to risk
getting stuck in the mud.<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="816" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIRBFgpB6n3urUcQqwp4ryvaOsz10YIwkfAFRoSBLuiEXnD1PHOgxzXTXnwjXzw3SrqEX4wTJWfNPgj28joBZ0kDn2H5Z-38x71q7JMNyVGksMs1GGhczKr5erbuzwmX3flIceQR7D-DA/s640/3_resized.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not at Massakore</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="text-align: center;">The rain pounded down and it seemed like we had made a good
decision to have turned around. After a
couple of hours it was again time to leave the tarmac, we were in the right
village Angora, but had no idea </span><span style="text-align: center;">where the other
road /track was. It was only after a few false turns and some helpful Chadians that
we wound our way amongst the houses and eventually on to the track</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">to Moussouro. This was Chad as we had never
seen </span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">it before, green and lush and
abounding in animals, herds of goats ,cows, sheep and camels all around.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY_eGaEJXT6IzRCO1fgSCiH6jr3JyH-uzP61jSgA_afe6EQu8K8yyJhPE33RmM0a4tDDOAxU96huxy92z2Fqt1qw4bK_m3ZzynPUXhG1H_fgwnbiYboTKvhyo95EdAk7wuYoOEpM74u38/s1600/31_resized.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="816" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY_eGaEJXT6IzRCO1fgSCiH6jr3JyH-uzP61jSgA_afe6EQu8K8yyJhPE33RmM0a4tDDOAxU96huxy92z2Fqt1qw4bK_m3ZzynPUXhG1H_fgwnbiYboTKvhyo95EdAk7wuYoOEpM74u38/s640/31_resized.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A green and pleasant land</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIRBFgpB6n3urUcQqwp4ryvaOsz10YIwkfAFRoSBLuiEXnD1PHOgxzXTXnwjXzw3SrqEX4wTJWfNPgj28joBZ0kDn2H5Z-38x71q7JMNyVGksMs1GGhczKr5erbuzwmX3flIceQR7D-DA/s1600/3_resized.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<o:p></o:p><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix-oJETv7uAWDI9_0M6t3fSqoAFidE1SD0wfssNkzwzb5kMMEOwHo9A-Nxe9CBwC8AKUC_fN1le5Ru8Sx6i_vV74YzNg6ya5iyNV1y5qBE-q_WAZX8bVmi1qJoH1RYhb_1o_6Pz_JsASU/s1600/4_resized.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="816" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix-oJETv7uAWDI9_0M6t3fSqoAFidE1SD0wfssNkzwzb5kMMEOwHo9A-Nxe9CBwC8AKUC_fN1le5Ru8Sx6i_vV74YzNg6ya5iyNV1y5qBE-q_WAZX8bVmi1qJoH1RYhb_1o_6Pz_JsASU/s400/4_resized.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not leaving Moussouro</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
With the delay we had thought we might need to spend the
night at Mossouro and we had telephoned ahead to some missionary friends who
live there. In the end we made good time but all the same took them up on an offer of
coffee and cake and then drove on.Yet again the road had vanished what was
normally a straightforward track towards the desert was invisible under the
pools and even lakes of water. We were getting seriously lost when we
encountered a friendly local ambulance driver who offered to show us the way,
taking us back to Mossouro and then going
out of his way to make sure we were on the right route. <div>
<div>
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<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRb9nQJ15N-F894WwiDJukMBR05e59BrRjDFcFVDz4Zhokos4MXC_Gzga58-U9-Twl31MxETrheEehzEyS7fCvWxafahA-dg7xgbMjiDlOBhNII1fLN6QWaS0B10A7vb7HnrYHe9szbds/s1600/41_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="816" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRb9nQJ15N-F894WwiDJukMBR05e59BrRjDFcFVDz4Zhokos4MXC_Gzga58-U9-Twl31MxETrheEehzEyS7fCvWxafahA-dg7xgbMjiDlOBhNII1fLN6QWaS0B10A7vb7HnrYHe9szbds/s400/41_resized.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Setting off in the middle of the night</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When we stopped for the night it was late and it seemed it
might rain again so a meal of bread and tuna fish was in order and then we
camped out under the -no not stars this time but flashes of sheet lightening as
the rain threatened again. By 3 am it came again and a rapid dash was made for
the car and we drove on. We were
entering the desert in driving rain splashing through pools of water until one
was one too many and we were stuck in a mixture of mud and sand.</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDZiM6hxNX_hV7D7_wOOD1RGMXsbFqEOXF7emb9_WqxJhjZc1oeFj40kZqZFWfdhA_Mxtq3_GhsHpWRWd3y7zrPI4F1rDXowYKmdpPy52_GBfYn-K1iWQGzfRb2-JcrfCvPObJ4y8GKU0/s1600/5_resized.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="1536" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDZiM6hxNX_hV7D7_wOOD1RGMXsbFqEOXF7emb9_WqxJhjZc1oeFj40kZqZFWfdhA_Mxtq3_GhsHpWRWd3y7zrPI4F1rDXowYKmdpPy52_GBfYn-K1iWQGzfRb2-JcrfCvPObJ4y8GKU0/s640/5_resized.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stuck!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thankfully by then it was only raining lightly again as all
our bags were unloaded and digging started . After 3 hours and a lot of hard
work we were out. The rain had stopped so we drove on a little then had a break
for a meal (tuna again this time with pasta) and a well earned rest. We were now in the sandy desert amongst the dunes but even here there were
pools of water. <o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDuJqTN5XxrpWwn1nx2e9_5ffby_P8_rG8ql1v_tYKrY2I_1ilIDTNPbqqEO0yLAUV2AFw56dZDolJcO7zl2nPC5q-6wrWLPPpQX_1ufg2k5v-TsDwJ0cDzzeKvFZOhD52hE1PMuAj84g/s1600/6+%25282%2529_resized.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="1536" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDuJqTN5XxrpWwn1nx2e9_5ffby_P8_rG8ql1v_tYKrY2I_1ilIDTNPbqqEO0yLAUV2AFw56dZDolJcO7zl2nPC5q-6wrWLPPpQX_1ufg2k5v-TsDwJ0cDzzeKvFZOhD52hE1PMuAj84g/s640/6+%25282%2529_resized.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picnic after being stuck</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBm-ZmfF_nRQ98HnWykiLG_4KKVtUqN2KVW5jhe8vPFJ_jbH4CEfcZJqVrmun4_6L8vOcxPd5ZfTDtCLt6QmzTNUZk8762gNoeYxrcd-3hpg9jU4JMxbmOJvCN6-_QgT0H-PsRVWpSxSE/s1600/7_resized.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="816" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBm-ZmfF_nRQ98HnWykiLG_4KKVtUqN2KVW5jhe8vPFJ_jbH4CEfcZJqVrmun4_6L8vOcxPd5ZfTDtCLt6QmzTNUZk8762gNoeYxrcd-3hpg9jU4JMxbmOJvCN6-_QgT0H-PsRVWpSxSE/s400/7_resized.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stuck again!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After lunch as we drove on we came across other vehicles stuck in the sand, and we too were stuck again briefly. The rest of the day went well, including a stop at a well and a ‘service station’ for a coca cola and this time the rain stayed away and we arrived in the dry desert near to Faya camping just outside.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGxYWXONHJB6Mr-6r-vpqnYofa_eta-qf2cKOkKSI1H_BtH8jNYCj_kGHfM3wbbhI0Ufefi4FLeGBoQZipqUheAMYhxr8q3Ez3cts28z56xPHVcfxf84Mj6RUbRy1DJeGJQ7-2kypAbJY/s1600/8_resized.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="816" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGxYWXONHJB6Mr-6r-vpqnYofa_eta-qf2cKOkKSI1H_BtH8jNYCj_kGHfM3wbbhI0Ufefi4FLeGBoQZipqUheAMYhxr8q3Ez3cts28z56xPHVcfxf84Mj6RUbRy1DJeGJQ7-2kypAbJY/s640/8_resized.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A well - good chance to fill up water bottles</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-LMCnM1lGAtBarxw3UDrUf3GOSSyAZWzy9gFMdA2ZYAPz-QDEFEZfT6K26eR4Xawv97bVEdp3vi2aGU7XvrD2r1W5Io-0tLQ_D8H8wx_SvEnmseWJPVS_ftv_MJZGuOu-eJEyG10pPIc/s1600/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="1600" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-LMCnM1lGAtBarxw3UDrUf3GOSSyAZWzy9gFMdA2ZYAPz-QDEFEZfT6K26eR4Xawv97bVEdp3vi2aGU7XvrD2r1W5Io-0tLQ_D8H8wx_SvEnmseWJPVS_ftv_MJZGuOu-eJEyG10pPIc/s640/9.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Service Station</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A tasty meal
of tuna and pasta was good before falling asleep this time under the stars and
staying in bed until 6 am luxury indeed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVVr_spyQT8_bZZeZz3CIvIiaaWXDKUokrgHbBJgveZr4JoPHwqYXe9j7Nf7f6V7Fz72R05C68e_ICMjXBbWQ_nG25a4NsoFfR2qulr55celR1CNiVdzaqSNcl2ub4Uj_yzALhD_oF3Bo/s1600/10_resized.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="816" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVVr_spyQT8_bZZeZz3CIvIiaaWXDKUokrgHbBJgveZr4JoPHwqYXe9j7Nf7f6V7Fz72R05C68e_ICMjXBbWQ_nG25a4NsoFfR2qulr55celR1CNiVdzaqSNcl2ub4Uj_yzALhD_oF3Bo/s640/10_resized.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outside Faya</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjScg_17U3c9FyESrFcOW59Aim_rxikf7virWqFAvZJHQMWVsAQxIXlJjv-wD_iuxTPjhlezT3cFFp_iDKpGJHkXo7VMoF6MAufrjaFPjjiE2imQrS9u-izvTiWXzo-aFBWKQ2F-MIotsA/s1600/11_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="816" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjScg_17U3c9FyESrFcOW59Aim_rxikf7virWqFAvZJHQMWVsAQxIXlJjv-wD_iuxTPjhlezT3cFFp_iDKpGJHkXo7VMoF6MAufrjaFPjjiE2imQrS9u-izvTiWXzo-aFBWKQ2F-MIotsA/s400/11_resized.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No shade..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We drove through Faya and felt we were heading for the real
desert experience this time. The sky was blue and
cloudless, the sun beat down and the sand dunes on the horizon were floating in
the mirage. When we stopped to eat (tuna and spaghetti) our Teda guides even
made a shelter for us with a tarpaulin as there were only a few tiny trees
around. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We were close to the Tibesti mountains now and as we skirted
around them it was no longer a mirage but even real desert rain and
the Wadis were full of water after the
rain on the mountains. The first looked like a large ford and we crossed
without a problem .The next caused us to wonder if we were going to make it
that day ,a car and a lorry were completely
stuck with a narrow gap between. Helpfully someone called us forward and
whoosh we were through just enough space to spare and we didn’t slip!!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiso_piTCK-JEkwuiDPwroDwR2wT6F8_uR9HikkQaiyvYXWZtL_JJZGztb_LLIMOlGh_F6jDJ2y-gT40fJNd4zK1PibLxHDbPhmusjnMMoHrEyhuXYkGPdX-duLTcY8IOJ9Va173zmK9lU/s1600/12_resized_LI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="816" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiso_piTCK-JEkwuiDPwroDwR2wT6F8_uR9HikkQaiyvYXWZtL_JJZGztb_LLIMOlGh_F6jDJ2y-gT40fJNd4zK1PibLxHDbPhmusjnMMoHrEyhuXYkGPdX-duLTcY8IOJ9Va173zmK9lU/s640/12_resized_LI.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Squeezing through</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqDflJPhGg8QgFIkkvIN2Cu9Cn4BrQCmKUcjcX8cUHZt2ybvcBcGTxZojXFHWMBdrVFR0q_sDVvhZC2fhAyY-nxMrQID45Cid5cURpFmVEZH26yO4yVrJW6xFlhQuezEyoRzJpWr3x0_0/s1600/13_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="816" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqDflJPhGg8QgFIkkvIN2Cu9Cn4BrQCmKUcjcX8cUHZt2ybvcBcGTxZojXFHWMBdrVFR0q_sDVvhZC2fhAyY-nxMrQID45Cid5cURpFmVEZH26yO4yVrJW6xFlhQuezEyoRzJpWr3x0_0/s400/13_resized.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wading the Wadi</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
However there was still more to go and to our right was a
huge storm cloud over the mountains which we seemed to be racing. The Wadi
ahead looked shallow but to be sure our driver tested the depth and we crossed
without a problem only to be completely blacked out by a dust storm which had
caught us up. We had to struggle to find the higher ground and not stay in the dangerous
Wadi bottom. As the rain came it washed away the dust and we could see our way
at last. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
On towards Zoar K where the sight of cars half buried in sand just
outside town showed us what force the Wadi can have when full. The cars were
wrecked, hopefully everyone got out alright. Here at last was a respite from
tuna and pasta and we had fried chicken, bread and a cold coke for tea at a
local market restaurant, a very welcome change and then a nights sleep on the
edge of town thankfully<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>without rain. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQarTGTAz1tT_8dgARSgfsn4CL5ZY5S1RzTtilnQ9Up0e3z1QTj7t4KQtSISlGSDywJp00NQZqWE-PdFJhLHMaD2Q8SjnnE30DAG0vwhHBB4aEGfdwAFIgfg6ha2p0L0y7uTO_VBQUqYM/s1600/14_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="816" data-original-width="612" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQarTGTAz1tT_8dgARSgfsn4CL5ZY5S1RzTtilnQ9Up0e3z1QTj7t4KQtSISlGSDywJp00NQZqWE-PdFJhLHMaD2Q8SjnnE30DAG0vwhHBB4aEGfdwAFIgfg6ha2p0L0y7uTO_VBQUqYM/s640/14_resized.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken not chuna</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our last day was up in the mountains without a drop of rain
but the plants growing on the side of the road showed that even here it had
rained. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwUrvAGabD-FYFLDm_xlgA7oZMhGaCAo-PWocBXU3zIgjma_-0acE03kTEk0Fl-w9JzXalHb-XcTgpJrKA-CWgX260AZz27a1vHwK-R0HImGmaJODtJDd3XOLHSdza1Wf0d9B5Ox_uoK8/s1600/15_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="816" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwUrvAGabD-FYFLDm_xlgA7oZMhGaCAo-PWocBXU3zIgjma_-0acE03kTEk0Fl-w9JzXalHb-XcTgpJrKA-CWgX260AZz27a1vHwK-R0HImGmaJODtJDd3XOLHSdza1Wf0d9B5Ox_uoK8/s640/15_resized.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Water in the mountains</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVBGNX26XihChRggUlICXzzwkdI7Kph2hyHoFMIixC5UI9ZFV_8bTUN2loPKomLaiqBtxgoUoXAixrx0m1Cd4fLu-NqxiGzcSIiI6sTesTy1CF9pnVEC0vlIdK-ifutQepnC7x-fbuHbw/s1600/16_resized.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="816" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVBGNX26XihChRggUlICXzzwkdI7Kph2hyHoFMIixC5UI9ZFV_8bTUN2loPKomLaiqBtxgoUoXAixrx0m1Cd4fLu-NqxiGzcSIiI6sTesTy1CF9pnVEC0vlIdK-ifutQepnC7x-fbuHbw/s640/16_resized.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wadi at Bardai</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Later that afternoon we drove into Bardai along the path of the Wadi
which had also been full a few days before. We were on time just as expected
despite all the rain and adventures. Four days and three nights under the
stars, quite an experience which make us appreciate even more the alternative
which we often use, a MAF flight.The six hour flight in a small plane albeit rather bumpy over the mountains that was
scheduled for the return of Ruth and Rebecca in a months time, suddenly seemed very attractive to them.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijwyY4lQ__WlYEBsc_UtsJv0A0lhzTSJKNmPvSOfrWufvzaPbpSvFyAettitoumrLlYOV4sx-E1vY0ER5LuuX2Q-OUCOxul4trrW-bji0ej_pO7D6JFKexoXrrKBcLeckDbBLPnRHyAnw/s1600/IMG_20180907_075813.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijwyY4lQ__WlYEBsc_UtsJv0A0lhzTSJKNmPvSOfrWufvzaPbpSvFyAettitoumrLlYOV4sx-E1vY0ER5LuuX2Q-OUCOxul4trrW-bji0ej_pO7D6JFKexoXrrKBcLeckDbBLPnRHyAnw/s400/IMG_20180907_075813.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...and a much quicker trip back</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj65ms9VqWGHG9o2uWgGujCLFaAklwDP127iB6XwNcSUsHWqhoJjT_nSHnCF68HdBGw2fzkthtGS1FEAtZUBcaXUysN2kjPe8FopjoIqNE-dr2ftfWy2CFpMQszQNDr_mqQqf31KESXhao/s1600/IMG_20180907_075842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj65ms9VqWGHG9o2uWgGujCLFaAklwDP127iB6XwNcSUsHWqhoJjT_nSHnCF68HdBGw2fzkthtGS1FEAtZUBcaXUysN2kjPe8FopjoIqNE-dr2ftfWy2CFpMQszQNDr_mqQqf31KESXhao/s400/IMG_20180907_075842.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A month later...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The next afternoon<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>as we were settling in what a surprise, It was raining again- this time a light shower leaving drops on the
sand and a confusion as to where exactly we were, the fertile land of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>England or the barren and dry Sahara.</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Mark and Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809839853421432386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2058747719227378450.post-67434067859048415442018-06-07T16:30:00.000+01:002018-06-07T16:30:33.031+01:00Lessons from the market - Part 4<br />
<div class="Standard">
<b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Lessons from the market
-<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>part 4<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="Standard">
<br /></div>
<div class="Standard">
‘Give us this day our daily bread’<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Standard">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuplNA-CwNd8xUwGbJad0FsAizoRIuLYQJRLEFgInCTlKkJKZwcWzj6qoGI2fZ02pCgUn_9CIWLXeCbBg2hbFNnDFBngtIE_q_kh0KS3PAbA-Yeo2hHggQ5jLDNcAd2MgO0SYUlngJ3rc/s1600/a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuplNA-CwNd8xUwGbJad0FsAizoRIuLYQJRLEFgInCTlKkJKZwcWzj6qoGI2fZ02pCgUn_9CIWLXeCbBg2hbFNnDFBngtIE_q_kh0KS3PAbA-Yeo2hHggQ5jLDNcAd2MgO0SYUlngJ3rc/s320/a.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh bread baked in our solar cooker</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="Standard">
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height:153.05pt;z-index:251659264;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square;
mso-wrap-distance-left:9pt;mso-wrap-distance-top:0;mso-wrap-distance-right:9pt;
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</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->Whether that be a quiet prayer
to God, or the cry of a hungry revolutionary mob demanding social justice,
bread is seen as essential for life, either as blessing or as a right. It is an
everyday staple in many parts of the world, and comes in many different forms.
Some types are better for you than others, white flour fortified with iron,
wholemeal, multigrain, sour dough are all beneficial in one way or another, but
none, as far as I am aware is usually considered a harmful part of our diet.
(Gluten-free bread is hopefully still available to those in need it as
treatment on the NHS).<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="Standard">
<br /></div>
<div class="Standard">
<br /></div>
<div class="Standard">
When we lived in Ndjamena we could get fresh baguettes each
morning from the local lock up store. This is rather surprising as there is
little or no grain grown in the French speaking parts of sub-Saharan Africa
that I have visited, but in all of them, as a hangover from colonial times, subsidised
flour is used to bake a standard priced baguette that is widely available. It
presumably helps with social justice and the maintenance of a peaceful society.
(Can all this really date back to the famous quote from Marie Antoinette and
the hunger riots prior to the French revolution? I like to think so, but it is
probably a convenient fiction)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Standard">
<br /></div>
<div class="Standard">
At our home in Bardai, a mountainous mid Saharan oasis, you
rarely see a baguette, but you may remember from a previous post that there is
delicious local flat bread that the Teda women make using an oven of a simple
half oil drum buried in the rocky hillside.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Standard">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjNVVuVa2RCOBOWfaZERwS6Fue13iuDxD2eKzzkVNgmyo5sSLDZWHPYkTreYQ6M_OyiNI4OsI1QdDjdZmFiMBKdnPCk7rFcvROOa1Kpggf_hPr5tfoyv19VbbatZ_IyN4T-GP529Ky-nU/s1600/b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="1024" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjNVVuVa2RCOBOWfaZERwS6Fue13iuDxD2eKzzkVNgmyo5sSLDZWHPYkTreYQ6M_OyiNI4OsI1QdDjdZmFiMBKdnPCk7rFcvROOa1Kpggf_hPr5tfoyv19VbbatZ_IyN4T-GP529Ky-nU/s640/b.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teda bread being baked</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="Standard">
<!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="Image1" o:spid="_x0000_s1030"
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</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Standard">
What is really surprising is that until 20 years ago the
people here used to grow their own wheat using the underground water from the
wadi to irrigate the crop. They now use cheap white flour imported from Libya
and many women make not only enough for their family but supplement their
income by supplying bread to the growing number of shops and restaurants that
are springing up due to the gold rush.</div>
<div class="Standard">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Standard">
<br /></div>
<div class="Standard">
Bread is a daily staple, but can I ask how many days a week
do you eat meat? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Standard">
Every day? Twice a week? Never? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Standard">
Some of you will be vegetarian, as are mountain gorillas,
others will be meat eaters as are chimpanzees. Both are our close evolutionary
relatives so what are we supposed to be? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Standard">
I understood from school that it natural for us to eat meat
as we have canine teeth to seize our prey and incisors to cut it, but they seem
to work quite well on an apple so I don’t think we can argue either way based
on our dentition.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Standard">
<br /></div>
<div class="Standard">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfPSQKDSB76c-kN0WBBawdqSAXhvhBgg9bXirvM5VPU9GeVyMqfuQ26o4Nd5bJEd6JKc9_R5JLqVqAx2mgVHBFh64KO_E6JkUtwuBL9un-MvgESlhK8fVfvtLZAT1GVdpQNdUfDAdGgFY/s1600/c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfPSQKDSB76c-kN0WBBawdqSAXhvhBgg9bXirvM5VPU9GeVyMqfuQ26o4Nd5bJEd6JKc9_R5JLqVqAx2mgVHBFh64KO_E6JkUtwuBL9un-MvgESlhK8fVfvtLZAT1GVdpQNdUfDAdGgFY/s320/c.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A platter of special Ramadan food</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="Standard">
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o:title=""/>
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</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->Having a regular source of fresh
meat in Bardai is something new. We mentioned frozen chickens last time, no
doubt there always were a few chickens scratting around in the sand but never enough
to sell. Red meat was even rarer, until last month when Ramadan began there was
no meat stall on the market; it may well close at the end of the month. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Standard">
Traditionally meat would be eaten after sacrifices at
religious festivals or special events such after a birth, a death or a wedding.
Knowing all of this last November, in preparation of our time in the north, and
being carnivores seeking a balanced diet, we dried 8 kg of minced beef in
Ndjamena. It looks like coffee granules, and we have been adding it a couple of
times a week to our stews. It is fine but we have especially enjoyed the times
that we have been invited to a wedding and had roasted camel.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Standard">
<br /></div>
<div class="Standard">
<br /></div>
<div class="Standard">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie9knEyH4hzI6KtP7UO5nvAD5F80kgK8U9VmPOqJ3yl9Ex4_8YdGVcM0LEdnTjx9PSrqlNYQpVl0c7UEOfULg3Fn83It4SSrtw88Qc8LS8iYzktYBkC4e8FmZL3i79D46nxjfkffMapnI/s1600/d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie9knEyH4hzI6KtP7UO5nvAD5F80kgK8U9VmPOqJ3yl9Ex4_8YdGVcM0LEdnTjx9PSrqlNYQpVl0c7UEOfULg3Fn83It4SSrtw88Qc8LS8iYzktYBkC4e8FmZL3i79D46nxjfkffMapnI/s320/d.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hay arriving from Libya</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="Standard">
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type="#_x0000_t75" style='position:absolute;margin-left:239.3pt;margin-top:2.4pt;
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o:title=""/>
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</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->It is difficult to keep large
herds here for even weekly meat, but the recent arrival of large trucks with
hay again from Libya, to feed a growing number of goats, sheep and camels,
suggests that, brought about by market forces, a change may be afoot. The power
of gold is creating an increasing number of shack like restaurants, and they
need meat to sell and not only chicken. Maybe I am wrong and the hay is normal and
it is just enough to fatten the one sheep needed for every family to sacrifice at
the Festival of Tabaski. (The Muslim commemoration of Abraham’s sacrifice of a
ram in the place of his son on Mount Moriah Jerusalem.)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Standard">
<br /></div>
<div class="Standard">
The world is changing, as it has done before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The megafauna (elephants, rhino’s, and
giraffes) along with herds of cattle carved into the rocks of the Tibesti at
the time of the green Sahara, 5-10 000 years ago, attest to that.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimkuW57hOF-kcoaNoO9Sh8td1SZGjC9tbHEzwYO-X3FCkY2gbnGfuGKGFfr4qasBzAuhaVDr20OlZxfgBIaQVWFJgGzf672a23ICNUDkL3tlUe7YP4zeEtjhPUILynLwCJvQMY6w6nFyk/s1600/e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimkuW57hOF-kcoaNoO9Sh8td1SZGjC9tbHEzwYO-X3FCkY2gbnGfuGKGFfr4qasBzAuhaVDr20OlZxfgBIaQVWFJgGzf672a23ICNUDkL3tlUe7YP4zeEtjhPUILynLwCJvQMY6w6nFyk/s320/e.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzSUo3z9nqNyUGvCc8Wxiy_xqWDM90nWVQcc-vFLAJgmiu-GF1Ol4TRTRkKqG2g6emUv0RVBH6WjShgRr08TrKfoHO-_7TGGlsOXvrhXJ5BCzepKvGSKM-VqeEuzXLAr9e9ZV6Ghz4Ws8/s1600/f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzSUo3z9nqNyUGvCc8Wxiy_xqWDM90nWVQcc-vFLAJgmiu-GF1Ol4TRTRkKqG2g6emUv0RVBH6WjShgRr08TrKfoHO-_7TGGlsOXvrhXJ5BCzepKvGSKM-VqeEuzXLAr9e9ZV6Ghz4Ws8/s320/f.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ancient rock carvings</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="Standard">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to the British Medical Journal, in a commentary, (BMJ
2017;357: j2190) another great change has happened in the industrialised world
over the last few generations. Instead of the estimated 5-10 kg of meat a year
in ancient Greece and traditional European agricultural societies, our
supermarkets now supply us with 10 times that amount, to the tune of 110-120kg
a year (U.S.A/ Australia). Cheap meat is produced in large factory farms, using
grain to fatten up corralled beef cattle. These are on the increase in the UK and
have recently been in the news due to justified questions about animal welfare.
The article in the BMJ points to even greater dangers. In a world of limited
resources, it apparently takes up to 110 000 litres of water to make a kg of
meat and fresh water is getting scarcer not only in the Sahara. In addition, a
staggering 97% of global soy meal production is used as cattle feed, even
though soya also tastes good as human food. We have mixed it 50/50 with our
dried meat and as a consequence we still have 2 kilos of dried mince left after
7 months. In a world where protein energy malnutrition is common can we in all
conscience use the worlds soy protein supply on the inefficient transformation
of vegetable into animal protein simply because we prefer the taste of meat?</div>
<div class="Standard">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Standard">
<br /></div>
<div class="Standard">
All of this is not necessarily new to you, and some have
disputed the figures. A Swiss bio-farmer, grazing beef cattle on the
mountainside, says he uses no outside water to make his beef as it all falls on
his land and they eat only grass and forage from the farm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A Guardian Data blog gave a more conservative
estimate that on average 15000 litres of water is needed to make a kilogram of
beef, which still sounds a lot to me. That is compared to chicken which uses a mere
4000 litres per kg. Soon a cry of<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Standard">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="Standard" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘Four legs bad, two legs good,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="Standard" style="text-align: center;">
Four legs bad, two
wings good’<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Standard">
<br /></div>
<div class="Standard">
will be heard through the land. (apologies to George Orwell)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Standard">
<br /></div>
<div class="Standard">
However, the BMJ commentary accompanied a piece of original
peer reviewed research ‘Meat consumption and risk of mortality’ (BMJ/ 2017;357:
j1957). The bottom line is that eating a diet rich in red and processed meats
increased death rates due to heart attacks, diabetes, liver and kidney disease
and cancer. So, it is not only the altruistic who should change their habits
but also those with an enlightened self-interest.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Standard">
<br /></div>
<div class="Standard">
The chimpanzee which I mentioned earlier as a meat eater is
really only an <i>occasional meat eater</i>, if he could talk, he would
probably call himself a flexitarian. Flexitarianism, which I only Iearnt about
last year, is a mainly vegetarian diet with some meat. It could be seen as the
latest faddy diet, but it seems to me that it is not the case; it is how we are
really supposed to eat. Perhaps you, we and the Teda could all do well to
resist the market change bought on by supermarkets and post WWII agricultural
policy, or the gold rush, and help the planet by eating 10-20 kg of meat a
year. That would be a big increase for the average Teda and a big decrease for
the average westerner. It is something that we have been forced to do by
circumstances, but not only that it seems like the right choice. Why not be
part of a revolution as we say ‘pray with the world ‘<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Standard">
<br /></div>
<div class="Standard">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘Give
us all this day our daily bread’.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Standard">
<br /></div>
<div class="Standard">
If that’s not for you, then at least in a spirit of self-interest,
stick to chicken. It carries a lower personal risk than red meat and, as you
know, it is the latest fashion in Bardai.</div>
<br />Mark and Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809839853421432386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2058747719227378450.post-2445730335311985392018-03-24T13:04:00.004+01:002018-03-24T13:04:38.853+01:00 Lessons from the market – part 3<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoLuGLdNs0FdaPRqwDhwWQKfuJFXaB_ADUFn0ScZXyJGiuoQJIyO9GgvIehlOq53E_ckZR-WEkCL4q1AYhRfXMmv9lzMr_JKZG2GS8_JBhnSSsbX6_xmw0ARXvmGdlz1qGBGTB0f6Q3mQ/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoLuGLdNs0FdaPRqwDhwWQKfuJFXaB_ADUFn0ScZXyJGiuoQJIyO9GgvIehlOq53E_ckZR-WEkCL4q1AYhRfXMmv9lzMr_JKZG2GS8_JBhnSSsbX6_xmw0ARXvmGdlz1qGBGTB0f6Q3mQ/s640/11.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The entrance to one of the restaurants on the main street, Bardai</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Chicken is popular the world over and it makes a welcome
addition to our diet at Bardai. It is not surprising to find them as, in Africa,
a few chickens around the home are good as they eat scraps, lay the odd egg,
and are ideal as gifts. The meat takes a bit of time to get used to, there is
less of it and it can be a bit tough, with
prolonged boiling or pressure cooking needed to soften it up.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But the deep-fried chicken in Bardai is a bit of a surprise,
all the chickens weigh about 1.2 kg in weight and are nice and plump.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It comes frozen from Brazil (yes really, I
have seen the packaging). The chicken
presumably is shipped across the Atlantic and into the Mediterranean, arriving
at a port in Libya, Tripoli or Benghazi. It is then delivered by a refrigerated
truck to a depot in Murzuk, a Teda town in southern Libya.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The last 600 km of the journey are the most
interesting, a dash across the desert and through the mountains in a large
domestic freezer strapped to the back of a Toyota pick-up truck. It takes about
14 hours and so they often set off at dusk and travel by night to avoid the
heat of the day. <o:p></o:p></div>
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</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCVfVcR8xhWC7KE7CYQlJOSS2PiWkHVJ-YVoC3Li8IKASZGNf86E3B3EcOe-mXCPlwmgNOfma28rFENKqhNkwb0wQFt32qqB6xs37ys6qtfHIPYk2NZfq7jt5cq9Q4khAYNZ3JOQEwB2Y/s1600/12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="392" data-original-width="696" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCVfVcR8xhWC7KE7CYQlJOSS2PiWkHVJ-YVoC3Li8IKASZGNf86E3B3EcOe-mXCPlwmgNOfma28rFENKqhNkwb0wQFt32qqB6xs37ys6qtfHIPYk2NZfq7jt5cq9Q4khAYNZ3JOQEwB2Y/s400/12.jpg" width="400" /></a>The chicken split
down the breast bone is cooked in a large vat of oil heated on a wood fire, up
to 10 at a time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is great from a food
hygiene point of view as it is much easier to cook it through this way. It is
then served with bread, salt, and some tomatoes and onions on a metal plate. It
is not cheap costing 5000 CFA (£6.50) for a whole chicken but It is popular
with the gold diggers who are in town for a break from their hard life on the
gold fields and a monotonous diet of macaroni with tomato paste and tinned tuna.
There are now four chicken restaurants in town and it is the presence of these
mainly young men <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that has made such business’ profitable. Men
and women have very separate social lives in Bardai and the restaurants are
very much a male preserve, and so sometimes I go and buy a take away on Sunday
after church. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwC8yg7bQbIfq8firGc-7MqO13dm5PuXyZImRbVAM6XAXu_VM1UYhUJtjuQ3Eh31K-8mD01332wdtaYyJck-CV_RHAlAG3pihNc0NuZtqKkjCjkAGUuwB1EQpl1w88HB5FxuS-6pOz6gY/s1600/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="587" data-original-width="525" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwC8yg7bQbIfq8firGc-7MqO13dm5PuXyZImRbVAM6XAXu_VM1UYhUJtjuQ3Eh31K-8mD01332wdtaYyJck-CV_RHAlAG3pihNc0NuZtqKkjCjkAGUuwB1EQpl1w88HB5FxuS-6pOz6gY/s320/13.jpg" width="286" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last month I had to
go to a different restaurant as the one I had been to before had no chicken (They
were serving omelettes but I can make those at home). They helpfully pointed
out their competitor down the street. At the new restaurant, they were very
friendly and even allowed me to take a few photos of the kitchen to go with
this blog, I think I may well go back there, especially as they actually do
have some chicken.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The supply chain is all important and if it fails the
business is in trouble and customers are not satisfied as Kentucky Fried
Chicken found out in the UK last month. At one time they had 420 of their 750
franchises shut due a lack of chicken. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Colonel Saunders had decided to cut costs and
presumably increase profits by changing the company that distributed their
frozen products to the fast food outlets. The supply chain completely failed making
very unflattering headlines. Some people clearly thought it was a disaster
prompting Tower Hamlets police to Tweet<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 138.9pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Please do not contact us about the<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 138.9pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>#KFCCrisis - it is not a police matter if your<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 138.9pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>favourite eatery is not serving the menu<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 138.9pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that
you desire<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 138.9pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tower
Hamlets MPS(@ MPSTowerHams)<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 138.9pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>February 20, 2018.<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is however much more serious when a hospital runs out of essential
medicines. You can imagine what happens when there is no insulin in Bardai as
happened last December.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are a long
way from Ndjamena and the Central Pharmacy (CPA}, communication is not easy and,
even there, stock levels there are sadly at an all-time low. At Guinebor we
used to supplement the CPA supplies with purchases at private depots and
pharmacies. The latter, situated opposite the Central hospital and medical
school are well stocked albeit with rather expensive medicines and make lots of
money as often the medicines prescribed in the hospitals are not available in
the hospital pharmacy. In Bardai, we have less choice, there are just some
common remedies for sale on the local market, many of dubious provenance.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Claire Bedford BMS pharmacist at Guinebor II has helped us
out with an emergency stock of insulin and other essential drugs, including
those to stop severe bleeding after childbirth to prevent a repeat of the
earlier tragedy. She also supplied us with one 6-month treatment course for TB
tablets for a newly diagnosed patient. The small package of medicines arrived in
early January on a MAF flight and has been useful. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr Abdul Kerim has
just returned from his annual leave in Ndjamena and has managed to come with a year’s
supply of TB and HIV drugs so we are making some progress. But as the hospital
gets busier and attracts sicker patients the supply chain will have to improve.
Small amounts of medicines from the Northern Regional depot in Faya and from
Ndjamena will not be enough. We need a proper system of stock control, ordering
and delivery.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is already a supply chain for vaccines which is
independent of the hospital structures. It’s a bit like the chickens, a dash up
from Ndjamena with special cool boxes to maintain the supplies in good
condition. The rest of the space in the vehicle could be used to send up drugs,
it just requires some coordination, and organisation of the finances. Other
avenues still need to be explored. Meanwhile Claire has made a brief visit to
Bardai, using a spare place on the plane. She met our local pharmacist, it may
be a fruitful relationship as they share experiences and contacts. Hopefully she
will be able to help us out from time to time.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My brother Nick summed up the problem yesterday in a WhatsApp
message <o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">‘a chicken restaurant without chicken is not a chicken restaurant’<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It may be obvious, like the emperor’s new clothes, but it
needed saying and sorting out before it became an embarrassing problem.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And more importantly:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
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What of a hospital without drugs?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>-----------------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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PS: One of the most spectacular improvements that has happened
in my lifetime is the near eradication of polio from the African continent. I
remember seeing acute polio a couple of times in Guinea in the early 1990’s and
saw many more young children who came with paralysed legs requiring operations
for contractures. The annual mass vaccination programs where all children under
5 years of age get doses of oral vaccine over a 3-day period in every, town and
village each year have had a major impact in halting this disease.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is a major distribution challenge, getting vaccines to
places like Bardai and then having trained health workers, many local assistants,
going from door to door. Most African countries including Chad have not had any
confirmed cases in recent years. I think the last cases in Chad were due to
refugee movements from war torn Northern Nigeria in 2014.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Vigilance is still required especially as
most babies still do not access their routine childhood vaccinations and so the
immunity of the population relies on these special campaigns.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq4G3PFyDXyRjwZigSMdBfRvXTewC4m79_VP58jIDFw0cQYU-4FWZHDRYHwdRMFVFoUOu10UbB5_WTmd-_O-yy0BNXl_T82zRyeJbyqgWs_wewxfuXzO-V_HYLo5I7CgLBEmT_c3WdRZc/s1600/14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="517" data-original-width="861" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq4G3PFyDXyRjwZigSMdBfRvXTewC4m79_VP58jIDFw0cQYU-4FWZHDRYHwdRMFVFoUOu10UbB5_WTmd-_O-yy0BNXl_T82zRyeJbyqgWs_wewxfuXzO-V_HYLo5I7CgLBEmT_c3WdRZc/s320/14.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->A week after the rest
of the country the campaign started in the Tibesti mountains, the vaccines had arrived
late and also Dr Abdel Kerim had not been here to organise it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Due to the dispersed population and lack of
staff it took a week rather than the allotted 3 days. There was a modest
ceremony at the hospital to start the campaign with the governor of the region
giving a speech and vaccinating the first child and giving a dose of de-worming
medicine. Various other dignitaries were called forward to give a dose of
vaccine to a line of children many in their mother’s arms. Last of all I was
called forward, and I didn’t immediately recognise the young child that had
been set aside specially, it was Bardai Eli, the young baby with facial burns
from last November. Even with the de-worming medicine smeared on his lips he
does look amazingly better.</div>
Mark and Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809839853421432386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2058747719227378450.post-91865406149669045112018-02-18T00:47:00.002+01:002018-02-18T00:50:12.679+01:00Lessons from the market – part two<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOaNcwLtaoro5r2UEuyy6P_kChsAtvlXogOIBM5DPzgeBvWvvrIanNBKejraxMia1i8TyV_yWzjNCeifRdMYNoVfuY6RQQfJ4wSfChsY3X5VcaSR3nClxG_uWT3W3qwP-mm_E9DwOW54k/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOaNcwLtaoro5r2UEuyy6P_kChsAtvlXogOIBM5DPzgeBvWvvrIanNBKejraxMia1i8TyV_yWzjNCeifRdMYNoVfuY6RQQfJ4wSfChsY3X5VcaSR3nClxG_uWT3W3qwP-mm_E9DwOW54k/s400/1.jpg" width="400" /></a><v:shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f">
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</w:wrap></v:imagedata></v:shape>The market at Bardai consists of a street with lock up stores on it, they
are roughly divided into food/hardware shops selling a curious mixture of
tinned goods, rice milk and flour,pick axes, lightbulbs, simple electrics,
buckets; and mens clothes/furnishing shops selling miscellaneous trousers,
socks, shirts jalabeers, rugs, blankets and mattresses.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Of late rather smart
heavy faux ‘camel skin’ coats from China have been in great demand. A must for
the older man wanting to keep warm but look at the same well dressed. I have
been wearing a jumper and T-shirt under my jalabeer a hidden addition which
makes people think I am hardy and don’t need a coat. The market functions all day
and on into the night.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is a newer separate market where goods from Libya are
sold from the back of pick up trucks. The number varies each day and they
arrive with a variety of fresh goods, tomatoes, apples, bananas, oranges,
potatoes, onions. Some days there are 5 or 6 others there are none, it just
depends on the state of the frontier and the relative values of the Libyan
dinar and the CFA (Central African Franc) They also sell the same tins and
sacks as the main market, but this time in bulk. My adventures in bulk buying
have not always been successful, I bought 25kg of flour, but the bread which
Andrea made with it tasted of petrol, not a good buy. <v:shape id="Picture_x0020_7" o:spid="_x0000_i1025" style="height: 451.5pt; mso-wrap-style: square; rotation: -90; visibility: visible; width: 204.75pt;" type="#_x0000_t75">
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<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Fresh eggs are a good part of our diet, but sometimes there
are none to be found. If you find them on the smaller market they are sometimes
hardboiled already (useful tip if language is difficult, check by spinning an
egg on a tin, raw eggs don’t spin well, boiled ones spin like a stone. Also remember that the last few eggs on a market
stall are less likely to be fresh, so it is best to buy them in bulk as they
arrive on the pick ups.) </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A few weeks ago, I came across a pick-up with a
large carton of eggs all on trays of thirty. There was no queue and I asked to
buy a tray but was surprised when the man said that they were expensive, 2500
CFA, so I should go to the next stall where they were cheaper at 2000 CFA. He
had to say it twice as the first time it didn’t make sense to me. So I walked
to the next stall, and waited in the queue, it was a bit of a wait. A Teda
friend came up and so I asked him what it was all about, were these eggs not
going to be fresh, where was the catch. He simply wants to be kind as his eggs
cost more was the unexpected reply. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglMQ0scIZQgZTZlSZ2sOWEF69JysfLt2SjhW8_miKV7XK6dnVuQyqZUjTwyCFRXF9Z1LQhtQPVLNX25_X0-9agHSQ89Um_ZSisHA7QTJcDqixNiklvxpNNY4qHg9VEa3pR50xBXZB59PU/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="614" data-original-width="1024" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglMQ0scIZQgZTZlSZ2sOWEF69JysfLt2SjhW8_miKV7XK6dnVuQyqZUjTwyCFRXF9Z1LQhtQPVLNX25_X0-9agHSQ89Um_ZSisHA7QTJcDqixNiklvxpNNY4qHg9VEa3pR50xBXZB59PU/s400/3.jpg" width="400" /></a><o:p></o:p>I was still waiting after about 5 minutes and, typical westerner, beginning
to think I would rather pay more for a quicker service. The man with the
expensive eggs must have seen my frustration so he came over got me a tray of
eggs took my money, gave it to the stall owner and then went back to his stall.
No doubt he sold his higher priced eggs
later on in the day when the other stall
had sold out. An unusual way of doing business and really not what you would
call a competitive market rather it is a
nice one to visit.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So far the lessons from the market are quite simple and uncontroversial,
smell flour for petrol, spin eggs to make sure they’re not already boiled and
perhaps more usefully, take stall holders advice , they may actually be being
nice to you. The next story, actually from a missionary cookbook, is a bit more
provocative; it too is about buying a tray of eggs.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A US national working in Nigeria went to market, she was
well versed in the local language and culture, and she observed the lady in
front of her buy 3 eggs for 300 Naira. (sorry I don’t recall the exact figures
but it is not important). She then asked for a tray of eggs and was asked for
4500 Naira. Quickly doing the maths she pointed out that her 30 eggs cost 150
Naira each whereas the other lady had only been charged 100 Naira per egg. So
she asked whether the seller had made a mistake. No came the reply, anyone who
can afford to buy a whole tray of eggs can afford to pay a bit more.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How do you feel about that? Was she really being ripped off?
We in the west come from a culture where bulk buying saves money and are more used to the idea of buy one get one
half price offers. That is how free market capitalism is supposed to work,
encouraging consumption, usually to the
advantage of the rich. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Let's look at an everyday example of how the market works
in the UK.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Your electricity and gas is cheaper if you can afford to pay
on contract a regular monthly sum through out the year. If you are less well off
and pay what you use each quarter it is more expensive per unit used. Most expensive are the meters that require payment
tokens to make the system work. I noticed that when we moved into our home in
Wakefield in 2005 and being rich, quickly got that changed. So in essence the
more money you have available to pay bills the cheaper they are. It seems right
or at least normal doesn’t it? Although perhaps a bit unfair?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<w:wrap type="tight">
</w:wrap></v:imagedata></v:shape>(Now in the following examples I am using idealised figures as living
in Bardai I don’t have access to either gas or electricity to get current prices, but the principle behind the
figures is a reality in Chad) <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTbZAexO8ckwvhM0tK7mlUzC8swFelO2eoPyWKnA8w8OqWU-LhpNs6hRI7aOUq8OWokYxWQow6yMbzLEJE5sjni_KlQAFMNoZgeNRYSLqLa6t23HUFpBDCFWEKNNDWyaAe4ex8sZqOQ7I/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="642" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTbZAexO8ckwvhM0tK7mlUzC8swFelO2eoPyWKnA8w8OqWU-LhpNs6hRI7aOUq8OWokYxWQow6yMbzLEJE5sjni_KlQAFMNoZgeNRYSLqLa6t23HUFpBDCFWEKNNDWyaAe4ex8sZqOQ7I/s400/4.jpg" width="333" /></a>In Chad if you buy a small 8 kg bottle of gas it will cost
say 4000 CFA, if you buy a 15 kg bottle it costs 10 000 CFA, which makes the
bigger bottle more expensive for each kilo of gas. The logic is that the
government want to encourage people to buy gas for small hob burners,
decreasing the use of firewood and charcoal, and also helping the poorer people
in society. The larger bottles are good for gas cookers, fridges and water
heaters so you pay more for the gas, it is after all use with for luxury items.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The electricity bill is structured in the same unusual way,
the first 20 kw each month are at a cheaper rate than the next 30 kw and then
more expensive again after 50 KW. It’s a graduated system in the same way as
income tax. The poor person who struggles
to pay the bill for an electric light is helped and the rich pay more for their
air conditioning. Seems a fair deal to me. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finally the same is true of water bills, so effectively the
main 3 utilities are subsidised.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I can imagine the outcry in the UK if any one of the
political parties proposed such a change, it would be a scandalous meddling in
the near sacred ‘free market’. I guess it would be, but that doesn’t stop it
being a good idea. Perhaps we can learn an economic lesson from Chad, (yes really-
the west can’t be right all the time can it?) Cheaper water, electricity, gas
and public transport for the less well off.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The idea is utopian, but it is not new. I do seem to remember that in the temple at
Jerusalem there was a graduated scheme for an offering to ask God for
forgiveness, a young bull for the high priest, a male goat for a leader, a female
goat for a common person, two doves or pigeons for a poor person, or one and a
half kilos of the finest flour for a very poor person. Perhaps that form of
‘progressive pricing’ for essential is a
lesson that we need to rediscover.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sadly it is more likely that in the future that external
forces perhaps the World Bank or IMF will insist that Chad implements market
reforms, in return for a financial relief package to cushion the economy
against the effects of the lower oil price. In other countries this has meant
privatisation of state assets, removal of subsidies on foodstuffs and fuel and
a free competitive market, for whose benefit? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Something to think about.</div>
Mark and Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809839853421432386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2058747719227378450.post-13464606501375218832018-01-23T23:46:00.003+01:002018-01-23T23:53:19.579+01:00Lessons from the market- part one<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixn9CgfN-fQYXFEE-cT6Lnpo1dVuS9x39gUa2FRR983fcpVruywjxbbZ9A-nixw0r2i7N_pE8EVNaW6zL1Z1GqcDwLXsimC54s5HqP8v3PdMdGAsVLo9ZERKmhLUbtPn2i1kzqdMAV8TU/s1600/blog+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="941" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixn9CgfN-fQYXFEE-cT6Lnpo1dVuS9x39gUa2FRR983fcpVruywjxbbZ9A-nixw0r2i7N_pE8EVNaW6zL1Z1GqcDwLXsimC54s5HqP8v3PdMdGAsVLo9ZERKmhLUbtPn2i1kzqdMAV8TU/s640/blog+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Football,
a world wide frachise. Sign outside a
video club in Bardai, about 60p a match, same as a can of Coca Cola</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last Saturday at about 5 pm with the sun setting behind the
mountains there was a light breeze which made the 18C air temperature feel a
bit cool. Last chance for a wash and a shave towards the end of a busy day,
visiting patients, pulling teeth and helping Andrea do the washing by
hand. The solar cooker had some nice
warm water so whilst Andrea cooked tea I showered and at the same time listened
to the football on BBC short wave. (we are one hour ahead of GMT so it was the
second half)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>‘and there’s a goal in the Championship, 10 man Leeds have
levelled <b>Leeds United</b> 2 - <b>Millwall</b> 2’’<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A few minutes later<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>‘’ and another goal at
Elland Road, what a fight back by Leeds in front of their home crowd, it’s <b>Leeds
3 Millwall 2’’<o:p></o:p></b></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><b><br /></b></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And then<b><i> </i></b>Andrea called me for tea, reception
is not great so I heard no more, you have to catch the score as the goals go in
as they only read the final scores for the Premiership, Bundersleague, Serie A
and La Liga. It is after all the World service. Our 2G phone signal can
download simple emails and Whats app text messages but we can’t surf the net
for news, hence the need for the wireless.<i><o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Later I spoke to my Mum and Dad on the phone, they said they
would send me the result if I could send them my email address (they’ve just
got reconnected after technical difficulties). </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The connection wasn’t good and I
don’t think my message got through. So next day passing Whats app messages
with our daughters, Ruth and Rebecca, they let me know the final score<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><i>Leeds united 3 – Millwall 4<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sadly eleven players against ten usually wins. (I presume
that Leeds didn’t lose another player!) The
difference between the sides a man, which makes, as far as I can see, a player
worth 3 points.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Footballers are of course worth a lot more than that, they
are worth real money. I remember in 1980 seeing Justin Fashenu of Norwich
scoring the goal of the season, a volley from about the half way line that beat
the Liverpool goal keeper, next year he was sold to Nottingham Forest as the
first one million pound player. A few years later, in 2000, I saw Rio Ferdinand presented as a new signing
at Elland Road for a record £18 million fee. This was in the days before Leeds
financial meltdown. The market decides how much players are worth, and our ascendant
neo liberal economic model encourages free markets. ‘’ In God we trust’’ but are we
trusting Yahweh or the golden calf? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last weekend Arsenal and Manchester United finally made a realistic evaluation of the
true value of a player. How much is a player worth? Answer: one player.
You have to admire the logic. After all these years of ever inflating prices, a
transfer that cost no money, they simply swapped players. (I am choosing to use
the BBC headline and ignore the fact that there was still the agents fees to
calculate on the deal, which apparently will not be an insignificant sum, not
sure how they can do the sum I always thought 5% of zero was zero) So one man
is worth one man, a brief outbreak of sanity in a mad market place. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Of course, instead of hard currency as is usual or bartering
as above, they could have done the deal using Bitcoin instead. But then the player might loose 50% of his
value in a month even without breaking his leg. Perhaps something old fashioned and tangible
like gold would be more sensible way of
measuring worth. A typical premiership footballer is worth ten times his weight in gold, 25 million pounds. A golden
calf has to make more sense than the idea of a golden calf in computer code.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiczM_P6rH0RbMpOxOOKPIZ1H0sJXALDEFs-LeWWSvlJKNPdVc_Mv-0tcamjv8yWruIsefYRUnbMo83_bnX-wDVThv6f7KlZNJqGPnkR6vxmo6R_e1O4MAgcoQQHNbzp7p2wdn23IuLisk/s1600/blog+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="330" data-original-width="440" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiczM_P6rH0RbMpOxOOKPIZ1H0sJXALDEFs-LeWWSvlJKNPdVc_Mv-0tcamjv8yWruIsefYRUnbMo83_bnX-wDVThv6f7KlZNJqGPnkR6vxmo6R_e1O4MAgcoQQHNbzp7p2wdn23IuLisk/s320/blog+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A small local gold nugget worth about £200</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<w:wrap anchorx="margin" type="tight">
</w:wrap></v:imagedata></v:shape>So how does this blog have anything to do with Chad, besides the short
wave radio and dodgy internet connections? I mentioned gold in the paragraph
above, personally I can think of nothing that I would less like to invest in
right now, bar the international arms trade.
Bardai is changing, the centuries old traditions of subsistence farming,
(dates, wheat and market gardens) and trade in salt through camel trains have
been largely replaced by gold mining and now Toyotas traffic market goods
across the desert. The market is booming, the town is growing and people are
richer than ever before but the human cost is high. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How much is one gold digger worth? Not much, life is harsh,
brutal and cheap. Of 4 gold diggers in hospital at the moment, (they are the
only hospitalised patients at the moment), one broke both legs in a rock fall
that killed his friend, one was shot in in the leg when an argument was settled
with an AK-47, and one was deliberately burnt on the legs to get information on
a theft: only the last one has a normal everyday medical problem.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The world markets are thirsty for gold, as an investment in uncertain times, for jewellery and no doubt some for
manufacturing useful electronic devices.
It has to come from somewhere but at what cost?</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
It seems to me that for every person that benefits and is happy
someone else has to pay and suffer. On the whole the rich get richer and
the poor…………………? Is that how markets are
supposed to work? In the next post I will have some interesting, somewhat
surprising examples from Chad, which can teach us all some positive ways of
doing business. You may think them odd and impractical, but in reality football
transfer fees and Bitcoin probably make less sense and we all seem to get along
with them as ideas.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii6yqe-amNfQjSTs0rnceH8NVuFHdIPqYoOvRIhR1qdMebCRpIL6mcGUjVD_ZKkepROVsLibRuAzla8ecNfPXQ58qho1HP8ISh1Fejf9il1nwmjQqA6DvIefkA3_hykU2RCPA06lP4fQE/s1600/blog+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="705" data-original-width="940" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii6yqe-amNfQjSTs0rnceH8NVuFHdIPqYoOvRIhR1qdMebCRpIL6mcGUjVD_ZKkepROVsLibRuAzla8ecNfPXQ58qho1HP8ISh1Fejf9il1nwmjQqA6DvIefkA3_hykU2RCPA06lP4fQE/s640/blog+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Match
at Bardai, can you spot the next George Weah?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Mark and Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809839853421432386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2058747719227378450.post-87494881231854177162017-12-25T00:30:00.000+01:002017-12-25T00:30:00.894+01:00Simple things matter<div class="MsoNormal">
November 20 <sup>th</sup> 2017 was time to face the future,
the first day back at Bardai hospital and at last working full time.; would
there be any patients to see? There have been plenty but here is the story of
one from that first morning.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
His name is Bardai Eli, an unusual name perhaps the only
one. It was chosen by his parents, part of the military garrison, who are far
from their home in the south of Chad. He learnt to walk early as children often
do here and at 9 months of age eager to explore the world he fell into a cooking
fire. He suffered burns to 2% of his body, not much in terms of size, but the
burns were to his entire face and forehead. Two days later I saw him on my
first morning, his face was a mess having first been painted with gentian violet
to dry it at the hospital and then an additional treatment of goats fur had
been stuck on at home creating a thick black matted crust. The wound was
getting infected and he had a fever. <o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPEfJoBQ-9Ug5MXO0a02zST9jXQybWDNB73R_BPjVPJ6IFaobEJZX_YaD8b7oJ4rkBPsUcPxylcvTQs_hQYBRIRbPexdIiAGfhi1CPuHDoImvbqpf3GOispCSQ_oF4Pz1keGYivwaABGM/s1600/picture+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPEfJoBQ-9Ug5MXO0a02zST9jXQybWDNB73R_BPjVPJ6IFaobEJZX_YaD8b7oJ4rkBPsUcPxylcvTQs_hQYBRIRbPexdIiAGfhi1CPuHDoImvbqpf3GOispCSQ_oF4Pz1keGYivwaABGM/s400/picture+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr Abdul Karim with Bardai</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
His worried parents agreed to a hospital admission, and I
told Andrea we already had a case for the operating theatre and so she set
about cleaning it up, sterilising instruments and swabs and getting equipment
ready for an anaesthetic. The hospital generator can no longer power the
autoclave so she had to make do with the hot air oven for the instruments and
clean but non sterile swabs and towels. Meanwhile he had some pain relief, anti
tetanus serum and antibiotics. The hospital has no creams or ointments so his
father went to town to get some Vaseline, but came back with some perfumed very
yellow petroleum jelly. This was not a good idea, so he went back to town and
came back with a tube of fusidic acid cream from a little shack of a pharmacy
on the main street. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9vIidz1T0j0Ux7S7BODC5ANYLXdF_cG8J0qm8JtCQFUxfeNMUT0hADUHVQT_XT0fW_XWsak42__49AT9N5gStdXJTv1RF1XgSZ1aNJ-y2kDeyVQYVYROMOwe1tm5W72WBLGEjueexXb8/s1600/picture+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="576" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9vIidz1T0j0Ux7S7BODC5ANYLXdF_cG8J0qm8JtCQFUxfeNMUT0hADUHVQT_XT0fW_XWsak42__49AT9N5gStdXJTv1RF1XgSZ1aNJ-y2kDeyVQYVYROMOwe1tm5W72WBLGEjueexXb8/s320/picture+2.jpg" width="179" /></a>Bardai was first on the list of 3 patients for the next morning.
(The notion of a list in itself was a novelty as only one case had been
operated in the 4 months of our absence, a victim of a landmine who
unfortunately lost his leg.) Once Bardai was asleep we gently soaked and peeled
away all the crust and found that there was raw burnt tissue all over his
forehead, nose and upper lip. He must have had his eyes tight shut and this had
protected his eyelids which were simply blistered. Once it was as clean as we
could make it his face was lathered in cream and left open with this moist
potentially healing dressing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Twice more that week he went to theatre and at last it was
clean. He was clearly feeling much better running around outside the ward
oblivious of his white and pink face, Thankfully the wounds were only deep
partial thickness and being young he had extraordinary healing capacity and
soon his red raw bleeding cheeks were healing and he was able to go home. I didn’t
take a photo at the beginning, you wouldn’t have wanted to see it anyway, but
here he is as an outpatient coming back for a check just 2 weeks after his
accident when his Mum said she was very happy for me to share his story. It’s
not normal to smile for photos round here.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was such simple medicine, but in my experience of strange
dressings of toothpaste, tomato puree and probably worse gentian violet, can
lead to infected wounds and full skin loss so simple things can make a big
difference. Two adults, gold miners, with much larger burns to legs (10%) and
arms and chest (20%) are also doing well, this time with home made non perfumed
petroleum jelly (vaseline) gauze dressings. Clearly teaching our colleagues
burns care is going to be an important part of our work and thankfully our
colleagues are keen to learn.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As you can see from the description above even doing simple
things takes time as supplies are not automatically to hand and many things
need organising to make the hospital efficient. We are a long way from
Ndjamena, in need of help, and so were delighted to receive a large pressure
cooker which MAF were able to put on one of their flights chartered by the EU
for a fact finding trip. They were followed by a UNHCR team who came in their
own plane. Both teams were interested in displaced people, be they gold diggers
plenty of whom are coming from all over Chad and beyond; or migrants who don’t
seem very common in this part of the Sahara. After looking round the hospital
the lady heading the UNHCR team noted we were sterilising in a pressure cooker.
She had also received a request for a young boy that we were treating for a
septic arthritis and probable osteomyelitis ( bone and joint infections) to be
flown on to their next stop Abeche where he could have an X-ray as our
generator is too weak to make the brand new machine function. Her not surprising
conclusion for her report was that for the hospital to function well it needs a
good 15KW generator for general power such as lighting but especially so that
the good equipment in the sterilisation and X-ray dept are able to work.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyDMq40gBwXxWWkl304VH-yeFiVm6Vo1ey8V0qsVcTF9cojUsciLONshXfkKubRIF4hhX2DoKQr1ZSf3et-hg20U-23UoIP_KZ3Vc3aPzhwYxWTpPbt5JOLE57ne-Ze1uqWGdNMEmmOdg/s1600/picture+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="592" data-original-width="784" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyDMq40gBwXxWWkl304VH-yeFiVm6Vo1ey8V0qsVcTF9cojUsciLONshXfkKubRIF4hhX2DoKQr1ZSf3et-hg20U-23UoIP_KZ3Vc3aPzhwYxWTpPbt5JOLE57ne-Ze1uqWGdNMEmmOdg/s400/picture+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
The report will probably just gather dust, things tend to do
that in Chad! However it was good to see that although they really there to
assess the bigger picture they could also make the effort to help a small child
get access to care about 1000 miles away. So last Saturday morning. Dr Abdul
Karim and I were able to take our young patient and his father to the airstrip.
(His mother and younger brother had to stay behind.) and put him on their
plane. We had done a lot to improve his situation, operating to drain the pus
and giving antibiotics, but because of the lack of a simple thing like
electricity we were unable to complete the care he required.<br />
<br />
Simple things matter.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO9ErqxBYX6CUP4es-KqK7lq4mC3jF78gpdUbJZV1fUlsbMyYinTcyhV0BCkpHik0fFmEdXCiYlw8XV-HVXjCsvWijVMPsUddXtdj3tr_MndlHEtLb0B9ESwq8LKmyQ1EfIzeVcwgIpco/s1600/picture+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1280" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO9ErqxBYX6CUP4es-KqK7lq4mC3jF78gpdUbJZV1fUlsbMyYinTcyhV0BCkpHik0fFmEdXCiYlw8XV-HVXjCsvWijVMPsUddXtdj3tr_MndlHEtLb0B9ESwq8LKmyQ1EfIzeVcwgIpco/s640/picture+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Mark and Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809839853421432386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2058747719227378450.post-58826414408262804042017-11-04T23:38:00.000+01:002017-11-04T23:44:23.756+01:00One planet, two worlds<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-nBGiGO_45TpT8VTv9rgR_WJIiIEzz3bWHMa-uvzGZi_zllWSbXXlRwKAUzwkic5GFZfCNU6ja2-NKSUq2H71S9-CQILDvKL81-U9iYz69oNdYb_2yCmQC_oKP8ut1SquV3b68nefygQ/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="283" data-original-width="800" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-nBGiGO_45TpT8VTv9rgR_WJIiIEzz3bWHMa-uvzGZi_zllWSbXXlRwKAUzwkic5GFZfCNU6ja2-NKSUq2H71S9-CQILDvKL81-U9iYz69oNdYb_2yCmQC_oKP8ut1SquV3b68nefygQ/s640/7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: large;">We spent a lot of time this summer seeing what it is like to
be on the receiving end of care in the NHS, and quite frankly we have been very
impressed. On holiday Mark’s mum slipped on a grassy bank and broke her ankle
badly. It was a bit of a shaky start with a 1 hour wait in the cold and rain
for a paramedic due to excess demand for services on a Sunday afternoon.
Fortunately Mark had already put the badly dislocated ankle straight and we had
got under cover by the time he arrived. The car born paramedic was excellent , but
his car was so full of life saving equipment that he couldn’t provide
transport; and so although a stretcher was really needed, he escorted our car to
hospital with Marks Mum across the back seat us as there were no ambulances
available. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_YnuEI1qY0rjPNg9n6DO1nPyhUaJlkfGf8xjz5b8VxSqy55FBmS-Y_Qsr_oBwd8Kb5CZadbQ8ytM_g8BDs3NcZc2pLQHkU9vnXDf0sF8Enywtr2A0zZQ-WV58pBlA2wzx5eDcHur3ato/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_YnuEI1qY0rjPNg9n6DO1nPyhUaJlkfGf8xjz5b8VxSqy55FBmS-Y_Qsr_oBwd8Kb5CZadbQ8ytM_g8BDs3NcZc2pLQHkU9vnXDf0sF8Enywtr2A0zZQ-WV58pBlA2wzx5eDcHur3ato/s320/1.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: large;">Thereafter the care was excellent. Surgery was performed on Mums
broken ankle and she was quickly mobilised and within 2 weeks was back at home.
Community care provided impressive array of different carers, physiotherapists,
occupational therapists and nurses who have all been coordinating with each
other and providing exactly what has been needed for Mum and Dad and now 3
months later she is walking and we are heading back to Chad.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx-eMBUZ4MP8QC39mhOuR7oJ2ZMG4-AMUIlD2VdMV-VxIMPyPHkyJzpWDYn2MxoBM8qWzR8sFNOjssKULO4NfU0DWpNyubsNEhzdI6OqGQi5pN5kfSG8zmsVwuUwHXasQ5Z79lZt14sAQ/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="687" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx-eMBUZ4MP8QC39mhOuR7oJ2ZMG4-AMUIlD2VdMV-VxIMPyPHkyJzpWDYn2MxoBM8qWzR8sFNOjssKULO4NfU0DWpNyubsNEhzdI6OqGQi5pN5kfSG8zmsVwuUwHXasQ5Z79lZt14sAQ/s320/2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ambulance at market next to pickup</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: large;">As you can guess that set us thinking </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: large;">about what would have </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: large;">happened in Chad. First of all of course there aren’t so many octogenarians
around; average life expectancy being 52 years. Given that there are still some
older people, how long would you expect to wait for an ambulance? The ambulances
at our hospital can be difficult to start. Mark needed one for an emergency and
as the ambulance driver was absent, tried to start it up. No luck, it seemed
that the battery was flat or the wires loose but on opening the bonnet that the
battery was simply not there. It had been removed the night before to start the
hospital generator. The driver may well have been absent on one of his trips to
buy supplies for his market business from Libya. The vehicles are often used to
ferry officials around the town or to get supplies of firewood from the
countryside to cook for the hospital staff. Sometimes they take sick patients
who need evacuation to Ndjamena, a tortuous journey of 1700km. We remember the
one occasion that an ambulance arrived with seven young children from 2 families
from a nearby village. They were suffering from food poisoning and were all
sent home later in the day. However as there is no 999 service most patients
arrive at the hospital, following road crashes, military events, or other
emergency in the back of their own or someone else’s pickup.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoJO66P5k_qMP7gUXYVK2faoA72URtuLvzj7wJ7rrTi9sMR-_jOAxJKstMvn8Els7_rBFMb8wO0_vYrGRCQhZi4LlOp1yNR2yoRWj3idVTjQbYwCX0e4ukSHhyrBAshTyyXhbN_BsW0ac/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="442" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoJO66P5k_qMP7gUXYVK2faoA72URtuLvzj7wJ7rrTi9sMR-_jOAxJKstMvn8Els7_rBFMb8wO0_vYrGRCQhZi4LlOp1yNR2yoRWj3idVTjQbYwCX0e4ukSHhyrBAshTyyXhbN_BsW0ac/s320/3.jpg" width="235" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mark checking out equipment in<br />
the operating theatre</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: large;">Having arrived at the hospital with a broken ankle what
could have been done. Well there is no X ray available yet, the equipment is
there but no radiographer, developing fluids or films. There is not even someone
who is used to putting ankles straight either in or out of theatre. We do have
plaster in the pharmacy but that wouldn’t have really helped. So it would have
meant a 3 day journey with a simple splint to Ndjamena or 12 hours over the desert
to Libya. At Ndjamena there is some good care available but often patients
choose to use bamboo splints put on by local healers. So even having survived
the trip across the desert an 80 year old might still struggle to get a good
result.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span> </div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlI46w-uMo6nTVc2fECpj_zxkyB2MoYwG3ns7SJg96JhjQljxZXmmmTJkbwr680vtTd4mXR1r9BnMufsXeYl_Rffd3Fnz7lxAN6Y1KuwZ2XRuwTZ4FdPWqZ15t4HtbwkcOIMeDZN5H9fc/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlI46w-uMo6nTVc2fECpj_zxkyB2MoYwG3ns7SJg96JhjQljxZXmmmTJkbwr680vtTd4mXR1r9BnMufsXeYl_Rffd3Fnz7lxAN6Y1KuwZ2XRuwTZ4FdPWqZ15t4HtbwkcOIMeDZN5H9fc/s320/8.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A typical group of homes in Bardai, including <br />
including ours with a thatch.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: large;">The family would be there to support the matriarch but they
would be untrained with no knowledge of how best to rehabilitate and get their
mother walking again. The patient would simply rest in bed and hope for the
best. One young girl we met in Bardai has a slow growing tumour causing
paralysis and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>has spent the last 2 years
of her life in bed. Unsurprisingly she has bed sores and life is not easy. The
family are there showing their care and concern so at the end of Ramadan the
family held their celebration around her bed and the room she was in was full
of women chatting and eating. A moment of joy in a difficult life.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: large;">So as you can see, now that we will be working full time in
the hospital there is going to be plenty for us to do when we get back to
Bardai. It will be interesting to see what we can do to make the orthopaedic
care better. However that won’t be all we need to do, there will be plenty of
medical cases too. Even with our short time there we have already seen serious cardiac
disease, alcohol related disease, plenty of fevers and much where we can
provide care with our Chadian colleagues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_fO51vwkj3VZXrFTXdw4QQFIuH3O6eENEBRctITyPZPAzmGg1Axj9qJr1k4K5kQp9Eg6l8r0daikgUdORl91DiPnLbX4TyAonmT01sEflKpFpYpPxI5RSwhgPPsjq49BLsdljVsKaKKI/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_fO51vwkj3VZXrFTXdw4QQFIuH3O6eENEBRctITyPZPAzmGg1Axj9qJr1k4K5kQp9Eg6l8r0daikgUdORl91DiPnLbX4TyAonmT01sEflKpFpYpPxI5RSwhgPPsjq49BLsdljVsKaKKI/s320/5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The maternity unit</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: large;">Since we have been in Bardai the maternity services have been quite quiet. All deliveries have been normal
except for one poor lady who went into labour, unattended and at home. She had
a breech delivery all alone which ended with a still birth. Despite living
close to the hospital she didn’t get good care till the next day and was still
slowly getting better when we left. We did help quite a few women having
difficulty during miscarriages and were supported by one of the local Teda
workers when she encouraged her daughter in law to have the care she needed and
wasn’t keen to have. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: large;">So far we have not had any Caesareans but the need for these
to be done well and good care afterwards has been brought home by the death of
a friends wife whom I delivered in her first pregnancy by Caesarean for pre-eclampsia
and twins. She recently bled after surgery for a second delivery and tragically
died. Another missionary also mentioned in prayer letter of the death of a
previous colleague in the North of Chad in the same way.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: large;">Two different worlds on our shared planet. In the UK ,
despite ambulance delays, there is no doubt we are very privileged. Meanwhile health
care in Chad remains difficult to access and when you do arrive at the hospital
the care provided may lack the quality and level of provision that is really
needed. We need to continue to aim for a just future- One planet, one world.</span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhizXA5kR71gtf5t0aEsGQYmBf_zGNciEIRsv0HjULFP2CvbIvo6dF_kyr8ZTmsha6Dzv-9uJrErH3gGbJPvNTOExmmGrt2RDiMInItBv5YBHGeibWP5QbH0bsYt0CRnFbBX9GHeB8Tvas/s1600/7b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhizXA5kR71gtf5t0aEsGQYmBf_zGNciEIRsv0HjULFP2CvbIvo6dF_kyr8ZTmsha6Dzv-9uJrErH3gGbJPvNTOExmmGrt2RDiMInItBv5YBHGeibWP5QbH0bsYt0CRnFbBX9GHeB8Tvas/s640/7b.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aerial view of Bardai hospital which is on the edge of the town</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span> </div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></div>
Mark and Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809839853421432386noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2058747719227378450.post-19506952542868199342017-10-02T20:25:00.001+01:002017-10-02T20:29:31.001+01:00A picture is worth a thousand words<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguIQXBuz5VNcIVbJQzF09ORbXZnueS3_MKA0JpfXUtlGKlBHnZBBj-CxV2LuZ2DrWIOWtaEQoUXhb6pzzOw4f_fq36xanHnGF5LmWF8VtXB6RK0JqrFZq-4t84d8PkZqsecs_6ipT8CpI/s1600/G+%252899%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguIQXBuz5VNcIVbJQzF09ORbXZnueS3_MKA0JpfXUtlGKlBHnZBBj-CxV2LuZ2DrWIOWtaEQoUXhb6pzzOw4f_fq36xanHnGF5LmWF8VtXB6RK0JqrFZq-4t84d8PkZqsecs_6ipT8CpI/s640/G+%252899%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A not so old camel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Art in Bardai has been around for a long time, 5-10 thousands of
years in fact. Pictures of elephants ostriches and panthers together with their
hunters are found all over the rocks near the town. Not quite so old, but
equally fun to see are pictures of camels also etched on the rocks a mere 2500 years ago.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">But you don’t need to go back thousands of years to see art
in Bardai just 30 years ago a French Artist decided to make an art installation
not far from Bardai. We visited twice while we were there, huge rocks in a
valley painted with what seemed to be red, white and blue a peaceful place to spend
a Sunday afternoon. One day we hope we will walk there, the last time Mark played
golf with some of the other missionaries and Chadian friends -only 2 clubs and
dig the holes yourself so interesting.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcb4lYvnxDia5LNJDEAJtC1djINsuHdNtCPwmaTQWqAs3meb5mDkNXVmesK8VRkyFmw38-qYGFpFWXtYd9in_TcpanKtk_-7R49fdmt9jQClnJf356eMJDqOVOOp1q1OicDY3eqOJCxs8/s1600/Blog6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcb4lYvnxDia5LNJDEAJtC1djINsuHdNtCPwmaTQWqAs3meb5mDkNXVmesK8VRkyFmw38-qYGFpFWXtYd9in_TcpanKtk_-7R49fdmt9jQClnJf356eMJDqOVOOp1q1OicDY3eqOJCxs8/s400/Blog6.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Art in the desert</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyvWtSwqC7TDqbwEncobyGWSUYQO1UgubCKstHiqSpJqictbyxAJyXIdEMr9QmjgjUSFxpI7fydEYDTlDgLDA0gleaX2M7Q26gybhr9VP5vBi0UBf_DZtjmfz32pbc2WHVs4TOiyZH4ZI/s1600/Blog7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyvWtSwqC7TDqbwEncobyGWSUYQO1UgubCKstHiqSpJqictbyxAJyXIdEMr9QmjgjUSFxpI7fydEYDTlDgLDA0gleaX2M7Q26gybhr9VP5vBi0UBf_DZtjmfz32pbc2WHVs4TOiyZH4ZI/s400/Blog7.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Amazing views</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Browsing the internet whilst back in England ,we even came across
a copy of the guide to the rocks as they were in the beginning, bright colours
startling against the austere brown rocks which surround the valley. We
discovered that they had been purple as well and that there were small signs on
some of them-we’ll have to look and see if they are still there next time.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Nature too brings its own art work as the colours of the
mountains change under the light of the setting and rising sun from brown to
orange to yellows. The view from our house is stunning each evening as the sun
sets behind the mountains.</span> </span></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCz8V8fcyUL7oKL8uginE2o6uYVJK_KPXYY7UhDuT6XVhq2jpf5GQooycsV-3slZAJVB-Cr1XKZxQFkXxBcrGsX15nPY2gZzozAvlYKeaciFrpQ0pqwv8gu9KhRMV7a5TZz-kPUwHBg10/s1600/Blog1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCz8V8fcyUL7oKL8uginE2o6uYVJK_KPXYY7UhDuT6XVhq2jpf5GQooycsV-3slZAJVB-Cr1XKZxQFkXxBcrGsX15nPY2gZzozAvlYKeaciFrpQ0pqwv8gu9KhRMV7a5TZz-kPUwHBg10/s400/Blog1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Setting sun on the rocks</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Occasional clouds too change how the mountains are
perceived and highlight layers previously unseen.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSEb_ErnxxnORy7XTHg8d2X29FOVzFDo-lgMSLpS5d7ft0ehVIcoHr7CC3uaimvJnWicWa8ViYbsAib73kfc-IEgsN8JfOZoCyBjrLxmN7bzdYUM1JwiiaTPCUzErtWy9aJFziOxSfv2g/s1600/Blog5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSEb_ErnxxnORy7XTHg8d2X29FOVzFDo-lgMSLpS5d7ft0ehVIcoHr7CC3uaimvJnWicWa8ViYbsAib73kfc-IEgsN8JfOZoCyBjrLxmN7bzdYUM1JwiiaTPCUzErtWy9aJFziOxSfv2g/s400/Blog5.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">View from our house</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The local people may not be so aware of the colours of the
mountains or the changes of light, they have been watching it for a long time. However they are aware of the changes of the colours of the ripening dates and our
Teda language lessons are teaching us all the names for the dates as they
change from white to green, then yellow and brown and we’ve also found out how
the different seasons are closely tied in with the date harvest. Showing how
the Teda have always been so dependent on the dates for their livelihood.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgq0rQHYMD1uG1C0NyvGSqgPTTKMRr5Dtbe9_J-XH5-0f55BEKbL85vIOK-7ZEfxaejyMLHArzZqIVYUt1rQl2h9cItaDSvWIF_zKYHWPta-vo9pVPDP9lFJ_Bf5gSBK5FGYfToXH1j_A/s1600/Blog2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgq0rQHYMD1uG1C0NyvGSqgPTTKMRr5Dtbe9_J-XH5-0f55BEKbL85vIOK-7ZEfxaejyMLHArzZqIVYUt1rQl2h9cItaDSvWIF_zKYHWPta-vo9pVPDP9lFJ_Bf5gSBK5FGYfToXH1j_A/s400/Blog2.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">How to pollinate dates</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">It’s hard to remember all the words and that’s not the only
complex thing about the language. The first thing we had to remember was that
the sentence seems to be the wrong way around with the verb at the end – not a
totally unusual thing but needs remembering. Then you have the same word
meaning more than one thing depending on how you say it- was that a cloud in
the sky or a dog or a drum? Well it all depends on the tone.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The verbs too have proved fun with each verb having two
forms depending on whether you are putting down or buying or picking up or so on, one
or more things and the two words don’t even bear any resemblance to each other. Add in
the fact that if I give you or I give him something the verb also changes at
the front and our brains are swimming.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJH6ya26BvQ31yIPGvzGH4ewSj0srpWaWozJxo6X_ZuONK8wbqgyt9xup9Zrwh8J2ky0BQctaTyQOVMb1LJar_D3QL34JwPyA_xmf7ikwDmZD-geQwjk020PtWtUgc1VPGLvQ0q2ssbGY/s1600/Blog3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJH6ya26BvQ31yIPGvzGH4ewSj0srpWaWozJxo6X_ZuONK8wbqgyt9xup9Zrwh8J2ky0BQctaTyQOVMb1LJar_D3QL34JwPyA_xmf7ikwDmZD-geQwjk020PtWtUgc1VPGLvQ0q2ssbGY/s320/Blog3.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Nature walk as a lesson looking at parts of trees</span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMdglacKCrlYC5aizMD0_tNlDvgLx65iZbl_0DVfxcwpEEIw5rh6i2yA-PopPyfk02uWrycCMvnV3wqmAesOpp3YitpbxqHC5s5h91wqDPPrE6SEoeOiZf_hyphenhyphenGEbeKaYA2D5-v0kee7lI/s1600/Blog4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMdglacKCrlYC5aizMD0_tNlDvgLx65iZbl_0DVfxcwpEEIw5rh6i2yA-PopPyfk02uWrycCMvnV3wqmAesOpp3YitpbxqHC5s5h91wqDPPrE6SEoeOiZf_hyphenhyphenGEbeKaYA2D5-v0kee7lI/s320/Blog4.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Looking at the volcanic rocks</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">So we thought we’d be sensible and concentrate on the
medical terms for a bit as that’s why we especially want to know the language.
However, still more complication it’s not as simple as saying I am vomiting but
rather the vomiting is happening to me which makes the verb extremely long and
almost impossible to say never mind remember.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Despite all this we are making some progress, someway towards a thousand words, or one picture. It always
seems worthwhile when we are able to use a little and get a smile from our
patients and neighbours.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">We are hoping we have not forgotten it all and looking
forward to getting back to our hill top house but we have to be a little patient
and wait until mid November as at present we are ensuring that Marks Mum and
sister who have both been unwell are back on their feet again and not needing
us around. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">That means chance to see more art work as the seasons change
here in England and the Autumn colours begin something we haven’t seen for 7
years.</span> </span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSq7zFzY1evF_dBwguuoJ-43p81A65pefGpxM-sL0M0PUIqWD1YdrGRPUUjmxnXkhr4g2h_CPnKMV1J6rPqht0Wz9ASF3jmuoOGK6N1VdrtNzLFLXDvqXbkcdcOOh2kxrGNreIN2moTw0/s1600/DSCF0578.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSq7zFzY1evF_dBwguuoJ-43p81A65pefGpxM-sL0M0PUIqWD1YdrGRPUUjmxnXkhr4g2h_CPnKMV1J6rPqht0Wz9ASF3jmuoOGK6N1VdrtNzLFLXDvqXbkcdcOOh2kxrGNreIN2moTw0/s640/DSCF0578.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Autumn beginning in Scotland</td></tr>
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<br />Mark and Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809839853421432386noreply@blogger.com0