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Ika visit 2014 - Week 3 |
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One trip to Ankpa this week - Wednesday - and a trip to Lokoja yesterday (Friday). Both of them were productive. We went to Ankpa to pick up supplies and some gifts to bring back to the states! And we went to Lokoja to meet with the Governor's wife. She had visited Ika to pay her condolences when dad passed and had seen the need at the hospital and made a generous donation the work there. Prayer issue: Going through the hospital, it seems that the hospital has come up almost 4 1/2 million naira short (over $27,000). Not because of any mismanagement or theft, but because people cannot afford the cost of the Anti-Snake venom and we cannot sit by and watch them die when they can't afford the injections. This year alone, there have been 54 cases (5 since I got here 2 weeks ago.) The injections cost in the neighborhood of 42000 naira (around $250) per shot and it takes 3-10 shots, depending on the severity of the bite. For someone making less than 10000 naira (less than $60) per month, you can see the magnitude of the problem. Since 2011, 48 people have been unable to pay off their bills leaving us holding an empty purse. Compounding the problem is the difficulty of procuring the correct anti-venom. It's scarcity drives up the cost and open up a huge black-market diluted or even counterfeited products. There is no steady reliable source.
A few pictures from this past
week - You can copy this line to add it to your facebook post:
VW Graveyard on the way to Ankpa
Applegate's House
Aunt Irene and Aunt Annette's House
Benjie and his tractor
New fire truck.
Love that glare!
MacDonalds! |
