Detomos Abroad

A group of 13 of us left Ikoyi in a Chevron bus and security chase at about 8.15am. We hit light rain but we made it to the Hospital just after 10am and were greeted by Father Yemi Akinlotan.

Sacred Heart is the oldest hospital (over 110 years old) in Nigeria located outside the city of Abeokuta in Ogun State in Nigeria.  Abeokuta is the capital of Ogun State.  The hospital was started by French Catholic missionaries as a leper hospital.  Doctors from all over the world have come to Sacred Heart to do research.  While it is no longer needed to treat leprosy the hospital continues to serves the local community treating HIV/Aids and the gynecologic needs of the area. Today it is 400 beds in several one story buildings.

We had a small cheque presentation ceremony in the conference room next to the Matron’s office.. Both Dr Adegbite (the amazing lady doctor) and the Chief Medical Officer were present and both he and Fr Yemi assured us that our donation of N3.7 million (N989,000 (or ~$6,500) from the Small World organization and the balance of  N2.711,000 million (or ~$18,000) from the BWG (British Women’s Group)) would be spent on the tipper/dumpster truck as promised. They hope to take delivery in the next week or so and will send the BWG copies of all the relevant paperwork.  The doctors expressed great pride in that this donation would make the public health of the patients better allowing for a “pristine environment” and “zero infection”.  This is one of the cleanest hospitals I have ever been in and is a tribute to the staff caring for the patients.

 The sincerity of the staff and the dedication that seems to come from them was shown further shown when we toured the hospital. The worn- out tanker we were originally trying to raise funds had been replaced by a shiny new one with help from an American HIV/Aids program. The tanker was brought to the car park for us to inspect and take photos. We were very happy to see that the cylinder of the old water tanker was able to be salvaged and it has been refurbished and mounted on concrete blocks as a standing water source. Very useful for the hospital of course as it struggles to receive main water.

We spent about three hours at the Hospital which was trying to cope with extra patients due to a state hospital & docotors strike. And we were told , that administration has a policy of not turning anyone away whether they can pay or not. We had detailed ward tours seeing a female diabetic patient who had treated herself with ‘voodoo’ medicine (that did not work), a young girl with a heart valve problem and a tiny young baby of 6 weeks who was having convulsions.  Dr Adegbite also showed us the ultrasound machines on the obstetrics unit.  She had a queue of patients for the ultrasound.

We also saw the store room where donated equipment is kept; there has been a consignment from contacts in Germany & Switzerland including an additional incubator. We also saw the pharmacy which was well stocked and we were told that the Hospital has good contact with reputable drug manufacturers (as opposed to fakes) and most drugs were manufactured in Nigeria.  The hospital is currently employing two pharmacists and a dozen pharmacy technicians. 

 The laboratory was interesting as they now have a digital analyzer along with numerous analog machines.

Father Yemi took us to a site at the back of the Hospital where new ground has been broken and proudly showed us plans for a new trauma centre with a trauma theatre and emergency wing including an Intensive Care Unit. This is his next fund-raising project and he is aiming to raise about N35 million! He is off on a trip to Europe next month to see if he can get some more European donors and Dr Adegbite was telling us that if anyone can do it, he can!

Peds Unit Patients

Sacred Heart also has a nursing school.  The school takes 50 students a year and has quite stringent entry requirments.  There are usually over 500 applicants.  The program is 3 years and the students do most of there clinicals at the Sacred Heart or one of its 4 satelite clinic facilities.

The requirements:

Sacred Heart Hospital partners with “Smile Train”, a USA based organization to provide cleft lip and palate surgery.  Here in Nigeria cleft lip or palate problem babies are hidden away in the families and away from public view. The surgery is free of charge; two surgeries were done in 2009 and one in 2010 so far. In 2009 Sacred Heart cared for over 11,400 inpatients and greater than 63,000 outpatients.

Afterwards we were treated to tea, yogurt, homemade meat pies and donuts. We were thanked for “wanting to serve humanity, touching the lifes of thousands of children and patients”.

  

I  had a quiet luncheon with friends to say good-bye to the current USA Ambassador to Nigeria.  The Honorable Robin Renee Sanders has been the Ambassador to Nigeria for about 2 ½ years.  Her office and work keep her mainly in the capital, Abuja.  However, she comes to Lagos a few times a month for meetings and various public functions.  As she prepares to depart Nigeria the last week of August she took the opportunity of being in Ikoyi to have lunch with the American Women’s Club.  It was a pleasant luncheon in a local Chinese restaurant “Reed’s” with mimosa’s, assorted appetizers and  entrees.  We finished with a toast and traditional American cake.

Left to Right are: Nancy, Ayoka, Sam, Julie, Mary, Betty, Tami, Ammbassador Sanders, Adeze, Frances, Beth, Christine, & Carolyn.

Once or twice a month we travel down Five Mile Creek to a secluded, quiet, beautiful and incredibly poor beach to while away the day in sun and relax at our beach house.  Five years ago the local one room reed and straw school house was rebuilt by the expatriates like us who spend their weekends escaping the noise and crowds of Lagos on the beach.  While now proudly stands a 5 room school house with a metal roof, blackboards, desks and chairs that educates 70 primary students from the surrounding villages.  The school is charming, located under a canopy of palm trees with a football field front and center and a playground off to the side.  Teacher huts are at one end of the area and are occupied Sunday night through Friday afternoon during the school term.  Today there is a Board/Foundation  made up of the director of the school, the village chief and a few expatriates to sort the needs of the students and the school.   Over the last year there is now a computer lab fueled by a generator. Recently the school received a grant to purchase textbooks for each child.  Every little bit helps whether from sales of the book Nigerian Gems, to corporate donations and or private donations.  As the school term starts next week, Rocky and dropped off bags of notebooks and ink pens to get the school year started.  Chief James proudly showed us the school.

Village and homes next to the school.

The school.

The soccer field.

One of the classrooms.

August 16, 2010

Yes today is my Birthday…and our plan is for cocktails, homemade pizza, champagne on the balcony and a movie.  Imagine my surprise when I answered an incoming call and was serenaded with

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday to you

 Happy Birthday to Miss Julie

Happy Birthday to you

For she is a jolly good fellow

For she is a jolly good fellow

For she is a jolly good fellow

Hip hip hooray!

By numerous Nigerian Shell staff that were on coffee break from their HSE (Health & Safety Education) class.

It made me feel so special!

Posted throughout Freeman House:

Our driver’s eldest daughter is enrolled at Cross Rivers State University of Technology in Calabar working toward and accounting/finance degree.  She just completed her first 100 Level semester.   Sunday, her father, is so proud of her and shared these pictures with us!

 

Pilanesberg National Park is one of the third largest national parks in the Bojanala Region of southern Africa.  This unique area is encircled by four rings of hills, a geologically fascinating complex which was produced by volcanic action millions of years ago.  This park is a malaria-free reserve. It is home to over 7,000 animals including the big five (lion, elephant, leopard, rhino and buffalo), as well as over 300 bird species.  It is unique in that one can drive one self through out the park. This park also allows hot air balloon safaris early in the morning (3:30am). During the course of our day we saw, baboons, bushbucks, elephants, giraffes, hippopotamus, a brown hyena, impala, a jackal, kudu, warthogs, waterbucks, blue wildebeest, and zebra.  In our several safari trips we had yet to see a rhino and here we were rewarded with seeing 4 white rhinos including a baby with her mother. 

 Zebra

 Red Hartebeest

 Mankwe Dam & Lake – notice the bird – we saw so many!

 Impala

 Elephant Family

 Kudu – look at the horns on the male!

 Giraffe & Blue Wildebeest

 Bush Buck

 Elephant crossing right in front of the car.

 Zebra – look at his colors!

 Our first White Rhino!

 White Rhino with Baby – like elephants this mother always kept the baby shielded away from us.

 Two more White Rhinos!

 Munching away – they are BIG!

 Yes, the Rhino got very close to the car, however, we pretended to be a rock and waited for them to move on.  They were fascinating to watch.

We came for a short getaway holiday over a Nigerian holiday weekend. After an overnight flight we picked up a rental car and traversed rural country roads stopping along the way at Hartbeesboortdam in the village of Broederstroom.  Here we drove across the one lane wide dam built in the1920’s. We then had breakfast at Tan’Malie Se Winkel, a curio shop and restaurant that was founded in 1921.  The shop has some interesting antiques and novelties while specializing in sweets and jams. The proprietor lit fires in the fireplaces to take the chill off the morn and served us a steaming cappuccino and home cooked breakfast.  Afterwards we continued an idyllic drive that took us past sunflower farms and platinum mining operations.

 

Sun City sits in the northwest province of South Africa approximately 185 Kilometers from Johannesburg.  I’ve heard it called the Las Vegas of Africa.  It is a resort and entertainment complex created by an entrepreneur in 1979 who concocted a myth of a lost civilization.  It consists of four hotels, 2 water parks, an entertainment center, a crocodile sanctuary, gambling casinos and 4 hotels.  However, the crowning jewel is a magnificent resort, The Palace, which is built on the ruins of The Lost City. It is opulent, gargantuan and extravagant beyond imagination.  It is Disney like in that it is exquisitely themed. 

 

We arrived in Sun City late morning to a beautifully warm sunny day.  The Palace is at the end of the road rising to greet you with fountains and cool breezes.  You are greeted with a refreshing glass of fruit juice. The Palace is just that; a palace decorated with an African wildlife theme and towering ceilings and windows, hand-carved walls,  painted frescos, handcrafted artifacts, chandeliers and fountains.  Our room was on the fourth floor overlooking the pool which had an exquisite tiled bottom.  We chose to lay by the pool, enjoy the sun and have lunch under the cabana after all we are on vacation.  Later we caught a ride to the entertainment center and explored the gardens that connected several of the hotels, ending with dinner at the Fishmonger (mussels, squid and fish).  We relaxed at the end of the day with a complimentary bottle of champagne.

 

We awoke to the sound of  birds and wildlife.  Breakfast was a feast: mimosas, ham, duck, omelets, waffles, eggs Benedict, cereals, fruits, juices, and assorted other side dishes.  There was no possible way to even taste everything; the spread of food was just amazing.  We spent the day driving in Pilanesberg National Park.  Upon returning to the Palace we were just in time for High Tea.  It brought back memories if the last time we had High Tea.  That was in 1995 (I think) at Waterton National Park in the Prince of Wales Lodge with the boys.  The Tea was traditional with several choices of tea, cucumber sandwiches, crème Brule, scones and jam, fruit tarts, petite fours, and other mouthwatering delights. We took in the premier of the movie Sex in the City 2 followed by appetizers and snacks in the Tusk Bar while listening to a young lady play the piano.  

On the return drive every 4 way stop intersection was filled with young hawkers trying to sell you a world cup hat, a south african flag or a snack/beverage.  Everyone had the same attire – a Bafanna Bafanna Jersey.  Even most the restaurants we were in the staff was sporting world cup jerseys of their team…this country is so excited and ready for the world to see South Africa.  The TV commercials, the bill boards and even the road signage is pointing to world cup – there are special signs leading you to the stadiums.  All a five hour flight from Lagos.

As I sat drinking my coffee

OMG! There is a ship on the beach!

Yes there really is a ship on the beach!

And Frankie thought she could push it back into the ocean!

And 2 weeks later it was gone…

Saturday May 7, 2010  

Seven teams of Shell residents (of all nationalities), drivers, guards & stewards competed for fun and love of soccer.  There were a minimum number of rules and we even had referees. We used the tennis courts of Shell First Ave and Shell Second Ave (Each team was required to have 3 residents.  The unusual rule was that any team that had a girl got an automatic goal which made scores and play interesting.  We had one of the Shell Resident VP’s also play in the matches.  Each team had six matches and points were awarded as if this was “World Cup” play.  As the afternoon wore on we had several residents come and watch so that by the end the crowd was cheering on their favorite teams.  In the end Queens Drive United took the Champion title.  Everyone relaxed with sodas, beer and nibbles from the Sheralton Restaurant.  An Excellent day!