Mvumi

We spent yesterday morning looking around the hospital at Mvumi. I was a bit
surprised at how useless this made me feel. I am not good at visiting
hospitals without the ability to engage with patients. Not only is my
Swahili limited to a few words, but I have no tropical medicine and no
registration here, so I was merely a bloated western visitor looking at poor
sick people that I couldn't help. The clothes here are wonderfully colourful
and this contrasts very picturesquely with the drab blues, greys and browns
of the hospital architecture. People walk and ride many miles to come here,
often in preference to their own government hospitals. The hospital is in
the middle of a major rebuilding programme, with many older wards being
knocked down and rebuilt. There is a beautiful new dining hall with a lovely
wooden ceiling, which is spacious and airy, and serves as a hall for public
ceremonies (awarding certificates to graduates of the courses run by the
hospital, including Peter's own department)
After lunch we visited the village. The village is dusty, but has a thriving
market selling tomatoes, onions, charcoal and cast-iron stoves. Other stalls
sell second hand clothing and discounted new garments. Jack bought a new hat
for 85p (TSh 2000). On the way back, Molly felt faint, perhaps to do with
the Malarone and the heat, and we stopped for a drink at the local soda bar.
Jack admired a large grasshopper/cricket/locust which was walking about. We
returned to the house then visited a lovely lady called Rahele who gave us
tea and doughnuts, after which I did some violin practice, then had dinner
cooked by Simon Walton's cook Nyemo (chapatis and beans)
This morning we visited a local nursery school where we did some craft with
the children and taught them some songs and played the violin. I learned
something of the crops that they grow here, (maize and three types of
millet), and about the government of the country. Jack is quite well and
seems to be getting the most from the visit. He has read a fantastic amount
during our quiet moments.

John

_________________________________________________________________
Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! Download today it's FREE!
http://messenger.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200471ave/direct/01/