Mar
On March 12, 2014 I left the beautiful land of sunny Santa Barbara, aka Paradise, to travel with an organization called Medicine Arm in Arm (on the US side). Like myself, the director of Arm in Arm, Dorothy Steinert, lives in Santa Barbara, California.
I just arrived in Swaziland and wanted to share the following photos and our experiences so far.
First I want to say that to you and I it might look like total and complete chaos but it’s the nicest location the clinic has ever had. We have four walls with running water AND electricity and this is a very good thing.
Here we have brought everything inside and have begun to unpack, check circuits, and equipment which has been in storage for over a year.
I said there was water – I didn’t say there was drainage. These big beautiful enamel bowls are so handy. Everything seen here is brought in by Arm and Arm.
My operative station. Equipment you see here packs up into a heavy, heavy black bag. In clinics past, the only things available for patient support were either regular chairs and sometimes tables. That’s one back-breaking day of dentistry.
A typical seasonal thunderhead poured and created terribly deep gullies. However the trailer and vans made it through.
Allan, teacher/translators, Jules (French exchange student) and Dorothy.
The clinic is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Mbabane (Swaziland capital) and the Swaziland Minister of Health.
As I get to work, I am reminded why I came…to help and I’m so grateful for the experience.
I return to the stated the 28th of March and will post more photos either before or then.
Until then, enjoy your plumbing and your dentist…whoever he or she may be!
Thanks,
Dr. Copeland