Drea in Niger Africa

May 16, 2012

We said goodbye to our heroes...the full time missionaries at Galmi Hospital, and took a small plane to Niamey. The city is crowded with slums. People trying to survive the day by selling anything they can from small carts on the side of the busy road. At a stop light, a boy about 10 years old washes our windshield and another even younger tries to sell boxes of Kleenex. Overloaded bicycles, motorcycles and goat carts fill the street. The goat on the lap of the motorcycle driver replaces his helmet...no helmets are visible in Niamey.
We flew to Paris and during my 6 hour layover I rested, ate and reflected. I wonder how many women in Niger have ever felt full, comfortable and safe?

I have been home for 10 days and carry thoughts of Galmi with me throughout the day and night. My answer to the question "how was it?" can only be...
humbling, inadequate, vulnerable, powerful, gruesome, intense, unimaginable, unbelievable
hot, scorched, dry, thirsty, dusty, smelly
God has given me a new sense of peace because I depended on him more in the last month than ever before in my 48 years of life. I am learning that true peace can only come from depending on God moment by moment.

As I process the last few weeks, questions keep filling my mind....

Why do we have everything and they have nothing?
If we could get funding, what would make the biggest impact at the hospital? (nursing school is just one of the answers...)
How can we begin to change the mentality of the nurses who think concretely, are understaffed and have gruesome working conditions?
How do we reach the pregnant women in the villages with education, nutrition and vitamins and help avoid the exceedingly high rates of maternal and infant death in Niger?
If those questions aren't overwhelming enough- what about the oppression and illiteracy of the women in Niger? Even the women treat each other harshly (except for the "grandmas" who are my favorite)

What can we do today?
Pray for the long term missionaries at Galmi Hospital, and the patients and staff.

The hospital will gladly accept contributions. They have a benevolent fund which you can contribute to which pays for treatment for patients who can’t afford it. Also, the hospital is going through a big rebuilding phase, and so donations can be made towards the building of the new obstetrics ward, which hopefully will provide a cleaner, more private environment for women. . At this stage I think the biggest need is the building project, as there are regular contributors to the benevolent fund. You can contribute to either of these online at http://www.sim.org.au/online-giving/c/Projects/p/galmi-hospital; http://www.sim.org/index.php/project/97450; http://www.sim.org/index.php/project/84400

You may have seen recently that Niger is the worst place to be a mother: http://www.smh.com.au/world/african-nation-ranked-worst-for-being-a-mother-20120508-1yb0c.html so I know that any contribution you make will be greatly appreciated, as Galmi hospital works to improve the health care of women in Niger.