Sannu!

The Minister of Health of Niger came to the hospital today and was greeted with a great event.  The opening isn't officially until next weekend but as a respect to the minister a preliminary opening was arranged.  Below is a picture of the Minister of Health cutting the ribbon of the fistula center.  My internet is too bad to upload more but I will try again later.

The first surgery has been postponed until Thursday as our sterilizers are not working yet.  In the meantime I helped Sarah take patients histories in the village today and Dr. Arrowsmith is continuing to see patients in the clinic in preparation for the first surgical repair.

I started going into the village where the women are staying.  It is very easy, even with the Hausa-English language barrier, to create a relationship with the women.  They are so excited that we are here to help them and it is an amazing feeling to see them smile at you and instantly want to be your friend.  Because they are isolated from the rest of the Danja village it is clear to see the bond that the women all share.  Danja is seen as a safe place for the women to come because of its long association with the leprosy center adjacent to the newly built fistula center.  The partnership between the leprosy center and the fistula hospital is partly because of the similar social treatment of the two types of patients-- as outcasts of society.  I am trying to brush up on some more Hausa so that I can go see the women and learn more about them.  This has been an amazing and challenging past couple of days-- I will hopefully upload more pictures soon!