Rotary Grants & Teddy Bears Make A Difference in Tamale, Ghana.

Tuesday: We went to inspect and dedicate two wells near Tamale and inspect a third well location where a Niri pump was stolen from an older well in a very populated area. It was exciting to see the faces of the women and children who suddenly had clean water near their homes when the wells were opened for the first time today. It was very moving to us. We also saw the reservoir in Tamale where many people fetch their water in the dry season. It was also where I demonstrated the water purification system in February 2007. We visited with Seidu Korkor, Director of the Ghana Guinea Worm Eradication Program and other officials who are excited about the two medical containers of equipment going to the Tamale Teaching Hospital and Eye Clinic as well as all of the water projects. We discussed with them and members of the Carter Centre how the guinea worm disease has declined from an estimated 550 cases in 2008 compared to over 4136 cases in 2006, 3358 cases in 2007. It is an estimated 80-90% reduction in guinea worm cases in one year. We are on target to eliminate the guinea worm disease in 2010! Get excited! We also went to the Guinea Worm Containment Center in Savelugu today. Last year, the center was full of sick children with guinea worm parasites. Today, the center was empty and the children were in school where they were laughing and playing as the school day ended. It is wonderful to see a place that last year was the most dangerous place for guinea worm in Ghana because a place where I can't show a sick child to Kenny Lovelace. Wow! We went to the Tamale Vocational Training Center. Alex Kpodo is the accountant for the center. He is also the Tamale Rotary Club treasurer. The Vocational Training Center is doing a good job, but they need basic tools of the trades to teach effectively. They asked us for help or to sponsor a grant giving students the tools they need to learn a valuable trade. We went to Past-President Adam Salifu's senior secondary school in Tamale where Kenny gave VBS t-shirts and wrist bands to the very excited class. The class was very respectful and excited about learning about the way Rotary works together around the world. The last stop today was at the Tamale Teaching Hospital. It was depressing and hopeful all at the same time. We looked for space to store the container of medical equipment and supplies before it is distributed around the hospital. Two of the top floors of the hospital are condemned. The have rebuilt one wing of another floor that will be an intensive care unit. We saw babies on the floor who will soon have incubators and baby cribs. We also saw patients on shelves that will have new beds to sleep in at the hospital. Kenny and I also met many dedicated doctors and nurses who will use our new equipment and keep it safe. We delivered two transformers to Dr. Jim Murphy which will get two floor standing microscopes working again thanks to help from a technician from Zeiss in the US who sent them to us to carry to Ghana to fix the valuable surgical microscopes. We delivered teddy bears made with the loving hands of Emily Johnson to children in the children's ward at Tamale Hospital. One of the bears was given to a young burn victim. Another bear went to a child who almost died of deadly staff infection in his leg. The boy may still lose his leg. The parents haven't come to visit the boy and the teddy bear really cheered him up. Another teddy bear went to a child with malnutrition and another went to a young infant with malaria. Emily's work was a hit. Emily's sister is now a missionary and she wanted to do her part to help around the world. Emily has more bears in the containers coming to Ghana. Thanks, Emily! We rested and had a great meal with President Joe Mumuni and Alex Kpodo. Editors Note: Above text and photo was received by past president Mike DiCicco from Walter Hughes of the Rocky Mount Club. Mike's comments " He (Walter) is currently in Ghana. This is an update on the projects we helped to fund. It's great to hear an update an what a difference Rotarians can make.