Every day the midwife training continues in the morning with Dr. Bob, Aicha, and either me or Rachel and the clinic continues treating patients with Dr. Agak, Ali, Ramatu, with Louine and either Rachel or me at the pharmacy. Every day the patients increase. Word spreads fast in the nomadic territory. The Soldiers guarding us […]
Medical Missions
Medical Mission
The medical mission got underway today, now that the fete of Tabaski is over I guess people are free to be sick. There was a line on the first day that increased every day for five days. Here Louine and Rachel organize […]
Stocking meds and supplies
Bob and Louine had three very full bags each stuffed with vitamins and medical equipment for the training program and medical clinic. Bob demonstrates new born resuscitation.
Tabaski
Dr. Bob Skankey, his wife Louine and Rachel Diana Charles Phillips arrived on the humanitarian plane from Niamey on Friday and solar Rich left on the same plane. We stayed one night in Agadez and headed out the next morning to see the new finished education and visitors center. I will wait until I get […]
New Secretary–Aicha
For the last three medical missions we have worked with Aghaichita Harouna as a nurse at the medical clinic. She is recently graduated and has not found work in her chosen field so we have offered her a position to run our office and to set up a reporting system for the medical clinic. We […]
New mission starts now!
We are headed back to Niger to do a third solar training session, and train midwives among the Tuareg and Wodaabe nomads of Niger. The existing 18 solar students will start manufacture of panels to create demonstration sites from which they can sell solar equipment. Five initial midwife and health care liaison trainees have been […]
Medical Mission
In our time visiting communities in the bush we were also letting them know that our medical mission was about to start. Unfortunately, Dr. Bob Skankey, his wife Louine and Rachel Phillips a volunteer, had to cancel because of passport/visa problems, but we decided to go ahead with a local staff. After leaving Foudouk we […]
Stocking medecine
We arrived at the Tamesna Clinic and started running at full speed — the first day spent stocking, counting and organizing medecine. Here is our new major (nurse) Ali Hamada working at the medical cabinet. He is rapidly becoming a fixture in health care in the north. People come to see him from as far […]
Thanks to Susan Rosenfeld, director of the Niger program for Boston University
I have just gotten back to the US, but before I close out the blog for this trip I have to express the Nomad Foundation’s thanks to Susan Rosenfeld. Without her generosity the project would never have gone forward. She had invited Dr. Komp and me to stay at her house for the two days […]
Tuareg in prison and broken bones
Sidi was due to arrive in our new car the day after the others came down on the bus. He stayed to do the second distribution of millet for the Niger Food Relief campaign of the Boston University Niger Program Alumni. He was to arrive with our cook, Aboli who would handle feeding the whole […]
Glamour packing
Some people actually pack clothes when they take a trip. Well I not only get to pack my own bags (no clothes of course) but our volunteers bags as well (I must say Dr. Skankey has done yeoman’s duty gathering materials for the medical clinic and packing bags as well–I cannot take all the credit) […]
Packing vitamins for the Tuareg and Wodaabe
The final preparations for departure to Niger are in full swing. Tonight I enlisted a group of nomad foundation supporters and Rotarians who volunteered to package the bulk prenatal vitamins secured by Dr. Bob Skankey. These will be hand carried by volunteers headed for Niger and will continue, I am sure to work miracles for […]
Niger coup: Good for Tuareg rebels, bad for uranium investors
Hannah Armstrong, who traveled with us on our medical mission was, while working in our clinic, also working on articles for publication about Niger, the nomads and the foundation. Here is the first in the the Christian Science Monitor: Niger coup: Good for Tuareg rebels, bad for uranium investors Hannah, Leslie, Aghali Ag Alambo, leader […]
Thanks to everyone
The medical mission is over and I am now home. As the memories of it sink in. I want to thank all of you who made it possible.Rotary Club who through grants supplied the medical equipment, medicines and supplies and expenses of the mission. And whose individual members have offered endless hours of volunteer time […]
Dr. Bob’s thoughts
I have asked all the participants in the medical mission to write their thoughts. Here are those of Dr. Bob Skankey.I am always amazed how much good can be done when caring people are willing to work together to reach a common goal.This mission started off with support financially from Rotary and the Nomad Foundation. […]
Soldiers and guns
We had our own private army with us at all times. Since the coup, we were required to have seven soldiers as our security. I slept with my door open and all through the night I could see a soldier standing on the little hill across the way. Later I realized the soldiers’ need to […]
Imalole–Tuareg school
The Tuareg school of Imalole is having a hard time this year. The pasture in the region of the school is very bad and as a result the parents find it difficult to stay nearby so the kids can go to school. Last year there were 30 students and this year only 7. We have […]
Dr. Skankey is here
Dr. Bob Skankey and his wife Louine finally arrived yesterday evening. I say finally because the preparations have been ongoing for months and the mission was in some jeopardy because of the recent coup d’etat in Niger. (only a week ago) The coup is being heralded as a pretty good move by most Nigerians so […]
Coup d’etat
There is never a dull moment in Niger. Last trip devastating floods. This trip a coup d’etat. There was gunfire and tanks were in the streets near the presidential palace in Niamey yesterday, and the president along with several ministers were taken captive. Today is quiet there. I am 1,000k from all that in Agadez […]
Party time again
During an almost three year rebellion all the nomadic festivals have been on hold. But the festival of the Air was held this year from Feb. 14-16. It is usually held in Iferouane, but uncertainty about security brought it to Arharous–closer to Agadez. Not too many tourists attended but some journalists and people interested in […]
The bad news
Wodaabe kids at Tebouk–waiting for the teacher to return After two great visits to the schools where we pay the teachers and provide everything, we went to visit two schools we support which were built by the state. We have supported these schools with furniture, building repairs, medical chests, school lunches and student materials, but […]
The Americans are coming!!!
Ahousseyni, the nurse who stays at the clinic, has been treating patients from far afield. We had the intention of providing better health care for nomads, but as it turns out, we are the only clinic who has consistently good medicines in supply. People are coming from towns andvillages, passing by other less equipped clinics. […]
Arrival at Tamesna
Feb. 9On arrival at the center, I found the construction stopped because of lack of water. Our solar pump did not have enough water to continue pumping so we realized we had to dig the well deeper, but this is a difficult process. The “digger” descends into the 135 foot deep well. His voice echoes […]
Second Medical Mission to Niger
I get on the plane today for Niamey to get things ready for the arrival of our second medical team. This will be the second trip for our medical advisor, director and father/mentor/angel Dr. Bob Skankey. His wife and soon to be pharmacologist, Louine, will brave Niger for the first time and Margaret Guglielmo, experienced […]
