Behind the scenes

So last weekend I took a behind the scenes tour of Cotonou. A group of us went with a local person to some of the areas most people don't get to see. We toured "the slum" on the edge of the lake. It is basically a man made area of land. the land is made of trash pushed on top of a swampy area. The smell was hard describe. I will just say it was less than pleasant. It was hot, humid and a breeding ground for mosquito's. as we walked through I was VERY aware of the ground moving beneath my feet. It felt like I was walking on top of a few feet of soil and trash that flexed beneath you as you stepped. It reminded me of the Tundra in Alaska that feels like walking upon a large sponge. I admit I was a bit fearful of falling through in spots and ending up in who knows what kind of water/sludge.

We were  told that the people choose to live her because it is close to town. In town there are jobs, and with a job you can feed your family. But to live in town is very expensive. So these people choose to build there lives here. They are just like you and I. The love their children, want to be happy and live without fear. It is not an easy life. It begs the question, what sacrifices would you make to be able to provide food for your children. Would you live somewhere you did not want to if it meant your kids would have food tonight?

We then went to several different "hospitals". One was funded by the government . One was built and funded by a group effort of christian organizations. The third was in the middle of the slum. It is not well funded, run by mostly volunteers and revealed the desperate need for adequate health care in most places away from the city. Lacking most modern equipment and supplies this volunteers spend a good portion of their days attempting to care for the poorest of the poor with very little. If you have experience in health care and a desire to work in a developing world environment in the most challenging of situations, there are volunteer opportunities for you. Contact me.

Below are just a few pictures. We did not take many in the interest of being sensitive to these people and their lives. It was a very good reminder for me of why the ship is here. Why there is a need for us to provide the surgical services we do. May the Lord continue to provide for us to do so.