MVP's (Part 2)

Without Grumbling or Complaining

0200. I'm gently tapping the shoulder of a man, sound asleep, lying on a mattress on the floor under his wife's bed.

He doesn't wake. Man, I wish I could sleep that soundly. I tap a bit more. We need his help.

"Désolé, Papa. Nous avons besoin de ton aide."

I hate waking people up - it's possibly my least favourite part of my job. Honestly, most days, I'd rather deal with bodily fluids than have to interrupt someone's slumber every hour or two. This fellow, however, doesn't complain, doesn't grumble, doesn't even hesitate. The moment his eyes open, he's nodding and grinning and scrambling to his feet.

Well, to his foot.

Papa Cristel, you see, has an old leg injury on one side. Because it didn't heal well, and he never bears weight on it, it is contractured - permanently pulled into a flexed position. He gets around with a bulky, wooden crutch. Unfortunately, because of his age, and the nature of his injury, this wasn't something we could fix. We offered him a nice, shiny aluminum crutch to use, but he quickly went back to his sturdier, clunky, wooden one.

Papa Cristel was here with his wife - one of our women's health patients. She had some complications and had to be readmitted. The night she came back in (she hadn't been feeling well), another patient just happened to notice the ship vehicle arrive to pick her up and asked to come along. That patient was seriously sick with a high fever and low hemoglobin, and it was almost by chance she ended up back on board. Both women spoke Fulfulde, that one pesky language from the northern regions of West Africa that only four of the hospital day crew could speak. We always had someone during the day, but never at night. Papa Cristel, however, speaks French and Fulfulde, so he became our go-to any time we needed it.

He gladly translated not only for his wife, or the other women on the ward, but would even thump down to the other wards in the night when anyone asked; always with a smile, a chuckle, and without hesitation. Even at 2 in the morning.

He deserves far more recognition than this measly blog post.

Papa Christel with his wife

---

Good & Faithful

There wouldn't be a blog here, because there wouldn't be any Africa Mercy, without the Day Crew. These 200+ local workers are hired by our Advance Team before the ship's arrival, and supplement nearly every department on board and ashore. Those who have experience translating and/or a good handle on one of the less common languages will usually be placed in the hospital, dental, HOPE Centre, or medical capacity building programs. Others will work in the galley or dining room, transportation, engineering, or as part of our deck crew. 

I worked with some fantastic nurses on A Ward this year (have I mentioned the 'A' is for 'Awesome?'), but the Day Crew will possibly stand out in my mind even more. 

A Ward Nurses & Awesome Hospital Physician Sarah

A Ward Day Crew (and nurses!)

Last Friday we said farewell to most of our Day Crew, as the hospital was closing down for pack-up. It was a little tearful, but, in true West African style, it was also incredibly raucous. They put on a tremendous show of energy, colour, and rhythm. They showed, in a big way, their gratitude to us, and their genuine love for their country. Cameroon is a country currently in turmoil due to conflicts between Anglophone separatists and the Francophone majority, but in that room we saw nothing but a powerful unity. 

During the Day Crew celebration, our Managing Director shared some details of conversations she had had with Cameroonian government officials. This was the first time Mercy Ships has visited Cameroon, and as such there were some hurdles to clear, including some resistance from said officials. In this one particular meeting, however, the Minister of Transport shared that before the ship arrived, he thought there was surely no real need for the services we offered. He saw pictures of the types of conditions we would tackle, and believed there were few, if any, people suffering from them in his country. As he received reports and coordinated with us to transport patients from upcountry, his eyes were opened to the hidden needs of his people, and the thousands we were able to help. In the end, he, and many other government officials, thanked us for the work we did here, and left an open invitation to return.

Africa Mercy leadership team along with ministers of the Cameroonian government

Merci, Cameroun, for welcoming us to your shores, and for joining us in serving your people. 

À la prochaine. 

-D