We stored supplies and equipment from last year at the guesthouse.
Loading supplies onto a trailer to drive up to the clinic. Thankfully we had help with all the loading and unloading.
The arts & crafts room had other supplies and equipment that arrived on the shipping container earlier this year. This included the generators we needed in case of power outage. Waiting on the generators to get there was the reason our trip was moved from our usual Spring date to September.
We were happy to see a box with the sewing machine. There was still another container that hadn't arrived yet, so we were assessing what was there and what was on the container on its way.
Then...it was off to the clinic. Jason estimated the walk from The Ark (guesthouse) to the clinic is about 1/3 mile.
Front porch view. The covered porch is a great area for patients to sit in the shade while waiting.
First look at the inside of the clinic. The clinic is still in construction and needing outside doors (which will be metal garage doors), finished interior walls, ceiling, plumbing and some electrical.
Another first look view.
Strategizing how to set things up. This picture shows my initial thought..."Oh my!". I was a bit overwhelmed with the clinic still in construction and how to set up, but Suzanne sprung into action with a plan.
Sweeping and shoveling out dirt before moving equipment in.
Suzanne and I set up workbenches and equipment where things would flow smoothly in fabrication, John worked on setting up his room with all of his equipment, Cole, Chelle and Jacey helped organize supplies and Protashow installed light switches and electrical outlets.
Introducing Protashow. We are very excited to have him join the Prosthetic Promises team. He will be paid staff “on the ground” in Zambia. Protashow has been assisting PPIHN since the first trip in 2012, acting as a translator. He was able to work with us more this year to help with repairs and fabrication of prostheses as well as translating and transporting patients. We will continue to train him during each trip for prosthetic care and plan to pay for his tuition for him to go to school to learn prosthetics in the near future.
Workbenches set up and organizing supplies.
John's work area.
Setting up the Trautman sander.
Jason bringing more supplies up to the clinic for us.
While going through all the totes and boxes, organizing and arranging we discovered that the sewing machine and sewing machine motor were there, but not the table. This is an industrial sewing machine with table. I was really disappointed right about then. The other sewing machine we have is so frustrating to work with. Right about that time, Blu received a call that the other shipping container was in Lusaka (capital city about 280 km away) and would be traveling to Choma, the nearest city, overnight. Blu would be able to pick up the contents in Choma the next day. We were excited the sewing machine table, garage doors for the clinic and other workbenches and storage would arrive!
We got the clinic set up for patients on Wednesday. It was great having the time to clean up, set up and organize the clinic before the rush of patients arriving.
Day 1 of work for Jason and Chris with the solar equipment at the dining hall for the orphanage. They got some of the equipment put together and the pole cemented into the ground that will hold the solar panels.
Workday 1 complete. So happy to be back in Zambia!
*Next post: Wednesday, Sept. 7 --Patients from Macha
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