I am very pleased to say that today was even more successful than yesterday! We had a very large turnout and the mission was a great success. Tomorrow we will hopefully see the remainder of the patients. The people of Ejemekwuru are very strong and very warm, but there is a lot of suffering in these poor parts of Nigeria, but thanks to amazing leaders in the village like Innocent Ihemedu and the chiefs of Ejemekwuru Marycare has been able to make a real difference in the lives of the people.

Today I learned more about the healthcare issues of Nigeria. I was under the impression that medication was unavailable because it was too expensive and in very high demand. While that may be a problem, it seems a bigger problem is the lack of regulation on Nigerian medication. A person may purchase a drug and the contents of the pill would have been replaced with chalk.

On top of this, in rural areas where there is not much education there is horrible stigma surrounding diseases such as AIDS. One doctor was telling me about a patient who has AIDS but when they found out they were more worried about how their children and wife would be treated than they were about the disease itself. They said they wouldn't even be able to buy food at the market because nobody would touch them. Because of the culture surrounding these diseases, the people are not only killed by the disease, but also by the isolation and lack of care.

A woman and her blind mother who came from the village seeking care.

Dr. Amarachi Acholonu, One of the volunteer doctors helping a patient.

This is Jacinta and her son Bright. She has polio but is able to move around the village with a wheelchair donated by Marycare. Now she and her son have a stand in the market where they sell fruit.

Today was the last day of the medical mission. Thanks to the help of many volunteers, and donations we were able to help about 500 people in the village!

Many people who were seen will see improvements in their health, but Ejemekwuru is a poor town with five villages and because of this most people do not live a healthy lifestyle. They do not get appropriate nutrition and when they get sick, they either do not realize how sick they are or they cannot do anything about it without a doctor or medication. I am also proud to say that Marycare has been able to make partnerships with local Nigerian doctors, however we are still looking for a nurse to come into the village regularly to keep the people healthy. The medical mission will not be over until we find a nurse.

I also gave a brief lecture on the principles behind solar energy to the young adults of the village. I gave this lecture at the school and discussed the theory of how photovoltaic cells harness solar energy to convert it to electric current. I also explained how to calculate the correct direction to point a solar array and at what angle it should be at specific times of the year. Finally, I gave an overview of the PV system I had designed and the purpose of each component. The people seemed very engaged and interested. I was unsure if my American accent would make it difficult to understand, but the questions asked were very good and the feedback I received afterwards was that people understood and were excited for the opportunity to harness solar power. Giving the lecture even got me excited and I am looking forward to coming back to the village to install the PV system.

Martins is a volunteer in residency and on his way to becoming a doctor.

Okechi and little Nosio.

Me giving the lecture at the schoolhouse. There must have been about 30 people listening. The turnout made me happy since it let me know that there was interest in the solar project.

Anne discussing health care with a Esther Michael, a visiting midwife.

While the medical mission may be over, Marycare's work is not. Today, Anne, Emmanuel and I met with all of the Nigerian Marycare board members and affiliates to discuss future work. We all agreed that we had the funds to pay the salary for a nurse, but we still need to finish work on the clinic. Also while we were discussing the past medical mission, we were happy to say that the people who benefited were not only from the Ihemedu's village, but from all of the villages in Ejemekwuru.

We also heard feedback on past projects such as the revolving loans project, the water project and the scholarship project. People from the village who had benefited from the projects expressed their gratitude and explained how their lives have improved because of the projects.

Afterwards, we all went to the schoolhouse and met with other village women and Anne discussed the importance of good nutrition and hygiene. A big part of healthcare is prevention and by educating the village women about the nutritional value of certain foods, like the vitamin filled Moringa leaves, we can try to help the villagers lead a healthier lifestyle.

A celebration of Marycare through song and dance.

Anne discussing nutrition with the village women.

Workers at the Marycare palm oil mill.

Members of the Marycare board including Lolo Josephine Amako and Lolo Regina Chibeneme.

A woman tellig Anne about how she benefited from the revolving loans.

The students that were able to attend secondary school thanks to scholaships created by Marycare.

Today was our last full day in Imo state. We went to market for a little while so I could pick up gifts for my family and girlfriend and Anne could pick out music CDs for a future Marycare fundraiser. It was a busy place and very exciting.

For the rest of the day we went back to the Ihemedu house in Ejemekwuru to meet with the Queen Ugoeze Ojiure and Prince Ik. They wanted to know more about the health care we provided and what it meant for the future. It was a good discussion since Rose and Ugoeze had both worked in medicine. Anne talked about nutrition and I explained how the Sidewinder water purifiers and water filter worked.

The seeds are sown and the future looks bright.

Theodore using the Steripen Sidewinder.

Queen Ugoeze talking with Anne about the benefits and uses of Moringa leaves. The leaves contain many types of vitamins and can be added to almost any dish. They can also be processed into an oil which causes dirt in water to clump and seperate from the clean water.

Chinedu giving her daughter water puified using the Sidewinder.

Recipients of the Wallace and Frances Bates Scholarship who are attending Senior Secondary School in Ejemekwuru.

Students in Junior Secondary School who will receive the scholarsip next year.

Maximian Ogugua, who is in charge of the scholarship program.

For my final post, I would like to thank everyone who helped out with the Marycare medical mission. The doctors and nurses, the volunteers, the Ihemedus, the Nigerian Marycare members, the donors and everyone else who helped to make this possible.

I am very grateful I was able to have this experience. Everyone I talked to who had already been to Africa told me this would be an eye opening experience and it was. Roger Ingraham, a man who came to this village before with Marycare, said that "they have so much that we don't have." I understand what he meant by this. The people I've met have a culture that encourages respect, strength, kindness and hospitality. The attitude of the people is much different than in America. People what they can to help each other not because they are expecting something in return but because they recognize that we are all brothers and sisters.

I came to Nigeria thinking I would be teaching the people, but I have learned more than I thought possible.