Friday, March 20 - First Day in the Field - Wonderful Work!

This has been a wonderful day in so many ways! Our day started early. Our drivers, John and Abraham from the Health Minister's Office picked up Emmanuel, Mollie, Ryan, Claudia and Monica. We stopped at the Noguchi Institute to pick up the two Charles! Our team then stopped at a couple of stores to pick up supplies such as PVC pipe to use as a measuring device and rope. We then were off to a couple of villages with documented Buruli ulcer cases.


Both villages we visited have no electricity or running water. Although school for the children is mandatory, it is not enforced.


We met with the elders of the first village Kankafionaa who welcomed us to their community. Armed with mosquito repellent, serious sun block and tons of equipment, we headed to the town's well to take several samples. The previous evening, Claudia and Monica transferred 200 wafer-like filters with a tweezers into aluminum foil packets they had fashioned.
Besides the well samples, we also sampled and filtered river water and ground water. The children of this village were particularly helpful with carrying supplies to the sites. Young scientists in the making!

Charles Q and Charles Y acting up - science is serious business

We took similar samples in the second village Djorsee. While filtering the water supplies, the children of this village serenaded us with songs (with Monica's wonderful encouragement and leadership). The children are beautiful and very curious.

Charles Q and Charles Y of the Noguchi Institute sampling water in the Densu River - March 20

We trekked to the water and away from the water for every sampling site - always, with able assistance.

Only one snafu at this second site. The Kemmerer, a water sampling device broke from its rope and fell to the bottom of the well about 20 below. At just about this time a villager who was a village chosen, Ministry certified, community health volunteer came by. He spoke to us passionately about his work with his village. He has been educating his community about the cause of Baruli Ulcer and successfully encouraging afflicted villagers to seek treatment. After telling us all about his work, he fetched a very, very long piece of bamboo. The two Charles and Emmanuel used the bamboo and a nail to fish the equipment from the well. - now to figure out how to repair it.

Rescuing the Kemmerer sampling tool at the second village - oops!!!

We ended the day in the field at 6 pm and, in the interest of time, even went to dinner before showering - a new experience.

It's now 12:40 and the alarm will ring in about 6 hour! Good night! More tomorrow.