Update on Sesse Conte

One or two have asked us what happened to the young man with the urethral injury from the civil war metioned on 1st July blog. Thanks for your concern. After a couple of dye Xrays, and then a thorough examination and ultrasound scan by myself it became apparent that he was actually emptying his bladder well, and could even father a child (an important matter in this culture) with assistance. Also the surgery required to correct the anatomy would be very complex and liable to complications which could set him back to an even worse situation. Re-assured he will now hopefully move on to a better life.

Isatu Karoma
Came to see me yesterday. She had already been operated on twice before, and at the last time was declared ‘inoperable’. She came to ask if there was any other hope for her. After checking her medical notes I started asking her social questions to see if she might be suitable for Helen’s telephone business (see blog August). “I live in a refugee camp”, “No I have no man.” “Yes I live alone.” “No I have no work.” At each of these questions a wave of pain visibly passed over her sad face, a total picture of devastation. My heart went out to her. I gave her the bus fare and said “Com bak Tuesday. Elen, mi wef go tok yu abot di telefon bisiness.”

Football manager Dave

Mo is 30-ish and for the last 4 years has run a booth for snacks and oddments just opposite the hospital. He was a refugee in Guinea for much of his teenage years. He was very good at football until a hernia operation slowed him down. Many of his friends are keen on football so he thought of starting a club, the Aberdeen Mo’s. Sponsor and manager (i.e. provider of new football) – Dave Lyth (who barely knows the rules!). The first game was today, but the opposition didn’t turn up so they had to move to some waste ground and play a friendly. The game was fast and furious with a few injuries and a final score of 3-3. Yours truly went on for a few minutes, and by a fluke headed a goal in!

As I am usually working amongst females it’s nice to get alongside some of the young guys here and make friends.

‘Yellow Jack’

Several times a week we walk home on the three mile beach shown above. We see lines of men rythmically pulling on each end of a net a mile long, and a paddle canoe in the sea controlling it. They usually catch a few small fish, but once every year or two they net a huge shoal of ‘Yellow jack’. The catch can weigh ten tons or more, and great crowds arrive. All night people come to buy fish, and this included members of our TEAM. By morning it’s all gone!

Peter Tommy: Any comments or suggestions?

Peter stands with his pal by their carpenter’s bench under the tree almost opposite our gate. The unlit rented shack where he lives with his wife & 3 children and grandchild is just behind. He is a committed Christian, who came to us for help with school fees for his son to go to secondary school, and more recently for a bag of rice for his hungry family.

He is an unemployed, but very skilled joiner. To help him financially we asked him to make a few things for us; a table, a shelf, a door screen and couple of door wedges – cutoffs from the beautiful tamas hardwood.

To improve their marketing I suggested they move their bench back ten feet for space to display sample furniture for the hundreds of people who walk past each day. He has no capital for the furniture, and we plan to provide this from UK donated funds.

We have also commissioned him to make some child’s building blocks – for our grandson (Joel Victor Lyth who is doing fine!), and wondered whether we could market up to 50 sets of blocks to be sold in UK? If you have any comments on set design, legal or customs restrictions on such a project could you email us on www.david.lyth@mercyships.org ? Thank you.