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Mali: report 2014

November 2014 : Cases of Ebola have been reported in Mali.  Many people have been placed in quarantine following contact with individuals who have Ebola.  This has caused a lot of concern among the local population.  Most people have heard about Ebola, but no-one really knows what it is.  The first thing that we must do is advise the families of our orphans. There are no public plans in place to respond to a possible epidemic.  Due to shortage of supplies we have the same problem we have when looking for milk supplies, and have to visit many shops before finding enough soap and bleach for our information day, planned to coincide with a Saturday distribution.
The information day is led by Daouda and Harouna, and attended by many highly interested men and women.  There is a flurry of questions, all answered with the help of a series of images and clear and simple explanations.  By the end of the day, all the participants have a thorough understanding of the importance of hygiene and promise to return home and spread the message widely among their friends and family.  They all offer grateful thanks to the team for this vital information.
The same day, Sophie treats a baby with an umbilical hernia.  The mother had asked the paediatrician about the problem but was only given paracetamol syrup and amoxicillin.  This is unbelievable!  Sophie explains to the mother that her child is not unwell, but that he needs a small surgical procedure.  She sends them to the hospital with a request to be kept updated on the infant’s progress.  This is further proof of the scope and scale of the work that needs to be done.
 
December 2014: This month, Sophie is unable to travel to Gao due to her administrative workload.  She has back-to-back meetings and there are never-ending problems with the programme to fight malnutrition.  The World Food Programme is struggling with financial difficulties.  The team are in place in Gao to operate health checks and food distributions to our orphans.  Daouda, the team leader is a trustworthy and reliable man.  He is a perfectionist who is also very sensitive to the needs of the children.  He is backed up by Badra who is the father of a large family, and Oura who has adopted Mahamane and leads the food distributions with the skill of an expert.  Our children are not being neglected and have all they need.
Thank you to one and all for your steadfast work and support.  Thank you also to our donors who make this work possible.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS

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AAG - Association d'Aide à Gao - Suisse - Email: aide-gao@bluewin.ch