Our Projects for 2009
During December 2008, we did a survey of all the villages that will use our Health Post. These villages consist of small scattered groups of homes built on tiers of land where there is some protection from the weather. The number of homes in each village varies, with the average of approximately 25. There are 300 homes in all, and the distance from the Javea Health Post varies from a 30 minutes walk to 2 hours. I spent some time in the area in January and February 2009 and there were patients who came from the most distant village for health care treatment, one with a baby of 6 months in her arms suffering from pneumonia. Bearing in mind the difficulty of the terrain, what a journey that is to the nearest medical help!
TWO THINGS STOOD OUT FOR US IN THE SURVEY
- The staple diet was a dough made from potatoes and millet cooked and mixed together.
- There was no sanitation in many of the areas.
The sanitation we can do something about and have decided that our project for 2009 is to supply the basic equipment for a toilet to each house. The villagers will build their own toilet housing from local stone of which there is a plentiful supply, and install the equipment with a little guidance from a local person who has done the work somewhere else before. The cost of the equipment to provide each toilet is £10.
I have already had contributions for my 'SPONSOR A TOILET' appeal. Is there anyone else out there who could support this, our third major project towards health in our area? Please use the contact us form
Near the Javea Health Post is a primary school which takes children from a large area. The Brownie group from New Hartley, near Newcastle-on-Tyne has already provided money for a water supply to the 3 new toilets. This year they have given us a further donation, to be used to build the housing for a permanent water tap beside the school which will supply clean water that the staff and children can use for drinking and personal cleanliness.
