IDAT compound

Today I thought I would show you a little more of the compound that I am staying on. It's actually quite large and will develop even more when the new clinic is finished, possibly later this year. As you enter the main gate the clinic is directly in front of you.

Patients line up on benches, give their personal particulars and have their temperature and weight recorded before they can see the doctor. Now don't start picturing in your mind something like your own doctors office. Here you will see people in various stages of undress. People have no qualms about exposing body parts in view of everyone or the opposite sex. Many times people are vomiting on the ground in front of them, regardless of what they are near. There are tiny babies carried in cow hide slings. Many have no shoes and some are barely clothed.


Once inside the clinic the patients are called into one of the two doctors rooms or the room where dressing changes take place.  If they are being seen by the midwife they will have some pre- natal teaching outside as a group and then will come into her room inside for their monthly check up. Sometimes the cries of a newborn can be heard from this room as it also doubles as a delivery room. 
Other sounds heard here can be screams of young children as they receive injections necessary to treat their illness, sometimes it 's the wailing of a family when a loved one dies. It can be a place of much joy when an illness is treated and medicine is available or a place where there is deep sadness when ignorance prevents treatment.

Now we will move onto the kitchen.Work starts here about 7 am. Jane is in charge of the cooking. She serves yummy foods like Mandazi's that we had for breakfast today. These are similar to beignets. There is even a refrigerator that is powered by solar or a generator depending on the conditions. It's great to have a cold drink on days when it is way over 100 degrees.

Guest Quarters

When I first came to this compound I was housed here. You may notice the red and white structures in the foreground. These will be part of the new radio tower. The water from this tank supplies the bathrooms.

One of the most important buildings on the compound is the bathroom facility. Two flushing toilets and a shower. You may be thinking, so what's the big deal? Believe me when you have seen some of the other bathrooms in Sudan this is a big deal.

The house where I am staying

Well I think that about wraps it up for today. There is more but we'll get to it later.