Friday, January 22, 2016

January 6th, 2016 was the team’s Asile Day. We are very grateful to the Brothers of the Missionaries of the Poor for letting us stay in their guest house, and we designated a day to spend at the Asile- touring the grounds, playing with the children in the orphanage and disabled children’s house, and working on replacing one of the well pumps that supplies water to the facility. 

We started the day with a tour of the Asile, during which we learned that Oscar also met his wife there. The Brothers set him up with a girl in the Asile, and helped them have a wedding and build a house when they were done with their schooling. The heartwarming story made us appreciate this special place even more.
Nimah helping with lunch at the orphanage.
The tour ended at the faulty well, where Frank showed us the method that he and the team of workers, which included Oscar, were using to remove the oil that had accumulated in the well. Frank stayed and supervised the process, and the rest of us headed back to the Bethlehem House for disabled children to spend some time with them.  Like on Sunday morning, we found it difficult to see the conditions of these children. However, seeing the smiles on their faces and their affection as we played with them and helped feed them lunch made the experience worthwhile. We know these children are lucky to be at Asile, and we will definitely think of them and help the Brothers in any small ways we can moving forward.

In the afternoon we checked on the progress at the well. Frank and his team were eventually able to get the faulty pump out of the well, and install the new one that Frank had brought. However, the pump wasn’t running and Frank, AJ, Oscar and the others spent the afternoon troubleshooting to try and determine why the pump wasn’t receiving power. Meanwhile, Nimah, Evan and I worked on conducting a site survey and making a drawing of the guest house we were staying in for Dr. Maklin so that he could use it for reference in designing and building a guest house at his hospital site. Jessica and Francesca worked on organizing the data from the interviews we have been administering in the communities into a spreadsheet for future analysis. Despite frustration about the issues with the pump for the Asile, the team ended the day feeling productive and ready for our final day visiting the communities surrounding Plaine du Nord.
Evan (far left), Frank (second from right) and a few men from the Asile fixing the well.
- Shivangi

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