One hurdle for our medical staff has been the temporary clinic out of which they operate. As our permanent clinic is slated as part of future construction, a room in the dining hall is serving as our clinic. We would like to provide the clinic with a water connection for at least a sink for washing hands and utensils. Additionally, to keep up with our growing family, there is the need to expand the pharmacy inventory as well as equipment such as splints, slings, and crutches. We are confident the clinic can keep pace with our family and we look forward to outsourcing less and less of our children’s care as facilities become available here at the home.
Volunteers Volunteers add a much valued energy and perspective upon arriving at our home and it is for this reason NPH has been relying on volunteers in any capacity for so many years. NPH Bolivia has been blessed with a couple of very valuable volunteers this past year. With us from the beginning of the year, Gwendolé Leverge of France has worked with alternating groups of preschool and kindergarten children during the mornings in his room adjoining the kindergarten classroom. While the first half of the year Gwen devoted his afternoons to one-onone homework help with children who needed extra attention, in recent months we have enjoyed the realization of his project, “Sala de bien estar” (Room of well being). It is a place where children can still come for homework help, but additionally can come to relax, listen to music, play board games, or work on art projects. Though still in its infancy, it is proving a wonderful outlet for our children here. We are looking for someone to replace his position and drive this project forward. Also arriving in January was Herman Zoeller of Germany as our nurse and for the last couple of months he was with us, our entire clinic staff. Herman spent a year volunteering in NPH Honduras before joining us for six months. In the half year he was with us he orchestrated a period of transition between two full-time doctors. Though Herman left us in June, his legacy lasts in the form of up-to-date exams and records for all of the children.
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