18.04.06 - 17:53

And here is my quarterly report for my first three months in Nouakchott. I created this format. Isn't it nice? After some re-tooling, I hope to convince other health PCVs to use it.

Peace Corps Mauritania
Community Health/Water and Sanitation
Quarterly Report

PCV name: Molly McCollom Reporting period: October – December 2005
Site: Nouakchott Region: Nouakchott
Date Received By APCD (to be filled by APCD): _____________________________

Health Activities:

Activity #1: Database of Patient Information for Espoir et Vie
Topic(s) Addressed: AIDS (support for HIV+ people)

Number of individuals assisted directly: 2 Espoir et Vie staff members (M 2 F 0)
Indirectly: 233 Espoir et Vie patients (M 115 F 118)

Name of organization(s) strengthened: Espoir et Vie

Communities assisted: Nouakchott

Describe activity and how it contributed to the project plan goal:
Espoir et Vie has been keeping written patient records. I created an Excel spreadsheet and entered this patient information. This creates a back-up copy of records, is easier to update, and allows the data to be analyzed. For instance, it is now easy to determine the exact number of patients, how many have died, how many are married, and how many children of each gender are affected by the HIV+ status of their parents.

Follow up actions planned:
Now that the spreadsheet has been formulated, I will ask PCV Miriam Edwards to teach Excel to two co-workers, so that they will be able to easily update the spreadsheet and analyze the data.

Activity #2: General Support for Espoir et Vie staff
Topic(s) Addressed: AIDS (support for HIV+ people)

Number of individuals assisted directly: 5 Espoir et Vie staff members (M 3 F 2)
Indirectly: 233 Espoir et Vie patients (M 115 F 118)

Name of organization(s) strengthened: Espoir et Vie

Communities assisted: Nouakchott

Describe activity and how it contributed to the project plan goal:
As I have just started working with Espoir et Vie, most of the work I’m doing now is simply observing what the NGO does and how they do it. Along the way, I have been making small suggestions as to how they could improve. For instance, I noticed that the waiting area was decorated with depressing posters about AIDS discrimination, but that there were few positive images. After I mentioned this to Hussein, the president, we hung several new posters, emphasizing that with the proper education about AIDS and treatment, it is possible for HIV+ people to lead happy lives. I have also been trying to put as much of Espoir et Vie’s information on the computer as possible, as this creates back-up for written records.

Most of my suggestions are too small to be mentioned in a report like this. However, I do find that each day I am at the office, I make several suggestions, which hopefully are gradually improving the efficacy of the NGO.

Follow up actions planned:
I will continue to try to find little ways to improve the NGO. I am especially interested in training the staff in counseling techniques for upset and depressed HIV+ patients, as I think this education is somewhat lacking.

Activity #3: General Support for People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA)
Topic(s) Addressed: AIDS (support for HIV+ people)

Number of individuals assisted directly: 10 Espoir et Vie patients (M 5 F 5)
Indirectly: 1 Espoir et Vie staff member (M 0 F 1)

Name of organization(s) strengthened: Espoir et Vie

Communities assisted: Nouakchott

Describe activity and how it contributed to the project plan goal:
I often talk with PLWHA who come into Espoir et Vie. Often, I simply greet them, and make small talk. However, I am trying as much as possible to speak with them about relevant topics. I have spoken with HIV+ mothers about the nutritional needs of their children. I have also spoken about the dangers of smoking, especially for PLWHA with compromised immune systems, to several men.

I have also tried to be as compassionate as possible. When PLWHA talk about their problems, I listen. Sometimes I think that this is the most important function of Espoir et Vie: to allow PLWHA to express their problems without judging them. I try to make as much physical contact with the women as possible, especially when they are crying, as so many of them receive no physical contact at all; their families and friends have rejected them, and are scared to come anywhere near them. Likewise, I will play with the children who come in with their mothers, knowing that many of them receive no physical contact with anyone but their mothers. This also gives the mothers a little break from constantly taking care of their children.

Follow up actions planned:
I will continue to try to find little ways to improve the NGO. I am especially interested in training the staff in counseling techniques for upset and depressed HIV+ patients, as I think this education is somewhat lacking.

Activity #4: Health NGO List for PCVs
Topic(s) Addressed: general

Number of individuals assisted directly: CH PCVs
Indirectly: everyone CH PCVs help

Name of organization(s) strengthened: Peace Corps

Communities assisted: all

Describe activity and how it contributed to the project plan goal:
I am in the process of collecting information about national health NGOs. Currently, there is no list of this information. I would like to include not only contact information, but also records of which PCVs have worked with the NGOs in the past (and on what projects), and “informal” information, such as “Offer to give Sidi English lessons in exchange for his help in an AIDS sensibilisation.”

Follow up actions planned:
Continue to gather and collate this information from health PCVs.

Activity #5: General Support for health PCVs
Topic(s) Addressed: general

Number of individuals assisted directly: CH PCVs
Indirectly: everyone CH PCVs help

Name of organization(s) strengthened: Peace Corps

Communities assisted: all

Describe activity and how it contributed to the project plan goal:
I have made myself available to health PCVs in the interior to run errands for them in Nouakchott. For instance, I found contact information for NGOs for Brock and looked at liquid soap prices for Alison. I also made a list of what projects PCVs are interested in working on, so that if I hear of any other NGOs interested in the same projects, I can pass the information along.

Follow up actions planned:
I’ll keep doing this.

Activity #5: Follow-up in Kankossa and Kiffa
Topic(s) Addressed: AIDS, medical waste, general

Number of individuals assisted directly: M 10 F 10
Indirectly: Espoir et Vie staff

Name of organization(s) strengthened: Espoir et Vie, Kiffa Centre de Depistage, Kankossa hospital

Communities assisted: Kankossa, Kiffa, Nouakchott

Describe activity and how it contributed to the project plan goal:
I visited the Centre de Depistage in Kiffa and spoke to both the medecin-chef and the head of the center. Since July, the center has been functioning as a part of the Poste de Sante, and not as a separate entity as previously. This was due to the withdrawal of the Red Cross. Despite not being open at all times (one must make an appointment to open the center), about 30 people get tested a month. Most of these are referrals for people who have tuberculosis or STDs. Only one or two of these people test positive for HIV. They are frustrated with their lack of any means to treat HIV; those who test positive must go to Nouakchott. Espoir et Vie had told me about a possible plan to set up another CTA in Kiffa, which could provide anti-retrovirals and create a collaboration with tuberculosis testing centers. (About half of people with AIDS die from tuberculosis.) The centre is anxious to work with Andrew, but I explained that every health volunteer has different interests, and this does not seem to be one of his. However, it would be a worthy project for a future health volunteer in Kiffa.

I also spoke to several health volunteers at Thanksgiving about the e mail I sent out previously (asking for NGO information and project information), as well as various projects. For instance, I'm going to look into doing a Ceramine project at Espoir et Vie with Brock. Jarad L kept me up to date with Mira's projects in Koboni, and Brock gave me some info about Ariana.

In Kankossa, I visited the hospital. The hospital is even more understaffed than it was when I left. The CREN seems to be functioning a little, though there is no one to work in it all the time. I was happy to see that my medical waste project is still going strong; all syringes are being put in water bottles or oil bidons and the hospital itself is fairly clean. Unfortunately, the medecin-chef does not seem to spend much time in Kankossa.

I also taught the adult English class with Jeremy. The topic was AIDS. There was a short paragraph, noting that AIDS is often seen as a foreign problem, but affects Mauritania a lot. We then had a discussion about how AIDS is transmitted and what the best methods of protection are. (I was happy to see that they brought up the subject of condoms - even the imam agreed that they should be used, if there is no fidelity.)

I kept my Kankossa community contacts strong and did several mini health sensibilisations.

Follow up actions planned:
I will visit Kankossa and Kiffa from time to time to follow-up on previous projects and keep my community contacts strong.

Comments (e.g. suggestions for future ISTs, integration and/or language issues, etc):
I was on home leave for the month of October.

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