Fistula hospital

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Well, let's try this again. I had day two of my trip all written out and then curses, when i went to publish it is when the computer froze and lost all of my information. Technology....
After a great night's sleep I was up and walking to the Fistula Hospital by 8:30 am. The hospital is only one and a half blocks away from the Union hotel so it couldn't be any better. Looking outside my window this morning confirmed that i am in a third world country with the view of the scenery as well as all of the construction and other noises that were going on.
Bethel, the PR person for the Fistula Hospital sat with me for about an hour explaing to me about the hospital. They have room for approx 100 patients at a time and they take care of close to 2000 women a year. They have 3 new facilities that are outside of Addis to try and help more women in the remote areas. We walked around the grounds (which are simply beautiful) and she showed me all the different buildings that are there. I saw a few women who had just arrived sitting outside with a male relative waiting to be admitted into the hospital. The looks on their faces can't be described but the Ethiopian women are so beautiful that I am sure once they have the operation a smile will cross their face again.

Then a driver took Bethel and I to Desde Mende which means Joy Village to where the midwife college is as well as 10 houses that house up to 10 women each for those that can't be completely healed. It gives them the opportunity to live in a community and work together. They have 3 large vegetable gardens some livestock (cows and chickens) and a beautiful flower garden as well as a lake. Its simply a beautiful place for them to live.
The college just recently opened in Oct and Annette Bennett the Dean of the College is wonderful. She made me feel right at home and was very happy to receive the text books. They have 12 girls from 3 or 4 different regions of Ethiopia that have committed to becoming a midwife and returning to their regions to work for 6 years to pay back their schooling. This is the very first time that these girls have ever slept in a bed! They have all finished high school and were at the top of their classes for grades as well as their English. They have dormitories that they stay at on the grounds.
Annette invited me to their house for dinner tonight. Besides being dean of the college she has 4 children between the ages of 8 and 14 as well as her husband, Mark, is the CEO of the Fistula Foundation! They are a very busy family!
At dinner I met John (he cowrote the book Hospital by the River with Dr Catherine Hamline) and is back to do research for the next book that is out. Remind me to tell you about his book coming out called Valerie about a Christain woman who married a muslim man from FR(some region in the north that borders Eriterea and Djibouti)
I also met Emily who is from London and is here working for Unicef through March and Charlotte from Ontario who graduated from nursing college and here is on internship with another organization.
Needless to say that with all of us and their 4 children it was a very lively conversation at the dinner table. Mark made beef curry over rice and we had rice, potatoes and salad. It was all very lovely. We had bible study after that. What a blessing to be able to sit with these new friends from around the world!
Tomorrow morning, bright and early its off to the college to help English for the morning. Lauren, the english teacher is from Duluth! And she knows Danielle Hample now Jones who is the youth minister at my church...yes, it is a small world.
My blackberry is not getting reception so that is frustrating however I'm not checking work emails then either! Its the most I have been out of touch with you but probably good for me.
More to come tomorrow.
Ciao!
Crazy in Addis

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