Activities in BML

For the first time in BML with no clinic scheduled we actually slept in! Sure we did. Steve is planning on opening a goat and rooster grill restaurant on the next trip.

Our plans for the week were to open the clinic for 4 mornings (the construction at the school would have prevented more), work with the village to do a beach clean up along the entire length from the French Fort to the Basin Caiman, work with several men to dig drainage ditches at several obvious mosquito breeding areas and enjoy.

the beach clean up extended over 3 days and saw pretty much everyone from the youngest kid to the oldest grandmother out to help. The village designated a spot near the northern end of the village as the landfill, near where the composting toilet is to be constructed, and we set to work. The beach looks great but plastic will be wahing out of the sand for years. The main sandy area near the church is fantastic and has become the new hang out spot. We bought and planted 20 kokoye (coconut trees). They came a coconut shells with little trees growing out of them. Each one was planted with a handful of sugar, ash and corn by a child. The village then removed the little shacks that were used to sell stuff and rebuilt them in front of the owners homes which were just on the other side of the main path because they wanted the whole area clean. Lastly we put that plywood to good use making a village notice board where we posted laminated photos from the last three trips, the clean up and a idographic poster implying no trash no mosquitos. Everyone was very pleased that the village came together and felt that so much was accomplished. Sante Pou Yo also provided 4 trash collection barrels and on the recommendation of the village hired Jolice as the town trash collector to see how things take over the next few months. As of our departure it seem to be working. We shall see in October.