Got to meet the 6 Pacific Univ PA students who will be going to Kenya with us. I took this photo at their orientation to our project on Aug 9.

Donations appreciated as preparations continue

It was good to meet the 6 Pacific Univ PA students that will be going with us this fall: Darla, Meegan, Matt, Shelby, Terrance, & Tristan.  We'll get to see some of them on Sept 15 at a "packing party" where we'll pack a 2nd duffel bag for each person with additional supplies we're taking to Kenya.  We're able to do that because Delta/KLM is allowing each passenger to take 2-50lb bags. So, we're soliciting donations from friends who'd like to support our effort: we're trying to create 100 layettes for pregnant women as an inducement to get them to deliver their babies at the maternity dispensary in Bware. We're already received 100 blankets & 30 one-sies; we still need 70 one-sies, 100 newborn caps, and 100 bulb suctions.  For medical supplies, we need boxes of vinyl gloves, bandaids, BP cuffs, stethoscopes, a glucose meter & strips.  For school supplies, we need pencils, ruled subject notebooks, and toothbrushes.  If you can help with any of these items, contact us.

Meeting the PA students at Pacific Univ

Tomorrow I go to Pacific University in Forrest Grove, OR to meet the 6 Physician Assistant Program students who will go to Kenya this fall with Kate & me.  They are doing their Global Health course & we will be their community health preceptors while Kenyan physicians in hospitals in Migori & Homa Bay will be their clinical instructors.  Maybe I'll get a photo tomorrow that I can post on my blog.

Getting excited about our upcoming trip to Kenya sponsored by Portland, OR based Ray of Hope.  Have finished getting all my vaccinations (polio, yellow fever, typhoid, rabies, Hepatitis B) and our plane tickets.  We depart PDX 9/22/12.  Kate & I are going to SW Kenya near Lake Victoria, to the small towns of Migori & Homa Bay and the village of Bware.  Have been accepting contributions from friends & co-workers including notebook paper & pencils to give to children at the 6 schools in the region and one-sies, caps, & bulb syringes to go with a receiving blanket as layette to give to pregnant moms who decide to deliver at the dispensary in Bware.  And tonight, our son, Andrew, helped each of us set-up our own blog so we can keep in touch with everyone who's interested in what we plan to do.  So...more later.