Internet tower hit by lighting yesterday. Sorry for the missed blog day.

Taxi to the Garbage Dump Community

The patients we will be seeing

I am writing this blog entry on Sunday Night.  The internet has been down for the last two days so I am not even sure when this will be posted?   Anyhow…  Lots to report.  

The team arrived on time last night and cleared Nicaraguan customs with ease.  We were met at the airport by a 72 passenger bus borrowed from the Fuenta De Vida Orphanage, a support ambulance to transport the extra gear and six Bomberos (Firefighters) to help with the luggage.  Everything and everyone were loaded and we hit the road by 10:30pm. 

The drive got slightly exciting when a black horse jumped in front of the ambulance on the pitch black highway.  The ambulance in the lead was able to swerve and avoid the horse, the bus however was not that lucky.  The driver did a fantastic job of keeping the bus shiny side up but did clip the horse.   Half of the front cowling on the bus was destroyed, and the horse had to be put down.  The remainder of the drive was uneventful with a 2:30am arrival time. 

Suunday

Today the most of the team woke up early with only about 3 hours sleep and hit the waves.  The surfing at Monty’s Beach Lodge was great and the water was warm.  The morning consisted of a team meeting with project assignments being handed out.  Boxes of supplies were unloaded from the bus and equipment for the week of clinics were prepped.  The team then jumped on the bus to head into Chinandega.  The bus wouldn’t start due to the horse accident the night prior, so the team then jumped off the bus.  Repairs were made and the team headed into Chinandega only a half hour late.  The purpose of the trip was to introduce everyone to the people TWECS strives to help the most.  The poorest of the poor in developing countries around our globe.  Today we were able to meet the residents of the Chinandega garbage dump, whom most certainly fall into this category.  There are over 3000 residents working and living in the city landfill.  These people scavenge for scraps of food and anything they can sell.  Typically an annual wage is about $100.00 so a pair of glasses is a dream that could never be realized.   A short meeting was held with the 2 Ladies who oversee all the residents of the dump and they were invited along with the 3000 residents to visit the free clinic that is to be established on Thursday and Friday.   Needless to say their excitement was profound.    The team then continued their city tour riding on the roof, hosebed and tailboard of a Nicaraguan Firetruck.  Not a bad way to see the city.  After a brief stop to pick up last minute supplies the TWECS members returned to Monty’s Beach Lodge and ran through some training simulations and an orientation session for all the new members.  All passed with flying colors in record time.  Fortunately the training session ended early as just down the beach the local Sea Turtle Conservation Society were releasing baby turtles.  This was definitely a highlight for the teams half day of rest and relaxation prior to the commencement of the project tomorrow. 

On the walk home from the turtle release a typical Nicaraguan electrical storm started to brew.  We made it back to the camp just prior to the torrential downpour.  Thunder started to crash around the camp and the cellular tower just behind the camp was hit.  So, unfortunately I am at my computer writing these entries and I have no idea when the cell tower will be repaired and I can post this.  Let’s hope soon? 

-David

Nica Day 1

Up at 2:30am and Garry checks in at ten to 3!!! Good god Garry, ok I’m on time, I’ll pick you up by 3:30am.  No traffic!!! No red lights!!! No road blocks!!! No highway construction!!!  I actually pick Garry up at 3:20am – go figure. 

Arrive at the Vancouver Airport before 4am!!! Garry and I unload the rental truck, pack all boxes onto carts and I leave to return the rental truck.

Return rental truck, catch a cab back to the airport and still arrive before anyone else arrives!!!  Repack boxes 2 to a cart and voila Katherine and Georgina arrive.  Before 4:30, all boxes and carry-ons are safely inside the terminal.

Brad arrives and to his surprise, we are all ready!  Kathy does an amazing job of assigning little labels, boxes, declarations, while Brad packs in-coming totes and all new comers get acquainted… voila we are still way ahead of schedule!!! 

Check-in and security with out a hitch!!!  3 cups of coffee and still time to have breakfast… unbelievable!!!  I think we need Katherine and Georgina to organize us more often   J. 

Flight and seating is comfortable (but we did have to de-ice the plane) burr!  Minus 2 degrees and most people did not wear warm jackets… go figure!

No sleep on leg one of my journey to Houston… glad I packed a few sudoku’s to pass the time.  On the transfer flight through to Managua, I did catch 40 winks.

The pick-up of boxed eye glasses at the airport went seamlessly (well done Katherine).  Then it was the jamming everything into the school bus (yellow cheese wagon) for the 5 hour ride to Chinandega and then onto the trenched 5km skid road to Monty’s for our 3am arrival.  That was a long 25 hour day… whew!!!

At 3:15am Marina had the nerve to inform us that it would be up at 7am, swim/surf/shower/run then breakfast at 8am and orientation at 8:30 and by the way… have a safe, comfortable, restful 4 hours sleep!!!       I even had to take a break and put my pinkies into the inviting warm ocean before retiring for the night.

Nica Day 2

5:45am and the sun is already up.  Ah, that shower water is cold!!! But, it is refreshing…  Jonathon is already to go surfing, oops here comes David ready for a morning swim… there’s Dana ready for a run… these guys are ready for action.

After a great breakfast of spicy rice, scrambled eggs with red and green peppers, fried bananas, and coffee. We mounted in the cheese wagon, and took off for Chinandega City.  There we toured the open market place.

Then we climbed on board fire engine that had been donated from Prince Rupert Rotary to Chinandega and went for a tour of the city and the “town on the active garbage dump.”   The dump site is where we found the “poorest of the poor” in Chinandega.  There are about 3,000 inhabitants, of which 1,000 are children.

    

Following the tour, we had time for some orientation, a swim, a snooze, a wobbly pop, then a walk on the beach.  We encountered freshly hatched baby turtles, the most gorgeous sunset, and then a shrimp and spaghetti dinner.

To the Unnamed Volunteers

Goodbyes at the Airport 

The man behind the scene… Alf.

The warehouse job is finally done, a year in the making, every Monday night Marina and Alf would host a group of volunteers while I finished work and raced over to Burnaby after they arrived. My job was to separate out a trays of incoming glasses in order to load the industrial washer, I'd complete six loads before the night is done. No Monday night football or Canuck's games can keep us from our duty. No kid activities can be scheduled on Monday nights as Evan and Emma know all too well that they will be at the warehouse with Mom and Dad....often saying"Mom, I'll finish my homework at the warehouse" as she feeds them a rushed supper and I fill the minivan with boxes of donated eyeglasses that arrived that week at Marina's office on the other side of the city.  And as a treat for being well behaved, Evan and Emma look forward to the McDonald's drive thru ice cream cone before going home.   Most nights we arrive at the warehouse just after 7pm but we know we can alway count on "Uncle Alf" to be there to open the doors right on time, rain or shine.  150 man-hours times the number of volunteers over this past year resulted in the packed contents in the van pictured below now winging south for the TWECS-Nicaragua 2011 project. It's nice to see all the early work done by the many participants over the year who never come on a project with us but also give up their Monday nights, this is blog is for you.  Thanks

-Derrick

Team Arrives in Nicaragua Tonight.

Team van packed for the airport

10,000 glasses packed in 30 boxes

The Team has left Canada!!!   Currently the examination equipment, the 30 boxes of glasses, and the Third World Eyecare Society Team are 36,000 feet in the air above Salt Lake City.   The initial arrival team will be spending the day making final preparations and will meet the team at the airport later tonight.  Our transportation has been arranged, and we will be traveling in a 64 passenger school bus borrowed from an Orphanage we will visit, a Bomberos (Firefighters) rescue truck and the just purchased minivanFortunately no one will have to ride in the back of the pick up through the torrential rains like my last trip.  

To the Team members:  If you are reading this in the Houston airport, make sure everyone proceeds to the check in counter with their passports prior to the pre-boarding announcements.  Your passports need to be verified prior to boarding.  This is the only airport in the world I have seen this???  And most importantly, get some sleep on the plane because I am looking for as many people as possible to join me in an early morning surf tomorrow.  The tides should be perfect.   

This may be a good time to introduce you to an exceptional humanitarian, our host and our good friend Senor Gerry Caceres.  Gerry is the man on the ground in Nicaragua who has been responsible for the logistics of this project.  He has spent hundreds of hours so far ensuring the success of this trip.  You will be hearing his name very frequently in this blog so let me give you a brief background on him…

Gerry was born and raised in the city of Chinandega (the main area of focus on this trip).  He went to university in USA, obtained a business degree and worked his way up to the position of General Manager for the largest group of automotive dealers in the United States.  The 16 hour days, 6 or 7 days a week were not what Gerry had envisioned for his life.  So the best decision he ever made was to pack up and return to his native country and devote his life to helping his fellow Nicaraguans.  Since his return to Nicaragua, Gerry has built several community centres, started a drug rehab program for youth, imported millions of dollars in relief supplies, imported 8 donated fire trucks, been named honorary Fire Chief, held an advisory position to the president of the country, managed sales for one of the largest car importers in Nicaragua, opened a restaurant and 2 hotels.  The latest hotel is Monty's Beach Lodge in Jiquilillo, where the team will be staying.  Monty's is a joint partnership with Gerry and Don (Monty) Montgomery from B.C. Canada.   This is a story that will be told at a later date…  

1 Day prior to Team arrival.

Marina, Derrick, Gerry and the Key to the projects success.

Another beautiful day in Managua.  Our key objective for an early arrival in Nicaragua has been met!!!  The papers required to import the exam equipment and eyeglasses are now in Marina's hand.  Without this one piece of paper this entire project ends at the airport and everyone returns home that night.  We are now full steam ahead.  A million thanks to Gerry Caceres, our friend and project host.

The other objectives today were:

Outside the Health Ministers Office

1. To purchase a van to help shuttle the Doc's who will be doing screening in various schools.  Accomplished!  Our host Gerry is now the proud owner of a 14 passenger Kia minivan.  We will be travelling in style.

2. Find some tables for our mobile dispensary.  Done!  The tables were purchased and will be donated to a new community centre after completion of the TWECS project.

3. Complete paperwork for all OD's (Optometrists) so they can legally practice in Nicaragua.  Completed!
All OD's are now registered to practice in Nicaragua.

4. Find a traditional Nicaraguan lunch.  Not really accomplished, as we had to settle for McDonalds between meetings, but we did dine with the former first lady of Nicaragua.  I guess we all enjoy traditional Scottish food?

Clinic site inspections by Firetruck

Tonight we rest in preparations for the landing of the team tomorrow.   Our thoughts are with the team and the long travel day ahead.  Their day will begin at about 3am and they will not arrive at Montys Beach Lodge until after 1am.

To the team:  Get some sleep, you have a long day ahead of you tomorrow.
`To our blog followers:  Thank you for your support and please keep the comments coming.

- David


All is going well on our end here in Managua. The remainder of the team arrives Saturday evening, where we will all meet up and travel to Monty's Beach Lodge--our gracious hosts in Jiquilillo, Nicaragua. 

As a first time TWECS member, it is truly a beautiful display of leadership and guidance from both TWECS leaders and those here in Nicaragua--all working together for ultimate necessary global good. Well done Dr. Marina Roma-March, Derrick March, Gerry Caceres, and all involved! 

Feeling an array of emotions. All good… 
~Sue

Clinic location inspection day

I am writing this entry on our way home from a day of scouting clinic locations.  Currently the rain is coming down so hard the highway is just like a river.  The windshield wipers cannot keep up and we cannot see further than the front bumper.  Perhaps we shouldn't be driving at 80 km/h down the dark flooded highway?   Anyhow... Back to our day.  

We didn't quite make our 9 am deadline with the vice minister, but fortunately Gerry our host is amigos with the Minister. And he ensured our delayed arrival would not be an issue.   

A major issue has been discovered in our meeting at the Health Ministers office.  One of the doctors has incomplete paperwork and if the paperwork is not corrected by tomorrow they will be sitting on the sidelines reducing the number of patients seen, potentially by hundreds.  Goal #1 tomorrow is to do whatever it takes to make the 6 hour return drive to get the correct papers to the powers that be.  

After the Health Ministers meeting we were able to return to the hotel for a leisurely 20 minute lunch break then back in the road again.   This time we made a 3 hour drive to the cities of Chinandega and El Viejo.  Our initial team on the ground were met by our security team, the Firefighters of Chinandega.   They picked us up in the Fire Truck and we rode on the roof and hung off the tailboard to the various possible clinic locations.   

After this tour of two cities the decision was made to have the clinic in 3 different locations.  

Day 1&2 will be in a rural hospital.  This is a beautiful facility built by European donors.  Unfortunately it is merely run as a clinic due to the hospital never being stocked with equipment.  

Day 3 will take place in a clinic auditorium behind a maternity hospital.  This is located on the highway in the city of El Veijo.  

Day 4&5 will happen in a red cross facility in the city of Chinandega.  We will take over the red cross station, and close the street in front to handle the anticipated crowds. 

So it is now 8:00pm and we are making the 3 hour trek back to our accommodation.  The clinic locations are set, the rain has stopped,  we have a carload of Nicaraguan cheezie snacks and the 80's power ballads are rockin the airwaves in our car.    Life could not get any better.  

Sent from my iPhone

Documentation Team has Arrived in Nicaragua

The preliminary documentation team has arrived!!!  Marina, Derrick, Sue and David have arrived in the country a few days prior to the team arrival to ensure all customs papers are in order, all health department requirements are met, and to meet with gov't officials.  Yesterday went as smoothly as could be hoped for.  The initial Team arrived at Vancouver Airport at 4:00 am, and passed through security screening with ease.  A feat not often accomplished as some of the luggage contained equipment that security personnel are usually very apprehensive  about.  The auto refractor and the cases of batteries usually draw a fair amount of unwanted attention.  Fortunately, yesterday that was not the case.   We arrived in Houston Texas ahead of schedule and departed an hour late.  This brought us into Managua, Nicaragua at about 11:00.  Once again customs and immigration were a breeze.  We passed through the 3 inspection points with our 10 pieces of luggage and equipment, left the terminal, dragged everything by foot across a the 6 lane Pan-Ameria Highway and were at our hotel within 30 minutes.  We had a Cerveza toast to the success of the team arrival and hit the sheets hard.  What a great day....

But the morning comes very early when prepping for a project.  My phone rang at 6:30 this morning, with ur local host Gerry on the line.  He was calling from the road saying he will be picking us up at the Hotel and taking us to the Health Ministers office for an emergency meeting requiring our notarized paperwork.  These papers must be delivered to the Minister prior to 9:00am to ensure the success of the project, so we are on the move.  The traffic in Managua can range from bad to a parking lot so I am signing off to make the drive to the Ministers office and the 9:00am deadline. Wish us luck.

To be continued...

T Minus 4 days until team departure

Hello Everyone:

Thank you for taking the time to follow the Third World Eyecare Society's (TWECS) Eyecare project to the Chinandega area in Northern Nicaragua.

My name is David and my wife is Sue.  Together we will try to document on a daily basis the happenings of the project.  I have been on several projects with TWECS and this will be Sue's first.  I hope that we will be able to bring a first timers perspective on the project, as well as a no so first timers.  We will also try to post submissions from as many team members as possible.

A huge Thank You to all the Sponsors, all the Volunteers, all who will be travelling and especially to Marina, Derrick and Family.  Without Marina and Derrick and their Children's support, 65,000 people would not have been helped by TWECS.

4 DAYS UNTIL TEAM DEPARTURE

Hi Everyone:
We finished packing all the boxes all 26 of them!!!  It took many hours and many hands and a great warehouse coordinator....that's Alf Vogel.  Alf is a TWECS director who has been on many TWECS projects and who is always at the warehouse every Monday evenings rain or shine.  He was there through out all the sorting and the packing for this project. He did a great job organizing the whole process. Unfortunately he won't be joining us on this project.  Thank you Alf!! for all you do for TWECS and the warehouse.
- Marina Roma-March