Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Note: The following appeal is now closed.  You can support our ongoing work by donating to the Canadian Red Cross

 

We have been in Larkana for five days now. I have trouble grasping this reality, as it seems we have been here for ages already. So much happens each day that the team has trouble figuring out whether it is a Tuesday or a Friday.

We average about 14 to 15 hours of work per day. Our meals consist of plain toast and eggs for breakfast, freeze-dried rations out of a bag (or whatever one can find while traveling) for lunch and we all have supper together at home.

The biggest challenge our team is facing is the intense, unbearable heat. The average day is 45+ degrees, and the medical teams are putting in long days outside in the heat and sun. The sweat pours off of you all day long and exhaustion sets in quickly. 

The medical teams have spent the last few days visiting internally-displaced camps sheltering thousands of people.  People have been staying in schools and make-shift homes set up wherever dry land is found. Food and shelter continue to be immediate needs and more rain is predicted for the next few days. The medical teams feel the patients they are treating are genuinely good people; it is encouraging to see that the Red Cross is well-known here. 

As a team, small things become great moments to look forward to, like having a cold glass of Coke in 50-degree heat. We try and celebrate each and every possible thing, no matter how small. One simple activity can take ten tasks to complete so these celebrations are important. Everything moves at a different pace here...

Today is the halfway mark of my mission. It is hard to say what the coming days will have in store for us but we remain focused on trying to help the most vulnerable. The need here is great.

Best,

Bre