2009 projects

People are still asking what my main projects are, so I will dedicate this entry to outlining what I’ve been working on in the last few weeks…

First, I should mention that the box of bras have found a home in a maternity clinic in Ra… if you’re confused by this reference go back to the entry titled ‘An uplifting project’.

The major project for this week has been allocating $2 Million worth of medical equipment sent through donors from Rotary Clubs in Australia. There are currently two full containers filled with cartons of syringes and other medical necessities. The past week has been spent finding proper locations for this equipment and dealing with logistics to get it there. I am the liaison between Rotary and Ministry of Health- Western Division. Basically what has previously take over two months, I made happen in three days. I felt useful.

I will be sorting through the medical equipment all day Saturday with a Rotarian and few workers from a shipping company who will be doing most of the heavy lifting. The allocations have been identified for eight different sub-divisional hospitals and health centers in the west. Once sorted, the trucks will begin distributing the material on Monday.

As you may recall, a JICA volunteer and I created a program we called ‘Condoms and Clubs’ in Suva. This program was developed as a method of providing additional late night access points for condoms by promoting and providing them in nightclubs throughout the city. Initially I had wanted to hold the program in Lautoka, but was presented with the option of pre-testing it in Suva first. After Suva, I came back to my post in Lautoka ready to start all over.

Having seen the program through in Suva, it was easy to identify the adjustments needed. My major concern turned to sustainability. I constantly hear people talk about volunteer projects from the past, and few still exist. My thought process was this-- So how do I make mine sustainable? Well, first find a sustainable group, right? Okay. But how about one that’s interested in reproductive health issues… Eureka! Sex workers!

Sex workers in the west currently have an advocacy group called The Pacific Rainbow Project that meets every Wednesday. In the past six months I’ve given them presentations and workshops on HIV and STIs, gone to the occasional meeting, and participated in all of their fund raising programs. So I decide to call the coordinator of the program and ask if I could come in and give another presentation, this time about the ‘Condoms and Clubs’ campaign. He was delighted and thought it would be a swell idea.

I came in with my guns loaded- lots of pictures from the Suva program. Every Fiji national I’ve ever met has LOVED photos. I knew it would work. I showed the photos- many of them posted on the entry titled ‘Success’. After the slide show finished, I asked if they were interested in participating in the planning and development of the Lautoka project.

After deliberating among themselves, they decided it would be fun. But, they were concerned about volunteering because the distribution times would coincide with peek times for their work. After explaining that they could help develop the project without being the volunteers, they still decided it would be an enjoyable activity. YAY.

That was last week’s meeting and this week we drew up a timeline for the project. We’re making some progress. Honestly though, who knows more about night life than sex workers? They were throwing around ideas that I would have never thought of, places I’d never heard of. It was great. Don’t get me wrong, if it doesn’t get more exciting in the next meeting the flame will surly fade. So if anyone has ideas to keep things exciting, please send your comments.

The other major project I’m working on is a Fluoride varnish program. Basically 88% of children in Fiji suffer from tooth decay- and from what I’ve seen it’s mostly moderate to severe. There is a public health initiative through the Ministry of Health that provides children with fluoride- in gel form. It’s hard to monitor and they don’t reach everyone, but is still effective. So, why are we pushing a fluoride varnish? Well, a volunteer in Fiji who was pre-dental decided she would try to implement the first nation-wide fluoride varnish program (not just the first in Fiji, but the first in the world). The program was/is a great idea because fluoride varnish is stronger and more effective for people who don’t regularly visit a dentist. It’s also quicker and less dangerous.

Anyway, that volunteer finished her service but didn’t finish the program- even though she extended for an additional year. She passed on the project to another volunteer who was basically left with everything- the proposal, the money, etc. Unfortunately, the major donor (Colgate) fell through and the project needed to be scaled down drastically.

But, all is not lost. With the research from this program a nation-wide fluoride varnish program may still be put into place in the future. Who knows?

Now that you know the background, my involvement is basically to set everything up in the western division. Today is the meeting to discuss statistics from all of the primary schools the outreach team went to in the last year. From this we will decide which 2 schools to implement the varnish program at (and the other schools will be scheduled for the regular fluoride gel application). After a decision is made we will start with the preparations. Carla (the volunteer who has taken the project over) will come up from Suva for a meeting I have set up with the dental department from Lautoka hospital on February 17, 2009. Soon after, (as soon as the materials are brought in- without forgetting to factor in some Fiji time with that) the fluoride varnish program can start after the three year battle.

So that’s that. That is what I’ve been working on.

A lot has changed since the last entry... people are beginning to get over the holiday hangover.