Mercy Visit to Africa - Carole Ford - LADIES NIGHT

At the Ladies Night meeting Rotarians and guests were enthralled by the presentation of Rotarian Carole Ford from the Rotary Club of Northallerton Mowbray.  She had been a volunteer in Sierra Leone working with a team from ‘Mercy Ships’. This organisation is a global charity that has been operating with a fleet of ships in developing nations since 1978. Dedicated volunteers offer their services free of charge taking wide-ranging skills to improve health by meeting urgent surgical needs of the often forgotten poor and in no small part helping in community projects. Work is done on board ship and in land bases.  In Sierra Leone on her visit healthcare treatment was undertaken at the Aberdeen Clinic and Fistula Centre.  Cataract surgery, cleft lip/palate surgery, and surgical repair of obstetric fistulas were the most common needs dealt with in the one month time scale that could be offered before the team must move elsewhere. Restoration of sight obviously enhances life and the one-hour surgery meant a great deal to the patients. Lip and palatal surgery in babies is essential as sucking to feed if hindered can lead to death.  It is a common birth defect in the area visited.  Women with a fistula have a constant leaking of urine, irritation and a terrible odour and are often ostracised by their family and community with all the attendant problems of no employment, no money and no food or shelter. Rehabilitation centres help the many maimed as a result of the civil war. The Revolutionary United Front in its 10-year rebellion took part in atrocities against civilians. Some 30,000 people were deliberately maimed through amputation of limbs and other atrocities. Mismanagement and corruption and the conflict have left massive infrastructure and reconstruction needs. The tradition of high education standards has been eroded and two-thirds of the population are illiterate.  The Mercy Ships teams helping the population they encounter do a very significant job but so much needs to be done