Datom clinic update: December 2011
Traditional Healthcare (TH) co-founder Tom left for India on 13 November 2011, to continue the building works in Datom.
News is good…
By the time you read this Tom will be back in town, but while he was away, on this first trip, for the building/dry season he reported that, for the first time, he arrived to find that Dada and the villagers had been working hard in preparation for his arrival. They had collected mulching material, stone, and other items they figured were required by Tom.
They’re keen.
Tom thinks that this trip (a short one) they’ll get the plant beds finished, begin the boundary fence, purchase steel for the roof anchors, and do all the rest of the measuring out that is needed before the roof actually goes on.
TH permaculturist, Pat O’Neill and his team arrive in December to make the medicinal herb garden and composting toilets.
Building wise, the kitchen walls are climbing higher, and the kitchen and eating area has now been extended a further two metres, to provide a totally screened area, free form mosquitos. This is great news for the volunteers who will staff the clinic so that they will have an open, safe space for general living, eating and relaxing.
It’s hot there right now. so Tom says they all need to sit down and take a big break in the afternoons, but that progress is good despite this. He has a meeting soon with the premier of their state, to discuss the clinic, and someone else from the UN who is responsible for the sustainable development of Jarkhand state. All sounds good.
In the meantime, they are collecting the stone lintels for the windows, and sourcing and obtaining the steel that is needed to tie down the bamboo rafters on the next trip in January. A total of 6 volunteers (including Tom) are there now, and Tom writes that the project is really coming along very well. The villagers are excited, and they talk about the fact that they are going to have a clinic – for the very first time. Even the local police have had him over for a cup of chai so they can all get acquainted!! Wonderful news!
TH is getting there with a generous $10,000 from Happy High Herbs for this project very recently. We still need to raise more money to complete. Please donate today to help us in the final stages of our first clinic.