|
A Day in Hudumburung: Care, Smiles... and the Truth About Reality
👋 Hi everyone, it's Alex with another new story I'm writing to you from East Sumba. How are you all doing?
On 20th March, we went early in the morning to Hudumburung, an incredibly isolated hamlet in the Kawangu region of East Sumba. We arrived in force, with our medical teams, Kawan Sehat agents—including Veronika, who resides here—and a special guest, John KEVAN from Rotary International, who travelled from Perth, Australia, to spend a brief week with us.
ℹ️ Also, I strongly encourage you to reread Veronika's story by clicking on this link.
My friend John is a force of nature. He is almost two metres tall and has an immense presence and an even bigger heart. He wrote a book on Sumba before he even set foot there! Last week marks the third time he has come to the field with us to help and share his knowledge. John will celebrate his eightieth birthday in a few months, but I assure you that he has the energy of a thirty-year-old man.
Together, we evaluate the programmes in which we receive aid from Rotary; we have collaborated for over two years on Water Connections and Zero Malaria.
We took the Truck n' Load, our new logistics truck, and filled the onboard tank with 1,000 litres of clean water. There is no clean water available there. When you wish to treat individuals, administer medicine, or vaccinate children, it is essential to be able to wash your hands, drink, and cook a little. It's fundamental. Therefore, we bring it along. We didn't use it all, but this water proved very useful. See the campaign poster related to the importance of washing hands here.
Veronika, two nurses, and I vaccinated about twenty children from the village as soon as we arrived. I vaccinated a few myself. Some were afraid of needles, and then there were the tough kids who were showing off, especially the boys. It was a moment full of life, emotion, and laughter.
ℹ️ Watch the video "One Day in My Life" about Veronika here.
We then conducted screening tests for tuberculosis (sputum and subsequent analysis) and malaria, which are highly prevalent in this area. For malaria, 100 rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) were performed. Several positive cases were immediately referred to the nearest health centre (Puskesmas) in Kawangu for statistical purposes.
Indeed, a microscopic test will be necessary to confirm the malaria diagnosis and identify the type of Plasmodium.
👀 I published an original image gallery of that day; I invite you to look here.
On that day, over 150 people received care. The children struggled with diarrhea, fever, and poorly treated wounds, while the adults faced infections, joint pain, and vision problems. A constant issue for everyone was fatigue, stemming from a poor, monotonous diet consisting primarily of rice and corn, with just a little salt and chilli peppers. An inadequate supply of clean water and vegetables led to overwhelming suffering.
The day before, thanks to John and Rotary, we purchased nearly 6 million Indonesian Rupiah (CHF 321.-) worth of medicines in Waingapu. It’s pretty simple: without these medicines, we would not have been able to meet all these needs. Two large boxes filled with everything required to treat, relieve, disinfect, bandage, test, etc. Thank you, John, and everyone else who is assisting us. You can see just how valuable your help is.
We also discussed prevention extensively with our educational posters, especially about malaria. We explained, we discussed, people asked questions, and they learned. It took time, but it worked. We see the results of what we've been building for years.
So yes, it was a warm day—powerful and genuine. People were happy to see us and to be treated, which doesn't happen often here. As usual, Fair Future and Kawan Baik Foundations are working because the authorities don't have much. And we're not going to blame them—they make do with what they have—but let's say that if we weren't there, not much would happen.
I want to thank John, Ino, Susanti, Elthon, Primus, the people of East Sumba, our medical teams, the nurses, all Kawan Sehat agents, the volunteers, the translator (me), Erwin, our field coordinator, and everyone else. Without them, none of this would be possible. It's a team effort, a human adventure, and a mission for social justice.
And me? I'm proud. Tired but proud.
See you soon for another story. Alex Wettstein.
☑️ See the photo gallery we've created here
☑️ See all active campaigns here
☑️ The work of Kawan Sehat health workers in pictures
☑️ A vital mission begins in March 2025
☑️ All Fair Future news here
☑️ Our child protection policy here
☑️ The archive of our "stories"
☑️ Download the book "Kawan Sehat" |
