Thursday, June 5, 2014

Madagascar.


Is it too late to blog about my trip to Madagascar?? Left at the end of March. SLC>JFK>JNB>TNR

Went to volunteer for Operation Smile and primarily shadowed the Speech-Language Pathologist in Antananarivo.
As a team, screened 793 patients and operated on 151 of them over the course of 12 days.  Operation Smile is a non-profit organization that repairs cleft lip and cleft palate facial deformities for children from third world countries.
Hung out with this sweetheart of a guy during screening. Sweetest boy ever.

From a walk one day near the hospital.
Took a bus to the countryside for some home visits.
This beautiful family welcomed us into their home, although we couldn't fit.
Look at this beautiful baby. Before surgery.

Same baby. After surgery.
It is truly beautiful to see what we can do with our talents to bless the lives of others. 
Such a tender moment- mother and daughter in the post-op room.
More visits to the countryside. Heyyyyy boys.



Home visit two. House a little bigger this time.
School kids walking home in the little village of Ampangabe.

Watched my UCT pals give some health presentation. Kids are obviously engaged. Good work.
Dinner crew. Ku de ta? Sakamanga? Can't remember.
MANSON.
Took me a while. Getting my dance on.
Indian food night. Paneer. Yums.
Raw crocodile. Inevitable.
Final party. Me. The surgeons. Holla.
These boys are African.  Who would have thought.
Amazing week with an incredible team. It's always inspiring to get out and see the world from a different perspective. Thankful for the advancement of education and technology. "Only a life lived for others is worth living". -AE

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