This year's birthday is super special, because I get the chance to be able to spend it in Buddha's birth land. What an amazing opportunity! I feel so blessed that I am able to be here!
I woke up today with a giant smile on my face! It was going to be another super meaningful and fulfilled day! I started my day by going to the National Health Cluster to give a presentation on what Tzu Chi has done every since the earthquake and to invite everyone to please come to our August 1st large scale Free Clinic and Hygiene Education. I presented our ideas and had opened the floor for any advice and suggestions. All the INGO/NGOs were very impressed with what Tzu Chi has done so far in Nepal and continues to do. I was very grateful that Dr. Salvador (Health Cluster Coordinator) was kind enough to give me some time to give a presentation. I was very happy to see so many different organizations interested in coming to see how Tzu Chi conducts a free clinic and hygiene education, also super grateful to MSF for helping us collect on-site diagnosis data.
The biggest concern for the Health Cluster members are Waterborne Diseases. At the moment, it is the Monsoon season, so flash floods are common. With so many IDP camps around Nepal after the Earthquake, any outbreak is a huge concern. That is why the number one symptom that is under surveillance at the moment is watery/bloody diarrhea. With the number one disease concern being Cholera! Everyone that is working in IDP camps or large communities has the responsibility to help the surveillance efforts, so that we can help keep Nepal healthy through these difficult times. I am so thankful that being the Medical Coordinator I can help make a difference in these trying times. Part of Tzu Chi's Medical Mission efforts is focusing on Health Education of the masses and also conducting Free Clinics where it is needed. Health Education is very important, because it is always better to teach people how to prevent the illness/diseases from happening in the first place. The classes are frequent and it is really great to see first hand the medical knowledge being absorbed and actions that are learned for their everyday living. A difference is being made and I am so grateful to be apart of all of this change!
After the Health Cluster meeting, we quickly headed over to Chuchepati camp to start setting up the different lanes for tomorrow's free clinic and hygiene education. We called upon the local volunteers to help us pull the lines using ropes and bamboo sticks. I am so thankful for my Chuchepati boys! They are always there to help out, especially with hard labor tasks! They are super at it! Look at those muscles hard at work!
One of the local volunteers leading the way in showing everyone the best method in planting the bamboo sticks firmly and deeply into the ground.
My boy Karma and his father hard at work with the entrance line up!
The volunteers were very thoughtful and resourceful, as well. We noticed that the cut bamboo sticks were very rough at the ends and was hazardous to the touch, so the volunteers gathered many plastic bottle tops to cover them with. It is reusing the bottles and it can protect everyone from harm. Awesome team work!
A big shout out to Uncle Danny for finding me a birthday cake! They surprised me with a birthday cake tonight! I am very grateful for everyone's kindness! There is a huge story behind this cake: according to Uncle Danny, there were two cakes, one with the Happy Birthday chocolate sign on it and one with Get Well. Uncle Danny likes chocolate cake, but the Happy Birthday sign was on the vanilla cake. So he had asked the bakery shop owner to please switch the signs on the cake, so we can get the Happy Birthday sign on the chocolate cake. Haha and apparently one cherry was missing, so they had to find another cherry to make the cake complete. Oh man, gotta hand it to Uncle Danny! He is the man for any task! Thank you Uncle Danny for making this birthday that much funnier!
Making three wishes, two secret ones, and the last one: no more disasters in the world!
So many people with only one cake! What to do? I remembered what my little auntie taught me in cake cutting. You first cut a circle in the middle and then cut the outside slices. This creates both big and small slices for every person's need! It worked out super well! Thank you auntie!
After the cake eating was finished, back to regular business! Dr. Nirdesh and I made creative art posters for tomorrow's Free Clinic and Hygiene Education! Look at how great the results are! What a big artist Dr. Nirdesh is! HIDDEN TALENT DISCOVERED!
Awesome birthday spent with awesome people in an awesome country! Couldn't have asked for more this year! I am super blessed! All ready for tomorrow's event! Wish us luck!
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