Voluteer Work in Nigeria         

Direct Relief International is an organization based in Santa Barbara that has been instrumental in helping many volunteers, by supply equipment and medications. The picture below shows some of the few boxes of medications DRI provided for our work in Nigeria. 

These Nigerian Children in Okigwa were very anxious to have their picture taken at the entrance of the hospital where I worked as the only physician available.

The Rotarians of Okigwa took me to a regional king where they introduced me and where they were hoping that we could initiate a work in his "kingdom." One of the main problems in this area, besides medical assistance, was water. They had already attemped a 1000 ft. bore without any results.

Rotarian Bob Ezuma was most gracious to take me to the university where he taught. He showed me the incredible influence and impact that the Rotaract Club had in his university and in the city of Okiway (population of 500,000, but without running water, sanitation or electricity. The Rotary Club had only 13 members and it seemed that the Rotaract Club was more active and effective in their service activities.

The following pictures show some of the medical needs we were faced with. Besides the common problem of malnutrition and intestinal parasitesworms there was the often insurmountable challenge of treating the difficult tropical diseases, both systemic (such as malaria) and dermatologic. The first picture, however, starts with the more common picture of relatively healthy, beautiful children, in spite of the poverty.