Sanctuary

We have arrived in Sandoa, and have started our explo. At this point, it means asking countless questions of basically anyone who will listen. We spend our days seeing chiefs, administrators, health center managers (in the capital for a monthly meeting), the hospital administrator, and, most importantly, the chief medical officer of the health zone.

As we question our way through the week, we have established a very serviceable home base in a convent. We are housed among the Sisters as we undertake our mission. It is very calm and well-maintained. It's an island in the middle of dusty streets and livestock running wild. There is a courtyard garden with starfruit, avocado, and lemon trees, with manicured lawns stretching between blooming flower beds. Every once and a while a sheep or goat gets through security from the parking lot next door and runs wild, eating as much as possible. We all rally to chase them back to their side.

The Sisters are incredibly nice and accommodating. They quickly learned our foreign names and ask about our day and our mission. They all seem genuinely happy in their lives, and content to host us. They don't seem bothered by us being there and doing our thing, even when we work late into the night or leave early in the morning. There is hot water to wash with and a table full of food at each meal. It's a great situation for our explo week. We're hardly roughing it in our living situation.

The expeditions into the bush will be another story. It wouldn't be an explo without some hardship.