Another strange week in Nigeria...

Well, this week was filled with tedious proposal writing once again. Not very fun to live through or write about. Luckily, I did get to go to Kogi. I think I see Excel spreadsheets in my sleep... again.

The first picture for you this time of me at the workshop I was at last week. It is pretty funny. That big white guy works for the German Leprosy Relief Association. His name is Klaus. Really. Santa Klaus. He cracked me up during the workshop:


Besides writing workplans and budgets, I did get to actually do what I like best: visiting villages. I visited 2 clinics in Erikirin-Ade in Lokoja state. Here is a picture of one:

I talked with the doctors and got some new ideas for community mobilization activities to get more children tested and on HIV treatment.

One reoccurring problem is that children who get put on Ready to Use Theraputic Food (RUTF) as treatment for Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), often relapse to be malnurished after the 2 month treatment ends. This will have to be addressed by some type of secondary food supplement or something.

The reasons Clinton Foundation donates RUTF as part of their HIV treatment are:-HIV causes an increased metabolism, making kids who were having enough to eat become malnourished-Testing kids with malnutrition can lead to more HIV cases detected-Treating the malnutrition helps the ARVs to treat the HIV more effectively. Here is a kid at a clinic with some RUTF:


Here is a picture of me with a Doctor who we support in mentoring other doctors in pediatric HIV treatment and our contact with the State Ministry of Health:

The other pictures didn't turn out too good since it was raining the whole time, but here is one while driving home, you can see the Niger river and some canoers on the right:

So this proposal is due on Monday and I have been working the whole weekend and having meetings about it at the house. I better get a day off soon. I will tell more about it when it gets approved or rejected.


I am annoyed that the University of Michigan got spanked by Notre Dame.


I have been enjoying skyping with people the last couple weeks. I would love if other people could use it http://www.skype.com/.


Hope you enjoyed the pictures, more news next week...