Kindness and Gentleness in Toeghin

Today was our second day in the village of Toeghin. However, the first day we saw very few patients because of an important political rally in the area. On Day One, Jessica McMillan treated 179 school kids for parasitic worms. We were able to take our time and see the village chief and organize everything for the next day.

The gentleness of the Burkina people has been very apparent. While working in the pharmacy, we noticed one woman patiently waiting for more than an hour. We realized that her prescription was setting unnoticed on a box of medicine, overlooked for a long time. Even when Jessica spoke to her through a translator and apologized profusely the women responded only with a gentle smile as she walked away.

Eight-four patients that came through our small clinic. No pushing or shoving. No aggressive demands. I was amazed at the lack of chaos (I have had different experience in other medical clinics I´ve helped with. We needed to put up rope barriers and exercise crowd control.)

But here in Burkina, one of the poorest countries in Africa, the gracious people simply wait patiently and quietly.


Now kids -- they're are the same everywhere. When the face paints were retrieved from the suitcase, a circle of young black faces quickly tightened around Becka and Dorothy. There was some shuffling as each tried to be next for a flower,a butterfly or a fish painted on their cheek.

The children are also very excited to color pictures and play games with our ladies. But a keen eye can still spot the signs of poverty and malnutrition amongst the smiling faces. Sheila commented that she saw more children without shoes in this village than anywhere else she has been in Africa.

Indeed the desolation of the village resembles a war zone more than a place to scratch out a subsistence farm. And yet they tell us that most of the patients from today have no source of income and spend their days raising maize and millet to eat.