Thursday 24 September 2009

A few good men, and women

I was talking with a friend of mine today who just started working for a large social service organisation out of Delhi.

He offered me a bus. A fully equipped medical van - and the salaries and support money to keep it going.

The task for us was to staff it, and make sure it is used to reach the poor / rural population.

I immediately said: 'no.'

We just don't have the staff.

2 years ago we had 6 staff who visiting our positive friends in their homes.

This morning only 1 of the 6 went out to meet people on her home-visits. Daniel and Sanjeev have moved on for higher studies (MSW and nursing respectively). Lata has taken an indefinite leave of absence to help her sister through recovery from severe mental illness. Seema's father suffered a stroke last week and she has been looking after him. Rahul was attending a 3 day pastor's conference for his denomination where his church was given the role of leading worship (and he is the worship leader in his church). That left sister Shanti going out to meet our HIV positive friends this morning - aided by one of the UBS interns - and with 2 of our nurses filling in part of the gaps left by the other absentees in the home-based care team.

We are facing a severe shortage of hands - and hearts - on the front line.

And in all of this we are planning to expand our work - with the idea of scaling up to a community care centre which will support the home-based care work with in-patient care. By the end of October we will need to identify at least 1 full time doctor to join us - with additional nurses.

And more people on the ground meeting people in their homes.

We need a few good men - and women!

5 comments:

  1. May My good God supply all your needs...
    Will be in prayers.
    Can understand, as there is so much sacrifice, so much to do differently, so much courage needed to be involved in what you and Sheeba are doing.
    Will certainly need men with spirit of 'power, of love and sound mind'
    With warm regds
    John G

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  2. Thanks for your faithful reading, John, and your comments too! Very encouraging. You are a leading candidate for the prize of "Commenter No. 1"

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  3. I think there are a lot of people reading your blog, Andi. I know everyone I connect to it keeps coming back to read the new entries.

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  4. Thanks Faisal. I hope I didn't sound self-pitying. Its strange how a phrase can be said / written - and then look so very different once it is 'out there'

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  5. Regarding a few good men, isn't it a good thing we have Andi Eicher...... God bless you. JAM

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