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The Elephant Cloud

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Entries Tagged as 'Volunteer'

Ethiopia’s Daughters: Chapter III

February 5th, 2011 by · 7 Comments · Africa, Ethiopia

… continued from Chapter Two of Ethiopia’s Daughters Chapter Three A small unlocked Nokia cell phone with an Ethiopian SIM card floats between the white pockets of Dr. Philippa and myself. The number is scribbled on paper taped in the maternity ward. We are on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for […]

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Ethiopia’s Daughters: Chapter II

January 25th, 2011 by · 4 Comments · Africa, Ethiopia

… continued from Chapter One of Ethiopia’s Daughters Chapter Two Without running water, sterility is difficult and conservation is everything, even during surgery. Faded green gowns and drapes, homesewn lap sponges, recycled tubing, everything in the operating room is used again and again. We enter building 24, the operating theater. A clear plastic apron, battered […]

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Ethiopia’s Daughters: Chapter I

January 19th, 2011 by · 4 Comments · Africa, Ethiopia

Chapter One ‘You want a picture?’ he asked as we drove to the edge of the desolate canyon. ‘How about now? You don’t have camera?’ ‘Later,’ I told him, ‘When we come back, when we return home.’ ‘You sure? You sure you return home?’ he laughed. That was a good question since I was wondering […]

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Hamlin Fistula Hospital

January 17th, 2011 by · 5 Comments · Africa, Ethiopia

Dr. Catherine Hamlin is eighty seven years old and still performing surgeries. Her work has been included in multiple award winning documentary films, including A Walk to Beautiful and Lighting the Candle. We hadn’t received confirmation on our request meet, so when an interview was granted, we had to race back to the hotel to […]

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Footsteps To Healing

November 28th, 2010 by · 2 Comments · Africa, Ethiopia

“And they all knew just the cure for what ailed them: an injection … [It] was cheap, and it’s effect was instantaneous, with patients grinning and skipping down the hill.” Abraham Verghese’s Cutting for Stone

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