We did it. We made our goal, thanks to you!

Yesterday we reached our fundraising goal of $6805.00. It was such a huge achievement, thanks to everyone who has supported. Our trip to Indonesia was a huge success and we are so excited to take our first team back there in July/August of 2012. If you are interested in being involved please email me at yantiturang@gmail.com. I want to say a big thank you again to Jason Prowell, Sergio Padilla, Karel Turang and Levy Golioth, we would not be where we are without all your dedication and hard work. 

On our way home: Monday 15th August

We are on our way back to Denpasar today.  We stayed in Manado last night in order for us to get our early flight. Yesterday we hiked the Mahawu volcano  and visited a sacred cave of the Minahasen people. We then completed our final interview with Dr Levi Golioth.  Dr Levi Goliath has been an essential part of this trip, without his guidance his connections and passion for the same vision this would not be possible. The past week has been such an adventure and I almost can’t believe it has really happened. Leaving North Sulawesi this morning I felt like I had achieved something, I felt as though I had figured out one of my goals in life. Its feels good.  I’m sitting here on the plane and seeing Serge, Jase and Dad all asleep, and I think how lucky I am to have such an amazing team that believed in my vision. The team worked so hard this week, long hours driving village to village, many hours in the car, lots of problem solving and also a need to put our own needs aside and stay focused. Sergio has been outstanding. Without his dedication, ability to assess a community need’s, support of my plight and constant attention to detail this week would have been so much more difficult. Jason Prowell has a talent that has brought Learn to Live to life for everyone at home and throughout the world. There was not one moment that he was not there with his camera filming and shooting. His meticulous routine daily of ensuring all our documentation has been backed up and organized has been essential in the success of ‘Learn to live’. My Dad, Karel Turang has been the best advisor any person could ask for. Without his knowledge of the area in which he grew up, his bilingual command of both languages and most of all his constant support for his hyperactive, on the go daughter we would not be flying home satisfied with our week’s mission. Rest up team, we are almost home.  See you next year!

Terimah Kasih.
Love Yanti
 

Location 4: Bunaken village, Bunaken island

We headed to Manado today to catch a boat to the island of Bunaken. We went to the local port which I must say has improved in the last 10 years, although there is rubbish in parts, the smell of the sewer is gone and so have the wild pigs, so I guess that’s something. We boarded a tiny little boat, the team was a little hesitant, however I reassured them that the island people would keep us safe. After a 45 min ride we arrived. The tide was out so we waded to shore. The water was so warm. We settled at our family friends bungalows called ‘Sea breeze’ and had some lunch.

About 3pm we ventured to the village of Bunaken. Not really knowing what to expect of the people, I felt nervous that perhaps these people had been exposed to many westerners in there village wanting to help, due to it being a tourist destination. However, I was wrong.

Dr Levi had organized a meeting with the head of the village Caka (Chaka) we called him the chief. I spoke to him about our idea and what we would love to bring to Bunaken Village. He responded with nothing but positive energy and said he would love us to come and provide care as well as education. He said that skin cancer is the biggest problem in the village due to them being fisherman and on the island, then cataracts. He also said that they have no treatment for cancer except alternative therapies, due to it being expensive and no access to medication.  I said do people have the money or any access to sunscreen and he laughed and said it was not a priority, food is! He also said there is a government health care clinic but it is not always manned with a doctor and the equipment is basic. If someone falls ills and need to be taken to Manado by boats it can be up to 400,000Rph one way, which for most is almost a months wage.

The chief offered the meeting house, across the road from his house. This location is the best we have seen, large, clean, tiled and open air, and central. This location is 30 feet by 40 feet. It also has two side rooms. The chief then said thank you and was happy for “Learn to Live”.

As we finished our meeting with the chief, there was suddenly some commotion on the main road. We were quickly ushered towards the group of people. I saw a woman being carried in a wheel chair screaming. The chief quickly told me this was a woman how had recently had a mastectomy however was not recovering at all. The people were all around her and quickly hurried her to the beach. They tried to get her on to the boat in the wheel chair with no success. She was screaming and her body was tort with pain, she was then lifted out of her wheel chair and lay on a mattress in the middle of the boat. Her pain was resonating through everyone standing on the beach. Perhaps she didn’t have to be in that pain, if there were correct medications, perhaps she could have had proper treatment post op. This for me was one of the most helpless situations I had ever been in. To many questions unanswered.  Then she was gone, and out at sea on her way to Manado. Learn to Live will be back here next year. 

Location 3: Beringin

We started our journey down the mountains to the south today to the coast, then inland up some more mountains to the village of Beringin. We stopped in Amurang and picked up the health care officer for the village we were going too. The travel time from Amurang was almost 3 hours, on terrible roads, it felt like the village was in the clouds. This village had about 1000 people in it and the closet running water was a 15-minute walk down the hill.  The village had a midwife and no doctor. We were taken to the local midwife station. This like Likupang was a government-funded building. We sat with the midwife, who was surprised and happy to meet us. We discussed the health issues of the village, which were mainly malaria and needing healthcare prevention education.

Serious illnesses are transported to Pontak, cost’s 200,000Rph to get there. Which is very expensive, and this clinic is very small and basic. If more serious, they are referred to Manado, its 400,00 rph which for this region is about 4 months wage. Which is impossible for everyone. So people rely on midwife for all illness and birth.

The midwife feels as though she would be able to handle the people in the village if she had the right equipment. We checked out her station, which was so small you could barely fit a full term mother in. Her equipment consisted of a manual Doppler, BP cuff and an ancient scale that you hang from the roof, that’s was not attached. The midwife seemed to have excellent assessment skills, and said she transports anyone before they become to serious for example a mother with pre eclampsia.

Beringin had mass blood survey last year and of the checked 600 people and 71 were positive for malaria. The people of Beringin were very receptive to our clinic and the midwife offered her house for the clinic, and we could also stay there. They have two rooms, could sleep 6. Possibility for tents in the front yard. We saw kids carrying water; they carry it twice a day. This water comes from the mountain.

The village was excited and happy for us to set up one of our clinics here which is great. It was a long journey home, but worth every minute.

Location 2: Sapa, South Minahasa, North Sulawesi

Up early this morning after a long successful day yesterday. We headed to the local hospital in Tomohon called Bethesda and we were greeted by the Director of nursing. We were shown all around the hospital, and introduced to various staff. The hospital would be a great place to take my 'Learn to Live' team of doc's nurses and health care workers. I would love them to work along side the heath care team in Tomohon to experience the day to day at Bethseda. The hospital for being one of the better ones in the region, still lacked so much equipment as well as providing clean spaces for care. The ICU for example had four beds, with a renal patient, stroke, septic and gastroenteritis patient, all of the equipment was shared, the linen was not very clean, the monitoring machines were few, however the staff were great, and were working so well in the conditions they had.

This hospital uses a barcode system to check patients in. Patient records are kept for 5 years in the hospital, then 10 years in a locked facility. There is one ultrasound in the hospital. This hospital probably has a catchment area of 10,000. The main health problems seen here were, acute and chronic infection, TB, Malaria, Type 2 diabetes, HIV and Stroke in younger people. I had a great conversation with the lead OB/GYN doc about needing to change the way of thinking of the children to better there health. I explained that it was the same in the western world, but he said people are catching on later here.

Bethseda was happy for us to come with our team next year, which is great!

We then travelled to a town called Sonder, about 30mins from Tomohon in the mountains. This hospital is the oldest hospital is East Indonesia 'Siloam Sonder', it was built in 1905. There were two wards. The wards looked like the were from 1905, divided into male and female. There was one male patient with Tuberculosis, on fluids, so sick, no isolation, doors open. There was one woman, she had gastroenteritis. The facility's of this hospital were almost  non existent. We went to the OB/GYN room, it had a broken bed with rusted apparatus, it hadn't been used in years. The other ward had recently had the roof cave in, and water had been flowing in when it rained. The doctor here was so happy to meet us, and was full of heart. He needs equipment, he needs support, however he has none. I plan to get him some equipment and support through 'Learn to Live', we have too.

We then took a 2 hour drive to Sapa Barat. This is the location of our second clinic location. This village has 900 people on the coast, no fresh running water, health care is 25km's away, the people can't afford $1 to get to it. We were greeted by the head of the town. Everyone we met here were so open and welcoming to us bringing a clinic here. The head of the village offered his office to us to have our clinic which is very central. We walked around the village for two hours speaking to the locals listening to there stories, it was awesome.

What a day. 2 locations found. Better go to sleep. Up at 6 tomorrow. Goodnight!

Location 1: Likupang, North Sulawesi

We started our morning with a meeting with Dr. Maxi Rondonuwu, who is the Health Minister of North Sulawesi. It was super positive meeting which basically gave us the green light to proceed with our plans to have our first clinic here in the Summer of 2011. From there we moved on to the village of Likupang. We met with the Regional Health Center Director and toured the new facility, which was very clearly underfunded. We then proceeded to village Likupang Abong which was about a 10 min drive from the center. All the people we we talked to at the village gave us positive feedback for having the clinic there next year. The pastor of the local church offered to house the clinic at the church, which is also the largest building in the village. Very exciting news from our first day!

Check out our Field Notes from the Day after the jump.

We have arrived!

Good Morning from Indonesia, 

The Learn to Live team arrived safely in Bali yesterday evening. We are having our initial meeting to plan the week ahead as we leave for North Sulawesi this evening. Follow us on our blog, we will be posting as often as we have internet access. 

Thank you again so much for your support! You have made this trip possible.
See you soon! Yanti, Sergio, Jason and Karel

Check our full itinerary after the break.

An Amazing Show of Support!

Not only are we amazed by how many of you have donated online to our Start Some Good campaign, but we were blown away by how many of you came to our send-off party. It looks like we managed to raise an additional $1300 from Monday night's event! We will tally the total amount raised once we arrive in Indonesia. The three of us are traveling separately over the next couple of days and will convene in Indo starting Sunday. Check back in then for daily updates on our travels and progress with Learn to Live.

Thanks Again to Tony and Rachel from Cafe Atchafalaya for putting everything together and to Karen Wang for collecting funds throughout the night.

Jason / Yanti / Sergio