Bole Bound

Mr. SillyPants left this morning for Ethiopia. He is joining a team of physicians from UW-Madison to teach the ALSO (Advanced Life Support and Obstetrics) program to some physicians at Black Lion Hospital.  They, in turn, will teach it to others. It’s a classic sustainable model — one that brings in docs from the US and then allows for teaching the program using cultural models of understanding at the local level. Thus, for 2 days Mr. SillyPants (and 3 others) will teach, and for 3 days they will shadow the newly instructed ALSO teachers. Gotta love it. The vision of this program is first rate (says the cultural anthropologist – moi!).

I’m going to let Mr. SillyPants give the details about this training and the vision this training brings to establishing an Emergency Medicine program to the Medical School in Addis Ababa. I talked a little about this program and how we became involved here on our blog. But, there is a more formal explanation here and  here.

So, today our main man left for Bole Airport. I am so proud of him. I know he brings his dynamic intellect, his sensitive spirit, and his adoration of our Ethiopian born son to the work that he is about to embark upon. I know our missing is mutual. I know this is what we do – and I know why we do it. I feel so incredibly lucky to be with this man while we do these things together as a family. This is our canvas – and we’re paintin’ it!

Finally, we’ll have the treat of having him as our “guest blogger” for the next week, providing details arrive by e-mail as he journals his adventure (which may NOT include regular power availablity in Addis).                                   Godspeed my love!