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I am so far behind with my blog. Although I am so far behind, I remember everything all so vividly. Why ? Because I made it a goal to just soak it all in. I knew that every moment is important to capture the essence of everything. Heading over to Bastien, was a totally different experience then going up the mountain to Tienne (The Bastien Health Center is also located in the mountains). However, this mountain had a different characteristic to it. Heading toward Bastien, the roads were filled with people at every turn (the population for Bastien is larger than that of Tienne). It was the “Market Day” and people were coming out in between trees and small inlets to sell their bags of rice, hand-made goods, freshly seasoned foods, and all the more. These people were proudly carrying their items on their heads as they strolled down the mountain with grace and ease. They made it look all so easy as our car struggled up the mountain in the opposite direction. The ride was more dangerous than Tienne. My heart began to pound as the tires of the Jeep glided along the edge of the rocky road . Although my heart was pounding so fast, there was something comforting about being surrounded by the surrounding views of Bastien. I was praying and singing gospel songs in my heart as the car shook and rocked. I just closed my eyes and before I knew it, we made it. Along the way, I peeked to see the Sanitation station that was recently built for the community to help the community gain access to clean water for “their homes, their schools, and their community health centers, and their communities.”
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Below is a picture of one of two sanitation stations that give access to community to proper sanitation. These sanitation station give the community a chance to wash their hands and use the restrooms. Prior to this, I was told that the majority of the community was using the restroom in their backyards and using rocks to wipe up. Their practices include not washing their hands as well. In spite of all these practices, HAS played an crucial role in educating the community of the dangers surrounding these practices. As a result, this sanitation station reads “I just finished using the bathroom and washed my hands, did you ?”
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