THURSDAY -- OUR GLOBAL FRIENDSHIP IN ACTION

Posted by Diane Jones. On Thursday, we split into two teams to continue the distribution of nets to villages in the Karatu District. One of the teams visited the village of Ayalabe. We were met by the women and young children of the village with a traditional welcome dance in which the women on our team were invited to participate. We began our morning with a visit to the village primary (elementary) school. The school has an enrollment of more than 950 students divided into classrooms of more than 50 children each. The teachers and students provided and enthusiastic welcome. We left gifts of school supplies, toys and soccer balls for the students and the teachers. All of the schoolchildren joined with village leaders and hundreds of residents in a ceremony prior to the net distribution. The ceremony included traditional song and dance and an educational session about the proper use of nets. Village leaders demonstrated how to use a net. Kirk Dignum, Mercy Regional Medical Center President and CEO, helped to distribute the nets to the sub village leaders who distributed the nets for families within their sub village region. The ceremony closed with dance and a special song of appreciation, joy, and love for our global friendship.