Even though Pure is not that far away from the EAM compound in terms of distance, it feels like a long drive to get there. There are not many paved roads in Kajo Keji (in fact, I don't know if there are any at all) and the dirt roads get pretty beat up by the rain.
Once we got to Pure we looked to find a suitable spot to set up the testing stations. We still had no walls and no roof. So we decided once again to stick the distance vision charts to the Landcruiser and to place a chair under the shade of a tree.
Kristen, Lars and I tested people's vision for two days. MHI and WHI staff alternated between providing medical aid and translating and vision testing. We got to test a lot of people and to dispense a good number of glasses. We saw a lot of elderly people as many of the younger adults had gone to the market to prepare for South Sudan's first independence day.
My fondest memory is of testing an 18 year old mother. Her distance vision was good, but her near vision was terrible. She could not even see the first line of the near vision chart. It is hard for me to imagine how incredibly inconvenient so many everyday tasks must be for her. Cooking safely, sewing, examining her baby up close.
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| Singing a mix of French and Norwegian children's songs to keep baby girl happy while her mother was getting tested |
We had her try on some positive power Eyejusters. The improvement was impressive! She was able to see clearly all the way down to the 11th line. And to see her baby clearly up close for the first time.
We had such a great time in Pure! We got to move way out of our comfort zone in terms of modern commodities and that is a very good thing. The camp was very nicely set up but I won't pretend that it a comfortable stay. Roughing it is, well, a little rough. Especially for camping novices such as ourselves :) I am so happy and grateful for this experience. The MHI and WHI crew were simply amazing.
Lots of love, K
