Kind of third world

 Wednesday April 29. Today started out normal with us finally finishing up the evaluation reports from all the projects we had visited.

About 11:00 we learned we were heading out again to visit a project in a near by town which consisted of 17 health centers. These are scattered across a large town in the outskirts where most of the poorer people live. These are funded by the city government but lack the funds needed to provide better health care. We rode one and a half hours going with our boss. He stopped and bought us lunch at another buffet, not my favorite places to eat but I appreciate him. I got a picture of a rhino, I don’t understand the appeal of them but the people put them in lots of places.

The trucks here raise up axles on all the trailers using fewer tires wearing out. A large semi pulling three trailers might have 27 axles or 106 tires but have only 30 tires in contact with the road.

Now back to our journey. The first one we visited was sort of sad, people sitting in a waiting room, worn down floors and worn paint, the countertops were worn through a lot of equipment and monitors didn’t work. I wouldn’t want to take my grandkids there. The next one was smaller cleaner nicer, but most of their computers didn’t work. In a quieter part of town. All have a bus stop right by them so the people can get to them. We wanted to visit three to sample the condition and needs on an average. But next we met with five women who appeared to oversee the whole thing. One was a member, and there was also a young man with them who spoke some English and had been home from his mission not quite two years. We visited with them for a long time, then off to the third location. This one had worn out chairs needed new computers but wasn’t terrible.

The young man then accompanied us to a park downtown. The name of the town is Itu and since it is so short they make giant things in contrast giant stop lights giant phone booth sell giant souvenirs.

We ate a pastry then dropped the young man off at home and headed back getting dropped off at our apartment at 8:15. Long day but grandma loved it and we were useful. Good day to be in Brazil. I need to mention the health care for us is fantastic as good or better than at home. But the public healthcare in poorer and smaller areas struggles. Love to all.

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