Handoff Day: Donating Orange to the Hospital
Today was the handoff day. I did the last few things with the car and took out whatever I needed, which was pretty much already done, along with some final packing. Then it was time for my last ride in Orange – it never got a better name, but Orange says it all.
I took the back road from Hope’s Inn and drove to the hospital where I had been communicating with the administrator. It was time to hand it off. The administrator gathered a bunch of hospital workers, and they all appreciated the moment, posing for a picture during the handover. It was a very rewarding experience.
As it turned out, one of the administrators – a financial person – is actually the brother of someone I met earlier at a national park. They both grew up in Nakoma and were very appreciative of getting this vehicle for the whole community. All I had to do was hand over the keys to Happy and walk away. The car served me very well indeed, and I hope it will last them a long time and help many people who can use the help.
Wrapping Up Travel Plans
After the handoff, it was time to finish up my reservations and flights for the rest of the trip and figure out how to get back home. I decided I should head towards Lilongwe tomorrow since my flight to Nairobi is on Friday, and there’s no use doing everything last minute.
Tuesday Potluck at Hope’s Inn
In the evening, since it was a Tuesday, the people staying at Hope’s Inn had their weekly potluck. I got to be part of it, and one of the people who showed up again was Hannah from Japan. She had come by earlier in the week and brought Kumiko with her as well. The two of them work for a Japanese organization – the closest equivalent would be the American Peace Corps. They are very nice ladies; one is teaching and the other is doing social research.
The potlucks are always full of energy, and several other people showed up. One person who is only 19 is teaching two elementary school kids most days because there is no international school in this town. This allows the doctors – the kids’ parents – to continue working while the children receive education more in line with what the parents want, since the kids may not speak the local language. Even though a lot of local teaching is done in English, the kids also get playtime and are able to make friends in town.
Moving On
It was another really good day. Tomorrow I’m leaving Hope’s Inn and heading towards Lilongwe to prepare for my Friday flight to Nairobi. Thanks for coming along.
