Meet the Amazing Alexandra!

This young lady is already changing her world!

The first time I spoke to Alexandra Proctor in November 2011, I was immediately impressed with her presence and confidence, no small thing for a 12-year-old. We discussed a project she wanted to undertake for a Grade 7 assignment “to make change” in her community or the world. She had heard through an older cousin of her mother’s about Not Just Tourists – Ottawa and wanted to help. However, Alexandra lives in Kingston and, well, we’re in Ottawa. And did I mention she’s 12 and can’t drive yet?

The 2012 Guatemala Project - NJT was "There"

Cathy Dufour with some of her little friends

This is a report from Cathy Dufour, an an enthusiastic volunteer with NJT-Ottawa, who was recently part of a group of Canadian health care workers who spent 10 days in Guatemala working with their local counterparts. Well, let's get Cathy to tell the story:

Hola mi amigos,

Nebulizer from NJT-Ottawa!

I just want to take this opportunity to thank Jacques and everyone else who was involved in helping gather supplies for this year’s Guatemala Project. This year's project was a huge success in many respects.

The Guatemala Nursing –ECCE project was a joint project with the Nursing Program and Early Childhood Education Program (ECCE) at Heritage College. Faculty from both programs and selected students worked collaboratively with the Guatemala Day Care Project under the direction of Brian Swan and Sheila Silver to build a partnership, deliver health care services and provide teacher training on Storytelling and Literacy Resources prepared by Heritage College ECCE students to several daycares in outlying villages in the La Laguna region.

The Guatemala Day Care Project was founded by Brian Swan and Sheila Silver, a Wakefield couple, nine years ago.  It is a non-profit group associated with Aldeas Infantiles SOS – a nongovernmental group that promotes children’s rights through providing daycare services and education to disadvantaged communities.

We brought down a total of 14 suitcases and two 25 kg boxes filled  with much needed medications and nutritional supplements, first aid supplies, respiratory, rehabilitation supplies (i.e. canes, knee and back braces), plus literacy and early learning kits to the local clinic in San Juan, Laguna and surrounding communities in the highlands.

Our 10 days flew by.  Dr. Christoph Weber from Ottawa, his daughter, and Louise Killens, a Physiotherapist (Killens-Reid Physiotherapy) from Ottawa, worked out of the local clinic in San Juan and the rest of the team provided a one day workshop to nine regional daycares on first aid and early learning, followed by visiting the 5/9 daycares providing health assessment and promotion and assisting with their early literacy programs to over 170 children.

March 3 workshop participants

For more information on our project, or to read our blogs, please visit  http://guatemala-nursingproject.webnode.com

Warm regards,

Catherine Dufour, RN, BScN, DEd
Nursing Faculty, Heritage College

Latest Developments!

For the first time ever, Jacques hosted two Congolese gentlemen in the St-Emile-de-Suffolk “warehouse” (aka our garage) last weekend. Patrick drove all the way from Toronto the same day, arriving with his brother-in-law Vincent in late afternoon. They took away boxes of syringes and needles and samples of some of our other supplies. Patrick drove back up on Thursday and filled his SUV with supplies from Maurice’s warehouse as well.

Recently, Appletree closed one of its clinics. Kaitlyn spent the better part of a weekend inventorying all of the contents: furniture, office supplies and equipment, exam beds and lots of medical supplies. Between Patrick, Vincent, Hassan (exam beds, autoclave, otoscopes, etc.), Maurice (furnishings) and Jacques (medical supplies), the former clinic has been pretty well emptied. Way to go Kaitlyn!

Cathy Dufour reports that the supplies she brought with her to Guatemala were very gratefully received. On Thursday, 85 music students from Canterbury High School descended on Padre Enrique in Havana with about 100 kg of NJT-Ottawa supplies and some much-needed meds.

Jacques has been busy coordinating pretty well all NJT pick-ups and drop-offs as well as finding a home for $2.3 million worth of pandemic medical supplies housed in the Winnipeg office of Health Canada. World Vision Canada has gratefully accepted the entire inventory. Next week, he plans to rent a cargo van and empty the garage of a nurse in Oxford Station. Seems she couldn’t bring herself to throw out all the surplus supplies from her patients… for about the past five years! Go Jacques!

We haven’t had a meeting in awhile so we’d like to take this opportunity to welcome our latest volunteers:

Felice Drew has been enthusiastically helping with pick-ups, temporary storage and deliveries to the warehouse since last fall. Felice has also collected supplies for the rescue home in Cambodia described in the February blog post.

Cathy Dufour also joined us late last fall. A nursing instructor at Heritage College in Gatineau, Cathy regularly accepts supplies for use in her teaching. She also educates the warehouse rats on knowing what they’re holding and how it can be used. Thank you Cathy!

Heather Forbes is now our central-east Ottawa volunteer (Main St./Queensway area) for pick-ups, drop-offs and storage.

Gerry Hogan has come on board to assist with pick-ups, drop-offs and deliveries. Ms. Hogan lives in the west end and has years of humanitarian volunteering experience through her Unitarian Church. Gerry recently delivered a NJT suitcase to Mexico.

A very special thanks to Appletree for all your donations. Carefor – thank you for your donations and the many referrals we get each week. Welcome to the Hospice at May Court; Jacques met with the executive director a week ago and he’s very keen to support NJT-Ottawa.

Sad news (for us) – we lost Peter again… he’s gone back home to Havana to see his darling baby girl.

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From the coordinator of a project NJT-Ottawa is supporting in Cambodia:

 

"Things are moving forward steadily as we prepare the staff and the property for the rescued girls.  The weather is good as it is warm and dry and the heavy rains have not begun to fall yet.  We are pushing forward in every way;  training all 6 of our staff, buying the supplies for the girls and getting ready to set up the house and property.  

We will be putting in a vegetable garden and a fish pond (with large quantities of eatable fish) in order to help the budget for food.  The girls must eat three nutritious meals per day in order to recover from all the torture and starvation they have incurred.   We are planning on having chickens and hopefully a cow and a pig in the months to come.  

We have 6 staff now ...  3 house mothers, a counsellor, a teacher and a social worker.  We have training together for about 3 weeks now and we are growing in knowledge and unity and understanding.   It takes a firm foundation to understand how to handle the girls and how to reach them.  The girls are very frightened and do not trust easily so it is a long journey.  

We are visiting the Kampong Cham facility next week for a week of training there with the facilities that are already running.  This will allow our staff to get hands on practice and see and hear how things are done.   We are also visiting the World Hope Assessment Centre where we will meet some of our new girls.  This will be great and make their transition to our facility easier for them.

We have networked with other organizations here who are excited about our opening and are linking with us to place girls that they have rescued as well.  Together we are diligently preparing and learning and getting ready for all.

Our grand opening is Friday, March 30, 2012.  We are having a large BBQ for our staff and their families and will present each staff member with a Certificate of Not4Sale Training Graduation.   It will be a time of great rejoicing as we are all looking forward to meeting our little girls.

Each girl stays with us for approximately 3 years and slowly heals physically and emotionally.  Over time the smiles come back and laughter can be heard again.  We provide a safe and clean place to live with loving people around them.  We have a full time counsellor, teacher and social worker who work with the girls and their families.   Our goal is to get them back home but the journey is long and we must make sure that home is a safe and secure place and that her family can take proper care of her.   I am happy to say that rescued girls do have a chance at a normal life and are given the skills and start they need to succeed.   We will be following up every girls for 2 years after she is reintegrated with her family.

We are moving forward with speed but with caution as well.  There has been a threat on one of the leaders of another organization here so we are all being very careful.   Thank you for your prayers and continued support.  Without you this all would not be possible.  May God bless you in all you do!!!"

Best Wishes to All. Thank you for your support!!

Next week we'll be writing up the Annual Report for Not Just Tourists - Ottawa. The evolution of NJT-O this past year is nothing short of astounding. In a matter of months, we went from worrying about having some meds to include in suitcases to trying to figure out how to get our burgeoning supplies out in large quantities. Just since September, we went from trying to figure out how to store our growing stock to watching it fly out the door almost weekly to so many missions and countries we finally couldn't even keep track of weights, volumes, carloads, vanloads, truckloads, or any other measurement you'd care to try.

Thursday was another one of what has become a typical warehouse day. Volunteers arrived, including our BFF nursing instructor Cathy. Peter brought his carload of just picked-up goodies. Jacques and Mary unloaded their carload of sorted goodies. Jan was in charge of logistics and putting things on high shelves. Cathy later perfected her mini-hoop shots as she tossed little baggies of lime green cannulas up into a box on the highest level.

Mary helped Jan and Cathy sort through the new goodies and made up boxes of goodies to bring to M/J garage for sorting with windows and sunlight. Jan had to leave to take someone to an appointment. Mary made up three very special suitcases for Jan to hold for travellers. Let's just say Brigit would be proud of what we can now put into every suitcase - OTC pain meds, tons of wound care materials, gloves, masks, wound irrigation - you name it, we have it, including the Ferrari of sterile wound materials: Tegaderm. We could stock a pharmacy with our Tegaderm supplies.


Cathy finally left with a full carload of supplies for her Guatemala project & her nursing students. She has about 22 students, but the school as a whole can accommodate up to 200 now. Sure beats having all these viable and primarily sterile supplies going into the garbage.

Peter left us with only 12 sleeps to go before he returns to his real home in Havana. For some reason, he didn't seem unhappy to be leaving again.

And then there was a HUGE highlight to our day. We all met and fell in love with baby Leanna. Jess brought their gorgeous baby girl down to meet us all. Leanna was sleeping, oblivious to all the adults oohing and ahhing over her full head of soft black hair and her amazingly long fingers, which were open and relaxed. She was 6 lb. 8 oz at birth and her finger nails were already so long Maurice had to cut them! When I told Maurice we had met his lovely baby girl he said, "she's taken my heart". No surprise. Wish I had taken a picture to share with you all. My apologies. I was lost in her beauty. Next visit - she'll still be beautiful.

NJT-O is going to take a break now until Jan 5th. We'll put off any pick-ups until the new year so everyone can take a break, be with family and friends and have some well-deserved downtime.


We want to thank each and every volunteer for your continuing support and involvement. Real life often intervenes to prevent people from staying as involved as they would like. No worries. Your life comes first. Always. No questions.

To Jess and Maurice: Congratulations on the safe arrival of your lovely Leanna.
To Margaret: Our love and warmest thoughts as you start your new life without your main man Gary. We're here. Stay in touch. Big Hugs.

To Brigit: Go Girl! You are the Suitcase Lady!
To Peter: Rock on!
To Gael: You are The Web Site Maven! 
To Jan: Thank you for all your warehouse support. We couldn't be so organized or store as high without you!
To Joan, Warren, Cathy, Hassan - Never be shy. Take everything you want. It's free to a good mission.
To Appletree: THANKS!!
To Felice: Welcome! You now have a special little spot at the warehouse for supplies for your Cambodia project.
To Dave Smith: We have more goodies whenever you're ready!!
To The Ottawa Mission: If you want more, we have more.
To Dr. Nancy: Thank you so much for all the med samples!!
To Nigel and Angela - the Kanata Connection: Thanks for handing out so many suitcases and being a depot for west end donations.


To everyone - we appreciate the wonderful extended family of NJT-O. There is a synergy that makes this all work. It may seem haphazard at times but Jacques has become the major coordinator on gmail and the toll-free. FYI - he has quit the area Food Bank, Christmas Hamper project and the volunteer Firefighters (paid) to devote ALL his spare time to coordinating NJT-O. If it weren't for Jacques, NJT-O could not possibly have reached this new level in the past year. It really has been at least 80% because of his efforts. Mine have helped but I'm still the bread winner and working 30 hours a week at that. So big kudos to Jacques.


NJT-O is working extremely well and our networks now include about seven doctors, three nurses, one pharmacist and several other health care specialists. We have Arrived!! Cathy being with us Thursday was just amazing... "what's this", "what can we combine to make a viable suitcase for a rural clinic"... we now know those combinations.


Merry Christmas everyone! Best wishes for health and happiness throughout 2012.
Mary and Jacques

Things are moving.... in... and more importantly... out

After some serious and sometimes funny technical glitches (i.e. Mary's computer was hijacked by a botnet, Jacques and Mary had to figure out how to use new smart phones) we are hopefully back on track.


NJT - Ottawa has been adopted by a wonderful woman from New Glasgow, NS. Since yesterday, six carefully wrapped boxes have arrived full of very valuable supplies including Tegaderm in different sizes. Tegaderm is for people with very sensitive skin and it is not cheap. We've been given several hundred dollars worth just from our new BFF (Best Friend Forever).


Insception, a cord blood agency, graced us with several cases of needles/syringes/etc. and has now advised they have 59 cases of gloves to donate. Speaking of which, Maurice and Jess are due. Best wishes for a speedy, safe and healthy mom and baby ?


We're expecting a delivery of recent paediatric medical textbooks and journals from Kingston via our youngest volunteer Alexandra (with her dad as driver). The books will be donated to the Heritage College Nursing Program in Gatineau. Speaking of which, Cathy took away a good supply of needles and syringes for her students to practice with. A "manikin" will take the brunt of their pokes. Manikins are reproductions of a human body used for educational purposes; some are complete with organs that can light up on command. Wonder if also they yell "ouch" when poked the wrong way... ;-)


On top of all our supplying to medical missions, the nursing program and individuals in the area, NJT - Ottawa (including Gatineau, PEI, Kingston and St-Emile-de-Suffolk) is ready to rock and roll for the 2012 travel season. Had a call today from another BFF Murielle who asked for 30 kg of supplies and medicine to go to Varadero in late January. She's travelling with a total of six people and plans to tell the others as well.


Our thanks to everyone who reads this blog and all our excellent volunteers. 2011 has been an amazing year. We cannot measure how much has gone out this year but it reaches into the thousands of kilograms for sure. Easily 5-6 times last year or more. We are now recording by the carload as well as suitcases and "kits".


The next warehouse "open house" will be December 15 from approx. 10:30-2:30. If you have supplies to drop off or supplies to claim for your mission, please call or text 819-983-8013 to reach Jacques on or off the road. He has a phone that is more intelligent than he is. ;-)  Me too. :-)  We may be Luddites but we finally got with the technology. And... we sold my old anachronistic phone to a friend for 25 bucks, with accessories, who is more of a Luddite than both of us... so there. Rest my case.

We can actually see the floor!

We can actually see the floor!

Our new BFFs Joan and Warren have connections. Lots and lots of medical connections. It’s called the Canadian Network for International Surgery. And last week, two surgeons came calling at Maurice’s warehouse to do a bit of NJT shopping. Two carloads later, after being ably assisted by Jan and her young friend Aicha, our newest NJT friends/partners left the warehouse very happy.

Dr. Hassan Shenassa and Dr. Robin Fairfull Smith gave us a wish list that we were not only able to fulfill but to add to. Hassan wrote:

“Thanks to Jacques, and Jan and her friend who helped us search the boxes and fill up our car, Robin and I managed to fill my SUV to the brim, (Jacques, you were right, will have to keep listening to you). (I was worried about getting into an accident since I had no vision to the back and sides. We will store the equipment at the storage area in my office building and do an inventory for you (CNIS) so you know what we have. I expect Robin will take a bunch of stuff in February and we can take more starting in March when we head out to the courses. Thank you NJT team.”

Jan clearly enjoyed herself:

“The path between the two sides of ‘our’ section of the warehouse is now clear and wide—haven't seen that ever, I dare say.  It was a real pleasure meeting these two fine and very nice people/doctors and I always feel more than compensated for any wee effort on my part when I meet the really wonderful folks taking their expertise and care along with NJT goodies on these missions.  It's so satisfying being a teeny part in their exciting work around the world.

Hassan will pass on the word about our offerings and you may soon find that we have trouble keeping much of anything on the shelves; it might go out as fast as it comes in!  There are lots of missions and some have 20 people who take 22kg. of med. stuff each.

We’re helping at home now too!

Not Just Tourists – Ottawa is going through some self-induced re-branding. We’re no longer helping “countries in need”, we’re helping “people in need”, including people in the Ottawa/Gatineau/Papineau regions. On Friday, The Ottawa Mission received four boxes of supplies for their hospice/palliative care group, including a good supply of leg drainage bags. Mary made the delivery early Friday morning and met a wonderful group of men and women. The staff and residents alike were cheerful and all were enjoying the unseasonably warm day.

While sorting through the stock at the warehouse for supplies to give to Dave Smith, Jacques came across a collection of ostomy supplies. He had just been referred to an older woman in Gatineau who is on social assistance and can’t afford to pay for all her supplies. The government only covers $600 per year or about half the annual cost. Enter NJT-Ottawa. The bright red and white Hollister boxes were a godsend for Mme. G. When Jacques delivered them, she couldn’t believe how quickly things had happened. What NJT gave to her will mean what she would have spent on supplies might go to make her Christmas a little cheerier.

We have also donated supplies to a long-term care facility in our village. With government-imposed limits on how often certain items can be changed, these supplies mean several people will be able to rest more comfortably.

So, NJT-Ottawa is on the radar with several organizations now and our reach has expanded both at home and abroad. And the best thing? Seeing people smile, whether they are receiving supplies or handing them out. Just ask Aicha.