Results of my work in Renchinlhumbe

So now you know all about my project. Here are the results of all my hard work. First, the survey work was a success. I was able to carry out 31 extensive community interviews. I completed my sampling requirements successfully and was able to reach people in every bag as well as a good sampling of people (both doing well and poorly) in the soum capitol. I was even able to draw some early omclusions and develop my databases successfully so as to draw more inferences later. Some of the conclusions I was able to reach were that the community and the health system are in agreement that education is the top priority for the local health infrastructure. Another is that there are very real differnces between the rural and urban community. For example, social support, family structure, income and education levels all seem to be significantly different. Also, the perceived ability for individuals to manage their own health appears to be decreasing in recent years. All very interesting stuff. I had a great time meeting the community people and enjoying their hospitality. Here is one family that was really great
You can see me in the back. This family had four generations living together and in the winter have to migrate through mountain passes to Huvsgul to find adequate pasture for their animals. See an article in the 2003? National Geographic about Mongolia. The little grandma in front was 77 and never had her picture taken before. I had equal success in developing my relationship with the local health system. I became good friends with the hospital director (a great surgeon) and have several project ideas. An example of some of them are in developing ommunity partnerships for health through education and advocacy, scholarships for Renchinlhumbe students, developed through community funds, to attend medical school and a project to develop a more responsive Bag system of government. All of these were developed through ideas the community health providers had established.
I also taught a course to assist the health staff in putting together good proposals and in basic program design to show them how they could improve their practice to make themselves more attractive to foreign donors. Such an attentive class, I tell you I would love teaching in Mongolia!

In order to provide some information on my work in the community I set up a blood pressure stand and a brief presentation I developed on powerpoint in Mongolian (with Tugsu's help) on my work for the commnity to view as I was taking blood pressures. It was alot of work, I took over 65 blood pressures and had to interpret for the BioRegions staff member distributing glasses next to me. However, it and the festival on art BioRegions sponsored were all very successful. Tugsu played a really junky violin with a Moriin Hur bow at the oncert and still had people in tears. What a talent!

I travelled with the hospital director to the state capitol a few days before the rest of the group and was able to arrange successful meeting with a neighboring soums hospital direcor, the capitol hspital director and the state public health director. Not only were they successful I was given alot of support for my results. I also attended a conference on disability in the ountryside that was very interesting. This mirrored the results I had in my concluding meeting in Renchinlhumbe. There I brought the hospital director, former governor, welfare office director, and the school director together for a long presentation on my work and findings. The results were overwhelming, tremendous support and the posiblity of a group coordination in the future! The former governor also offered me an all expense paid tour for my family and I when we return to the valley. As he works with a major US tour company this is no small offer. One thing I have left out of this though is the success Amina had integrating into the community. She made many friends, herded sheep and even fed the babies. She is now ready to dedicate her life to being a hereder.
So on that happy note I will leave my duscussion on the Darhat. IN my next posting I will attempt to bring you up to date with what we are doing now. All the best to everyone, and write more comments! Also, let people know I have updated my blog. See you later!