Alex Ruby joins the 'on the ground' team in Mali
Sunday, September 20, 2009(Mali Health Organizing Project)
Alex Ruby
flew to
Devon Golaszewski, Alex
Ruby, Caitlin Cohen, and Colette DeJong mold
MHOP
- literally and figuratively.
He has
a substantial role in helping to lay this
crucial
groundwork as the new Clinic Coordinator. A complex web of roles awaits
him. Between
readings of past clinic documents to
familiarize himself with his position, Ruby is
currently working to
*
Compile an electronic inventory of equipment
and
supplies;
*
Finance necessary additional supplies on a
budget;
*
Coordinate clinic construction with community
groups;
*
Design a system of accountability for public
services to
the community;
and
* Steer Radio
Sigida Joli "towards solving community problems rather
than simply venting community concerns" with
help from a
Ruby
seems to have found the harmony between
personal activism and the work of
external parties. For example,
construction and funding rely in part on
others. "I'd be thrilled if
the clinic construction went smoothly and we
were ready to start operations in
a few months. I also very much hope that
the government is speedy in their funding the
second half of the
construction--that of the maternity ward,
although we can only hope for the
best on that front." Even while juggling
these many responsibilities, he still looks to
the infrastructure that will
solidify long-term success. Ruby's first
step, for the next year, will be to achieve
financial stability. In addition, he
thinks
it would be great "if
a reliable system of accounting was in place
throughout that period to ensure
that our relationship with the community
remains strong."
To
accomplish financial stability, Ruby is
investigating ways to raise sustainable
funding that can last even beyond MHOP's
involvement in the clinic. One
potential program is Mana Bayelema,
a program that recycles plastic trash to be
reprocessed into
paving stones for sale.
He also welcomes
support -- monetary donations help to furnish
the clinic with critical equipment.
Once outfitted, the
clinic will also
need steady funds to restock the pharmacy,
which is the keystone for much of
the clinic's earnings.
The new Clinic
Coordinator appreciates donations in any
amount, because "small donations
can go a long way in
Make a
donation for the
Asacosisou Clinic of
Sourakabougou!
* $3.22 funds a single clinic
visit
* $10
serves 10 women with medical
care
* $60
purchases a blood pressure
cuff
* $180
secures the cost of 12
thermometers
* $500 secures
a theater-based education campaign for 1000
people
Layers of past experience inform
Ruby's perseverance. He was exposed to
global disparity with a
short trip to India; a semester in France built
his language skills. But it was in the
summer of 2008 working with
Wediko, a camp for severely emotionally and
behaviorally challenged children,
that Ruby realized his passion for
healthcare. "The camp did much to make me
realize I
someday wanted to become a
physician. Looking towards what to do
after graduation, I wanted to know
more about medicine and health care, but I also
wanted to have a lot of contact
with people. When the MHOP info sessions
started last fall, it seemed
like a good fit, what with the language, the
activities, and the amount I could
learn about community-based medicine in an
underserved area, so I went for it."
The role of Clinic Coordinator is an
excellent fit, allowing him to develop
interpersonal relationships, gain firsthand
healthcare experience in a high-need community,
and continue to strengthen his
French.
| Fanta, Sita and Papa prepare lunch
with their
new American brother, Alex "Madou Korkoss" Ruby. |
This 'best fit'
position will serve Ruby well as he adjusts to
his
new Malian context.
To date, Ruby feels
a warm reception.
"I've been very warmly
welcomed by everyone I've met so far!
It's been great! The rest of
the MHOP staff is very welcoming, as are other
toubabu whom I mostly know via
connections with other NGOs.