Day 3 - The Camp

January 4, 2020

Today, Saturday, it really started. After breakfast, we met Mohan Kumar in the lobby. He is the international ambassador for the prosthetics program and takes care of it in Tanzania, Mozambique, Nepal and Vietnam, among others. Together with him, we drove to the camp about 45 minutes away.

What awaited us here was very surprising in every way. Several stations were set up on a huge area for the registration of individual people and the handover of prosthetics. Over 100 people were already waiting in front of the entrance. In terms of size, this already far exceeded the camp from last year, where we fitted 60 hand prosthetics in one day. With a large poster with our pictures and names and the Bechtle logo, we were welcomed at the entrance next to all other supporters and helpers. Mohan initially took us to a tent where the volunteers receive breakfast. After a short tea break, Mohan showed us the entire camp and explained it to us. And here, it quickly became clear that this time, the focus is 99% on leg prosthetics. This also becomes apparent throughout the day, as we only fitted a total of 6 hand prosthetics. Not a problem for us, there is still plenty of help to be given. Because it quickly becomes clear to us how remarkably the topic of leg prosthetics is being emphasized after the initial briefing.

The procedure in the camp is as follows: after registration and medical examination of the leg stumps (sounds nasty, but that's what it's called), the people come in groups with their companions for the plaster cast. Here, a cast is made, starting above the knee and extending beyond the end of the stump. This cast, labeled and provided with measurements of the healthy leg, then moves to the next station. And now comes the hammer: here, the leg prosthetics are completely individually made by hand in about 40 to 60 minutes. A "positive" is created from the plaster cast and combined with a plaster thigh. Then everything is sanded and shaped until it corresponds to a "healthy" leg, and a heated latex mass is pulled over the mold, which retains the shape when it cools down. In the end, a holding system, which later lies on the hip, is screwed on and a flexible foot is attached. Then the prosthesis is put on, checked if everything fits and, if necessary, reworked. It's incredible and deeply impressive.

After a brief introduction, we were able to provide good support here all day long. We prepared the stumps by wrapping them in foil, greasing them and then casting them. Finally, we removed them and had them labeled so that they could go to the next station. Many of the people don't understand us at all, but that's not a problem. Everything works very well anyway. Nevertheless, sometimes you get into conversation, whether it's with patients, their companions, or other volunteers. On this day, up to 1,000 people are in the camp, many of whom are provided with food for lunch through a specially built kitchen and food distribution. We were also able to help here and took over the distribution of the food. Here, too, we met great people again, some of whom work voluntarily in the kitchen to cook the meals, and others, for example, a little girl, no older than 4, who repeatedly got something new to eat for her mom, who can't walk well. The little girl enchanted all of us. Just like a little girl who was supposed to get a new leg prosthesis and endured everything very bravely, and also laughed a lot and was very happy about a little juice pouch.

In a second area, leg braces are made completely individually. We will take a closer look at that on Sunday.

Back at the hotel, we then raced to the shopping center in a tuk-tuk, strolled around a bit, and had tea. In the evening, we set off on a tuk-tuk odyssey to "Druid Garden". Mohan recommended this restaurant to us. The ride there was, let's say, different. See photos. But everyone arrived safely at some point. The place was great. However, on the way back to the hotel, we took two Ubers. Somehow we felt it was safer, and as it turned out, it cost only a fraction of the tuk-tuks, surprisingly!?

Insights of the day: incredible camp with amazing people. The Uber vs. tuk-tuk duel clearly favors Uber.