This is a recent shot of the windmill that was put up at Dent Grien in 2002 and damaged within a year, then suffered severe damage in a hurricane later. This well will stand as we pull the pump from the first well and replace with a solar pumping system and small wind generator to pump at night.

The west end of sud lagonav has no wells but hopefully one will sprout near Picqua-maby, very far west. Many communities will be served by a good well as the 4 storms of last year damaged most cisterns.There are some spring fed wells in the mountains but most are dependent on generators and / or hand pumps if shallow enough. Water is a precious resource since the dry season is brutal.

A major commodity is health care. The nearly 100,000 thousand on lagonav are served by one small hospital and a half dozen clinics, mostly in the northern district. The many have been waiting many years for surgery to repair hernias or remove tumors. Most clinics charge small amounts for examinations and a bit more for medications that are difficult to procure on the island. Travel to the mainland and cost of surgery prohibits most from ever being treated if it is other than a sim;le treatment. The lady pictured here waited 19 years with a large goiter that obstructded her breathing before surgery was made possible by a South Dakota team.

She was prepared at one time then her husband died leaving her with 7 children to raise on her small garden. Many trips to clinics became an issue as she could not read and repeated testing was done rather than simply removing the tumor. Several scholarships were spent before the tumor was finally removed and she could breath easily.

She is now grateful to be breathing and finished with a problem she thought would never go away.