Saturday: Facilitator Training and Well Groundbreaking

Today we held a training course for 8 Pediatricians who will be our facilitators or assistant teachers in the Neonatal Resuscitation courses this week. Each of these doctors understands English, so we taught without interpreters. They quickly mastered the bag and mask technique and will be a great help in our training.

Following the training, we drove out to the Sukhbaatar District in the outskirts of Ulan Bator and attended a groundbreaking ceremony for a water project that Deseret International Charities/LDS Humanitarian Services is funding for the people in that local community. We first met with the governor of the 15th subdistrict, Azjargal Batbold, in his office to learn about the plans. This well will be unique because it will have landscaping around it. We then drove out to the well site. We gathered around the groundbreaking site for speeches, and then an elderly resident walked around the hole clockwise dropping spoonfuls of milk around and into the hole. Then the other dignitaries including the wife of one of the General Authorities based in Hong Kong followed suit and took a turn dripping more spoonfuls of milk. Then a blue sash and a box of tea was placed into the hole. Finally, shovels of dirt were placed into the hole by each of the dignitaries as well as the children in attendance. The final treat was visiting the ger (round house or yurt) of one of the local families which is insulated by sheep wool to keep the family warm in the winter. The lady of the house served us dried goat cheese.