Project HOPE Volunteers Begin Work in Antigua

Greetings from Antigua!

The mission here officially began on Wednesday with an opening ceremony in the Multicultural Center. The Prime Minister, the country's Chief Medical Officer and a representative from the Ministry of Health, Social Transformation & Consumer Affairs spoke and then toured the clinic, which was already up and running. A plaque near the entrance of the Center says it was partly paid for by the People's Republic of China...this underscores the diplomatic aspect of Continuing Promise. The Center is just across a channel from the BLZ (boat landing zone). I could throw a baseball from the BLZ to the parking lot, but there's no bridge across, so we take a 5-minute bus ride through the shopping district. Also interesting about the Center...it could be unprecedented in HOPE history as a clinic site...it's air conditioned!!! After the opening ceremony, the AF Band performed outdoors, and the crowd got loose when to Bob Marley songs. The educators, vets and Seabees also began work on Tuesday. The were no big lines for the training like in the Dominican Republic (yet) but the students were very receptive. Yesterday, several Hopies attended the GIK turnover ceremony, met many people from local humanitarian organizations, and stayed on shore to work in the clinic. We enjoyed a leisurely cruise back to the Comfort on the good ship Coral Ark. I stayed aboard Comfort today. As I type this, I can hear the mess hall filling up, so the first group must be back from shore. Have a good weekend everyone!

--Tom