Conclusion and Follow up

Show’s over folks. We have entertained and educated over 300 people on the effects of obesity and how it can lead to life-threatening diseases. The nurses assisted in the educating and performed the diabetes and hypertension check-ups. In attendance were men, women, and children of all ages.

Over the next eight weeks we volunteers will be observing our villages to see how the information is used. In August we will return to these seven villages to reweigh the participants and have another discussion as to what worked and what did not. We will also be awarding the winners with the lavalavas.

Two days ago I woke up early to catch a bus and saw one of my larger friends in the village going for a walk and she was sweating up a storm. It brought a smile to my face to see her out there doing it by herself. That shows her willingness to become healthier and she is doing it on her own account. Semisi and Sieni have already heard positive feedback and people are weighing themselves weekly.

Let’s hope for more examples like above. Thanks to everyone who assisted with this project, especially the nurses from the National Health Services and the Ministry of Health for supporting and helping with the project.

Thanks again to the donors:

-The Homedics Corporation in the United States for the blood pressure testing equipment

-Laura Hanks and friends for funding the glucose meters/strips and stethoscopes

-American Pharmacist Aron McRenolyds and Lynne Metz for the blood pressure monitors and sphygmomanometers

-New Zealand High Commission for funding the screen printing project to make the lavalavas