Krista's Galmi Adventure: Facts about Niger and the Galmi Hospital

Hello Everyone!

Today marks 7 weeks until I leave!
Thank you all SO much for all your prayers as I get ready for this journey! I have been absolutely overwhelmed with gratitude and warmth as you all continue to flood me with letters and encouragement! I cannot explain how blessed I am to have as many loving, generous, supportive, Godly people in my life as I do! I certainly don't deserve the friendships that I have with each of you, but I am so thankful!

Other than filling out and sending in paperwork for our visas, not a whole lot has happened in the way of preparations since my last update, so I figured I would give you a few more facts about Galmi and Niger, and the SIM hospital that I will be staying at!

NIGER

Niger is the largest nation in West Africa, covering almost 490,000 square miles
Niger is landlocked, bordered by Algeria, Libya, Chad, Nigeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, and Mali
80% of Niger is covered by the Sahara Desert
Total population is 17.8 million
Niamey is the capital of Niger, and also the largest city in the nation, with an estimated population of 774,235 and an area of 92.4 square miles
The official language of Niger is French, but other national languages include Hausa, Djema, Fulfulde, Kanuri, Tamachek, Toubou and Arabic.
As of 2013, Niger had the fourth lowest literacy rate in the world at 28.7% (42.9% for men and 15.1 % for women)
63% of the population lives below the poverty line, surviving on less than $1 per day
Life expectancy is 58 years
Total fertility rate is 7.6 children born per woman (highest fertility rate in the world)
Niger has the third highest infant mortality rate in the world at 63 deaths/100 births
More than 80% of the population is Muslim
There is one physician per every 50,000 people

GALMI AND THE SIM HOSPITAL

Galmi is located just over 300 miles east of Niamey at the edge of the Sahara Desert
The population of Galmi is between 8,000 and 10,000 people
The SIM hospital began operations in 1950, with only two nurses and one physician
The hospital serves a major portion of the Nigerian population, as well as patients from Chad, Algeria, Mali, Benin, and Burkina Faso
There are a total of 110 beds (30 general, 30 obstetric, 20 post-surgical, 20 pediatric, and 100 overflow/isolation)
The hospital's outpatient facility sees 200-500 people every day
Eye and dental services as well as nutrition and HIV/AIDS education and treatment are also offered at the hospital
During any given time, there are 30-40 full-time international missionaries living on the compound
More than 185 Africans are currently on the hospital payroll
The weather in Galmi is very hot and dry. There are three main seasons:

Hot season (April-May): temperatures can reach 122°F and humidity is often high
Rainy season (June-September): the entire annual rainfall comes in just 4 months. There is no rainfall the rest of the year
Cold season (November-February): temperatures drop as low as 54°F at night. These are the peak harmattan months

Niamey makes several lists of hottest inhabited places in the world, and people who have lived in both Galmi and Niamey have said that Galmi is hotter!

Here are some pictures taken in/of Galmi. I have found many more, but these are among my favorites! I hope you enjoy them as I much as I have!

This is an aerial view of the hospital compound (the triangular, green area). The "E-shaped" building on the lower right side of the compound is the hospital.