Day 2: The champion gets on his bike
After a short night, Nino heads off into the mountains. He accompanies the mobile clinic to Hamohale. A village so remote that you can't find it on the map.
It was a short night. In order to be at the mobile clinic in Mokhotlong as early as possible, Nino gets into his saddle early this morning. He is going to Hamohale, a village that cannot be found on a map. To get medical help, people there have to walk at least two hours - that's how far the nearest health centre Malefiloane is.
"But even such a health centre is not comparable to what we are used to in Switzerland."
Nino Schurter, SolidarMed Goodwill Ambassador
After 35 kilometres, Nino arrives in Hamohale with his mud-smeared bike. The path was very steep and stony in parts, which is why Nino was often faster on his mountain bike than the off-road vehicle that had been converted into a practice. The children are very happy about the very unusual visit and want to get on the mountain bike themselves. This kind of visitor ist rare to them.
The mobile clinic is now located on the grounds of a school so that additional space can be used for consultations. "In Hamohale, the mobile clinic will not only serve patients from the village, but also those who have come from even further away by foot. Some of them have travelled several hours," explains the village health worker in charge, Mamamello Masiu Nino, in conversation, while Laetitia Tanka translates. Laetitia Tanka is an employee of SolidarMed and the responsible project nurse for the mobile practice in Mokhotlong. The difference that the practice on four wheels makes for these people is very big.
55 patients were cared for today. That is much less than the more than the 100 that were expected. "The heavy rain during the night turned the stream into a river, which is why the people on the other side could not come," Laetitia Tanka reports. One hopes there were no emergencies.
"It is already a completely different life that the children are born into here," reflects Nino over dinner back at the guesthouse. He will accompany the mobile practice for another day tomorrow.
More insights into Nino's journey
Read in our regular articles what Nino Schurter experiences on his journey through the mountains and get an idea of the unexceptional landscape of Lesotho.
