Demeh Town in Bomi County is home to Bai Tamia Moore, a well-known Liberian writer who is no more with us. According to proud residents, tourists come to Demeh Town from all over the world to see his final resting place. 

On Tuesday, 21 January, the town received a new kind of visitor in the form of the UN Jordanian Medical Contingent. Close to 30 Jordanian peacekeepers descended on the small town to host a free medical day for its 450 residents.
 
“It’s important. We are here as a mission to serve the United Nations, and we need to help the local population,” said Contingent Commander Col. Mohammed Al-Zghoul.

For the Contingent, whose 115 officers arrived in September 2013, this was its second medical outreach event. During the first, held in Louisiana, Al-Zghoul noticed the most common problem among residents was malnutrition. 

“We inspected about 500 people but concentrated on the 20 most serious cases. We’ll do the same thing here today.”
Ansu Varney, the young Chief of Demeh Town, was clearly excited because, as he explained, it was the first experience of its kind for his small town, and it was badly needed. 

“Every time you go to the District Hospital you have to pay $10. If you want a malaria test, you have to pay $10. If you want a typhoid test, you have to pay $10. Most parents can’t afford that,” said Varney. “So when the Jordanians came and told me they wanted to help us, I was over happy. I called the town people in a meeting and told everybody. They were all over happy. It’s the first time in history. ”

With school out for the day because of the special event, the Jordanians took over one local school, providing specialized care such as pediatrics, surgery, and a pharmacy. Residents began forming a queue from the early hours of the morning to be the first in line to see a doctor. They were entertained as they waited by the Demeh Cultural Group, which had come to perform dancing and drumming as a sign of thanks to the Jordanians. 

“If I’m sick I go directly to the nearby pharmacy to get medicine. If I go to the hospital, I have to pay for transport, pay for food, pay for the check-up and maybe they will tell me to stay,” said Roger, 31. But Roger gets chest pains every time he plays football and has never seen a doctor about it. “That’s why I’m here today. I want to get it looked at and see if it’s something serious.” 

The Jordanians also provided lunch for the residents and distributed stationary and other school supplies to the children.