Lansing - Children’s shirts and shorts overflowed from a large suitcase in Gretchen Cochran’s living room.
Books and magazines on Africa were stacked neatly beside it, as the 64-year-old played with a roll of stickers in her hands.
“I’ve never been to Africa or anywhere near it,” she said.
The Lansing resident, along with about 40 members of Rotary International, left for Nigeria on Monday and will return Nov. 17. Cochran, along with Dan Warmels, 53, are representing Greater Lansing as they give polio vaccinations to Nigerian children.
Rotary International has been fighting to protect children from polio since 1985. With combined efforts from other worldwide organizations such as the United Nations Children’s Fund, it has succeeded in reducing the number of polio cases by 99 percent worldwide.
According to the American Red Cross, Nigeria is one of three countries left in Africa to report new cases of polio.
And Cochran and Warmels say it’s rewarding to help out anyway they can.
“I suspect that I am going to get a little bit emotional here and there,” Cochran said. “On the other hand, I think that meeting their families will be rewarding.”
The group will join medical personnel to vaccinate the Nigerian children in four parts of the country, some places only reachable by boat.
And Warmels, who will give polio vaccinations, said that’s OK with him.
“That’s the one I wanted,” he said. “I’d rather be moving everyday.”
Warmels has traveled around the world, and said third world countries like Nigeria are not easy to get used to.
“Nigeria is certainly not a place you’d pick for pleasure,” he said. “Most people, they usually think I am crazy for going to these places.”
But Warmels and Cochran say they know the learning experience will be one of a kind.
Cochran’s husband, Bob, said he is excited his wife gets to go on such a unique trip. “She’s worked hard the last few years. She deserves this,” he said.
Cochran’s aunt gathered clothing from her church in Ohio so she could take it to the Nigerian children. “I’m sort of going for my whole family,” Cochran said.
The group also was asked to bring something small to give to the children receiving the vaccinations.
“It isn’t going to hurt them like a shot, but still children are frightened of this,” Cochran said.
She said she wanted to bring stickers for the children as something fun for them to enjoy.
Warmels said he has been frantically buying pins, balloons and candy for the children.
“Sometimes what we think is interesting is not to them,” he said.
The group will arrive in Lagos, a Nigerian city with a population of about 10 million, after a 24 hour flight.
Cochran said they will be staying in a hotel as a group, but utilities such as power go out frequently. “Which means the air conditioning goes,” she said. “I’m expecting to be hot and dirty.”
The hotel provides Internet access, so Cochran said she hopes to keep in touch with family and friends via e-mail.
“I’m a little bit excited and a little bit frightened,” she said. “I hope that I would have done some little piece (of charity).”
