Everyday is new adventure here in Africa. I thought that perhaps village life would be simple and slow, well I was most certainly wrong. Life here is simple, in the context of food and work, however running an orphanage is not so simple, and definitely not slow. Everyday we are running around taking care of the 100+ things that need to be done before the kids leave for school, before they come home for lunch, before they get back from school, and before they go to bed. It's amazing how many things we cram into a single day! But each day I learn so much and every day is a mini adventure in of itself.
Last week started out on a sober note, one of the mama’s in the village passed away at only 30 something years old. I did not attend the burial service, but Bibi Kay and I did go to the home afterward to pay our respects. It was quite different from any memorial service or wake that I have ever heard of or seen. We entered into the courtyard, which as with most traditional-style homes is surrounded by the other rooms of the house (kitchen, bed rooms, etc). After slipping off our shoes, I had to stoop to go through the doorway into the main room where the dirt floors were covered with large empty bags as a makeshift rug. The tiny room, no more than 10x10 had about 20 women in it, all sitting side by side, or laying down along the walls. We solemnly shook each woman’s hand, offering the only condolence that I knew in Kiswahili “Pole Sana” or “I’m very sorry”. Bibi Kay gave a card with the customary monetary gift to the young daughter, and then we made our rounds to the other rooms, also packed with other grieving relatives and friends. It was a very sobering experience.
When we returned home, we were greeted by the children and an outbreak of fungus. Apparently fungus is a common occurrence here, especially among children, and it is somewhat like a rash, however it starts with little bumps that itch, and when the kids scratch them they quickly spread and turn into open sores. We had treated a few of the kids a couple of days earlier with an anti-fungal cream, however all of the children had caught it. Every night we go with our latex gloves, anti-fungal cream and Neosporin to slather on the kids and hope that it will go away. Later on in the week, Dr. Richard stopped by to examine the fungus, and simply prescribed the same medication that we were already using. Dr. Richard is the medical officer in the village, who actually is not a licensed doctor, and it’s quite obvious that some of his skills are severely lacking, however he sees all of the orphans for free, and as he is the only one person with any medical training at all in the village, his diagnosis will have to suffice.
Throughout the week, I received another taste of African medical treatment, when we visited the Anglican Hospital in Njombe town. Evelina, one of the students who is being sponsored to attend secondary school, had been taken there for Malaria, Typhoid and Amoeba. It was a first time experience in a third world hospital (Although I remember the stories from the time that Ruthann Staples had to go to one in Mexico!), and I hope that I never have to go to that hospital. It was dark and a bit dank, and I question the cleanliness of the rooms and beds. There was no privacy, multiple patients all in the same room, with no partitions. Hospitals do not provide food or water, so family members often have to take time off work and go to the hospitals to make sure that they are fed. Evelina had received quinine for the Malaria, which I have been told is no longer allowed to be used as a treatment in the USA because of the negative side effects. However, she was up and smiling, and seemingly doing much better.
The very next day I had my second experience with hospitals in Africa, however this one was much nicer. We took 5 of the children to Ikonda Hospital to see the dentist, about a 2 hour ride along a very long, bumpy road from Uhekule. The inside looks almost like a western hospital, all tiled and very clean. The dentist had a modern chair and equipment, and even washed her hands in between the patients! The only thing that made it obvious that we were still in Africa was the fact that the only other white people besides BBK and myself were a few doctors from Italy, and that the bathrooms were outside and the normal pit latrine style. All of the children need extractions, and a total of 7 teeth were pulled, with notes that a couple of them would need to come back for additional extractions. Apparently, they do not fill cavities or do sealants in teeth here, if you have a rotten tooth, once it begins to cause pain they just yank it out. I am so glad that I have good teeth and saw a dentist in America before I left! After seeing the dentist, we took one of the girls, Elenesta, to see a doctor so that he could examine what I believed was a hernia. I was instructed to go straight to the doctor’s office, cutting in line in front of the other patients who were waiting (I’ve noticed that this is a common occurrence, that I am given priority over the locals). The doctor diagnosed her with an umbilical hernia, however said that it was not an emergency, and that many people live for years and years with this issue. The only way to repair the hernia is through surgery, however unless it was causing additional issues, he said to leave it alone for the time being. I suppose that’s just how they do it here, although I wish it was something that we could take care of. Medical care here is relatively cheap, the total cost for the 7 extractions, and prescriptions for all 5 kids was only 14,900 TZ schillings, the equivalent of about $10. I could hardly believe it. We had spent about 3 times that just on the fuel to get to the hospital! But I guess that's life here in Africa.
I have so much more to say about this past week, put my time is up for now. I'll post more later!
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