Hello,
So my social life has
taken off in Africa leaving me behind in updating you all with what is
happening. I’ll try to include most of the key events but there have also been
many conversations on the wards which have enabled me to build up relationships
with the people I’ve been working with. So that has been really encouraging.
Along the way there has been much hilarity with translation problems and my
inability to understand the strong accent. But it has been fun and I’m starting
to understand a little more of the culture, so much more to go though!!
At Kiwoko there is a
nursing and midwifery school which is 2 and ½ years to complete for a
certificate. The students complete all their placements on the wards here and
are frequently found to be doing more work than the actual nurses. Anyhow last
week I had the opportunity to attend the nursing student’s Bible study. This is
compulsory for first year students but second and third year students can opt
out if they want to. I went with a second year girl who I’d gotten to know on
the wards. It began at 7:30 so I met Claire at the nursing school gates at 7pm and
she gave me a tour. We finished up in their dorms and there are 4 students
sharing a small room which fits two bunkbeds and has a shelf. So for those of
you who complained about Pollock (student halls in Edinburgh)…add another 3
people into your room and see if you have more or less issues! Anyhow, I got to
meet her ‘roomies’ and see her family photo album which was really nice. And
then at about 8:15 we decided it was maybe time to go to Bible study. It was
really interesting and the discussion was on baptism. There were many different
views and it was good to see how they reasoned over the passage and all came to
the same conclusion. I was exhausted when it was over but was really glad I’d
gone!
Female ward last week
was really good. And the young mother was counselled along with her father and
he agreed it was best for her to go home and be looked after with her parents.
She will receive follow up appointments at her local clinic but is hoping to
return to Kiwoko for the birth. So that was really encouraging to hear after
all the staff had presumed the usual path would be taken.
The students in the
morning shift with me were concerned I would be bored in the afternoon so all
took their turn at asking me to come for snacks, table tennis or walks. So it
was great to get to know a little better. We also hosted a leaving dinner for
two of the girls leaving the guest house. All was going well until the
electricity cut out. We continued the evening by the light of two candles. We
had to boil water on the gas hob and then use one of the candles to see when
pouring water. It was a lot more effort than planned but we still had good fun.
Ugandans are brilliant story tellers and very good at acting out other members
of staff when recalling them. And the atmospheric light just encouraged them
all the more! There was also a very energetic, enthusiastic worship evening on
Friday night.
We took a spontaneous
trip at the weekend to Kampala and Entebbe. We did some touristy sight seeing
in Kampala and visited the local markets and shopping centres. Then went down
to Entebbe and found our Guest House for the evening. We managed to find a Thai
restaurant for dinner! The following day we went to a swimming pool and it was
very relaxing. There were some terrified American girls trying to persuade each
other to jump off the top diving board which provided great entertainment! And
then we thought we’d show them how to do it. After reaching the top of the
ladder we did empathise significantly more with them. We decided not to debate
it any further and quickly proceeded to leap off before we too had considered
every possible option where something could go wrong. So we had a day of
sunshine and swimming. We then had to travel back and finally reached Kiwoko
late evening, many bodas and matatus later. Since we’ve returned I’ve had a
student nurse round for the afternoon and we played some board games together.
We’ve had a birthday dinner for one of the girls staying in the guest house.
And we have a leaving dinner tonight. And we are hoping to go away for the day
on Saturday. So it’s been busy and will continue to be busy!
This week I am in NICU
(Neonatal Intensive Care Unit). There are 20 premature babies and are all very
cute. I have been working mainly with a set of triplets who were born at 26
weeks. They are growing slowly and are being well looked after. NICU is
definitely the best equipped ward I have been on so far but there is still so
much missing. The electricity goes off throughout the day and today there was a
five minute gap before the generator kicked in. So that was stressful. I am
enjoying the ward and syringe feeding the 1.5kg little triplet. They are all
girls and called Deborah, Dorothy and Dorcas. The mother speaks a little
English which helps and she is very grateful for the help she gets as feeding
seems to be a constant chore. She also has a 2 year old girl. So I will be in
NICU tomorrow again and then hoping to have a community day on Friday. Next
week I am in maternity and have been told (not asked) but instructed that I
would deliver a baby. No pressure.
So doing well and
enjoying life here at Kiwoko. Eilidh arrives next week so she too will get to
join the chaos!
Sarah
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