It is Friday evening…..the end of our fourth day here. We have met wonderful people; staff and nationals. Life is complicated in that it takes more time to do things but then that is not all bad…We walk, of course, every where we go here on campus. That is definitely good! We are still boiling water for drinking, brushing our teeth and making tea and coffee……..well not for coffee…hopefully it is hot enough to kill everything! No bad results yet!
Today was the 4th class I taught. The supervisor of the wives pulled all the wives out of my class and after starting with 13 I ended the week with 6. However, I am really enjoying those 6. They ask questions and share with me how things were treated in their village. Like cutting to let blood out if one had a headache, or if a person’s legs were swollen. Well there are lots of examples!! If they don’t understand a word they ask and I’m always asking them if they do understand…….with their help I think I’m getting the info over to them.
This afternoon I spent time in the campus clinic. It is hard not to impose health care standards from the US on this culture. I perceived this nurse as lazy because I did not see her as busy and yet there were many things in the clinic that could have been cleaner and neater. I dove in and started cleaning and throwing things out! I also observed while she interviewed and examined patients. It seems she treats the symptoms (pain meds, etc) but what about the reason for the symptoms? I question how much patient education she usually does…. I will admit that it was my first observation and only for a couple of hours.
Monday I will accompany the other clinic nurse to a nearby village (30 min. away by foot) for an immunization clinic. We will leave about 8 am and be back at 2-3pm ………. he said there will be no bathroom there…..so I guess no coffee that morning! I will try to take many pictures.
Today Duff was mainly working on setting up a new (used) server using the Linux platform in order for the school to have more email capability. In addition the elementary school had a new computer that had not been set up right and he spent some time working on that….probably finishing that on Monday.
Tomorrow morning we will meet Patrick and Jan to go to the CLTC produce market…meeting at 7:15 and walking to the market which is held right outside the gate of the campus.
Hope all is well with each of you. Thank you for your prayers…we have much to be thankful for…. our safety and as yet no gastric issues!!
Mary and Jim
Today was the 4th class I taught. The supervisor of the wives pulled all the wives out of my class and after starting with 13 I ended the week with 6. However, I am really enjoying those 6. They ask questions and share with me how things were treated in their village. Like cutting to let blood out if one had a headache, or if a person’s legs were swollen. Well there are lots of examples!! If they don’t understand a word they ask and I’m always asking them if they do understand…….with their help I think I’m getting the info over to them.
This afternoon I spent time in the campus clinic. It is hard not to impose health care standards from the US on this culture. I perceived this nurse as lazy because I did not see her as busy and yet there were many things in the clinic that could have been cleaner and neater. I dove in and started cleaning and throwing things out! I also observed while she interviewed and examined patients. It seems she treats the symptoms (pain meds, etc) but what about the reason for the symptoms? I question how much patient education she usually does…. I will admit that it was my first observation and only for a couple of hours.
Monday I will accompany the other clinic nurse to a nearby village (30 min. away by foot) for an immunization clinic. We will leave about 8 am and be back at 2-3pm ………. he said there will be no bathroom there…..so I guess no coffee that morning! I will try to take many pictures.
Today Duff was mainly working on setting up a new (used) server using the Linux platform in order for the school to have more email capability. In addition the elementary school had a new computer that had not been set up right and he spent some time working on that….probably finishing that on Monday.
Tomorrow morning we will meet Patrick and Jan to go to the CLTC produce market…meeting at 7:15 and walking to the market which is held right outside the gate of the campus.
Hope all is well with each of you. Thank you for your prayers…we have much to be thankful for…. our safety and as yet no gastric issues!!
Mary and Jim
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