January 24, 2008
Work is starting to take off again. UNICEF came to visit Kigeme this week, to see and hear about the Resource /Teacher Training Centre we established in the last calendar year. I say “we” but it was really the work of a co-volunteer, Sarah, who worked alongside me for a year. Last June-August, we had a short-term volunteer come and write a proposal to build such a centre. For the time being we are located in a large room at the secondary school here in town. When Emma the volunteer started to present the proposal to different organizations, DFID (UK) wanted to see it and invited the Minister of Education along. She spent 4 hours hearing our presentations, watching our trained teachers teach, and speaking about how necessary it is to change the methodology and programs in our Teacher Training Colleges for Primary teachers. The colleges are in fact grades 10, 11 and 12 of high school. She was clearly impressed with what she saw and for us that was a highlight of our work so far. They now talk widely about the CAPACE methodology, an acronym Sarah and I coined. MINEDUC does not just take in these projects however. So it was up to VSO Rwanda in Kigali to pursue this initiative. This is how UNICEF has come on to the scene. It looks as though they want to have three hubs in three provinces where a District, aTTC and a cluster of Primary schools work together with VSO and Rwandan technicians to improve the methodology taught in the TTC’s and used in the primary classrooms.
I am also looking for further funding for our Nursery School Project. It’s a three year project and The Royal Dutch Embassy funded the first year but this funding is not renewable. I am looking for about 20,000 euros for each of the 2 years. This project carries the salaries of a Rwandan Coordinator and a motor driver, feeds about 1500 children porridge daily, trains teachers in child centred teaching techniques with a focus on early years, meets with parents to raise awareness of the importance of education, distributes school materials, distributes furniture made locally and makes and distributes resources.
I continue to work with the small group of trained teachers who have all taken on a mentorship role with one or two of their colleagues. This requires me to go out in the field 2 times a week or more.As you see busy busy. Hope I can keep up the news on a regular basis.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Marie Jeanne, the answer to our prayers
January 24
Claudine ( my house girl), bless her soul, helped me find a caregiver whom I pay and who comes 12 hours a day. Marie Jeanne is a courageous and compassionate woman and she started the work last Friday. Like Jacqueline, she has AIDS. She is on ARV’s and in good health. She washes the family, feeds them (food prepared at my house), gives them the various medications and washes the clothes. J is now able to sit up with difficulty, but she is unable to stand or walk by herself and is incontinent.
Making porridge every morning, a nutritious meal at noon and soup and bread at night. Found a liter of cow’s milk a day also. Fortuitously, while at home in Canada, 5 generous people gave me cheques for unforeseen matters. Well, this is such a matter so the care and food is paid for. It does take a lot of my time however and makes me very angry inside sometimes!
Unfortunately both Claudine and Marie Jeanne (caregiver) have become the target of insults and name calling coming from the sister as they move through town. Claudine had to hide in a store yesterday! The sister claims she is owed a salary for all the work she did and that she was chased from the hospital. I will try to appease her in the next few days and offer her some gifts of food. I have been helped by Pastor Samuel in all this and he spoke to Claudine yesterday. The harassment so discouraged her, she did not want to come to work for me and help prepare the food. I guess this is what you get when you barge in and try to change people’s way of doing things. I just saw it as a matter of life and death that’s all.
The two children are doing better. They drink the milk and eat with relish. Yesterday we bought some new used clothes (the kind you all throw in those boxes on a regular basis).
It was so nice to see them in clothing that has a colour and is clean. Dorucas has fleas and has passed them on to me. They hop on to me the minute I am in their vicinity. It happens in public transport too. So I am covered in bites and have to keep laundering my clothes and the bedding and resist scratching. Just to close this off, I have not finished speaking to the hospital people. I hope to speak with the head of social welfare to find out exactly what they do. It seems to me this should have been their work. Keep you posted.
Claudine ( my house girl), bless her soul, helped me find a caregiver whom I pay and who comes 12 hours a day. Marie Jeanne is a courageous and compassionate woman and she started the work last Friday. Like Jacqueline, she has AIDS. She is on ARV’s and in good health. She washes the family, feeds them (food prepared at my house), gives them the various medications and washes the clothes. J is now able to sit up with difficulty, but she is unable to stand or walk by herself and is incontinent.
Making porridge every morning, a nutritious meal at noon and soup and bread at night. Found a liter of cow’s milk a day also. Fortuitously, while at home in Canada, 5 generous people gave me cheques for unforeseen matters. Well, this is such a matter so the care and food is paid for. It does take a lot of my time however and makes me very angry inside sometimes!
Unfortunately both Claudine and Marie Jeanne (caregiver) have become the target of insults and name calling coming from the sister as they move through town. Claudine had to hide in a store yesterday! The sister claims she is owed a salary for all the work she did and that she was chased from the hospital. I will try to appease her in the next few days and offer her some gifts of food. I have been helped by Pastor Samuel in all this and he spoke to Claudine yesterday. The harassment so discouraged her, she did not want to come to work for me and help prepare the food. I guess this is what you get when you barge in and try to change people’s way of doing things. I just saw it as a matter of life and death that’s all.
The two children are doing better. They drink the milk and eat with relish. Yesterday we bought some new used clothes (the kind you all throw in those boxes on a regular basis).
It was so nice to see them in clothing that has a colour and is clean. Dorucas has fleas and has passed them on to me. They hop on to me the minute I am in their vicinity. It happens in public transport too. So I am covered in bites and have to keep laundering my clothes and the bedding and resist scratching. Just to close this off, I have not finished speaking to the hospital people. I hope to speak with the head of social welfare to find out exactly what they do. It seems to me this should have been their work. Keep you posted.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
A sort of sympathetic ear
Wednesday January 16, 2008
I asked my friend Pastor Samuel (an older man and chaplain at the hospital) for some advice as to whom to turn to. He suggested I see the head of Nursing. He said he would get some more background on the family for me and see how he might also help. This woman decided to get the file and go and see Jacqueline. J was not in her bed, but outside. This was where I had found her the very first visit last Sunday afternoon. Then she was alone, lying on the grass in the hot sun. This time she was with sister and all the children, surrounded by many cloths and rags drying on the grass in the sun. The head nurse was visibly shocked to see this emaciated body and the collection of malnourished children surrounding her. I had already decided in my head that I wanted to get a “Garde malade”. Someone who can read and write, who has some common sense and especially some compassion without being turned off by this so neglected body. Jacqueline is an attractive woman, but she is filthy with nails that are malformed and feet that are full of jiggers. It was clear that the hospital should have intervened here and found some outside help and the head nurse acknowledged this more or less. To my surprise they had no people they knew who might take on this work for which I will pay. So, I have told all sorts of people I am looking for someone. I hope that tomorrow this someone will appear. I will ask them to wash, feed and make sure Jacqueline is helped to the toilet and is taught how to use a bedpan and given one!
So yes the nursing head was sympathetic and admitted that there was a missing link in the hospital to allow such neglect and not intervene. Not so for the administrator who stood outside talking. He immediately tried to cover his ass and say that they had lots of cases like this. That comment allowed me to drive my point home: the hospital needs to ask for funds to help care for patients who have no family. They have a social welfare department and here is something that dept can add to their list of activities. Speaking of which – there is not much activity in this hospital. Too many people either standing around talking to each other or just not findable! And the salaries are relatively good. Over my time here many young European medical students have done 3 month placements here and they have all said that there is too much lethargy amonf the staff. I will keep you posted on this.
Otherwise I am glad to be back here. There are lots of exciting things happening with my work. A plus tard!
Am looking forward to a visit from 2 good friends at the end of this month.
I asked my friend Pastor Samuel (an older man and chaplain at the hospital) for some advice as to whom to turn to. He suggested I see the head of Nursing. He said he would get some more background on the family for me and see how he might also help. This woman decided to get the file and go and see Jacqueline. J was not in her bed, but outside. This was where I had found her the very first visit last Sunday afternoon. Then she was alone, lying on the grass in the hot sun. This time she was with sister and all the children, surrounded by many cloths and rags drying on the grass in the sun. The head nurse was visibly shocked to see this emaciated body and the collection of malnourished children surrounding her. I had already decided in my head that I wanted to get a “Garde malade”. Someone who can read and write, who has some common sense and especially some compassion without being turned off by this so neglected body. Jacqueline is an attractive woman, but she is filthy with nails that are malformed and feet that are full of jiggers. It was clear that the hospital should have intervened here and found some outside help and the head nurse acknowledged this more or less. To my surprise they had no people they knew who might take on this work for which I will pay. So, I have told all sorts of people I am looking for someone. I hope that tomorrow this someone will appear. I will ask them to wash, feed and make sure Jacqueline is helped to the toilet and is taught how to use a bedpan and given one!
So yes the nursing head was sympathetic and admitted that there was a missing link in the hospital to allow such neglect and not intervene. Not so for the administrator who stood outside talking. He immediately tried to cover his ass and say that they had lots of cases like this. That comment allowed me to drive my point home: the hospital needs to ask for funds to help care for patients who have no family. They have a social welfare department and here is something that dept can add to their list of activities. Speaking of which – there is not much activity in this hospital. Too many people either standing around talking to each other or just not findable! And the salaries are relatively good. Over my time here many young European medical students have done 3 month placements here and they have all said that there is too much lethargy amonf the staff. I will keep you posted on this.
Otherwise I am glad to be back here. There are lots of exciting things happening with my work. A plus tard!
Am looking forward to a visit from 2 good friends at the end of this month.
A heart-wrenching visit with Jacqueline
Wednesday January 16, 2008
Yesterday my visit to the hospital was heart-wrenching. I went with some food and found Jacqueline by herself curled up on the thin plastic covered mattress with no bedding of any kind.
Jacqueline has been in the hospital for 5 weeks. The nurses say she had meningitis. She can hardly sit up. Is being “nursed” by her sister who herself has three kids at least, one of whom is a 11/2 yr old. In Rwandan hospitals, the family takes care of the patient: washes them, washes their clothes and cooks for them. Well, sister has done her share of this but she does it all by herself with 5 kids in tow. It is clear that Jacqueline has been malnourished during her hospitalization. The same goes for her kids. The sister’s family is as disadvantaged as Jacqueline’s. They are Batwas and marginalized in Rwandan society. Over the two and a half years I have known Jacqueline I have found her to be a good and loving mother, a persistent beggar but someone who is unable understand simple instructions which might allow her to help herself and the children.
J needs two people to get her out of bed and walk with her to the toilet. When sister is not there which is probably 18 of the 24 hours or more, Jacqueline wets herself. She lies in rags on a plastic mattress that are continually soaked in urine. Sister will change the rags and wash them once a day, but she will be peeing at least 2 or 3 times before sis comes again. That is how I found her yesterday – soaked in urine up to her chest and desperately thirsty and hungry.
The ward she lies in is not full. She lies in a corner by the window. Have I mentioned J. is HIV positive as is her Dorkas. Of little Alphonsine, I heard she has not been tested yet. Dorkas’s head is covered in crusts – a parasite one sees on many kids here. I have never seen then this bad on any child however – some of them look pussy and infected. Anyway , yesterday I was with just Jacqueline and I decided to feed her the food I had brought. When finished, I realized when I helped her to lie down again ( I had propped her up against another folded mattress), that she was sopping wet. She was wearing a rag between the legs -, a straight skirt and a pagne (the piece of fabric worn around the middle and tied in front). The thought of her sleeping all night in that mass of wet cloth, reeking of urine, made me rush back home. There I was able to find some old curtains and an old pair of boxer shorts. I went and covered her up again for the night. When I left her I took the soaked stuff with me and spent an hour washing them and boiling them on the stove. Throughout this visit, I was fuming with anger inside. All the more so because as I busied myself with Jacqueline, I had the whole ward staring me down with lots of whispers and laughs.This has been going on for more than 5 weeks and no one at the hospital has intervened. Jacqueline lying there is worse off than any Rwandan goat, sheep or cow. I vowed to myself to go and talk to the authorities the following day.
Yesterday my visit to the hospital was heart-wrenching. I went with some food and found Jacqueline by herself curled up on the thin plastic covered mattress with no bedding of any kind.
Jacqueline has been in the hospital for 5 weeks. The nurses say she had meningitis. She can hardly sit up. Is being “nursed” by her sister who herself has three kids at least, one of whom is a 11/2 yr old. In Rwandan hospitals, the family takes care of the patient: washes them, washes their clothes and cooks for them. Well, sister has done her share of this but she does it all by herself with 5 kids in tow. It is clear that Jacqueline has been malnourished during her hospitalization. The same goes for her kids. The sister’s family is as disadvantaged as Jacqueline’s. They are Batwas and marginalized in Rwandan society. Over the two and a half years I have known Jacqueline I have found her to be a good and loving mother, a persistent beggar but someone who is unable understand simple instructions which might allow her to help herself and the children.
J needs two people to get her out of bed and walk with her to the toilet. When sister is not there which is probably 18 of the 24 hours or more, Jacqueline wets herself. She lies in rags on a plastic mattress that are continually soaked in urine. Sister will change the rags and wash them once a day, but she will be peeing at least 2 or 3 times before sis comes again. That is how I found her yesterday – soaked in urine up to her chest and desperately thirsty and hungry.
The ward she lies in is not full. She lies in a corner by the window. Have I mentioned J. is HIV positive as is her Dorkas. Of little Alphonsine, I heard she has not been tested yet. Dorkas’s head is covered in crusts – a parasite one sees on many kids here. I have never seen then this bad on any child however – some of them look pussy and infected. Anyway , yesterday I was with just Jacqueline and I decided to feed her the food I had brought. When finished, I realized when I helped her to lie down again ( I had propped her up against another folded mattress), that she was sopping wet. She was wearing a rag between the legs -, a straight skirt and a pagne (the piece of fabric worn around the middle and tied in front). The thought of her sleeping all night in that mass of wet cloth, reeking of urine, made me rush back home. There I was able to find some old curtains and an old pair of boxer shorts. I went and covered her up again for the night. When I left her I took the soaked stuff with me and spent an hour washing them and boiling them on the stove. Throughout this visit, I was fuming with anger inside. All the more so because as I busied myself with Jacqueline, I had the whole ward staring me down with lots of whispers and laughs.This has been going on for more than 5 weeks and no one at the hospital has intervened. Jacqueline lying there is worse off than any Rwandan goat, sheep or cow. I vowed to myself to go and talk to the authorities the following day.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Back in Rwanda after almost 6 weeks in Canada
Monday January 16, 2008
As some of you may remember, I started off with a bang writing my blog back in 2005 but stopped suddenly and never got back to it. This - not writing a blog or journal - and not being able to learn Kinyarwanda are the two things that bother me most. And time is running out as I plan to leave here in july 2008.
Since August 2005 I have been out of Rwanda seven times, probably a record in comparison with my volunteer colleagues. My excuse is to go and see mother in the Netherlands (been there 7 times) but I also need to leave from time to time just to cool my heels, get some energy and fill up on the good foods. Most times the transitions have been surprisingly easy, but this last time not so. That is to say I have little trouble sliding into my other life of luxury where I can eat and drink as much as and what I want when I want. Coming back here is a different matter.
This time I was in Canada (still passing through Holland to drop in on mother and sisters) for quite a long time - almost 6 weeks. I came back to Kigeme and found that there was no water. Claudine, my trusty and very sweet housekeeper ( housegirl) informed me they had been without for 3 days and there was a long line up at the water source a km away. I had my two large jerry cans filled though so I was ready. It was just the prospect of maybe several more days without water which kind of soured my return.
The next bit of news was that Jacqueline, my beggar lady, was in the hospital where she had been admitted 4 weeks earlier very ill. Jacqueline is HIV positive and has been reasonably healthy. She has 2 daughters: Dorkas and Alphonsine. Alphonsine was born in Oct 2006 and does not yet walk; Dorkas looks about 3 but might be 5. Her limbs – arms and legs are frighteningly thin. She is clearly malnourished. Normally I see Jacqueline 5-7 times a week . I then give her some leftovers or some vegetables to cook. Her little one is always with her ; Dorkas from time to time.
I arrived home late Saturday Jan 12 and took in the above news. Decided to deal with it the next day. Sunday morning, after church I wanted to go to the hospital. As I dropped my purse off at the house, sitting on the veranda were Dorkas with Alphonsine on her lap and three other children, the children of Jacqueline’s sister. Before going to the hospital I decided to prepare some food for the two girls. I did not feel like serving the other three so I tried to ask them to leave and ended up chasing them away. I actually did not have much food.
What followed brought tears to my eyes. Dorkas was sitting in the kitchen doorway, just as her mother does, with Alphonsine on her lap. As I handed her the plastic water bottle filled with milk (water and powdered milk), Dorkas proceeded to offer this to her 14 month old sister . Not for a moment did she hesitate or sneak a sip for herself. She just fed her sister. When I passed the bowl with food to Dorkas, she did the same – offered little spoonfuls to her sister. I had to take the spoon from her and offer her the food and then I saw how hungry she was. Dorkas’s legs are bone thin as are her arms. Her head, a;ways showing some white spots due to a parasite, now has big crusty welts all over her head. I remember thinking last summer: will this child ever make it and now things look even worse.
As some of you may remember, I started off with a bang writing my blog back in 2005 but stopped suddenly and never got back to it. This - not writing a blog or journal - and not being able to learn Kinyarwanda are the two things that bother me most. And time is running out as I plan to leave here in july 2008.
Since August 2005 I have been out of Rwanda seven times, probably a record in comparison with my volunteer colleagues. My excuse is to go and see mother in the Netherlands (been there 7 times) but I also need to leave from time to time just to cool my heels, get some energy and fill up on the good foods. Most times the transitions have been surprisingly easy, but this last time not so. That is to say I have little trouble sliding into my other life of luxury where I can eat and drink as much as and what I want when I want. Coming back here is a different matter.
This time I was in Canada (still passing through Holland to drop in on mother and sisters) for quite a long time - almost 6 weeks. I came back to Kigeme and found that there was no water. Claudine, my trusty and very sweet housekeeper ( housegirl) informed me they had been without for 3 days and there was a long line up at the water source a km away. I had my two large jerry cans filled though so I was ready. It was just the prospect of maybe several more days without water which kind of soured my return.
The next bit of news was that Jacqueline, my beggar lady, was in the hospital where she had been admitted 4 weeks earlier very ill. Jacqueline is HIV positive and has been reasonably healthy. She has 2 daughters: Dorkas and Alphonsine. Alphonsine was born in Oct 2006 and does not yet walk; Dorkas looks about 3 but might be 5. Her limbs – arms and legs are frighteningly thin. She is clearly malnourished. Normally I see Jacqueline 5-7 times a week . I then give her some leftovers or some vegetables to cook. Her little one is always with her ; Dorkas from time to time.
I arrived home late Saturday Jan 12 and took in the above news. Decided to deal with it the next day. Sunday morning, after church I wanted to go to the hospital. As I dropped my purse off at the house, sitting on the veranda were Dorkas with Alphonsine on her lap and three other children, the children of Jacqueline’s sister. Before going to the hospital I decided to prepare some food for the two girls. I did not feel like serving the other three so I tried to ask them to leave and ended up chasing them away. I actually did not have much food.
What followed brought tears to my eyes. Dorkas was sitting in the kitchen doorway, just as her mother does, with Alphonsine on her lap. As I handed her the plastic water bottle filled with milk (water and powdered milk), Dorkas proceeded to offer this to her 14 month old sister . Not for a moment did she hesitate or sneak a sip for herself. She just fed her sister. When I passed the bowl with food to Dorkas, she did the same – offered little spoonfuls to her sister. I had to take the spoon from her and offer her the food and then I saw how hungry she was. Dorkas’s legs are bone thin as are her arms. Her head, a;ways showing some white spots due to a parasite, now has big crusty welts all over her head. I remember thinking last summer: will this child ever make it and now things look even worse.
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