AFRICA day 4

Day 4

We slept in our tiny little rooms under mosquito nets, showered in our flip flops and arose early to walk to the Chapel on the Maua Methodist Hospital campus for the 7:30 service. On our 20 minute walk to the church, we saw many little children with big smiles who would run out to say hello (or jambo) and shake hands or “high five” us. Sometimes you are also greeted by chickens, cows or goats and lots of vendors.

After chapel, we had a tour of the hospital, which evoked a mix of feelings and emotions – enlightening and shocking, sad and happy. We learned so much about the wonderful work they do here, but also how much they need.

It was upsetting to see so many babies and children in the pediatric ward with I.V.’s in their heads – the necessary treatment for malaria. The good part is that they can help them if they come to the hospital in time. We also saw men being treated for knife fights resulting from the twigs they chew from the miraa tree, which are like an amphetamine. This is a problem around this area where the miraa trees are so abundant and a major source of income. We toured the maternity ward and saw a premie being kept warm by 2 light bulbs. We also saw many women and their babies waiting to go home, but couldn’t be released until their families pay, which was upsetting. But the most shocking thing we saw was the burial pit. In this area of the country, people bury their dead on their property, but if you are not married, and die, you may not be buried on the family’s land. So sadly, the hospital has to dispose of them this way since cremation is not allowed.

We toured the kitchen with large vats boiling a combination of milk, water and tea, and women chopping lots of veggies and meat. They feed all the patients, but they must bring their own utensils, bowl and also toilet paper. As for the restrooms, they use squat toilets. And I never saw any hot water, but they have hot plates for heating a pitcher of water for the patients and they bath from a basin of water.

As we walked around the grounds, we saw laundry laying on the bushes and grass to dry. The patients even wash their own dressings. But the hospital does launder all the bedding. The patients all wear a uniform so they can’t leave without paying.

The people working here are amazing and the hospital is highly rated and services apx million people, but such a challenge, and of course, in need of more funding. Electricity is expensive and not always dependable, so they have damaged equipment with power surges. They badly need a generator so they can safely use their equipment.

After our hospital tour, we went to our first “high tea”. Everyone stops for tea here. It usually consists of fruit, avocados (which are huge & abundant, costing apx 10 – 15 cents), bread, crackers, peanut butter & of course tea.

After tea, we unpacked and sorted the supplies we brought for the hospital. Then we split into 2 teams with one going to begin framing of the AIDS orphans house and the other team began work on the staff flats for the hospital.