Time has FLOWN since the GROW team has returned from Kenya. There is so much to say about how appreciative I am for the experience I had with the Western Organization for People Living with HIV/AIDS this summer. It seems nearly impossible to express how much I learned, but one thing that amazed me on the daily was learning about the complexity and capacity of WOPLAH's work within their community. Words seem to be failing me now, but here are pdf slides that describe all the different ways WOPLAH tries to achieve their goals. Total photo cred to the amazing Nicole Jorgenson!
Anyone who knew me well at CC also knew the phrase, “I have
GlobeMed”. It was the reason dinners were missed, a winterfest was skipped, and
many Tony’s drinks were never imbibed. It is also the reason I have spent the
past two weeks in Kenya as an additional member of Colorado College’s GROW
team. Looking back on the past two and a half years, especially from here in
Kenya, I can safely say that the value of the things I missed pales in
comparison to those that I have gained. Even armed with this knowledge, I still
find myself searching for the words to explain why I know this to be true. So
here’s my best attempt:
Working as an Overland leader this summer, I was struck by
the words of E.B. White in our quote book: “If the world were merely seductive,
that would be easy. If the world were merely challenging, that would be no
problem. But I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world
and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.” Living in
Mumias and learning from the experiences of the other GROW interns, I have
gained a new appreciation for the answer GlobeMed provides to that choice. Simply
put, you don’t have to choose. We arise each day with the opportunity to enjoy
and to improve our world. Or at least to attempt to. No one embodies this idea
more perfectly that WOPLAH’s director, Edwin Wetoyi.
Lovingly known to the GROW team as Edubaba (‘Papa Edwin’ in
Kiswahili), Edwin’s dedication, love, and pure enthusiasm for his work shines
through in every aspect of his daily regimen. In our final family dinner with him
(candlelit due to a power outage), his love for his work came through in every
word. Within fifteen minutes we had each reached for our journals to take notes.
In articulating the way he feels about all that WOPLAH does he said, “ It [the
work] is not a burden, it’s a privilege to the AOH.” And Edwin is not just a
man of words. He is full of action. Edwin dances into support group meetings.
He adds unexpected jokes in Swahili while translating, none of which we
understand. He continues to work on a salary of less than a $1000 a year, while
people of comparable training make more than that in a month. And he does all
of this for the sake of his community.
Edwin, Being Edwin
As fans of hypotheticals, we asked Edwin if he thought the
world would be a better or worse place in 100 years. His answer was simple, “If
people help others, better. If not, worse.” To me, it seems that Edwin has been
embodying the GlobeMed mantras before the word ‘GlobeMed’ even existed. Among
many other reasons, he is my why. He is the reason that those of us involved in
GlobeMed keep moving, keep showing up, and keep dreaming. Yes, we miss moments
for this work, but I would argue that we gain a lifetime of understanding in
return.
We spent today shadowing the nurses and doctors at Maternal
Child Health center (MCH).Claire and I
were placed in the Ante-Natal Care Clinic with Everlyne, the supervisor and
head nurse at MCH, and wow, what an incredible job to have. Each pregnant woman
brings a check-up book in which the nurses track important information such as
HIV status, appointment reminders, and other information. These books are also
used to monitor the newborns vaccines and weight changes after birth.Everlyne uses these books to make sure all
tests, records, and counseling sessions are done prior to delivery and that patients
receive all necessary information.Women
are scheduled for four visits with the overall focus on birth preparedness and
readiness to handle complications.Below
is a breakdown of what happens at each visit.
Many important conversations fall under the counseling and
education portion of the visits.During
this time, Everlyne makes sure to teach the expecting mothers exactly what is
happening inside of them, why certain things are and are not ok to do, and rid
them of any false beliefs they may have.Other topics include breastfeeding, malaria prevention, and the importance
of having a skilled delivery attendant present for the birth. There are also
many rumors and false stigmas that Everlyne tries to explain to the soon-to-be
mothers.One specific rumor Everlyne
told us about is the rumor that some babies have white on them when they are
born because their parents had sex while the mother was pregnant.Everlyne explained however, that this white
film is made by the mother’s body in order to keep the baby warm inside the
womb.
The first patient Claire and I saw was 21; one year older
than me, one year younger than Claire.She had a section on her belly that was bubbled up, but not where the
baby was, which concerned Everlyne.For
this reason, Everlyne suggested the mother go to the hospital in Kakamega to
receive an ultra sound.Unfortunately,
Kakamega is about an hour bus ride away, and transportation costs may make this
difficult for the patient.This
challenge is very common, and instances like this make it clear why WOPLAH’s
income generation projects are so needed in order to improve health standards.While this young lady had an unresolved issue,
and highlighted a struggle in local healthcare, the rest of the appointments
went smoothly and were very exciting to be a part of.By the end of the morning, we had seen women
at every stage of pregnancy and had felt the small heads of several babies in
the womb!Everlyne is unbelievable.She is so knowledgeable and can find and
identify every part of the baby within just a few seconds of touching the woman’s
stomach.One of the babies twitched when
we touched its knee, which was very cool.The best part though, was the heartbeat of the babies.I almost started crying it was so beautiful.
It took me a few tries before I finally heard it, but once I did I was overwhelmed
with joy. The pitter-patter sound was so pure. I think I could do that for the
rest of my life.
Following the Ante-Natal Care Clinic we stepped into a whole
new portion of life.Watching the
beginnings of life changed to the beginnings of manhood as we each took turns
watching a male circumcision at MCH.Winter
break just started here meaning it is time for circumcisions.This is the case as USAID provides free
circumcisions in health facilities during all holidays to ensure boys have time
to recover before the school year starts again. The little boy I watched was 11 and he was so
brave!Many of the boys were nervous
after hearing stories from their friends who had been circumcised the
traditional way, while others watched the entire thing (which was pretty
crazy). The traditional
circumcisions are also taking place right now as evidenced by the many joyous
parades we have seen marching down streets collecting funds for the boys’
recoveries.
In these practices, boys are usually taken into the countryside and
numbed in cold rivers, after which they use knives to perform the act. The boys then stay in the countryside for one
month to recover.However without
sterile equipment or the knowledge of health facility employees, it can be a
dangerous practice, which is why many people are now being encouraged to go to
health facilities. Not to mention that
the health facilities use local anesthesia where as in the traditional practice
they only have the coldness of the river to help numb before the procedure
takes place. I really appreciate and
honor traditions in general, but seeing the caution used at MCH when performing
the circumcisions, made it difficult for me to disregard my concern for the health
and safety of the young boys going the traditional route.
- Libby Alvin '16 Molecular and Cellular Biology Major
