Update

On Tuesday, we finally got to move out of the "guest house" at Buzeega and into the Kitante Volunteer Compound here in town.  We are so thankful as we are now a 15 minute walking distance from work.  It's saving us a lot of time and money now that we are not paying for 45 minute taxi commute.  We are missing the beautiful house in Buzeega though, we sure were spoiled!  Beth, Celine and I are sharing a teeny room (smaller than my freshmen dorm) with no electricity, but we don’t mind at all as we are so thankful to be walking to work.  Many of the long term volunteers, or what I would call missionaries, stay here.  These people amaze me.  It puts my 5 weeks in perspective when most of these people have been here for more than 6 months, some for even 4 years.  We have 5 chickens and a rooster living on the compound with us.  Unfortunately, the rooster decides to wake us up every 20 minutes starting at 5 am.  They also like to sneak in the house when we’re not watching, we’ve found a chicken in our kitchen twice.

Beth and I are on the afternoon shift this week (11 a.m. -7 p.m.).  On Tuesday, we were wrapping up our shift when one of the nanny supervisors came and found me.  She handed me a naked toddler and some clothes and told me to get in the car to go to the doctor with another nurse who also had another baby in her lap.  Everyone was speaking in Luganda, and I had NO clue who this child was, why she was going to the doctor and most importantly, why they were sending me with her.  Finally, we headed off to the doctor and I got a chance to ask the nurse riding with me what the story was with this little girl. 

She told me that the little girl, Sarah, was picked up by a social worker that day and just brought into the Bulrushes.  It is Watoto protocol to immediately take the child to the doctor to be examined.  Sarah had been abandoned by her mother days before, and no one knew who her father was.  She had been staying with a good samaritan who eventually called Watoto for help.  Needless to say, this little girl was terrified.  She kept her head buried in my chest the duration of the car ride.  Once we got to the clinic, it was a different story.  I think when she saw so many people and was in such a strange place, her defenses went up.  She spent most of the time in the waiting room pushing my face away from hers and hitting me.  (keep in mind, she is two so it wasn’t much of a struggle)  It was heartbreaking to see a child so distressed and not know how to comfort her.  I’m sure I’m the first muzoungoo (white person) who has held her, or possibly the first one she’d ever even seen.

We finally got called into the exam room, and I got up close and personal with African health care. Way too up close and personal.  There is no such thing as a “room” in this clinic, only curtains, so there is absolutely no privacy.  We were right in the middle of everybody’s business.  One of the more disturbing things I witnessed was a woman suffering from malaria hallucinations yelling and running from the doctors, only to be brought back in by two security guards a few minutes later and sedated...it was major motivation for me to double up my deet mosquito repellent application!

After her blood tests (which surprisingly didn’t seem to bother her too much) Sarah finally fell asleep.  It was a neat opportunity for me to pray for her; for her health, her future, her mother, and her heart.  Thank goodness all of her tests came back healthy; she was only to receive treatment for her malnourishment.  The whole experience just made Watoto’s ministry that much more real to me. 

I've gotten to spend time giving Sarah some extra TLC every day as she becomes accustomed to crazy life at the Bulrushes.  She is not quite adjusted and seems pretty overwhelmed, crying much of the day.  She did smile for me for the first time yesterday, which was quite a change from Tuesday night, so I know we are making some progress!  When you get the chance, please be praying for Sarah, her health and adjustment to life with Watoto.