I seem to be having an intimate relationship with my dentist lately. Two visit a week for the last month and half or so. It's getting out of hand! Really though, I only have one more appointment before I leave, (I hope) and then things should be good till I get home. I had to have my bottom 2 front teeth removed and now have a partial in place. I tell you all, look after your teeth! This has not been pleasant, it feels like you have a roll of cotton batting or something under your tongue. I feel I'm finally starting to get use to it, but it's still not easy to eat much and I feel I talk with a lisp now. I would rather have REAL teeth, that's for sure. It also seems every time they fill one, it seems to need to be pulled within the next few visits (is this a make money project I wonder, 'cuse we have no insurance and it's sure getting costly). The last tooth they just filled, is still giving me grief, so am a little concerned with that. Imagine living in Africa and not even having the chance to VISIT a dentist! In the grand scheme of things I am very lucky.
I heard from friends in Kalomo last night that there has been another sad event happen (this is the 3rd since we left) to one of the staff members, which makes me so sad. If it was Canada, the US or any European country it would probably not have happened. One of the young men we met, lost his wife in childbirth! She was giving birth to twins and I suppose there were complications that just couldn't be dealt with, with their limited resources. So far the 2 babies are fine I am told. There is so much that needs to be addressed in the African countries. They train nurses and doctors, who then leave for better paying jobs abroad and they are still left with the massive shortfalls of staff.
Last week I finished the HIV/AIDS volunteer course I was offered. Unfortunately it was more on harm prevention, especially to do with our local street people and didn't really cover a lot of the information I was hoping. I had hoped for more information on the secondary diseases associated with HIV such as Pneumonia, TB and Kaposi sarcoma that can lead into a full blown case of AIDS. So, it really didn't teach me much more than I already knew, BUT I did meet some awesome people there. One young fellow has been on 2 trips, one to Uganda, to help with land mine survivors and another (I can't remember which country) helping to re-integrate child soldiers. Now there is someone who will hopefully go along way in bringing change.
This past week I had the Burn Seminar at one of the local hospitals that I was graciously allowed to attend. It was for nursing staff, so much was on forms etc and a lot to do with skin grafts and the equipment used, so again, not much of any help in treatments where there are very limited options available. I DID learn how to bandage properly and learned that Polysporin and Vaseline are excellent, so didn't come away empty handed.
Today I was at Sassenos Elementary School and gave 2 presentations to 500 awesome kids about my trips and World Vision. They are going to all save their piggy bank money till Feb. 14th and then jointly pick something from the WV Gift Catalogue that will help children. The kindergartners were so much fun, so many funny questions, especially about the fact that there is no running water in a lot of places, so what about toilets?! It seemed a major concern. I told them to thinking about trying to live like they were out camping for a long time, that would be what life is like for these children. I think that helped them to understand a bit better. We discussed what from the catalogue might be the most helpful; one little guy wanted to know if we could send them a cat..I had to explain that as much as I love cats, it wasn't appropriate, as we are trying to feed families and if we sent cats, they would have to feed the cat too; he was very sad about it.
I received confirmation today that all my sponsor child visit dates have been confirmed! Awesome!! The itinerary for visiting Velody in Kalomo is all in place (and I also received confirmation that I can visit and help in an orphanage there that hs 50 children). I will be visiting Velody on March 14th and then having lunch to visit with a friends sponsor child while in the same area. Looks like it's back to Trekkers in Zimba for a lunch. I don't think anyone (except maybe those who were on these last WV trips with me) can understand how excited I am to have the chance to go back and spend time with not only the children, but with the people at the ADP Office that I feel are like family now. It moves me so, I can't really explain it. I hope that
the experiences with African Impact, the people I will be meeting, and volunteering with will bring out the same feelings. Love, admiration and the thrill of being able to help in a small way to bring about better lives.
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
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