Today is another public holiday in Uganda, Hero's Day, so the clinic is closed. It's kinda funny, Uganda seems to have some sort of holiday every week here. We had Martyr's Day last week, and National African Child Day next week. We are spending the day recharging our batteries, just spending quality time together around the guesthouse. We have all come to be a form of family, Lisa, Doug, Kristen, Michelle, Katie, Leenisha (the latest volunteer from Lexington, KY who will be here till the end of July), Carolyn (a volunteer from the school associated with the clinic) and myself. We had a wonderful night last night, Doug spoiled us and made "pizza" with real mozzarella cheese! Our first time to have cheese since leaving the US, it is crazy the small things you will miss.
This week has been emotionally trying for all of us. Kristen wrote about our Monday spent at the orphanage with some of the most precious children I have ever seen. These children need everything, toothbrushes, soap, clothing, even money so they can pay for lunch at school, yet these children ask for nothing. Tuesday and Wednesday we spent in the clinic working on visual aids we will be using to do Alcohol Awareness Education. There is a huge issue with people drinking in excess here and the topic hasn't really been addressed in the community. It was so sad and disheartening to see on Monday as we are standing outside the school with all of these children that adults were beligerent and drunk, eyes red, walking crooked, and it was just past 10am. These children aren't even safe in their own school. Richard (Kristen's Ugandan brother) told us they had an issue with a drunk who stumbled into the classroom while the teacher had stepped out and he started beating the children. It breaks my heart to even type this, but this is their life, their reality, each and everyday.
We have been doing a lot of IV's on children to administer Quinine, a malaria medication they give IV upon diagnosis before sending the child home on oral medications. It is crazy to see the true prevalence of the disease amongst the people here. We also had a 2 year old boy come in Tuesday morning who had fallen into a pot of boiling soup and badly burnt his bottom. We had to drain the blisters, remove the dead skin, clean the area, and apply dressings, all without pain medication. He was so strong and actually slept through the first part of process, however once he awoke, it was miserable to listen to him scream, and cry, and beg us to stop. Knowing in the US that he would have ample pain control, and here we could give him nothing. We sent the father home instructing him to try and keep the dressing as clean as possible and bring the child back first thing in the morning for a dressing change. He came back Wednesday morning and despite our attempts at a wet to dry dressing with the supplies we had, it dried completely, adhering the the fresh layer of skin that had started to form, thus the dressing change was grueling and painful, yet again, no pain medication. This child is one of the strongest I have met yet. His eyes are so big and brown, upon one glance they melt your heart, and it kills me that we couldn't explain to him we were just trying to help him. It is times like this, through the eyes of a small child, in which we see God working here. We hugged him, kissed him, and simply loved on him the ways we best knew how to and pray to God that he feels that. Michelle had a patient again yesterday 12 years old, with a burn on her leg from one of the bodas, which has become quite infected, and again, no pain medications given, and the girl did not shed a tear during her treatment.
These people of Uganda are some of the most strong, resilient, admirable people I have ever met. Their spirits are strong, smiles wide, hearts so giving- I can only pray that I will one day encompass half of these qualities that they all seem to possess.
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