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| Uncle Norman feeding Carol in her tummy tube. Life recently has been the usual crazy mixture of caring for the children who stay with us on site (Hassan, Carol, Allen, Kakulu...and the big man Kakande,) visiting or taking children to various hospitals, holding our community outreach meetings, attending many meetings (not my favourite job!), shopping for supplies in Kampala, attending burials, covering staff who are attending burials, teaching class, having David family over for movies, having language lessons etc.etc.
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| A Squash and a squeeze at our Community Outreach |
Meet some of the ‘new recruits’ who have begun attending our community outreach sessions:
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| Selawooza Faruk |
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| Nakiridde Shanita |
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| Semata Simon |
Something
new which I have come across recently as we have been interviewing and
assessing new children is that several tribes who live locally genuinely
believe and continue to practise the use of ‘burning’ in order to cure certain
medical problems or conditions.
In January,
a Grandmother brought her twins to us. Both had been born prematurely and one
was continuing to be slightly delayed. As well as begging us to take the twins
as she couldn`t cope with them anymore, she also informed us that the way she
got her grandchild to finally sit was by repeatedly burning her back!
In March a
Father brought his son to us and told the story of how his son had suffered
from fevers and head swelling as a baby. Their solution was to take him to a
local lady who then burned his head to stop the swelling!
Another Mum has also recently told us how they use this practise of burning at home; her son recently had a boil on his leg which was ‘cured’ by burning. And she was also treated with a hot poker when her breast got infected and full of pus!
As you can imagine, I am a little concerned when I hear such stories and try to persuade the parents not to burn their children again but to take them to the local hospital when they suffer from such ailments. However, I am also aware that for many of them who live deep out in the bush and who often don`t have the money to hop on a boda (motorbike taxi) to get to the hospital, they have to try what is available to them in the bush!
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| Mbabazi Peace |
Sadly, this
month we also lost one of our newest community children. When she came to our
community outreach suffering from a severe skin condition that made it appear
like she had been burnt all over her body, we immediately sent her back to the
local hospital to get medical help. She was HIV positive but sadly her Mother
had not taken her to the clinic so she was not on any medication. She had also
been referred to specialist Doctors in Kampala but sadly her Mother had not had
the money to take her. She was only 3 years old and had already experienced so
much suffering! Having such a disability wherever you live is difficult but
here in Uganda when you live out in the bush and your Mother has no money?!?!?
Why God? Why? And perhaps that is why God decided it was time to take her to be
with him? On her way home from the hospital, she died. When Christine and I
attended the burial the following day, my head was swirling with questions; why
did the hospital not even admit her? Why did God bring her to us (her chance to
get help) and then allow her to die the very same day? I can`t answer these
questions but I know that my Father in heaven can, and that for now I must be
content in knowing that Peace, Dissan, Lydia, Nalubega and all the other children
I have known and lost, are with him in a much better place where there is no
pain or suffering..........
I will do another update shortly whilst I have some internet signal and tell you about another little chap in need of your prayers who has significant medical problems but lives in the back and beyond WHERE THERE IS NO DOCTOR!
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