Firstly, I would like to apologise for grammatical and spelling erorrs, I am typing this at a dodgy cyber cafe in Pen on a keyboard with suspiciously sticky keys!
I would like to start by saying that I have had an amazing first two weeks- the generosity, friendliness and hospitality from the people I have meet in Pen has touched me deeply. These people may have little material wealth but their hearts are richer than any I have ever known. It makes it harder to observe the poor health status and living conditions of these people. My heart hs broken many times here, but each time it allows a little more love to leak out :)
The first week was particularly challenging. Liane and I were taken out to do health checks byourselves in the afternoon but we had not realised we would be operating on our own and had not been told how they wished us to conduct the health checks, how to fill out the forms, what meds we had access to, how to refer etc etc. We qickly worked it out by the first day (the social worker was unable to help us s they did not know either) and checked that we were fulfilling our obligations when we returned to CFI.
By the second day we had a hang of things and a dozen or so key Marati phrases under our belt and we have become a great team ever since.
Most kids really need fillings and good toothbrush but as one social worker was telling us the kids rarely turn up to the dentist to which they are reffered as the village people are scared to lode teeth. This is one are that requires more education and Liane is wroking on a program to further this I believe.
I have also seen alot of anaemia, an avoidable dietary deficiency. I am currently working on a program to educate families about foods that contain iron, vitamin C and B vitamins and how they are important their kids health, both in body and mind.
Colds and coughs, eye sight problems and skin rashes are also common.
Although I feel many of the medicines we give are inadequate at fixing illness that clearly arise from infrastructal and economic challenges (such as lack of access to clean water, proper sewage disposal, affordable medicines/operations and doctors, cramped living conditions and poverty) I am becoming resolved to the fact that we can for this moment only do what we can.
It is particularly devistating when a child with renal failure, or heart disease, or mental/physical disability approaches you for medicines that you know in you heart can not significanlty improve that childs quality of life.
One mother bought her son to us for itchy skin who had renal failure. Her eyes spoke a sadness that transcended our language barrier as she pointed at the cost of the operation on the doctors letter she had bought for us to look at (2-3 laks), an amount we both knew she would never see in her life time. Her young son looked at me and I wondered if he knew, if he understood.
Another boy had a 'rash' of purpura, bone pains, nose bleeds and other such symptoms indicative of advanced chronic diseases such as cancer (although I would never make that diagnosis!!)- they had taken him to bombay but the doctor told them he could do nothing- his mother wanted to know if we knew what was wrong and if we could help. No- we couldn't but we gave him panadol for his headaches anyway.
So yes, I have had an amazing time. I have cried at the sadness, I have laughed at the happiness, I have danced with tiny doe eyed kids, and I have learnt more about myself and human nature in three weeks than I have in 23years. Thanks Saffena-you do brilant work.
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