March 27, 2012

Thursdays are the busiest days around Shanti Uganda.  There are immunizations for the babies and young children.  An immunization chart is kept on each baby and the mother brings the chart back each time to be updated.  A father or grandmother may accompany the mother, but most mothers are on their own when they arrive. In addition, there are prenatal and antenatal appointments for the mothers, family planning consultation, prenatal yoga (thank you to Julie Clinard Townsend and Kyser-Roth for donating yoga pants for the women).  The Women’s Income Generating Group (WIGG) meets in the afternoon with Margot who is the WIGG Coordinator.  I often get to do some baby holding on these day, and it is heavenly.  As I have said on numerous occasions to many of you, if everyone could hold a content baby at the start of each day then I believe we would live in a peaceful world.  I just don’t think I will be able to get any legislation passed to make this a mandate.  I guess it is one of those, “If I were the leader of the World” concepts. 

Joy(left) and Sister Mary (right) give a baby an immunization, baby is not a happy camper.

 Mom and daughter.

 This mother was extremely attentive to her daughter and it was obvious that a bond had been developed.

This little girl could not keep her eyes off of me, the “Mzungu” but when I approached her she had the scariest, unhappiest face you could imagine.

Grandmother came to the appointment with a pregnant woman; with age comes wisdom and grace.

The days have been fairly quiet at the Birth House.  I went and helped Sister Florence clean on Saturday and I really enjoyed being of service and getting to know Sister Florence.  She shared her lunch with me, greens (seasoned to perfection, but not the same taste as our southern greens and Chapati (a flat bread similar to flour tortillas). I have had a lot of great meals here, but I do believe this one ranked right up there with the others!  A side note - about the term “sister”, it is not used as it would be in the Catholic Church meaning a nun.  “Sister’ is reserved in midwifery for the women that have achieved a particular level of education in the practice of midwifery.  It is a term of respect.  Another form of respect that you will find in Uganada is that often when young girls approach an older woman the young girls will kneel down to greet their elder.  This too is a type of respect shown for older women by the younger ones.  I have not experienced it, but I would not expect to either as I am not known to these young girls.

In gratitude and appreciation from Uganda!