- pudding = fruit salad
- custard = American pudding
- torch = flashlight
- serviette = napkin
- nappy = diaper
- petrol = gas/fuel
- football = soccer
- lift = to give a person a ride
- bonnet = hood of a car
- boot = trunk of a car
- gum boots = rain boots
- lorry = semi-truck
- rubber = eraser
- plaster = bandaid
- windcreen = windshield
- biscuit = cookie/cracker
- chips = French fries
- crisps = potato chips
- chest of drawers = dresser
- queue = a line of people
- trolley = shopping cart
- flat = apartment
- full stop = period (.) in grammer
- aerial = antenna
- chemist = pharmacist
- cooker = stove
- dust bin = trash can
- flyover = over pass
- ground floor = 1st floor
- 1st floor = 2nd floor, etc
- holiday = vacation
- maths = math (the subject in school)
- nursing home = private hospital
- puncture = a flat (tire)
- trousers = pants
- pants = underwear
- pram = baby stroller
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
4 langauges???
I've spent the last year attempting to learn Swahili, along with a bit of Maasai. The longer I'm here, I've also realized that I've been learning a 3rd langauge...British English! It makes sense, though...Kenya was colonized by the British, so the English here, along with many other things, definitely has had a British influcence. Here's some differences I can think of from American English:
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
How to count to 10 in Maasai...with your hands!!!
Special thanks to Eunice for her hands in this video:) Sorry it's sideways!
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Ndovu = elephant
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15035491
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/06/15/kenya.wildlife.maasai/index.html
The Maasai...
The Maasai from Ryan Schultz on Vimeo.
(Thanks to Ryan Schultz for making this for NMSI & AfricaHope!!!)
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Caedmon's call...
I got an email recently about Caedmon's call. It made me curious about the musical group & how they got their name. Legend has it there was a cow herder named Caedmon that lived in the 7th centruy that was afraid to sing in public because of his perceived lack of talent. One night, an angel appeared to him & called him to sing. He refused at first, but when he finally did, he sang beautifully, & verses that had never been heard before. God uses us in ways we never think are possible:) Here was the story written about Caedmon...
Caedmon’s call to become a voice for those who have no voice.
I cannot speak,
Unless You loose my tongue;
I only stammer,
And I speak uncertainly;
But if You touch my mouth,
my Lord,
then I will sing the story
of Your wonders!
Teach me to hear that story,
Through each person,
To cradle a sense of wonder
In their life,
To honour the hard-earned wisdom
Of their sufferings,
To waken their joy
That the King of all kings
Stoops down
To wash their feet,
And looking up into their face
Says,
‘I know—I understand.’
This world has become
A world of broken dreams
Where dreamers are hard to find
and friends are few.
Lord, be the gatherer of our dreams.
You set the countless stars in place,
And found room for each of them to shine.
You listen of us in Your heaven-bright hall.
Open our mouths to tell our tales of wonder.
Teach us again the greatest story ever:
The One who made the worlds
became a little, helpless child,
Then grew to be a carpenter
With deep, far-seeing eyes.
In time, the Carpenter began to travel,
In every village challenging the people
To leave behind their selfish ways,
Be washed in living water,
And let God be their King.
The ordinary people crowded round Him,
Frightened to miss
A word that He was speaking,
Bringing their friends, their children,
All the sick and tired,
So everyone could meet Him,
Everyone be touched and given life.
Some religious people were embarrassed
--they did not like the company He kept,
And never knew just what He would do next.
He said:
‘How dare you wrap God up
In good behavior,
And tell the poor that they
Should be like you?
How can you live at ease
With riches and success,
While those I love go hungry
And are oppressed?
It really is for such a time as this
That I was given breath.’
His words were dangerous,
Not save or tidy.
In secret His opponents said:
‘It surely would be better that
One person die.’
‘I think that would be better,
If he could.’
Expediency would be the very death of Him.
He died because they thought it might be good.
You died that we might be forgiven,
Lord; but that was not the end.
You plundered death,
And made its jail-house shudder
--strode to life
To meet Your startled friends.
I have a dream
That all the world will meet You,
And know you, Jesus,
In Your living power,
That someday soon
All people everywhere will hear Your story,
And hear it in a way they understand.
So many who have heard
Forget to tell the story.
Here am I, my Jesus:
Teach me.”
(Celtic Daily Prayer, New York: Harper-Collins. 2002. Pp 198-201.)
Caedmon’s call to become a voice for those who have no voice.
I cannot speak,
Unless You loose my tongue;
I only stammer,
And I speak uncertainly;
But if You touch my mouth,
my Lord,
then I will sing the story
of Your wonders!
Teach me to hear that story,
Through each person,
To cradle a sense of wonder
In their life,
To honour the hard-earned wisdom
Of their sufferings,
To waken their joy
That the King of all kings
Stoops down
To wash their feet,
And looking up into their face
Says,
‘I know—I understand.’
This world has become
A world of broken dreams
Where dreamers are hard to find
and friends are few.
Lord, be the gatherer of our dreams.
You set the countless stars in place,
And found room for each of them to shine.
You listen of us in Your heaven-bright hall.
Open our mouths to tell our tales of wonder.
Teach us again the greatest story ever:
The One who made the worlds
became a little, helpless child,
Then grew to be a carpenter
With deep, far-seeing eyes.
In time, the Carpenter began to travel,
In every village challenging the people
To leave behind their selfish ways,
Be washed in living water,
And let God be their King.
The ordinary people crowded round Him,
Frightened to miss
A word that He was speaking,
Bringing their friends, their children,
All the sick and tired,
So everyone could meet Him,
Everyone be touched and given life.
Some religious people were embarrassed
--they did not like the company He kept,
And never knew just what He would do next.
He said:
‘How dare you wrap God up
In good behavior,
And tell the poor that they
Should be like you?
How can you live at ease
With riches and success,
While those I love go hungry
And are oppressed?
It really is for such a time as this
That I was given breath.’
His words were dangerous,
Not save or tidy.
In secret His opponents said:
‘It surely would be better that
One person die.’
‘I think that would be better,
If he could.’
Expediency would be the very death of Him.
He died because they thought it might be good.
You died that we might be forgiven,
Lord; but that was not the end.
You plundered death,
And made its jail-house shudder
--strode to life
To meet Your startled friends.
I have a dream
That all the world will meet You,
And know you, Jesus,
In Your living power,
That someday soon
All people everywhere will hear Your story,
And hear it in a way they understand.
So many who have heard
Forget to tell the story.
Here am I, my Jesus:
Teach me.”
(Celtic Daily Prayer, New York: Harper-Collins. 2002. Pp 198-201.)
Monday, September 26, 2011
1 year later...
• ‘The Great Commission’ in Matthew 28: 16-20 helped get my eyes focused on mission work & ministry. It’s very motivating scripture for me, but I like John 20:21 a bit better:
"Then Jesus said again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, I now send you.’”
Jesus told his Disciples this after he beat death on the cross. God sent Jesus. Jesus sent his Disciples, & now us…to spread the Good News everywhere.
• There were many times in preparing to come serve in medical ministry here that I felt unqualified. All of my previous experience is with sick & premature babies in the hospital! And now that I’m here & am beginning this work this month, it’s easy to get overwhelmed at the task at hand. But, the first part of John 15: 16 is a really good reminder for me:
“You did not choose me; I chose you. And I gave you this work: to go & produce fruit, fruit that will last…”
We’re all here working together with AfricaHope because God chose us. And he chose our work. I’m grateful for the great collegues:)
“…if you feed those who are hungry & take care of the needs of those who are troubled, then your light will shine in the darkness, & you will be bright like sunshine at noon. The Lord will always lead you. He will satisfy your needs in dry lands & give strength to your bones. You will be like a garden that has much water, like a spring that never runs dry.”
God guides us in the work he gives us…caring for people physically, emotionally, & spiritually. And He uses us to bring the light of hope to the people he places in our lives.
As I look back on this past year, things have been kind of crazy! I moved around a lot –
I’m happy to finally be settled in Narok, getting to know each of you better, & making more friends. Some things have been an easy adjustment, others have been difficult. The only constant in the midst of the daily differences of new places, languages, cultures, & life, has been God.
• Let’s read Joshua 1:9
“Remember that I commanded you to be strong & brave. Don’t be afraid, because the Lord your God will be with you everywhere you go.”
And also Psalms 37: 3-5
“Trust the Lord & do good. Live in the land & feed on truth. Enjoy serving the Lord, & he will give you what you want. Depend on the Lord; trust him, & he will take care of you."
No matter where he sends us - alone or with others, near or far – he’s always there, & always taking care of us.
A question I get asked a lot here is ‘What are the differences between Kenya & the States?’. I usually try to focus on the similarities since we’re all people living on the same Earth. But today, I want to think about some of the differences. Compared to my life 1 year ago,
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Mstuni (the bush) Adventures...
A short-term team from Crossroads Christian Church (my home church Evansville, IN) came to visit all of us at AfricaHope last month. It was wonderful...having a taste of southern Indiana here, friends, time in the bush together at the lovely school of Olosirua, & watching people experience Kenya & the people here for the fist time, just like I did 6 years ago:) We camped out next to the teacher's housing at Olosirua Primary School for 4 days. Part of the group did VBS with all the school kids, & the other part taught at a pastor's conference in a nearby town. Here's some highlights: • Rainstorm…a badly needed rainstorm. Only a couple of the tents leaked:)
• Hyena wake-up call
• Building about 20 new desks for the students, & repairing broken chairs
• Trying to carry water like Maasai women (place the strap tied to the large jerry can full of water on your forehead & let the jerry can hang on your back). Warning: it’s heavy & you could end up on the ground:)
• Watching the Jesus film projected on the outside of a manyata (mud hut) in nearby villages at night. Quite a few people were saved!
• Tomato sauce does not = tomato paste! Anyone know how to make spaghetti sauce with ketchup? :)
• Luncar eclipse. Amazing. And it made the stars even more radiant than they already were.
• Time around the camp fire. We ended up teaching Jackson (a co-worker of mine at AfricaHope) John Denver’s ‘Country Roads’ :)
• VBS craft time with the school kids…bags with finger print people on them, prayer journals, a banner made with handprints in the colors of the Kenya flag. Love their little hands:)
• Watching the kids play with a large parachute…you know, those parachutes we used to play with at VBS that you try to run under before it comes back down on you. It brought back memories:)
• Nashipae…the Maasai name the students gave me. It means ‘happy’:) They gave us all Maasai names after they performed some traditional Maasai songs for us on our last day there. Precious!
• Passing out deworming medication to all the students. Not glamorous, but definitely helpful.
• Visiting a nearby bore hole that AfricaHope helped make possible
• Nyama choma = roasted meat. On our last day, men from the community slaughtered a goat & roasted it for us! The goad fat soup that also comes along with a slaughtering was….an experience.
• Being able to witness a community meeting led by Tim, AfricaHope’s director, about improving the school for the children
• Maasai beaded jewelry from the parents that we were all given before leaving
• A few Moran (Maasai warriors) came by for a visit & performed a song for us! They requested that we remember them & bring back pictures. We just so happened to have a Polaroid on hand!
• Getting to know the amazing teachers & kids at Olosirua :)
I do love being out in the field:)**If you'd like to see more pictures from our time in the bush, click here**
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Kenyan Cooking...
One of my language learning projects has been to learning how to cook Kenyan food...in Swahili. I thought I'd go ahead & share the 'recipies' I've gotten so far(translated into English as best I can:) ), so you too can try out Kenyan cooking! One warning, though...you'll probably have to use a bit of trial & error since Kenyans don't use exact measurements:) I have found exact recipies online, though, if you like exact mesaurements & directions:)
Sukuma Wiki - My favorite! It means 'to push the week' in Swahili, because it can help stretch meals through the week. This kale dish (plus spinach sometimes) is usually served with ugali (listed below) or chapati.
- Chop up onions, tomatoes, green peppers, sukuma (kale or collard greens, & spinach (if you'd like a mix)
- Put the onions, tomatoes, & green peppers in a cooking pot
- Add some cooking oil or butter/margarine
- Place over medium heat
- Leave for 5 minutes, stirring together until it is cooked well
- Add sukuma & spinach
- Add a bit of salt & water
- Cover the pot & leave to cook for 10 minutes on low-medium heat
Ugali - a dense dough-like staple of the Kenyan diet made of maize flour. It is usually served with meat, stew, sukuma wiki, or cabbage.
- Put about 4 cups of water into a cooking pot
- Bring the water to a boil
- Add about 3-4 cups of maize flour (I've seen recipies that use cornmeal if maize isn't available) a little at a time while stirring it completely together with the water using a wooden spoon
- 'Press' the mixture against the side of the pot with the spoon to continue mixing it as it thickens
- Continue cooking & 'mixing' until it is 'ready' (another recipie said 'well cooked'). Basically it should be dense, no liquid, & require muscles to stir:) The color & amount of flour required will differ depending on the type of flour you use.
- Remove the pot from the heat & cover to cool for a bit until serving
- Cut into pieces & serve
Mchuzi - aka stew
- Put peas in a cooking pot & boil them completely
- Chop the tomatoes, green peppers, cilantro, carrots, cabbage, onions, garlic, potatoes, & meat
- Put the meat & a bit of salt in another pan. Boil the meat without adding water (the salt will draw liquid out of the meat, so it won't stick to the bottom of the pan) until all the liquid is gone
- Put a bit of cooking oil in with the meat after it has cooked
- In another pot, put onions & garlic with a bit of cooking oil, & cook until brown
- Add tomatoes, green peppers, cilantro, & carrots after the onions & garlic have browned
- Cook until the tomatoes cook down
- Add the cooked meat, & cook for 2 minutes
- Add cabbage, & cook until it has changed color & the stew has soaked up all the oil
- Add peas & a bit of salt
- Add a bit of water (a larger amount if you're wanting soup), & let it boil for about 20 minutes
- Add Royco (a seasoning sold here for mchuzi), & cook for a few more minutes
Chai - Another favorite! Great on a cool day:)
- Pour milk into a cooking pot (about a 1/2 cup per person)
- Add water (about 1/2 cup per person)
- Add tea leaves (about 1/2 Tbsp per person)
- Add tea masala spice if you'd like
- Bring to a boil, & let it cook for for 2 minutes while stirring occassionally (watch closely that it doesn't boil over)
- Reduce the heat a bit after the 2 minutes, & cook until the chai becomes the color of a latte while stirring occassionally
- Pour the chai through a sieve into cups
- Serve with sugar
Ugi - a mixed flour porridge...a drinkable breakfast:)
- Put water in a cooking pot & boil (the more water, the more diluted the porridge will be)
- Mix the flour in a small bowl or cup with a bit of water (2 Tbsp of flour per person) (we used Amaranth flour, but other recipies use corn & millet flour)
- Pour the flour mixture into the pot with the boiled water
- Mix completely, making sure there are no lumps
- Leave the ugi to boil for 15 minutes
- Add a bit of milk, margarine/butter, & sugar (1 Tbsp of sugar per person)
- Leave the ugi to boil for another 5 minutes
I Will Follow...
Loving this song right now :)
"By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way & by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people." ~Exodus 13: 21-22
"When Jesus heard this, he said to him, 'You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have & give to the poor, & you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.'" ~Luke 18: 22
"By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way & by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people." ~Exodus 13: 21-22
"When Jesus heard this, he said to him, 'You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have & give to the poor, & you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.'" ~Luke 18: 22
Monday, May 9, 2011
Bombo
One of my final assignments for my intermediate Swahili course was to give a 5-10 minute oral presentation about my experience visiting the local hospital in Tanga, Tanzania. It was challenging to do this in Swahili, not only because it’s not my first language, but also because there aren’t Swahili words for much of our English medical terminology. They either use the English word or have to just describe what they’re talking about. For example, formula = milk flour. Sometimes, you can just make a word Swahili…plexiglass = plexiglasi, incubator = incubata :) So, here is my experience at Bombo Hospital…first in English, & then in Swahili…
Bombo Experience
Last week, I went to Bombo Hospital to help one of the Norwegian nursing students with an interview for her final research paper for her Bachelor’s degree. I hadn’t been required to wear a white student nurse’s uniform like the one I was given in about 7 years! The only pair of closed-toed shoes I brought with me was pink, so I wore bright white & pink to the hospital:)
As we pulled into the hospital compound, I saw many buildings…eye clinic, tooth clinic, lab, etc. The oldest building, with a sign on it called ‘Cliff Block’, had an old-building, unique architecture feel to it that I like.
We entered the building next to Cliff Block…a more modern looking building, but run down by Western standards. We walked up a couple flights of stairs until we reached the maternity ward. Antenatal patients at less than 7 months were in a room off to the left, antenatal greater than 7 months & postpartum were in a room off to the right, & in the middle was the delivery room & Low-Birth-Weight Unit (LBW) (their NICU). The rooms were crowded…most of the beds had at least 2 women sharing them. Some had brought their own sheets of plastic to lie underneath themselves to protect the mattress from their blood. Some new mothers were resting, some were breastfeeding. The beds looked like they were decades old. Hospital personnel walked in & out of the room, but we were told there were only 2 nurses for around 60 patients! Despite the overcrowding & seemingly run down conditions, there was beauty in that room…beautiful new mothers with their precious babies, both wrapped in beautifully colored kangas.
I was able to go into the LBW unit. I kind of felt at home around those tiny babies I’m used to caring for. The room was as big as one of the NICU storage rooms at home. The incubators were made of wood with a plexiglass tops. Two new babies with retractions were in there being observed. Another tiny one was being cup fed by her mother…a method I’ve only read about in books. Another baby that looked to be about 30-32 weeks had her nasal cannula, which was hooked up to an oxygen concentrator, lying on top of her nose. I wanted to help, but wouldn’t even know where to start. Are there even the resources & knowledge here to help these sick & premature babies?
The nurse who we were going to interview was busy helping with sutures when we first arrived, but we didn’t have to wait long. She had been a nurse for 1 year – 7 months in this unit. She was so insightful, telling us about how things should be done in comparison to how they really are done. Tea (the nursing student) is writing about the effects of hygiene on maternal & infant mortality & infections, including sepsis. The nurse agreed that they’re connected & knew the importance of hygiene, but said the lack of resources, like clean equipment, lack of staff, lack of time to teach patients, & lack of general hygiene knowledge in patients are all obstacles. She seemed to have the knowledge, but is limited on her ability to implement it. She explained that they work 12+ hour shifts with little to no breaks, caring for up to 30 patients a piece, while also cleaning the ward. It sounded like nursing in the States 100 years ago. They don’t have time to teach. They don’t’ have time to assess the patients like they know they need to. They rely on the mothers to tell them if the baby isn’t acting right. They do their best, but know it’s not enough. They try to encourage breastfeeding, but have no time to teach, so the mother’s give up easily & give formula. They try to tell them to be clean, especially the breasts while breastfeeding, & the umbilical cord, but don’t’ know if they mothers really do it because they’re unable to reinforce it. Nursing as a profession isn’t respected highly in the community, so it’s not desirable to stay at a challenging job like this nurse has.
I’m glad I got to visit Bombo. The medical system here faces many challenges, but so did the Western world many years ago. They continue on here, & will also succeed.
Ujuzi wa Bombo
Wiki ijayo, nilikwenda Hospitali ya Bombo kusaidia mwanafunzi Mnorwei mmoja wa uguzi. Na mahojiano kwa mwisho karatasi yake ya uchunguzi kwa digrii yake ya Bachelor’s. Sijahitaji kuvaa nguo nyeupe ya kazi hospitali kama miaka saba! Nilileta jozi ya viatu moja tu kwamba siyo ndara, ambavyo la pinki, kwa hiyo nilivaa rangi ya nyeupe sana na la pinki kwenda hospitali. Tukiingia kiwanja cha hospitalini, niliona majengo mengi…kliniki kwa macho, kliniki kwa meno, lebu, kwk. Jengo kuukuu kabisa, liliyokuwa na alama ambayo ilisema “Cliff Block”, jina usanifu majengo ya Ulaya na wakati uliopita ninayependa.
Tuliingia jengo kondo ya Cliff Block…jengo jilifanana la kisasa zaidi, lakini kupotewa na nguvu na sanifu ya magharibi. Tulikwea ngazi mpaka tukafika wardi ya wakina mama. Wagonjwa hawajaofika mwezi saba kabla ya kuzaa, walikuwamo chumbani cha koshoto, na wale wameofika mwezi saba au zaidi, na wale wamezaa walikuwamo chumbani cha kulia. Katika katikati, palikuwa chumba cha kujifungua na wardi ya watoto wachanga waliozaliwa wenye uzito udogo au kabla ya wakati wao. Vyamba vilikuwa kusongana…vitanda karibu vyote vilikuwa na wanawake wawili au zaidi kushiriki. Wanawake wengine wameleta vipande vya plastiki wao wenyewe kupata chini ya wao wenyewe kulinda magodoro kwa damu wao. Mama wapya wengine walipumzika, wengine walinyonyesha. Vitanda vilifanana na vilikuwa vya kuukuu sana. Wafanya kazi wengi wa hospitali waliingia na waliondoka chumba, lakini tuliambia kulikuwa waguzi wawili tu kutunza kama wagonjwa sitini. Hata kama kusongana sana na kwamba wardi kulifanana na hali ya kupotewa na nguvu, kulikuwa uzuri katika chumba kile…
mama wapya wazuri na watoto wachanga wao, wote wamevaa kanga yenye rangi nzuri.
Niliweza kwenda ndani ya wardi ya watoto wachanga waliozaliwa wenye uzito udogo. Nilisikia kama nyumbani kuzunguza watoto wachanga wale wadogo sana kama wale nilizoea kutunza. Chumba kilikuwa ukubwa cha chumba ya akiba nyumbani. Incubata walitengeza mbao na plexiglasi juu ya upande wa juu. Watoto wachanga wapya wenye ‘retractions’ walikuwepo kuangaliwa. Mwengine mdogo sana aliliwa kwa kikombe na mama yake…njia nimesoma kuhusu tu vitabuni cha kiada. Mwengine aliyefanana amefika wiki thelathini au thelathini na mbili, alikuwa na kitendea kazi changu ya oksijeni juu ya pua yake. Nilitaka kusaidia, lakini sikujua kukoanza. Kweli…wana vifaa vya kutosha hapa kwa kuwasaidia wale watoto wachanga wagonjwa na wale kabla ya wakati wao?
Mwuguzi tuliyekuwa kuhoji alishughulika kusaidia kushona tukifika, lakini hatuikuwa na muda mrefu siku hii. Amekuwa mguguzi kwa miaka moja - miezi saba katika wardi hii. Alikuwa na ufahamu sana, kutuambia kuhusu jinsi ya vitu vifanye kufananisha jinsi ya vyao vinafanywa. Tea (mwanafunzi wa uguzi) anaandika kuhusu jinsi ya elimu ya afya kugeuza mauti ya mama na watoto wachanga na maambukizi, hasa septicemia. Mwuguzi alikubali kwamba vitu hivi vinashirikiana na alijua maana ya elimu ya afya, lakini utovu ya vitu vinavyosaidia kama vifaa maalum safi, wanafany kazi, wakati kufundisha wagonjwa, na maarifa ya kawaida wa wagonjwa kuhusu elimu ya afya. Alionekana ana maarifa, lakini ni kuwekwa mpaka katika kuwezwa kuyafikiliza. Alieleza kwamba walifanya kazi zamu ya kazi ya saa kumi na mbili au zaidi na mapumziko ya dogo au hata moja. Walitunza mpaka wagonjwa thelathini maadamu pia kusafisha wardi. Hii ilinikumbushe ya uguzi katika Umerika miaka mia moja uliopita. Hawana wakati wao kufundisha. Hawana wakati kuwapima wagonjwa wao kama wanajua wanahitaji kufanya. Wanawategemea mama kuwaambia kama mtoto mchanga hatendi sahaki. Wanafanya kazi yao bora kabisa, lakini wanajua wanajaribu kutia moyo kunyonyesha, lakini hawana haitoshi wakati kufundisha, kwa hiyo mama wanacha rahisi na kuwalisha na unga ya maziwa. Wanajaribu kuwaambia waki mama kuwa na usafi, hasa maziwa zao maadamu kunyonyesha na chango la uzazi, lakini hawajui kama mama kuifanya atafanye kwa sababu hawawezi kujimarisha. Mwuguzi pia alituambia kwamba ubingwa wa uguzi haukustahi sana kwa jamii, kwa hiyo hakuna motisha kubaki katika kazi ambaye inakuwa ngumu kama hii.
Mimi ninafurahi niliweza kutembelea Bombo. Pana mazingira ya kazi magumu hapa, lakini mazingira haya, sisi pia tulikuwa nao Ulaya na Amerika. Wanaendelea mbele hapa na wao pia watafika.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nurses’ Duties in the US 100 Years Ago
The following job description was given to floor nurses in institutions similar to Athens’ Lunatic Asylum (circa 1887).
In addition to caring for your 50 patients, each nurse will follow these regulations:
1. Daily sweep and mop the floors of your ward, dust the patient’s furniture and windowsills.
2. Maintain an even temperature in your ward by bringing in a scuttle of coal for the day’s business.
3. Light is important to observe the patient’s condition. Therefore, each day fill kerosene lamps, clean chimneys and trim wicks. Wash the windows once a week.
4. The nurse’s notes are important in aiding the physician’s work. Make your pens carefully you may whittle nibs to your individual taste.
5. Each nurse on day duty will report every day at 7 a.m. and leave at 8 p.m. except on the Sabbath on which day you will be off from 12 Noon to 2 p.m.
6. Graduate nurses in good standing with the director of nurses will be given an evening off each week for courting purposes or two evenings a week if you go regularly to church.
7. Each nurse should lay aside from each payday a godly sum of her earnings for her benefits during her declining years so that she will not become a burden. For example, if you earn $30 a month you should set aside $15.
8. Any nurse who smokes, uses liquor in any form, gets her hair done at a beauty shop, or frequents dance halls will give the director of nurses good reason to suspect her worth, intention and integrity.
9. The nurse who performs her labors and serves her patients and doctors without fault for five years will be given an increase of five cents a day, providing there are no hospital debts outstanding.
http://www.toddlertime.com/advocacy/hospitals/Asylum/ridges-staff.htm
Bombo Experience
Last week, I went to Bombo Hospital to help one of the Norwegian nursing students with an interview for her final research paper for her Bachelor’s degree. I hadn’t been required to wear a white student nurse’s uniform like the one I was given in about 7 years! The only pair of closed-toed shoes I brought with me was pink, so I wore bright white & pink to the hospital:)
As we pulled into the hospital compound, I saw many buildings…eye clinic, tooth clinic, lab, etc. The oldest building, with a sign on it called ‘Cliff Block’, had an old-building, unique architecture feel to it that I like.
We entered the building next to Cliff Block…a more modern looking building, but run down by Western standards. We walked up a couple flights of stairs until we reached the maternity ward. Antenatal patients at less than 7 months were in a room off to the left, antenatal greater than 7 months & postpartum were in a room off to the right, & in the middle was the delivery room & Low-Birth-Weight Unit (LBW) (their NICU). The rooms were crowded…most of the beds had at least 2 women sharing them. Some had brought their own sheets of plastic to lie underneath themselves to protect the mattress from their blood. Some new mothers were resting, some were breastfeeding. The beds looked like they were decades old. Hospital personnel walked in & out of the room, but we were told there were only 2 nurses for around 60 patients! Despite the overcrowding & seemingly run down conditions, there was beauty in that room…beautiful new mothers with their precious babies, both wrapped in beautifully colored kangas.
I was able to go into the LBW unit. I kind of felt at home around those tiny babies I’m used to caring for. The room was as big as one of the NICU storage rooms at home. The incubators were made of wood with a plexiglass tops. Two new babies with retractions were in there being observed. Another tiny one was being cup fed by her mother…a method I’ve only read about in books. Another baby that looked to be about 30-32 weeks had her nasal cannula, which was hooked up to an oxygen concentrator, lying on top of her nose. I wanted to help, but wouldn’t even know where to start. Are there even the resources & knowledge here to help these sick & premature babies?
The nurse who we were going to interview was busy helping with sutures when we first arrived, but we didn’t have to wait long. She had been a nurse for 1 year – 7 months in this unit. She was so insightful, telling us about how things should be done in comparison to how they really are done. Tea (the nursing student) is writing about the effects of hygiene on maternal & infant mortality & infections, including sepsis. The nurse agreed that they’re connected & knew the importance of hygiene, but said the lack of resources, like clean equipment, lack of staff, lack of time to teach patients, & lack of general hygiene knowledge in patients are all obstacles. She seemed to have the knowledge, but is limited on her ability to implement it. She explained that they work 12+ hour shifts with little to no breaks, caring for up to 30 patients a piece, while also cleaning the ward. It sounded like nursing in the States 100 years ago. They don’t have time to teach. They don’t’ have time to assess the patients like they know they need to. They rely on the mothers to tell them if the baby isn’t acting right. They do their best, but know it’s not enough. They try to encourage breastfeeding, but have no time to teach, so the mother’s give up easily & give formula. They try to tell them to be clean, especially the breasts while breastfeeding, & the umbilical cord, but don’t’ know if they mothers really do it because they’re unable to reinforce it. Nursing as a profession isn’t respected highly in the community, so it’s not desirable to stay at a challenging job like this nurse has.
I’m glad I got to visit Bombo. The medical system here faces many challenges, but so did the Western world many years ago. They continue on here, & will also succeed.
Ujuzi wa Bombo
Wiki ijayo, nilikwenda Hospitali ya Bombo kusaidia mwanafunzi Mnorwei mmoja wa uguzi. Na mahojiano kwa mwisho karatasi yake ya uchunguzi kwa digrii yake ya Bachelor’s. Sijahitaji kuvaa nguo nyeupe ya kazi hospitali kama miaka saba! Nilileta jozi ya viatu moja tu kwamba siyo ndara, ambavyo la pinki, kwa hiyo nilivaa rangi ya nyeupe sana na la pinki kwenda hospitali. Tukiingia kiwanja cha hospitalini, niliona majengo mengi…kliniki kwa macho, kliniki kwa meno, lebu, kwk. Jengo kuukuu kabisa, liliyokuwa na alama ambayo ilisema “Cliff Block”, jina usanifu majengo ya Ulaya na wakati uliopita ninayependa.
Tuliingia jengo kondo ya Cliff Block…jengo jilifanana la kisasa zaidi, lakini kupotewa na nguvu na sanifu ya magharibi. Tulikwea ngazi mpaka tukafika wardi ya wakina mama. Wagonjwa hawajaofika mwezi saba kabla ya kuzaa, walikuwamo chumbani cha koshoto, na wale wameofika mwezi saba au zaidi, na wale wamezaa walikuwamo chumbani cha kulia. Katika katikati, palikuwa chumba cha kujifungua na wardi ya watoto wachanga waliozaliwa wenye uzito udogo au kabla ya wakati wao. Vyamba vilikuwa kusongana…vitanda karibu vyote vilikuwa na wanawake wawili au zaidi kushiriki. Wanawake wengine wameleta vipande vya plastiki wao wenyewe kupata chini ya wao wenyewe kulinda magodoro kwa damu wao. Mama wapya wengine walipumzika, wengine walinyonyesha. Vitanda vilifanana na vilikuwa vya kuukuu sana. Wafanya kazi wengi wa hospitali waliingia na waliondoka chumba, lakini tuliambia kulikuwa waguzi wawili tu kutunza kama wagonjwa sitini. Hata kama kusongana sana na kwamba wardi kulifanana na hali ya kupotewa na nguvu, kulikuwa uzuri katika chumba kile…
mama wapya wazuri na watoto wachanga wao, wote wamevaa kanga yenye rangi nzuri.
Niliweza kwenda ndani ya wardi ya watoto wachanga waliozaliwa wenye uzito udogo. Nilisikia kama nyumbani kuzunguza watoto wachanga wale wadogo sana kama wale nilizoea kutunza. Chumba kilikuwa ukubwa cha chumba ya akiba nyumbani. Incubata walitengeza mbao na plexiglasi juu ya upande wa juu. Watoto wachanga wapya wenye ‘retractions’ walikuwepo kuangaliwa. Mwengine mdogo sana aliliwa kwa kikombe na mama yake…njia nimesoma kuhusu tu vitabuni cha kiada. Mwengine aliyefanana amefika wiki thelathini au thelathini na mbili, alikuwa na kitendea kazi changu ya oksijeni juu ya pua yake. Nilitaka kusaidia, lakini sikujua kukoanza. Kweli…wana vifaa vya kutosha hapa kwa kuwasaidia wale watoto wachanga wagonjwa na wale kabla ya wakati wao?
Mwuguzi tuliyekuwa kuhoji alishughulika kusaidia kushona tukifika, lakini hatuikuwa na muda mrefu siku hii. Amekuwa mguguzi kwa miaka moja - miezi saba katika wardi hii. Alikuwa na ufahamu sana, kutuambia kuhusu jinsi ya vitu vifanye kufananisha jinsi ya vyao vinafanywa. Tea (mwanafunzi wa uguzi) anaandika kuhusu jinsi ya elimu ya afya kugeuza mauti ya mama na watoto wachanga na maambukizi, hasa septicemia. Mwuguzi alikubali kwamba vitu hivi vinashirikiana na alijua maana ya elimu ya afya, lakini utovu ya vitu vinavyosaidia kama vifaa maalum safi, wanafany kazi, wakati kufundisha wagonjwa, na maarifa ya kawaida wa wagonjwa kuhusu elimu ya afya. Alionekana ana maarifa, lakini ni kuwekwa mpaka katika kuwezwa kuyafikiliza. Alieleza kwamba walifanya kazi zamu ya kazi ya saa kumi na mbili au zaidi na mapumziko ya dogo au hata moja. Walitunza mpaka wagonjwa thelathini maadamu pia kusafisha wardi. Hii ilinikumbushe ya uguzi katika Umerika miaka mia moja uliopita. Hawana wakati wao kufundisha. Hawana wakati kuwapima wagonjwa wao kama wanajua wanahitaji kufanya. Wanawategemea mama kuwaambia kama mtoto mchanga hatendi sahaki. Wanafanya kazi yao bora kabisa, lakini wanajua wanajaribu kutia moyo kunyonyesha, lakini hawana haitoshi wakati kufundisha, kwa hiyo mama wanacha rahisi na kuwalisha na unga ya maziwa. Wanajaribu kuwaambia waki mama kuwa na usafi, hasa maziwa zao maadamu kunyonyesha na chango la uzazi, lakini hawajui kama mama kuifanya atafanye kwa sababu hawawezi kujimarisha. Mwuguzi pia alituambia kwamba ubingwa wa uguzi haukustahi sana kwa jamii, kwa hiyo hakuna motisha kubaki katika kazi ambaye inakuwa ngumu kama hii.
Mimi ninafurahi niliweza kutembelea Bombo. Pana mazingira ya kazi magumu hapa, lakini mazingira haya, sisi pia tulikuwa nao Ulaya na Amerika. Wanaendelea mbele hapa na wao pia watafika.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nurses’ Duties in the US 100 Years Ago
The following job description was given to floor nurses in institutions similar to Athens’ Lunatic Asylum (circa 1887).
In addition to caring for your 50 patients, each nurse will follow these regulations:
1. Daily sweep and mop the floors of your ward, dust the patient’s furniture and windowsills.
2. Maintain an even temperature in your ward by bringing in a scuttle of coal for the day’s business.
3. Light is important to observe the patient’s condition. Therefore, each day fill kerosene lamps, clean chimneys and trim wicks. Wash the windows once a week.
4. The nurse’s notes are important in aiding the physician’s work. Make your pens carefully you may whittle nibs to your individual taste.
5. Each nurse on day duty will report every day at 7 a.m. and leave at 8 p.m. except on the Sabbath on which day you will be off from 12 Noon to 2 p.m.
6. Graduate nurses in good standing with the director of nurses will be given an evening off each week for courting purposes or two evenings a week if you go regularly to church.
7. Each nurse should lay aside from each payday a godly sum of her earnings for her benefits during her declining years so that she will not become a burden. For example, if you earn $30 a month you should set aside $15.
8. Any nurse who smokes, uses liquor in any form, gets her hair done at a beauty shop, or frequents dance halls will give the director of nurses good reason to suspect her worth, intention and integrity.
9. The nurse who performs her labors and serves her patients and doctors without fault for five years will be given an increase of five cents a day, providing there are no hospital debts outstanding.
http://www.toddlertime.com/advocacy/hospitals/Asylum/ridges-staff.htm
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