Books and Babies

Well nothing too exciting has happened over that past couple of days. I finished a book that I started several months ago – go me. My friend Gayle recommended a book she is reading called “Africa” by Richard Dowden. I thought it would be appropriate to read this book, since I’m in Africa and all. Dowden is a British journalist that has lived and traveled extensively in Africa and he’s met and interviewed people like Mugabe. Each chapter is about a different country in Africa; the political history, development, foreign aid, etc. I am quite fascinated so far and haven’t been able to stop reading. I can relate to a lot of what he writes because I have actually witnessed and experienced some of the things he discusses. It makes the book even more interesting. One excerpt really resonated with me and is one of my reasons for joining Peace Corps. I’ll share it with the class; “I wanted to do something real about poverty and suffering. I believed that to change the world you had to go there, live with the poorest and change their lives. But after three years of learning about European history, what did I know that could possibly be of use to Africa?” (Dowden, Africa). Ask my mom and she’ll tell you I’ve always wanted to go to Africa and save the world. I completely agree with what Dowden is saying here; I personally feel that the only way I can make a difference, or attempt to make a difference, is if I witness and experience poverty, hunger, sickness etc first hand. I would really like to work in the field of international development or public health, but I can’t imagine doing that without seeing it for myself. How can I presume to know what’s best for a certain group of people or country if I haven’t talked with them or visited that country? How effective can you be behind a desk with no frame of reference? You can only learn so much in a classroom. Feel free to disagree. I have some other quotes from the book that jumped out at me so I’ll include them at the end for everyone’s (mostly for my own) enjoyment.

On Wednesday June 6^th, the first Wednesday of the month it was baby weighing day in Afere! I went to the first one in May and came back for the one today. Three nurses from Juaboso (my market town) came to Afere to conduct a small health talk, weigh babies, and vaccinate. The nurse in charge of vaccines, Jennifer, was telling me that they have added two new vaccines, giving them six in total. They already administer Yellow Fever, Polio, Measles, and I didn’t catch the fourth. The two new vaccines are Rotavirus and another one that began with a “B” but I forget what it was for.

Today I went to the baby weighing in Juaboso, at the local hospital. Alisa and I helped the nurses log baby weights and vaccines. The nurses were really nice and were really enthusiastic about us being there. Immediately they asked us to observe what they were doing and eventually we were able to assist them with their duties. At one point I looked over at Alisa and she was giving children doses of Vitamin A. My nurse even let me give one baby a Rotavirus vaccine. There were no needles involved…it was just a few drops in the mouth. But I did make the baby cry as I tried to get it to open its mouth so I felt a little bad. Still it was pretty fun to actually help. A couple people from a certain organization were actually filming a documentary during the baby weighing. They panned the camera around the room and zoomed in on Alisa and me. We kept hearing theam say “abrofoe” which means white people in Twi, so I’m assuming Alisa and I were guest stars. At one point they even interviewed Alisa to ask her opinion of the day so far. We are going back next Thursday to give a small health talk on Family Planning and Nutrition…things like that. We have some materials, like flipcharts and picture cards, so we can use those to show the mothers at the clinic. I’m hoping it goes well. It was a pretty good day and I look forward to next week!

TOMORROW IS MY 4 MONTH MARK IN AFRICA! 23 months to go! Officially shorter than 2 years. The new group is on their way now. They are Education volunteers. It's nice to know that there is someone who has a longer time to go than we do!

Quotes as promised…from Richard Dowden’s Africa

“Like most outsiders arriving in Africa for the first time I was confused by the way people referred to their families. When a pupil wrote about his mothers and fathers, I corrected him. He promptly corrected me, pointing out that he lived in a house with three fathers and two mothers. ‘Yes, but you have only one father and one mother,’ I told him. ‘No, I have three fathers and two mothers at our house,’ he replied. ‘One of my mothers is my mother’s sister and one of the fathers is her brother.’ In Africa any relative who looks after you as a child is a mother or a father. Even cousins several times removed are called brothers and sisters.”

“Other cultural gulfs tormented me. One was the lack of personal privacy. Like most (Western) people, I like to be on my own some times. In Africa to be on your own means you are sick or upset.” (This is so true!!)

“Another aspect that outsiders find difficult is the responsibility that comes with being a wealthy outsider. I received a constant stream of requests from people coming to my house asking for money and sometimes for work.”

“Instead I found myself loved for the very reasons I despised. I was loved because I was white and rich, and from the rich world. I had come to bring its benefits to Africa, had I not?”