One child at a time

Meet baby Layla. She's 2 years old and has three older siblings. Her mother is hard working and is at every parent seminar at the school. Her father is an alcoholic and at least physically abusive to the mother if not the children as well. Neither have jobs and so the family of 6 live in a very small hut with a grass roof that leaks rain often. Two of her older siblings, Rojilah and Hashim, go to Tumaini Academy. Baby Layla came to school yesterday with her mother to collect porridge mix. I had wanted to check on this woman to see how the situation was at home so had a teacher come along since she isn't speaking any English. I found out that the husband will come home at night very drunk and beat her badly, followed by kicking her out to sleep in the garden. My priority for the next few days is to find out what I can do to get the mother and four children away from that home but these things can't be taken lightly. Baby Layla was looking very ill so I told Mamma not to make plans that she was coming with me to the hospital. My suspicions were correct and after laboratory tests it was confirmed that baby Layla had very severe pnemonia... which is the top top killer in children in Africa and to make that worse, she's very malnourished getting one meal a day if that. I went to check on them thismorning at the hospital since they were immediately admitted and baby Layla is hooked up to machines and IV's. Although it's a scary site I'm told by the doctor that he has high hopes for her recovery and survival. She seems to be a fighter. I'm praying for her and hope that Mamma does not have to lose a second child as she lost one around this age a few years ago. When I walked into the childrens admittence ward I had quite the shock. Mothers and young children lined up on beds with IV tubes hanging on the walls. Many many sick children. That might have been the hardest thing I've ever seen. Today I'll go to the families home because the other three children wouldn't have even known where the mother was last night. On that trip to the hospital yesterday I also brought a woman who's caring for 5 orphaned children. Three are boys that go to Tumaini and I had sent a note home for her to come because the children were never being bathed. I found a woman barely able to walk because of an infection in the right leg. She was in so much pain that she would start crying in pain off and on the entire way there. She got an xray and I bought her some antibiotics at about 2 dollars and the doctor says that she will be fine as the infection had not gotten into the joint yet. On a happier note, we have a new student at the Academy. I told you about Saumu who has down sydrome in my last entry. Yesterday was her first day at school! I went to greet her and she has a big smile on her face. Part way through the morning I brought her a uniform dress and helped her to change into it and she was very proud of the new outfit. She's fitting in with the other kids who are too young to notice her being different from them. She's clapping and dancing with them and seems to be having a really great time. I'm so so glad that she got to come because I really really think it will make a big difference in her life. Maybe as she grows older she can start helping with cooking meals at the school and even have an income! I've also finally tracked down the district nutritionist. I didn't have time before but since I was forced to be at the hospital for a long 6 hours I found out where her office was. She's going to give me some resources and I'm also going to go on some teaching trips with her at different places so that I can learn more about nutrition in Africa. Today I have a seminar in just 3 hours with my womens group on breast feeding and weaning. I also stopped by the family planning clinic at the hospital yesterday and got some resources to do a seminar on that. The women are interested as they don't want to have 100 children each but it is often the husband who is against family planning as it shows his strength to have many children. I've changed the minds of a couple of them already though!!! I almost forgot. I have to tell about the chicken situation at Mamma Gertrude's. She was having about 40 and within 2 weeks we are down to 6. They have been dropping dead and having some sort of disease. Luckily I'm too sad when they slaughter a chicken to eat it so I don't have to worry, although they asure me that it is strictly in the chickens. I've convinced them otherwise by now as many many many have died so we will have to figure out what the problem is. So far there is no bird flu in Africa so I'm crossing my fingers for that. But... this morning squeak found one that had died beside the house that was bigger than him and picked it up to bring it to me. He brought it under my bed to eat which was extremely disturbing so I spent about 30 minutes thismorning at 6am chasing this cat around as it was growling at me with a bloody chicken in its mouth. I will take a few more hours to recover from that sight!!!!!! So... I have to run and get some felt pens and giant writing pads for my seminar but I will log on again soon and update you more on baby Layla and the activities at the school :)