helen weld public health

The Beat Goes On. . .
Last Monday was relatively quiet as it was deemed a “spur of the moment” holiday by the Burundian President. This gave us some extra time for catching up and preparing for the anticipated hordes of patients for the rest of the week. We also had a full hospital and had to deal with the overflow of patients and space management.

Boohoo, Connie’s month here has gone by fast and she is all too soon heading home to Flagstaff, Arizona. Last Thursday evening we had a wonderful bon voyage soiree for her with lots of music and singing from the “local” talent. Fun!

After we arrived back in Kigutu from the weekend in Bujumbura, Brad received word from home about a death in his family. He has departed today for Baltimore and will return in March. Needless to say, there is a huge void having both of them gone. We will also miss Connie’s solar cakes. Fortunately we have some new Burundian nurses starting which is a godsend.

I am hoping in the next fortnight to launch my idea to get the community women trained to do some sewing. Surgical scrubs could be made from colorful Burundian fabric and then sold overseas to medical centers for health care personnel. The women would gain a skill, have an income and fundraising could be done for VHW, plus spread the word about what we’re doing here. Health care staff everywhere could be wearing great fabric in medical centers instead of the rather drab ones they currently use. It seems that through all the contacts VHW has in the USA and elsewhere, these colourful scrubs could become popular items.

Both of Kigutu’s community groups will be here this week. I look forward to meeting with them to present the scrubs idea and assess their enthusiasm and motivation. Details and fine tuning obviously need to be done, but it seems we are beginning to get the concept more in focus.

Clovis is healing so well. His wound care is down to one dressing change a day and it is looking good. He is certainly a feisty chap! One day he began heaving the gauze swabs across the room and later was acting like an drunken pterodactyl as he lunged at us with his arms out while standing on one leg. Watching the sunsets from the top of the hill is a good way to wrap up the long days.

Last night there were a series of dramatic thunderbolts coming from the mountains over in the Congo across the lake, the 'Heart of Darkness' country. Nicholas Kristof’s chilling tales in his recent New York Times articles about what’s been happening in the Congo are hard to fathom, especially since it feels so close, just across Lake Tanganyika.

Another favorite pastime is watching the amazing Kigutu drummers practicing their routines. The little ones are simply adorable and eager to join in. Even the three year olds have the rhythm. Last week, as the sky was turning orange during the practice, there was a contrail from a high flying jet in the sky above catching the sun’s rays, which caused many to stop, point and exclaim. At times like this it makes one realize how this community has been insulated from some of our world’s realities, but definitely not in many other realms.

Helen

Moving beds in the overflowing ward


Bazile table drumming


Connie with solar oven


Connie's last supper in Bujumbura


Connie and Helen after a wonderful month’s reunion


Clovis heaving gauze across the room


Three vs Clovis doing his dressing


Ascaris worm which emerged from a child’s nose


Patient taking plant home


Peter drumming


Young drummer


Watching the drummers



Breakfast time


Helen on the water tower taking panorama photos


Sunset with Liesse and Esperance