Today we are leaving to return to our homestay sites. I have mixed feelings about it. I wasn’t having that great of a time when I left. My host brother was talking smack to me and my host sister and mom where talking smack about me. They seem to get a kick out of making fun of me no matter what I do. I don’t understand what they’re saying, that makes them mad. When I try to talk to them, that makes them laugh. When I try to do my laundry, the whole town knows about it. When I pour rice into a pot, that makes them cheer like I’m a rock star. I don’t know if it’s them or me but someone is constantly making me feel like an asshole. Regardless, I can’t let them ruin this experience for me. I’m going back with fresh thoughts and attitude.
In the meantime, it was great to be at Tubaniso for the 3 days. It’s funny how excited we all were to see each other…especially considering we’ve really only known each other for 3 weeks, and in that 3 weeks we really only spent 6 days together. Except for the people that we’ve been at homestay site with. We’ve been together the whole 3 weeks. We got to catch up. Hear all the good and the bad about each of our sites. I’m not happy to hear that there are others having problems with their families, but at least this confirms that it’s not just me. We have electricity and internet. Ahhh internet. As unreliable as it is, it is here. I got to magic jack and talk to my sisters, my brother and my kids. I got to Skype them as well. So I got to see everyone’s face. Again, it may be unreliable but I don’t know if I could have done this and moved so far away if I didn’t know that I would be able to see my boys and my family and friends while I was gone. And it may be only every 2 weeks for a night or 2 but think about this…the Peace Corps is having their 50th anniversary this year. Imagine having been in the Peace Corps 50, 40…geez even 10 years ago. There was no internet, no skype. They were using snail mail and land lines. The head of Peace Corps was in DC to talk to us during staging. He was in the Peace Corps 30 years ago. He would write home 2 months beforehand to let his family know he would be calling them on a particular day and that they should be home. The letter would take almost the 2 months to get there and then not even knowing if they got his letter he would have to take his chances and call and hope they were actually there to answer. No cell phones, no answering machines to at least leave a message that he was alive and well. And if his family wanted to write him…that was another 2 months. So we have sketchy internet, at best, but the alternatives are far worse. I talked to my kids from Africa!!! I saw them while they are 10,000 miles away from me!!! For free!!!
On the work side of this trip…we did some more culture training. The differences in culture coming from the US to here is huge and they spend a lot of time talking about and preparing us for those differences. We talked about culture shock and gave some input as to the things we have seen so far that gave us a taste of culture shock. Most of the things I was expecting. Some things still surprise you even though you knew they were there. Some of the things that were mentioned was the trash…everywhere, that although the adults pride themselves on how they dress why are the kids walking around filthy and running noses and underwear. Some were shocked at the fact that women just walk around breast feeding their kids all the time. I totally was not shocked by that. What did these kids think the women here did. I think life inexperience has not prepared most of these volunteers for coming here. The clinic we saw shocked some. I think that was pretty much what I thought it was going to be. The donkeys, goats and chickens walking around the place like they own it. The kids running after us like we were the pied piper calling us toubobu (white people). Although most of these things I knew to expect when you actually see it is another story. I think the thing that bothers me the most is the trash. I just don’t get that. I can’t imagine that someone hasn’t said, “it would be nicer around here if we piled it all in one place”. Novel idea!! Sanitation is one of our objectives so maybe, just maybe one of us can make a difference if even in one site.
We had a gender and development training. See my previous blog on Female Genitalia Mutilation.
Then there were the separate sectors that had their specific training. My health group learned more about the different levels of care in Mali. The community levels (the rural CSCOM (clinic) settings), the regional level and then the level higher than that. Like anywhere in the world there are politics to be dealt with between these levels and if you are sick it is never easy. Here you take these factors and add it in with the poverty.
Today, we are leaving Tubaniso at 8am. The Health Sector will go separately from the rest of the group as we have a field trip in Bamako on the way back. I did not bring my computer with me while I was at site last time. I figured since I didn’t have a way to recharge it I would just write out my blog info and type it all up when I got to Tubaniso. That did not happen. Sorry but most of what I wrote I skipped over and decided not to publish. It was too much work and after I went back and looked at it all I did the whole time was piss and moan. It wasn’t worth typing up. This time I am bringing my computer with me. It has a long enough battery life that I should be able to turn it on every once in a while and type up blog stuff.
3pm – back to homesite
Our field trip was to the Bamako CSCOM where they have a maternity ward, regular hospital and pediatric center including a malnutrition center. We were there specifically to visit the malnutrition center. Since it is also a pediatric center women bring their babies in to be weighed and measured. Using a graph (as we have in the states) they determine if the baby has any nutrition issues. If not they get their check and go on their way. If so they move into a secondary level of care. They are further assessed and it is determined if they need to be on special formula supplementing breast milk or bad enough that they need to be hospitalized. Either way they are given a protein mixed formula and something called plumpy nut (for weight gain) every so many hours (which, by the way, expired last month…I guess it’s still better than nothing). I was surprised to find out that they only have about 125 children a year through there. I would have thought as bad as the food crisis is here in Mali that would have been much higher. Of course there are babies that never make it to the hospital. We went into the hospital side…10 beds in a room. There were 4 children in there. Only one, about 5, for malnutrition. The others were in there for other illnesses…one 4 month old with meningitis (has never been vaccinated…imagine that), the other 2 with high fevers.
We got to meet with the two head doctors after and ask some questions and get some advice. There statement to us was that the best way for us to help is to go out and teach prevention. How to keep your kids from getting sick in the first place. Vaccinations are free…bring your babies into the clinics and get them vaccinated!! Wash your hands and their hands…A LOT!! Before and after the nyegen, before and after cooking, before and after changing diapers…A LOT!! Treat your water, stay out of infected water. It really isn’t hard to keep from getting sick. But they just don’t have the information they need to stay well. That’s what we’re here for. We hope!! An interesting question has been tossed around the last few weeks. Now we finally got to ask it to people that could give us the real answer. If we go out and teach prevention and have people bring their children in before it’s too late to the clinics is there resources to support that. Are there enough vaccines. Is there enough medicines. And after these children have survived the infant mortality of almost 200 per 1000, is there enough food and can their families afford to keep all these kids they have. I know that may sound callous but some people have as many children as they do knowing that not all will survive. What happens if they do…can Mali support that many mouths. Can the parents afford that many mouths. Their answer is that if we teach them to stay well on the front end they won’t need to spend the money for health care and there won’t be as many coming into the clinics and hospitals sick so they may not need as many resources. So although there will be more children surviving there will be less sick ones. In theory it sounds like a plan…in reality…we’ll just have to see. And if the statistics change to show that more children are surviving maybe these families won’t have as many expecting that all will survive. Again, in theory….
After the clinic we went to the toubobu store. I was able to replenish my shampoo and soap supply. Then we went to an American restaurant for lunch. I had a hamburger, French fries and a shake for lunch. The funny thing about that is that I don’t eat that stuff at home. I can’t remember the last time I had a hamburger. But when you are in a situation that you can’t get something, when you are able you think I better get it while I can. It was good!! This was my first visit to Bamako, the capital of Mali. It was very busy, the drivers are crazy and there were a lot of white people that live here. I’m so curious to ask them why here? Why Mali?
Gotta go to school.
8pm
I just finished my evening bath before dinner. I am sitting in my room sweating balls. It’s 90 degrees in here. My guess is that it was well over 100 today. I learned from one of our teachers that it will get to 46-47 degrees celcious for March and April. If my calculations are correct that is around 120…give or take.
Some Peace Corps staff just showed up with our bikes. How exciting. The only mode of transportation we are able to provide for ourselves while in country.
10pm
Going to bed. I have a good dinner sitting with my host sister since my host brother was not home. He came home after. We sat around and had some good baroke (chatting) and now I am on my way to bed. It is very helpful to sit and talk and at least try to think up sentences…and to have them help you when you can’t come up with all the words. As is the point to us being here in the first place. It helped a lot that he wasn’t being an asshole for a change.
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