A Day in the Life
I realize that it has been a little while since I have updated, and I am sorry for that. The intent of this blog is to document my trips this summer though, and I haven't yet left. It is getting close though. I leave on Monday. This week is just crazy with all of the goodbye's that I have to say though, plus all of the regular stuff that obviously hasn't ended just because I'm leaving.But I do promise that I will do more of a daily update of things once I get to Berlin, but for now I will just do this. I found an article written about a woman that I believe that I will be working alongside when I get to Zimbabwe. I thought that it was an interesting read and adds some further perspective to one side of what I'll see when I get there. Please continue to be praying for this country and for this woman.
A Day in the Life
written by Rosemary Hack
It’s 10.00 am on a Tuesday, Vicky Graham’s Land Rover pulls into a
Zimbabwean school yard. About 70 people of all ages and both sexes are sitting
in the shade of the trees awaiting her arrival. She opens the back of the
vehicle and sets up her mobile medical clinic. Medicine is limited, but she has
more than the local clinic, which rarely even bothers to open anymore. This is
not just Zimbabwe, already suffering shortages, but this is Tongaland, looked
down upon, neglected and despised. The first patient is an old man; he looks
about 80, but is probably somewhere between 45 & 50. Life is tough for these
people and they age quickly. His name is Mnube, he is half blinded
by cataracts, Vicky can do nothing for those, but she can treat the seeping
wounds on his legs. These are caused by a fungal infection and the ever present
swarm of flies ensures that they quickly spread from one person to another. His
“consultation” takes about 4 minutes, he comes every week and leaves a bit
cleaner, having heard some kind words and knowing that someone cares. The next
patient has flu, nothing that a couple of Aspirin won’t fix. He is followed by a
boy with fly encrusted wounds, which Vicky cleans. Patient number four has
bilharzia, “We’ve no medicine for that,” Vicky explains, “we’ve run out and
can’t get anymore, it’s expensive too”. The next patient has a hacking cough,
probably TB and she is very weak. Vicky doesn’t need a blood test to know that
this old lady is HIV positive. A simple infection could squeeze the remaining
life out of her. The clinic is out of TB medicine too. She gives her a few
vitamins and a kind word. And so it goes… malaria, AIDS, a baby with syphilis
and probably HIV positive as well, more AIDS, more malaria, children scream as
they are given chloraquin, foul tasting but life saving. By 12:00 noon there are
over 100 patients, 50 of whom have been seen. Today is relatively slow, often
over 200 will turn up. “75% of the eye infections and festering wounds would
clear up if it weren’t for the flies and lack of hygiene,” comments Vicky. “We
are starting to teach some health education. Before the clinic starts they
listen to a gospel message and get some health education.”. 5 year old Prince is
another typical patient. He injured his finger with a hoe; the local clinic
sewed it up. 6 days later his mother took him back to get the dressing changed
but the clinic was closed. The next day she travelled 40 kilometers to see
Vicky. By this time the wound and dressing had firmly adhered to each other.
Little Prince sat there stoically; not crying but beads of sweat formed on his
forehead as Vicky soaked the dressing and slowly separated it from his wound.
Two mothers, with their babies on their knees sit waiting for treatment. All are
suffering from STD’s and are HIV positive. “STD’s are a major problem, and along
with them comes AIDS. This is a both a highly immoral and polygamous society.
Most of the women who come to the clinic don’t know where their husband’s are. I
am starting to get tough and telling them I will only treat them if they bring
their partners”. With medicine being scarce and expensive it is pointless to
treat someone who will soon be re-infected. “But, it’s hard to be tough on these
ladies. They are very much the innocent victims. I saw one young girl who had
been married two weeks, she was a mass of festering wounds and didn’t really
know what had happened, you can’t turn people like that away.” There is not much
AIDS awareness. Vicky will get called to see people on their deathbeds. She
tries to teach the family to care for them. “They know what’s going on, but no
one will admit it – AIDS has such a stigma. Humanly speaking the situation is
hopeless, the only thing that will help these people is the truth of the
Gospel.” Not long ago an elderly lady told Vicky, “You need to pray for us old
people, we are so stuck in witchcraft and can’t get free. How can old people be
free?” Vicky explained how. “Whilst we were sharing you could see her accepting
Jesus and suddenly realising that He makes a difference - she doesn’t have to
worship her ancestors or go to witchdoctors – the greatest joy is to see a face
change from something that is distorted and bound, into one of absolute peace.”
And that, in a nutshell, is why this very competent lady is living in a caravan
in a remote tribal area in one of the more inhospitable parts of the planet.
Hard to imagine, that's for sure. But I will become acquainted with it soon, and I pray that God would strengthen me to be able to be of some use there.
Peace and blessings,
JZ
posted by JZ @ 10:07 AM
Comments: 1
