TIA - a week with little electricity !

Friday 25th September
An interesting week, the weekend was spent finishing off bits and pieces on our newly renovated home! Having served out in Swaziland for nearly 3 years I am still a westerner through and through, although hubby would love to experience living in a mud hut with no hot water or electricity, this is not me and I’m sure it never will be me! Fortunately hubby understands how I feel and arranged the big surprise renovation while I was absent for 3 months on my visit to the UK.
Monday brought meetings and first dilemma of the day, a worker was reported by a manager to have been driving a company vehicle without authorisation in my department. The worker denied it and had several witnesses to back him up, also a log book to say he hadn’t taken it without authorisation. The manager was adamant he had seen him or at least the vehicle, we have a meeting – 5 of us and no conclusions are come to. Except people not trusting other people and bad feeling all around. The worker is given a verbal warning by the manager above me and that’s it. So frustrating, I guess that is what being a manager is all about!!
Tuesday is Baylor day, this is where a paediatrician comes up from Mbabane to see the children who are hiv +, some are on medication, some are not yet. We spend the day counting medication to check they are taking it correctly and drawing blood for CD4 (checking the soldiers is what they call it here).We give out new medication refills and after weighing them and an examination by the doctor they are on their way. We have a few new ones, unfortunately again an everyday occurrence in this country. My regular doctor was sick so her husband came up who pointed out he was also a doctor as I kept introducing him to the patients as ‘our regular doctor’s husband!!’ The clinic team, 6 of us with the two Baylor doctors had lunch together at the lodge as it is our senior nurses last week with us. Chicken Bagels, one of the lodge’s best lunches that’s for sure!!
Wednesday, a reasonably quiet day, the electricity was out again who knows why, something to do with the local area electricity board which can affect us as well. We seem to manage okay at the clinic, however, a young lady who is a dental hygienist from the states who has come for two months to Bulembu to serve by removing tartar from the children’s teeth is struggling to see without light and using sharp instruments is a somewhat hazardous situation so we arrange to bring a generator in to help her out. ....... She is doing an amazing job – some of these kids have never been to the dentist before and are indeed of a good tartar clean!! We see lots of sick children today, lots of ‘jova’s’, you can look that up and see what it means in English!

On Thursday night the family plus friends played a game of Settlers of Catan – the IT master mind won of course, all on the throw of the dice!! Haha............
Another week in Bulembu, Off to make my Ice cream now in preparation for the Swazi 500!!

First week back

Friday 18^th September

Anyone watched the film ‘Blood Diamonds’? There’s a phrase in the film simply saying ‘This is Africa’ or for short TIA. No disrespect to our African nation but as soon as I arrived in Johannesburg – I felt the need to say ‘TIA’! I’d flown on Virgin Atlantic airline from London to Johannesburg. I was allowed 23kgs in baggage and most of what I was bringing back was equipment and supplies for the Ministry I worked for. I had 26kgs – Virgin Atlantic was fantastic and let me take the extra 3kgs with no questions asked. I present myself to check in for a flight from Joburg to Matsapha and they tell me the maximum baggage allowance is 20kgs, no exceptions I will have to pay the excess baggage, I explain I have many things inside my bag for the Orphans in Swaziland. I speak to a manager and she tells me those are the rules and there are no exceptions! I ‘m told to take my bag across to the ticket desk and pay the extra; I do so and then drag my bag back to the check in desk. TIA. No exceptions, stick to the rules at all costs, no decision making. It makes me really frustrated but hey this is Africa and I have to just accept it and get on with it.

Returning to Swaziland after having nearly 3 months in the UK is exciting, their winter has passed, usually only the months of July and August, the air is really warm and pleasant. My husband and I arrive in the village, so many things have changed, and The Dairy is all fenced in now, the grazing being prepared. I can see up at the top of the village the newest Orphan homes all lit up and obviously occupied by children, the large dining room is finished which was just a frame when I left. We make our way up the hill and as we advance slowly I begin to recognise familiar faces in my little swazi community.

The next day is spent unwinding, I dropped into my next door neighbours house, in the three months I have been away there must be over 7 new abandoned babies taken into their home. Babies that have been dumped into pit latrines, left at hospital, unwanted babies taken into my Neighbours house, being shown unconditional love and care, giving them everything to help replace the neglect these precious children have experienced. Unfortunately this is an everyday occurrence in this country. Babies are dumped – no responsibility taken for these little ones!

The senior nurse at the clinic has just resigned and will be leaving at the end of the month; well I have something to do now don’t I? We need to employ a new experienced nurse with midwifery as well, one who speaks Siswati and English - should be an interesting few weeks!! Managing a clinic in a ministry setting will be a quite an experience.

So this week has started to get interesting and I nearly got to walk listening to my daughter’s iPod but got totally distracted and that was it! not a lot of exercise this week.................... Until next time have a blessed week.

New season - Sept 2009

Today I fly back out to Swaziland after being away in my home country of England for nearly 3 months. I am entering a new season and would like to share my journey weekly for a year. My own children have left, some married, some finding independence in different countries. I return to my husband, we've been married for nearly 30 years, In Bulembu he runs the school, it has been a really busy time for him, the NGO we work for are bringing in children from all over Swaziland and it is his job to fit them into the education system we have in place. It is 'accelerated christian education' (ACE) and the children that come in are from many different educational backgrounds so this kind of education suits them very well. However, the biggest job is to teach them English as they are unable to be part of ACE unless they know the English language well.
I have a different role in Bulembu. I have been involved in the clinic, trying to liaise with the nursing staff who are working there, working along side the doctor who comes in once a month to treat the children with HIV, we check them out and give them monthly ARV's, check they are taking their medicines correctly, draw blood for CD4 counts and other hiv related blood tests.
I am in Bulembu to make a difference, I want to make a difference and pray that as I support my husband and work amongst those adults and children who suffer from HIV and Aids I will make a difference. I want more people to know about Bulembu the place where the swazi community are part of, living and working there, In Swaziland the tradition is for the man to have as many wives and partners as he wants - he can sleep with young girls, old women, anyone and no one will say a word about it because that's the tradition. this is spreading HIV quickly. Many people, especially between the ages of 18 and 36 are dying and many children are affected as well because their mothers don't take enough care of themselves during pregnancy and pass it on to their babies during labour. Children are also getting HIV by being sexually abused. These are the facts and this is where my husband and I work. We want to make a difference to this nation.
Anyway that's my introduction just to give you an idea of what we are doing. Let's see what the week will bring, internet connection is not always brilliant in Bulembu because of the position in the mountains and the weather conditions, so doing a weekly blog will be more realistic than a daily one.