Eventful Week!

These past few days have certainly been eventful! To start off the week I had a meeting with my Community Health Workers. I think that it went really well! I finally got to introduce myself to them as a group and we discussed the major health issues of our area, what they would like to learn, and I had them priority rank the diseases we talked about. Then we discussed how we as a group could combat these issues, and how to best mobilize the community. I did as little talking as possible, and I think that it went really well! 

The CHW's and myself!! =)

The next day I got to meet a few district officials that will I’m sure be very important for me to have good relations with in the future- the District Public Health Nurse, and the District Medical Officer of Health. Both meetings went well!

My most exciting day though this week was yesterday by far. I went over to our dispensary in the morning, preparing to go out on the mobile clinic with one of the nurses. However, when I got there I went to find my supervisor, and I got to witness my first live birth! It was AMAZING. I couldn’t believe how calm the mother was, she never yelled, just stuck it out, and this is obviously without any drugs. She has beautiful baby girl! I found out a little later on that day that she named her daughter Lindsey after me! I was so honored! It definitely made me tear up a little. This morning I went and took some pictures with baby Lindsey and her mother before she was discharged, take a look!

To make yesterday even crazier, I was relaxing on the computer later that day, and out of nowhere I feel a HUGE shock travel through my body and then down and out my right leg. Right after that the lights started flickering, but I hadn’t yet unplugged my computer from the power source because there was no sign of a problem, and it had only just begun raining. My computer was perfectly fine though, which was WONDERFUL. I checked in with our medical office, and they said that I probably actually saved my computer from being fried, and I would just feel tingly for a while.

Then today I met with my communities PLWHA (People Living with HIV and AIDS) support group. This meeting also went really well, and I think that I will able to do some great work with them. 

The support group and I!

After the meeting though, what happened? I saw ANOTHER live birth! A beautiful baby boy was born at the dispensary today! I can’t believe how much new life I have seen in the past 48 hours. It has been amazing. I feel really blessed to have been able to have these experiences.

Each day I have been feeling more and more like this is where I am supposed to be, and that this path will steer me in the right direction. Hopefully I feel this way tomorrow =P but for now, I am really loving life here in my little village!