...but what will the pigs eat?

In the Spring of 2009 I graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Nursing from Waynesburg University. I soon started my first job as a nurse in the hospital and there was no doubt in my mind, I had received a quality education. I am very thankful for the nursing program at WU. 

However, today I feel the need to sit down with Dr. Mosser, Dr. Small, Dr. Morris and the rest of the gang. I would like to review some areas where I am fairly certain they failed to cover. Nausea, shortness of air and fever… I know these. There is a whole set of symptoms out there that I was never taught. Here are a few I have faced here in Africa:

-          “I have a worm crawling in my arm”

-          “The pigs don’t eat my feces”

-          “The bottom of my feet are hot”

-          “There is a small animal in my stomach”

-          “I have pain in my entire body” (85% of patients)

It has been said that over 80% of the sickness and disease here in Africa is preventable. Upon my arrival I have been excited about education. I love explaining to my patients how babies and pigs living together leads to skin problems and other sickness. I love explaining the importance of a balanced diet. I love going to the different compounds and explaining how to live better, healthier lives. Unfortunately I am finding that these problems run so much deeper than mere lack of education.

Upon explanation of why it is so important to have a latrine, and how these can greatly improve their lives, one compound politely refused stating “We could use latrines… but what would the pigs eat?” (Pretty certain I will never eat pork again) There is an astronomical number of various fungal and bacterial skin infections; many of them carried by the numerous animals that live in and around the mud huts. I try to explain that as long as the animals are kept with the children, they will continually be sick. A simple pen would solve this problem. They then explain how they cannot fence the animals or they will have to feed them (they currently are scavengers) and they will get stolen.

Guinea Bissau is one of the most undeveloped countries in Africa. With zero industry, no university, no electricity, no healthcare; people here survive. It is not uncommon for government workers to go months to years without being paid. This results in many of them not showing up to work including teachers. Education in GB is a travesty. Many people have speculated as to why there is this extreme lack of development. The rest of Africa has given up on them and refuses to accept immigrants from GB.

Community Health Evangelism (CHE) is a highly successful program that has taken on the task of solving these problems. This week from 8:00am-5:00pm you will find a group of young men and women sitting on hard wooden benches with no backs in the heat of up to 120˚ eagerly learning how to be educators in their own villages. CHE has prepared thousands of lessons ranging from health and hygiene to family relations to money management and agriculture. Each lesson is Biblically based and introduces Jesus to the community. Ultimately, He is the only one who can truly free these people from the bondage they are held in that is preventing development.

We have had the great privilege of having Dayo Obaweya with us from Nigeria to lead this seminar. CHE not only teaches the problems and solutions. This program has a unique way of addressing worldview and explaining the difference between relief and development. It encourages the people of Africa to stop simply wanting handouts. Dayo has truly motivated and empowered these young men to make a difference. He taught that God has given them the ability to think and to solve their own problems. He taught that they need to stop looking at the white man as the solution to their problems but to instead look to Jesus. He showed them that they do have the ability and intellect to bring about change.

There is a noticeable change in an African once the truth is revealed and believed. The bondage here is so real. They believe that they are simply impoverished and incapable of change or good because they are African. This fatalistic attitude has stunted development.

Each man has a village that he will go to and speak with the village leaders, discover the top four problems, (catel = no food, clean water, no latrines and lack of agriculture) form committees and solve the problems using the resources available. The program’s success is based on it being locally led and implemented. Once the community claims this as their own, real change happens. How different this is from white people coming for a week, building latrines and digging wells that no one cares to maintain or use and soon break. Jon and I are beyond excited about this program and how God is going to use these young men and women to spread the Gospel and aid in development.

Please pray for these CHE participants. That God would continue to work in and through them. That this excitement they have will not fade.

Dry Compost System = Best Thing Ever

Since my first large, swollen, tender spider bite on my shoulder, my fight against the spiders continues. I killed 22 in the kitchen in preparation for our guests. I am constantly greeted by them when I open the cabinet doors in the clinic. (which is actually quite handy… right by the first aid supplies if I were to be bitten). I have often debated… should I continue this fight? Or should choose to live at peace? The answer evades me.

Another area of question is faced regarding the very affectionate children. Hygiene is very different here. Without the use of diapers, what do I do when I am handed a child to hold? Do I push this fact to the back of my mind and try hard to ignore the permeating wetness in my lap? Do I pick up these babies up as they crawl to me knowing the risk I face? Do I grab the extended hand of the child smiling up at me who has just used that very hand to wipe his dripping nose? (or worse) So far my motto has been “grit my teeth and love” (needless to say I wash my hand vigilantly and was ecstatic to find antibacterial soap in the neighboring country)

Ginny and I working in the clinic

Judy (RN) was truly wonderful in the clinic!

The mission feels very oddly quiet. For the past fourteen days there have been an extra 8-13 people here. A mission team came from Pennsylvania and was much appreciated. The team included two nurses, Judy and Ginny. It was truly wonderful to have extra help in the clinic. I was ecstatic over the chance to be able to dialogue over different diagnosis and treatments. There was also a much welcomed break from the constant “on-call” status. We were able to take first aid/hygiene lessons to different compounds and talk with the women.

Along with the nurses, were several women who started a preschool (which is being continued by Mario), Lloyd and Elaine Hoover who did an excellent job assisting with the structure and leadership of the growing church of Catel; several men who worked extremely hard pouring concrete in new church buildings and worked on various other building projects; and last but most certainly not least, two amazing cooks! We had such a great time of work and fellowship… even managed to fit a couple board/card games in. Beryl, Andrew, Jonathan and I have been so blessed by each one. It is interesting to see how each person had a unique set of skills that was used in a specific way.

I try hard not to pick favorites….. Alas, I failed.  My favorite team member is Jim. He is fun-loving and full of wisdom… an all around great guy, but more importantly he is a master mason and built me an incredible new outhouse that I love dearly. No more chickens pecking at my feet, lizards in the toilet or snakes slithering on by as I sit. Beryl is excited about it because it is a dry compost system and in one year’s time should supply us with excellent fertilizer. Very progressively green. Since outhouses are quite rare in Catel, we are hoping to use this as a prototype and to get many other people excited about dry composting systems.

Jon enjoyed learning the art of pouring concrete. He quickly caught on as they painstakingly drew water from the well, mix that with gravel, cement mix and sand and then transported it on a half broken wheelbarrow (fixed with some extra rebar) and poured on the site. All of this done with no power tools… no cement mixer etc. in extreme heat. They were able to teach several other local men this art and they will be able to work on the cashew processing plant and other various jobs.

please note the knife held in the mouth.... previously used to end the life of these chickens

Everyone loves these very unnecessary knit hats 

Last week, Andrews’s hard labor and careful planning finally paid off as we slaughtered three scrumptious chickens. Jon enjoyed this entirely too much. Meat was a welcome addition to our vegetarian diet. We have now learned how to take a small chick and turn it into a delectable meal…. From start to finish… every step completed.

Last Thursday night we introduced the Leaders of the church council. Over the past months, Beryl has been teaching what the different roles in the church council look like and what kind of qualities would make a good administrator, pastor, teacher, evangelist etc... It is so exciting to see the different qualities in the different people in the church and to see how they are matched with the different roles.  Each man stood and gave his testimony and what his vision for his position was. I am continually amazed at how God has changed the lives of these people. Jon and I believe we have an exceptional group of leaders in the church of Catel.

Jon and I covet your prayers. Please pray for this new group of church leaders. Pray for the women, we have had three Bible studies and more women show up at each one. Pray that I would be able to relate to them despite very different cultural backgrounds.

We continue to enjoy Africa. As I watched the team leave, Sadja (12 year old boy) asked me if I wish I was going back to America with the others. I truthfully stated, “No, I will cry when I leave.”