27 Janvier 2011

The past few weeks at site have been great, work-wise. I have been doing one weekly English class with elementary school kids and one with adults. So far I’ve had a great turn-out, and we’ve had a lot of fun learning greetings and introductions. I’m going to ask some of the education volunteers nearby for some pointers, though, since I’ve never really taught English as a foreign language before. The students have seemed to really enjoy the classes, though.

Additionally, I held a meeting with the youth in the community during which time I talked to them about HIV/AIDS. Very few people know what it is or how it’s spread, so I explained about how the virus affects the body, the progression or different stages of the disease, the modes of transmission, the methods of prevention and the importance of getting tested and using condoms. I’m so happy that my Malagasy is at the point now where I can explain difficult topics like HIV/AIDS progression in a clear way that they can actually understand. That was one of the topics that I really struggled with explaining for a long time. I made some great visual aids that helped as well.

In addition to the AIDS training, I did a session with the parent-teacher organization at the primary school on signs, symptoms and prevention of the various types of fevers (malaria, flu, diarrheal disease). We’ve had a lot of people coming into the clinic with fevers lately, so it was good to have the opportunity to explain the differences between the types of diseases and the best way to take care of someone with a fever. I talked about mosquito nets, removing standing water, vaccinations, covering one’s mouth when coughing, proper hygiene practices and how to prepare oral rehydration solution. The most important thing for them to hear was that they need to take their child to the hospital if he has a fever.

There have been several children with fevers so severe that seizures set in. Some people are hesitant to go to the clinic because they don’t have money and are worried about having to pay for medications. I’ve been trying to explain to them that the doctor will still treat the child since it’s a government clinic, and that preventions such as vaccinations (which are free) and boiling water are cheaper than buying medicines one the person has gotten sick. I’m also hoping to eventually cover family budgeting with people so that they understand the importance of saving money each month for emergency expenses like illnesses or accidents.

Other than that, I myself caught the flu that has been going around my community. A fever in 90° weather plus humidity is not fun. I think I must have gotten it from weighing all the sick babies and children that have been coming into the clinic to see the doctor. Mine only lasted two days, though, thank goodness.

Finally, the well project is almost finished. I cant believe how fast it’s been completed. I hiked out to the village (7km off the main road) with the women’s group president to check on the progress of the wells. One is completely finished, and it looks great. There’s a pully and a cover and the bucket stays inside so the whole thing stays clean. A few community members will be keeping an eye on the well usage to ensure that it is being taken care of properly (i.e. the lid is not left open). The second one is in the process of being built and is about half-way there. It’s amazing to me that all the labor is by hand and yet the two wells will have been completed in under a month. Just proves that the community is really eager to have access to clean water! Thanks so much to those who contributed money to the project.