Vital signs and community health workers

Wow, I cannot believe I’ve been here over a week already! Time flies for sure. Today was my fourth day at the clinic – it’s been good to spend time there, getting to know the staff better, meeting some patients and helping out where I can. I am going a little stir crazy, because I don’t really have a role at the clinic, so although sometimes they need me to help with vital signs, they are a pretty well-oiled machine and, most of the time, do just fine without me. Actually, even the times I do do vital signs, I think they are just being nice because they know I’m looking for something to do!

The good thing is, I was able to do some interviews with women at the clinic yesterday and today. Wednesday women come for antenatal care (ANC) – they can actually come Monday, Wednesday or Friday – and also come for immunizations for their new infants. I talked to a few, which was really helpful in editing my questions a little and figuring out the best way to ask about what I want to know. The problem is, a lot of the time, it’s pretty clear they’re not telling me everything or that they’re just telling me things they think I want to hear. Which is a common problem, especially when doing interviews like this through a translator. I could tell several of the women were pretty nervous and I don’t think it helped that my translator is male (and pretty young!) – he seemed just as nervous himself sometimes! Soti and I decided that Milicent, who is the registering person, should be my translator instead – the women all know and LOVE her and her English is great. I’m so excited about that – she is so much fun! She is going to have me to her house next weekend, which will be such a blast. She has the cutest little boy, Felix and a little girl, Kennedy, that she adopted from a husband’s distant relative who couldn’t support her.

Today, I met with the community health workers again to firm up the schedule of when I’m coming to each community. They are hilarious! Great women and they do so much good work in their communities. Each time they would tell me what community I was going to on what day, they would also say the name of the community health worker who would be meeting me there. I would repeat everything and they’d laugh and laugh, because of course, I was getting it all wrong. I don’t know how to spell these things! So then they’d spell it out SUPER slow: N-Y-A-H-A-R-A and the person’s name was Mary Oluocho – seriously, they say these things soooooo fast and expect me to remember it all. J I’m just giving them a hard time (like they give me!) - they’re super sweet. I just laugh and say “please teach me!” and then they do!

I’ve heard some say they think they have to join to comment, but just to let you know, I don't think that it's true. Others who've commented said it looks like you're joining something, but then you really aren't (not totally sure how it works). so keep those comments coming!! It’s so much fun knowing you are all reading along – you are all such a blessing. Can’t wait to see everyone in August!