Due to problems with Blogsy and being busy, I apologise for no news.
We have had a team of 6 from England for 11 days. It is encouraging and inspiring to have visitors and we will miss their company. They were also incredibly useful. Carol devised a spreadsheet to help me with my newly acquired role to do the monthly accounts returns for the UK. Carol & Janet sewed dust covers for equipment in the baby unit, Alison brought out a reading scheme for Jo and took his after school sessions, Alison & Gill painted some wonderful murals in the children's rooms and made toys.
John fixed many things, gave useful and practical advice and almost made a prototype for a wonderful push along toy made from a baby formula tin and plumbers piping. He tried several methods but couldn't find a way of suitably fixing the piping into the joints in a stable and permanent way which was a shame. I will collar the plumber when he is next here and get his advice. It is going to be an amazing toy and I am very excited by the thought of continuing his work. Sian shamed us all by her determination to learn some Rufumbira and got to know many of the staff. She would happily talk to anyone and was very popular. Finally rattles were strung and teddies hung, it all looks bright and cheery.
There is only one inpatient at the moment, Kerisa is 2 weeks old and arrived in the village care as his mother died after the birth. He has a loving father living just over the Congo border but with many other children to look after, the family cannot cope with the needs of a newborn. Kerisa is worryingly placid and unresponsive and it has been difficult to get him to feed. He has been topped up with nasogastric feeds but the last two days has managed with 3 hourly bottle feeds. At 2.4 kilos he is a real dot.
Moses, the occupational therapist from the Hospital came to visit the workshop. He has 60 disabled children on his books....yikes! We discussed how best to prioritise the need for aids. It's a problem as many families would just not look after them and leave the chairs in the rain or allow siblings to play with and destroy them. We decided he would find one family who would perhaps be involved in making the chair for their child and see if they take greater responsibility for it as a result. He also wants to help in the workshop and we discussed the possibility that in time he could bring disabled adults down to help with paper sticking - help and therapy in one! There is such potential but a nightmare finding the correct way to develop the work.
With regards to developing the medical centre, Mike and Dr Michael, the Director of the Hospital, have decided the future here should be to cater for the critically ill child that gets lost in the wards and corridors of the Hospital. That decision allows Mike to start thinking what equipment they would need to fulfil that aim.
Things change so quickly. Since starting this today there has been an intake into the medical centre. A 2 yr old boy in a deep coma. His pupils are fixed and dilated but he can still move. His symptoms are odd and tests that can be done show nothing to explain it. However, everything that can be done, is being done.
Yesterday was our canoeing trip. The 5 of us walked to the tour place and discovered our guide had been arrested! Nobody else knew of our arrangements but once explained we set off with Richard as our guide. We had been told we could ...and wanted....to canoe ourselves but this was not an option. We spent a pleasant 3 hours being canoed around the islands, ate our packed lunches then walked back to Kisoro which took us 2 hours. It was steep in places but well worth the effort. Mike is taking hill walking well in his stride and has his sights on climbing the third tallest volcano some day!
I hope that this time the photos and text come out the way they are supposed to. I don't know what to do if they don't.
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