Village mamas

So, I know I've been remiss in my blog posting, and probably I've lost all my readers (all thirteen of them), but I've been thinking about Africa and missions lately, and I thought of a story that I would like to share with you.

In the Clau-Clau feeding scheme there was a group of ladies who were paid a small amount to help mama Bonkiwe prepare the meal for the children who came after school. They were, collectively, "the mamas", and I miss them. This photo at the top is one of them, serving the children.

One of my favorite memories of Africa, is sitting around in the afternoon with a group of the mamas, and some of the older girls who got out of school early and just chatting. It was so fun to ask them about what its like being a woman in South Africa, where they go to have their babies, and what they believe about women's health. I loved these ladies, and they loved me, when they wanted to talk about health stuff, they would always start the question by addressing me as "Doctor", which was a sign of their respect for me! This is one of the reasons I am continuing my education, because I am passionate about the health of women and children, and I believe that these women should have access to a practitioner who can appropriately diagnose and treat them!

The best thing about my trip to South Africa, without a doubt was the relationships I built with the people. I loved those times of sitting around in a circle of women whose lives were incredibly different than mine, and being able to count them as my friends.

Lately I've been so stressed out with my work, because the model of care in America is so different, its hard to get that relational aspect in a hospital setting, and there's just no time to sit and get to know where your patients are coming from. It can be very frustrating! There are always bright spots, though, patient's that are so grateful for the care they are receiving, and there are some perfect days, when the physicians, other nurses, and ancillary staff are on the same wavelength, and we actually are working together because we all care about the patients, those are the golden days, and they do happen!

Please stay tuned, because I have a feeling that there are some very exciting adventures ahead in my life, and I would love to share them with you! I promise I will keep blogging on a more regular basis!