A new teacher, and other new things

 

Many parents around the world have experienced a disruption in their childrens' education over the last two years. For some, it has been minimal - classes online for a few months, or the addition of masks and temperature checks at school. For others it may have felt more invasive - frequent testing, cancellation of certain activities and "landmark" events like prom or graduation, minimal social outlets. For still others, especially in the developing world, it has been catastrophic - complete cancellation of school for months, even more than a year. We read reports of young girls becoming mothers and leaving school altogether, something I witness in our maternity ward more frequently than I would like.

For our family, arriving in Kapsowar just before covid, we didn't really know what education would look like for Dominic. We've been piecing it together over the last two years, and generally, I'm happy to report, Dominic is getting the basics of reading, writing, and math. However, I continue to feel like an inadequate teacher - especially on mornings when I'm trying to teach, coordinate my operating schedule, and manage admissions to the maternity ward (see example photo above). 

That's one reason we are looking for alternate options. As I have said before, we are SO grateful for the short-term and long-term volunteers who have helped with Dominic's education so far. A young man, Liam, just arrived this week and has agreed to stay for 3 months (!) to help Dominic with his curriculum. We're so grateful for these opportunities for Dominic to learn from someone other than Mom and Dad! As we hope to stay here in Kapsowar for the long-term, we're exploring options that will allow us to recruit and work with a long-term teacher, for Dominic and for any other kids of long-term volunteers who may want to come here. 

Next week we're departing for an interview in the US with an organization called Serge (www.serge.org). Please join us in thanking God that a short-term volunteer has agreed to come and cover for me during our very quick trip to the US. Please pray for a good meeting with Serge, and also for strength, energy, and good SLEEP for us as we cross 8 times-zones and come back again in less than two weeks. We are hopeful that this will be the beginning of a great partnership moving forward.

Also, while I'm asking for prayers - please pray for peace in our region of Kenya. I am writing this post in my office, waiting to start a surgery. My case was "bumped" because a gunshot victim was just brought in from a rural region nearby - the fourth such shooting that I know of in the past few weeks, and of course I only know about those victims who have survived to reach the hospital. Violence is increasing between two different tribal groups in the region, and we are praying for an end to this vicious cycle.

Looking forward to seeing some of you soon!

Kim

What's in my bag

My work bag - a freebie given to my brother-in-law Dan and passed on to me. It has seen several years of wear and tear in Utah and Kenya.

My work bag has been in desperate need of cleaning out for many, many months now. Thanks to TWO weekends off in a row, a short to-do list, and the urgency of our coming "home assignment" (more information to follow in the coming months), today is the day to delve into the depths of this somewhat bottomless pit. Inside, a few insights into life in Kapsowar.

Added this weekend - empty food containers to bring to theatre. We use containers like these to send specimens to the pathologist, as buying dedicated specimen containers for one-time use is cost prohibitive.

Two of my favorite scrub caps - the hatching dino babies came from my brother John several years ago. The orcas remind me of Seattle.

My planner - or "diary" as they call it here in Kenya. British-isms are everywhere. Two pens, one from a church and one a state farm agent with an area code I don't recognize, meaning that they were probably left by a previous volunteer. The identifiable symbols mean that these pens will consistently get returned to me when I inevitably leave them lying around.

Work stuff - well used Magio eye protection, a clean K95 (I add a paper mask over a K95 when I go to theatre in case of splashes), and my stethescope - and yes, I have used this despite being an OB/Gyn! In fact, I managed to diagnose a PDA ("machinery murmur") in a pregnant patient just a couple of weeks ago!

OB Wheels (for calculating gestational age/due date) from an outreach we did several months ago, and surgical blades which I believe someone asked me to carry to theatre, also several months ago. Oops. 

Now we're getting deeper into the bag. Prepare yourself...

Some self-care items - acetaminophen, hand lotion and sanitizer (some from the US and some from Kenya, including Purell packets from Labor and Delivery at the U of U!), a "googly eye" which fell off a craft which Dominic made for me, and inexplicably, a clothes pin.

Extra scrubs, donated by Amy, for messy days. My nurses (who do all the routine deliveries) somehow manage to come to work and leave work in pristine skirts and shirts despite conducting deliveries and cleaning the labor ward several times a day with bleach solution, and sluicing (rinsing the blood and other bodily fluids) all the sheets, blankets, etc used in maternity. I think they are likely secretly appalled at my inability to keep my clothes clean. 
Also, rain pants and umbrella. The rains here can be intense, and sometimes unpredictable, which is one of many reasons that I wear rain boots to work every day, rain or shine. (Two other reasons: dust and ants.)

Surprise! Another scrub cap (gift from Denise, a volunteer surgical tech two years ago), some clean socks (see explanation above) and some used masks (yuck). Also two shopping bags, in case a craving for sodas or chips and smokies strikes (no Uber eats or Door Dash here, the only take-out food we've gotten in town is french fries which are admittedly pretty good).

Now I've reached the strata that hasn't been seen for months. Time for a coffee break...

My favorite coffee mug from Utah - thanks Erin's parents - and some pretzel sticks lovingly dipped in chocolate by Dominic.

Near the bottom now. A lanyard with the key to the resident room that I've been hunting for, an empty food container, more sanitizer, some cars that Dominic donated to kids at the hospital [One day he decided to give ALL his hot wheels cars to the pediatrics ward, weeks before he was supposed to receive some new hot wheels track from the US. Then covid hit, the tracks - and grandparents - were delayed by a year and a half, and meanwhile his stockpile of cars was replenished. These cars that I reserved to use on his new track have been sitting in my bag ever since.], pushpins for our bulletin board at maternity, the zipper pull for the broken zipper that I keep intending to fix.

Finally empty - or not. These fell out when I turned the bag upside down - An empty and faded pen from our alma mater, a bandaid (just in case!), and a broken charging cord. Probably could part with all of these.

And on further inspection, probably could part with this bag too.

Thanks to Dr. Allan for leaving me his bag, same size but with a functioning zipper!

Thanks for joining me in completing that long-overdue chore! As you may have noticed, so many things in my life are donated, and serve as constant reminders of the love and support I receive every day. Many thanks to all of you who have helped me, and my family, to be where we are today!

Kim