Mzumazi Village Clinic

This morning we went to Jollyn Kumilonde's village project to do a little 'quick' clinic for the vulnerable women and children she has identified in this area. She does prayers with the women, Bible lessons with the children and then brings tea and bread to them all. She rides her bike to the location.
By the way, when will I learn that there is no 'quick' village clinic. Culturally you cannot have a clinic without seeing the local cheifs, then the village men get to be in line ahead of the women and children (whom we really hoped to treat). To make a long story short.. it was a LONG, dusty day. The local pastor was helping with crowd control and was keeping track of the numbers, but we didn't get those numbers before we left. At first we walked to an area where Jollyn has bought land to build some class rooms for Bible lessons and perhaps other teaching.  We used a 'hall' for the clinic and it was a blessing it was enclosed. They found some school desks for us as tables. We saw more malaria that I expected and I will need to replenish my malaria medications! There were lots of 'general body pain' (GBP), headaches, assorted rashes, and some gastroenteritis problems.  It is winter here, the dry season, and with the dust and the smoke from fires (cooking and burning the fields) everyone coughs. There are many people with eye problems, mostly cataracts but also some infections (a couple kids with possible trachoma - an eye infection). We did see some interesting and strange things - one girl with a big discrepancy in her leg lengths - she has to use a stick to walk, and one leg is obviously much stronger than the other.  We also had a child come in at the last with a broken arm (diagnosed with my xray vision - and the fact that I have felt the swelling in the wrist before). She fell off of a bike yesterday. Some one had given me some casting / splinting material and one piece was exactly the type and size she needed. Isn't God amazing? Julie and Emily had her splinted up in no time!

Tomorrow we run some errands and then leave town for the Pothawira project between Salima and Senga Bay = this is Peter Maseko / Anne Alaniz and family project with a busy, busy clinic (and orphanage). It is also financed by Global Health Innovations among others. Search the web to find more information and videos! We will be there until Saturday, so no blogging until I return.  Keep us in your prayers, as anytime travel is involved it can be a little crazy.

Enjoy the photos and keep us in your prayers!

 Village housing with kids

 Jollyn and Julie walking to Jollyn's land

 The kids are excited to see the azungus (white people) with their cameras.

 Julie, Jollyn, myself and Emily getting ready to start.

 My first patient was NOT happy!!

 Little guy with possible trachoma

 Twins - the boy was fine, the little girl had a nasty facial rash.

 This man was more worried about his eye (cataracts) then this huge mass growing on his arm!

 Pretty family!

Waiting to be seen

 Emily, our awesome pharmacist!

 Julie and Emily applying a splint to a broken arm

Whew, finally done - Emily, Clifford, Jollyn, Julie, myself and a local 'helper'.