Proverbs 3v5

Two Thursdays ago I was called by one of the directors to come to the offices as there were some babies there that needed to be seen. I wandered over and as I got closer I could see a lady with two small babies. It turned out that the lady was the JaJa (grandmother) and she was the main carer for the twins who were her daughter’s children. The twins were about 14-16 months old and the story she told was that their mother had developed a mental illness and abandoned them. The grandmother had her own children and was struggling to care for these two as well. She was concerned for their health and arrived seeking help after having walked for an hour carrying them both.

On first glance both children appeared very malnourished. Their hair was a brownish colour and very wispy (a sign of malnutrition). Their skin was oedematous and had areas that were sore, weeping and broken down. They had large tummies and puffy cheeks. The boy weighed in at 5.5 kgs and the girl at 5kgs (A new born baby usually weighs around 3.5-4kgs). I stood and listened to the discussion that took place on how we as an organisation would be able to help them.  The decision was made that we would send them to our local hospital for a check up and whilst they were gone decide what else could be done. On their return our Social Worker informed the grandmother that she should take the babies home and start giving formula feeds in a bottle which we would provide. Our social worker had a long discussion with the Jaja who obviously did care and love the babies and wanted them with her but had financial problems, which meant that she was not able to give them all they needed. That day the babies were enrolled on the feeding programme at GSF, which means that they will be brought in each Thursday by their Jaja so that the Social Worker can monitor their situation and supply them with formula feeds for the week ahead. 

Their grandmother said that they had been walking until they became so unwell.

I helped administer medication for the twins;  antibiotics for their chest infections, multivitamins, iron supplements, antibiotic creams, paracetamol and a multitude of creams for their skin. Transport was arranged to take the 3 of them back to their village. The grandmother left happier and with the support she needed to continue supporting her family which included new clothes for the twins, a mattress for the babies to sleep on and new sheets and blankets. Our social worker is planning to visit them in their home to assess their situation there at some point in the near future.

The whole process above took all day. They had arrived at 9am and left around 5pm. During this time I had lots of cuddles with them both and we were able to feed them (the grandmother also) and give them formula milk to drink that they really enjoyed! 

On first seeing the children I couldn’t believe how neglected they had been and was thinking about how in England the babies would have been admitted to hospital as an emergency case, both for medical attention and whilst teams had investigated the neglect of their care. I was surprised that the hospital that had seen them here had not commented on any part of the social situation. They checked their physical health and discussed commencing them on the immunisation programme and then sent them back to us. I have been informed that hospitals here see malnutrition often and as this wasn’t ‘serious’ the hospital would not have wanted to admit them or look into this case on any level.  I was even surprised that our social worker was not rushing to do a home visit that day and that the babies could go straight home to a environment we hadn’t seen or assessed. I find situations like these hard to deal with in my head, as I will be thinking “if we were in England now a, b and c would happen”. Instead I have to trust the system that is here and the support that GSF can give, and remember that we are giving more help than villagers like this grandmother would otherwise have been able to access. I also have to trust the process that our Social Worker is following and remember all the amazing things she and the feeding programme do and yes, it isn’t a perfect system in any way but she does an outstanding job with very minimal resources. 

Above all I have to trust in Jesus. Even when I don’t understand the why’s and how’s in these situations I know that he is working in this place and will be the rock of hope that I and the families here are leaning on. The amazing thing here in Uganda is that the people here, even though they are faced with suffering each day don't seem to question God. They trust Him in every situation. They cling to him in hard times because they have learnt to trust him in all times. God hasn't changed, even when their circumstances have. I am praying that I learn to rely on Him in that same way and that I can try to put aside my understanding of things and hand them over to God.  I know that there will be many situations over the next year that will be difficult to see and handle but I firmly believe in His power to restore all situations and pray that I stay close to him in all my days, whether they be easy or tough. 

 Proverbs 3 v 5-6  "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight".