So our internet has been down for a couple of days, which was probably a good thing because I needed sometime to think how I was going to make my next post. I feel like every time I post I am always saying, “today was the most intense day ever” and the statement is true for that moment in time. Please understand as my days progress here things change, and man! Yesterday was the hardest day ever. There are three of us from my group that work with me at my internship, and it was the hardest day for them as well.

Let me start out by saying that this last weekend was amazing. It felt like I was flying, walking above the rain forest. Its funny today at lunch (Lebanese food…very good) we were discussing how there is no way to explain to people what it is really like here. How do we describe smell, and all the fine details that surrounds us, even pictures cannot fully grasp it all. I was looking through my pictures the other day and though to myself…well it’s a nice picture but that’s not what it really looks like. Back to this past weekend, first off I can’t believe I did since I am somewhat scared of heights. Half way through the 3^rd and most shaky bridge I was thinking…how am I going to do 4 more of these….and looking down was a sure no no. Its so amazing…I did something that there are only 4 of in this entire world….in the entire world…how blessed am I (I find myself saying this a lot these days). Check it out…http://gorp.away.com/gorp/publishers/consintl/gha_kak.htm

http://www.123rf.com/photo_759751.html

This is the bridge I walked on…there are 7 of them….cool huh!

Okay so back to yesterday. How do I even start to explain it. We took 2 abandon babies to the osu orphanage. On of the babies Georgina we thought was about 9 months old when she came in. She was with us for a 2 weeks, she was severely malnourished and had not reached critical developmental stages. She could not lift or hold her head, roll over and many other things. She had bed sores all over her back, and if you went to hold her…approach her she would scream. She was obviously left alone and God only know what else. Since being with us, Elena one of the interns I work with has been able to warm up to her and Georgina was able to build a trust with her. It was a very beautiful thing to watch. Georgina was able to support her head and roll over and sit up…in 2 WEEKS! What resiliency we as humans have. In looking over her medical chart before we took her to Osu the nurses stated MILD MALNURASHED CHILD>>>needles to say this really pissed us off! Did they not see the same child that myself and the rest of the department saw. The nurse in the children’s ward…really are something else….they do not touch the children..they want the children to be scared of them…that is how they think we need to teach them to obey rules…its ridiculous…grrr. Watching this child go from Elenas hands to the hands of the aid at Osu was gut wrenching, and we all lost it. The aid came out and told us…”don’t worry, she will be okay just like the other children here.” This does not help much since the other children there are also not attended to, and the children that have mental disorders are left in a room on mat in which they sit or lay all day (if you cant get up to do something or walk around then you are left).

GOOD NEWS because of the work that Elena did with her, the doctors think she is now 1yr 6mnths. Love, was the name of the other little girl (4 days old) that we left at the orphanage, she is in good health. Its so hard to have a baby taken from your arms like that.

Then we drove home 3 other women because the hospital needed them to leave because they needed the beds. These woman cannot pay their bill and there family has not come to get then, and there is no way for us to contact them. So we drove most of them home. Vida is a 16 year old girl that just had her baby. The father refuses to take responsibility, on the way to her house which was about 1hr away from the hospital, we saw her aunt walking so we picked her up. Once at Vidas house her family came out sat her down and immediately started yelling at her. They were saying that she sleeps around, and just so many horrible things I cant believe someone would EVER say to anyone. Some of the staff I work with took the families side, and when Erika (another intern from my group) went to talk to her, she asked one of the staff to translate. “would you ask her how she is feeling and if there is anything that she needs me to do, does she feel safe staying here”..to which she got … “Oh, she is just ashamed of herself as she should be.”… Erika said “I don’t care what you think, I care what she thinks…now please ask her!” It is always a struggle here, Social Work here is more of case management and not therapy….and its hard for social workers her not to judge or put their own thoughts and beliefs into every situation.

Then we took Esi home. This was supper hard for me because she lives sooo far away we could not take her to her house, we took her half way and dropped her off at a bus station. A FREAKING bus station she is still sick, 7 months pregnant and scared.

At home last night we had our processing groups in which our professor asked us. “what do you think about the attachments and boundaries that you have created” He asked us this because we were all very upset, physically and emotionally drained. I replied to him by saying, its not that we have created unhealthy attachments or boundaries because when we are with out clients we are very professional. What is hard for us is the injustice of this whole situation. We are supposed to trust this system, we are supposed to use this system and not change it. We have seen how the system lacks and affects all individuals from infant, child, young adult, adult and elderly. It’s hard for us to hand over babies to a system that is lacking in so many ways. How are we to accept this and move on. That is what is hard, yes we will miss our clients especially these ones because they have taught us so many things, but what is hurting us is something much more than the attachment.

You know those “Save the Children” programs that we see on TV, what I am seeing here looks much worse than what is shown on TV. Children and families sleeping in the open, with palm leaves as a roof, and yet when we show up, we are asked to sit and share something with them. It is such a beautiful thing.

When I came home from work today, I washed my face and looked in the mirror, and I am telling you the person looking back was someone I had not seen before. You something that is so wonderful and nice, when the trotro drops us off after work we walk back to our rooms, on the way back to our rooms there is a woman who sells fruit and bread. Across from her is a little store where I can buy some bottle water and other necessities. So today, on the way back I bought a pineapple a loaf of bread 3 bottles of water and a newspaper (I feel really out of touch with the news….no one watches the news around here…I feel really out of the loop). I really enjoy my walks home from work stopping at the fruit stand and talking with all the individuals that pass buy. After a hard day it really lifts my spirit. THE BEST THING!! After that when I reach my room, I change my clothes grab my face wash and head to the bathroom in which I was my face. Man!!! Its soo refreshing, it really is a beautiful thing! Well I ranted on way tooo long in this, I miss you all and love you very much! I hope you are all doing well, blessing to you all.

p.s.

I hope this all made sense…I don’t re-read my posts…I don’t have enough time to do that.

Abenea J