With nearly 200 students at the school in Banda, all of the medical treatment, trips to clinics and drugs was beginning to take up to a quarter of our school budget. These kids exist in such poor conditions, that at any one time several were battling malaria, ringworm, intestinal worms, parasitic skin conditions, flu and respiratory problems. We have begun tackling their living conditions, improving their homes to prevent water leaks, pouring concrete floors to prevent them from lying on the earth and giving them blankets, mosquito nets and mattresses. Much of these resources were provided by you guys at home sharing with the kids here, it has been awesome. The families can’t believe that people so far away care about them.

 

It was decided that to better care for our school kids and to control costs, we would build a small medical clinic and an improved cooking centre on the school site. As it is rented land, we opted to use wood instead of bricks so that the landlord would not be tempted to raise the rent once again. This also means that if we eventually move onto a more suitable property, any structures we put up can be dismantled and reused. The materials were donated by some special Canadians (you know who you are) and we had enough money left over to purchase a large initial stock of drugs and supplies. Our new nurse has been checking out some microscopes. We will need to purchase one in order to do blood testing for malaria and typhoid. Malaria is deadly and can kill quickly, so it is essential to do a blood test when any symptoms arise. A grade 8 student from Brampton, Ontario has donated some of her hard-earned spending money towards this microscope. Thanks Alexandra!

 

The first two questions that Tim asked when interviewing for a nurse were “do you love children?” and “do you love Jesus?”  Our new nurse,Esther, loves both very much!  Esther is from Northern Uganda where the rebel activity is. She is a single mother of two and is also parenting two orphans who were the children of her brother and sister-in-law until their deaths a few years ago, so we already knew she had a good heart. She lives a little bit too far away from the school right now for emergency calls and is unable to move closer because she cannot afford to. Right now, she lives out of town in a shack with one room for a monthly rent of $7. Tim will build her a 2 room house nearby as soon as we can obtain suitable land. Her children will also begin to attend our school to supplement her income as our school nurse.  She is so excited and has jumped right into her position caring for our children. The nurses salary has been covered for an entire year by a couple that I have never even met, but have enjoyed getting to know by email. They have a huge heart for the lives of these families.

 

We have started by treating some serious coughs and respiratory problems. There are several children with bad cases of ringworm which you can see on their scalp. Each time we care for one of these little lives, we feel like we are caring for Jesus. Esther had each child in the entire school come into the clinic for a very necessary and overdue de-worming session. She dealt with a few kids with the flu and some with fevers. We didn’t think she would be as busy as she is, we realize now how their conditions at home and issues with hygiene cause constant problems in their health. She even instructed some of them to cut their hair and nails.

 

Esther is helping me to revamp the lunch menu at school to include more fruits, veggie and protein. She will also help the cook whenever she is free. We have been able to confer with her about our food supplementation program for those living with HIV. Every Thursday, 18 people with HIV come to receive posho (still yuck), beans and eggs to take home as they need to eat protein in order for their HIV medication to work effectively. On Fridays, another 15-20 widows, mothers of our school kids, come to get extra food to take home, they just need a little extra help right now.

 

We feel like the clinic is one of the most important things we have done here so far.  It is a privilege to be able to care for the kids and the teachers in this way.  Click on the video to see our new clinic, outdoor kitchen and feeding programs.

 

And the King will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me” Matthew 25:40