Baby Obed of Muima

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

We were scheduled to conduct a Changu Changu Moto cookstove workshop this afternoon in the village of Muima.  When she heard our truck coming, Chief Bernadette came out to the road to let us know that many of the women in my class were gone to a funeral in a neighboring village, so it would probably be best to reschedule. We agreed and set up a date two weeks from today.

On our last visit, Chief Bernadette's infant son, Obed, had malaria and was sick with a fever. So, today I asked her if his health had improved. She said it had not.  When we asked if she had taken him to the clinic, she said she had, but the Bimbi clinic, about 1 km from her village, didn't have any infant malaria medicine. 

Then, she walked on to another clinic, one much farther away, but they didn't have the medication either. So,she explained, the child has been sick with malaria for weeks. When I observed more closely, it was obvious that his skin was covered in rash, and his eyes looked weak, and even more seriously, he had not been growing. How tragic that the child was failing to thrive and could have died for lack of a medication that costs under $1.00 US. 

George and I caught each other's eye, and it was clear to both of us what we were supposed to do. "Would you like for us to take you and Obed to a private clinic?" Her eyes brightened as she said yes.

She quickly walked the short distance to her house to retrieve a bag of baby necessities, and soon we were on our way. Little Obed fretted some as the truck rocked and jolted down the road, but after the road smoothed a bit, Bernadette was able to nurse him, and  he was comforted enough to rest. 

I noticed that every few minutes a deep, rattling cough shook Bernadette, so I asked if she had any medical concerns for herself. She told us she was concerned about the cough. 

Although there were several people in the waiting room when we arrived,  the receptionist took Bernadette and the baby's information quickly and put them in the cue to see the doctor. Within 15 minutes or so, Bernadette was called to the examination room. In short order, we could hear little Obed crying in pain. As we learned later, he needed three shots to get him caught up on childhood immunizations. When they emerged from the exam room, Bernadette was holding two bulging bags of prescriptions, including the baby's malaria medications. 

When we returned Bernadette to her village,  many women were there to receive her and very happy for her safe return. Bernadette thanked us, and several women rushed to shake our hands and express their gratitude for our caring for their chief. 

When George paid the bill for all the medical care and  prescriptions, the  total was 3700 kwacha or $8.85 US for both of them. The goodwill we are now experiencing in Muima and other villages, however,  is priceless. We pray that God will use it to open many hearts to receive His kingdom.