Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Selamno!

After cinnamon buns for breakfast, which were yummy :), we watched a movie about women with fistula called "A Walk to Beautiful". Because of the lack of medical help during delivery, these women leak urine after complicated childbirth. Then, their families just abandon them and hate them being around. These outcasts have to build shacks away from people and simply wait for death. This is so sad that there is not any support after they lose their babies and most of them are so young, only ten to eighteen! Fortunately, a hospital was built by a pair from Australia to provide proper treatment and to help many of the women recover after surgery.  The most sweet story was that a girl at the age of only seventeen decides to help HIV orphans after her recovery.

Afterwards, we went to Hamlin College for Midwives in Desta Minder. Many girls around seventeen to eighteen from different regions of the country are educated there to help deliver babies in order to prevent fistula. We visited the campus with the headmaster. There were several girls in the computer room doing research. They also have a library, practice rooms and labs.

Then, we had lunch: chicken and lamb pot pies, and quiche. Of course we did not forget Macchiato! In the afternoon, we had an hour long ride to Connected in Hope, the Former Women Fuelwood Carriers Association, where people weave scarves for living. Each scarf is two meters long and it takes a person a hour to finish. The people earn 35 birr per scarf, which sells at 70 birr ($3.50 only!) We bought a lot of these pretty scarves for ourselves and friends! Then, we took another ride to a preschool for the children of the women workers at the scarf workshop. This preschool is for children ages two to seven. There are six rooms for 51 kids. The women workers pay about 60 birr per month to the school for their children's education. It is so exciting to see these kids to have a beautiful school to go to!

On the way back to the host house, we began to get familiar with part of the city. We saw lots of kids in same color school uniforms on street and they were so happy to see us and waved at us. We also met so many "random" cows, sheep and donkeys! There were even two donkeys crossing the street in front of our bus. Meanwhile, Carson and Kayla were having their special concert at the back of our bus all the time as our radio. After a short nap, we had waffles and sliced fruits for dinner! Then, we prepared for the tutorial tomorrow for the after-school program.

Today was so much fun and I cannot wait for tomorrow!


- Eve Tong, '15

No comments:

Post a Comment