This week we had the wonderful opportunity to cover a humanitarian handover in Lira, Uganda. The Church had sent Dr. Brent Lind (OB-GYN) from American Fork, Utah to teach neo-natal resuscitation to doctors, nurses and mid-wives in Uganda. This was his 4th time coming to teach the course in Africa. Our mission nurse, Sister Nancy Squire, is also trained in this as she is a nurse educator and has done maternal fetal health for a number of years. So, she teamed up with the doctor to teach the course. The Church partnered with an NGO in Uganda and two Ugandan doctors (pediatricians) were also involved in the teaching. The Church sent all the supplies for the course and enough that everyone that completed the course was sent back to their towns and villages with materials so that they could then teach others they work with. The course was 3 days and designed to train 25 people. They offered the course twice while in Lira, and a total of 57 were able to be trained.
Throughout the world one out of every 10 babies born struggles to breathe. By applying the knowledge this course imparts, 90% of those struggling to breathe can be saved.
It was wonderful to see these Ugandans leave trained and ready to help reduce the mortality rate in their country. Many work in areas where they have no assistance from a doctor. One student came late to class on the last day because she had worked all night and delivered 5 babies by herself.
As we visited with some of the midwives at the training we learned several things. They try to encourage the mother to prepare for the birth by securing a blanket and clothing for the baby. If the mother arrives at the clinic with nothing, the baby is often wrapped in the mother's dress. Sometimes a mother will bring a piece of sheet that she has torn from her own bedding at home. Electricity is not always available after the sun goes down and so midwives told us they deliver by holding a "torch" in their mouth. By "torch" they mean the light from their cell phone. By holding their phone in their mouth they are then able to use their hands to deliver the baby. They have no clock to note the time of birth and no scales to weigh the baby. If the mother runs into complications during labor or delivery, they call a boda boda (motorcycle) to transport the mother to a hospital where there is a doctor. If the mother has no money to pay for the boda boda, then no boda is called. One midwife told us that if she runs into complications, she has to put the patient in a canoe and row her across the lake to the nearest hospital.
The Board Room at the Lira Regional Referral Hospital was where the training was held.
It was located in this hospital administration building. There were multiple other buildings located on the grounds that housed other wings of the hospital.
Each midwife received a duffle bag of equipment to take back to their hospital so they could be the trainers for the staff they work with. It contained a Neo-natal Natalie (resuscitation doll), 2 stethoscopes, two ventilation bags with pediatric masks, two suction bulbs, gloves, a receiving blanket, and flipchart for teaching.
Starting on the left: the Squires (she is the mission nurse), next the Hannans who are the humanitarian couple for the mission, then two Ugandan trainers, Dr. Charles (Ugandan pediatrician), Dr. Brent Lind and his wife Rosemary, and Dr. Joyce (Ugandan pediatrician).
Dr. Joyce with a student
Student working with the resuscitation doll
Dr. Brent Lind teaching a student
President Chatfield and Sister Squire watching a midwife working with the equipment in a cute skit the students did during the closing ceremony.
Elder Squire handing off a training kit
Lunch...Oakley, a member of the Ntinda Branch here in Kampala, catered a great lunch each day of the training. He is a very good cook: beans and rice, chapati(tortilla-like bread), Irish Potatoes, meat in a gravy, coleslaw, a green sauce made from kale, and watermelon. (this is a basic meal for Ugandans)
Midwives and trainers loaded up with equipment and ready to head back to their villages. These students were so attentive and wanted to learn everything Dr. Lind could teach them. They loved that he got right down on their level, sat with them at their tables, and helped them learn exactly how to help a baby struggling to breathe. We have said it before and it was so evident here...Ugandans love Jesus Christ and they aren't afraid to talk about Him and thank Him for the ways He blesses their lives. During the closing ceremony one of the trainers was encouraging them to go home and help the people in their communities. She said..."loving your neighbor means saving that baby. Look at each mother in labor as the mother of Jesus."
Sister Joanne Hannan and her husband Jim are the humanitarian couple. She has a big heart and had these little children lined up every morning to give them a cookie. Some of these kids are school aged but don't go as their parents can't afford the 20,000 shilling ($7.00) school fee so they stay home. We are asked for school fees daily but have been told not to give them money as we could never keep up with the need. We try very hard to teach them that they must become self-reliant.
These children all lived across the street from the hospital in very poor tiny shacks.
She would have the children say "good morning" in English when she handed them a cookie.
Cute kids...you can see their living conditions in the background.
This man was pushing produce on his bike and the Police training recruits passed singing their marching song. There was probably 200 of them. Police make $2-3 per day
A little village on the way to Lira
This lady pushes her bike for miles carrying cassava root. It looks kind of like a potato but is much larger. She will make less that $2.00 for her efforts. We were 4-5 miles away from town when we passed her. There were 50 of these ladies pushing bikes just like her.
This is the main road after crossing the Nile River. You can see it is a one lane road and the busses and trucks go right down the middle at 80 MPH
Now that is a pothole and this road for 75 miles is one pothole after another
Baboon sitting by the road as we crossed the bridge over the Nile River.
We met this couple on the road just after crossing the Nile
Sue took this picture in front of a dress shop... no need for racks, just hang your goods for sale on the tree.
Back in Kampala, the boda bodas and taxies are fighting for position and we are making our way through the mess.
Check out our website at mormonnewsroom.ug and read some of the stories we have been working on.
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