Motivation

Transportation/MMC promotion!

February has been a hectic month. Between scheduling appointments, doing MMC education in schools, booking clients, performing MMC at different clinics, and setting up camps to perform MMC within local communities, the stress can really pile up. Fortunately my team and the people we serve provide me motivation each day. I’m so impressed with how hard our team works, how willing they are to work long hours in order to get the job done, and how appreciative our clients are to receive MMC services. 

A few weeks ago the Department of Health (DOH) organized a 3 day MMC Camp in a rural community in order to bring MMC services to boys that don’t have easy access to a clinic. The DOH asked CMMB to assist at the camp to circumcise as many boys as possible. The camp was a great success. We worked non-stop for 3 days in order to circumcise the

Patiently waiting

130 boys that showed up for MMC. We had to work extra late one night in order to circumcise every client who showed up that day. Our team was more than willing to stay late even with the hour drive home ahead of us. The last client of the night was a boy who went to school and also worked on his father’s farm. He waited all day to be circumcised, missed a day of school, and was unable to take care of his father’s cattle. When we asked him why he chose to wait until 7:00 p.m. to be circumcised instead of just coming back the next day, he said he didn’t want to go home without being able to show his father that he is now a man.

Mother registering her son for MMC

Our team normally works during the week, but we’ve also started working on weekends in order to reach more boys who aren’t available during school days. This past weekend we set up a Saturday camp to circumcise boys from a nearby school. We used the local tribal court and converted it into a surgical room with HIV counseling and testing in the tent outside. Every client that shows up for MMC must sign a consent form before we circumcise them, and if they are less than 16 years old they must have a parent or guardian sign their consent. Most clients are between 16 and 49, but on that day one client showed up who was only 13 years old. The week prior to this camp, CMMB went to the nearby high school to do MMC education and hand out consent forms for boys under 16. Unfortunately, this boy was from a local primary school and didn’t know about the necessary parental consent. We had to turn him away because he was too young. About an hour later the boy showed up with his mother so she could sign his consent form. After registering her son and signing the consent form, I had a chance to sit and talk with the mother while she waited for her son to be circumcised. She’s a 62 year old mother of 16 children, and her 13 year old son is the second youngest. Her son wanted to be circumcised because his father died of AIDS. She said she is current taking classes to learn how to read and write, and she was very proud to be able to sign her son’s consent form.

This job is definitely hectic, hardly every runs smoothly, and can be pretty stressful, but each day I find new motivation to continue working to ensure this project is a success. It’s pretty great to have a job that’s so rewarding.

Ingwe Municipality Youth Event

MMC activities have picked up quickly since this year started, and we are doing a lot of promotion and education in order to keep the ball rolling! The Ingwe Municipality held a youth event one weekend and CMMB decided this was the perfect opportunity to promote the importance of MMC and share the services that CMMB provides. We asked one of our employees, Baba Mncwabe, to speak at the event because he is well known and respected in the community. I went along with Baba Mncwabe to represent the company, help educate, and of course take pictures.

Sitting on stage at the Youth Event

The youth event had a great turn out. Lots of young men and women showed up and listened to the different messages on how to stay healthy, make good decision, and be successful in life. Finally it was Baba Mncwabe's turn to speak. He gave a brief speech on what is medical male circumcision (MMC), why it is important, and the services CMMB provides. MMC is an important aspect of HIV prevention, and we try to stress this message to women and men. Although MMC only directly pertains to men, women should also know why MMC is important. Our MMC project is called "Impilo Ekhaya", meaning health at home, and the name is meant to emphasize the prevention of HIV in men can affect an entire family.

Baba Mncwabe giving his speak on MMC

Between speakers there was also a lot of entertainment. There were poets, dancers, and musicians that all celebrated the Zulu culture. The last 2 performers were especially entertaining. They danced and sang while wearing traditional Zulu clothing. I always love going to these community events because they ALWAYS have a good message, good food, and plenty of entertainment.

This boy performed onstage while his dad sang and played guitar!

Sunday Outing

This Sunday Lauretta surprised Winrose and I with an outing to Midlands Meander.  She told us that she and her family were just going out for lunch and invited us to go along, but it ended up being so much more.  First we stopped in the town of Howick to take pictures at a view point of the Howick falls.  The views here in South Africa are so amazing.  We took a couple pictures at the waterfall and then continued driving. 

Next we stopped at the capture site of Nelson Mandela where a new monument has been built.  At first look the monument seemed to be an abstract of metal shards, but once we stood in the right spot we could see Mandela’s profile outlined with the metal. We also walked through the small museum on site that gave a history of Mandela’s life.  It talked about his upbringing, how he was captured at this site during apartheid, his life in prison, and his rise to leadership as South Africa’s first democratic President. We also had lunch at a little restaurant near the capture site. 

 After lunch, we drove to a type of market place where we could walk around and window shop.  There were coffee shops, dress shops, craft shops, and home décor shops. I didn’t buy anything, but it was nice to walk around and look at all the crafts.  We finally headed home after our busy Sunday to get some rest. Winrose and I were so thankful for our little surprise.  We had no idea that there is so much to do around our small town of Bulwer.  We are definitely looking forward to another outing, and hopefully soon.

Indaba Conference in Durban

CMMB information table

This past Friday I was lucky enough to travel to Durban with some of my colleges to attend a conference on medical male circumcision in South Africa. The goal of the conference was to discuss the progress that has been made since the MMC campaign launched in the province two years ago. Those invited to the conference included Amakhosi, Izinduna, youth organizations, healthcare professionals, NGOs, community-based organizations, and donor organizations. Amakhosi are the chiefs of different areas in South Africa, and Izinduna are the second in charge to the Amakhosi. We arrived at the conference and set up an information table on CMMB and the services we provide at our MMC clinic. There were several other organizations that also set up tables with their own pamphlets on MMC. Once the conference started, we listened to several speakers talk about an overview of MMC in KwaZulu-Natal, how to foster collaboration between service providers, and the necessity for scaling up MMC. 

Small group discussion

We then split into 3 “commissions” to talk in small groups about different topics.  My group focused on the myths of MMC, the effects of those myths, proper scientific facts, and how to address and correct the myths. It was great to hear other health care professionals voice their opinions and concerns about how to promote and improve MMC.  I had no idea so many different stakeholders for MMC were in South Africa and that they were so involved. Just before the end of our small group discussion, one doctor stood up and shared some of his opinions.  He said he’s been circumcising for several decades and has learned one crucial thing: We should not set targets based on a headcount.  When we focus solely on the numbers, it decreases the quality of care we are able to provide. He admitted that once circumcised around 100 boys in one day (a large gain for reaching targets), but confesses he is ashamed because he knows he did not take the time to talk with each boy or supervise nurses suturing the wound after he cut.  The doctor spoke very passionately about this issue, and it was definitely the message I walked away with after leaving the conference. Before the end of the conference, the MEC from the department of health gave a brief speech about the different methods of MMC and how health care providers should support one another to achieve our goals and provide quality care.

 We left the conference and took a quick detour to see the beach since both Winrose and I had never been to Durban.  It was my first time seeing the Indian Ocean! We grabbed a quick bite to eat and enjoyed the view before heading back home.  It was a long 2 hour drive back, but I had a great experience in Durban at the conference and I’m hoping to attend more in the future!

A South African Thanksgiving!

Let me just start by saying how thankful I am to live here in Bulwer with Lauretta and her family! Lauretta has always tried to make me feel comfortable and at home in her B&B, and I definitely felt that way this Thanksgiving.  About a month ago I was talking with Winrose, my colleague that also lives at the B&B, and she told me she has never eaten turkey.  Apparently it’s rare in Kenya, where Winrose is from, and it can be very expensive to buy. So I told her about Thanksgiving and how we should make a dinner at the B&B to cook some turkey for Winrose to try. Lauretta was more than willing to help us cook a proper American Thanksgiving, so I got some recipes from my mom and Lauretta took care of the rest! 

 

Lauretta did her research because we not only had turkey to eat, but she created a beautiful floral display with all the fall colors, and a cornucopia filled with fruit and freshly baked bread! We had turkey, gravy, oyster dressing, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, pumpkin pie, and wine…. all of my favorites! Before we ate, I read a brief history of the first Thanksgiving to help everyone understand the meaning behind our holiday.  We finished almost the entire turkey and everyone seemed to enjoy all the food. Even though I was missing my family at home, I felt truly grateful to be here in Bulwer surrounded by such great friends. Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Reading about the first Thanksgiving

Winrose and I enjoying our turkey!

It's Official... I'm a Professional Photographer

Getting ready for the big day!

A few weekends ago I had the honor and privilege of taking wedding photos for two of my co-workers, Thembeka and Khanyile!  For those of you that don't know, I have absolutely no experience in professional photography and have definitely never been responsible for capturing such an important event on film. So how did I end up as the photographer for this wedding, you ask? Well, I was getting to know my co-workers on my first week at the clinic and Thembeka told me that she was engaged and in need of a photographer.  She must have noticed me taking pictures of the clinic and of all the scenery, so she asked me if I would be willing to take pictures at her wedding. Of course I warned her that I'm not a professional, but for some reason she trusted me.  Obviously I agreed to be their photographer because 1. I like trying new things, 2. I didn't think I could screw up too badly, and 3. I wanted to go to the wedding! So finally the day of the wedding arrives, November 3rd, 2012! We started very early with breakfast and getting ready at Thembeka's house.  From there we headed to the church for the ceremony. Thembeka and Khanyile had a white wedding, almost exactly like what I'm used to seeing in the U.S. ...... except everyone spoke in Zulu. Thembeka gave me a camera to use and I also had my own camera, so during the ceremony I was trying to multi-task taking pictures and capturing some video of them exchanging their vows.  It's funny how even though you have no idea what their saying in Zulu, you can still understand whats happening based on their expressions, their tone of voice, and actions. So after the ceremony, we all headed off to another venue to take photos in the garden and have the reception.  The place Thembeka and Khanyile chose for their reception was perfect.  The garden outside was beautiful and provided a great backdrop for their romantic pictures together and their family photos. I am so thankful for their friends who were also there to help me with ideas for posing the couple and finding the best spots for taking pictures. The pictures turned out perfect and I couldn't have done it without their input! At the reception I got to sit back a little and enjoy the fun.  After the new

Mr. and Mrs. Dali

couple made their grand entrance, each one of their family members stood up and gave a short speech.  Again, they all spoke in Zulu so I have no clue what anyone said, but it was easy to see that the room was full of love and joy for Thembeka and Khanyile.  Once all the speeches were done, there were some fun games to see which single lady would win the bouquet and which single guy would win the guarder belt.  Towards the end of the reception the bride and groom cut their wedding cake and we all toasted to their life together. We were fed a huge and very tasty meal, and then it was time to go! I took SO many pictures that day (about 500) and really enjoyed taking them, editing them, and received so much gratitude for my work. I truly was honored to be a part of their wedding and will never forget my first experience as a photographer for such an amazing couple.  It's hard for me to pick just a few pictures to share, so I have added a few more in the slideshow at the bottom of my blog. I think I did okay, but its easy to take pictures of such a beautiful and happy couple like Thembeka and Khanyile.