Toilets, clinic, and animals - Day 30

The GHFP Pit Latrine project is already underway!  We only raised enough for half of the budget (we need another $1,200 more) but the builders were excited to get to work.  The builders are going to build the entire 8 toilet pit latrine system along with a water tap and asked for only $500 USD in labor.  We watched them clear the land and dig the pits…back breaking work in the hot sun!  The deputy teacher was smiling nonstop as we watched the men work.  She kept repeating how many of these 634 kids do not have a nice place to go home to, so she thinks it is important to give them a nice, clean, and friendly school community/facility.  She is thrilled about all of our GHFP programs and says that now the children are happier since they come to a school with food, computers, a library, and soon to be new (non-overflowing) toilets!  Thank you for helping us help them!! If you’d like to donate to this primary school sanitation project you can do so online: http://www.ifightpoverty.org/donate.html

The builders beginning our GHFP Sanitation project at the eLangeni Primary School: 8 new pit latrines, a water tap, and a soap dispenser/hand-washing station.

eLangeni Primary Schoolers relaxing on break 

 

A doctor friend at Baylor Pediatric HIV clinic gave the girls a tour this morning.  Every time I return in the years since I worked there, it looks the same but with different faces.  There is always a revolving door of doctors and healthcare workers but the same astonishing care.  She said that they are trying to decentralize the care so there is not as much pressure on Baylor.  When I worked there, they were the only facility nationwide that offered pediatric ARVs (antiretroviral medication for HIV+ children).  But since then they have developed 2 satellite Baylor clinics and trained many existing rural government clinics to properly administer the pills to children.  She said that they often run into a government shortage of ARVs so they are resorting to giving the patients a smaller supply requiring them to return more often for their refills.  This negatively affects compliance and more often the patients have low adherence which causes them to become resistant to the drugs sooner.  She said that Botswana now has a 3^rd line of ARV drugs and when I got excited and asked if it was also in the near future for Swaziland, she laughed.  She said that Swaziland offers free ARVs to almost 100,000 patients and cannot even afford to do that (hence the common drug shortage) let alone offer a 3^rd line of drugs which are more expensive and would increase the number of patients on ARVs.  Instead, after the children and adults become resistant to the only two lines available in Swaziland, they die.  I hope I can find a way to bring our HIV+ kiddos to America when they become resistant to the 2 lines.  We have 25 lines available in the States.  Seems like an utter shame to watch our incredible GHFP kiddos die of a disease that is only considered a manageable chronic condition in the US.  

Afterward we went to the eLangeni Community Pre-school.  The pre-schoolers sang us songs and put on a play about Noah’s Ark. Then, the teacher broke them up into groups and gave a group to Sydney, Andee, Liz, and I telling us only to “teach them about animals”.  Sydney looked at me nervously and said “I don’t know how to do that”. The school has ZERO resources but the teacher is amazing.  Literally the only thing in the school building is a giant carpet on the floor. When we broke up into groups, I acted like different animals and had my students guess what I was.  We talked about what certain animals ate, where they lived, what they sounded like, and how they moved.  Once the girls get back from safari today, I am anxious to hear what they taught their little ones.  I heard a lot of funny sounds and lots of giggling coming from the kiddos in their groups!  But the funniest thing today was the “wee-wee break” after the lesson on animals.  The kids all ran outside and the girls lined up for the latrines, but the boys just sword fighted all over the yard.  They were competing who could pee the highest, farthest, and in the wiggliest line.  The teacher just laughed and said that that was why they weren’t allowed inside the latrines because they turn “wee-wee time” into playtime and make a mess everywhere.  

 Don't worry, this isnt the "time-out" chair... he was up there for a play they were performing about Noah's Ark! Trying to stay dry from the water... ;)

 The pre-schoolers mesmerized from my Aunt Rita Marshall's book donation!  (They loved "The Wind" about the mouse...so did I!!) 

On our next service-learning trip in November, we are going to prioritize bringing pre-school aged supplies for this school. We are going to paint the ABCs on canvases at the St. Louis and Jacksonville Painting for a Purpose parties this fall and we are going to create a little reading circle with bookshelves.  Today I read them some stories my aunt Rita wrote/illustrated and they were in awe.  I had a crowd of little ones pushing and shoving to take a peek at the words and pictures.  (Thank you Rita!!) If you’d like to do a donation drive for this school we are looking for new or gently used: books, stuffed animals, dress-up supplies (they do lots of plays), and school supplies (pre-school large lined paper for learning to write, pencils, crayons, workbooks, etc).  There is so much that can be done here and everyone can play their part.  We are very grateful to have your support!!