Segbwema - Wish you were here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It has been a month now since coming to Segbwema and we think this is a good point to sit and reflect on what we have experienced so far. It’s been a beautiful time, and we thought we would have been bored silly – but we don’t miss TV, nor watching movies. We go to bed on average at 9 p.m. and by then we are well and truly exhausted. The tasks at hand are numerous for all and with the arrival of our shipping (which arrived safely and intact – Thank God!!!) Joey is in the middle of trying to sort the books as quite a few of them are for nursing tutors, higher-level studies, and NHS biased. Some of these will most likely be used in the very near future, as there is a national plan to add to the syllabus nursing research, management and the use of the nursing process. So, with Little J more active than ever, the house hold duties to sort and the ad hoc meetings to attend, Joey is very occupied and often exhausted.

Michael continues to be on demand – as Business manager he needs to oversee the daily running of the hospital, conduct meetings, supervise building work ( current and future), in addition to going to the nearest town to facilitate hospital and personal business. As described in an earlier blog, it takes a good 2 hours one way to meander these roads – so a trip to the town (Kenema ) and back takes the better part of a whole day. It’s a very different stress indeed, but we are learning to deal with it as much as possible. Hopefully we would be able to upload pictures of our house, the hospital, roads and other interesting places soon. To give you an idea of the state of the road and the challenges they pose – Michael and the two doctors once left for a meeting at a town about 47 miles away. They were forced to turn back three-quarters of the way because a vehicle had got stuck in the middle of the road making it impossible for other vehicles to get pass from either direction. Great fun now!!!! But it wasn’t then – think of the man (or is it doctor) hours lost.

Little J continues to be the star of the show. Her best friends (2 ½ yr old F and 3 yr old S) are just so suited for each other. Their temperaments all fall in place, although Little J has become more assertive (or is it aggressive) and F and S have learnt to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ – with some reminders- but all in all it’s a good mix. It gets a bit much when the group is joined by 7 yr old P, 10 yr old F and two young teenagers who compete for toys (we shipped a tricycle), but they help with supervising the little ones. It can be a very noisy and overwhelming affair at times, but growing up with brothers and sister and cousins have given Joey enough practise.

We promised to give a picture of the nursing school. There are 117 students presently, and the composition is similar to any other nursing school (1st year/introductory: 2nd yr: 3rd yr). Its good to see a few males (about 24) in the group and the age range would put some of them in the mature student category. The majority of the students live on site in hostels (2 in a room – some of us can just imagine how uncomfortable that can be). Economically it is better for the students because it reduces drastically their cost of living re: no transportation and accommodation cost. Their cooking facilities are coal pots in a huge kitchen – and they have to fetch water on a daily basis -there are no mod cons here, so they are given a generous 2-hour lunch break, as many have to heat up/cook lunch on coal pots.

There are 2 classrooms and 1 practical room. The biggest (and better) classroom has no windows and doors and was used as an eye clinic before being destroyed in the war. It can comfortably seat 50 – 60 students and the ventilation is ideal (as there are no window panes or doors to block the breeze). The second classroom is a ventilation disaster (It is not ideal for teaching and for the fear of keeling over in the middle of the lecture, the management – oh Michael - is exploring ways of making it healthy for lectures) . It seats approx. 30 students, but to do this the blackboard needs to cover the only window in the class – making it dark and hot. The library is a very very small room ( relative to the student population), with only few very old books. This is about to change soon – thanks to all of you who worked hard to secure some books which we presented to the President of the Methodist Church of Sierra Leone on behalf of the School. (Pictures to follow soon).
The practical room has one mannequin/model – a male head on a female body and one attached arm. The only midwifery teaching aid available is a model of a pelvis (though Joey hasn’t seen it yet). Although we have all these limitations, I must say the staff is incredible and passionate. There are only 2 nursing tutors (the principal tutor is blind and has been at the school for over 30 years. He still writes on the board in his lectures and teaches strictly from memory. For diagrams, he gives his very old and tattered notes to the students to reproduce in their spare time. The other tutor does some lectures, all of the practical sessions and supervises students on the wards. They are gems and true saints!! However, this cannot go on indefinitely as the principal wants to retire (for good reasons) and the practical tutor also needs to have some time off. This is where they hope Joey can help…………..in addition to everything else mentioned in earlier posts.

There are many, many limitations, but we are happy to report the willingness of a NGO to help asap, esp. with white boards for the smaller classroom ( thus relocating the black board covering the window), to put windows and doors on the bigger classroom making it a proper classroom and possibly a library from an adjacent room. We have already received estimates for the classroom. They also will possibly donate some models and teaching aids. So, we are hopefully going to make a difference, before next year. Watch this space………. God is faithful and already we are beginning to see the ‘rain’ of blessings on the way.

Prayer warriors, thank you so very much for your constant and faithful prayers. There are signs - ‘a cloud the size of a man’s fist’- before the abundance of rain. We continue to trust God, as He is faithful. So far we are overjoyed to report we are healthy- no sickness of consequence - ;well fed (Little J has joined her father in the love for grass cutter – a bush meat. Joey is yet to be converted); not too hot (some mornings are very cool and foggy) and generally making many friends and professional acquaintances. Pray though, for God to bring peace to the hearts and minds of the people on the hospital team as we try to introduce changes (systemic, professional and personal) which the team have all agreed will be proactive. Some people have been working so long in a vacuum they have forgotten how important and progressive it can be when we pull together as a team. Pray also for the supply of drugs and other medical equipments to come through for us. We are desperately in need of drugs but our location makes it extremely difficult to travel regularly to either the capital or the district headquarters to pursue our supplies. We thank God though as w have recently taken delivery of a small stock of mediation that should see us through to the end of the year.

We miss you all, but we really think you guys need to come to visit. It would be worth it to see how beautiful and peaceful the surroundings and people are. Think about it…..we have an extra room…..
With all our love and with every blessing.
M,J and Little J