Catch of the day

Big feet


Monday 12th September

The small child with HIV who I mentioned on the maternity ward and who was so wasted and sick died today.

His father was distraught, as of course was his mother, but she is very sick too. Their main concern was how the father was going to get his son back to his village which was a long way away to bury him (no undertakers here).

One of the staff offered to take him back on his motor bike. So that is how they went, the father sitting pillion with his poor son’s body on his knee. The road apparently was terrible, so flooded they had to wheel the bike through many areas.

It was only yesterday that I gave the boy a little Dinky toy racing car. He took it, looked carefully at it (I don’t think he knew what it was, there are no toys here) then put it under his sheet. And for the first time ever, he gave me a very small smile, then it was gone in an instant.

That was the last time I saw him. The sad thing in this case is that the father refuses to be checked for HIV…..so the cycle continues.

It sounds as though the meeting will be going ahead this week, the one for peace in the district (there was a lot of tribal fighting here around Easter, with many deaths and much damage)! There will be about 200 people at it, with lots of important people, so let’s hope it works. The number of soldiers and police around will increase this week because of it.

At the same time there will be another attempt at disarmament, so all those with guns will be asked to hand them in. The last time this happened, it was very violent and children were beaten to make them tell the soldiers where the guns were hidden.

So hope it will not be like that this time round, in this new country...
The soldiers I saw yesterday had nice new uniforms on and red hats - must be a new battalion looking after the ‘big wigs’ - but on their feet they had red thongs (flip-flops), not quite got it yet, but they have to start somewhere, boots are next.