Well I have now spent my last weekend at Chidamoyo (I will be travelling the next few). I babysat Dr. and Mrs. Kajesi's puppy over the weekend and it was quite a job. Full time, unfortunately that little thing couldn't be left alone for even 2 seconds without barking. The rest of my time was spent watching the Olympics. Go team USA!
Monday was a very busy day and I was so tired by the end I fell asleep at 8:15. My day started off early in the morning in theatre. A baby girl had an abscess on her neck and needed an incision and drainage (IND). Noe told Dr. Kajesi that I was going to do it- I hadn't asked for this but I was excited. This was going to be my second one. Last time however I did it in the outpatient department under local anesthesia and this time it was in the operating room and we put the baby to sleep. I felt pretty confident with what I was doing- after double checking I was well away from the jugular vein. Last time though I did the IND with Dr. Kabonzi. Turns out they want it done slightly differently... but the adjustments were simple and working together we got all of the pus out by expressing the abscess.
After the baby was done a man walked in (yes lots of them that can just walk into the theatre and lay down on the bed). He had some pretty deep cuts on the back of his hand and his palm and he needed stitches to close them. He got the wounds from an RTA (Road Traffic Accident) which at 95% of the time at Chidamoyo means scotchcart accident. Dr. Kajesi showed me an interrupted suture and then had me do some. I have been watching them suture a lot of people but steady hands are harder than I thought! The needle we used was very thick and wasn't a cutting needle so it was a bit tough on the back of the hand. I did the palm with a smaller needle and it was easier. Dr. Kajesi ended up finishing the sutures because in the middle we were told that they were beginning the funeral.
The funeral was for one of the drivers that works at Chidamoyo's son. He had died on Friday and they were bringing the body here so they were expecting the funeral to begin any time. Actually from what I have learned the funeral can be days, people arrive as soon as they hear, everyone from the town seems to go (there were 200-300 people there). We arrived as people were giving speeches. When we got there everyone was seated on the ground (just sitting in the dirt). The women were on one side and the men on the other. It was really hot (so much for it being winter) and the sun was right in my eyes making it hard to focus on anything. Everyone talked in Shona for about an hour (who knows how long it had already been going on). Then everyone stood up and started singing and people went in to view the body. The coffin was in a small dark room. Some women were wailing (correct term) on one side and his father was standing there as well. Only the head was visible, the rest was covered. Unfortunately, the body was starting to smell because he had died on Friday (and it was now Monday) and they do not balm the bodies in anything here.
After the viewing of the body, some men picked up the casket and everyone followed to the burial site. 200-300 people walked over and I mean walked. We went through fields and up and down hills until we finally came to the site. Turns out they had to go so far because the ground is so hard here that they wanted to bury him in an ant hill because it is softer. The men had gotten up at 4 am to start digging the hole. Everyone came and sat down- we were really pretty far away and we were sitting in shrubs and leaves- literally in the bush. Some men and women stood around the hole. Some prayers were said and the coffin was placed in the ground. Then there was a lot of singing and dancing for about an hour while they covered the coffin. Let's just say that coffin is not going anywhere. Women lined up with stones and they were placed on top with wood and dirt.
Finally when it was all covered everyone walked back (to start eating- I had seen a goat's head sitting in a bowl in the yard). We went back to the hospital.
Apparently there is usually more wailing- I think we missed most of it. Also it is interesting because people walk around shaking hands and that was discouraged for awhile because of cholera. I thought the funeral was interesting and I was very sad for the young man's family. I must say I would want a funeral like this- I liked that everyone was singing and dancing in celebration of life. It would have been nice to understand more of what people were saying though.
Tomorrow is my last day at the hospital- I can't believe how fast my time here went. I am sad to leave here and I will really miss everyone that I have met. It is hard to imagine that when I came here almost 6 weeks ago I didn't know a single person in the country and had no clue what language they even spoke. Now I have people saying remember me from Kapfunde? and I am learning a few (very few) Shona words. I am looking forward to travelling around Zimbabwe in the week and then going to Cape Town with my mom.
No comments:
Post a Comment