What started as a seemingly benign ‘health action event’ (remember the maxipads?), in which mosquito nets and de-worming medications were to be disseminated to children attending the ECD centre, with welcome songs from children being busied and proper use of bed-nets being modeled, eventually became a mad scramble. We started at the centre around ten simply explaining the link between children's health and wellness and their ability to do well in school. I got a few decent portraits in the early moments, when expectations, and accordingly spirits, mine included, were high:
The following four hours were perhaps my most stressful in Africa. Worse than an econ exam: I had translators and mamas and old men and babies crying for drugs left and right. I actually found myself practicing deep breathing exercises and replaying the lyrics to a favourite song in my head in between herding angry people into different groups for registration and distribution. I have no idea what I was expecting, but a semblance of order and organization was somehow part of that vision. Evidently they were part of my camera’s sensor as well, though, I swear these photos don’t do justice to the chaos that was a result of our poor planning.
As per colleagues' suggestions, I'm trying to reassess the successes here. We DID get essential drugs into the gritty hands and mouths of kids needing to be dewormed. About 200 of the 300+ people will now be protected by insecticide treated bednets. While we didn't necessarily accomplish the registration goals I had in my head, and the linkages between the ECD centre and the health centre are still slight, I DID learn a thing or two about planning in advance (and how many people will show up when promised new goodies).
Sigh...
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