Post Partum Visiting

Have I ever been proud of a latrine sandplat before??

Me and Kuwati

The Village Health Meeting

So, as part of our government contract, we are supposed to be setting up village health committee meetings.  I had had conversations with Melkato, the village chairman, who said, yes, anytime you want to have a meeting we can, just send a letter and I will call all the people- easy enough!  So I did- for this Wednesday.

 

The guys in the clinic told me on Monday- Melkato is wondering who you want to come, because the health committee involves 90 people!"  Whoa, I didn't expect 90.  I told Ganamo to tell him I was thinking eight to ten people.  And it was scheduled for 1 pm.  I thought we could serve tea and popcorn.

 

The more I thought about it, though, the more I wondered if the 1 pm time would cause them to expect lunch... I didn't want them disappointed!  So I rushed up (Wednesday morning!) and asked Yeshi our cook if she could handle another 10 people for lunch, and she seemed fine with the change in plans. I was thankful that she said that was ok....  She said she was going to serve a meat sauce and that made me nervous- will the Muslims eat our meat??  The other guys said, "OH, no problem they will eat it don't worry."

 

One o'clock came and went, we had the dining hall all ready, and I had looked over my agenda.  I had asked Ganamo Sewarro from the clinic staff to be at the meeting- he is a member of the Dawe community (whose health committee I had called), and he has a heart for the area, is a Christian, and can explain things I don't understand.  I also wanted Ganamo ("the other Ganamo") the latrine worker that we have been paying to be there, since the latrines were on the agenda.  I wanted to talk about where they wanted the next two latrines (we're building twelve ventilation-improved pit latrines and just finished our initial four) and discuss how to keep the latrines clean once they are built.  I also wanted to talk about our sandplat construction plans, and teach a little bit about family planning.  So I was ready.

 

One thirty....two....two thirty... Yeshi, with her Ethiopian sense of time told me she didn't think they were coming.  I thought, well, here I have thought and prayed about this meeting, I want it to be the right kind of community connection, and now they just aren't going to show up?  The kebele (village) office is a 20 minute walk- I knew that was about how far they needed to come.  So are they coming?  Ganamo and Ganamo told me "they just didn't know if they were going to come or not."

 

I think it was 3:15- here they are, coming up the road into our compound, Melkato leading the group in his little jean jacket looking modern, with an assortment of not-so-modern others behind him- ten people, just right.  So they came in and had the meeting.  I would guess the highlight of the meeting was... lunch!  I was nervous about these people using spoons to eat their rice, but they seemed to do fine.  They are so used to eating with their hands.  I think serving coffee and tea after lunch, and having Workenesh and Yeshi serve while I felt totally comfortable and could chat with them, was great.

 

We talked about the latrine locations, and they decided to discuss the locations, but sent us out of the room for it.  (!!)  It took them a while but they called us back in and told us:  the "second" mosque, and the new school. 

 

It wasn't long after this that they seemed antsy for the meeting to end- we talked a little bit about family planning, and Melkato said, "You can call a meeting of the women and teach about those things.  We are happy for you to teach."  I don't think he wanted me to go in depth right there and then, which was ok with me.  We do want to call a women's meeting.

 

So we ended with prayer, some of the Muslims went outside to pray, and we all drifted out as I walked them to the gate... Yes, I suppose it accomplished what I hoped for!  I liked it.  I like these people.  I like this area.