June 17 Clinic & Soccer

Another great day at Chiraa clinic. Did outpatient in the morning, like yesterday. Lots of malaria again. Immunized babies and did prenatal checks in the afternoon. Most of the women give birth at home and bring the baby to the clinic in the first few weeks for a check-up. Usually on Tuesday because that is the day they go to the market anyway, no use traveling into town twice. When... the mothers come back with their infants they come all dressed in white. It is a site to see. Rows of beautiful infants and their mothers all dressed in white. I will try to take a picture in the next few days. After the infants were immunized we spent a few hours doing prenatal checks. Much like in the US. Just measured bellies and listened to fetal heart tones. However, no fancy Doppler to use. Just a long wooden horn looking thing to hold on the belly. I struggled to hear even one. The lab supervisor, Mr DeLove, offered to show us Malaria in the microscope. When we showed interest, he found a sick patient, there are many of them, and drew his blood just for us. He smeared it, stained it, and focused it in the scope just to show us the malaria worm. Everyone here is so wonderful. So kind. So friendly. After we came home from clinic we took a soccer ball to the local field and had a pick-up game with some local teens. 3 of them against Olivia and I. As you can imagine they danced circles around us, but it was fun. Will try to do it again tomorrow. Miss and love you all.