I drove about 45 minutes out of town this morning to see how one of our remote heath centers is set up. The idea was to give me a better idea of what the field centers will look like in Ango... I'll be working on the logistics for running a few of them there starting next week.As we drove, I had a spectacular view of 'les montagnes bleues' and the spectacular green spread of land that surrounds Bunia as far as the eye can see.
Many of these clinics are partnerships with the local communities they serve.
For example, the clinic's main building was built by the locals and the roof was provided by Medair.
Upon arrival, the nurses with me noticed that not everything was functioning how it should... Bea, the nurse, conducted an impromptu training on the set up of the clinic, delivery room and kinda laid the smack down when she found out new mothers weren't receiving the basic kits after giving birth (mosquito net, meds, etc.).
This got me thinking about bigger issues that I shouldn't go into if I want this blog post to remain palatable... however, I will go into it a little.
Issue being; you can't have it all and do it all well.
If an organization (or government, or parent, or, or, or) wants to be effective in the long term, they can't do it all themselves, ownership by the beneficiaries (or civilian population, or child, or, or, or) is absolutely vital for the projects' (or revolution's, or child's, or, or, or) success. This, however, can be difficult because it means the organization (or ___) cannot maintain full control over what happens, what the beneficiary does, how the project runs when the initiating organization leaves. If the organization does everything and everything perfectly, it creates a crippling dependancy that could leave the 'benefitting' population worse off than they started. If the organization takes on more of a partnership role that recedes into a mentoring role that can hand everything over completely, you best be a good example, have solid training and capable willing people... and a good amount of faith and hope.
So, the two women in the clinic who gave birth yesterday might night have had their umbilical chords cut right away because the tools were behind the 'catcher', not beside. They might not have received the mosquito net, either. These things are not good. You need timely medication and you don't need malaria. However, these things have now been corrected and we know where we need some stronger training and communication for supplies in the remote areas we work. Had we done everything from the get go and not entrusted the local people to the care and running of their own health center, we would have never been able to pull back. Serious consequences either way... but which is worser?
Classic teach a man how to fish, right?
That man might not always fish exactly like you taught him - heck, he might even figure out a better way to do it with his resources at hand - but he will eat more fish than you could have ever provided.
Makes me think of Iraq vs Tunisia. Makes me think of Libya. Makes me think of all sorts of life.
Such an amazingly humbling day.
