Contrasts

July 26, 2011
Hamle 19, 2003

Today, the feast of St. Gabriel on the Orthodox calendar, is also a special day for Besrate Gabriel School. Besrate Gabriel means the Annunciation of Gabriel…therefore, like all schools wishing to celebrate, we don’t have classes!

Lauren, still recovering from her appendectomy, and I stayed home this morning. Brother Getachew feared that the crowds being what they were might jostle her. Her recovery is remarkable, even though she doesn’t think so. The incision is clean and looks good and she is walking straighter and faster every day. We went to the clinic run by the doctor who performed her surgery the other night and he removed all the dressings. The stitches come out tomorrow. Humble by our standards, with concrete floors and plastic chairs, the waiting room in the back boosted a T.V. set! As we waited one of the Muslims unrolled his prayer run right next to the T.V. for his evening prayers. It was like seeing the Maasai Moran in his traditional shuka riding in the back of a pick-up truck talking on his cell phone.

The Brother’s residence has two floors. The bedrooms are on the second overlooking a small walled garden. On the other side of the wall is a very busy street; so busy it affords the only stop light I have seen in Dire´Dawa. It is trafficked all hours of the day and night. There are duel trailers drawn by smoke belching trucks, private cars that speed by, trucks pulling shipping containers, busses and the every present bajajs that swerve in and out of all the other traffic like pesky mosquitoes. However, they honk their horns to attract business rather than buzz. I happened to glance out my window this morning and instead of the usual traffic there was a caravan of camels, slowly plodding down the street. They bore saddles made of woven reeds and the front and back cross pieces were worn tree limbs. Again the contrast between the ancient and modern that is Africa became apparent.

I just wanted to add a bit to what the girls have written about our visit to the Missionaries of Charity. The facility is unique in that it was founded here 30 years ago in response to the large number of mental patients. Sister Marie said Mother Theresa has visited here many times. Many of the mental patients here are because of the use of chat. Over time chat cause a type of schizophrenia.

The first stop on our tour is the clinic which is located in the men’s compound. We then walk through a part of the compound where the wards for the terminally ill and undiagnosed are. The work of the Missionaries of Charity is to care for the sick and dying, so necessarily there is a mortuary in this part of the compound.

We return back to the area for the mentally ill men and tour one of the dormitories. There are fifty beds arranged in rows, head to foot. There are two of these on the floor we visit. All of the patients are in “uniform” which helps the staff of almost 200 keep track of who needs to be where. There are only 8 sister here.

We leave the men’s compound and walk down the street to the woman’s compound. There are several parts to this compound also. The women with physical illness are in the first part we tour, they seem very happy to see us. There are many fewer women than men. Women are usually taken care of in their homes. We then tour the area for women with mental illness, which sister explains seems to hit them harder.

We then pass to the children’s area. We have been followed by a few of the kids since we entered the women’s compound. First we go to the room with the children with extreme mental and physical disability. There are several lying listless from malnutrition. Somehow it is always harder to see a sick child, they seem so helpless.

The women, ululate in joy as we approach. The all have babies that is why they are here. Their children may be sick, so they stay with them or they have recently given birth and have yet to return home (if they have a home to which to return).

We end our tour at the garden and a plot of land yet undeveloped. The sisters have everything so clean and organized, all for those who are the poorest of the poor. And in the midst of all the suffering, the sister's always smile, which is the greatest healer. And for those of you who have read "Cutting for Stone", the answer is, "the ear", through which words of comfort are heard. As we get ready to leave, the rains which have threatened since our arrival, finally come. A blessing in Africa.