I was welcomed at St. Joseph’s Hospital by the delightful Sister Mercy Kanyumbu who is the hospital administrator. St. Joseph’s is a rural hospital located in a cluster of church, school, housing and hospital but serving a broader community of dispersed villages. I am staying in the house shown below which has a wonderful property and is located right across the road from the hospital. Getting to work is therefore easy (and the water is now back on). The nearest grocery shopping is a 30 minute ride by crowded “minibus” which is a euphemism for an overcrowded and antiquated van. Saying that I can always hitch a ride from one of the hospital drivers if I want to take the easy way out. C’est la vie.
The staff at the hospital are very welcoming and I am trying to find a way to be useful without being in the way. The dominant mood is one of warmth. “Poor” here is defined as not having a family around you. Saying that there is obviously considerable hardship but when that is an inherent part of life, then family is the sustaining force. Every day for me begins with the refreshing and uplifting screams of joy coming from the school yard next door as evidence of the power of community as well.
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