November 2011 Kasensa Report

Kasensa Report – November 2011


October was HOT with some day time temperatures reaching 41C! While the rains are off to a slow start, they have started! Praise God! The cattle will soon fatten up as the yellow parched grass transforms into much better feeding grounds! To date we’ve received 44.7 mm rain. While last year this time approximately 3 times that much had fallen.

And with the onset of rain, the termites are flying by the zillions at night! As I write, the outside (and some of the inside) of the house is humming and Taylor is cooking up a few to see what they taste like. When in Zambia do as the Zambians, he says! So tonight we’ll taste – and in the morning we’ll sweep.

Babies have been coming and going this month. On November 2, Joy went home with her grandparents to the village – about 65 km. from here. Our very busy and curious Alex went home with his aunty and uncle on November 10. For a few days Molly and Timmy kept saying “he’s gone”. Where? “to Zimba!” they’d say! And then a few days later, handsome little Mikey #2 went home to be with his family. You’ll remember that Mikey’s mom had been diagnosed with TB and was so weak after delivering Mikey that she could not even get off her mat. She is doing much better now – able to cook and clean. She and husband – who also have a set of 2 year old twins and a 4 year old, will no doubt be busy, but with cousins….now out of school for December holidays there will be some additional family help!

And coming in the door was Matron and Cornolius. Matron was 4.6 kg when she was born and at 7 months is now 10.7 kg! She is much too large to pack around on anyone’s back. Today, she was crying – and I was cleaning. I hoisted her onto my hip and packed her around for awhile and then finally just had to lay her down and pat her back until she fell asleep. Matron’s 17 year old mom had surgery recently to repair a large ulcer on one of her breasts. The goal is for Matron to return to family in about a month when mom has had time to do some healing. The extended family will be caring for mom as well as Matron.

Cornolius came last week. He is 2 weeks old and weighs only 2.4 kg, a contrast to Matron. He came with sores on his body – mostly groin area, but also on his back and extremities. I’ve had him to the clinic and the hospital this week and he’s on 3 types of antibiotics trying to attack every type of possible organism. He’s beginning to eat a bit better – about 3 oz. every 3 hours. He has a ton of hair! His mom died in the village after giving birth at home. We suspect she was HIV positive and we’ll have Cornolius HIV tested as soon as possible. In the meantime, we’ll keep him on Septrin to stave off opportunistic infections.

As well, there has been much activity with the milk program. We have reached capacity – 15 babies (and their families).

Each week I spend time at the Kalomo Hospital mostly on the maternity and paediatric wards. I do this to educate myself on the most typical conditions and what treatments are available and needed and also to make relationship with the wider system. I believe greater impact of God’s work can occur through knowledge of the bigger picture and through working with all the layers of the system – individual, family and community.

What I see as all too common at the hospital is malnutrition – serious malnutrition. A few weeks ago an eight year old girl died – from malnutrition. Much education and counselling is needed. As I learn more, I am able to counsel the mom’s and dads and if needed I refer them to our milk program.

Out of this new relationship with the Kalomo Hospital staff, a few days ago – the hospital charge nurse met me at the hospital entrance and asked ZMF-C to assist the family of a 24 year old mom who had just given birth to a set of triplets – Tryness, Trustness and Junior, two girls and a boy. The babies were all of good weight (i.e. one was 2.0 kg) and went home 2 days after birth. Junior will be on our milk program because the family thinks the mom will need a bit of help! No problem. They live not far from Zimba – just off the tarred road – so hopefully, we can make a home visit in this next month.

I’m sure in Canada many of you are preparing for Christmas. For us, its hard to think of Christmas when it looks and feels like August!

While you are preparing for Christmas, I’m sure these wee ones in Zambia will be in your prayers! We are a bit out of touch with world and Canada news but we hear via BBC talk of recession still. Even though perhaps difficult financial situations in Canada exist, our country is still very wealthy. The constant struggle that folks here have for their daily bread is not at all what God intended for his people. There is much work to be done.

So, I urge all who have connection with this work to remember the ZMF-C work in your prayers. Please pray for wisdom and discernment and for energy and patience!

Our God is a good God and my prayer is that all of us together make a difference – our time in this world is short! Galatians 6: 9 and 10. “Let’s not get tired – whenever we have opportunity….”


And please continue to pray for all the babies and their families! For quick family reunification and for healthy babies!