Kelvin in Kalowa

Yesterday, after we had finished our work in the field with our sponsored students ,I had the job of driving to Kalowa village to take Kelvin, one of our HIV patients, to an AIDS hospice in Choma. (The photo is of Kelvin’s family. Phinneas on the left is with Kelvin in Choma right now and the little girl with the scarf on her head is Kelvin’s daughter.)

Kalowa is quite remote and Richard was busy with other responsibilities, so, I borrowed Timmy and Brivery (a couple of secondary school students) for the day, as backup power to ensure that if any difficulties ensued, I would have a couple of Tonga-speaking guys to assist me! I had made arrangements (via texting on the cell phone) for Stanley (the community health care worker) to meet us at Katungu and accompany us to Kalowa.

First I needed to drive to Katungu, a twenty-minute drive down a red sandy rocky road into the bush country of Africa. It’s a beautiful drive. About half way to Katungu you descend into a valley where many varieties of green acacia trees, cactus and other African bush thrive. It is not lush, because it is the dry season, but it is green, something that baffles me because it hasn’t rained since March! Once at Katungu I find out that Stanley has not received my text message so he’s still in his village—some distance from Katungu. No problem, the deputy headmaster says he’ll go find Stanley out in the bush while I strike off on my own with my trusty secondary boys —who have never been past Katungu—to find Kalowa.

No one in the bush has a vehicle so there are no roads, only short cuts on paths that resemble cattle paths. I knew part of the way there so I drove until I came to the farm of the Mwaata Headmaster. The farm is a small cluster of mud rondavel shacks and maize bins. There I found a boy who could show me the path that the nurses drive on their monthly outreaches to Kalowa. You go to the right here, down across the river over there, up the bank over there, pass the bore hole and finally you come to another little settlement of mud huts in the middle of a bare dusty clearing.

Kelvin (then aged thirty-six) was diagnosed with HIV in 2005 and, shortly after the diagnosis was confirmed, suffered a stroke. He has been on ARV medication since 2006. Recently, his family have been having great difficulty taking care of his basic needs. My nurse friend, Tebia, reported that he had really deteriorated so I decided to make arrangements to have him spend a few weeks at a very well run AIDS hospice in Choma if the family would agree. The family agreed, so after the mom and the two sisters-in-law bathed Kelvin behind a bush at the compound, we were on our way to Choma.

After coming out off the bush road, you meet the paved road to Choma going north and Livingstone going south. I’d rather drive in the bush than on the tarmac road in Zambia. The narrow lanes and big trucks are too scary for me. But, the sweet distraction of singing Tonga songs in the front of the truck made the trip quite a bit less stressful. Kelvin and his brother Phinneas rode quietly in the back.

The doctor met us at the hospice and then Kelvin had another bath—this time in a bath tub—assisted by Stanley. Kelvin is very thin from neglect and needs a several weeks to bulk up. His brother Phinneas will stay with him for a few days and then I’ve made arrangements for the mom to stay. Before we left, Kelvin gave me a wee bit of a smile (he’s aphasic from the stroke) and Stanley led us in prayer as we gathered around Kelvin’s bed.

I gave mom and Phinneas enough money from the HIV fund for food for the two weeks and my cell number so they can call if more help is needed. We are out of the country for about ten days but when I return, the nurses, the family, and I will try to sketch out a better discharge plan for him.

The trip home was spent singing again and reviewing grade 12 subjects that Brivery will be tested on this coming week. It was a long day, but we are so grateful that the hospice in Choma had a bed for Kelvin and that the family were in agreement with this plan!

Please keep Kelvin and family in your prayers!

Love to all,
Sue

PS: We didn’t get lost and the vehicle performed marvellously!