It happened so fast.

I was working in and around Mongu District last week visiting health centers (just doing my job like I do now...thank goodness I am actually starting to understand my job).  Every day we set out from the office and moved through copious amounts of sand to visit staff from various health centers.  Essentially, we check to see if they understand how to complete and submit monthly reports, then we do a routine stock assessment of the drugs at their center and also check to see if they have any challenges (and provide training as needed).  All in all, it takes a couple of hours or more for this process to take place at each health center (sometimes more depending on what drugs you are checking).

Of course you find all kinds of crazy things (not always related to the work you are doing…just in general things that amaze and surprise me).  For instance (and this is just one example...I have so many stories), we were meeting with the staff who run this very remote health center last week (it takes almost two hours to access by foot but luckily we had a car).  Anyway, as we were meeting, a small group of women came to the center and they were ushered into the back room (which is like a small clinic/patient room).  I was barely aware of their presence as we kept meeting (one of the women we were meeting with got up and attended to them).  We just kept on talking and working in the storage room.  Well, I’m not even kidding that maybe 15 or 20 minutes went by and I see these women come back out and start to leave.  I asked the staff what had happened because I was curious?  She casually said that one of the women had just given birth.  What?!  I practically fell out of my chair.  There had been no screaming, yelling…nothing.  And it had been seriously less than 30 minutes for this entire process (entering, birthing, paperwork, leaving).  Amazing.  No big deal.

For as much as I am amazed with all of the challenges that exist here I am equally amazed at the simplicity of life.  I felt proud to be in Africa as I witnessed how simple life could be.  Although I did comment to the staff (as they were laughing at my amazement of the situation) that there is no way I could have done what this woman did...unless I had been given some very high doses of drugs.  I wish I could have gotten a picture of the happy occasion.  But I didn't.  It all happened so fast.  So, instead here are some pictures of us out and about in Mongu. 

We got a bit stuck so had to push the car a bit.

Some of great animals in and around Mongu.

Sand, sand everywhere.