MERCY OUTREACH

Things have calmed down since I last wrote. The drought is in full swing even though we had some rain last week.

Two Saturdays ago we began an outreach program for the Toposa women of the Narus area. Anna Mijji, Lucy and Christine are working with me or more correctly, I with them to educate the women in the areas of health, cleanliness and nutrition. Our first class was held on Sept. 19 in the parish hall. 30 women were present, not counting children. It had poured the night before and was misserably mucky outside and it took 20 minutes just to get to the parish hall from our compound. The lesson was on washing hands before cooking and of course after going to the bathroom. The Toposa go outside the village when they need to go to the bathroom. However, goats and such wander around and get offal on their hooves, etc. and bring it into the tiny villages where toddlers play. They in turn get this on their hands and when their mothers pick them up they get it on themselves and if the mothers forget to wash their hands (they dont wash) it may get into the food and if the person who defecated has diarrhea and/or worms, then the rest of the family may also get this. I mimed this little scenario and the women clapped at the end - probably in relief. We also talked about the advantages of eating greens several times a week. Afterwards we entertained questions and comments such that I will be getting seeds for green leafy vegetables for them to plant when it starts to rain. I also suggested that they use the money they make when they sell firewood for greens once a week. They didn't like that idea. As the women left the parish hall where we had met, we gave each a large bar of soap and a large plastic cup with ground maize, enough for one meal of porridge.

The following Saturday, we met 55 women at the Nacipo primary school. Nacipo is a collection of five villages under one chief. The chief's three wives were present. I did the mime of how to give your family worms and diarrhea but the audience did not clap. This was a far more sophisticated audience. We taught pretty much the same things and had pretty much the same questions afterwards.
We gave out soap and maize but because the weather was good, Anna showed and had the women help her prepare some greens. The younger women took our other large pot and filled it with the leftover maize and made porridge. Between the cabbage and the porridge we fed over 100 people counting children. The chief's #1 wife wondered why her husband received tobacco and the woman did not. Forunately I had one roll left over so I gave it to her and she sniffed it and found it to be adequate. She cut some shavings for herself to chew and gave some to the other women who had brought their pipes. They were a happy contented lot. They suggested that we give them clothes so we thought of buying bolts of good cloth and cutting it into two meter segments and giving them this instead as their clothing is threadbare. I must admit I really enjoy working with these women. They do ALL the work while the men sit under trees all day.

On Mercy Day, 09-24-09, I was stung by a scorpion who had gotten into my unzipped suitcase. The pain was worse than an acute appendicitis or muscle spasms which cause you to be taken by ambulance to the hospital. The interesting part was how you are treated: half folk medicine and half modern medicine. I went to the Maryknoll convent where Sisters Theresa and Madeline wiped my finger and a straight edge razor with a sterilizing agent and then Theresa made a fair cut next to the sting and squeezed my finger until it was bleeding freely. Then she placed a black stone on it and taped the stone securely. The thought is that the stone will suction out the poison with the blood. Psychologically I felt good but I was still in agony. Fortunately, Charles, the clinic director, came to the convent compound and gave me two pain shots and I was good to go by the next morning.

I'll be going to Nairobi on Oct. 7 to make a retreat and buy some things for this new project. Will be back in South Sudan around the 25th of Oct. or so. I do not know when I will be returning to the states. Am having an awful time getting my return ticket changed and I started the process in early Sept.

Owls wait for full moon light,
while in my room I hide,
Terrors burrowed in the thatch,
God, let them stay outside.

Chanting down the path come they,
leading cattle home.
Toposa herdsmen sticks in hand,
cattle never roam.