Road Trip

Today all the midwives and I went to Adjumani, a town in the neighboring district.  We dropped off the woman who gave birth yesterday and continued the journey there. It was amazing how different it was once your crossed the border – the Arua River.  The landscape was different, beautiful, maybe even more so than Atiak.  There were more hills and rocks – giant boulders.  The villages were right on the road and even the huts were different- many were square.  Pakelle a town on the way even had a mosque.  It was clear that this district had more wealth and support.  Adjumani itself was like a big town/city wannabe.  Only a few main roads with lots of shops and even a bank, a hotel, and 2 petrol stations; but the roads were still dirt and it only took a few minutes to get the full tour.

The woman we dropped off had given birth 24 hours before.  Her baby wrapped in a blanket and wearing one of the two outfits given (no diaper), her basin of supplies on her head – she left the truck and began her 4 mile hike on the paths to her home. 

Earlier in the day a woman arrived fully dilated.  We thought it would be a quick birth as this was her third baby but she seemed afraid to push.  She held back every step of the way until finally hours after she arrived her baby was born. Her second child died at birth two years ago – a breech at home who got stuck and no one was there to attend her.  We all felt maybe she was too overwhelmed with the memory of her last baby.  This woman, Irene, was a second wife.  Men here often take more than one wife, sometimes as many as four.  In general the first wife has all the power and each subsequent wife has less and less control over her situation and is often treated even badly.  The first wife attended to Irene with her own baby on her back and was very loving and helpful.  It was obvious she cared for Irene and after the birth lovingly took this child into her arms as we cleaned Irene.

This afternoon this mama and attendant were cooking dinner over the fire.  Irene approached me and asked for something – I thought a spoon by the signs she was making and pointing.  After I got her a spoon she laughed at me and had to walk to the kitchen hut herself.  She wanted salt.  I felt badly and a little embarrassed. .