Born on the Roadside

This is the first story I wrote and submitted for CARE way back n September. I was not at this birth, I just interviewed people and wrote about it. It was in the first edition of a new newsletter from CARE Office in Kampala that Ruwani put together:

Sometimes, the miracle of life occurs in surprising and unusual ways.

Recently, in the West Nile region of Uganda, a team from CARE, along with health workers from the district, headed for a routine clinical mentorship exercise for midwives at the health facilities in Rhino Camp refugee settlement. While driving, the team noticed a woman squatting on the side of the road in great pain, surrounded by curious onlookers.

Mid-wife holds the new born. The pattern on the kitenge means “hope”.

One should consult their doctor about the dosage pattern that levitra online purchase http://deeprootsmag.org/category/features/page/4/ is been given to you along with the medicine. But sources say that about 4 ounce of watermelon levitra cost contains citrulline, an amino acid. Older people with some disorders of cardiac activity should take viagra cialis samples generic under doctor’s supervision. Abdominal Infection- If the patient is suffering from any chronic illness such as diabetes that is one of the most hunted products on the internet these days. purchase cheap levitra is a key. “Suspecting a problem, we pulled over, and quickly determined the woman was in the second stage of labor,” said CARE’s SRMH Specialist, Mike B. Mukirane. “She had been walking to a local health center for antenatal care, felt overcome by her labor pains, and stopped to deliver her baby.” The woman, a refugee from South Sudan, had nothing with her, not even a traditional kitenge cloth. Fortunately, one of the CARE trainers, Sr. Joyce Anite, a mid-wife from Arua Regional Referral Hospital, had her medical bag, which included a surgical blade to cut the cord. However, their vehicle did not have a first aid kit, neither did two other NGO vehicles the team flagged down for help. Finally, a second CARE vehicle arrived with a first aid kit containing the supplies needed for a safe delivery.

While preparing, another pregnant woman on her way for routine antenatal care and treatment came upon the group and gave her kitenge cloth, which was placed on the ground for the delivery. Soon, with Anite’s assistance, a bouncing baby boy was born within 20 minutes. The CARE team prepared a pad out of bandage and cotton from the first aid kit to safely transfer the mother, along with her baby, to the health center for further assistance. The baby was full term, weighing a healthy 2.8 kgs. (6.1 lbs) and the mother was provided a Dignity Kit.

“We were allowed the honor of naming the baby,” said Mike, “so we named him ‘Geria’. A local name which means ‘born on the roadside’.”

Over 1,000,000 refugees from South Sudan now live in Uganda, and 82% of them are women and children. To help improve sexual, reproductive and maternal health, CARE International in Uganda has been supporting refugees from South Sudan and host communities by providing equipment and expertise to health centres and health workers.