This morning Sarah-Kate and I dressed in our conservative best and headed over to the local health clinic to meet with the nurses. We had coordinated this meeting time yesterday with the local doctor, so we weren't coming in blindly.
A few months back, Sarah-Kate coordinated the teaching of these health lesssons by the nurses at the clinic for a tiny village she had helped to install running water in. The lessons were only supposed to be an hour long, covering topics like hand-washing, purifying water, breast-feeding and pre-natal care.
When we got to the clinic today, the nurse who was supposed to give the lessons bailed. She said that the timing was too late and she wanted to do it another day. Annoyed, Sarah-Kate and I headed back home, figuring we would try again tomorrow.
At 3:30pm, one of the men from the Commune (county-council) knocked on my door, ready to head to the village. After about 30 minutes of driving around, trying to get ahold of the doctor, Sarah-Kate and I decided to just teach the lessons ourselves. Mind you, I have never taught a health-lesson before but like most things in Morocco, I just went with it.
About 40 women came to our little lesson where we showed clips from a health video and attempted to understand what the women were saying. Most of the women were disappointed that the nurse didn't come, since she is the one with the medicine and technical knowledge but they seemed to enjoy hanging out with us. We drank some sodas (a big treat), ate cookies and chatted mostly, but I would say it was a success. The women were receptive and thankful.
This is just another example of how being a volunteer just means you learn to think on your feet. 95% of what I talk about, give lessons on or help out with I know nothing about. The reality is that having gone to school, I know how to research, ask questions and organize. These are the skills that are most valuable, well that and improvisation!
We should be having another lesson this Wednesday, InShalla, with one of the nurses. I am hoping it works out, just so the kind women of the village can ask their questions to someone who knows!
0 comments:
Post a Comment