Wednesday, November 25, 2009

EDD

November 25th is the date that will stay in my heart and head forever. There is nothing that could erase it, I hope. When I was pregnant, I thought about that date so many times. Over and over, I would tell people who asked or just dream about her coming in my head. I wasn't even so attached to the date, even. I knew that babes come when they are ready. To some people, I would just say I was due around the end of November. It's just such a precious month, a precious number next to the month. My little E bear decided to come weeks before November 25th, gently into our house, she slid into the hands of our midwife. I do remember pushing (a total of twice!) and lifting her up to my body. What I do not recall were my first words to her. My mother-in-law heard me and later told me that I kept repeating, "I love you, baby. I love you, baby. I love you, baby." And, oh, how I do love that baby.

For months, we've been trying to agree on whether or not she is still a baby. I am thoroughly convinced that she will always be a baby, my baby no matter how much she grows. We laugh bunches during these talks. My heart clenched in my chest as I know she has already grow up so much...she is strong and kind and a really compassionate friend. She lets me know if she gets overwhelmed and she shares joy with me. She tells me how much she loves the snow but really does not like...hmmmnn...to do anything until she is ready to do it. Wow, I had to pause for a while to think of what it is that she really doesn't like. This morning, she didn't like the almonds in her oatmeal for quite a while but she came around to eating a whole bowl full with no prodding from me, really. She surprises me like that. Sometimes she won't budge on a certain food, piece of clothing, sharing her carseat, leaving somewhere, but then other times, she just will decide she's okay with almonds in her oatmeal, striped pants, saying goodbye to a friend or having a talk with her sister about the carseats. It amazes me how flexible she can be and I truly appreciate this aspect of being her mom.

Looking back to her first month of life, I can see that she adapted well to the outside the womb world rather well even then. It couldn't have been easy to be sooo tiny and learn to breathe and eat and all that jazz. But she thrived. She never needed needles or doctors or artificial baby formulas. She became so into reading and so verbal at a young age that it shocked us; it still does shock us daily! And, her heart is just so pure. She's so much like her dad and I in some of our best ways (like the two above details). We will forever celebrate her birth, her life, even her EDD. In my deep heart place, I so hope that she will always share her life with us as it feels ours would be amiss without her right in the middle of it.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

$2400 in 24 hours


did you see that i am doing a fundraiser today for the birth center in bali where i volunteer? not sleeping for 24 hours to raise $2400 by midnight. could you help me buy them a doppler?  log onto my facebook page to give, please!  we are only half way there and have 3 hours left!

korea

getting a little bit thoughtful about this place called korea.  we've flown through, have friends from there and i even participated in a name exchange with two korean friends years ago.   the only two phrases that i know how to say are "i love you" and "hello".  we should then, right?

Vist Korea!

Monday, November 23, 2009

Hear Ina May Speak for Free

Ina May's Talks are on youtube available for us to watch and hear or just to listen to as we crochet in our homes.  How kind.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

A Bunch O' Births


Outside of the front office doors, midwives from various countries, nurses and staff pose alongside a group of babies that were born within about 48 hours of each other at Yayasan Bumi Sehat.  Pictured in the center is the birth center's founding midwife, Robin Lim with midwife Katherine Bramhall to her left.  Katherine volunteers her time raising funds and awareness for Bumi between Vermont and Bali.

Friday, November 20, 2009

cord burning



"Recently Robin has begun to teach midwives how to burn the umbilical cord, rather than cutting it, in order to prevent infection in less than sterile environments. This oddly beautiful practice--using a little piece of cardboard and a candle-- is a gift from Chinese medicine. It is both soothing to the baby (who usually falls asleep during the procedure) and completely safe and sterile."

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Have you brought an empty doko?

by Martha Carlough.


The community health staff of United Mission to Nepal’s Okhaldhunga Health Project began new work in four villages last year. These villages were chosen carefully, based on a balance of needs and resources in the communities.

What were we offering?

Over a period of nine months, we spent much time and effort getting to know the communities, using participatory rural appraisal (PRA) methods. Small teams of staff worked in each village: mapping resources, prioritising needs, interviewing informants and building rapport with the community. We gained lots of information. We helped villagers recognise their own strengths. Community members seemed enthused and committed to working with us. Yet as I sat at a closing ceremony where results of the PRA were being shared, a village woman asked me why we had brought an empty doko to her village. Were we, like those who had surveyed in other places, just filling our own baskets and notebooks? Just what were we offering that would make a difference in the village, and why had we not made that clear from the beginning?

What did we want?

Following the basic principles of PRA, our staff had tried very hard not to take over the process of prioritising and planning. We listened to community voices, collected data, and organised ideas. But while doing this, we had not clearly talked about what we were willing to do, and what the future of the partnership between the community health staff and the village could be like. We had brought only an empty doko. Participation is much more than a set of tools, or a democratic process of empowerment. Participation is partnership. We all come with agendas that need to be made clear, discussed, and are open to change as we link hands to work with communities.

Participatory rural appraisal has become a key component of all kinds of development work. It is a stamp of approval that the work is ‘bottom up’, democratic and empowering. But agendas are still often developed outside communities and PRA serves to raise expectations that can’t be met within the limitations of staff and funding in the programmes we work for.

The agenda of Jesus

As Christians in development, we have agendas. We cannot pretend otherwise. Jesus Christ had an agenda in his dealings with people. He met them where their needs were – with physical healing, food and water, words for personal growth – but his ultimate agenda was to direct them towards salvation. Jesus practised PRA as he empowered people to recognise their own needs and gifts and to partner with him. He performed community diagnosis and determined where and when his words would be most effectively utilised – in the marketplace, in the synagogue, by the lakeside. He did not offer an empty doko, and neither should we. It would be wise to follow his example in being open about what we stand for, and what we can offer. Our challenge as Christians involved in health and development, and engaged in participatory work, is to be clear about what we believe and can offer, while at the same time addressing needs, identifying strengths and partnering with communities for sustainable change.

Martha Carlough is the Project Director of the Okhaldhunga Health Project. Her address is United Mission to Nepal, PO Box 126, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Happy 4th Birthday!