BELOW IS PART OF A BLOG POST I WROTE LAST YEAR ABOUT THE DAY I MET MAMA FLORENCE. READ IT FIRST, THEN SEE BELOW FOR THE UPDATE ON HER!
=====================
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2011
A Day in the Village
Several fellow adoptive moms from UG started their own ministry, Awaka Children’s Foundation (**note this is now turned into Olwazzi Ministries**). I’ve often heard about this ministry and the village where they work. This past Saturday I finally got to go visit. What a day! I went with my friends, Kelly and Simon, and some other adoptive families. We drove about an hour outside of Kampala, up into the beautiful hills. Then we went off of the main road quite a ways, where you could definitely say you are “in the village”.
Our first stop was to meet the village midwife. Mama Florence is about 70 years old. Women travel from miles around to use her services. I’ve heard it said that a woman in the village will go miles to a highly recommended and trusted midwife, even if a decent doctor or clinic is closer. It’s all about trust and relationship. Mama Florence is very well known and respected. She delivers approximately 4-7 babies a week. She does not charge anything. She has the labor and delivery room behind her house in a very small mud building.
When we arrived there was a young girl, Sylvia, there in the early stages of labor with her first baby. She labored in this small room with very few supplies and no modern equipment. Smoke billowing in from the charcoal fire outside. But I’m very glad to say that because of your generous donations, she had sterile delivery supplies from a Mama Kit. Mama Florence was very excited to get the kits and I know they will be well used. I asked what happens if there are complications during the birth. They told me that when that happens Florence gets a boda boda (motorcycle taxi) and they go the approximately 35km to the nearest hospital. That’s 35 km on a rural dirt, pothole filled road while you are in labor and enduring complications. Can you imagine? It blows my mind. But I’m thankful for women like Mama Florence doing the best they can to help the women of her village. I look forward to getting to know her more and to providing her with more kits.
 |
| Delivery Hut |
 |
| Mama Florence and Sylvia |
 |
| Giving Mama Florence her Mama Kits |
Update:
Mama Florence is getting a new birth center! Some wonderful women from Canada decided that Mama Florence needed a better facility. They raised the money and now construction is underway and should be complete by the weekend! The new facility has concrete floors and foundation, windows, doors, two beds and a crib, as well as some other new supplies. What a blessing for this wonderful women who does the best she can to care for so many new mamas. I cannot wait get some more mama kits to her for the new place!
 |
| It may not seem like a big deal, but windows and a door are huge improvements and a blessing for Mama Florence. |
 |
| The new birthing center! |
To follow more about Mama Florence and the work in her village check out Olwazzi Ministries or you can also find them on Facebook.