Wednesday Wonders

Today many babies were sick, so I did massage on kids who wouldn't normally get it because they are well and high functioning.  I did hold two sick babies this morning who needed snuggles and it was completely worth it.  I love my new little friend Maleele.  

Also this morning, my mom took me to visit the PT who works with a couple of babies at the clinic.  I had brought braces and shoes and splints for all sizes.  I also arranged with the midwife, too, to go out to the villages to teach massage to the new mamas...I'm thinking it will be a crash course and an introduction to a life I do not know.  I'm looking forward to it.

This afternoon, I played with the toddlers of Haven 2 and had so much fun.  I recognize many of them from when i was here two years ago and that is encouraging, because death isn't uncommon here.  Little Lincoln came by and I started scratching his back, which he completely leaned into.  So he sat in my lap and I asked if he wanted more...he pulled my hands onto his back.  So while he played in the sand, I massaged his back and head and face.  He was a puddle by the end of it.  

I should have more pictures soon.  I've been trying not to get too attached this year because it's hard to leave them behind.  But I'm all about hugs and cuddles and massage while I'm here.

New Week

On Saturday, I taught back massage to the SLP grad students to give during their tummy time groups with the babies.  I was able to explain the whys and hows and dos and don'ts to them to enhance the experience for them and the babies.  Also, I showed face massage since they do buccal rubs and c stretches on their little mouths for stimulation to encourage interaction.  

I have a few babies to target for OT and massage, so I am trying to learn their schedules.  I got Edwin first this morning before he had his feeding group.  That turned out to be optimal time for him to have massage, because after, he ate so much better than before.  

Next I did some positive touch and interaction with the toddler boys who are my new crew.  They all love to be touched on their heads and faces.  Plus, it really brings out their language and mimic skills!  Plus, I worked with Stevie who continues hit himself on the head occasionally, though it is very re-directable.  

Chabo was my next little one to work with.  My impression of him is that he has a very disorganized sensory system and responses.  He also hits himself on the head, but is incredibly oral defensive.  I watched him get something out of my bag, make a questioning sound, then tap it on his head.  It's like he gets input that way, instead of putting it in his mouth which is a more typical developmental action.  He needs multi-sensory input.

After lunch, I played with the toddlers from Haven 2 in the sandy playground area.  I worked with Joel (called Joello), who has a right hip dysphasia and receives PT 3x a week.  He doesn't have any words, but is very quick to pick up signs like "more".  He also loved one on one time where I did lots of manual muscle work and sensory input.  

There are many many babies who just want to be picked up and cuddled.  All of the students I taught back and face massage to reported that the babies melted when they did this stroke or that stroke, such as circles down the spine or gliding with alternating hands.  I don't expect the students to remember much of what I told them, but I know they at least remember those two back strokes and cross my heart.  

My mother (their main supervisor and one of the developers of HIZ Path) said she can tell a difference in just one day of using the massage techniques and the babies increased responses!  

How Does It Work?

I guess some of y'all may want to know how it works here in Namwianga.  We live on the mission in a house with running water and kitchens.  My house has a thatched roof and barbed wire around the back door.  The mission hires several local people to keep it running, so someone (Harold) makes our meals, and we fix our own on Sunday.  We have a garden, chickens and then there is a grocery in town.

 Our house

There are several schools on the mission, an elementary, a secondary, a high school, and a college.  We are about 3 miles from Kalomo, Zambia.  The schools are private, but run by the Zambians.  Most teachers are Zambian, but there are a couple who are foreign.  Just today another here and I helped a high school girl with a project for developing figs into pills to take to the villages (they really do live in huts) for medicine.  

The Haven has 3 houses for little ones.  Haven One is tiny babies and toddlers, Haven Two is older toddlers, and Haven Three is for the sick babies (TB, HIV-Positive, syphillus) of all ages.  Typically, they are returned to their family (they are usually at The Haven because their mother died and the family can't afford to feed them and/or has no one to watch them) when they are ready to go, but if they family can't or won't take them back, then they go to Eric's House and are a part of the family who lives there.  

We eat breakfast at 8 am and go to the The Haven at 9-9:15.  Most of them walk the road, but I like to walk the paddock path (about 3/4 of a mile) through the brush.  Sometimes I have to drive Khaki Jacki, the 9 passenger Land Rover, to The Haven to take the supplies.  We come back for lunch about 12:15-12:30, go back to The Haven until 4:15-4:30, and then have supper at 5, so that the employees can go home to their families.  

The Paddock Path

In the evenings, we have movie nights or game nights, or play on the internet.  On Fridays, we go to Eric's House for a bonfire and singing time.  Last night, one of the local missionaries took us out to the middle of the mission to see the stars without lights around.  AMAZING.  I love finding the southern cross.

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The street where The Haven and Eric's House are located.

We do have electric blackouts sometimes, and sometimes the water is out.  But for the most part, it is very very comfortable.  

From the road back to the schools and where we stay.

First Day with the babies

Ok--I've had a shower, and I have Internet.  

The babies are so much better this year than I have ever seen or heard.  I have a list of kiddos to work with for both massage and OT.  

The first baby I worked with was Priscella who is 3 1/2 months old.  She is very tiny and responded well to a full body massage.  This was done over her clothes, because I'm not sure the aunties would like if I undress them, which is totally fine.  I gave her to the feeding group after, so I'm hoping she will start gaining weight.  I may have to work a system out where I go over to The Haven before the speechies get there, so they babies that cross over with massage and feeding will be ready for feeding class.

Second, I worked with Edwin who is also young, but I can't recall his name right now.  I got him from his bed where we was awake, but was quiet.  He watched me very close and didn't pull away or cry, just absorbing it.  I did legs, arms, and tummy and then gave him to the feeding group.  

Next was Jonathan, but they call him Jona(h).  He is a year old and has low muscle tone.  I did some massage with him on his legs and arms, but mostly did crawling (with minimum to moderate assistance to keep him on his hands and knees instead of forearms) and cruising along the couch (I requested no more footie pajamas for him!).  

Before the morning was over, I played/worked with Choba who is over a year old and is a serious sensory seeker who will hit himself in the head.  We did wiggle/jiggles on the floor with him on his back and he loved it!  Wanted more, in fact...it rocked his world.  So then I did deep pressure soothing strokes down his arms and the sides of his body before doing legs and arms massage.  He also wanted joint compressions and head squeezes....many, many head squeezes.  I'm watching him closely and will make him a special one to watch because of his sensory needs.  

After lunch, I worked with Steve who is about a year old and a very healthy size for any baby that age.  He waves his hand above his head a lot and made little eye contact initially with the first group.  He did great eye contact with me after we started sensory and massage and I was able to re-direct his hand wave.  His favorite part of the massage was "cuddle and gaze" on the face.  It completely entranced him.  

Over in another part of the room, there was quite a pack of shupas (rascals) trying to get large toys off a shelf, so Stevie and I went over and sat with them, providing a little supervision.  They wouldn't talk to me, but wanted me to look at each of them and would try to get my attention from the others.  I started doing "cuddle and gaze" (face) to each of them, and you would have thought I had just handed out free candy.  One little one kept patting his cheek and then would grab my hand for more.  Another started imitating me and then talking to me (he hasn't been talking in language group, but only in one on one, if I remember correctly).  

I've been encouraging the speech student to do more positive touch.  They are craving it!  

This is one of the first little ones I worked with 2 years ago.  He was about 7 or 8 months old then.  He gets regular physical therapy now. 

We went to a bigger town close by for shopping.  I'll post pictures soon.  

At Namwianga

Of course I cried when I got here.

I just got Internet and it is 9:25 at night and last night was the first real night's sleep I've had since Monday and I confess I haven't had a shower since Wednesday.   The water has been off and on, but I swear we are in a great facility.  I'll post pictures tomorrow and write about my first sessions with the babies!

Thanks for reading this, if you are.  I appreciate it!

humble heart

Tomorrow I leave to return to Namwianga, Zambia.  I realize I don't have to tell everything I know, but it's really in my gene pool to tell EVERYTHING I KNOW, so I feel an overwhelming need to write that I have cried many times in the last two weeks about how thankful and humbled I am that I get to go back to these new babies at this orphanage.  There will be a few faces I know, but most babies have gone home (the MAIN GOAL) , and there are some faces that I wish I could see, but I know I will see their gravestones instead.  I didn't cry because I was sad or because I wish I could have gone 2 weeks earlier when the rest of the group did, or like I did last year because I couldn't go and my mom was going and I didn't think I could offer support to my family here in town on my own.  I cried* this time because I am so unbelievably humbled by the opportunity to go and serve in a capacity that will be useful.

I am usually a scared flyer.  No real reason except for 9/11.  I can't do skyscrapers anymore, either, by the way.  But I am more calm than not this time and ready to go.  But please say a prayer for the 3 of us going on Tuesday.  And that all the bags get there.

*I don't usually cry so easily when I remember to take my Lexapro.  Must remember that. 

4 more days

I am craving Zambia.

And wishing I could see this face!  But the sweet baby went home a couple of months ago.  I pray Robert grows up happy and healthy and well loved.  I'm always rooting for him!

First group in Jo-burg

The first group is getting ready to land in South Africa and spend the night.
I've been tracking them on my phone. Amazing. I love technology.


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First Group leaving today!

The main group leaves today from Little Rock heading to Namwianga, Zambia via Atlanta, Johannesburg, and Livingstone, with an overnight on the plane and in Jo-burg.
In this group are 6 SLP graduate students from Harding University, 1 undergrad from LSU, and 4 SLP supervisors, one of which is my mom and two others amongst my very dearest friends.



So I'm praying for safe travels, healthy immune systems, smooth dealings with local bureaucracy, and happy happy hearts. That last one I have no doubt about.



And I will leave to join them in exactly two weeks with two other giving hearts who just want to go and do what is needed for the orphanage.

Preps and Props

I love it when things stay in my heart: people, words, places...but none caught me more off guard than about 90 babies in the middle of the African bush in southwest Zambia.  I was there to assist a program called HIZ-Path as a pediatric occupational therapist.  I exclusively worked with about 7 babies and toddlers, but felt I could do more.  So I found Tina Allen at Liddle Kidz and worked to become a Certified Pediatric Massage Therapist and am finishing certification requirements for Certified Infant Massage Teacher. 

Babies at The Haven orphanage at Namwianga Mission are going to be benefiting from the nurturing touch of massage and the caregivers can learn to provide it after I leave!  Let's help some babies!