A 2 year old with a hair lip was brought to the Center. We had seen the baby before and had advised her mother to get the baby on the list for the repair surgery. The mother did not make any effort to start the procedure to get the surgery. There is not really a charge for the surgery. When the team comes they even pay for the transport to get the children from Yendi to one of the big hospitals in the southern part of Ghana. We again tried to get the mother to go for the evaluation but it was obvious that the mother was not interested. We suspect that the mother is using the child as a means of making money by begging. We are not sure about this case but sometimes the parents don’t want the problem fixed or no one will take pity on them and give them money when they are out begging. One of the lepers in Yendi that we helped get an artificial lower leg and foot removes his artificial leg,hops on his handicapped tricycle and goes to town every day to beg. He can make more money begging than he can farming.
First thing this morning we loaded up the motor king with the large pieces of wood from the trees Steve has been cutting and had Mr. Iddrisu and Nazo take them back to Nazo’s house to be turned into charcoal. They had to make 2 trips.
This afternoon Steve went to the end of the lane and raked up all the plastic bags and rubbish. He then built a fire and burned the stuff. The rubbish is not from us, the workers or the mothers that come to the Child Center. There are a couple of “yellow yellow” drivers that park in the lane to kill time, eat their lunch and take a nap. Yellow yellows are small three wheel vehicles that are used as taxis. The place Steve was cleaning up is not the mission property but he got tired of looking at the mess. The owner of the property even put up a no parking sign but it did not help. Don’t know how long it will stay clean but at least it looks nice now.
The baby that Steve suspects of being a hydrocephalic came back this morning. Steve measured her head and in 2 weeks it has grown 2 centimeters. The baby is finding it difficult to pick her head up. Last time Steve saw the baby he told the mother to take the baby to the hospital and have a doctor examine her; she did not go. She decided to take the baby for traditional treatment instead. The Juju (witch doctor) gave her a green herbal paste type concoction to put on the baby’s head and herbs to bathe the baby in. They are obviously not working or her head would not keep growing. We strongly encouraged her to go to the hospital; she did not say that she would take the baby.
Thank you for all you do for us, for the work and the people in Ghana.
In His Service,
Steve and Kandie
