Birthing Small… Village Medics

Harare, Zimbabwe, Africa

11^th November, 2008.

 

To all my friends who have partnered with me through 2008,

 

Thank you for your love and encouragement, gifts in kind, in time, in prayer, in word, meals, homes, lodgings, transport, vehicles, fuel, use of telephones and printers, postage, funds, flights, licences and permits, conversations, advice, accountability, books, knowledge and wisdom; and the many cups of tea!

 

Finally after working on the many facets of how, where and when to get the Village Medic training launched into the peoples of Africa, with a vision for the world, as a means of the Gospel of Truth reaching the lost with God’s love, we – you and me – were able to officially get that opportunity this October, 2008. 

 

While teaching the second Missionary Wilderness First Responder course of the year at Overland Missions Base in Zambia in September, I was blessed with opportunity to arrange a return visit specifically to teach the foundations of First Aid, required by curriculum, to the LIFE Project’s Community elected Pre-school teachers who would be launching their Community Pre-schools for under 6’s on 1^st November 2008.  It was a challenging but blessed time, a report of which I enclose below.

 

While there I was also able to run a Farming God’s Way workshop with the Community Liaison Volunteers – elected leaders from 8 of the Zambian villages where Overland is working through the SAM Project.  Agriculture was a more familiar topic for the students than was health and First Aid, so presenting an easier teaching opportunity for me.  Again, please see the detailed report below.

 

As I continue to modify the First-Aid course materials to suit the local African village student in their unique circumstances and various levels of understanding, while trying still to live in Zimbabwe under very difficult economic circumstances, I thank God that he is in control and that he is doing amazing things to our benefit.  He has supplied miraculously this year in protection and provision, and I have been blessed with the joy of serving his people as a friend, brother, father, prophet and teacher in the USA, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

 

As the rainy season looms beneath large grey cumulonimbus clouds I have retrieved my tent from Zambia, and taken up residence in Harare, Zimbabwe, closer to family.  From here I shall continue to study, write and serve others, preparing myself and the materials as necessary, for more effective advances in the season to come.  I would love to return to the USA this year to visit with you however such a trip is probably beyond my budget at the moment.  Should God have a plan to get me there I am His to take where He will. 

 

I shall write again soon.  I covet your prayers and your letters.

 

With much love, and appreciation,

 

Rowan

 

 

 

Report back on Village Medic primary course with LIFE project, Overland Missions.

Date:               23-24 October 2008.

Place:  Footsteps Church (Pastor Dragan Zondani), Songwe Village, Livingstone.

Facilitator:       Rowan Lewis, Mandate 3, Village Medic (Rowan Lewis Africa).

Hosts:              Carl and Megan Wonderhaar, LIFE Project, Overland Missions, Zambia.

Attendees:       Village Community Liaison Volunteers & 30x Preschool Teachers of LIFE Project;

Purpose:          To equip LIFE Preschool Teachers with a minimum of curriculum-required First-Aid knowledge and skills, to the standards and methodology of The Village Medic Program, under SOLO through Mandate 3.

 

This was a preliminary venture to, at the very least, fulfil the above goal, and explore the levels of understanding present amongst these rural communities so as to create an ongoing multi-level series of teachings for First-Aid and health within them.  Ultimately it is hoped to achieve an acceptably high standard of Village Medic personnel within a representative portion of each community, while improving the general health knowledge and health practices of these communities in general.

 

1.         After “morning tea” we began our first session at 10:45, the outside temperatures rising above 100 degrees F.  By midday under a low metal roof the heat was oppressive – fortunately the dim-lit church is well ventilated at the podium so I could always get a prevailing breeze through the patterned vents in the wall.

2.         Generally the hands on learning was well accepted, as men worked on assessments (physical exams) with other men, and the ladies argued and finally gave in to working assessments on each other, which with much laughter and encouragement from the others watching, they did very well.

3.         To coach a hands-on practical of the assessment system for 40 people simultaneously was to prove too difficult, so we had a flow of volunteers through the middle of the room role-playing patients and First-Aiders.  The Physical assessment system was met with some shyness initially as people are generally not so physically “familiar” with each other in this culture.  However, an “unconscious patient” remains an unconscious patient when told to do so, unlike in the USA where mock “unconscious patients” are often alive enough to be giving their own advice to rescuers!

4.         We covered Primary and Secondary Assessments with SOAP-notes the first day, going into lifting & moving techniques, and making litters as the activity for the evening session 8 to 9 pm.

5.         The second day covered soft-tissue injuries and treatments, some typical diseases and precautions, building of a simple splint; water and water related illnesses, heat illnesses, bites and stings, animal bites (incl. rabies and tetanus) and African snakebite.  How to make bandages, slings and sterile water with what you have in your village, and long-term wound care, recognising and treating infections also featured.  We also challenged many old traditional myths and mystical practices.

6.         A further full day and a half would have been advantageous to cover more material and reinforce the skills practically.  The whole concept is brand new to most of these “students,” nursing mothers and grey haired men alike.  It takes time to get the thought process rolling on subjects totally unfamiliar.  However, many were very enthusiastic and attentive, able to give feedback afterwards when not certain of their facts.

7.         My observations were that these students will seldom interrupt a lesson to ask a question or reveal that they have not understood, while you are talking.  But they will come afterwards and ask. 

8.         Also, teaching by diagram and illustration helps a great deal.  My sketches on the whiteboard were well received with some folk approaching the board to sit on the reed mats and feed on the visuals as I taught.

9.         One student who had previously attended the Missionary First Responder course and struggled with the information and language overload found that a simple revision as this was to him made many things make better sense and reinforced his understanding.

Reinforcing the lesson with examples from their societies is very important:

         finger amputation while carving a wooden axe-handle;

         knife wound while communally cutting up an dead elephant;

         lower leg fracture from a kick-tackle in a soccer game;

         Head-neck injury from falling backwards off a run-away donkey-cart.

         Reviewing the lessons again in six months time would be invaluable!

10.       Trauma-drama:  Acting out the story of the accident, and then the rescue and treatment, you can often be rewarded with some alarmingly accurate results as the students attempt to mimic you.  Some however, are dangerously lacking any concept of anatomy, physiology and possible threats to the human body.  I had to use the butchering of goats and chickens (a common part of typical village life) as a reference to initiate an understanding of blood, veins, arteries and pulses.

11.       “That was a very good answer… but perhaps include the following…,” is a better way of coaching and encouraging more feedback than telling them that they are wrong.  Remember that this is a society that is so set on politeness that if you asked if you were on the road to heaven you would be told “yes” even if you were knocking on hell’s gate, for want of offending you.

 

So, in closing, I suggest working with smaller groups, in even numbers of each – either men or women (so they can pair up with same sex for practical assessments); a minimum of three full days to allow for more information and practical reinforcing of the material.  Also, a cooler time of year without night classes as the info overload needs the evenings free for reflection and self study/revision.  Many folk still have to go draw water from the well to carry back for heating and bathing purposes – there is still a large aspect of life without the modern conveniences that we have to work around and respectfully consider.  Providing good food, drink and regular meals will help to keep energy levels high; and a simple language point-by-point manual with pertinent illustrations (like a children’s story book), will help to make this course a very worthwhile foundation.  An introductory lesson on the Village Medic Bucket and the use of its contents can later be added for select VM representatives upon reaching standard.

 

 

Report Back on Farming God’s Way seminar with SAM project, Overland Missions.

Date:               27 October 2008;

Place:              Rapid 14, Overland Missions Base, Zambia, in the Vegetable Garden;

Facilitator:       Rowan Lewis, Mandate 3 & RowanLewisAfrica.

Attendees:       Leaders and Community Volunteers of LIFE and SAM projects from 8 different rural village communities.

Hosted by:      SAM Project:  Teddy Ncube, Village Headman & Personnel Officer, Overland Missions, Zambia.

Purpose:          To challenge and equip the CV’s to the Farming God’s Way agricultural system as a means to break out of the poverty chains and help their communities toward working to make a profit through small scale intensive and well managed agriculture by applying the principles of the Kingdom of God.

 

·         The program began late as the said attendees failed to arrive at the prearranged pick-up point at the pre arranged time.  However, they later were collected from Mukuni Village by Teddy and arrived at the Overland Base, Rapid 14, at 9:15 a.m.  Teaching began at 9:40, 1:10 minutes after the appointed time.  A tea break was necessary at 10:30 for tea and sandwiches (breakfast), class resumed again at 11:00.  We broke for lunch at 12:45, and resumed the practical side of the FGW seminar at 13:30 wrapping up in the field at 16:00.  Attendees were transported to Songwe village to join the other Life Project Staff for further training.

·         Teaching focussed on an introduction of why FGW was of importance to our rural communities as a God-ordained means to overcome poverty through the disciplines of Kingdom of God principles applied to all areas of life, including farming.  The history of LIFE project’s focus on orphans and the difficulties of western strategies as perceived by an African mindset.  Then placing the onus of responsibility for poverty alleviation back on the shoulders of the African people themselves.  Zambia just celebrating 40+ years of independence from colonial rule and dependency on the western world needs to be free from the begging syndrome, and the dependency syndrome.  Attendees took up the slogan from the teaching, “We are not supposed to be beggars…” as they worked in the small demonstration plot.

·         After lunch together attendees cut measuring sticks marked at 60cm and 75cm lengths.  Using the 60 cm stick they made a Planting String to measure the planting-hole spacing from typical things available in their village settings – bailing twine and bottle tops.  Bottle tops were placed along the string at 60 cm intervals.  They cut pegs from sticks collected in the bush to mark the rows. 

·         With Base lines measured and set square using a sheet of A4 paper, pegs were placed using the second stick to mark the rows 75cm apart.  With the Planting string stretched between the row markers attendees holed out the planting stations with hoes, 15 cm deep for the holes using compost, and 8 cm deep for the commercial fertilizer holes, at each bottle top mark.

·         With typical plastic bowls and metal table spoons fertilizer could easily be laid out evenly in each planting hole.  With empty Jam tins, a measure was standardised for the application of compost.

·         Mimicking rain we watered half the “field” and planted it to Maize, as we would do in the village field, with the view to overplant so as to thin later while leaving room for typical 20% germination failure.  The other half of the “field” shall be planted after the first official rainfall (minimum, one inch /25mls), as a standard comparison to the fields of those in the villages who rely totally on the rains.

·         The whole field was then covered liberally with a layer of dry field grass and dry leaves (swept up from the grounds and stored in a pile during August & September – our Fall) to form a mulch to protect the soil and create a suitable habitat for microorganisms to flourish and enrich the field.

·         Planted stations were watered again and shall be watered regularly until the rains arrive.

·         We closed out the day with questions and answer time, and a final prayer.

I believe the FGW concept was well received and the principles of doing everything On Time; To Standard; Without Wastage; and With Joy, were challenges in season to all who attended.  It gave vision, with promise and so created hope.  Many of the attendees requested seminars to create demonstration plots at their churches, or at their own home fields for easier management.  FGW is not a “quick fix” solution to poverty, but it tests faithfulness and perseverance, and creates dignity with a long term investment yielding rewards.  For example:

1.            You have to give to receive: Unless you put nutrients back into the soils you are taking food from, they will not yield as high next season.

2.            We have a hope and a future: Composting the planting station this year will be a deposit for following season’s crop, as it takes the year for it to break down adequately – so we are investing in our future with hope.

3.            God has given us everything we need for life and godliness: Your plant residues (stalks, husks, etc.) took effort and investment to produce – they are part of your “savings” and provision.  Guard them carefully as they are your mulch for the following season.  Everything has a value.

4.            Address the invading sins while they are small: Weed on time before the weeds become a problem to get rid of.

5.            There is a time for everything:  Timely preparation can save losses later when unforeseen circumstances rob you of adequate opportunity: Prepare, plant, and weed early to harvest plenty.

 

I believe that as this ’08-’09 year’s cropping season follows through we will have testimonies of God’s faithfulness and requests for more of this teaching as it liberates and equips God’s people to live as Jesus intended – with life to the full!  Thank you for the opportunity through your partnership to achieve this foundation in the lives of the few who will be faithful to teach others while practicing what they preach.

 

Blessings and regards to you all.

Rowan Lewis

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