LSA Video Weekend

A few week ago LSA had a film crew here to do some filming for the new HIV Experience that they are going to be opening in Indianapolis. I had the privilege to join them while they were at Light Providers, which is one of their partners. For the first time I was  able to go to the soccer field and see the team that they had. 

I was impressed with how excited the kids were to show off their skills and to follow orders. I was also struck by the beauty of the countryside and the beauty of relationship these young boys had with each other. I could tell just how much they wanted to be there and to practice. 

Light Providers is the spiritual development partner for Loving South Africa. Football (or soccer in the States) is one of the many ways that Light Providers reaches out to the youth in their neighborhood. Light Provides is focused on changing the circumstances of the youth around them and giving them a deeper understand of God's purpose and love for them. 

Here are a few pictures that I took while I was at the video shot. 

Some local guys playing a pick-up game. 

 The Light Provider youth grabbing their uniforms. 

Lining up to do drills .

Durban Botanical Garden

This weekend was able to go the Durban Botanical Gardens. Fortunately it is just a 20 min walk from the hospital. I was able to spend time sitting by a lake in the center of the gardens, just reading a book enjoying the weather. There are benches all over the park and monthly the park holds a concert. This month the concert fell on my birthday. I got to listen to the artist Johnny Clegg. Johnny Clegg is a South African icon in music. He is a singer, songwriter, dancer, anthropologist, and musical activist. He is one of the first artist in South Africa in the 1970s who played with Black African artists, which was outlawed in South Africa until the end of Apartheid. The concert was very good, although I didn't know any of the songs it was a great South African experience. 

Fortunately, to enter the Botanical Gardens it is free. Today I was able to run with my news housemate Phakamani there to show him the gardens. Throughout the year the garden has different exhibits showing. Due to the subtropical climate the many plants that the garden has are in bloom year around. One of the exhibits is of orchids, which just so happen to be my favorite type of flowers. Unfortunately it is not the best season for orchids, apparently spring is the best (its entering winter right now). It also has an herb garden, a senses garden (so you can experience plants through all your different senses), and tea garden. I didn't know this before going to the garden, but it also houses a Cycad (Encephalartos woodii). Try and say that five times fast. Which is acknowledged as being one of the rarest plants in the world. 

I am hoping within the next few months to post more pictures, now that I have figured out a better internet source. 

Orchids in the Orchid House

View from the bench sitting at the lake

The City of Durban

Here is a picture of the city of Durban that I took while on a walk today. The city is right on the coast. Hope you enjoy. A new blog should be up soon.

Unwelcome Visitor

Just this past Thursday, I was sitting in the common area of the doctor’s quarters watching a little news or soap opera (which is prime time tv here) when out of the corner of my eye I saw movement from the sliding glass door that leads out to the patio. Looking that direction, I saw a rat. It obviously had no clue that I was there, so I decided to scare it outside. As I got up it ran out of sight. So went to where it had been hoping to close the sliding glass door so that it wouldn’t get back in the house. Unfortunately what I found was a closed door, which meant the rat was making its residence somewhere in my living quarters.

I decided one of my missions for Thursday night, was to get this rat out of doctor’s quarters. So, noticing the only place this rat could have gone was in the drawer tower of the desk, I decided to open the sliding glass door and grab a pool stick to flush this rat out. Slowly, not wanting a rat to run up my leg, I pulled the desk away from the wall. Only to find no rat, which I was extremely puzzled about thinking surely it had to have been under the desk. So I scanned the area, to make sure there wasn’t anything else the rat could be hiding under. Then I realized that the draws of the desk were shorter then the tower they were in. So clearing out some space around me, I slowly pulled out each of desk drawers.  Nothing in the first one, then all of a sudden as I pulled out the second drawer the rat jumps out the back of the drawer. Running around to the back of the desk, I saw no sign of the rat. But, I had the sliding glass door open, so after searching the other draws, I figured the rat had ran out open door.

The next morning, I was boosting to my house mom about how I had taken care of the rat and I was feeling good. Friday evening, after going out to a concert, I got home and was ready to unwind and watch some tv, I grabbed the remote and sat down. Out of the corner of my eye saw and then heard some scurrying and a thump. Immediately I know that I had not taken care of my rat friend last night, and I was so thankful that I hadn’t sat on the couch closest to bookcase (which is where the rat had jumped down from and where I normally sit).  So I grabbed my pool stick and was ready for round two with this rat. I opened the sliding glass door and pulled out the drawers to the desk, give the rat a hint of where it needed to go. Not being sure of where it went, I decided my best bet was to flip all the couches to make sure it had not gone under them. Moving the furniture around, I started flipping them one by one. Finding no sign of the rat under any of them. So I decided the only other place it could have gone was under the bookcase. Using my pool stick, I swept under the bookcase and out the back jumped the rat. It tried its hardest to find a place to hide under the couches to no avail. So it tried running around the room, finding somewhere to hide, as I followed it with my pool stick in hand. After trying for the desk, it turned back towards me and that was it. One hit and I won the round. Not sure what to do with it, I decided I would throw it onto the patio for all the other rodents in the area to take into consideration before coming into the doctor’s quarters.

This has been one of the first times, since being here that I had an “I am in Africa moment.” Which is funny because isn’t not like I haven’t had run-ins with rodents in the States. I’m sure it would been quite a scene to see me chase this rat around doctors quarters, trying to avoid having this rat run up my leg and trying to take it out at the same time.  I can recall just a few times that I have had an I am in Africa moment. Three of them have been with animals. The first would be the above mentioned, the second was when I was at a restaurant with some friends and a flying cockroach flew into my face and then landed in my lap. Which made one of my friends jump onto her chair and almost fall into the lap of the gentlemen sitting behind her at the next table over. The third was with a gecko in the bathroom. I was pulling on the toilet paper and all of a sudden out of the roll jumps a gecko. It then proceed to climb up the wall and until it found its way out around the door.

Day-to-Day in South Africa

I thought for this blog I would update people on the day to day for me. Most days I spend time with an HIV consoler named Makhosi. She is pivotal in making sure that patients are seen in the Siyaphila program. So Tuesday-Thursday I am in her office helping her and seeing patients with her. 

On Monday mornings I work with Dr. Sunpath, who is an HIV and TB specialist physician. While with him, we see patients who are failing on HIV treatment. Most of these patients are quite complex. We decide which regimen of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs the patient should be switched to and we also determine if the patient needs to be seen by any other medical support staff for treatment adherence or support. In the afternoon on Monday’s I spend time doing research. Currently I am helping create two databases, the first is for patients that have failed treatment and are being switched to a more advanced therapy and the second is made up of patients that are on TB treatment and HIV treatment concurrently noting the interactions and side effects.

On Tuesdays, while most of my time is with Makhosi, I also follow around the rest of the Siyaphila team, which includes a dietician, psychologist, pastor, and social worker. From my time with each of them, I am working on a report on how to fine tune the program so that patients are seen in a timely manner and so work isn’t being over done or under done.

On Wednesdays, I get to see Medical Clinic patients with Dr. Edwin. The majority of patients are patients from the hospital that have been started on ARVs through the Siyaphila program are coming back for follow-up visits. Then in the afternoons I spend time with Makhosi.

Thursdays are normally the busiest days. In the morning, I go to continuing medical education (CME) meetings with all of the medical doctors and medical students. Most of the time these sessions only last an hour to an hour and half. The topics are both HIV and TB associated topics. Along with Durban being the HIV capital of the world, I have heard it is also the TB capital of the world. Following the CME meeting, I go on ward rounds with Dr. Sunpath and the medical team. Following the ward round the Siyaphila multidisciplinary team meets in the hospital and we round on the Siyaphila patients to discuss their treatment and care. We then meet to discuss each patient needs and when the patient will be ready to start ARV treatment and factors impacting adherence to treatment.

On a side note, apart of this discussion is whither or not the patient has disclosed their status to someone. Which may not seem important, but research shows that if a patient discloses his or her status, they are more successful at adhering to treatment. A majority of patients disclose their status to loved ones, but due to stigma around HIV many new diagnosed patients are scared to disclose their status. There is a saying around McCord that HIV doesn’t kill people, stigma kills people. Some patients don’t want to take life saving medication just because they are terrified of what others might think or say about them. What is ridiculous is that over forty percent of the population has HIV, which to me means that there should be no stigma. One of Makhosi’s many jobs in the Siyaphila program is to help dispel the stigma around HIV for the patients and family.

Fridays, in the morning I work with Dr. Edwin. The majority of our time is spent starting patients on HIV treatment or following-up patients that have been initiated on treatment. It is extremely important that each patient is followed-up closely, due the side effects of the ARV drugs.

Within the past few weeks I have been able to see patients almost independently of the Dr. Sunpath and Dr. Edwin. Which has been rather exciting and challenging. In any free time that I have, I do research and work on a standard operating procedure that will be used to get medical aid (similar to medical insurance companies in the states) companies invested in sending their patients into the Siyaphila program. Which will in turn help even out the costs for patients that can’t afford the Siyaphila program. I have to say though, that if patients can’t afford to stay and get the treatment through Siyaphila, Loving South Africa pays for their stay so the patient can get the much-needed treatment.

I hope this has given you an idea of what I do during the week. At times it can be very painful emotionally, at other times it can be mundane, and at other times it can be encouraging and inspiring.

There are a few things that I would appreciate prayer for. Within the next few months I am wanting to help the hospital with training for the nurses and other medical staff- most of it has to do with patient satisfaction (this is a new standard the national health program is looking at for hospitals) and practicing excellence. I will be approaching the nursing supervisor and HR staff to talk about training staff on this. I am hoping to work with them to put together a program or an educational piece to teach practical ways of applying this. I would also appreciate prayer for clarity on how to proceed with the standard operating procedure for the Siyaphila program and the steps that the program needs to take to continue to provide the much-needed care to the Durban area. 

Compassion, Not Pity

Blog Post: Compassion, not Pity

Walking around Durban, it is hard to not see poverty on every street corner. For instance, once a week I go to an internet café to have a cappuccino and fast internet. It’s about a fifteen-minute walk from the hospital to the café called Peg. On the way at nearly every corner there is at least one person walking amongst the cars begging for money. Cynically, I think that most of these people are putting on a show- faking a limp, crippled hand, have a down trout look on their face, etc. Or maybe it is my way of trying to cope with the need in front of me. That being said, I do believe that most are in need- whether it be financial, food, resources, spiritual healing, or something else.

            At times, I wonder if people driving by or walking by notice these individuals, do they fade into the background of the cityscape? Or maybe people are so struck by the poverty around them they feel powerless to do anything about it. Whatever the situation maybe there is something wrong about this.

            Which has made me ask myself, how should I respond? Not just to poverty here Durban, but poverty in general. The easy response would be to throw money at the situation. Which in the short run works, but how is the person receiving money valued or impacted by that. They are receiving something that they need correct, but is that truly what they need? Another solution would be to change the system, but in reality that is a lengthy process which takes tons of experience and insight to change. Although this should be worked on, it doesn’t solve the immediate need. So one thing that I have come up with is compassion, not pity.

Pity, to me means seeing a person in need feeling sorry for them and their situation and that is only response. Compassion to me means feeling for someone, seeing the situation he or she is in, and responding to that need accurately. It seems to me that most people don’t need money, although that may be what they are asking for. If a person comes to ask me for money, I normally tell them that I don’t give out money, but I would like to buy them groceries if that is what they are truly in need of. That also gives me a chance to actually speak with the person and get to know them. Although it is hard here in South Africa, most of the time in the States I try and refer the person to resources that are better equipped to help their situation.

            I’m not saying this is what everyone is called to do. But, I think it addresses a bigger issue of valuing people. In Matthew 14:14-21, Jesus is filled compassion for the people that are following him. He heals their sick and decides that the people must be feed. So he takes five loaves of bread and two fish and feeds five thousand people with food left over. If Christ had compassion are five thousand, what is one person asking for food.

            This is not to say that, every single person I come across I go and buy groceries for. But, I do try and stop and talk with person at least. Who knows whom one will run into?

            That being said, thank you for reading my blog. All I write is meant to be an encouragement. This current situation I have been processing since I have gotten here to South Africa, although in Indy is was something I thought about. Here it is a reality one can’t get away from so easily. Things here continue to be in full motion. Hopefully in my next few posts I will be able to give you a day to day of what I have been doing. 

Easter Weekend with Light Providers

Pictures from my time with the Light Providers Crew. It was such a blessed time of fellowship. I was able to get away from the city and out to the township. The food was great, but the fellowship was better. In case you are wondering about the chess game that I am playing with Sabelo, I lost horribly. He is a bit of a ringer when it comes to playing chess apparently. No one told me that until I had played two games with him. He was undefeated the whole day.

Above: Vuzi and I, giving the thumbs up.

Above: Vuzi and I, just having a good time in fellowship together

Above: Following the guys around the building to check-out the hillside.

Above: Playing Sabelo in chess, he wiped the board with me.

Above: Mural on the one of the buildings at Light Providers.