Inizamu Yethu: by Abiodun Adesope

Imizamu Yethu
Hout Bay Main Rd. Clinic

This is the health clinic at Mandela’s Park. I do not even know where to begin. I can’t put everything into words. The clinic isn’t that big but it so crowded. OVERCROWDED!!! The clinic as a whole is divided into two main sections. One is the waiting area and the other is the waiting area for the TB patients. There really isn’t much division however. The TB patients wait in a hallway with their masks on, though sometimes it gets so busy that they sit with other patients who do not have TB. I must be honest however; I was overwhelmed at first. It is nothing like I had ever seen before. On our very first day we were put to work.
Jenitta was in the reception room and I was in the triage room. You will never imagine what I did on my first day and how strenuous it was without having a medical background. They call nurses “Sisters”. The sister I was with was not very talkative at first. She did something once and from there on out, I was on my own. On day one, I gave several pregnancies test, STI tests, I weighed babies, and I weighed adults. I took blood pressures, temperatures, saw a real tapeworm (YUCK), and even witnessed a man get his HIV results. Day one was so busy. I was drained. I was not impressed with the sanitation of the health clinic. The sister did not always were gloves when dealing with bodidly fluid. But what schoked me the most was the urine cups. A patient would use a urine cup rinse it and leave it for the next person to use. The things these women do everyday, I could barely handle for one. What I noticed was that no one, and I mean no one, said THANK YOU. The nurses didn’t even acknowledge that I was there. My feelings were hurt, but the reality was that in this field, your job becomes a routine and you never expect a thank you. After day one, I was sure that this would be a very intense experience. I spent the rest on the week dealing with sick patients, HIV babies and TB patients. My first week was rough and I truly felt unappreciated.

The urine cups!!! Petients grab one, use it, rinse it and put it back!!

I went in week 2 with a positive attitude. I was not going to let this defeat me. Surprise Surprise!! These nurses remembered my name and even took the time to talk to me. I tried something different. I worked with HIV patients and watched the nurses draw blood and counsel. This was a different experience. I cried when a 1-month-old baby came in with his mother. He was infected with HIV. This was the first time that I realized how serious what I was doing was. It is one thing to read about HIV but to actually work with people who live and fight the virus is a different experience. The sister talked to me about blood work and CD4 counts. I worked with her that week and I worked hard. You know what she told me for the first time that week, Thank you! She told me that she appreciated what we do and how much it really helped. Hearing that made me feel really good.

This preciuos little girl came in on the day we gave out the dolls and she was attached! So was I!

I left this experience with a great sense of understanding. People hear of Africa and think of how rampant HIV is. What I learned working at this clinic was that- Yes HIV is the disease but having a strong sense of community is the treatment. These people are so close and really believe that it takes a community to raise a child. The sister I was working with mentioned that stigma is our biggest crime in the states. We judge people who are HIV because we know they have it based on their lifestyles. She said that there, in Mandela’s Park, they tell their patients that this must not defeat them. The patients must talk about it and stay adherent with their medications. Freeing yourself from HIV, by talking about it, is the first step and it is what we as Americans lack the most. Without completing step one, step two will be almost impossible. This clinic and the people their have honestly changed my life and my outlook on HIV. These people are really needed by the community and so is this clinic. They prolong so many lives a day and it is truly amazing. I am going back to the U.S. as a changed person and a new perspective on life. I wouldn’t change this experience even though at times I wanted to. No good deed goes unnoticed and now I truly know the value of that saying.

Another baby on the day we took in the dolls that Jan's friend made. They loved it!!

She loved that doll