Week of January 5, 2014.           Visiting the Puskesmas.

These are health centers for the poor and needy. From our Helping Babies Breathe project back in October (see the Church News article from Sunday 12) we wanted to follow up with many mid wives (Bidan's) as possible, to learn what they remember from the training, what tools they have utilized and what experiences they have had in delivering babies since the training. Has it helped them?

The Puskesmas located outside the town of  Mandalawang. And a mother and her recently delivered baby waiting to see a bidan for a check up

We were able to visit 16 different bidans, at 9 different Puskesmas's . It didn't matter where we went, the people are always willing to drop whatever they are doing to answer questions, show us the facilities and of course........ take pictures.

This bidan with her daughter shared with us an experience where she had a baby born not breathing. But because of her training she was calm and confident. She used the equipment given to her from the training to suction out the babies nose and mouth with the penguin (they all said they used this tool all the time. A suction device that looked like a penguin.), and the portable ventilator. The baby started to cry. Which meant it was breathing! Of course we were thrilled to hear the story. She was so excited to share this with us, as were they all. They were unanimous in saying the training had helped build their confidence and knowledge. We felt a bondness with them that began at the training and was there several months later. As we have said many times before....we may speak a different language, come from different cultures and religions....but serving others breaks barriers. What a wonderful work!!!!!

They often give us a snack wh.en we visit, this time we got sweet potatoes, which Sister Lucherini enjoyed so much they gave us a bag of about 20 to take with us! Healthy lunches ahead!!

                                      Mom's and children waiting to see a bidan or a doctor

 

                                               Checking out the facilities

 

 

I captured these pictures with the buggy, because they too occupy the road and seem to be oblivious to the cars...or literal gridlock of vehicles behind them. But all calmly wait for an opportunity to pass

We are in the midst of the rainy season and when it rains like this there is often flooding. In some cases it can get up to the bumpers of the car....or higher

But the outcrop of all the rain and warmth...is sceneries like this. We sometimes stop on the side of the road and start snapping pictures....it is breathtaking!!!!

They use every inch of the ground for their crops! This is farming done by hand, we see them putting in the rice plants each by hand. It must take hours.

We are always looking for opportunities to consider a humanitarian project. Here we visited with a small village health center in a poor area just outside the city of Lembang. This little boy is being weighted by this makeshift scale. One of their requests was to see if LDS charities would provide them a scale?

The little health center consisted of this small room, with no furniture, about the size of a small bathroom. The bidan visits the center one day per month to check on children under 5, pregnant or new mothers, and the older people.

 

 

I just happened to find one of the villagers had bees! He had about 15 hives, right outside of his house! Bees were everywhere, he was quite impressed that I was willing to get so close. I told him we had 2 hives also. He spoke good English. He is the one on the left with the striped shirt.

If you look closely, you can see the bees on one of the hives swarming to get into the hive. They are a lot blacker than our bees, no yellow on them.

Aren't they just cute??

The view of the health center above, and the view of the village from the center.

We visited with this young man, 20 years old. His name was Iman. He has never walked.
But that didn't prevent him from giving us a great smile. With his mother who shared with us a wonderful story that Iman's older sister was just starting to work as a mid wife on another island, but she hoped to soon start sending money home to help her brother start his own business. Mom said they she didn't want to have her son begging on the street.

 

We are hopeful to get Iman a new wheelchair. Specifically designed for him...what a difference it will make. Hopefully we can be there when he receives it?

Another heartbreak to this story, is that Iman and his family live on top of this water way. And of course when it floods the waters come into their home.  Iman while he can crawl...is too big for his mother to carry. They would like to move, but cannot afford anything better. The circumstances are dire, yet they forge ahead as best they can. You get no feeling that they believe life has given them a raw deal....they just learn to make do with what they have...and make the most of it.

 

Loved the sign in the bathroom...had to take a picture

Who says you can't raise chickens in the city? I even saw chickens that had a leashes

Getting the bugs takes a lot of chickens.

When we travel to Bandung we often go by train. This was not our train and really doesn't give you the upclose and personal view, but all the people were scrambling to board at this entrance. They even started passing their children to people that were onboard as the train started to move....and some were just hanging on from the outside (by whatever they could grab) as it began to leave the station. Not sure if they ever got on???? What happens when the train jerks, as they often do?

                                                            A proud grandmother

Eddie and Lisa Rohandi with their children and grandparents visiting for the holidays Eddie is our driver, translator and a member of the Bandung Branch Presidency. He takes us wherever we need to go, will do whatever is asked and has giant heart. Many of the places we visited this week to consider humanitarian aid were places and people from Eddie's community. Needs of people that he is aware of and wants to find resources that can help them.