Save the Children

Now for a little more information about the organization I am now working for. Save the Children Canada (SCC) is an international humanitarian NGO who works to protect children’s rights throughout the world. SCC has been present in West Africa for more than 20 years, now with a regional office in Ouaga. In Burkina, alongside the Ministry to Health, SCC works to teach about HIV/AIDS and against malnutrition. After an evaluation, the Centre-Nord region of Burkina Faso was chosen as SCC’s site to fight malnutrition. The regional capital of the Centre-Nord is Kaya. The Health District of Kaya covers 7 communes and 334 villages. Within these villages, there are 52 CSPSs (Medical Clinics), one CREN (Centre for Malnutrition), and the regional hospital. SSC works in all of these locations to help eliminate malnutrition in the district of Kaya. The goal is to have a durable and permanent reduction of malnutrition.

Now, malnutrition is what exactly? According to unicef, malnutrition “is a broad term commonly used as an alternative to undernutrition but technically it also refers to overnutrition. People are malnourished if their diet does not provide adequate calories and protein for growth and maintenance or they are unable to fully utilize the food they eat due to illness (undernutrition). They are also malnourished if they consume too many calories (overnutrition).” In this situation we are talking about undernutrition. I would love to see fat babies everywhere.

It is estimated that 20 million children suffer from severe acute malnutrition and directly contributes to 1 million deaths per year. Since 2005, health workers have been using the community care method to treat acute malnutrition. This method has been recognized by the World Health Organization as the best approach to treat malnutrition. This approach has 3 essential components: community mobilization, outpatient care, for children without complications, and hospitalization for children with complications. Generally children 6-59 months are admitted into this program.

So what does this mean for me exactly? This means that every morning a team of Save the Children workers (generally 2-3 people) goes out to one of the 52 villages in the Kaya district. When we arrive at the village, we head to the CSPS to find a long line of women waiting for us (if word has gotten out that we’re coming that day). Then we set to work determining if each child is malnourished. We look at the age, sex, weight, height, and MUAC. Based on the child’s measurements, we decide if the child is malnourished. And if so, is he/she moderately or severely malnourished? If the child is malnourished, we give them vitamin A, amoxicillin, folic acid, along with plumpy nut (a nutritional supplement given out by UNICEF). We enter them in our program and monitor them over several months, with the hope that everyone gets better!

SCC has recently started a new initiative where all the children 0 to 5 years in the Kaya district, along with pregnant or nursing mothers, are given free medical treatment. Programs like these can take place due to community participation alongside the regional health office. I’m looking forward to seeing this be put into action.

In other news, I leave for Mt. Kilimanjaro in a few days. I’m still doing my Close of Service trip that I’d planned on doing for almost a year with three of my good friends here in country. So we will be climbing Kili and doing a three day safari. Then I return to Burkina where ten days later, Camp G2LOW starts. It’s going to be a whirlwind until September, but I am looking forward to everything (although of course I am also looking forward to relaxing and only having work to think about in Sept). Yay!

Third Year

Dear Friends and Family,

I am officially doing a third year here in Burkina Faso. I am working with the NGO Save the Children Canada. Everything happened in a whirlwind a few weeks ago, with me finishing school, then getting this job with Save the Children, then starting my new job, then moving all of my belongings to my new house. Needless to say, I haven't had much time to update/be on the internet. But I'm here now!

I am now working at Save the Children. I am still a Peace Corps Volunteer, so I still get all the perks of PC (the best healthcare, a whole bureau to support us, a way out if the country blows up, etc) but I am working for an NGO. Save the Children here in Burkina has three main offices: Ouaga, Banfora, and Kaya. I am at the Kaya office working in the mobile team to help end childhood malnutrition in the centre-nord region of Burkina. Being in the mobile team, every morning we go to a different village to diagnosis and treat children who are malnourished. It is fantastic work, everyday is different, and I actually feel like I'm making a difference.

Living in Kaya will be very different than living in Tougouri. First of all, my house is amazing. I have a salon, two bedrooms, one of which I have turned into a kitchen, and an inside bathroom, yes with running water and even a toilet! Although I have to admit, I still use the latrine more often than not. A toilet just uses too much water. But the shower is wonderful!! Annnddddd I have electricity! This is a big change for me. Electricty means that I now have fans! So I sleep in my bed, with real sheets on it (I've been missing that for two years) under a large ceiling fan. Being able to charge my cellphone and computer is definitely nice too.

Another difference about living in Kaya is that there are two other PC volunteers. I really like this, but I don't want it to turn into me only hanging out with them. I enjoy (and now miss) my village friends. But good news, Kaya is only 70km from Tougouri, so I am sure to see my Tougouri friends all the time. In fact, one of them has already come down to visit me for a night!

Oh another difference: I have a new puppy! His name is Denzel and he is black with a white stomach and white front paws and loves to chew on toes!

Well, I've got to run, but hope everyone is well and it's not as hot there as it is here!!