Teamwork at its Best!

Everyone plays a role in this world. Each of us brings a unique blend of passion, skills, and ideas to this life and we must work together in order to thrive...and heal. The VHW team has been a model of this belief especially this past week.


We had 3 arrivals this week. Helen, Connie, & Will.
Helen is a nurse from Maine and Australia (dual citizen) who was in Kigutu a few months ago and is so dedicated to the cause that she keeps coming back for more! Her funk, energy, and public health mindset definitely creates a fun, exciting, and sometimes exhausting experience (she brings a little bit of the craziness of home here, it's really wonderful).
Connie is Helen's friend from Flagstaff, Arizona. She is a nurse who has also brought a lot of flare (and chocolate- thank God) to VHW. She has taken on the role of "malnutrition makeover-ist" and she is diligently striving to create a top notch malnutrition ward. She likes to wear bright colors and as I said before, keeps a bag of chocolates under her bed...it's like heaven.

Will has finally arrived! He is an agronomist from Santa Barbara, CA who is working on our food security program! This means that he will be growing wonderful fresh fruits and vegetables for not only the VHW team but for the Kigutu community at large. He loves dirt and we love him for making us healthier! (he's single ladies, quite a catch)


The week started off rough as we had 5 babies with severe malaria who all needed blood transfusions or else they would literally die. When you have malaria hemolysis (destruction of the red blood cells) occurs and your blood cannot provide enough oxygen and nutrients to the body. The little boy above, Divin, is 5 years old. The consultation room became a pediatric ICU as we tried to provide enough oxygen to keep his little body alive. His heart was racing, breathing was labored and he was basically unresponsive. He needed a tube put down his nose so we could feed him formula and was constantly on oxygen. We all thought he wasn't going to make it. We were up with him from morning through night, sneaking in when everyone else was sleeping and checking on him, making sure he was still breathing. With training from the U.S. we use albuterol to help open up the lungs with pneumonia or respiratory distress, here it is mainly used for asthma. I suggested that we try albuterol to help him breath easier and sure enough it opened up his lungs. Again, teamwork at it's best. We were able to get these patients to Bururi hospital for blood transfusions despite the national shortage and some telling us "there is just no blood in the country." The kids left and a few days later came home to us, some thriving others in much better condition than when they left us. Divin is doing well- very lethargic but I'll keep you posted on his progress...make sure to send him some love!


Melino & Bazile are the two physicians on board here at VHW. Both amazing individuals! I can't say enough good things about them. Their skill, patience, passion, knowledge, and desire to teach and heal are contagious and inspire me. Melino is from Burundi and Bazile is from Haiti (we recently heard back from his family and they are all safe after the earthquake-thankfully). Both have devoted their lives to helping those most in need. More to come about these 2 incredible human beings!


We had a birthday party for Alex, the communications volunteer from Oregon. It was his 22nd Birthday so we made some cake in a pan...a "pancake" if you will. It was surprisingly yummy! We decorated him and the patio with orange gourds that we found in the garden. We had some leftover wine in a box and Bazile serenaded us with his smooth guitar sounds and voice that makes everyone smile. It was a great night!


We got together on Saturday and worked together with the community to build a run off system so the road does not get flooded. Yes, I dug and hoed with Burundians! It was fun but exhausting. We walked one hour down the "road" (rocks and dirt) and one hour back. Their is a need for community mobilization and empowerment but we are working on it. It was nice to be a part of the team.
...Walking for 2 hours can be difficult and people (Helen) can have some issues...



You know how people have old stuff and they just want to "send it to Africa" to help out. Well that's great and I know people's hearts are in the right place but sometimes I wonder... We went through hundreds of boxes of donated supplies and medications and we found the most bizarre items. Such as a total hip replacement kit, an Xray machine, 2 rascal electric scooters, and some dentist chairs. Here at VHW we don't really have the capacity to do Xrays or hip replacements, or have smooth roads for a rascal scooter. One box labeled "Africa" made us all laugh. "Just send this box to the continent of Africa, someone needs it." We spent 4 hours sorting and organizing, which was actually a lot of fun!


Helen brought a solar cooker, which is a brilliant idea! Here is Helen and Will trying it out. We tried to make rice but a huge rain storm swept through and kind screwed up the process...but we will persevere!


This worm came from a patient. He vomited up a 3cm worm "round worms." I've never seen anything like this come out of another human being. It was a great scene: the guy showing up with this worm, Melino talking to him about what happened, Helen excited and getting a specimen cup to save it, and me gagging a little. haha...again- teamwork at it's best!


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The patients are wonderful, the children are my outlet, and yes I still love baby goats!



Sometimes there's just nothing else you can do and it's the worst feeling in the world. We go to school for years and devote our lives to improving the lives of others. When there are no more supplies, no more treatments, no more medications or ideas this feeling of helplessness sets in and takes over. It's definitely a part of this lifestyle but it's difficult when you know that if we were in the U.S. that person would be better in no time. When this situation occurs we keep fighting, loving, and hoping...