This morning I met up with one of our children . I met the mother for the first time. She looked no older than a child herself.Part of the reason KIKN sponsor her is that the family lives in abject poverty.The husband has been ill with TB. It is said that he is much better on medication.
Knowing the family background, Uma asked her sister to employ her as a helper in the home.The family appears to be managing. During my meeting with mum and child this morning, mum said the child has been running a high fever for a few weeks. She has started to be sick, unable to tolerate food with her high fever for the past week.
May be I am over reacting, the alarm bells started ringing in my head.With the family living sleeping, cooking and eating in the one room at all times, coupled with poor nutrition , the risk of both mother and child contracting TB must be very high. The mother said she has been to pharmacy to buy some medication for the child. Uma and I advised mum to take child to see a doctor, a children's doctor and the TB hospital for tests.I gave her some money to enable her to do that.
Hopefully she will do as she promised. I am seriously concerned about the public health angle. Maybe we need to stop her coming to the English class at the Orphanage until she is better. There are over 20 children, including Uma's here who might be exposed to the risk of TB.Uma agreed with my thinking. We are waiting to hear from her before deciding on the next step.
We then paid a scheduled visit to Jana Sudhar school
We were both met by the pupils lining the street with flowers.It was a very humbling experience, totally unexpected.I was presented with flowers from individual children, right down to the infant classes.I was speechless. They just wanted to show their gratitude for all the support KIKN has given them- a furnished library, breakfast club for 100 children, 2 computers and desks ,class room furniture, exercise books etc
We came away humbled and overwhelmed.What a day!
Knowing the family background, Uma asked her sister to employ her as a helper in the home.The family appears to be managing. During my meeting with mum and child this morning, mum said the child has been running a high fever for a few weeks. She has started to be sick, unable to tolerate food with her high fever for the past week.
May be I am over reacting, the alarm bells started ringing in my head.With the family living sleeping, cooking and eating in the one room at all times, coupled with poor nutrition , the risk of both mother and child contracting TB must be very high. The mother said she has been to pharmacy to buy some medication for the child. Uma and I advised mum to take child to see a doctor, a children's doctor and the TB hospital for tests.I gave her some money to enable her to do that.
Hopefully she will do as she promised. I am seriously concerned about the public health angle. Maybe we need to stop her coming to the English class at the Orphanage until she is better. There are over 20 children, including Uma's here who might be exposed to the risk of TB.Uma agreed with my thinking. We are waiting to hear from her before deciding on the next step.
We then paid a scheduled visit to Jana Sudhar school
We were both met by the pupils lining the street with flowers.It was a very humbling experience, totally unexpected.I was presented with flowers from individual children, right down to the infant classes.I was speechless. They just wanted to show their gratitude for all the support KIKN has given them- a furnished library, breakfast club for 100 children, 2 computers and desks ,class room furniture, exercise books etc
We came away humbled and overwhelmed.What a day!
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