I was fortunate on Mondays in June and July to be able to “shadow” various field workers in a Maryknoll program called Little Folks. Little Folks are the children without HIV/AIDS, but who have a family member who does have the virus. Often one or both parents, and perhaps siblings, are infected. The whole family however is affected by the ramifications of the virus. Parents often are too sick to work or care for the children, or die before the child is grown up. These children receive financial assistance for school fees and for extra nutrition, have available supplemental education classes and are visited every other week by their fieldworker. These dedicated men/ women check up on all areas of the child’s life and are supportive to the parent/aunt/grandparent/foster parent – whoever cares for the child. As education is given to families and the community regarding HIV, there is less stigmatization, and the schools are more easily taking these children into the classrooms now compared to five years ago. Occasionally assistance is given to other family members or close friends.
One day, while visiting various families with my field worker of the day, Mary and I stopped to see a grandfather and his two grade school aged grandchildren. We were in a very poor complex of homes on the dirt grounds of a brick factory where the clay was dug up and processed into bricks. As we talked about how the children were doing, and the children were cleaning up at the public source of running water, we heard loud moaning coming through the wall on the right side of their one room home. We were told the neighbor, a young man, had been badly burned by a broken steam pipe that morning while he was working. The employer would pay for medical treatment, but the cost would be taken out of his salary. He and his wife could not afford this. They had put white toothpaste over the burns, a local home remedy. We were able to get permission from Maryknoll, with a cell phone call, to pay for hospital costs. The man’s wife asked a friend to take them both on his moto, and we followed on ours, to a hospital about 45 minutes away. We signed for medical costs, and gave the wife money for a woven mat to cover the bare metal straps of the bed, and for 3 meals a day for the two of them. Anyone going to the hospital needs a family member/friend to do all the care of the patient- no nursing care is available except for specific medical care: IV, shots, wound care and handing out the meds. As you can see in the photo, rooms are barren, conditions poor, beds are from 3 to over ten in a room, depending on the ward. Mary/field worker/ is on my right in the photo. We returned the next morning, saw his burns had been treated and bandaged, an IV was dripping, and he and his wife felt better. He was told he had to stay 24 to 36 more hours. We talked with them about how they were feeling, about the medical care, and their plan for leaving. Money for the extra meals was given, and Mary would visit them when they went home. A friend picked them both up when he was ready for discharge. He ended up going for several weeks to his parents in a Province, to be cared for, so his wife could return to her work in the brick factory.
It is rewarding to be of immediate help. This is not usually the case however, as the families problems are serious, multiple, complex, and they are very poor. Their Spirit however is amazing and seen in their smiles and the effort to care for themselves. Thank you for your interest in my life and work here in Phnom Penh.
Happy Fall and good health to you all. Love, Suz / Susan
