Moved

(Late posting due to lack of internet access--in the interim, we've completed training in Jimma and Bonga, visited Chiri, and now am back in Addis for a few days before heading south to Yetebon)

4 October 2012--Jimma University School of Medicine:  Today marks the end of our first ALSO Provider Course, which we taught over 3 days.  Let’s just say our team is exhausted but thrilled!  25 of the 27 students who tested passed the course!! (>30 people attended the course each morning, but several of the OB residents did not complete the course because they spent the afternoons studying for their advancement exam on Monday.)  And we are revving up for a one-day Instructor Course tomorrow, for which 12-13 students are enrolled.  Then, up to 5 of tomorrow’s students, “Instructor Candidates” will join us in Bonga to teach a series of courses to midwives and health officers (Mon-Wed) and health extension workers (Fri-Sat).  This fulfills one of our team’s primary missions—to not only provide training, but to “train the trainer” so that the information can be meaningfully propagated in a way that is put into effect to improve outcomes for moms and babies.

Two instances particularly moved me today.

The first was this morning, when a senior OB resident requested a CD I’d prepared with various references for teaching future courses.  We navigated through each folder, and he shared with me his desire to incorporate the ALSO Course into OB intern orientation!!  YES!  I highly applaud this idea and will make myself available through email or whatever means to help, as needed.  I then encouraged him to consider taking groups of senior OB residents to rural communities and teaching the BLSO Course to the front line workers of the community health posts.  To build bridges via community outreach.  To gain at least a glimpse/first-hand understanding of the circumstances in which rural providers must operate.  And to provide guidelines for prenatal and intrapartum care which result in improved outcomes.

The second instance was this afternoon.  During the course, it became obvious that the language skills among the learners were quite variable.  To maximize our ability to communicate clearly, we invited several of the interns (actually 5^th year medical students who, upon graduation, will spend 2-4 years “paying back” the government in return for their medical education; the number of years correlates with the location where they serve—the more rural/removed, the less time required) who had completed both the written and practical aspects of the test to assist us with the “megadeliveries” via serving as translators.  They agreed—we only needed 3 students, and that’s what we got.  They were truly a Godsend.  I am so proud of them, their work ethic and willingness to go above and beyond!

Calling it a night—

Sarah