Day 10

Today was our first well-baby clinic at Chidamoyo! Mom’s from all around brought their little ones to be weighed, measured, and given vitamins and vaccinations. We calculated a grand total of 140 children that made it through the clinic! To no one’s surprise, it was quite the sensory overload. The screams of unhappy babies filled the crowded chapel room as the mothers waited patiently in queues. Chidamoyo hosts these clinics frequently to track the development of each baby and screen for developmental problems. We supplemented the well-baby clinic with some information on developmental motor milestones and educating the mothers on what activities to be looking for at each age.

After a much-needed lunchtime to decompress from the chaos, we split into teams to tackle different projects around Chidamoyo. Since it was the CI’s last day with us at the hospital, we tried to maximize the education we could pass on to local providers after we leave. Lisa brainstormed with a local schoolteacher on ideas to make the primary school more inclusive for children with disabilities. Elisa, Ellee, Nicole, and Kendra visited the home of a 15-year old with cognitive delay and limited communication. They worked with the family to help augment her communication and learning, as well as figuring out ways in which she could continue going to school. Unfortunately, transportation was the biggest barrier preventing her from continuing on at school. Meanwhile, Ben, Brian, Sam, and Sara held it down at the hospital, checking in with some inpatients we have been treating over the course of our time here.

After our dinner, we all said heartfelt farewells to the CI’s, Lisa, Kendra, and Sara. All of us students feel very lucky to have had the experience to learn from and experience Chidamoyo with these incredible therapists and people. We will miss having them during the rest of our time in Zimbabwe!

~The GROW Zimbabwe Team~