"This is Africa"

One day I'll get used to this phrase - otherwise known as an excuse as to why everything take so long to get done here!!
Yellow House was awarded with a grant from the Australian government to complete the refurbishment of the new therapy base at the E.A.R.C. with the money we have built a disabiled access pit latrine, a water tank and tables and chairs for running training. All well and good... We're also using the money to buy O.T. specific kit to support the O.T. and us speechies in working with kids with cerebral palsy. As well as some toys that we can use to develop language etc...
All well and good, apart from the fact that none of it has been completed, we don't have receipts, I have no concept of how much money is left to spend and we need everything to be completed by Thursday. This Thursday!!!
It seems I'm the only one that's frantic about this, everyone else = very relaxed. ''It'll happen Madam Rachael, it'll happen!!"
Hmmm, we'll see...

CP clinic today - I'm alarmed by the severity of each child with cerebral palsy. Not one has mild CP, the other thing that shocked me today is how many children are born 'normal' and then suddenly they get an infection (most likely malaria) and are left profoundly deaf, with learning or physical disabilities or with epilespsy. The aspect that has saddened me the most about the children I saw today, was that two of them could have been ok. If it weren't for the extent of the poverty here, their parent's could have afforded to take them to hospital as soon as they became ill, instead, they have to wait. They wait until their child is so ill they may die and hope that a conductor of a mutatu will take pity on them and take them to the hospital for free...

Yet another luxury we have at home - a free ambulance service....