Oldakitari

To some of my neighbor ladies, I am oldakitari. Thankfully, they don't completely believe that and still mostly go to the local clinic served by community health workers and if they are lucky a nurse of some level of training.

But when it comes to scrapes and cuts from the rigid grasses, cuts or burns from the kitchen, headaches, or small random skin issues, they have a habit of coming to my door for some olchani (medicine, aka triple antibiotic ointment) and even some bandaging.

There have been times that I've advised them to go on to the clinic or directly to the hospital. There was the bead in the little girl's ear.  And there was ring worm and many requests for eye medicine.  Early in our time here, there was the 2 yr old boy who'd fallen into a pot of boiling milk and had a burn covering 3/4 of his arm and part of his shoulder.

But mostly, its relatively small "booboos" that make up my "medical practice". To me, its a special chance for serving them, touching them with healing and bringing comfort to these overworked and rugged women, stalwart servants of their families.  Many problems are on their feet so its a chance to wash their feet, literally.

Nervously debriding a burn on Kimanyisho's foot. She didn't even flinch.