A Day in the Life {Journal Entry}

I have been wanting to document more of our day to day life here in Malawi. Funny, embarrassing, mundane stuff that I know I will enjoy looking back on one day. 

My past "A Day in the Life" journal entries can be found...

Here
Here
Here

&

Here

11/2013

In our first couple months, "on the field" we had our first "what!?" experience. David had taken the kids out for a bike ride. At this particular time, we were a circus show in the village (now nobody pays any attention to us). Every time we went out, everyone would chase us and point + laugh. It took a bit to get used to...especially for our kids. So on this particular day, David had 3 of our kids and was riding bikes. We had bought the boys' bikes a little big so that they could have a few years out of them and son #2 hadn't quite gotten the hang of starting off his new bike on his own. After a fall, he hadn't been able to climb back on, so he was walking with head hung down as a whole group of kids followed him and laughed. {side note: now he would totally be able to handle this situation, but at the time he was embarrassed and feeling really sad}. 

As the group of kids surrounded him, a bike taxi (njinga) was flying up on the group and totally took out one of the kids; sending her flying into the ditch with an apparent broken leg. Son #2, oblivious to the "hit and run" that happened behind him just kept walking to the house. 

The next day, a knock came to the gate. The mother of the injured child was there. She was accusing our 7 year old son of running over her daughter and breaking her leg. A crowd had gathered and they wanted us to pay for the damages done. It was definitely one of those moments we were like, "what?! 
 that is not how it went down!" After many conversations, translations, and even confessions from the bike taxi driver, our 7 year old son's name was cleared. The mom broke down in tears and said, "I am not accusing anymore, but am begging for help." In Malawi, when someone is hospitalized, a family member must go with the person to the hospital and stay with them 24/7 to care/feed for them. The mom was just desperate for transportation and food for she and her daughter for however long they were going to have to staying in the hospital. 

It was definitely one of those moments that took us  from scared, confused, angry, and  frustrated, to deep compassion. We quickly saw how an injury to a family member can deeply affect the whole family. How even "free" healthcare costs families greatly as they have to figure out a way to supply meals, take time off work (if you have a job), and come up with costly transportation. It was such a clear picture to me of how all  moms are going to do what it takes to get our kid's help. I just may never have had to be in that desperate of a situation before.