Training

Another whirlwind day but lots of learning and good work got done today! The students remained motivated as we reviewed what we learned yesterday and moved on to more complicated skills of placenta location and AFI/DVP on the ultrasound. My mom and sister have been a tremendous help in the background helping tie up loose ends and keeping us grounded in the culture. My mom has been invaluable in helping to translate instructions and nuances that are hard to describe in English. We’ve also incorporated starting the day with a Muslim prayer and Christian prayer as is custom at the beginning of the day. The religious communities in Sierra Leone are so intertwined, most people often know the prayers of the other person’s religion. It’s nice to see the respect that they have for each other.

The pregnant women who have helped us with the training are all volunteers who consented to having their pictures taken/posted during this process. They were all very excited to know that this ultrasound service would be provided for free not only during the training but at the peripheral health units (the rural clinics). Though many wanted to know the gender of their babies, we didn’t provide that information or train anyone in gender identification given this doesn’t have any health implication (and can have negative consequences/implications in the family dynamic if it’s not the gender they want). Afterwards we provided a small token to show appreciation for their time used for our learning.

A great day filled with gratitude and learning. Tenki