Generous Hearts

My preceptor for my Women's Health rotation, Dr. Carrie Huber, allowed me to borrow a book from her called "African Friends and Money Matters."  The purpose of this book is to try and bridge the gap between Westerners and Africans by explaining cultural differences and reasons behind their (and our) ways of thinking.  In being here only 3 short weeks, I see the need for a better understanding of the people I now encounter on a daily basis, in hopes of being able to meet their needs more completely.

I know many of you reading this blog have seen the show "Hoarders".  Some of you may even be self-proclaimed acquirers of this trait.  Lets also include the show "extreme couponing," because although being smart with your finances is an admirable trait, it can lead to hoarding of things like toothpaste, dish soap, laundry detergent, etc.  While Americans seems to "need" more and more, Africans see possesions in a different light.  Here, it is a general rule that people expect that money and commondities will be used or spent as soon as they become available.  If their is no immediate need for the resource, there is always someone who could benefit from it (family, friends).  Holding on to an resource without using it is considered hoarding and is considered unsocial.  In thinking of shows like those mentioned above, its easy to see the excess...who needs 25 tubes of toothpaste!  But when we examine the lives of those who maybe aren't as extreme, I'm sure we can still find areas of excess and "hoarding".  For example, off the top of my head I can recall that back home I have 2 glass measuring cups (exactly the same), 2 sets of plastic measuring cups, 3-4 mixing bowels, 6 other bowels that I never use because they don't match the others, and more cups/glasses/mugs than 2 people could ever need.  And this is just in my kitchen!!  In Africa, "surplus" cannot be separated from "selfishness".  In this thinking, there certainly must be many in the family who are needy and deprived, and if you were fulfilling your family obligations, you wouldn't have acquired so many goods.

Another lesson I learned from this book is that Westerners are more charitable than we are hospitable.  Africans are just the opposite.  As westerners, we are more likely to make a financial contribution to organizations like the Red Cross, but are also more likely to get annoyed when a visitor stops by our house at meal time.  Africans are less likely to make charitable donations, but are more likely to invite you into their home and spend time and whatever resources (food, tea,etc) they have with you.  We have only been here 3 weeks and Mark and I have already experienced the heart of hospitality the Kenyan people have.  Solomon, the physical therapist at Tenwek that Mark has been working with, just invited us to his house to eat and then teach Sunday school at his church!  A nursing student that I have been working with for a few days invited me to her family's house in Bomet for tea.  And you can even see this influence on the long term missionary families here at Tenwek as we have been given countless invitations to their homes for meals. 

I think the culture here is starting to rub off on us as well.  I have a patient on the OB floor who has recently been diagnosed with an epigastric mass.  This patient desperately needs surgery, not just because of the symptoms she is experiencing daily due to this mass, but also due to further complication in the fact that she is pregnant.  Many of the patients we have encountered here are anemic, and this women is no exception.  She requires a unit of blood before surgery as well as 2 other units of blood for during and possibly after the surgery.  Her blood type is O- and just like in the U.S., this is a rare blood type that is also highly desired by blood banks because it can be used in transfussion for a person of any blood type.  The blood bank at Tenwek often runs low and patients are often asked to bring a family member that can donate a unit of blood for them.  This patient has brought in 12 different friends and family, none of whom have matched her O- blood type.  Her surgery has been delayed until she can get 3 units of blood.  Guess who I know that has O- blood?!

That's right, my husband, Mark Gibson!  I think we were both a little concerned at first because the words Africa, blood, and needles, bring to mind HIV and other blood related illnesses.  However, many of the missionary doctors here donate blood as often as they can.  I personally watched the procedure and feel very confident in their supplies and techniques.  Mark willingly gave what he had in excess so that my patient can get the surgery she needs.  More good news is that another patient that had O- blood on hold incase it was needed during their cardiac surgery is probably not going to need their reserve blood and will give it to my patient so that she will have the 3 units of blood she needs....there again is an example of that African attitude of giving to others in need.  Praise God for their generous hearts and the heart (and blood) of my husband :)