Scabies: An itchy skin condition caused by a tiny burrowing
mite called Sarcoptes scabiei; highly contagious and can spread quickly through
close physical contact; readily treatable by topical ointment. (Mayo Clinic
Website)
When one of the smaller boys came to the office today (Warden Vishay and the patient. Please note that the boy will be referred to as child/boy because we are still not clear on his name...it is very long!), scabies
immediately was on everyone’s minds. Since the child is staying in the school’s
hostel, his care fell to the wardens who live at the school 24/7. After washing
the child’s hand and giving him some antimicrobial cream for it, Warden Vijay
and I took the child to the doctor. We rode into the city, about a 10 minute
drive, before stopping at a small house that really blended in with everything
else we always pass by. A secretary took down the child’s information and
showed us to the doctor’s office where she was sitting behind a desk. The
doctor looked from across her desk at the affected area of the child’s hand and
scribbled down a prescription for ibuprofen, antibiotic, and topical ointment.
That was it! Having heard that the doctor likely spoke English, I began asking
her sever questions about the boy’s condition, her diagnosis, his prognosis,
and her treatment. She was a bit taken aback, but after realizing my sincerity
began to answer and further explain to Warden Vijay what would be best for the
child. Unfortunately, I think this may have been the first time Vijay received
so much instruction from the doctor. The service she provides, though, is of
utmost importance to Nav Jeevan, since she does not charge to see the children.
In that light, any service she can provide them is crucial. In the end, once
the boy’s infection is reduced, she will provide a treatment for Scabies.
Another note about Scabies is that it is common among the
children at Nav Jeevan. Scabies spreads easily, especially when hygiene is not
properly maintained. As Katie mentioned the other day, children often do not
use soap when washing their hands. When Katie and I talked to the
administration about this today, they all agreed that it would be a good idea
to provide soap at all the sinks for the children, but there was no consensus
as to how we should go about doing this. Hopefully, we can keep working on
this, but until then, we will have to appreciate that water does wash away more
germs than not washing at all.
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| One of Katie's typing students |
After school got out, Katie and I took a break by going for a
walk through our neighborhood since neither of us were able to take a break
outside today. The neighborhood near the school is quite quiet and peaceful, and
so we were happy to have a moment of (near) silence in which a child was not
clinging to us, trying to shake our hands, or yelling at us! Today, I taught
for the first three periods—English in fourth grade for two periods and one
period with seventh grade for English conversation. Katie read in the library
and taught typing today, more geography lessons as well.
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| Katherine taught Ravi (above) how to spell his name, and hers, today. He is in third grade, but since he has only recently started going to school, he does not yet know the alphabet or the sounds of the letters. |
Back at school, Katie and I distributed clothes today that
were donated to the children. Since their meals are typically (always) vegetarian
and very low protein/calcium, many of the children are extremely small, though
larger than when they first arrived at the school! The boy who I accompanied to
the doctor this morning, for example, is 21 kg or about 47 lbs! He is 10 years
old. Though within the normal range for his age group, he is on the VERY low end. Again, he even made it to the range for 10 year olds thanks to Nav
Jeevan. Luckily, the clothes-donor realized the children are mostly undersized
and so the clothes range from 18 month to 6-7 sizes, which will fit many youngsters.
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The large silver pots are used for every meal. A couple of the adults are always in charge of serving the children so that each receives the correct portion of each part of the meal. Then, when they are finished with one plate, the children are always allowed to eat more if they wish. |
Above, you can see what we all had for dinner tonight here (thanks to Yash's smiling face!!). Two types of dahl with lentils, rice, and chipatis, which are like thick tortillas. Below are two of the dining room tables full of hungry children. The children are always chatting, but meals are to be eaten quietly so that the wardens are able to monitor each child's intake. Though very low in protein and calcium, we all enjoyed it and the prayer before our
meal says it best of all: we are thankful for the food we have and we hope that
those without food are blessed to receive it.
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