The Bulrushes

So I thought that I should dedicate one whole blog to the Bulrushes ... Since that was our intended purpose on coming to africa originally. 

There is up to 60-70 babies at the bulrushes. The nursery is where the preme babies are that need one on one care and medical attention. They have better facilities than the hospital at Kampala. Babies have come to bulrushes because they don't have the correct equipment. A simple example of this is once a baby died because he had jaundice and the hospital did not have the photo therapy light to help him. This is such a fundamental necessity and is hard to understand why these things are not available. Another example of the care at the hospitals is that one of the workers at bulrushes went into labour on new years eve. Just as the baby was about to be born, it was midnight and everyone went out to see the fireworks and celebrate  and left her... The baby died because the chord was wrapped around her neck.  Yet another example of such an unnecessary death.  Apparently this sort of thing happens all the time.

We have heard many more stories similar to these and it is hard fathom. Such injustice. Another story...(we are allowed to share stories as long as we do not attach the name of the child it is for confidentiality reasons).  One of the little baby girl that was there came in 2 hours after birth. Her mother died during child birth, (like many here).  The baby was the product of an affair a man had with another women. The wife found out and put a curse on the pregnant mum that she would die giving birth. Now they do not want to give the baby back to the father for safety reasons but are looking for other relatives. 

I truly do believe in curses. If there is a heavenly father who is great and powerful, then there is definitely a power opposing that too or we would be living in a perfect world. The bible says we do not fight against flesh and blood but that it is a spiritual battle that we need to fight here on earth. So when stories like this become a reality they take it very seriously. However, in saying that they always assess every situation as a case by case decision and where at all possible will reunite with relatives so there is room for more needy children who have none at all. That would be very hard to do for staff, having to put a lot of faith in the relatives that they will do the right thing by the child. 

The bulrushes is made up of 4 different age groups..

Special care nursery for very sick and prememature babies

Monkeys 2-4

Girrages 4-6

Hippos6-8 

Elephants 8- 2yrs

Then they go into a home in a village. They need to be walking to go into a home, otherwise it's too much for the house mum with 7 other children. They encourage the little ones who have siblings in villages to walk sooner than 2 so they can be reunited. 

Today we took 4 babies to the hospital. It was very sad. They take children to the hospital nearly every day. Even though the facilities at bulrushes are actually better, they don't have a doctor. Any time a child needs prescription medicine they need to go to the hospital.


SPONSORSHIP

With a population of 26 million people and half of them under the age of 15, Uganda is a young developing country left parentless by the AIDS epidemic. Your sponsorship will help Watoto rescue some of these children, place them in families, and give them a future and a hope.

This year Watoto have celebrated the opening of their first Watoto Gulu Babies home on 10th June 2010.  With babies being cared for and providing homes in Gulu, the Suubi Village and Kampala at Bullrushes to make up 3 babies home facilities so the children there can begin their new life with a future and a hope. You can help continue to support and sponsor any of these Baby Watoto children online direct from the Watoto website www.watoto.com where you can view a Baby Watoto photo and profile.