January 15, 2009

Yesterday, I accompanied a local women’s ministry to Muhima hospital, an outpatient care hospital in Kigali, which specifically cares for women with HIV/AIDS and assists single mothers in childbirth. The center is sponsored by the government and whatever care is given is paid for by sponsors, since many of the women do not have the financial means to pay for their care.

Alivera, the director of the Women and Children Department of ALARM, wrote a report of our time at the Muhima. Since I was not able to understand all that was said during our visit, I believe her account will give a more descriptive assessment of what happened there:

“Our neighbors to whom we may care about are those who are rejected”, Luke 10:30-37, Mt 25:34-40.

In the Women and Children Department activities for the year 2009, outreach activities are planned among others. The outreach activities are set for reaching the unreached people, either rejected in their homes or in hospitals. The main purpose of the outreach deals with testifying the love of God to them, showing them that they are created in His image and that there is nothing that can separate them from the love of God (Romans 8:35).

Muhima Hospital Visit

This January 15th, 2009 the Women and Children Department paid a visit to Muhima Hospital, where women give birth. Frankly speaking, what we saw there is totally terrible and indescribable: we visited children mums, I mean teenagers, who got prematurely impregnated either by their employers or their neighboring colleagues, I mean houseboys and the street girls impregnated by other street boys. Some of them are orphans of both parents; others are either motherless or fatherless. Those mum teenagers are so many in Muhima hospital, lonely, since there is no identified people to bring food to them, to take care of their babies when the mums get out, no body to pay for their medical bills. “When they are not able to afford the medical bill, they are not released from the hospital compound; they are kept as prisoners until they get someone to pay for the bills”, said one of the hospital social affairs agents.

Testimonies:

Though we were not allowed to take pictures, we happened to get following testimonies among others.

“I am 17 years old. I am an orphan of both parents. My boss impregnated me. When I informed him about my pregnancy, he beat me and chased away. I become homeless, I wandered and I find food from begging. I suffered so much before giving birth. The process started around 10.00 pm. I was alone, under the bridge not far from Muhima hospital. I was able to arrive here at Muhima hospital where I stayed for 12 hours before delivery. I have been here for three weeks. I can not be released because I am not able to pay the hospital bills. After delivery, I normally should be back where I used to stay. Unfortunately, I can not go there because I am kept here until someone comes and pays the bills for me. I am not the only one with such situation. We are so many here at Muhima hospital. We live upon the grace of other people brought food here and then the social affair agents distribute them to us”.

The second person we met is a old woman caring after her grand daughter of one year old. She stated: “My daughter is a street girl. She brought her baby at one week old. She left the baby and went away. I struggled with the baby up to now. The baby is sick. I personally am a vulnerable widow. My property was taken by my family in law. I have no rights to my father’s property, so am a miserable widow. I have no one to assist me. No food. Even if the baby gets better, I am afraid I will not be released unless some one comes and pays the hospital bills. It is too sad to see children suffering to such level.”

As I reflect on my time at Muhima hospital, I remember a moment after leaving the facility one of the women in our group asked me what I was thinking about. I said, "God lives in that place." It seems there is so much pain represented in Muhima that the only alternative most of the women have is to turn to God, because they are alone. I believe, through the hands and feet of his creation and even through his spirit, God communicates his love for those who are hopeless there so they may realize they are not alone.

Overall, it is sobering to realize how many hurting people there are in the world and how fragile we really are as humans. For myself, let me again turn to the Lord and there realize, as his child, I am his hands and feet; I am his image bearer on earth.