My young friend Monica is caring for her 6 week old baby. Each morning she rises with or without sleep to do laundry. This involves going outside and filling basins with water and soap, hand washing all the clothes and hanging them to dry. Then she must iron them. Of course she also must tend to the baby when needed. If dishes are in the sink, she washes them. Then she comes in and prepares a cup of tea and bread for breakfast, feeds the baby, bathes the baby, and as the baby sleeps, she sweeps and mops the floors. She then bathes and dresses for the day and prepares lunch. And since she is also helping me – she has a second “baby” to care for!
This is a “modern” life – if she were in the village, she would have to go to the nearest water source and carry water back home. She would need to go collect fire wood to heat water for the tea. The life of an African woman is not easy. Often they deliver a baby and within days take the baby with them to the fields to work in their gardens. Mother and infant mortality rates are high. Just recently I heard of a woman in my neighborhood who gave birth at home – she couldn’t reach her husband and the baby had problems. The baby died the next day.
Pray for the mothers and children of Uganda – this is a huge issue and one that a number of government agencies and non-governmental agencies are addressing.
Blessings on your day
Sandra
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