The Foundling from Kamituga
Our midwife reports on her work in the hospital in the Congo. Cap Anamur has been operating the hospital in Kamituga there since 2008.
Our midwife reports about her work in the hospital in Congo
Sabine Ndukwu is in her fourth year working for Cap Anamur, first in Liberia, then almost two years in Sudan’s Nuba Mountains, after which she started at our hospital in the Congo. During this time, the midwife has witnessed some unusual medical stories; Neema’s has particularly touched the 48-year-old: The girl, who is believed to have been born in the first week of March, was abandoned by a river. ” The mother probably suffered from a severe postpartum psychosis and was therefore unable to take care of the newborn,” Sabine Ndukwu suspects. “Behind such an act there is always an act of desperation.”
Neema was lucky: she stayed on the edge of the embankment, did not fall into the water and was found a short time later by a passerby. The man immediately took the baby to the hospital in Kamituga, where Sabine Ndukwu received her. “Fortunately, the child was unharmed in the fall. We kept her under observation for the time being and then tried to find a new home for the little one,” the midwife says. “We turned to the mayor of the village, who immediately launched an appeal on the local radio. After only three weeks, a suitable foster family had been found. The new parents lovingly took care of the girl and gave her the name Neema, which means ‘grace’ in Swahili. Once a week they come with her to the hospital. The child continues to be supported by Cap Anamur, with all the necessary examinations, vaccinations, medical treatments and infant food. I am very happy to see how the child is growing.”
The hospital in Kamituga
For years, South Kivu in eastern Congo has been the scene of armed conflict. In the midst of this region, we care for a hospital for up to 400 inpatients. The numerous rape victims in particular need not only medical care but also psychological support. With a lot of experience and empathy our midwife takes care of the women together with a local psychologist. The renovation work is progressing steadily. This week the new latrines and showers were completed.