One hundred and one Swaziland destinations- #12: My workplace

This is the Baylor Center of Excellence, Swaziland. In a few weeks, I will have hung my hat (and white coat) here for a full year.

Well, I don't actually wear the coat, as it dirties easily and scares the under fives.

Within the building pictured, we do all we can to offer excellent care and treatment to HIV positive Swazi children and their caretakers.

If you were a fly on the wall of Exam Room 6 at the Baylor COE, you might see this:

Exam Room 6.

Of course, we would not be posing.

Rather, Lulu, on the left, would be translating for me as the gogo, in the center, is unlikely to speak much English. The child (HIV positive or exposed, very sick or quite well) would likely be eyeing me with some mistrust, similar to the facial expression captured here.

As a fly on the wall, you would often not see the mother or father in the room, for they are often working, sick, or deceased.

As I have discussed in previous posts (such as "Ticklish - A patient encounter") grandmothers are frequently surrogate parents here in Swaziland.Of all Swazi destinations that I have been fortunate enough to visit, none leaves me feeling as fortunate as this Baylor clinic.

There are flies on walls all over Africa (and, for that matter, Texas), and, if those insects could blog, few would report sights as hopeful as those of Exam Room 6 at the Baylor COE.

It is a place of hope, and I would rather work there than most any place.