Health Outreach at the Playground

At last the clouds parted and the sun shined! Friday and Saturday were sunny and warm so our health outreach at the playground was a go. When we got there, a bunch of kids were waiting for us. Unfortunately, their parents were nowhere to be found. That was going to complicate things. We couldn’t give medication to the kids without their parent’s presence and permission. So, the leader of the ministry went door to door to gather the moms. Finally we had a little group of five moms so we decided to begin. Slowly, our little group grew and we eventually saw around 25 moms. I began by welcoming them and giving them a talk about worms – where they come from, how to prevent them, what the symptoms are, etc. George added some additional info and then we thanked them for coming. We knew they had a bunch of work waiting for them at home so coming was a big sacrifice. We also thanked them for allowing their kids to come to the playground. We love their kids and hope they experience God’s love for them as well. Then the moms lined up and we passed out the de-worming medicine. We asked them how many kids were in their house and gave them as many as they needed. We came with enough medicine for 100 kids and by the time we were done, all the medicine was passed out.



While we met with the moms, the kids played. They were separated into groups and rotated to different activities.



Meanwhile, George and I hung out to talk to moms that showed up late. In addition to the de-worming health talk, we brought supplies for wound care. We set up a wound care station in a tent and George was able to help kids with wounds. The first boy ended up chickening out half way through and ran out. I think he thought he was getting an injection (he wasn’t) so we had to tell the other kids their wounds are only getting cleaned and there was nothing to be afraid of. George cleaned their wounds and told them how to keep them clean each day.



It was a little bit of a hard day for Eli. He wanted to run around with all the other kids, but because we were busy, we couldn't keep an eye on him if did. So, he had to stick close to us. He did very well for the most part.



Overall, it was a really neat time. It was great to have the parents there so they could see what we are doing with the kids. It was nice to be able to have something to give them as well. Worms are small creatures that cause huge problems, but are easily treated (usually). Hopefully the kids and parents were blessed that day. I know we were. Thanks to RdR and all you who gave so we could get the medicine and supplies for this event. We couldn’t do it without you.