A version of this article was originally published at the Georgia Straight on April 07, 2012.
When a deathly ill woman arrived at a clinic in Harare, Zimbabwe, staff were just as concerned for an accompanying infant as they were for the mother.
The woman required immediate medical attention and was dealt with accordingly, recalled Zakaria Mwatia, a project coordinator for Médecins Sans Frontières (also known as Doctors Without Borders). But it was clear that the child was also in need of assistance.
“The mother had no relatives to take care of the baby,” explained Mwatia. He then mentioned that a Zimbabwean nurse working for MSF ensured that the infant was looked after.
Day and night, at work and at home, Roslyn Bamu kept the malnourished infant by her side.
“Roslyn went home with the baby every evening,” recounted Mwatia. “She ensured proper feeding and medical care. And when the mother recovered and was discharged seven days later, she found that her baby was well cared for.”
Temporary adoptions are obviously not an item included in Bamu’s MSF job description. However, her story is just one example of the efforts performed by MSF national staff on a regular basis.
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