Emily L on an emotional roller coaster

The past week has proven to be quite the emotional roller coaster for me. Most of this stemmed from my work at my internship, which is in Mitchell’s Plain. Mitchell’s Plain is a very large township, and the clinic is constantly packed with people from all over the area. While at work this past week, I was unfortunately faced with dealing with a patient who had just been diagnosed with HIV. I knew that the prevalence of HIV/AIDS was high in South Africa, and the topic seems to be talked about everywhere here. However, this was my first time I was forced to see the disease in real life, in a living being. The woman seemed very confused and sad, and it honestly broke my heart while I was referring her to the counselor. It’s crazy how common this disease is all around me right now. Yesterday in class, one of Vernon’s friends came as a guest speaker. He is a highly educated man, and a traditional healer. I was hooked on every word he was saying since I’ve always been very interested in the idea of natural, herbal remedies. Dr. Guma spoke to us about the differences between how Western medicine approaches issues like HIV/AIDS as compared to traditional medicine. Thinking about these different methods of treating sick people caught my interest because traditional medicine has been effective for centuries. It seemed that Western medicine has often stemmed from these treatment methods that Africans have been using for generations.

Another new experience I was lucky enough to have this week at internship was working in the pediatric side of the clinic. As a big baby lover, I knew working in here would be great. Working on this side of the clinic, however, brought the poverty of the area right in front of me. There was no ignoring it. Seeing some of the kids in dirty clothes and some unwashed, it was definitely an eye opener. It’s so easy to forget the fact that while there are beautiful views here in Cape Town, there is also so much poverty. Many of the parents of the young children had to be educated while in their appointments so that they’re able to give their children proper care. The lack of education is prevalent, and when explaining things they must be broken down into the simplest terms. This is all just something I took for granted, and I’m happy to be reminded once again how valuable my education and environment back at home really are.