Yesterday was my first full day at ICDDR,B and boy was it filled with some of the most unbelievable and shocking things I have ever seen in my life!
I woke up around 5:45am and couldn't fall back asleep and decided that it wasn't too early. I made some toast with peanut butter for breakfast and had a few glasses of water before I threw on red and white salwar kameez (traditional clothing). After getting ready, I walked down the block with Jak and Nicholas to catch our van to the centre at 8am.
Traffic on the way to ICDDR,B was insane as usual, filled with honking cars, yelling people, bikes and rickshaws. The street vendors had just started cooking for the day and the fruits and vegetable stands alongside the roads were totally set up, ready for the morning rush. Right now, the lychee and mango fruit are in season and almost everywhere you go you can find street vendors selling them. I don't think I trust the street food, but the fruit may be a different story. I have heard many great things about the mango and lychee here! They both have skin on the outside and should be okay to eat once the skin is peeled.
Upon arriving at the centre, I went to the office of Student Field Experience and Student Affairs where I met with one of the assistants, named Delruba. She gave me some papers to sign and allowed me to ask any questions I had. The student services coordinators are extremely encouraging and helpful! I feel very safe and comfortable about my entire situation here in Dhaka because of their hard work and hospitality.
My supervisor, Dr. Sayeeda Huq, works for the Center of Nutrition and Food Security (CNFS). She was going to be late, so I spent some time in the library on the fourth floor browsing the internet and reading some books. As lunchtime rolled around, Delruba came up to get me and we walked to a building across the street where I bought ticket vouchers in order to buy lunch at the canteen (mostly traditional food, cheaper) and café (some western food, more expensive). Proceeding, I walked back to the main building and hopped in line at the canteen by myself to get some lunch! The lunchroom is absolutely insane! A bit unorganized, sort of like everything here in Dhaka, but functional nonetheless. I waited in line until I got to the window where I was served a heaping plate of white rice. Other traditional dishes such as daal, lauer khosha bhaji, and vegetable salads were available to add as well. Most people ate with their hands (right hand, left hand is considered unclean) but silverware was available as well.
After lunch, I walked to Dr. Sayeeda's office in the main building and had a long conversation with her about the nutritional intervention programs and research at the centre before we made our way to a few areas in the hospital. We stopped to meet the man who is in charge of the entire centre and I was blown away at how personable and informal our meeting was. He told me that just because I was currently looking at nutritional research and interventions did not mean that I wasn't able to look at other areas of study that the hospital is doing. He gave me free range of the hospital and research fields and said, "The main reason for you being here is to learn as much as you possibly can, so take advantage of all that is around you". I was shocked! This hospital is NOTHING like any hospital I have ever been to or heard about. All of the patients who come in are given treatment, medicine, a place to stay, food, etc. FOR FREE. (icddrb is fully funded by donations and foundations).
Sayeeda then walked me to the Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre (NRC), where I will be spending most of my time. Nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to see in that room.
The door opened and my eyes were drawn to the young mothers and malnourished children that sat along the 10 beds that lined the walls of the room. The pictures I had seen in my global health textbooks at George Mason suddenly came to life and were right in front of me. Babies with large beautiful eyes, small limbs and swollen bellies filled the room and my heart sank. I was definitely taken back by the sight but immediately remembered why I was there; I couldn't wait to learn more and understand how I could help.
This room is specific for children who have severe malnutrition but have already gone through the Nutrition ward and are considered stable and have avoided acute malnutrition, thanks to ORS (oral rehydration solution). In this room, the children are given a certain diet (either Milk suji, Khichuri, or Halwa) and are not released until they reach a certain length and weight on their individual growth charts. The mothers are educated on what to feed their families and why, how to stimulate the senses of their children depending upon their age, and how to properly care for their children. Yesterday I was able to sit in an educational circle in while one of the icddrb workers taught the mothers how to make toys for their children out of cloth and string. One of the mothers kept smiling at me and then asked me if I wanted to hold her child. Her child was a boy, about 5 months old. I have never held such a small human being in my entire life. His hands were smaller than my fingers and his skin appeared to be as thin as tissue paper.
The stories about arranged marriages of girls as young as 13 or 14 are absolutely true. I met a young mother yesterday who is about 13 years old and had two children with her. This thought still baffles me.. no wonder there are so many issues with childhood malnutrition and diseases-- children are having children! These mothers don't know any better, they are just children themselves.
Since I will be here for over a month, Sayeeda suggested I follow the interventions and progression of one child through the program at icddr,b. I have yet to narrow down my age range and disease yet, but I look forward to the relationships I will build with the patients here. Yesterday was solely filled with observations, so I still feel a bit distant from the whole situation I am in as of yet. I know the longer I am here the more connected I will become to the patients and the culture of Bangladesh and my heart yearns for those days.
After seeing the children at the NRC, I was shown around the rest of the hospital: short-term stay, long-term stay, ICU, emergency care. The humid and peculiar smell amongst the different hospital wards will definitely stick in my mind for years to come as well as many other things.
As my day work day ended, I headed back to my apartment in an icddr,b van around 4pm with Nofi, an international health worker for BRAC bank. When I got back, Sumitra and Yasmin were finishing up cleaning our flat and had made a wonderful dinner of mixed vegetables, dal with egg, and chapattis for Nicholas, Jak and I.
I ended my day with a nice shower and separate Skype conversations with Stu and my parents.
Some pictures to share:
My official badge! Very exciting :)
My plate :) The spices and flavor are amazing. I wish I could share with you all!
All the food Sumitra made that we came home to after work
Honestly, I could not be more thankful for being here. I cannot believe the things I have seen and done in just a matter of days. I am beyond excited for the next few weeks to unravel and I cant wait to see what Bangladesh has in store for me. I am loving every aspect of the culture! Thank you for all of your continued support and prayers, They mean more than you will ever know.
-C.
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