Baka parents face the stark reality of 50% childhood mortality. When I say that, I expect that people in the Western world will not believe me. The fact is that Baka parents live in a constant fear that the next sickness that comes along may take their child from them. My teammates recently had some visitors who were concerned about their infant daughter, Lombo. Lombo had been vomiting for one day, but seemed to be strong and healthy. The next day, Lombo and her parents were given a ride to the clinic, where they received some medication and were sent home. She soon stopped eating, and her parents took her to a traditional healer an hour walk away. You see, they live in a world where it is expected that they will loose half of the children that are born to them. They live with the nagging realization that any sickness may weaken their child to the point of death. And they love their children just as much as we do. So they wanted to do everything they could to save her. Tragically, Lombo died while away to see the traditional healer. When my teammates went to visit the family, with gifts of food, Lombo's mother said simply "lombo a goe" (Lombo went).
In North America, babies that die are the exception, not the rule. When a baby dies, everyone knows about it. We take extreme medical precautions for severe sickness and just assume that children will recover from common ailments. Our mindset is completely different, since we grew up in a place where babies live most of the time. But the Baka have a completely different mindset that comes from the experience that every sickness can cause death. Every little sniffle or cough brings fear into the hearts of parents.
Lord, be with Lombo's grieving parents. Comfort them like only You can. And Lord, prepare me to work with parents like these. Help me to understand and be sensitive to the mindset of these dear people. Help me to be able to discern a serious sickness from a minor one and act accordingly. And most of all, cause your love to pervade everything that I do. May they experience your love through the actions of your children.
2 comments:
Thanks Jenn for taking the time to blog about the Baka. Your insights into their culture and worldview is eye-opening in many ways... esp. to a comfortable westerner. Keep blogging and I'll certainly keep reading!
this brings tears to my eyes, just another supporting example of how children are gifts from God and true miracles. I'm sure you will be able to comfort grieving parents when you go back to Camaroon. I couldn't imagine losing a child that I've met and held and loved, it's still difficult to think about the one I lost that I never met. The Baka must have extreme resiliance and dedication to be able to go through such a mortaility rate, in the least it shows that they are a hopefull people.
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