“I’ve delivered a lot of babies, but I’ve never seen a baby so blue and lifeless as long as this one was.”
November 11, a handful of Equip volunteers, staff, and I were driving the dusty road to Ganta. Road weary after a full day travel I suddenly found myself taking a sharp, unexpected turn to the right, onto the rutted dirt track to our Equip Flumpa clinic. I wasn’t planning to visit the clinic at all, but having followed the unexpected urge to turn, I thought I’d drive over there just to check the state of some rusted roofing sheets that I had heard needed to be changed. Surprised to see light streaming out through the windows, piercing the darkness outside, we went in to investigate.
The clinic’s only patient was Oretha Daygon, a 23 year old woman from the village of Wheintin, who was just about to deliver her fourth child. Sarah Carlson (from Alaska), Equip’s nurse supervisor, jumped in to help
Nurse Aid Saye Klesa and OIC Patience Julu with the delivery.
At 9:05pm, Oretha gave birth to a baby boy. He was lifeless, and still. Emergency suction and stimulation was started but still he remained blue for a dangerously long time. With artificial respiration and persistent suctioning he finally came around, his small chest rising and falling, bringing with it a fresh pink color and a healthy cry.
Had Oretha's baby been born in the dark traditional midwife hut at her village of Wheintin, like her other 3 children, this beautiful child would never have survived. The tense minutes, before the baby’s crying reminded us of our vulnerability and the sharp howling:
….lifted our spirits and reminded us of our Creator, who came to earth as a child such as this and gave us this great work of compassion and hope.
The infectious joy of new life caught fire as the family and community members who were waiting outside burst in with song, dance, and shouting, filling the clinic with exuberant joy and happiness.
The rescue of this handsome baby boy was only made possible by the recently installed solar power lighting, thanks to funding from “USAID from the American people.” and Holy Name Health Outreach Society. These sustainable lights have brought about a great increase in night time emergency care and deliveries being given at the clinics, which has resulted in many lives being saved.
We are so thankful that all 10 of our Equip supported clinics in Nimba have received this life giving technology.
In the very early morning Lorpu Zubeh, a market woman, was walking to the town of Tappita. A group of Poro men shot and killed her for ritualistic purposes. They buried her in a shallow grave beside a nearby creak. Soon after she was found missing, stories started to circulate and a police investigation was launched. One of the perpetrators had leaked the story to someone who had gone to police. All of this came to the attention of one of our social workers and dozens of Equip volunteers and staff immediately began assisting with the investigations and facilitating the arrests of the perpetrators.
The police do not have the capacity to do their work here, because they have very few resources. Equip helps by providing them with a huge network of community volunteers, transportation, communication and aid in investigations, arrests and convictions. Staff members from Equip were present at all the arrests.
When arrested, the murderers were locked up in cells in the Tappita police station, awaiting transfer to Saniquellie. The friends and family of the murdered woman stirred up members of the community in Tappita to take justice in their own hands and go and kill the murderers. The tension intensified into a riot. The police were afraid and fled their station, opening the cells in which the murderers were kept. The mob then burnt the police station, killing the mother of one of the accused who was inside at the time.
Again, Equip was extensively involved in arresting, charging, and bring the perpetrators of this “jungle justice” before the courts. Seven people were found guilty and sentenced to a number of jail terms, including one life sentence. This case grabbed the attention of half the country and nearly everyone in Nimba County, so it became a very powerful statement that no human rights violation would go unpunished. It was a critical turning point. Up until this year everyone regularly got away with taking the law into their own hands, but seeing these people convicted and behind bars is having a huge impact.
This case is only one example of the 983 cases in which Equip has been able to help bring violent criminals before justice in Nimba. By assisting the police in arrests, providing over 1000 victims with support and safety, breaking down the culture of impunity, and by fighting corruption in the courts, Equip has been able to bring new hope and justice to over 300 communities in Nimba. The County Attorney has gone so far as saying that “if it wasn’t for Equip’s partnership, there would be no justice in Nimba County.”
“The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.” Psalm 103:6
