This is Africa

Ever since we stepped off the plane, and everytime something seems different or out of sorts, Dr. Brown says "TIA, this is Africa!" In clinic today, I had my very own TIA moment. A woman brought a baby in, sat down at my desk, and handed me the baby's medical passport. I looked at the birth date (July 09) and said "So, she is 2 months old." The woman replied "No, she is 4 months old." I must have looked confused because she pointed to the birth date and said "that's the day she was found in the river." I was quite surprised and I'm sure it showed on my face. The woman went on to explain that she worked at an orphanage and the baby was brought there by social services after someone found her in the river. (It is currently the dry season in Namibia, so she really meant the river bed. The rivers haven't run since March.) Baby dumping is a big problem in Africa. Women can't support their babies, so they just drop them off anywhere. Many babies are found in the bush. This little one was lucky people found her before the animals did. What really shocked me about this situation was the nonchalance when the woman told me about the baby. She said "She was found in the river" with about as much expression as I would say "We ate peanut butter sandwiches for lunch." It just goes to show that baby dumping is so common down here that its just accepted as the norm. TIA. This is Africa.