Volunteering in Swaziland and Botswana

My father had died and I had turned 50. It was time to broaden my horizons and step out of my comfortable life. I had worked as a homeopath in the lovely Salmon Arm, British Columbia, but I felt I needed a new challenge. I googled "homeopathy - volunteering abroad" and there were many opportunities — it was that simple! I set off for Africa.

The Swaziland Homeopathy Project was my first placement as a volunteer. Barbara Braun – who organises the project – and Ruth, the volunteer homeopath, welcomed me with open arms, and I arrived in Swaziland full of enthusiasm. What a wonderful country! Here are extracts from my letters home:
 
I'm now in Swaziland for over a week and I'm really enjoying it! It is a fantastic country with breathtaking scenery and wonderful people. This realm is still ruled by a king who has 13 wives and intends to marry again later this year! It is winter here (July) and the vegetation is very lush with tropical plants and beautiful flowers.

At the end of the day Ruth and I are completely exhausted, and when we return to our base house, which is sparsely furnished and has no heating, all we want is something to eat and to sleep.

The Swaziland Homeopathy Project also runs a clinic within a school for children who have lost their parents to AIDS. Many of these children live in "child-headed households", where around ten children live in a house and the older children look after the younger ones — there are no adults left alive to care for them. HIV and AIDS have had a devastating effect in this country, and of course the poor and underprivileged were hit first.
While I was there, the Swaziland Homeopathy Project was also involved in a study on the use of homeopathy at the Mbambe Clinic. This hospital was very run down and filthy; patients lay in the corridors — both on and under the beds! (When we were there, a few prisoners were even walking around in chains.) We were provided with a room for our work, and we treated patients with HIV and TB. If you are interested in the results of the research project, please contact Barbara bjb@africaonline.co.sz.

This year Barbara has been offering a two-week volunteer programme for students and graduates as continuing professional development (CPD) in the field of homeopathy. Practising homeopaths who wish to expand their knowledge of treating patients in rural areas and indigenous communities are also welcome. Participants have a unique opportunity to experience African culture first-hand, visit historic sites and enjoy the glorious nature of Swaziland. There is plenty of practical clinical experience — around 50 cases — and you can learn a great deal about treating chronic diseases.

Both the Maun project and the project in Swaziland use the 'Triad Method' for homeopathic prescriptions. It is an excellent method for dealing with the complex disease states of many of our patients, most of whom are HIV-positive and often also have tuberculosis. The Triad Method works as follows:

- A remedy for the acute layer
- A remedy for the constitutional / underlying layer
- A remedy for the miasmatic layer (nosode)

For each layer and each remedy the totality of characteristic symptoms is the most important aspect in selecting the remedy. Nothing is routine and every remedy is prescribed individually. Normally the remedy is taken once weekly for four weeks, then the patient waits one week and returns for follow-up. As in the clinic in Maun, patients can also be treated at the outreach clinics.

Here is more from my letters:

I love the volunteer work in Maun. Last week we drove out into the bush and saw what seemed like a million wild donkeys and masses of cattle, all walking along the road. After hours of driving on flat, sandy tracks we reached a small village, and a crowd of people were already waiting patiently for us in the shade under the trees. We set up in and in front of the local church. There were four of us, two homeopaths and two homeopathy students (who could also act as interpreters when needed). We treated about 40 patients, from the elderly to the very young children.

We took sandwiches because there is nowhere to buy food or cold drinks in the villages. You have to be fairly self-sufficient — and have a strong bladder, because there are no toilets on the way!

The Maun project also makes home visits for its patients. These visits are for people who are too ill to come to the clinic — you can imagine how bad their condition is ... Once I drove with my interpreter along a sandy bush track to a hut consisting of a single room to visit a patient. He was lying on a mattress with old blankets on top; I was told what complaints he had and how he felt, and then I prescribed a remedy. It is hard to witness how much people suffer. Nevertheless we do what we can and hope for the best. Hilary works admirably hard to keep the project running and achieves excellent results.

The Maun project also trains local people as homeopaths. Visit the website for further information: www.homeopathybotswana.com. If you are interested in volunteering with us here, please click 'Get Involved'.

Photos: Wikimedia Commons
Photos: Jude Corfield 
Categories: General
Keyword: HIV, AIDS, Swaziland and Maun Homeopathy Project, Triad Method