Sometime back in 2007, I traveled to attend a peace meeting at a village called Akelin ( where my friend and Daylight's Staff assistant, Peter Loesengoria, comes from) situated in Kasei Division of West Pokot District. I had been invited to speak at the meeting. The peace meeting was well attended for there women in attendance too. Tell you what, everything at the meeting went according to plan.Then came my time to speak. I rose to speak, and as I went about with the talk, then some thing out of the blues happened, all of a sudden - a woman a few yards away from me yelled hysterically...
The woman, I came to learn was expectant, and the yelling was a signal of labor pains. And this was happening at such an odd place - and most of all there was no mid-wife let alone a Doctor anywhere near. In fact, the nearest health care facility was so far away. And in that milieu, some of the women present surged forward toward the woman who was at great pains, and then some beckoned on me to get over there. What? I suspect, they thought my schooling had something to do this unfolding scenario and that I should be there to offer any help or somewhat I knew how to. On my part, I was not prepared for this.I didn't know what to do.I have no idea what needs to be done. Even still, I found myself moving in.... and we went into action! At this point, the men relocated to a nearby shade ( I could understand, according Pokot, this is no men's territorial jurisdiction).
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| Just arrived - it is baby Seretion! |
The whole drama happened so fast, for in about 15 minutes, it was all over ( the picture above shows us in celebratory mood, me holding the fresh dude so close to the chest)! And there we had a bouncing baby boy - whom the whole crew chose to name, SERETION! He was given my name, for in effect I am commonly referred to locally here in Pokot as Seretion owing to the nature of work I do with Children and community outreach work in the villages. It's a nick-name which has overtaken all of my other names. Seretion is a name derived from a special grass in Pokot, a special type of grass indeed that grows by way of knotting, making a knot after another as it spreads along the ground. Translated, "Seretion", among the Pokot, denotes a "Chain of Grace" going by the nature and character of this grass type - that makes knots as it grows and spreads out, and interestingly also appears green even in the worst of time.... or so it goes.
I should add that, the women and I who helped with this were so grateful that the whole process worked out so well. The women told me that oftentimes it is not always so. And when that happens, it becomes one big problem and sometimes life-threatening. I had a rush, and sort of wished I had trained as a Doctor or something. At least, in a moment I thought to myself....
Then something hit me concerning the newborn.Aware that Pokot villagers do not readily take children to school, I pleaded with the baby's mother, whom I came to learn her name to be Chemiliong, and the other women who were milling around there that little Seretion will have to attend school when he attains the school going age - and that he may someday be the future nurse to the village. I made my case. From the look of things, the mother seemed to agree, and there was one challenge, a big one, that which has to do with the father. He might stand to be a true Pokot man, and say no. However, the women present promised me that they will talk to the father about that.
All along I kept a close touch with the family and little Seretion. Recently, the father ( Lokadakapel) and family agreed that young Seretion (who will be 6 next year) will be going to school! And indeed, he will be joining Daylight come January, 2012, or so sometime in the year.
