(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Good Friday Ghana [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2023-06-03 I've been trying to limit my Ghana stories to Tuesday mornings, with occasional stores on other days when something comes up, but it was pointed out to me that I had said that we would be okay if we made it to Friday, so I thought perhaps everyone would like a brief update as to how things are going with everyone there. In the first place, everyone is alive. That in itself is no small feat. My friends in Ghana live in such incredibly difficult circumstances that just surviving is an accomplishment. So as of today so far so good. I had totally lost contact with John last Sunday. For the first time since I've known him his phone wasn't even accepting my messages. So that was very worrisome. But he did eventually send me a message on Tuesday morning while I was sleeping, asking why I wasn't talking. He thought the problem was me instead of him. The internet and google chat being what they are, it could have been almost anything. But at least nothing bad had happened to him. So that was good. We had budgeted out the finances for the rest of the month and, while everyone would have had to make do with very little, we were prepared to get through it. But of course everything depends on whether unexpected things come up to throw all of our plans out of kilter. With so many people in such dire circumstances, unexpected problems will always arise, of course, and Lord knows they did. Our main concern has been Anabel, the four year old girl who was abandoned by her mentally ill mother. Unfortunately she came down with the measles about two weeks ago and we have struggled to get her proper medical care. Measles can be dangerous anywhere and to a small child living in difficult circumstances it can be deadly. She had broken out with rashes in her mouth, making it hard for her to eat, and John said that she had a high fever and was sweating heavily. Anabel still has not fully recovered but she is doing better. We managed to get the prescribed medicines for her and that seems to have helped. The matron where she is staying hasn't yet asked for any more funding so hopefully that is under control, at least for the time being. Our other sick baby, four month old Vicky, has been a concern. Her navel is still not healed from birth. Her parents are very, very poor and have no food even for themselves. Of course they have no money for the kinds of things a new baby needs. They have been sending increasingly frantic pleas to John for help but we had to make a choice; Anabel or Vicky. Vicky at least has both parents. Anabel has no one but us. We did manage to get a small amount of money to them earlier this week and now we will try to make sure that the baby gets the help she needs and that they have enough to survive. At least for now they are taken care of. I am worried about two year old Melbourne, who was sick from malnourishment. His mother, Agnes, had been feeding him the only thing she had, a sort of ground meal that his tiny system simply could not digest. This also seems under control, at least for now. The mother hasn't asked John for help but we don't want the situation to get desperate before we can guarantee him an adequate diet. There are also two other children in the family, I want to get seem help to them but so far that hasn't been possible. The problem right now is Melbourne's father, Collin, who is in prison for driving a taxi with an expired license. He has two or three months yet to go in his sentence and he just sent a text to John pleading "on his knees" for a little money to buy food. (No, the authorities are not feeding him.) Fortunately my partner's Social Security money came in today, on this good Friday, and we sent a small amount so that he can eat. The others who are a part of our small group we have not been able to do much for yet but we will try to arrange that they all get at least a little money for food. John's brother Joshua is starving and homeless. Frederic, the old man who once helped young men when they were in trouble, is still living under an overpass. And the child Ibrahim is still sleeping under trucks. But they are all still alive. I am sorry if this seems a depressing and sad update. But we are all making it. That is a good thing. Incidentally, if anyone faults me for being so upset at the nonsense of the budget ceiling negotiations, please do consider; I could probably have survived a few weeks while they played games to delay my Social Security. my partner could probably have held on. But many of my friends in Ghana would have died. Literally. And I would have had to sit here listening to their cries for help, unable to do anything. But this is where we are. We are alive. [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/6/3/2173063/-Good-Friday-Ghana Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/