Project Day at Bulovka
The Kiumbes in the orthopaedic department, in the surgery department, even in the department of internal medicine and the department of infectious diseases. Yes, you had the chance to find our nice little friends in all of those places on Thursday, November 10, 2011. And not only the Kiumbes were there - other soapstone products were there too, plus sandals made from tyres, photographs, etc, etc. You see, we came there to visit the children patients in the Na Bulovce Hospital in Prague 8. Because no one likes to be in the hospital and as the hospital staff tries its very best (and they really do try very hard at Bulovka Hospital) to make the children's stay as nice as possible, they decided to invite someone from the 'outside' to come. And so we came to talk to the children about Africa, the Kiumbes, animals...
The teachers and educators left us the room for rest that they have in the staff room of the hospital school. It was from there that we visited the different departments in the order that was written at the beginning of the article. The children patients came to see us in the common room (the canteen). Using a projector screen, we showed them a presentation thanks to which they found out, for example, that an odd tree in the middle of the savanna is not in fact a tree, but an electricity pylon, and other interesting things as well. The children were very interested and curious, and also pretty well informed before we actually even started. They got the best marks possible on a test related to general information about Africa. After one explanation, they already understood how to play the Kiumbes and at once remembered their names and characteristics. The children and staff had a lot of fun when we showed them how to dress in one strip of fabric and how to carry a baby on the back, just like the Masai women do, for example. They also tried to carry a bucket on their head and looked at some photographs of the Masai people - these are very rare because the Masai do not at all like to photographed.
And what about patients who could not come out of their beds? They had us to themselves. We walked around some of the rooms and spent some individual time with the 'non-walking' children. Thank goodness, there weren't many such little patients. And we most heartily wish those who are in the hospital right now that they get well soon and come back home to their closest ones.
Once more we would like to thank the hospital staff for letting the children take part in the expedition to Africa and we will be happy if we will be able to come again next year. (But we would be even happier if there was actually no one to present to in the hospital.)
