BORN ON THE SAND

In that day, the sun was shining across

the sandy and desert area of Sahel Region. Birds and wild insects were singing different types of songs that echoed in a rhythmic symphony to magnify the life given.

Far away, herds and shepherds were busy leading their cattle to the scarce pasture.

We were at Ferrerio, one of the first sites of Malian refugees close to the border. Here, all was about the relocation operation of the refugees to the safe, secured and consolidate camps designated by the Government of Faso. Our assignment of that day was about to apply the medical screening to the refugees who were ready to be relocated the next day. While busy at our duty, a man, half-dressed, whispered at me saying: “help! Help! Please! A woman is about to give birth”. In that area there is no health centre nearby. As a mission leader, I immediately urged Soro and Pascaline who are UNV health assistants to intervene. They quickly took action. Yet at their approach, the lady has already given birth but in an extremely difficult health condition, both for the mother and also for the new born. The baby was born on the ground, wrapped with a dirty and heavy blanket that has been never washed for many years. All the body of the baby was covered by the sand. They don’t care. Yes, they do not mind because it is their habits. The couple are young and extremely poor. They do not know anything else, except living in the bush from generation after generation looking after their cattle.The life giver of that day was assisted by the old village women, and that it was her first time to give birth. She was only 15 years old. Pascline assisted with the first health care and we carried the mother and her baby in our own car to MSF France health centre located at 35 km from Ferrerio for medical care. We safely reached the place where the baby and its mother were welcomed by Dr. Sawadogo and her team. The baby

weighed 3.50 kg and hadn’t any biological malformation. The mother was correctly and perfectly assisted by MSF team and after three days, she recovered. It was a baby girl and we baptized her of the name of FERRERIO WALLET PASCALINE. That means in Tamasheck Ferrerio Pascaline’s daughter. IT was an amazing but painful story. Any way all of us were happy because we have saved life.

On the left bellow, Dr. Sawadogo welcoming the baby and from the right, the baby and its mother, now in the health centre.

Written by Job N. NguerebayeIUNV, Associate Field OfficerUNHCR-FO Dori.Burkina Faso. West Africa.