Meeting Midwives and a Mouse in My Mop!!!

As I have been talking about midwives quite a lot in this blog I thought that I would include this image from Angkor Watt of a woman giving birth

The last two weeks or so have been quite busy for me at work which made a great change as on the 16th and 17th of December it was CMA's annual conference for branch leaders and at least one member from each of the 24 Provinces plus some midwives working in NGO's and the training centres.
Before that though on the 15th I experienced my first executive team meeting. As the President had been in Brazil on a 3 week study tour I had asked her before she left if I should prepare the agenda for her which after a little thought she agreed to.
The meeting was scheduled for the whole day which I thought perhaps a little excessive however not so in the event it finished at almost 6pm having started at 8 which puts some of the SHA executive meetings in the shade!!The executive team are new they like the President were appointed in May and have only met once before.This I took into consideration whilst preparing the agenda which I did in English it was then  translated into K'mai very ably by my VA there were 4 accompanying papers all of which were colour coded to the items on the agenda and each member was given a pack as I knew that I would not have time to go through every thing with the President beforehand.
The only problem was no one followed the agenda despite lasting for 9 hours only half the items were covered. I learned a very valuable lesson that day and also got some great material for my future capacity building.
The executive team of 8 midwives though were very warm and friendly women who despite the language barrier did their best to make me feel welcome most were about my vintage several had quite good English and wanted to practice on me whilst I tried valiantly but not very successfully to speak in K'mai but as my VA tells me if I don't practice I will never get better
Despite only completing the conference agenda at 6pm on the night before the conference itself went really well and I got to meet midwives from all over Cambodia my presentation on why CMA is so important for Cambodia seemed to go down well and I did a little interactive session at the end of day one to help prepare them for the workshop on day two when we wanted their views ideas and opinions on what CMA can do to become stronger.
I had been warned that there could be some reticence in coming forward with ideas and views not so for Cambodia's midwives they came up with some excellent suggestions most I have to say accord with my own which made me feel a whole lot better and we now have a clear mandate in order to move forward.
Now all of this has to be translated for me and put into some kind of future plan which is great. at last I felt that I had been useful.
The President seemed very pleased with how things went as it was her first formal event it was important that it was a success she and her team did a great job in my view but it was a bit close to the wire for me but again perhaps I can help with that in future.
Since then I have been putting together CMA's annual report/Newsletter the first for some time and also I have been trying my best to network having visited colleagues in WHO/UNICEF/ UNFPA and NMMP whose advice has been very helpful.
So what else has happened well I was mugged (not literally) by a one legged monk! yes that's right I was in my street when I was approached by an elderly one legged monk who asked me for money in exchange for a bracelet made from wooden beads what does a well brought up girl do but pay up!! not convinced he was a bonefide monk though so will keep an eye out for him in future
The other big excitement was I have had a mouse take up residence in my mop which is a very fluffy affair and I dare say a big attraction to rodents mind you it got more of a shock than I did when it got tipped out onto my floor and was then chased by this mad woman all around the apartment until I had the wit to open the balcony door through which it fled for dear life straight over the balcony. I haven't seen it since!!!!!
So its all go in PP Christmas was much better than I thought it would be I really enjoyed the simplicity of it all just being with friends exchanging small gifts having a meal together (although no turkey)was enough the only sadness was not being with Sal and David but we did see each other on Christmas Day albeit through a grainy skpe screen.
On Friday I hope to be going to Kampong Speu with one of the midwives to do a training session on either "Free movement in labour" or "Family Planning" not quite sure which so will report back soon
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
Kath