During a Prenatal post in Moron (about a 1 hr 45 min drive from Jèrèmie), I went out back to the kitchen and chatted with this woman. She was cooking the akamil for the children at the post, as well as for the nurses’ lunch. Akamil is a porridge that is ground at several mills around the Grand Anse, and consists of beans, rice, and corn. It’s very filling, and has a lot of protein that many of these kids don’t get enough of. They prepared it with some cloves, cinnamon, and sugar. Quite a treat! Also, there are few things more enjoyable than watching children eat with enthusiasm.
During the consultations in the clinic, mothers were mothers. One first-time mom was concerned that there was a soft spot on the baby’s head, but was reassured that the child’s skull was developmentally normal. Another woman seemed to be concerned that her newborn was sick: he seemed to cry all through the night, keeping her awake, and would only sleep in the morning. This is also fairly normal. There is a Haitian proverb: “Bèf pa janm bouke pote kòn li,” or “A cow never tires of carrying her horns.”
