Assumptions

One of the biggest problems that I (Lisa) have is making assumptions about what people know, can do, etc.  Even though I know that most people living here don’t have electricity, windows or doors that actually close or running water which means no toilets, sinks, etc. I still make assumptions about their ability to use such things.  I have 8 nannies and I have trained them before they began working and have conducted more training since then.  I tell them that they need to use Comet to scrub the toilet, disinfectant to mop, dish soap to wash dishes, laundry soap for washing out diapers to name a few.  What I don’t realize is that most of my nannies don’t have toilets so they’ve never cleaned one.  They buy one very long bar of soap at the market and they use that to wash their clothes and themselves.  They have never used Comet, disinfectants or dish soap.  I didn’t show them how to scrub a toilet or how much dish soap to use for washing dishes.  They don’t have sinks so dumping food down the drain doesn’t concern them.  I don’t know how they bathe their babies but I know they have never used a baby bathtub so washing out the dirty diapers in the bathtub and then bathing a baby in it later (thankfully they did put new water in it) is the way they do things. 

I have to confess that the nursery was running for a few months before all this came to light.  I smelled disinfectant in the basin that we put our clean washcloths in that are to be used for wiping the baby’s bottoms during a diaper change.  I asked one of the nannies if she had put disinfectant (Lysol) in the basin.  She said yes she had.  She then proceeded to tell me that they also put Lysol in the baby’s bath water because one of the nannies with more seniority had told her to do it.  I guess they figured if it killed the germs on the floor it would kill the germs on the babies! That discussion progressed to her confession that she didn’t know how to use all the cleaning supplies either.  Needless to say, we had another training session on how to clean the nursery.  Because of the language barrier and no one wanting to admit their ignorance, they will always tell you that they understand what you are saying or doing. 

Another example is not making connections between open windows and mosquitoes and other flying insects.  They open the bathroom window to air it out during diaper washing but then don’t close it.  I always close it before dark but one night I apparently forgot.  The next morning the nannies complained about the number of mosquitoes in the rooms.  I wasn’t too concerned for the babies as they all have nets over their beds.  I have reminded them before about closing the window but it just doesn’t seem to connect. 

All this said, I think my nannies are doing a great job considering their own background.  I do have a few that have worked for mazungus (white people) which helps a little but I still have to explain things in incredible detail and it doesn’t always help.  I guess all my experience of training my children to do chores prepared me for training my nannies.  The difference is that I never assumed my children were capable until they were trained.  It is difficult to come into every situation that way as I want to treat them like adults and not children but I don’t think that is possible or at least not yet.  As we know “with God ALL things are possible.”

Lisa