Meeting James, Rahab and Gorrette.
Some people might remember that in November 2016 we first met James, chained in the darkness of his hut in the Ruwenzori Hills for 15 years. On treatment, he has made a wonderful recovery so that in May last year he and I had a lovely conversation in the sunshine. On this return visit – a long trip up into those hills again, stopping off to do a clinic at a health centre on the way – we found him happily playing cards with his brother. He was relaxed, cheerful, engaged, and totally accepting of the group of white visitors who crowded into the small room to meet him.
We also went to see Rahab again. Her house is down a very steep slope and it was raining hard! She had been known as someone whose mental illness made her very violent and destructive and was chained for a similar length of time to James.
Ewan found me a slightly less skiddy slope and we slid down towards the valley and then clambered up to Rahab’s house. Our team has successfully formed a therapeutic alliance and she too has been on treatment. Here we found an elegant woman looking well-nourished, free of her chain, beautifully dressed and ready to talk quietly about herself and her future. And do you know, she even had nail polish on her fingers and toes. Another life transformed from darkness to light, from imprisonment to freedom.
We found Rahab as soon as the word was out about James. This time, another new patient awaited us, her restlessness held firmly under control by her father. Skinny, malnourished, unkempt, overtalkative and thought disordered, Gorette too has a serious mental illness and will need the team to come alongside to work with her and her family so that she can receive treatment.