Working in Benin creates many communications challenges. Sally is working with a patient (with a noma) who comes from northern Benin, who speaks neither English, French or Fon (the most common language in Cotonou). We have no translators who understand Bariba, his own language, so Sally is relying on another patient from that area to translate on behalf of the patient, from Bariba into French, which is then translated into English by a ward translator. Meanwhile, my four local staff can all speak fluent English to each other, but can't understand a word I say because of my English accent. Huh. I have to use Moses from Sierra Leone to translate into English-with-an-African accent for them to understand me. Olly
PS How I love hyperlinks, and Wikipedia!
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