Hello all,
I am back safely (after another beautiful but supremely uncomfortable ride across Kenya) in Ongata Rongai at the house of Mary and Peter. I leave in just 2 days which is really hard to believe. I'm excited to go home but I really did get a bit stuck on the life in bucolic Nyeri. There are other volunteers here who spent the whole semester throwing keg parties to earn $13,000 to give to the center and school- really amazing. I haven't quite recovered from my trip yesterday so I was pretty useless today but it is lovely to see old friends (Tabitha, Maureen, John, Mary, Peter, Meshack etc...). I am also glad I managed to see Alex and family again (despite the trip). The girls were less shy, I got to stay at their house and I got to see Ridah again. Ridah (the elderly woman I was so enamored with in another blog) had SO many questions this time about the U.S. compared to Kenya (funerals, dowries, poor people, crime etc...)
I will miss Kenya.
See most of you very soon,
Lied
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
3/8/07: running, corruption and the sale of mt. kenya
I wrote this blog on March 8th but was unable to send it at the time.
The other day I went running in Nyeri. I have seen people run (usually men) running here and around Nairobi but I figured I'd probably be a spectacle, particularly since I'm already a spectacle in this rural area. But I braved a run in the early evening. Although I've been walking A LOT since getting to Kenya I haven't run at all (except for w/in that soccer game over a month ago). So I was worried about being a little out of shape. Nevertheless I was confident I could do 2 1/2 miles before it got dark (in 1/2 hr). Wangui didn't believe me and was very worried. After some negotiation I took off. About 1/8 mile along I met one of our neighbors and greeted her. Immediately after I passed her she evidently went straight to the house and asked them what on earth I was doing. Wangui tried to explain but said the neighbor left very confused. The run was actually beautiful and I thought that it was nice to start training for the NYC marathon in Kenya. After my run (I did make it back before dark) I teased Wangui that so many famous marathoners are from Kenya and yet it's weird to run here.
The other day I went running in Nyeri. I have seen people run (usually men) running here and around Nairobi but I figured I'd probably be a spectacle, particularly since I'm already a spectacle in this rural area. But I braved a run in the early evening. Although I've been walking A LOT since getting to Kenya I haven't run at all (except for w/in that soccer game over a month ago). So I was worried about being a little out of shape. Nevertheless I was confident I could do 2 1/2 miles before it got dark (in 1/2 hr). Wangui didn't believe me and was very worried. After some negotiation I took off. About 1/8 mile along I met one of our neighbors and greeted her. Immediately after I passed her she evidently went straight to the house and asked them what on earth I was doing. Wangui tried to explain but said the neighbor left very confused. The run was actually beautiful and I thought that it was nice to start training for the NYC marathon in Kenya. After my run (I did make it back before dark) I teased Wangui that so many famous marathoners are from Kenya and yet it's weird to run here.
Corruption- The Red Cross in Nyeri had been accused of selling donated items. The rumor was very vague and my boss, Rose, as the Red Cross was upset about it because she felt there was no way to combat those rumors without knowing what instance, what people (volunteers, employees?) were being implicated. I noticed that people were reacting to these rumors when a private school donated items and we (RC) went with them to distribute the items. The school was late in getting to the office and it was about to rain so Rose asked them if they would like us to distribute the items later. The head teacher bristled at the idea so I and some other volunteers went with them (this put me home way after dark and worried the heck out of my family here). Before we distributed we counted the items so when later only 8 tubs (instead of 10) of 20 liters of cooking fat were found we were a bit frantic. I had been about to distribute the cooking fat so I reported it to the head teacher. She was alarmed and said (rather accusingly, I thought) that she had told us 10. I agreed with her, showed her my list and explained that that was precisely why I was reporting it to her. After some detective work, the 2 missing tubs were found in the chief's office. The chiefs of a village/area are responsible for counting the internally displaced people. Once the tubs were found the chief basically hid in his office. There was another American there with the private school and she and I were both very angry and wondering what they were going to do to the chief. The head teacher said we were to do nothing. I had spoken at length with people at RC that morning about corruption (the fact that it exists in the U.S. but that the general population doesn't experience it as a rule). It was really frustrating to see that happen (good that the head teacher saw where the corruption was- the RC has had several problems with chiefs and elders trying to skim some off the top- wanting to do the distribution themselves). When I got home, Aneta suggested we put it in the newspaper. When I brought up that suggestion to Rose she (and others) said that the problem is that the newspapers here are so sensationalist that they would be worried that because the RC was there somehow they'd end up as the problem. Argh.
I've spoken little of politics lately. A power-sharing coalition has been agreed upon. Things seem peaceful. None of the things that really set the violence off have been resolved. People feel safe for the time being but are very aware it could happen again. And most people think that the next time it happens the Kikuyus (who have been largely, but in no way the only, victims) will have reached their limit and they will fight back really hard and it will be a bigger mess. But for now....
Aneta told me she had heard that Raila Odinga had sold Mount Kenya and that Kibaki didn't know it. When Wangui confirmed that that's what Aneta had said I couldn't help but laugh. I pressed Wangui about it- trying to get her to see that she really ought to evaluate statements- who would buy it from him? Who would be silly enough to? It was just such funny propaganda... when I told the RC people they also couldn't stop laughing.
Monday, March 3, 2008
my name is Wanjiku and I don't keep pigs
So, a while back in Ongata Rongai, Mary told me that my Kikuyu name was Wanjiku (a common Kikuyu name) because I reminded her of her daughter Wanjiku. She called me that once in a while as a bit of a joke. When I got to Nyeri I had told Aneta that she could call me Lied or Wanjiku and she chose the latter. The eldest girl calls me Lied but everyone else in that household calls me 'Shiko' (short for Wanjiku). At first I didn't answer to it all that well but now I'm used to it and I like it.
Re: the pigs. "I don't keep pigs personally". This was in response to the question "Do you keep pigs there where you live?". Because agriculture is such a vital part of most people's lives people ask me a lot of questions about the farms in the U.S. I try to explain that there are relatively few farmers and even the people who have gardens buy most of their food at stores.
I'm looking forward to coming home and am excited that it's less than 2 weeks away now. I've really enjoyed my time here but it will be so RELAXING to not be an anamoly. In general, I feel I'm pretty good-natured about answering questions and people are by in large very friendly but gosh it can get tiring being this different-looking, foreign person. I am reminded that I would not care to be famous. I also have a glimpse of how terrible it must be to be part of a stigmatized population whose 'difference' (such as skin color, physical, or even mental disability) is easily spotted. The attention I get walking down the street, in a car, in a store is positive but it's easy to be tired and frustrated by it. I can only imagine what it must feel like to get that kind of negative attention. But I have to admit that just when I feel as if I can not meet yet another new person and answer the same questions, I find myself in conversation with an interesting person who has a really different perspective on what's happening here in Kenya or who asks me some unusual questions that bear thinking about.
Today at the Red Cross we went to deliver a body of a boy who had died at a camp in Nakuru to his family's home here in Nyeri. The boy died of spinal tuberculosis in the camp. His immediate family was also at the camp and today all of them returned home with the body to bury it on extended family land. He was 17. It was very sad. True to Kenyan tradition though, before 12! Red Cross staff were allowed to leave after delivering the body and staying for a short speech and prayer we were served tea and lunch. The lunch was an enormous plate of field corn, beans (githeri) and potatoes AND THEN (just when we thought we were done) rice and carrots. Those who didn't take rice and carrots were yelled at by the shosho (grandmother).
Have I mentioned how beautiful it is here and how much I will miss these wonderful people?
Oh- one more story. My aunt (who lived in Kenya 30 years ago) told me a story some years ago about how she came in to the hospital to teach a class and was late and started to rush off to the class only to be reprimanded for not shaking everyone's hand. It's happened to me too-- now matter if there are 17 people in a room, it is expected that you greet each one with a handshake and a "How are you?". Relationships are way more important than being on time.
Re: the pigs. "I don't keep pigs personally". This was in response to the question "Do you keep pigs there where you live?". Because agriculture is such a vital part of most people's lives people ask me a lot of questions about the farms in the U.S. I try to explain that there are relatively few farmers and even the people who have gardens buy most of their food at stores.
I'm looking forward to coming home and am excited that it's less than 2 weeks away now. I've really enjoyed my time here but it will be so RELAXING to not be an anamoly. In general, I feel I'm pretty good-natured about answering questions and people are by in large very friendly but gosh it can get tiring being this different-looking, foreign person. I am reminded that I would not care to be famous. I also have a glimpse of how terrible it must be to be part of a stigmatized population whose 'difference' (such as skin color, physical, or even mental disability) is easily spotted. The attention I get walking down the street, in a car, in a store is positive but it's easy to be tired and frustrated by it. I can only imagine what it must feel like to get that kind of negative attention. But I have to admit that just when I feel as if I can not meet yet another new person and answer the same questions, I find myself in conversation with an interesting person who has a really different perspective on what's happening here in Kenya or who asks me some unusual questions that bear thinking about.
Today at the Red Cross we went to deliver a body of a boy who had died at a camp in Nakuru to his family's home here in Nyeri. The boy died of spinal tuberculosis in the camp. His immediate family was also at the camp and today all of them returned home with the body to bury it on extended family land. He was 17. It was very sad. True to Kenyan tradition though, before 12! Red Cross staff were allowed to leave after delivering the body and staying for a short speech and prayer we were served tea and lunch. The lunch was an enormous plate of field corn, beans (githeri) and potatoes AND THEN (just when we thought we were done) rice and carrots. Those who didn't take rice and carrots were yelled at by the shosho (grandmother).
Have I mentioned how beautiful it is here and how much I will miss these wonderful people?
Oh- one more story. My aunt (who lived in Kenya 30 years ago) told me a story some years ago about how she came in to the hospital to teach a class and was late and started to rush off to the class only to be reprimanded for not shaking everyone's hand. It's happened to me too-- now matter if there are 17 people in a room, it is expected that you greet each one with a handshake and a "How are you?". Relationships are way more important than being on time.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
orange feet and 7 cups of tea
The dust here gets everywhere and living in a mud hut it's hard to keep your feet clean. Consequently my feet constantly have this orange hue. I thought they drank a lot of tea in Ongata Rongai. I've counted and it usually adds up to about 7 cups of chai (water and milk boiled with a few tea leaves) a day. (It's almost 3pm and I've had 4 cups already).
My friend Michelle asked me about the weather. So here's the answer (for everyone): As in the States it depends a bit on where in Kemya one is. Parts of Kenya are known for being particularly cold (probably meaning the temperature there ranges from high 40s-70s), Mombasa on the coast is supposed to be particularly hot and humid. But since Kenya is much smaller than the U.S. the variance is less and most of the places I've been are fairly similar. Somewhat dry (certainly not the humidity of NYC in the summer) and hot. Where I am now, it is quite cool in the evening and in the morning (cool enough to see my breath sometimes when I first wake up at 6am) and it reliably gets hotter as the morning wears on. By the afternoon it's about 90F and starting at 5pm it gradually gets cooler. Even by 7pm it's nice to have long sleeves, pants on. January and February are the hottest and driest months (as I understand it) so I'm seeing the hot end of it and it's really quite comfortable as long as you can manage shade at the hottest hours of the day. July and August are their coldest months when it gets to around 40F at night and maybe only warms up to 60 during the day. I haven't been in a heated nor air-conditioned room yet.
So back to what I'm doing lately. Well, as it turns out my first day at the Red Cross was fairly representative of how it is. We do a lot of food distribution for displaced families. As the food is distributed and when we've finished there's usually time to talk to the displaced people and hear their stories, hear their concerns, hopes etc... It's amazing how strong people can be. It's also really nice to be useful. The other day the father from the family in Ongata Rongai came to visit and give me a "break" by taking me around Nyeri (this area). It ended up being really nice and I saw a lot of sites and talked to a lot of interesting people but it was really the opposite of a break for me. Living out in the boonies (from the Tagalog word for mountain- bundok), reading and studying Swahili or playing cards with the kids at the shamba, working for the Red Cross, having lots of time to myself as I walk home from work, actually doing concrete, physical tasks- THAT is what feels great. Getting in the car and driving places, meeting lots of people (which calls for a formality that's sometimes a bit akward- feeling as if people are stopping what they're doing to meet you because you're a mazungu- of 'European descent'), having the same conversations over and over again about politics makes me more exhausted. But again- it was nice of him to show me around and I had a couple of interesting conversations with a nun at one of the schools we visited about adoption and mental illness.
Adoption- people often end up informally adopting their relatives' children when the parents die and sometimes strangers will help out by paying school fees for older children but formal adoption of unrelated children is strange. When I was explaining that I had cousins that are adopted but that are absolutely my cousins she thought that was neat but assumed that they hadn't been told they were adopted. She was really interested in the topic and I learned some more about adoption here. I think part of the reason that formal adoption isn't as common is that children spend so much time at school, many board at the school (this is true even at public schools and parents pay just for room and board, not the education) so the relationship between the parents and children is not as constant as it is in the States.
Mental Illness- as in the States, the idea that mentally ill people are dangerous prevails and when people find out that I work with the mentally ill their eyes grow wide. That said, I've met 3 women who were mentally ill living with their families so depending on the severity, it seems that they're not always considered dangerous- I don't know but I'd be willing to bet that women with mental illness are more often cared for by families than men. The head nurse at the clinic in Ongata Rongai explained to me that it's not uncommon to have someone (or their family member) come in and complain of stress or confusion. It's generally considered a temporary illness and many people are advised to rest or giving an injection. (People get injections for everything here- antibiotics, vitamins etc...) so getting an injection doesn't seem to be as scary here). I see a few people on the street and there is also a hospital for the mentally ill in Nairobi but from what I can tell many people with mental illness survive with the support of the family network.
As usual I meant to write so much more but I best be on my way...
Dara- my sore throat was terrible again this morning but it feels better so I'm hoping I'm on the upswing.
My friend Michelle asked me about the weather. So here's the answer (for everyone): As in the States it depends a bit on where in Kemya one is. Parts of Kenya are known for being particularly cold (probably meaning the temperature there ranges from high 40s-70s), Mombasa on the coast is supposed to be particularly hot and humid. But since Kenya is much smaller than the U.S. the variance is less and most of the places I've been are fairly similar. Somewhat dry (certainly not the humidity of NYC in the summer) and hot. Where I am now, it is quite cool in the evening and in the morning (cool enough to see my breath sometimes when I first wake up at 6am) and it reliably gets hotter as the morning wears on. By the afternoon it's about 90F and starting at 5pm it gradually gets cooler. Even by 7pm it's nice to have long sleeves, pants on. January and February are the hottest and driest months (as I understand it) so I'm seeing the hot end of it and it's really quite comfortable as long as you can manage shade at the hottest hours of the day. July and August are their coldest months when it gets to around 40F at night and maybe only warms up to 60 during the day. I haven't been in a heated nor air-conditioned room yet.
So back to what I'm doing lately. Well, as it turns out my first day at the Red Cross was fairly representative of how it is. We do a lot of food distribution for displaced families. As the food is distributed and when we've finished there's usually time to talk to the displaced people and hear their stories, hear their concerns, hopes etc... It's amazing how strong people can be. It's also really nice to be useful. The other day the father from the family in Ongata Rongai came to visit and give me a "break" by taking me around Nyeri (this area). It ended up being really nice and I saw a lot of sites and talked to a lot of interesting people but it was really the opposite of a break for me. Living out in the boonies (from the Tagalog word for mountain- bundok), reading and studying Swahili or playing cards with the kids at the shamba, working for the Red Cross, having lots of time to myself as I walk home from work, actually doing concrete, physical tasks- THAT is what feels great. Getting in the car and driving places, meeting lots of people (which calls for a formality that's sometimes a bit akward- feeling as if people are stopping what they're doing to meet you because you're a mazungu- of 'European descent'), having the same conversations over and over again about politics makes me more exhausted. But again- it was nice of him to show me around and I had a couple of interesting conversations with a nun at one of the schools we visited about adoption and mental illness.
Adoption- people often end up informally adopting their relatives' children when the parents die and sometimes strangers will help out by paying school fees for older children but formal adoption of unrelated children is strange. When I was explaining that I had cousins that are adopted but that are absolutely my cousins she thought that was neat but assumed that they hadn't been told they were adopted. She was really interested in the topic and I learned some more about adoption here. I think part of the reason that formal adoption isn't as common is that children spend so much time at school, many board at the school (this is true even at public schools and parents pay just for room and board, not the education) so the relationship between the parents and children is not as constant as it is in the States.
Mental Illness- as in the States, the idea that mentally ill people are dangerous prevails and when people find out that I work with the mentally ill their eyes grow wide. That said, I've met 3 women who were mentally ill living with their families so depending on the severity, it seems that they're not always considered dangerous- I don't know but I'd be willing to bet that women with mental illness are more often cared for by families than men. The head nurse at the clinic in Ongata Rongai explained to me that it's not uncommon to have someone (or their family member) come in and complain of stress or confusion. It's generally considered a temporary illness and many people are advised to rest or giving an injection. (People get injections for everything here- antibiotics, vitamins etc...) so getting an injection doesn't seem to be as scary here). I see a few people on the street and there is also a hospital for the mentally ill in Nairobi but from what I can tell many people with mental illness survive with the support of the family network.
As usual I meant to write so much more but I best be on my way...
Dara- my sore throat was terrible again this morning but it feels better so I'm hoping I'm on the upswing.
orange feet and 7 cups of tea
The dust here gets everywhere and living in a mud hut it's hard to keep your feet clean. Consequently my feet constantly have this orange hue. I thought they drank a lot of tea in Ongata Rongai. I've counted and it usually adds up to about 7 cups of chai (water and milk boiled with a few tea leaves) a day. (It's almost 3pm and I've had 4 cups already).
My friend Michelle asked me about the weather. So here's the answer (for everyone): As in the States it depends a bit on where in Kemya one is. Parts of Kenya are known for being particularly cold (probably meaning the temperature there ranges from high 40s-70s), Mombasa on the coast is supposed to be particularly hot and humid. But since Kenya is much smaller than the U.S. the variance is less and most of the places I've been are fairly similar. Somewhat dry (certainly not the humidity of NYC in the summer) and hot. Where I am now, it is quite cool in the evening and in the morning (cool enough to see my breath sometimes when I first wake up at 6am) and it reliably gets hotter as the morning wears on. By the afternoon it's about 90F and starting at 5pm it gradually gets cooler. Even by 7pm it's nice to have long sleeves, pants on. January and February are the hottest and driest months (as I understand it) so I'm seeing the hot end of it and it's really quite comfortable as long as you can manage shade at the hottest hours of the day. July and August are their coldest months when it gets to around 40F at night and maybe only warms up to 60 during the day. I haven't been in a heated nor air-conditioned room yet.
So back to what I'm doing lately. Well, as it turns out my first day at the Red Cross was fairly representative of how it is. We do a lot of food distribution for displaced families. As the food is distributed and when we've finished there's usually time to talk to the displaced people and hear their stories, hear their concerns, hopes etc... It's amazing how strong people can be. It's also really nice to be useful. The other day the father from the family in Ongata Rongai came to visit and give me a "break" by taking me around Nyeri (this area). It ended up being really nice and I saw a lot of sites and talked to a lot of interesting people but it was really the opposite of a break for me. Living out in the boonies (from the Tagalog word for mountain- bundok), reading and studying Swahili or playing cards with the kids at the shamba, working for the Red Cross, having lots of time to myself as I walk home from work, actually doing concrete, physical tasks- THAT is what feels great. Getting in the car and driving places, meeting lots of people (which calls for a formality that's sometimes a bit akward- feeling as if people are stopping what they're doing to meet you because you're a mazungu- of 'European descent'), having the same conversations over and over again about politics makes me more exhausted. But again- it was nice of him to show me around and I had a couple of interesting conversations with a nun at one of the schools we visited about adoption and mental illness.
Adoption- people often end up informally adopting their relatives' children when the parents die and sometimes strangers will help out by paying school fees for older children but formal adoption of unrelated children is strange. When I was explaining that I had cousins that are adopted but that are absolutely my cousins she thought that was neat but assumed that they hadn't been told they were adopted. She was really interested in the topic and I learned some more about adoption here. I think part of the reason that formal adoption isn't as common is that children spend so much time at school, many board at the school (this is true even at public schools and parents pay just for room and board, not the education) so the relationship between the parents and children is not as constant as it is in the States.
Mental Illness- as in the States, the idea that mentally ill people are dangerous prevails and when people find out that I work with the mentally ill their eyes grow wide. That said, I've met 3 women who were mentally ill living with their families so depending on the severity, it seems that they're not always considered dangerous- I don't know but I'd be willing to bet that women with mental illness are more often cared for by families than men. The head nurse at the clinic in Ongata Rongai explained to me that it's not uncommon to have someone (or their family member) come in and complain of stress or confusion. It's generally considered a temporary illness and many people are advised to rest or giving an injection. (People get injections for everything here- antibiotics, vitamins etc...) so getting an injection doesn't seem to be as scary here). I see a few people on the street and there is also a hospital for the mentally ill in Nairobi but from what I can tell many people with mental illness survive with the support of the family network.
As usual I meant to write so much more but I best be on my way...
Dara- my sore throat was terrible again this morning but it feels better so I'm hoping I'm on the upswing.
My friend Michelle asked me about the weather. So here's the answer (for everyone): As in the States it depends a bit on where in Kemya one is. Parts of Kenya are known for being particularly cold (probably meaning the temperature there ranges from high 40s-70s), Mombasa on the coast is supposed to be particularly hot and humid. But since Kenya is much smaller than the U.S. the variance is less and most of the places I've been are fairly similar. Somewhat dry (certainly not the humidity of NYC in the summer) and hot. Where I am now, it is quite cool in the evening and in the morning (cool enough to see my breath sometimes when I first wake up at 6am) and it reliably gets hotter as the morning wears on. By the afternoon it's about 90F and starting at 5pm it gradually gets cooler. Even by 7pm it's nice to have long sleeves, pants on. January and February are the hottest and driest months (as I understand it) so I'm seeing the hot end of it and it's really quite comfortable as long as you can manage shade at the hottest hours of the day. July and August are their coldest months when it gets to around 40F at night and maybe only warms up to 60 during the day. I haven't been in a heated nor air-conditioned room yet.
So back to what I'm doing lately. Well, as it turns out my first day at the Red Cross was fairly representative of how it is. We do a lot of food distribution for displaced families. As the food is distributed and when we've finished there's usually time to talk to the displaced people and hear their stories, hear their concerns, hopes etc... It's amazing how strong people can be. It's also really nice to be useful. The other day the father from the family in Ongata Rongai came to visit and give me a "break" by taking me around Nyeri (this area). It ended up being really nice and I saw a lot of sites and talked to a lot of interesting people but it was really the opposite of a break for me. Living out in the boonies (from the Tagalog word for mountain- bundok), reading and studying Swahili or playing cards with the kids at the shamba, working for the Red Cross, having lots of time to myself as I walk home from work, actually doing concrete, physical tasks- THAT is what feels great. Getting in the car and driving places, meeting lots of people (which calls for a formality that's sometimes a bit akward- feeling as if people are stopping what they're doing to meet you because you're a mazungu- of 'European descent'), having the same conversations over and over again about politics makes me more exhausted. But again- it was nice of him to show me around and I had a couple of interesting conversations with a nun at one of the schools we visited about adoption and mental illness.
Adoption- people often end up informally adopting their relatives' children when the parents die and sometimes strangers will help out by paying school fees for older children but formal adoption of unrelated children is strange. When I was explaining that I had cousins that are adopted but that are absolutely my cousins she thought that was neat but assumed that they hadn't been told they were adopted. She was really interested in the topic and I learned some more about adoption here. I think part of the reason that formal adoption isn't as common is that children spend so much time at school, many board at the school (this is true even at public schools and parents pay just for room and board, not the education) so the relationship between the parents and children is not as constant as it is in the States.
Mental Illness- as in the States, the idea that mentally ill people are dangerous prevails and when people find out that I work with the mentally ill their eyes grow wide. That said, I've met 3 women who were mentally ill living with their families so depending on the severity, it seems that they're not always considered dangerous- I don't know but I'd be willing to bet that women with mental illness are more often cared for by families than men. The head nurse at the clinic in Ongata Rongai explained to me that it's not uncommon to have someone (or their family member) come in and complain of stress or confusion. It's generally considered a temporary illness and many people are advised to rest or giving an injection. (People get injections for everything here- antibiotics, vitamins etc...) so getting an injection doesn't seem to be as scary here). I see a few people on the street and there is also a hospital for the mentally ill in Nairobi but from what I can tell many people with mental illness survive with the support of the family network.
As usual I meant to write so much more but I best be on my way...
Dara- my sore throat was terrible again this morning but it feels better so I'm hoping I'm on the upswing.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Paris Hilton has nothing on me.
Hello!
As it turns out I can email from here no problem. The way it worked out, I am working with the Red Cross in Nyeri. I am working with internally displaced people but I am living with the eldest sister of Peter (the patriarch of the family in Ongata Rongai) on a shamba (farm) in a mud hut. Also living on the shamba are 3 of Peter and Aneta's nieces that Aneta is taking care of while they go to school. Aneta, 71, with some help from the girls (11, 13 and 16) runs the entire farm. She raises pretty much all of the food we eat: beans, corn, potatoes, bananas, other veggies, milk (from 3 cows). I've helped a little and am learning a lot. It's pretty amazing.
The next day, my first day with the Red Cross, was also amazing but in a different way. The Red Cross in this area does not have one huge camp with thousands of people. Since this is a mostly Kikuyu area and most of the violence is over and people feel safe traveling many Kikuyus are now coming here from other displacement camps because this is either where they have family or where they've been told they belong. Some of the displaced people are living in temporary shelters but many are living with extended family. Within my first hour at the Red Cross I was asked to counsel a young man who had lost his entire family in the violence in early January. My Kiswahili is not ready for counseling and he spoke little English so another staff came to translate. At first I felt ridiculous because I felt the translator could probably do the counseling as well or better than I could but in the end I think it was really positive that we were both there. His story was so terrible (burnt house, found his father decapitated, mother and sisters also killed) - you really have to wonder how people can do these things (although it's been proven over and over again). But he had started healing and I think he will be OK. All he wanted help with is getting a job so he can go on with his life. It's too bad jobs can't be donated. After we assisted him (the government does have a program set up for job assistance for the displaced) we left to load a truck full of supplies to take to two different displaced people distribution sites. There were about 200 people at the first site (well over 100 of them were children- playing soccer of course). It was a little chaotic- there was a bit to be desired as far as organization but in the end it was successful and people were very grateful. We then headed to the next site but we never made it because going up a hill we got stuck behind another truck that was stuck in the mud. We waited for about an hour (we didn't have room to turn around on the hill) while a caterpillar was fetched to help the truck out and by the time we would have been delivering the food it would have been getting dark and the Red Cross was worried that the people would be mugged and the much-needed food stolen. The other volunteers (all Kenyan) are very nice. Anyway I hope I can continue to be helpful. The land here is so gorgeous!
As it turns out I can email from here no problem. The way it worked out, I am working with the Red Cross in Nyeri. I am working with internally displaced people but I am living with the eldest sister of Peter (the patriarch of the family in Ongata Rongai) on a shamba (farm) in a mud hut. Also living on the shamba are 3 of Peter and Aneta's nieces that Aneta is taking care of while they go to school. Aneta, 71, with some help from the girls (11, 13 and 16) runs the entire farm. She raises pretty much all of the food we eat: beans, corn, potatoes, bananas, other veggies, milk (from 3 cows). I've helped a little and am learning a lot. It's pretty amazing.
The next day, my first day with the Red Cross, was also amazing but in a different way. The Red Cross in this area does not have one huge camp with thousands of people. Since this is a mostly Kikuyu area and most of the violence is over and people feel safe traveling many Kikuyus are now coming here from other displacement camps because this is either where they have family or where they've been told they belong. Some of the displaced people are living in temporary shelters but many are living with extended family. Within my first hour at the Red Cross I was asked to counsel a young man who had lost his entire family in the violence in early January. My Kiswahili is not ready for counseling and he spoke little English so another staff came to translate. At first I felt ridiculous because I felt the translator could probably do the counseling as well or better than I could but in the end I think it was really positive that we were both there. His story was so terrible (burnt house, found his father decapitated, mother and sisters also killed) - you really have to wonder how people can do these things (although it's been proven over and over again). But he had started healing and I think he will be OK. All he wanted help with is getting a job so he can go on with his life. It's too bad jobs can't be donated. After we assisted him (the government does have a program set up for job assistance for the displaced) we left to load a truck full of supplies to take to two different displaced people distribution sites. There were about 200 people at the first site (well over 100 of them were children- playing soccer of course). It was a little chaotic- there was a bit to be desired as far as organization but in the end it was successful and people were very grateful. We then headed to the next site but we never made it because going up a hill we got stuck behind another truck that was stuck in the mud. We waited for about an hour (we didn't have room to turn around on the hill) while a caterpillar was fetched to help the truck out and by the time we would have been delivering the food it would have been getting dark and the Red Cross was worried that the people would be mugged and the much-needed food stolen. The other volunteers (all Kenyan) are very nice. Anyway I hope I can continue to be helpful. The land here is so gorgeous!
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
away to a displacement camp
Tomorrow I am leaving to go to a displacement camp to work. I will hopefully be there for about 2 weeks but I'm not really sure. I'm also thinking that I may not have internet access during that time and certainly not as frequently so don't be concerned if you don't hear from me. I will probably be placed in a camp at Nyeri but may be somewhere else. If anyone NEEDS to get a hold of me you can actually reach me on my cell here: 011-254-0711779792 (although you might not need to use that second 0.) If used with a calling card for Africa (obtained on the internet) it's probably not too too expensive (Dara, fruz :))
I will write as soon as I can.
Lied
I will write as soon as I can.
Lied
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
karaoke and cakes
Yesterday I was in the lab at the clinic with Joyce (the lab tech) and she was enthusiastically singing along to a song on the radio. So I asked her if there were karaoke places in Nairobi and she said, "Karaoke who?" About three weeks ago I found out that Kariuki (which sounds a lot like that beloved art form- Karaoke) is a traditional Kikuyu name.
My parents left on Sunday and it's sad not to have them around any more to talk to but I think the rest of my time here will continue to be wonderful. Yesterday was a taxing day. I was at the clinic, at the centre, on 2 home visits, at the doctor's with Mary and then we went to buy food. Yesterday was also hard because I had an awful conversation with someone at the clinic (a friend of Joyce's). I don't really want to recount it because I'll just get frustrated again. He was a bit anti-Western (which I can grasp) but he also used a lot of stereotypes (both for Americans and other cultural groups). Anyway.... in addition, sometimes when I'm called to do many things in one day I end up feeling as if I didn't get anything productive done. So today I went through more concrete tasks. I'm reading through a paper for one of the women at the house (Tabitha- who works and Gataka and around the house) for her SW degree so I finished looking through that this morning (it's on the effects of alcoholism on the orphans and vulnerable children at the centres), did my laundry, went through plans with Mary etc...
Oh the cakes. It's already starting to be funny instead of irritating- that's how stories are born I guess. So on Sat. night my dad and I were slated to make pizza again for the family. We also decided to make guacamole since the avocados here are delicious and plentiful. We dad was feeling under the weather the last few days he was here so mom and I went to get the groceries that needed to be purchased in the store and then I went with Tabitha to negotiate for the veggies at the market. Back at home we enlisted John to help us (he's really interested in learning how to make food- not a traditional interest for men here). It was tiring because we were making food for 10 people and all from scratch. Earlier in the day I had been asked to also make a cake for someone's granddaughter's birthday and had agreed. Because the kitchen is not big enough to make everything at once I thought I'd start the cake after dinner. At 9:30 we had finished eating and the woman who wanted the cake was back to pick it up. But since it wasn't ready, then she just stayed to watch me make it. I was a little tired and irritable at this point but set about making the cake. An hour later it tasted terrific but hadn't risen at all and looked a little puny and miserable. I felt bad about it not being so great but some of the cakes I've tasted here aren't so flavorful and at least it tasted good.... AND I was relieved to be done. Then the woman (who also works around the house most days) asked for another cake. I was pretty peeved but I decided it seemed the best thing to do. This cake (an hour later down the road) had risen fine but was a little burnt on the top because I couldn't get the top burner to go to a low setting. So I felt bad about that cake too AND THEN the woman told me she would make yet another cake in the morning and I could get up early and watch her. I (hopefully) politely declined. Not many people have ovens in this area so I thought that the reason they wanted me to make a cake is because her family didn't know how. But they just wanted to see how an American makes a cake. There is a happy ending because I attended the party and all cakes were enjoyed. Perhaps that story is a little boring but the whole event made me think of when I was in the Philippines and I made cookies with the house help there. Once we had finished Ruby Ann suggested we make another batch. This seemed silly to me and I explained that had we wanted to make more we could've doubled the batter. But that wasn't the point to her- the fun of it was the whole process of making the cookies and expediency didn't come into play at all.
On what I plan to do for the rest of my time: I wanted to work in a displacement camp if possible and it looks like I will be able to do that, hopefully by next week at the latest. I'm not quite sure where yet. My host family would like me to go to a camp in Nyeri where they are from (and where they probably feel they can keep an eye on me) but Nyeri also seems to be the hot spot of anti-western sentiment as they don't want to the U.S. or Britain to interfere with Kibaki's government. So there's a little more investigation to be done.
My parents left on Sunday and it's sad not to have them around any more to talk to but I think the rest of my time here will continue to be wonderful. Yesterday was a taxing day. I was at the clinic, at the centre, on 2 home visits, at the doctor's with Mary and then we went to buy food. Yesterday was also hard because I had an awful conversation with someone at the clinic (a friend of Joyce's). I don't really want to recount it because I'll just get frustrated again. He was a bit anti-Western (which I can grasp) but he also used a lot of stereotypes (both for Americans and other cultural groups). Anyway.... in addition, sometimes when I'm called to do many things in one day I end up feeling as if I didn't get anything productive done. So today I went through more concrete tasks. I'm reading through a paper for one of the women at the house (Tabitha- who works and Gataka and around the house) for her SW degree so I finished looking through that this morning (it's on the effects of alcoholism on the orphans and vulnerable children at the centres), did my laundry, went through plans with Mary etc...
Oh the cakes. It's already starting to be funny instead of irritating- that's how stories are born I guess. So on Sat. night my dad and I were slated to make pizza again for the family. We also decided to make guacamole since the avocados here are delicious and plentiful. We dad was feeling under the weather the last few days he was here so mom and I went to get the groceries that needed to be purchased in the store and then I went with Tabitha to negotiate for the veggies at the market. Back at home we enlisted John to help us (he's really interested in learning how to make food- not a traditional interest for men here). It was tiring because we were making food for 10 people and all from scratch. Earlier in the day I had been asked to also make a cake for someone's granddaughter's birthday and had agreed. Because the kitchen is not big enough to make everything at once I thought I'd start the cake after dinner. At 9:30 we had finished eating and the woman who wanted the cake was back to pick it up. But since it wasn't ready, then she just stayed to watch me make it. I was a little tired and irritable at this point but set about making the cake. An hour later it tasted terrific but hadn't risen at all and looked a little puny and miserable. I felt bad about it not being so great but some of the cakes I've tasted here aren't so flavorful and at least it tasted good.... AND I was relieved to be done. Then the woman (who also works around the house most days) asked for another cake. I was pretty peeved but I decided it seemed the best thing to do. This cake (an hour later down the road) had risen fine but was a little burnt on the top because I couldn't get the top burner to go to a low setting. So I felt bad about that cake too AND THEN the woman told me she would make yet another cake in the morning and I could get up early and watch her. I (hopefully) politely declined. Not many people have ovens in this area so I thought that the reason they wanted me to make a cake is because her family didn't know how. But they just wanted to see how an American makes a cake. There is a happy ending because I attended the party and all cakes were enjoyed. Perhaps that story is a little boring but the whole event made me think of when I was in the Philippines and I made cookies with the house help there. Once we had finished Ruby Ann suggested we make another batch. This seemed silly to me and I explained that had we wanted to make more we could've doubled the batter. But that wasn't the point to her- the fun of it was the whole process of making the cookies and expediency didn't come into play at all.
On what I plan to do for the rest of my time: I wanted to work in a displacement camp if possible and it looks like I will be able to do that, hopefully by next week at the latest. I'm not quite sure where yet. My host family would like me to go to a camp in Nyeri where they are from (and where they probably feel they can keep an eye on me) but Nyeri also seems to be the hot spot of anti-western sentiment as they don't want to the U.S. or Britain to interfere with Kibaki's government. So there's a little more investigation to be done.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
burnt houses and hope
We arrived back from our safari to Western Kenya yesterday. The trip is pretty terrible (8 hours, bumpy roads, a lot of dust) even when one is still (relatively) young so I have to congratulate my parents for being such good sports. The trip was good. There were no problems but we did see a lot of evidence of the violence in the recent past- burnt houses and cars, material by the roads that was probably used for roadblocks and the military presence was more than I've seen before. Seeing the people I don't remember from when I was two, people I've only seen in pictures, was amazing. (Perhaps more explanation is necessary). My aunt (a nurse) and uncle (a doctor) worked in Kenya at a Quaker hospital in Western Kenya from 1976-1979. My parents and I visited them in 1978 when I was two. This time around we were lucky enough to be hosted by they playmate of my cousins from 30 years ago. He was 7 years old when they left and now has a family of his own (in one house: Alex, his wife Christine, their 2 daughters Elizabeth-9 and Cynthia- 7, Alex's mother Jenipha, Alex's sister, Mary and her son Memba- 14). They made wonderful dinners and showed us all around to the places my parents and my aunt and uncle were before. We visited the hospital (we were warmly welcomed and 2 women there were working back in the 70s- Timina and Alice, and remembered my aunt and uncle). Timina worked in the 'kitchen' at the hospital and insisted that my uncle hired her and extracted promises from us that we would greet him and thank him again. We also saw the lab at the hospital- which my uncle tried in vain to put in place while he was there.
Best of all though was a trip to the shamba (farm) of the woman who was my cousins' caretaker. Her name is Ridah, she's about 67 and now runs her farm by herself since her husband has died and her children are often seeking their fortunes in cities. I have a weakness for elderly women and this woman makes you happy just seeing her. When we got to her shamba she was not there. We were unable to reach her beforehand so she didn't know we were coming or even that we were in the country. The neighbors and our guide and driver (James and Godfrey) went off in search of her, found her at the village center and brought her back telling her nothing about who her visitors were. When she got out of the car she was shouting for joy and ran over and hugged me - I can't even explain how happy that moment was. In fact, she didn't know exactly who we were- I think she thought I was my cousin for a time but she was SO happy and we were also so happy... We went through pictures with her and explained who we were (there were pictures of my aunt, uncle, cousins and even me on her wall) and she seem to be beside herself with joy. Before we knew it she had sent someone to fetch sodas and slaughtered a chicken for us to eat. We spent the next few hours on her farm, relaxing on the grass, eating, talking with her. It was one of the best experiences I've ever had.
I hope to go back once more before I leave. I also hope that Alex's children can perhaps come as exchange students to the U.S. sometime.
My parents leave tomorrow which is sad- we've had such a nice time together and it's nice to have people to help show around this beautiful country.
Best of all though was a trip to the shamba (farm) of the woman who was my cousins' caretaker. Her name is Ridah, she's about 67 and now runs her farm by herself since her husband has died and her children are often seeking their fortunes in cities. I have a weakness for elderly women and this woman makes you happy just seeing her. When we got to her shamba she was not there. We were unable to reach her beforehand so she didn't know we were coming or even that we were in the country. The neighbors and our guide and driver (James and Godfrey) went off in search of her, found her at the village center and brought her back telling her nothing about who her visitors were. When she got out of the car she was shouting for joy and ran over and hugged me - I can't even explain how happy that moment was. In fact, she didn't know exactly who we were- I think she thought I was my cousin for a time but she was SO happy and we were also so happy... We went through pictures with her and explained who we were (there were pictures of my aunt, uncle, cousins and even me on her wall) and she seem to be beside herself with joy. Before we knew it she had sent someone to fetch sodas and slaughtered a chicken for us to eat. We spent the next few hours on her farm, relaxing on the grass, eating, talking with her. It was one of the best experiences I've ever had.
I hope to go back once more before I leave. I also hope that Alex's children can perhaps come as exchange students to the U.S. sometime.
My parents leave tomorrow which is sad- we've had such a nice time together and it's nice to have people to help show around this beautiful country.
Monday, February 11, 2008
blog comments
I don't really understand how I missed it but I just noticed all the blog comments today and wanted to tell you all how nice it was to read those today and I hope I'll get more soon.
I also wanted to mention that there was a big article in one of the newspapers here on Sat.- it was a big picture of Bush (looking as if he were admonishing someone) and the article was about how there were rumors that if the Kenyans didn't reach some sort of agreement soon the U.S. would step in and set up a government because Kenya is so strategic on our "war against terror" etc... There was also mention that Nairobi is the suspected headquarters of the CIA in Africa. The writing was very conspiratorial but I wouldn't put it past us either....
Thank you again Tim, Shira, Jamie, Barbara, Margaret, Fruz and all the others that have commented!
I also wanted to mention that there was a big article in one of the newspapers here on Sat.- it was a big picture of Bush (looking as if he were admonishing someone) and the article was about how there were rumors that if the Kenyans didn't reach some sort of agreement soon the U.S. would step in and set up a government because Kenya is so strategic on our "war against terror" etc... There was also mention that Nairobi is the suspected headquarters of the CIA in Africa. The writing was very conspiratorial but I wouldn't put it past us either....
Thank you again Tim, Shira, Jamie, Barbara, Margaret, Fruz and all the others that have commented!
"A visitor is like a river"
"Like a river because it comes and goes quickly and your only chance to be with it, to give something is to give it now". So says my host Mary when she was explaining why she bought freshly slaughtered goat for my father to have for lunch because he happened to mention that he liked goat yesterday evening. I was questioning her because we were cooked and served a totally different meal than the others (kids and staff) at the center (the center staff thought that the regular meal- beans and what my dad calls 'field corn' - not sweet corn- was too 'hard' for us).
Egypt was wonderful but it was also wonderful to come back to Kenya and show my parents around and have them meet all the wonderful people I've met here. It was a bit jarring to go from volunteering here to walk into a 5-star hotel and become a typical tourist. It was amazing to see all the ancient sites we did, to have such a long time to be with my parents and talk about all I've experienced. It was also nice to have a change of food although I really do enjoy the food here. I feel it's particularly lucky that we made it here as most of the people on our tour (as well as people back home) were discouraging us from coming here. Of course, there are many things to be concerned about here in Kenya and I don't expect problems here to be resolved quickly things (bit by tiny bit) seem to be moving in a peaceful direction and as always- the area we are staying in is safe.
Yesterday we had a bit of a touristy day here and my parents went to the game park and saw (among many other animals) a cheetah which is very rare. We also went to the giraffe center which is a non-profit educating Kenya's youth about conservation. We got to feed giraffes which was quite fun (their tongues are very scratchy). Today we visited the two centers and the clinic at which I have been volunteering. The children sang many songs for us and were adorable as usual.
Providing no major changes have occurred as far as safety on the roads (which is improved) we will travel to Kimos tomorrow to visit the area and people that my parents met their first (and mine) time in Kenya 30 years ago. We will return Fri. so it's unlikely that I will be able to write again until Saturday.
I hope everyone reading this is well. I miss my friends and family.
Egypt was wonderful but it was also wonderful to come back to Kenya and show my parents around and have them meet all the wonderful people I've met here. It was a bit jarring to go from volunteering here to walk into a 5-star hotel and become a typical tourist. It was amazing to see all the ancient sites we did, to have such a long time to be with my parents and talk about all I've experienced. It was also nice to have a change of food although I really do enjoy the food here. I feel it's particularly lucky that we made it here as most of the people on our tour (as well as people back home) were discouraging us from coming here. Of course, there are many things to be concerned about here in Kenya and I don't expect problems here to be resolved quickly things (bit by tiny bit) seem to be moving in a peaceful direction and as always- the area we are staying in is safe.
Yesterday we had a bit of a touristy day here and my parents went to the game park and saw (among many other animals) a cheetah which is very rare. We also went to the giraffe center which is a non-profit educating Kenya's youth about conservation. We got to feed giraffes which was quite fun (their tongues are very scratchy). Today we visited the two centers and the clinic at which I have been volunteering. The children sang many songs for us and were adorable as usual.
Providing no major changes have occurred as far as safety on the roads (which is improved) we will travel to Kimos tomorrow to visit the area and people that my parents met their first (and mine) time in Kenya 30 years ago. We will return Fri. so it's unlikely that I will be able to write again until Saturday.
I hope everyone reading this is well. I miss my friends and family.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
jumping high, singing loudly
I want to start this blog off on a positive note.... and I think that I haven't yet mentioned that when we were at the Masai village on our safari the men danced for us and the dancing included A LOT of jumping vertically. It was explained to us then that although in general you had to pay 10 cows to get a wife, if you jumped the REALLY HIGH you got one for free! Many of the tribes and clans have particular rituals for dowries which are still in practice (although in the cities, the cash value of a set number of cows is sometimes acceptable).
As for singing loudly, it seems to be a factor in singing "well" here... my host family sometimes wants to sing after dinner (usual hymns) but it can be a bit overwhelming- the sheer volume and disinterest in melody.... but I say that a bit in jest because I've heard several people singing to themselves and it can be beautiful (although it's often still loud- even at 6am).
The less positive part is of course the continuing violence. I'm sure the killing of one of the members of parliament this morning is not going to help. Yesterday afternoon I went with some family members to the land where they grew up and where many of their relatives still reside- Nyeri. It is in the Central District and pretty overwhelmingly Kikuyu and therefore considered safe. One of the reasons we went there though was to see how Mary's brother is doing. He was attacked and expelled from his land in the Rift Valley (he has a large cut on his head and was shot by an arrow in the arm, beaten and left for dead but his friends found him). To hear him tell the story was absolutely heart-wrenching and as soon as you hear it you KNOW that the people who did that to him (they went to steal his cows after they left him but were unsuccessful) are using the clashes as an excuse to steal and just... be awful. It's hard to know what to say. The family wanted me to counsel him - they're worried about him. I spoke to him for some time and I had him go over the story and we talked about normal phases a bit. I can't imagine I did much for him - but I'm sure his sister bringing him food and people just BEING there for him was helpful. May your thoughts be with Kenya- a beautiful country but one with many needy people even without the threat of violence.
I will be in Egypt from tomorrow until Feb 9th and am not sure if I'll have access to blog so please don't worry if you don't here from me until the 11th or so.
As for singing loudly, it seems to be a factor in singing "well" here... my host family sometimes wants to sing after dinner (usual hymns) but it can be a bit overwhelming- the sheer volume and disinterest in melody.... but I say that a bit in jest because I've heard several people singing to themselves and it can be beautiful (although it's often still loud- even at 6am).
The less positive part is of course the continuing violence. I'm sure the killing of one of the members of parliament this morning is not going to help. Yesterday afternoon I went with some family members to the land where they grew up and where many of their relatives still reside- Nyeri. It is in the Central District and pretty overwhelmingly Kikuyu and therefore considered safe. One of the reasons we went there though was to see how Mary's brother is doing. He was attacked and expelled from his land in the Rift Valley (he has a large cut on his head and was shot by an arrow in the arm, beaten and left for dead but his friends found him). To hear him tell the story was absolutely heart-wrenching and as soon as you hear it you KNOW that the people who did that to him (they went to steal his cows after they left him but were unsuccessful) are using the clashes as an excuse to steal and just... be awful. It's hard to know what to say. The family wanted me to counsel him - they're worried about him. I spoke to him for some time and I had him go over the story and we talked about normal phases a bit. I can't imagine I did much for him - but I'm sure his sister bringing him food and people just BEING there for him was helpful. May your thoughts be with Kenya- a beautiful country but one with many needy people even without the threat of violence.
I will be in Egypt from tomorrow until Feb 9th and am not sure if I'll have access to blog so please don't worry if you don't here from me until the 11th or so.
Friday, January 25, 2008
plastic or plastic?
I had a couple of confusing conversations before I figured out that what people refer to as "paper"
bags are actually those thin plastic bags that are everywhere (but particularly on the ground). I hate them! I hate using plastic bags in the U.S. because I am aware that they end up in the oceans, being burned (releasing lots of pleasant gases) but here they line the ground or are burned (people actually like to burn them because they burn longer). I was speaking with John about the environmental issue of the bags and he said that they had actually been banned in Nairobi. As in, you can be fined in Nairobi for carrying one. That seems really strange but I have to admit that I like the idea. At first, one would think that it's the poorest who will suffer b/c they can't buy other bags or they can't offer the customers at their fruit stand anything but those bags but who complained (according to John)? Not the people, but the manufacturers of those plastic bags.
Other thoughts on Nairobi: Nairobi is surprisingly clean. I'm told that it was awful 10 years ago with litter everyone and so much crime. I'm harldy saying it's crimefree but it's not a bad city to walk around in. From what I've gathered it was a Guliani-style clean-up so I can only hope that the street kids that are no longer on the street are actually someplace better. hmmmm
Pizza- I'm making pizza for my family tonight. We'll see how that goes. I was going to make tacos but they requested to try pizza despite 2 of the family members professing to dislike cheese. Should be interesting.
Skumaweeki.... is a kind of green (not spinach, not kale) that's eaten here a lot. Skuma means to push and as far as I can tell, is the real name of this vegetable. But.... it's called skumaweeki (I think jokingly) because since everyone has to eat those greens a lot (they're cheaper than many other foods and widely available) eating it 'pushes' the week forward.
Dogs and cats- not pets here but there are 2 of each in the household. Thomas and Snoopy are the dogs and Tina and Lied (named for volunteers) are the cats. They each have their jobs- the dogs to act as guards, the cats as pest control. Since the house often has Western guests the animals have become a little more pet-like. Thomas has a habit of escorting me places. Since I can't go into the main grocery store (yes a STORE- most people buy food at little stands which I do like the idea of better but the STORE- Tusky's, has fixed prices so I can't be charged a higher Mazungu (white) price) with Thomas I was trying to get him to go home and failing that, I was trying to lose him on one of the bigger roads. I already stand out but hiding from a dog added some amusement to the spectacle. (I did succeed in the end).
bags are actually those thin plastic bags that are everywhere (but particularly on the ground). I hate them! I hate using plastic bags in the U.S. because I am aware that they end up in the oceans, being burned (releasing lots of pleasant gases) but here they line the ground or are burned (people actually like to burn them because they burn longer). I was speaking with John about the environmental issue of the bags and he said that they had actually been banned in Nairobi. As in, you can be fined in Nairobi for carrying one. That seems really strange but I have to admit that I like the idea. At first, one would think that it's the poorest who will suffer b/c they can't buy other bags or they can't offer the customers at their fruit stand anything but those bags but who complained (according to John)? Not the people, but the manufacturers of those plastic bags.
Other thoughts on Nairobi: Nairobi is surprisingly clean. I'm told that it was awful 10 years ago with litter everyone and so much crime. I'm harldy saying it's crimefree but it's not a bad city to walk around in. From what I've gathered it was a Guliani-style clean-up so I can only hope that the street kids that are no longer on the street are actually someplace better. hmmmm
Pizza- I'm making pizza for my family tonight. We'll see how that goes. I was going to make tacos but they requested to try pizza despite 2 of the family members professing to dislike cheese. Should be interesting.
Skumaweeki.... is a kind of green (not spinach, not kale) that's eaten here a lot. Skuma means to push and as far as I can tell, is the real name of this vegetable. But.... it's called skumaweeki (I think jokingly) because since everyone has to eat those greens a lot (they're cheaper than many other foods and widely available) eating it 'pushes' the week forward.
Dogs and cats- not pets here but there are 2 of each in the household. Thomas and Snoopy are the dogs and Tina and Lied (named for volunteers) are the cats. They each have their jobs- the dogs to act as guards, the cats as pest control. Since the house often has Western guests the animals have become a little more pet-like. Thomas has a habit of escorting me places. Since I can't go into the main grocery store (yes a STORE- most people buy food at little stands which I do like the idea of better but the STORE- Tusky's, has fixed prices so I can't be charged a higher Mazungu (white) price) with Thomas I was trying to get him to go home and failing that, I was trying to lose him on one of the bigger roads. I already stand out but hiding from a dog added some amusement to the spectacle. (I did succeed in the end).
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
sorry it's been so long. Since last Wednesday I've actually tried to get on 4 times but twice there was a blackout in the area of the cyber cafes and twice I just couldn't get to blogger.com. I'm still safe and happy despite the sadness and destruction going on around Kenya. Nowadays, almost everyone I meet here has some relative displaced or on the verge of being displaced by the violence. When I came, people thought it would calm down in a matter of days. People still say that and I hope that that's the case but I really don't know.... the longer this goes on, the more Mojimba (i think that's the word for the regionalism/tribalism that is going on) seems to be occurring.
Last weekend was a little hard. I was just getting to the point of homesickness- missing familiar activities, familiar people, familiar food AND the weather had turned rainy which really just translates into a mess with the roads here. But... on Sunday with some determination and a stop at an "American-style" coffee house and restaurant, Java House, I now feel much better. On Monday I had a wonderful day which included biking to the town Gataka (45 min. away) where they have another center and treating some fungal skin infections and helping them set up a filing system to keep track of the children they're feeding/educating/treating in some way. I walked back with the teacher and SW trading off on the bicycle and we stopped by the roadside halfway home to have some newly picked and roasted corn on the cob. I also taught some members of the family a word game and we had a lot of fun- even though Peter (the father/grandfather/head of the house) cheated terribly. I really enjoy the people I work and live with. I have to say that while there are may similarities to my being here and living in the Philippines I feel more comfortable here. I think this is in part because I'm older (and wiser?) and am just taking things as they come, REALLY focusing on relationships and not worrying so much about accomplishing anything. It's also SO nice to be a nurse and actually have some concrete skills- even though the illnesses and population I'm seeing is different. I think too, that the devout Christianity of the Philippines took me aback a little and this time I was prepared for that (for it's very similar here) and feel comfortable in our similarities and differences.
Other news.... my parents are coming to Kenya by way of Cairo (!) so I am meeting them in Egypt next Wednesday for a trip on the Nile and then we'll return here to spend some time in Ongata Rongai before visiting our family friend Alex in Western Kenya (provided it's safe). I'm so excited for the trip and to see them. And speaking of all things home, yesterday I met people from my home town (St. Cloud, MN) here in Ongata Rongai, Kenya. They didn't seem to know my parents but since the woman Robin Hasselan (sp?) taught child education at SCSU I thought she might know Dee Lamb (Allyssa's mom) which she did. It was so bizarre to find that out. They were visiting the center here b/c (I think) their church (First Presbyterian) supports the center in some way.
I hope everyone is doing well. I miss you all.
Last weekend was a little hard. I was just getting to the point of homesickness- missing familiar activities, familiar people, familiar food AND the weather had turned rainy which really just translates into a mess with the roads here. But... on Sunday with some determination and a stop at an "American-style" coffee house and restaurant, Java House, I now feel much better. On Monday I had a wonderful day which included biking to the town Gataka (45 min. away) where they have another center and treating some fungal skin infections and helping them set up a filing system to keep track of the children they're feeding/educating/treating in some way. I walked back with the teacher and SW trading off on the bicycle and we stopped by the roadside halfway home to have some newly picked and roasted corn on the cob. I also taught some members of the family a word game and we had a lot of fun- even though Peter (the father/grandfather/head of the house) cheated terribly. I really enjoy the people I work and live with. I have to say that while there are may similarities to my being here and living in the Philippines I feel more comfortable here. I think this is in part because I'm older (and wiser?) and am just taking things as they come, REALLY focusing on relationships and not worrying so much about accomplishing anything. It's also SO nice to be a nurse and actually have some concrete skills- even though the illnesses and population I'm seeing is different. I think too, that the devout Christianity of the Philippines took me aback a little and this time I was prepared for that (for it's very similar here) and feel comfortable in our similarities and differences.
Other news.... my parents are coming to Kenya by way of Cairo (!) so I am meeting them in Egypt next Wednesday for a trip on the Nile and then we'll return here to spend some time in Ongata Rongai before visiting our family friend Alex in Western Kenya (provided it's safe). I'm so excited for the trip and to see them. And speaking of all things home, yesterday I met people from my home town (St. Cloud, MN) here in Ongata Rongai, Kenya. They didn't seem to know my parents but since the woman Robin Hasselan (sp?) taught child education at SCSU I thought she might know Dee Lamb (Allyssa's mom) which she did. It was so bizarre to find that out. They were visiting the center here b/c (I think) their church (First Presbyterian) supports the center in some way.
I hope everyone is doing well. I miss you all.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
on doing nothing, politics and chocolate chip cookies
It started raining last night and continued until about 11am this morning. As a result, after breakfast at 8:30am it was suggested to me that I not go to work because the roads would be very muddy and not many people would be at the clinic. I had Peter (the father of the family) call the head nurse. She was at home and not planning to go in until it let up or until she was urgently needed. So I read and wrote until it stopped and then was planning to head to the clinic at about 12pm when it was suggested to me that it was almost lunch time so I ought to stay and have lunch and then go to the clinic. I readily agreed to this since the food at home is so good.. and set about to do my laundry (with the "help" of the resident two-year-old, Meshack). Somehow it got to about 3pm when we finally had our lunch. So, I decided to write the blog and pick up some groceries for the house and go to work tomorrow. I had a wonderful day in part because I didn't allow myself to set Western standards about getting things done. I was doing important things by much of the world's standards. I could tell Mary and Peter have been around enough Americans that they kept explaining to me why we couldn't have been more productive today. In the Philippines I had a hard time with it sometimes but it's not as if I dislike reading or talking politics with people...
Speaking of politics: I watched 3 hours of Kenyan parliament last night. Probably more. The MP's (ministers of parliament) were electing a speaker (it took 3 votes) and a deputy speaker. They both ended up being of the ODM party (Kibaki the president is of the PNU party) which I thought would make things more peaceful here because the ODM got some of their people in important places but not so. Others I was watching with felt this was bad because now nothing would get done because the opposition would just oppose anything (it's their job I guess). The voting had already begun when I was at the clinic and since the nurses all seemed to be rooting for PNU I asked what distinguished the 2 parties. I got the following answer: "PNU wants to develop the country while ODM wants to destroy it." Hmmmm. Luckily, Mary and Peter have a college-aged son, John, who is happy to explain things and really likes to discuss things in an enlightened manner. From observing it does seem ODM is being ridiculous in the ways they are protesting the presidential election but John has explained to me that the court isn't independent enough from the president for ODM to be able to trust a ruling so they're protesting in all sorts of ways.
Chocolate chip cookies? Another student (the students left last night) and I made chocolate chip cookies for the family (with no measuring cups and with an over without a temp. gauge). Big hit (we made about 70 to ensure that everyone could have at least 2-3. That's how many people are drifting through the house at any moment).
Speaking of politics: I watched 3 hours of Kenyan parliament last night. Probably more. The MP's (ministers of parliament) were electing a speaker (it took 3 votes) and a deputy speaker. They both ended up being of the ODM party (Kibaki the president is of the PNU party) which I thought would make things more peaceful here because the ODM got some of their people in important places but not so. Others I was watching with felt this was bad because now nothing would get done because the opposition would just oppose anything (it's their job I guess). The voting had already begun when I was at the clinic and since the nurses all seemed to be rooting for PNU I asked what distinguished the 2 parties. I got the following answer: "PNU wants to develop the country while ODM wants to destroy it." Hmmmm. Luckily, Mary and Peter have a college-aged son, John, who is happy to explain things and really likes to discuss things in an enlightened manner. From observing it does seem ODM is being ridiculous in the ways they are protesting the presidential election but John has explained to me that the court isn't independent enough from the president for ODM to be able to trust a ruling so they're protesting in all sorts of ways.
Chocolate chip cookies? Another student (the students left last night) and I made chocolate chip cookies for the family (with no measuring cups and with an over without a temp. gauge). Big hit (we made about 70 to ensure that everyone could have at least 2-3. That's how many people are drifting through the house at any moment).
Monday, January 14, 2008
"When elephants fight, the grass suffers"
This is a Kenyan saying that was used recently in an editorial to describe the fighting going on between rich politicians and the effect it has an on the average, poor Kenyan citizen.
It's been a while since I have been able to write. The first news (besides that I am safe and happy) is that I will be staying in Ongata Rongai a little longer than I originally intended. I originally planned to head to the other site, Ugunja Community Resource Center, tomorrow or the next day. However, even though that specific area is safe, my current host family is concerned about upcoming demonstrations (planned demonstrations have been continuously canceled and rescheduled but you never know- they could actually take place this Wed. and Thurs.) and particularly the travel itself. So it looks like I'm here for another few days and we'll relook the situation. Not that I'm complaining- the family is wonderful and I'm learning so much at the clinic. Last Thursday I went to Gataka, a slightly more rural town - 45minutes walk from the area I'm staying. The Ongata Rongai Christian Women's Group that runs the school, feeding center and medical check-ups here in Ongata Rongai also had a preschool and feeding center in Gataka. There is very little employment in Gataka (even less it seems than here) and many people make a sort of moonshine and as a result it seems that there are a lot of problems with alcoholism. The center in Gataka employs (and I use this term loosely because they cannot afford to pay them) a social worker and a teacher. The SW visits homes of the children about once a month unless there is a problem (child is absent or having behavioral problems) and the teacher (and asst.- for 57 3-6 year olds) teaches a little math, English, Swahili and they play some music and dancing games. I can't even start to explain how cute the kids are. The kids (as in Ongata Rongai) are also fed a lunch meal (most of them would probably note get lunch at home). Once the teacher, Nancy, found out I was a nurse she had me look at a couple of kids. Luckily, I had been at the clinic long enough to recognize things I wouldn't have known before but I took pictures with my digital camera and confirmed with the medical officer at the clinic the next day before purchasing medication for them (mostly deworming medication). Today one of the students and I will go with the teacher and SW to get bicycles for them (and the center) so that they won't have a 1 1/2 walk every day (w/out payment). To be fair, I should mention that the center paid for the SW's schooling and pays for food or other necessities that the workers need.
Before I go on I'd like to take the time to mention that anyone who wants to donate money is MOST welcome to do so. The Wagner students were required to raise at least $200 each and then one of their projects has been to figure out things/people/projects they would like the center to spend the money on. Some examples: 1. paying for 3 months rent of a shop/home for a family that just lost their father and only breadwinner to AIDS. The managers of the ctr advised that this was a good way to spend money b/c the family will be able to get back on its feet, pay for the kids (2) schooling and run a profitable business- self-sufficient in a matter of months. 2. Paying for boarding school (about $350/yr) for an 8-yr old probably being exploited by men that come into her home to buy alcohol and sexually abuse her when her mother, a prositute, is not home. I apologize for being so graphic but it was a very disturbing visit to find an 8 yr old home alone with 2 strange, drunk men and my host really suspects that that is what is occurring. 3. Buying chickens for a family to raise and make money off eggs/chickens 4. Just buying food for families that are hungry- this of course is not sustainable but really needed sometimes. If anyone would like to donate you can mail a check to my home address 1020 Grand Concourse 22P Bronx, NY 10451, let me know how much you sent and I will have my roommate deposite it and ALL of the money will go to projects here (or you can specify which kind of project you're interested in giving to and I will make sure that happens). I also recommend giving to the red cross right now for all the Kenyans displaced by the violence, unable to work on their farms.
Obviously, I know there are many good causes out there and I am not writing this blog for donations- just wanted to give people the option of giving directly. There also might be a place to donate online if you search the Ongata Rongai Christian Women's Charity... P.S. this is not an evangelical charity at all- most people are Christian here but the work is not intended to change people's religion.
Back to what's been going on... on Sat. I played soccer for about 2 hours with a bunch of Kenyans and 2 of the students. At first we were just trying to keep the ball away from the other team (no goals). I never realized that scoring goals actually gives the players a bit of respite. 20 minutes after playing non-stop I thought my lungs were going to burst through my chest. We played 2 games after that and my team won both. It being my team and my team winning had nothing to do with me... it had to do with the fact that 2 AMAZING soccer players that hang around the house- were on my team- Tabitha and Rael. Rael is getting to go to secondary school this year because a Wagner student payed for her uniform and school supplies. This girl can run forever and fast!
I'd love to write more- I have so much to tell but I should also do some work too! I'll have to write about the adorable baby elephants at the elephant orphanage later. :)
It's been a while since I have been able to write. The first news (besides that I am safe and happy) is that I will be staying in Ongata Rongai a little longer than I originally intended. I originally planned to head to the other site, Ugunja Community Resource Center, tomorrow or the next day. However, even though that specific area is safe, my current host family is concerned about upcoming demonstrations (planned demonstrations have been continuously canceled and rescheduled but you never know- they could actually take place this Wed. and Thurs.) and particularly the travel itself. So it looks like I'm here for another few days and we'll relook the situation. Not that I'm complaining- the family is wonderful and I'm learning so much at the clinic. Last Thursday I went to Gataka, a slightly more rural town - 45minutes walk from the area I'm staying. The Ongata Rongai Christian Women's Group that runs the school, feeding center and medical check-ups here in Ongata Rongai also had a preschool and feeding center in Gataka. There is very little employment in Gataka (even less it seems than here) and many people make a sort of moonshine and as a result it seems that there are a lot of problems with alcoholism. The center in Gataka employs (and I use this term loosely because they cannot afford to pay them) a social worker and a teacher. The SW visits homes of the children about once a month unless there is a problem (child is absent or having behavioral problems) and the teacher (and asst.- for 57 3-6 year olds) teaches a little math, English, Swahili and they play some music and dancing games. I can't even start to explain how cute the kids are. The kids (as in Ongata Rongai) are also fed a lunch meal (most of them would probably note get lunch at home). Once the teacher, Nancy, found out I was a nurse she had me look at a couple of kids. Luckily, I had been at the clinic long enough to recognize things I wouldn't have known before but I took pictures with my digital camera and confirmed with the medical officer at the clinic the next day before purchasing medication for them (mostly deworming medication). Today one of the students and I will go with the teacher and SW to get bicycles for them (and the center) so that they won't have a 1 1/2 walk every day (w/out payment). To be fair, I should mention that the center paid for the SW's schooling and pays for food or other necessities that the workers need.
Before I go on I'd like to take the time to mention that anyone who wants to donate money is MOST welcome to do so. The Wagner students were required to raise at least $200 each and then one of their projects has been to figure out things/people/projects they would like the center to spend the money on. Some examples: 1. paying for 3 months rent of a shop/home for a family that just lost their father and only breadwinner to AIDS. The managers of the ctr advised that this was a good way to spend money b/c the family will be able to get back on its feet, pay for the kids (2) schooling and run a profitable business- self-sufficient in a matter of months. 2. Paying for boarding school (about $350/yr) for an 8-yr old probably being exploited by men that come into her home to buy alcohol and sexually abuse her when her mother, a prositute, is not home. I apologize for being so graphic but it was a very disturbing visit to find an 8 yr old home alone with 2 strange, drunk men and my host really suspects that that is what is occurring. 3. Buying chickens for a family to raise and make money off eggs/chickens 4. Just buying food for families that are hungry- this of course is not sustainable but really needed sometimes. If anyone would like to donate you can mail a check to my home address 1020 Grand Concourse 22P Bronx, NY 10451, let me know how much you sent and I will have my roommate deposite it and ALL of the money will go to projects here (or you can specify which kind of project you're interested in giving to and I will make sure that happens). I also recommend giving to the red cross right now for all the Kenyans displaced by the violence, unable to work on their farms.
Obviously, I know there are many good causes out there and I am not writing this blog for donations- just wanted to give people the option of giving directly. There also might be a place to donate online if you search the Ongata Rongai Christian Women's Charity... P.S. this is not an evangelical charity at all- most people are Christian here but the work is not intended to change people's religion.
Back to what's been going on... on Sat. I played soccer for about 2 hours with a bunch of Kenyans and 2 of the students. At first we were just trying to keep the ball away from the other team (no goals). I never realized that scoring goals actually gives the players a bit of respite. 20 minutes after playing non-stop I thought my lungs were going to burst through my chest. We played 2 games after that and my team won both. It being my team and my team winning had nothing to do with me... it had to do with the fact that 2 AMAZING soccer players that hang around the house- were on my team- Tabitha and Rael. Rael is getting to go to secondary school this year because a Wagner student payed for her uniform and school supplies. This girl can run forever and fast!
I'd love to write more- I have so much to tell but I should also do some work too! I'll have to write about the adorable baby elephants at the elephant orphanage later. :)
Thursday, January 10, 2008
"No hurry in Africa..."
One of our hosts said that the other day as I was rushing a bit to catch up with her. I had 2 amazing days. Yesterday I spent another day at the clinic Wananchi (Community) Jamii (Family) Clinic. It was so much busier than the other day- I think in part because of the post-election chaos and in part because it was still school holidays then. I was with Rose, a nurse, for the morning. There are no doctors at the clinic- only 5 nurses and a couple of other staff who manage to run the clinic (for very little cost to the patients) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Rose and I saw 20-some patients in the first 3 hours. I say "Rose and I" but Rose really does the work and I assist only. I took notes on the first 18 of the day and then had to stop. Example: 1. A 44 yo male who had come in the night before for stitches in his cheek after being knifed. He was stitched and given a tetanus shot last night. He came back yesterday for antiobiotics, painkiller, and to pay the rest of his bill. 2. Possible bacterial meningitis. A woman who looked to be about 40 (but I don't know), she had come in the day before unable to move her neck and they had given her an antibiotic injection. If it didn't improve by today they would have referred her out to a bigger hospital to run tests. She had some improvement today so they gave her another injection on antibiotics. I asked about this treatment (it seemed slow for treatment of meningitis) and Rose explained that if it were a child he/she would be referred directly b/c the meng. could progress more quickly. 3. was a prenatal visit (2nd child, everything normal) 4. a weight check for an infant and vaccinations (DPT and 1st polio vaccine which is oral). Rose asked me to give the oral vaccine which I did but I declined to give the injection. I wasn't quite ready to cause babies to scream. I discussed vaccinations with the owner of the clinic (Magdalen- also a nurse) and she found it shocking that people in the U.S. sometimes refused vaccinations. During the day we did many more vaccinations, many more prenatal checks, many malaria tests and medications... we also treated burns, UTI's, typhoid etc... I learned so much yesterday I can't begin to record all of it. Everyone is so nice too- and most of the workers I meet (teachers, nurses, social workers) rarely, if ever, get paid. After another amazing dinner I spoke with Mar-i and Peter's (hosts) youngest son John about Kenyan and U.S. politics. Really interesting. From the people I've spoken to it seems that the Kenyan parties don't have much ideology attached to them- that they serve as a platform to advance one's own interests (I'm not really saying here how much that does or doesn't differ from American politics. So people switch parties all the time. Kenya is evidently considering a rule about not allowing members of the opposition to serve in the cabinet of the Pres. w/out permission from the parties. This at first seemed counter-intuitive to me - it seems like a good thing to have the opposition as balance but I guess since there isn't ideology attached to that party/person it happens that the person serving under the pres. just does what the pres. wants. AND since that person has essentially left the opposition party by joining the president's cabinet - the opposition is drained of its leaders and the opposition is weakened. Opposition of what if there is no ideology? Opposition just to be opposition- a balance of sorts to question the current authority. Hmmm... (All of this that I've gleaned is from 2-3 Kenyans only AND for the sake of time, I left out all the tribal implications. I'm currently living in a Kikuyu area- Kibaki is a Kikuyu- so even if they think the election was a sham they're not unhappy to have him as president still) As for U.S. politics, most Kenyans seemed really interested in what being Republican or Democrat means. And most of them are excited about Obama b/c his father was Kenyan.
Today and its excitement will have to wait. Kwaheri (good-bye in Swahili)
Today and its excitement will have to wait. Kwaheri (good-bye in Swahili)
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Safari
For the past couple of days I've been on safari with James and Maureen (our hosts in Nairobi), one other volunteer and 6 students. It's a lot of time in a car but absolutely worth it. So far we've seen lions (including cubs), warthogs, zebras, all sorts of antelope-like animals, elephants, giraffes, hippos, crocodiles, ostriches, lots of beautiful birds that actually fly, water buffalo and wildebeasts. We saw all these animals at Masai Mara. Masai is the tribe made famous for the way they elongate their ears and Mara means "land of scattered bushes). I also had the chance to meet many Masai who worked at the campsite at which we stayed. I was a real tourist of a Masai village- the huts in which they slept were so dark and (as is often shown in pictures) there were so many flies- especially on children's faces. When I returned to camp I found out I had missed the monkeys running around the camp and one of the Masai workers at the camp offered to take me on a walk to see some monkeys. On our way out he grabbed his spear "in case of lions". I let him know that if a lion showed up I intended to leave as quickly as possible. He laughed. We didn't end up seeing any monkeys although we saw a Maribo (bird), a bushbuck and a dikdik (looks like a cross b/w a rabbit and a small deer). He also regaled me with plenty of stories: apparently he sometimes accompanies a filmmaker from Pennsylvania into Tanzania to film pygmies (or that's what I understood from his description, he was a little difficult to understand although since English is an official language, most Kenyans speak it well). He told me that they were "stupid" because they ate baboon and hyena meat instead of antelope and other larger, tastier animals. I didn't really know what to say to that. We hope to see rhinos and flamingos tomorrow and then we head home. Wherever we go it's a long, bumpy and dusty ride.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
day of banned demonstration
I'm still safe. It was a big day today because of a banned demonstration by ODM (the party that "lost" the pres. election) and of course there is still a lot of violence and problems in many areas around Kenya. I'm not sure it's clear from western media but on Kenyan TV there are a lot of calls for peace and condemnation of protesters looting and burning buildings. At the same time, the media is clearly stating that there needs to be talks between Odinga and Kibaki(pres) and that the problems of the elections should not be swept under the rug to keep peace. Today I went to the clinic I will be more or less visiting/working at for the next couple of weeks. I took about 6 pages of notes, weighed babies, observed a lot.... mostly learned from Magedeline, the head nurse there. I can never write for long because there are always people more or less waiting for me. Our host family prefers that we not go places alone. I am glad we have locals to guide us. The clinic I was at today is not a free clinic but charges minimal fees to keep going. A consultation or 2-3 drugs run about 200-350 kenyan shillings (around $5) but they do not turn people away but treat them for as much as they can pay. When I asked Magdeline if she was from the area she explained to me that she was a community nurse, living and working in her community. That is why, she said, "...I cannot turn people away. If I do and they die I have to pay money for the burial anyway" (the whole community shares the responsibility and financial burden of burying community members). Over the weekend the group will be going on a safari- one of the sons in the family is a tour guide.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
1st day in Kenya
I arrived safe and sound yesterday with the group from Wagner. It was a bit of a nerve-wracking decision to get on the plane after watching the news about the riots and problems here. But I am so glad we came. We have seen no sign of violence although I am aware there is still violence in the country. The family we are staying with and the people in the area (in Ongata Rongai) say they/we are safe in this area. The family we are staying with is so lovely and we are staying in their compound with the extended family. As we walked around today all the kids were shouting "How are you?", most people are smiling. We got in late last night (11pm by the time we got to the house) but they had food for us. It was the best beans and rice I've ever had! Today it is around 75F, sunny and beautiful. It's very dirty with garbage on the ground and lots of donkeys, goats, ducks and chickens. But the people and smiles are so beautiful here. I've got to go.
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