Getting to work...

I have been in Kisumu for a week now and I am finally starting to get to know the place. Luckily, I have had someone to tag along with so I now know how to get around by matatu (very crowded city van/bus) and tuk tuk. I can also hitch rides on the back of bicycles (boda boda) or by motorbike (piki piki). This past week has been hectic both with me still getting adjusted to the time difference, heat and new environment and get adjusted to my new work schedule. This coming week we are training community health workers from around the provinces of Nyanza and Western on the proper use of misoprostol. That is a drug that flushes the uterus after a botched abortion attempt. I ran around with Barasa trying to find the drug and we encountered a lot of resistance from the pharmacists, it reminded me of the resistance that pharmacists in the states have towards the “morning after pill”. We finally procured some and got it at a great price, only promising to use that pharmacy in the future.

On Friday, the girls in the Sisterhood for Change project organized and led a discussion with girls in a neighborhood school on STI’s and how to prevent them. They were 7th and 8th graders, and it surprised me how eager they were to learn and have a discussion about such relevant issues. They were asking questions and participating fully. It was very rewarding to see that the girls in the SFC project we able to speak in front of a crowd, about very sensitive issues to empower young girls. Many of the girls in our project were school dropouts, teenage mothers, some are HIV positive, and others have been victims of gender-based violence. They come from various backgrounds and I think they are the perfect role models for the girls of the younger generation. It also shocked me when I heard the young girls in the school talk about why girls are at higher risk of STI’s due to gender violence and other cultural practices. This is the generation of change, and the fact that they are empowered to make the change is promising.

I finally had a day off on Saturday. Kristin and I went to a place called Kiboko Bay, which is a resort-like establishment on Lake Victoria. The lake is beautiful and HUGE! And just like the name suggested, were chock full of Kiboko’s (hippos). After spending the day swimming in the pool that overlooks the lake, and drinking our fair share of Tusker beer, we took a rickety wooden boat out to the middle of the lake and caught a glimpse of some hippos. It was pretty amazing to see them in their natural environment. Unfortunately the group we came across had several young babies with them and apparently its very dangerous to get to close as they are very protective of their young and will knock the boat over. I managed to get some good pics though.

There are a few women visiting from Planned Parenthood, which is a major source of donor money for K-Met. Kristin and I had to show them around town and take them to dinner, all at our own expense ☹ but the food was great at the restaurant called Green Garden who serves a healthy mix of Indian, African, Italian and American cuisine – just what I needed. Luckily the women were tired from traveling all day so it wasn’t a very late night. I say luckily because we had to wake at 6am Sunday morning to prepare for even more visitors, this time from American Jewish World Service – another big $$ source. The girls had prepared a song and dance routine, poetry about the issues young women are facing, and speeches about the organization and its purpose. Its quite amazing the hoops this organization goes through to impress the people with money, but it was great to see the girls come together and welcome the visitors with open hearts.

During the course of the show, there was an accident right outside the clinic (mind you the clinic was not actually open today). A man driving a car hit a man on a bicycle and injured him pretty badly. The man on the bike was very poor and just trying to make a living giving rides to people around town (boda boda) and he could not afford health services. The nurses at the clinic tried to resist helping him, but then were reminded of their oath they took in medical school and decided to help. The man was severely injured, several gashes down to the bone on his arm, and a pretty deep cut on his head. Luckily we were there and were open so this man got hooked up with some pain medication and stitches. He should probably go to the hospital for an X-ray because of his head injuries but I doubt he will go, he is broke after all, but at least his wounds are taken care of. Only time will tell.

So its Sunday night and I plan on staying in. It has been a long day and I bought some DVD’s on the street yesterday so I may just cook some dinner and watch some movies. I am attending the misoprostol training class most of this week along with traveling to nearby provinces to check on the clinics and projects there. I found out that since I am the sidekick of the manager of 5 of the 8 province clinics, I get to travel with him to visit them and see how they are managing. YAY for traveling at the orgs expense! We will eventually go to a town on the border of Tanzania, to Mombasa, to Embu, Maasai Mara, some islands in Lake Victoria and even some islands in the Indian Ocean.

Oh for those that are interested, there are Maasai here, even some warriors its interesting seeing them mixed with the crowds of the Luo and Kikuyu tribes, because as you know they have kept their traditional dress and traditional ways of cow herding. They believe that their god gave cows to them to protect and rear so they always have their cows with them. I was walking down a narrow road in a slum neighborhood when a big herd of cows came trampling through and of course you have to move out of their way if you don’t care to be trampled. Its quite interesting the daily sights and sounds of Kisumu!

Well more later – leave me some comments if there is anything in particular you would like to know. At this point I am having trouble thinking straight I am so tired. Talk to you soon