So we managed to pull off a huge spectacular thanksgiving feast here in Kenya. I am quite proud of myself actually, and we had very few recipes even! The sweet potatoes are a little different here so they turned out just OK, and the homemade pie crust we made was pretty disgusting but other than that, it was delicious! And the Kenyans really loved it too. They had never tasted turkey before so it was a treat, and all the casseroles and stuffing dishes were so weird to them! But all in all, it was great, and we had a blast. About 14 people came in all and it was fun! Hopefully I will get some pics from my friends who were there to put online!
Since then, I haven't really done too much. We are still out of water, and even water delivered is running scarce because apparently the whole city is affected so we really have no water. My house work and laundry is really starting to pile up but what the hey. I can deal.
I have developed a taste for Kenya Cane, its like a rum but made from sugar cane and it is delish! I will make sure and bring bunches of it back because luckily they pack in plastic bottles! Sugar cane is good too and I was put in the mood for cane this morning and could really use some. But apparently the chang'aa I have been drinking (local brew) sometimes they put chemicals in it that has been known to cause blindness so no more chang'aa for me!
So back to work, although not doing too much this week. I am delivering Miso to the providers which will take three days maybe longer going on African time, but should take three days. I have a side job of transcribing that I have been working on (many of you know I have been doing this for years) and luckily I have gotten work here so I can make a little money! I am slowly going broke so if anyone wants to donate to a good cause (me reducing maternal mortality in Kenya - not my drinking lol) then karibu!
Its looking not so positive on getting the camera back. Boo but my lovely parents are sending another with my Dad next month so my camera happy fingers will be busy at work again. I am excited for that! I have been missing out on so many great moments!
And on to Johnson. I dont think I have written about him. He is a kooky character that lives on the streets here in Kisumu. He hangs out in front of the Aga Khan hospital all the time and he is naked. We have this theory that he used to be a doctor there and sometimes when we don't see him in his usual spot we like to believe he got called in to surgery. He wears plastic supermarket bags at night, covering only his chest. And the bags are engineered in such a way that he can keep things in them like pockets. Sometimes I see him pull out bottle caps, dirt, and paper from his "pockets". And I am guessing he is not Luo because he is definitely circumsized, and most Luo's are not. So really we are not sure of his story, but he is just one of the colorful characters here in Kisumu. I fear that if we gave him clothes or food, he would just sell it, or store them in his bags so instead we just marvel at his ingenuity. Oh Johnson! Haha
So with that... I am out. Time to make a delivery of drugs! Hopefully my life will be more exciting next time. Kwa Heri! Oriti! Good bye
Monday, November 26, 2007
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Sleeping in the mud hut of the 2nd wife
So I went to my friends ancestral home in a village called Maseno. It was a compound house, with the man's main house in the middle, each wife's house on either side. Each son had started to build their house on the outskirts of the compound. The houses are ingenious, made of mud packed up to form walls and rooms and hardened with a water/cow dung compost. The roof was grass thatched and provided a cool environment all year round. The compound was on a huge plot of land where the family grew avocado, papaya, guava, bananas, tea, maize, etc. It was beautiful but can you imagine working the shamba everyday, on such vasts area of land? Luckily they had enough bulls to help them manage the garden. And their chickens had free range of the compound, coming inside the houses at night to sleep and brood. Each grandma and mother expected me to join them for dinner and I was not forewarned, so of course I ate too much at the first dinner thinking it was my dinner, but low and behold I had 3 more rounds to make, enjoying the chicken stew (each slaughtered on my behalf) and ugali. Heavy rains crept up in the evening thus making it impossible to leave the area so we spent the night. I slept on a nice comfy pad in the floor of the 2nd grandmothers house and awoke at 6am when the roosters started crowing. The whole compound was awake and working including the very young children. I had to make the four rounds again that morning, taking tea and mandazi with each family. This time I was prepared but I was wired from all the tea. All in all it was a good experience to see how rural families live and get by with no electricity or running water. Life was good that weekend!
Since returning, I have gone back to work and continued to crank out reports and documents for the MUE project. We still haven't gotten the miso from Cairo. Apparently it is being held in Nairobi at the customs office because the amount of medication looks like we are importing for distribution. So Monica has traveled to Nairobi to explain that it was donated for private use, fill out documents and get the process moving again. I still have not received the monthly data from October so I cannot continue with analyzing the data and making sure the project is on track to meet its objectives.
I got the package from my mom with all the fixens for thanksgiving dinner and we managed to find a frozen turkey at the local butcher. It was extremely expensive but worth every penny. Luckily we didn't have to buy a live one because we Americans have no clue how to slaughter, clean and prepare a turkey for baking. There will be 15 people at our dinner this weekend (we have to celebrate it this weekend because its not a holiday here and the clinic where the oven is will be closed so we have private use).
So today, I am on a hunt for new contacts. Mine are really bugging me and of course I came ill prepared with enough supply. But I heard they are here somewhere. I am also going to the immigration office to see about getting a residents card because with one I am able to get Kenyan rates on the touristy stuff instead of the tourist price. With my Dad coming and the amount of traveling I will be doing with him and by myself at the end of my stint here, that will come in very handy. Soon I will be a Kenyan resident! YAY!
So my PC peeps are coming into town tomorrow for the dinner. I am stoked, mainly to have some company at my house. It really sucks living there all alone, and when Monica is not around in the main house it makes it even more lonely.
The rains have started to be more heavy and longer, and the bumpy Kenyan roads are becoming worse with mud. But its still hot. Hardly feels like the Holiday season is upon us!
More next time.
Since returning, I have gone back to work and continued to crank out reports and documents for the MUE project. We still haven't gotten the miso from Cairo. Apparently it is being held in Nairobi at the customs office because the amount of medication looks like we are importing for distribution. So Monica has traveled to Nairobi to explain that it was donated for private use, fill out documents and get the process moving again. I still have not received the monthly data from October so I cannot continue with analyzing the data and making sure the project is on track to meet its objectives.
I got the package from my mom with all the fixens for thanksgiving dinner and we managed to find a frozen turkey at the local butcher. It was extremely expensive but worth every penny. Luckily we didn't have to buy a live one because we Americans have no clue how to slaughter, clean and prepare a turkey for baking. There will be 15 people at our dinner this weekend (we have to celebrate it this weekend because its not a holiday here and the clinic where the oven is will be closed so we have private use).
So today, I am on a hunt for new contacts. Mine are really bugging me and of course I came ill prepared with enough supply. But I heard they are here somewhere. I am also going to the immigration office to see about getting a residents card because with one I am able to get Kenyan rates on the touristy stuff instead of the tourist price. With my Dad coming and the amount of traveling I will be doing with him and by myself at the end of my stint here, that will come in very handy. Soon I will be a Kenyan resident! YAY!
So my PC peeps are coming into town tomorrow for the dinner. I am stoked, mainly to have some company at my house. It really sucks living there all alone, and when Monica is not around in the main house it makes it even more lonely.
The rains have started to be more heavy and longer, and the bumpy Kenyan roads are becoming worse with mud. But its still hot. Hardly feels like the Holiday season is upon us!
More next time.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Presidential nominations
So today is the official presidential nominations, much like our primaries. But unlike our primaries, they happen just one month before the election. WEIRD, but its not like no one knows who is running. Its basically between Kibaki (the current president) and Raila the ODM and Luo presidential candidate). So because the nominations are today, all night last night some major campaigning was going on. I mean, LOUD, door-to-door visitations spreading the word on Railas platform, and "ODM" chants periodically penetrating my dreams. Music and dancing, and neighborhood parties until the wee hours of the morning, and I I still hear them today.
People are so passionate about politics here, on every corner I hear the sporadic "ODM" word peppering conversations and flyers, billboards and campaign posters everywhere. I asked my good friend Dr Orero what the voting process is like and he explained that the polls open at 6am, and last time he began to line up at 3:45 in the morning and still didn't get to vote until near lunch time. People treat their voter registration card like gold, locking them in a safe so they wont be stolen, and only bringing it out for the big day. How do we get the youth of America to become so passionate and enthralled with the presidential nominations? If there was a line longer than 10 people at the voting polls in American, I guarantee you many will turn around and go home. I am not sure how it happened or why, but I am very impressed with how serious the general population of Kenya views their government and their freedom to vote! We need to adopt some of these behaviors in the West.
People are so passionate about politics here, on every corner I hear the sporadic "ODM" word peppering conversations and flyers, billboards and campaign posters everywhere. I asked my good friend Dr Orero what the voting process is like and he explained that the polls open at 6am, and last time he began to line up at 3:45 in the morning and still didn't get to vote until near lunch time. People treat their voter registration card like gold, locking them in a safe so they wont be stolen, and only bringing it out for the big day. How do we get the youth of America to become so passionate and enthralled with the presidential nominations? If there was a line longer than 10 people at the voting polls in American, I guarantee you many will turn around and go home. I am not sure how it happened or why, but I am very impressed with how serious the general population of Kenya views their government and their freedom to vote! We need to adopt some of these behaviors in the West.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
The Camera Heist and updates
Again, sorry for the delay. I have been busy with meetings and it has been a challenge finding time and or access to the internet at times. So there is a lot to talk about, sit down and relax and enjoy…
Since last time…I wrote about my camera being lost, well it turns out it was picked from my bag and I know who did it. Luckily there was a pic of my friend William in the camera and someone approached him and told him that he saw his picture in a camera with some wazungu in it. William acted like he didn’t know what the guy was talking about and asked to be taken to the man who had the camera. So William so the camera and the man was asking 15000 shillings for it, like $250 US. So instead, William (oh he is a trained and professional boxer) decided to plan a heist. He got his cousin who is unknown to the man Sam who has my camera, he is going to act like he is interested in buying and as soon as the cousin has the camera in his hand “pretending to look at the product he is about the buy” William and friends will attack. I think it’s all pretty amusing, but its great that I am going to get my camera back (hopefully).
Last Friday, I traveled to a placed called Sagam for a medical camp. KMET is taking over management of a hospital there and this was the official launch of the hospital under new management. It was an interesting day; my role during the camp was to register patients coming for the free medical care. It was free because they are trying to build up the reputation of the hospital again since previously it had been failing in service quality. So, free treatment was offered this day and it was full of entertainment, food, etc. Quite interesting and people flocked from all around for the medical care. On a tour of the hospital we saw the mortuary. Although not as big and brightly lit as the ones in the States it was not that bad. They had a freezer and the place reeked of formaldehyde and I came up close and person with 4 dead bodies, one in which had this horrible “The Ring” movie facial expression. It was crazy; I don’t think I have ever seen dead bodies before they have been doctored with makeup and embalming fluid. UGH. And one was of a lady who was over 100 years old! WOW considering the average life span is 55-60 for women.
So this week has been the Hindu holiday called Diwali, from what I understand its similar to Christmas for the Hindus. They have been shooting fireworks all week long and the other night I stumbled across a field where they were shooting big amounts of fireworks. It reminded me of the 4th of July! And my Kenyan friends had never seen then up close and personal like that so that was fun to see their expressions.
I slaughtered a chicken! One was given to us as a gift so over the weekend we decided to prepare the kuku for dinner. I was very freaked out, it took myself and 4 other people to catch it (those suckers are fast!) but we finally caught it. I held it in my right hand and the knife in the left and worked up the nerve….OK OK I never worked up the nerve so I passed it over to my friend to do the dirty work. I just couldn’t do it. Haha. It was my first time even witnessing a chicken being slaughtered so I couldn’t do it, but I think I can after I get used to the idea. My friends want to slaughter a goat for when my Dad comes so I have to get prepared for that! The chicken was good though, much better than store bought meat. Maybe because it was extremely fresh?!?
A few nights ago I was invited to dinner at a friends house in the slums of Kisumu. No power or running water, and as soon as I arrived on the motorbike, the entire neighborhood came to investigate why the mzungu was in the slums. I drew quite the crowd but it was exciting. That time we had chicken too, but I arrived too late for the slaughtering. And they served my favorite, Chapati which is like tortillas but thicker and flakier. YUM. After dinner we drank Kenya Cane by the candlelight and talked for hours. It was nice. This weekend I have been invited to my friends ancestral home in Maseno. From what I understand it is a huge compound, with each son having built his own mud hut, and the grandma is going to denounce me 3 times telling me I cannot stay in her home, but then she will open her doors with joy and welcome me in her home after the third time of telling me to leave. I am glad I was warned because I would probably cry if she told me to leave and I didn’t know any better. Not sure what that is all about, but us wazungu should have a good time there. I hope to work in the shamba a bit and gather food for dinner. I hope they don’t ask me to slaughter to meat.
I went to Kibuye (the big Sunday market) and went shopping. I got these really awesome shoes made from tires and called Akala. They are awesome although they are very uncomfortable. Apparently I have to break them in and eventually they will form to my foot and last the rest of my life. I am stoked. When I get my camera back I will be sure to send pictures.
I had a project coordinators meeting the past 2 days, which no one informed me about. I was so angry because I was expected to present and have a big report prepared. So now I am scrambling to finish the report and I had to prepare the powerpoint presentation over my lunch break on Monday. And you better believe I put as one of my project challenges the communication barrier I experience all the time. I am always left out of the main communication because I am “just a student” but my role here is of a project coordinator, along with 10 others so I really shouldn’t be left out of things, pretty much my job is equal to everyone else in this office. Oh well, I am flexible and can adapt (thank goodness!)
Well, that’s about it. I am still waiting on the year supply of Misoprostol that is coming from Egypt. It was donated for our project from Planned Parenthood and as soon as it arrives I can make my rounds again and distribute it to all the providers in our network. And planned for the next 2 months (the rest of my internship) this is what I have planned:
1. Create a newsletter for the providers about the MUE project and its successes, motivational tools for them to promote and provide more every month, etc
2. Distribute Miso to providers
3. Find funding and write grants for educational and advocacy campaigns
4. Organize a better way to collect data from each of the providers monthly
5. Create IEC-information, education and communication- materials (one idea was to make t-shirts with positive messages about family planning and safe abortion for the motorbike and bicycle drivers to wear around town)
6. Recruit and train 20 more providers on the MUE method
7. Publish the standards and guidelines I have been writing
8. Print and laminate message posters for clinic use.
9. Provide contraceptive education sessions to our staff and the girls at SFC
10. Travel to ugunja with the girls for a training of the trainers session. Our girls are training new girls to become RH peer educators
11. Create IEC materials in Swahili and Luo for the inhabitants of the slum areas.
12. And write reports and more reports on everything I am doing.
13. Leading a last meeting in January before I leave to update the next person on my project and the progress.
Enough? I think so. UGH busy busy. So that’s it for me. Hopefully it wont be so long before I blog again, and hopefully I will have my camera back to post some pictures.
Email me please!!!!!!
Since last time…I wrote about my camera being lost, well it turns out it was picked from my bag and I know who did it. Luckily there was a pic of my friend William in the camera and someone approached him and told him that he saw his picture in a camera with some wazungu in it. William acted like he didn’t know what the guy was talking about and asked to be taken to the man who had the camera. So William so the camera and the man was asking 15000 shillings for it, like $250 US. So instead, William (oh he is a trained and professional boxer) decided to plan a heist. He got his cousin who is unknown to the man Sam who has my camera, he is going to act like he is interested in buying and as soon as the cousin has the camera in his hand “pretending to look at the product he is about the buy” William and friends will attack. I think it’s all pretty amusing, but its great that I am going to get my camera back (hopefully).
Last Friday, I traveled to a placed called Sagam for a medical camp. KMET is taking over management of a hospital there and this was the official launch of the hospital under new management. It was an interesting day; my role during the camp was to register patients coming for the free medical care. It was free because they are trying to build up the reputation of the hospital again since previously it had been failing in service quality. So, free treatment was offered this day and it was full of entertainment, food, etc. Quite interesting and people flocked from all around for the medical care. On a tour of the hospital we saw the mortuary. Although not as big and brightly lit as the ones in the States it was not that bad. They had a freezer and the place reeked of formaldehyde and I came up close and person with 4 dead bodies, one in which had this horrible “The Ring” movie facial expression. It was crazy; I don’t think I have ever seen dead bodies before they have been doctored with makeup and embalming fluid. UGH. And one was of a lady who was over 100 years old! WOW considering the average life span is 55-60 for women.
So this week has been the Hindu holiday called Diwali, from what I understand its similar to Christmas for the Hindus. They have been shooting fireworks all week long and the other night I stumbled across a field where they were shooting big amounts of fireworks. It reminded me of the 4th of July! And my Kenyan friends had never seen then up close and personal like that so that was fun to see their expressions.
I slaughtered a chicken! One was given to us as a gift so over the weekend we decided to prepare the kuku for dinner. I was very freaked out, it took myself and 4 other people to catch it (those suckers are fast!) but we finally caught it. I held it in my right hand and the knife in the left and worked up the nerve….OK OK I never worked up the nerve so I passed it over to my friend to do the dirty work. I just couldn’t do it. Haha. It was my first time even witnessing a chicken being slaughtered so I couldn’t do it, but I think I can after I get used to the idea. My friends want to slaughter a goat for when my Dad comes so I have to get prepared for that! The chicken was good though, much better than store bought meat. Maybe because it was extremely fresh?!?
A few nights ago I was invited to dinner at a friends house in the slums of Kisumu. No power or running water, and as soon as I arrived on the motorbike, the entire neighborhood came to investigate why the mzungu was in the slums. I drew quite the crowd but it was exciting. That time we had chicken too, but I arrived too late for the slaughtering. And they served my favorite, Chapati which is like tortillas but thicker and flakier. YUM. After dinner we drank Kenya Cane by the candlelight and talked for hours. It was nice. This weekend I have been invited to my friends ancestral home in Maseno. From what I understand it is a huge compound, with each son having built his own mud hut, and the grandma is going to denounce me 3 times telling me I cannot stay in her home, but then she will open her doors with joy and welcome me in her home after the third time of telling me to leave. I am glad I was warned because I would probably cry if she told me to leave and I didn’t know any better. Not sure what that is all about, but us wazungu should have a good time there. I hope to work in the shamba a bit and gather food for dinner. I hope they don’t ask me to slaughter to meat.
I went to Kibuye (the big Sunday market) and went shopping. I got these really awesome shoes made from tires and called Akala. They are awesome although they are very uncomfortable. Apparently I have to break them in and eventually they will form to my foot and last the rest of my life. I am stoked. When I get my camera back I will be sure to send pictures.
I had a project coordinators meeting the past 2 days, which no one informed me about. I was so angry because I was expected to present and have a big report prepared. So now I am scrambling to finish the report and I had to prepare the powerpoint presentation over my lunch break on Monday. And you better believe I put as one of my project challenges the communication barrier I experience all the time. I am always left out of the main communication because I am “just a student” but my role here is of a project coordinator, along with 10 others so I really shouldn’t be left out of things, pretty much my job is equal to everyone else in this office. Oh well, I am flexible and can adapt (thank goodness!)
Well, that’s about it. I am still waiting on the year supply of Misoprostol that is coming from Egypt. It was donated for our project from Planned Parenthood and as soon as it arrives I can make my rounds again and distribute it to all the providers in our network. And planned for the next 2 months (the rest of my internship) this is what I have planned:
1. Create a newsletter for the providers about the MUE project and its successes, motivational tools for them to promote and provide more every month, etc
2. Distribute Miso to providers
3. Find funding and write grants for educational and advocacy campaigns
4. Organize a better way to collect data from each of the providers monthly
5. Create IEC-information, education and communication- materials (one idea was to make t-shirts with positive messages about family planning and safe abortion for the motorbike and bicycle drivers to wear around town)
6. Recruit and train 20 more providers on the MUE method
7. Publish the standards and guidelines I have been writing
8. Print and laminate message posters for clinic use.
9. Provide contraceptive education sessions to our staff and the girls at SFC
10. Travel to ugunja with the girls for a training of the trainers session. Our girls are training new girls to become RH peer educators
11. Create IEC materials in Swahili and Luo for the inhabitants of the slum areas.
12. And write reports and more reports on everything I am doing.
13. Leading a last meeting in January before I leave to update the next person on my project and the progress.
Enough? I think so. UGH busy busy. So that’s it for me. Hopefully it wont be so long before I blog again, and hopefully I will have my camera back to post some pictures.
Email me please!!!!!!
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Booo Hooo I lost my camera
It has been another week since I last blogged, sorry for the delay. We have been having internet problems (among other things).On Halloween, I made up small bags, drew a little ghost on them and filled them with candy for both my colleagues and the children at the clinic. I had a lot of fun trying to explain the significance of Halloween and what candy has to do with it, but I think they got the gist of it.
First is first, I wish I could send pictures but I lost my camera over the weekend. We were at a place called Tamiez dancing and drinkin the night away, and I handed the camera off to Patrick to snap a pic of me dancin on the stage (thats become a regular occurrence for me - who knew?) and last thing I knew he said he slipped it back in my bag later in the evening, and it was not in my bag. Hmmmm, so it has been lost. I feel like crying, not for the camera but for the amazing pictures that I had yet to download. Oh well, that's life I guess. I looked into purchasing a new one, 20,000 shillings about $300 US, No thank you. I am going to have to go back to old school film I guess. BAH!
First is first, A group of friends and I traveled to Migori to attend the Peace Corps Halloween party this past week, and to my chagrin no one else dressed in costume. Patrick had a little boys school uniform, and I dressed in my Sugar Momma outfit. The party was fun, there was tons of food and people but we had a slight electricity problem and could not have the stereo on for longer than one song, but you better believe as soon as the stereo cut on, we all jumped up and got as much dancing in as possible! The matatu ride down there was very crowded and long - about 3 hours, and we had to transfer 3 times! At least the roads were decent, I am thankful for that. On the way home, we took a bus, and it was direct (in the sense there was no transfers) but we still stopped every few minutes to let people on and off. And when the cops came on the bus, I got a good yelling at for not having my belt "tied" - scared the bejeezus outta me!
Another issue we have been having, which isnt that bad, we have been out of running water for about a month now. My "momma" has bought tanks and has "water pushers" come by periodically to fill them. We have started to refer to our bathing routine as whore baths, grabbing a bucket and washing up that way. I never thought about it before, how much water I actually use, but flushing the toilet, bathing, brushing teeth, laundry, dishes, etc...it really takes A LOT of water. Between 2-3 people we are going through 500 liters of water every 3 or so days. WOW. Pretty sad, and it has really made us realize and cut down on the amount of water we use, and this excludes drinking water. The neighborhood has been digging for water pipes and in the meatime, all of us who already had running water does not. Oh well, it could be worse.
Somewhere between that crowded matutu ride, holding babies, or just general dust in my face, I managed to get sick. I knew it was just a cold, but my colleagues insited I go get a malaria screen. I guess that was my first ( I say first because i am sure its not the last) scare with malaria. But there were no malaria bacteria in my blood, I saw it with my won eyes, so I got a dose of antibiotics and an antihistamine and was sent home. That set me back little over a dollar for the clinic visit and medicine. Nice! And I am feeling much better, thanks!
Patricks program has found him a new home stay family. I guess the homestay component is a requirement of his semester abroad and he runs the risk of failing if he stays with me, so I am all alone again, well aside from my momma, but she travels so often I fear I will be alone most of the time. My watchman is slowly but surely gaining my trust so at least I have his company, although he asks me for money periodically. He owes me 200 shillings so far! But luckily, Patrick will be just around the corner from me, and I hope his host family will feed me sometimes :)
So about work, since Kristen has left, Patrick and I have decided to carry out the last leg of her project. The SFC girls were to go to a town called Ugunja and train a group of girls who are beginning a program similar to ours. The project is still on, it was just not approved for the NOvember budget, so we are going to try again for December. Hopefully, sooner or later we can accomplish this 5 day workshop and get the data back to Kristen so she can finish her thesis/public health practicum.
My manual is still in the works. The director keeps looking at my work, and getting bigger and brighter ideas. Now, she wants tables, and diagrams, and a page for acknowledgements, etc. And instead of it being just a providers manual, it has turned into something that will be published and distributed Africa wide, as we are the pioneers of the MUE provision in Africa. Its nice that I will be published (finally) but stressful at the same time. Every time I approach her with my final product, she gets new ideas. Oh well. It will be an astonishing piece of work when its done!
OK enough for now, the day is over. I will write more soon. PS- I love to get emails so feel free. Karibu emails!
First is first, I wish I could send pictures but I lost my camera over the weekend. We were at a place called Tamiez dancing and drinkin the night away, and I handed the camera off to Patrick to snap a pic of me dancin on the stage (thats become a regular occurrence for me - who knew?) and last thing I knew he said he slipped it back in my bag later in the evening, and it was not in my bag. Hmmmm, so it has been lost. I feel like crying, not for the camera but for the amazing pictures that I had yet to download. Oh well, that's life I guess. I looked into purchasing a new one, 20,000 shillings about $300 US, No thank you. I am going to have to go back to old school film I guess. BAH!
First is first, A group of friends and I traveled to Migori to attend the Peace Corps Halloween party this past week, and to my chagrin no one else dressed in costume. Patrick had a little boys school uniform, and I dressed in my Sugar Momma outfit. The party was fun, there was tons of food and people but we had a slight electricity problem and could not have the stereo on for longer than one song, but you better believe as soon as the stereo cut on, we all jumped up and got as much dancing in as possible! The matatu ride down there was very crowded and long - about 3 hours, and we had to transfer 3 times! At least the roads were decent, I am thankful for that. On the way home, we took a bus, and it was direct (in the sense there was no transfers) but we still stopped every few minutes to let people on and off. And when the cops came on the bus, I got a good yelling at for not having my belt "tied" - scared the bejeezus outta me!
Another issue we have been having, which isnt that bad, we have been out of running water for about a month now. My "momma" has bought tanks and has "water pushers" come by periodically to fill them. We have started to refer to our bathing routine as whore baths, grabbing a bucket and washing up that way. I never thought about it before, how much water I actually use, but flushing the toilet, bathing, brushing teeth, laundry, dishes, etc...it really takes A LOT of water. Between 2-3 people we are going through 500 liters of water every 3 or so days. WOW. Pretty sad, and it has really made us realize and cut down on the amount of water we use, and this excludes drinking water. The neighborhood has been digging for water pipes and in the meatime, all of us who already had running water does not. Oh well, it could be worse.
Somewhere between that crowded matutu ride, holding babies, or just general dust in my face, I managed to get sick. I knew it was just a cold, but my colleagues insited I go get a malaria screen. I guess that was my first ( I say first because i am sure its not the last) scare with malaria. But there were no malaria bacteria in my blood, I saw it with my won eyes, so I got a dose of antibiotics and an antihistamine and was sent home. That set me back little over a dollar for the clinic visit and medicine. Nice! And I am feeling much better, thanks!
Patricks program has found him a new home stay family. I guess the homestay component is a requirement of his semester abroad and he runs the risk of failing if he stays with me, so I am all alone again, well aside from my momma, but she travels so often I fear I will be alone most of the time. My watchman is slowly but surely gaining my trust so at least I have his company, although he asks me for money periodically. He owes me 200 shillings so far! But luckily, Patrick will be just around the corner from me, and I hope his host family will feed me sometimes :)
So about work, since Kristen has left, Patrick and I have decided to carry out the last leg of her project. The SFC girls were to go to a town called Ugunja and train a group of girls who are beginning a program similar to ours. The project is still on, it was just not approved for the NOvember budget, so we are going to try again for December. Hopefully, sooner or later we can accomplish this 5 day workshop and get the data back to Kristen so she can finish her thesis/public health practicum.
My manual is still in the works. The director keeps looking at my work, and getting bigger and brighter ideas. Now, she wants tables, and diagrams, and a page for acknowledgements, etc. And instead of it being just a providers manual, it has turned into something that will be published and distributed Africa wide, as we are the pioneers of the MUE provision in Africa. Its nice that I will be published (finally) but stressful at the same time. Every time I approach her with my final product, she gets new ideas. Oh well. It will be an astonishing piece of work when its done!
OK enough for now, the day is over. I will write more soon. PS- I love to get emails so feel free. Karibu emails!
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