The Priest Who is a Hypocrite (19 December)

After the last post and this one that I am currently writing, many of you might think that I am against religious beliefs. That truly is not the case, but what I do abhor at times is the hypocrisy of some members of churches, especially when the hypocrite is the pastor or priest. As I said in the last post, we had some issues with teaching about condoms in the Anglican church. That point was driven home very clearly when we met the priest. I believe the Anglican church uses that term, even though they marry.

The last day of the class went well. All but one of the students passed the exam and received certificates. It was amazing to hear the number of questions that they finally started asking. Maybe the lecture did some good and drove the point home that they need to educate their village if they want to slow down the spread of HIV.

We typically buy a cake for the graduation and this day was not different. We did have to go into a side room of the church as food, of any kind, is not allowed within the sanctuary. As we were about to cut the cake, the priest of the church arrived to introduce himself. He apologized for not being able to make it earlier in the week, but that he had heard about the wonderful work we were doing for the members of his congregation. Was he the one that nixed our "wonderful work" of condom demonstration?

He went on to ask us if we were good Christians. Mary was sick that day, so I had called Dr. Mohamed to see if he could translate. It was a holy day for Muslims, so I had to pick Mohamed up after the second round of morning prayers. I'm not sure how to describe the look on the priests face when Mohamed mentioned that he was Muslim, but it was not a look of warmth.

He then started leafing through one of the manuals and said, "Oh I did not realize that you were from ICODEI in Kabula." Surprising to hear when he had heard all the wonderful things about the program. He said he knew the people who ran the program. When I asked if he meant the Rev. Lubanga, he said no he just knew his brother Richard. Now if you don't know Reuben Lubanga but do know that he has a brother named Richard something doesn't add up. He went on to say that he was going to have to bring some folks to Richard's program (alcohol rehab). If he had been in any sort of recent communication with Richard he would have known two things. First, a sister Pamela is now running the program. Second, Richard, unfortunately, fell off the wagon several months ago. I simply think the main point was to ignore Reuben because he had chosen to leave the church rather than give up educating people on HIV/AIDS.

He also asked volunteer Mary if she led a good Christian life. She came up with some positive response. When she did that the priest then mentioned that she needed to marry a good Kenyan man.

The whole conversation with the priest left such a bad taste in my mouth, but I figured that it was just me being overly critical. However, when Mary later brought up the fact that the priest was a little creepy (I think that was the term she used), we had a conversation in which we mentioned all of the above.

Why, or how, can a "good Christian" preach one thing one Sunday, yet act completely different in daily actions? Frustrating as it all was, I think that we were able to make a difference with the class. The priest is going to be the way he is, but hopefully some of his congregation will be able to recognize that some things need to be taught in order to protect the flock.

An Interesting Class to Start Back With (17 December)

I started back into programs today, and must admit, it was an interesting group and location. The class was only about 29-25 minutes from the farm in the village of Koyonzo. As usual, the location for the training was a church and most of the attendees were members of a youth group as well as the mother of the organizers. The one difference, for me at least, was that this was the first time in an Anglican church. This was the church that Reuben had to leave because he refused quit talking about condoms, but more on that later.

We follow the ABC’s of HIV prevention through sexual means. This means that you 1) abstain, or 2) be faithful to another partner who is also not infected, or 3) use condoms correctly and consistently. Because so many of our groups are quite religious we do discuss how this all plays into their beliefs and teachings of their respective denominations. This can be a problem for people who are Anglican or Catholic. Therefore, we pose the question as to whether or not they know a member of their congregation who has either become pregnant prior to marriage and/or has committed adultery. The answer is invariably “Yes.” So, we maintain that despite religious beliefs, people are human and are not infallible. Because of infallibility it is important to stress the A and the B, but equally important to discuss the C if they want to see a reduction of HIV in their community. I think I am getting good at putting these points back to the class so that they can come to their respective conclusions. However, because the class is not faith based, we require that people being certified must be willing to discuss condoms.

So, back to my first day restarting the program. It was actually the third day for this group and that meant condom demonstration. This is done with wooden penis models complement of the Red Cross and has always been done at the location of the class. However, once we got to that part of the class, we were told that we were not allowed to do the condom demonstration inside the church but would have to go outside. Now, this was a little frustrating, but I adjusted to it and figured we were still doing the demonstration and doing it out on the lawn was respecting the sanctity of the church.

The demonstration begins with us showing the correct way to put a condom on and then the participants must do it as well. We had 5 students who left and would not participate. This had never happened in the 2 years that Mary, our translator, had been doing the class. It was a bit disturbing and so we had to come back to the farm and discuss it with Reuben. It came down to the fact that if they would not do the demonstration then we could not give them certificates.

Thursday began with an hour long discussion and questioning of what we should do and what the class thought we should do. We explained our need to know that if we certified someone for completing the course and they then did General HIV/AIDS Awareness classes in their community that condoms would be part of the discussion. It was not a fun talk and I ended up being the heavy. After about an hour, the group leader apologized and said that they would indeed discuss condoms.

It is irritating to see the power of the church and the denial in which it operates. Everyone knew a church member who had died from HIV. One of the class members, we found out later, was orphaned by HIV. A UNICEF documentary was filmed across the road from the church. The live and breath HIV/AIDS everyday yet the church dictates that they can not talk about or use condoms. If people were doing what the Bible says then there would be no need for condoms, but that is not the case.

Finally Getting Caught Up on Entries

Well, I must say that the number of blog entries is somewhat of a sign on how things have been going since my arrival in Kabula/Bungoma. October had 13 entries, November had 4 and then this month has only been 1. Hopefully you all haven't dropped out of interest. I have been laying very low and simply resting and getting back on my feet. I've been doing a few things, but only when I am chauffered around and accompanied by someone.

Geri arrived safely last Sunday. She ended up hiring a safari driver because all of the buses were booked and she would have been stuck in Nairobi until Thursday. Between people returning upcountry for the holiday season and/or the elections, the buses have been exceptionally crowded. It was very nice to have her here. She was able to talk to my mom and vouch for my health and well being.

Despite Geri's arrival, I left her on the farm Monday morning and went to Eldoret for an overnight stay. The car needed a tune-up, new shocks, bushes, etc. and we had to go to a place that could do certified work on such a new (2001) Toyota. Ben, one of the drivers, chauffered me. Eldoret, in the Prado, is only about a 2 hour drive. There is not a whole lot to do or see there, so after dropping the car off for servicing we just went to a hotel and watched TV and I napped. The car was ready early on Tuesday morning so at least it wasn't an all day wait. Even though I wasn't driving, I could feel the difference when we hit potholes or drove over the way too numerous speed bumps.

On Wednesday morning Ben, Geri, Hilary (a departing volunteer) and I headed south through Kisumu and around Lake Victoria. Hilary was on her way to Rusinga Island and Geri and I were checking out a program in Kendu Bay. Peter, our driver when we were in Nairbo last year, has a program that awards scholarships to secondary school students. Most of the students have lost at least one parent to HIV/AIDS. They were participating in a 2 day "Life Skills" training. I had the opportunity to spend some time talking to them about my life as a positive person and the need to speak out in order to reduce stigma and discrimination.

Hilary was going to see a friend that is doing work in Mbita near Rusinga Island. She also wanted to try to find a young boy that she had sponsored through Save the Children. It had been 13 years and so the boy is now about 25 years old. I just got a text message this morning that she was successful. I will call her later on in the day to get a better update.

Geri and I decided to travel on to Kericho. Kericho is tea country and about 5,800 feet above sea level. It was a beautiful drive as we climbed higher and higher. There is not much to do there, but it made for an enjoyable ride. The accomodations were quite modest, but the water was VERY hot and that was great. My little solar shower bag does a good job, but to have decent pressure is such a special treat.

We headed back home Friday morning. There was a necessary stop in Kisumu to get Nile Perch (tilapia) for dinner. Bargaining for the fish was interesting. I am not good at bargaining so it was good to have Ben doing most of the talking. We also stopped at the Super Nakumet which can best be described as the Kenyan version of a Walmart.

So, even though I have been doing a lot of napping and resting, I at least managed to get around the southern district of Nyanza. I will be going back to doing program on Monday. Everyone has been insuring that I am taking it slow and easy. I have been jokining about having 3 moms - my real mom, Geri and then Mama Betty. I'm not sure if it is good to have 2 of them around me at the same time. Just kidding... but having 2 of them within reach and telling me to take it easy is a bit overwhelming. You all know my stubborness at times. But, truly, I have been taking it easy and am in the care of a good doctor and friend, Mohamed. Also, there is now a nurse and doctor on the farm so I have plenty of care available.

The median age of volunteers has shifted dramatically. All of the Indiana University students have departed and we are down to just 8 folks. I think the youngest is 26 and then it moves up into the 30's, me in the 40's, and Geri at 70. We will be having 8 Cornell students arriving on Monday so that will get the average down a little. It was enjoyable to meet with the IU students. It is sad to see volunteers go, but a pleasure to meet them.

The election campaign is really in full swing and so much different from politics in the US. I think that the current President (Mwai Kibaki) will lose to Raila Odinga. This is a big thing as Raila is a Luo and so will be the first Luo to hold the title of Presidency. I could be wrong, but it sure seems to be going that way in terms of the polls. We are in an area that is pretty supportive of Raila, but there are still a number of Kibaki supporters. I just try not to wear any orange or bright blue clothing as those are the colors of the parties.

I hope that this lengthy entry has made up for my lack of activity. But, I am sure that you can all understand. If any of you received emails from me over the last month, it was obvious that things were a bit difficult. My typing, grammar and ability to be fully coherent just wasn't there. My grammar may not be the best, but I do feel much stronger and able to function. I will continue to take it easy. Because of the slow down during the holidays I will be forced to go slow.

All is Well

I know that my last few emails have been saying that I will write more later, so I apologize that I am saying that again. I need to spend a bit of time on my computer on the farm writing some blog entries and then just upload them when I am in town.

I heard, through my mother, that some people were concerned with how my malaria entry sounded at the end. After reading it, I can understand why there was concern. The problem was that I was about to begin to wax and wane philosophically and I knew that in an email that may not be the best way to go. It is hard to communicate electronically because people can see facial expressions, hear voice inflection, or ask clarifying questions.

I am definitely on the mend and taking it very easy. I am not the most patient person and like to at least do a little something each day to feel productive. The family and other volunteers are making sure that I do nothing. That being said, I have managed to do some things while being chauffeured around. It at least helps keep me from going stir crazy.

My dear friend Geri arrives on Sunday and so she will surely report to my mom and brother about my health. I've not been doing any programs and will not be doing them through next week. Please keep checking back in for new entries as I will be getting back on track with a steady stream.

John

Malaria is really no fun!

Well, it's been 10 days since my last post and many of you may be wondering where I have been. As you can see by the title of this blog, I've been a bit under the weather. Even when I posted my last entry things were not good.

I must have been bit by the toughest little mosquito shortly after arriving in Kenya. Around the middle of October I was getting really tired and going to bed by 8 or 8:30PM. Now, I do go to be early, but even for me that is early. Then, while I was doing my class down in Kisumu/Yala area I got so week on the one day that even standing up for a minute or so left me so dizzy and ready to pass out. Off we went to St. Mary's hospital. It's a good private hospital. They put me on Corteum AL which is a 3 day treatment for malaria. I stayed in bed for several days and then was feeling good. It was about that time that I was able to think back and realize that I had been sick for quite a while.

So, on I went to teach the wonderful class that I've already blogged about. I had then had 3 days to rest and relax. But, on the day another class was to start I was feeling really bad and had Reuben drive us. I didn't get out of the car and returned to the farm with him. Three hours of sleep didn't do the trick. I kept jerking myself awake.

Once I woke up, I went out of the door long enough to ask Stallone to go and get Dr. Mohamed. He's finsihed 4 years of medical school. I guess that by the time he got there, I was going into my first seizure. That was followed by a second and then a wonderful third. They helped me to the restroom after a recovered a bit. Guess what? I don't remember coming out and I guess Stallone picked me up and got me back to the hut before I went into the 4th one. Off they took me to St. Mary's. They couldn't do much, other that say that I needed to be watched and for Mohamed to get some Valium to inject again.

They took care of me and Stallone slept in the hut on a mattress on the floor. The family is wonderful and were so concerned. Mohamed came each morning and evening over the weekend to do some muscle therapy and injections. Reuben called Hank, one of the US directors for ICODEI, who is part of the AMPATH program that does work here in Kenya. Monday morning qwe headed off to Eldoret and the Moi Teaching and Research Hospital. My CT Scan is fine. It cost me a whopping 4,000Ksh or about $60.

They are slowly weaning me back off the Valium injections and that will be over tomorrow. I'm doing my normal recovering and am stiff but fine. I'll be taking it quite easy for the next several weeks. I'll be able to to some manual updates each day and then get plenty of naps in between.

Many of you know that malaria was my one big dread, but what can I say... it happened. My volunteer work here is so rewarding and I wouldn't have it any other way. I guess that I qualify as a true Kenyan now that I've had malaria. I will keep people posted on how I'm doing, but don't worry. I've had good care and despite the experience will be fine. I would say some more thoughts, but should keep those to myself so as not to worry people. I'm fine, a bit tired, but in the wonderful care of a family that loves and cares for me.

A Busy Week Full of a Variety of Experiences

What a full week this has been. Two of my favorite volunteers left on schedule. Another one flaked out and left unexpectedly and is less than ideal circumstances. A new class of very intelligent young adults is winding down to an end. And, the craziest part has been the primary elections. Trust me when I say that Kenyans are definitely passionate about their elections. Some passion seems to be a bit, well... a bit different is about all i can say without going into the detail. I'm a little short on time so I may just get through some of the details and tantalize you with the rest to come tomorrow.

Kathy and Stephanie headed home on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively. Both were wonderful to spend time with and I will surely miss them. The day of Kathy's departure also brought about the departure of a young Case Western student that definitely didn't act in the most mature way. If I had done what he did, my mom and or dad, would have had a cow. He was scheduled to leave in a couple of weeks, but found out that if he left on Tuesday he could get home for Thanksgiving. He was trying to decide Monday night and I guess he made the final decision Tuesday morning. When I got the car keys from Reuben and said I was taking Kathy and Josh to Easy Coach, I realized that he had not spoken to Reuben or Mama Betty at all. I then went about loading the car with the stuff for my class while Josh and Kathy said goodbye to the other volunteers. By the time we left I had assumed that Josh had gone and said his goodbyes to the family. How wrong I was to assume that one.

Josh never said goodbye to the family. To top it off, he apparently still owed some money for room and board. Let's just say that I was raised to say thanks for what others did for me. If I had been the guest of a family (even a paying guest) for 2 1/2 months I would have at least said thanks. I'm not sure how much of it is lack of maturity, lack of a proper upbringing or what. Although Reuben sent an email to Josh's college advisor expressing that he felt it was rude and inconsiderate, I think his feelings were hurt more than anything else.

The bigger slap in the face is that he posted an entry on Facebook. For those of you that are above the age of 25 or so, Facebook is a sight where young people can post photos, blogs, etc. It was a bit of a ramble but discussed how he felt a bit odd looking back and has realized that he didn't say a proper goodbye to some of the other volunteers. He named 3 volunteers in particular. However, no where does he mention anything about the slap in the face he gave to the family. Enough of that as those of you who know me can probably see my blood pressure starting to build.

I've had a new class of post high school students this week. Additionally, one of the new volunteer that arrived is working on the program with me. She is a great 36 (read mature) women from Canada. The class is phenomenol and keeps us on or toes. This is by far the smartest class I've had. They are extremely proficient in English and ask both tough scientific and philosophical questions. I have no worries that they will all pass the exam with quite high scores.

I'm going to have to cut this short as I need to get back to the farm. I promise to post about some of the questions and the elections. Elections are a little crazed. People get fairly wound up and demonstrative. Politicians do a fair amount of campaigning and vote buying (literally). We were into the interior and I think some of the vote buying allows for some alcohol buying. Lots of fairly senior, senio citizens were straggling home from the town. An old woman danced for me and shimmied up against me. Let's just say it's a bit strange to have an old woman practically rubbing her breasts all up and down you. Especially when the breasts that are rubbing you are, never mind, I think you can put the picture in your mind. Another old man decide he wanted to try to rub the white off of me. I'm sure he'd seen an mzungu before, but when your that drunk it all looks new.

Week With The Luo's

Some of you have probably been wondering what happened to me, but I am back in Kabula after spending the bulk of the week south of here doing an EMPOWER class. Although we were only about an hour and fifteen minutes away, we stayed there because it was the first time venturing into that district and spending time with the family was important. We were in the Marenyo (Mah-RAIN-yo) area of the Nyanza District. This district borders Lake Victoria and is populated by the Luo's. If anyone is looking on Google Earth, then we were about 42 km west of Kisumu. The Luo's have been the hardest hit in Kenya in terms of HIV/AIDS. Depending on the area, the prevalence rate is anywhere from 15% to 40%. Overall in Kenya, 1 in 5 Luos are infected.

We stayed with the family of Canon Tobias. A Canon in the Evangelical Episcapol (Reuben's demonation) is not necessarily an ordained Reverend but serves as an advisor to the church. He is actually in an elevated position above even the Bishop. The homestead was quite traditional with the main house and then smaller out buildings that housed either grown sons, the elderly mother or other extended family members. The Canon has lost 2 brothers, a sister-in-law and a nephew to HIV. Addtionally, he has the widowed sister-in-law and another nephew living with HIV.

HIV in the Luo community is higher for a number of cultural reasons that are a bit different from the Luhya cultre where I am now. First, the Luo's are the only Kenyan tribe that do not get circumcised. That practice is VERY SLOWLY changing as people learn that circumcision can reduce transmission by up to 60%. Also, the practice of wife inheritance is much stronger. If a male sibling dies the children and any subsequent children to the widow are still considered the children of the deceased father. By "inheriting" the widow, the family unit all stays together and is cared for by the brother of the deceased. As you can see, this creates a problem when HIV is in the equation. I guess, finally, the other main difference is the role that Christianity and tribal culture are intertwined. People can fluctuate between the two beliefs more so than maybe other tribes.

The class started out with 21 participants. By the end though, we only had 8 people that sat for the exam and 7 of which passed. Language was, by far, the biggest problem. When the participants were recruited, the Canon should have made sure that they all spoke at least Kiswahili. Normally, everyone must be ablle to read and write in either English or Kiswahili so that they can take the exam. Many of the individuals were only able to understand Luo. That resulted in us having to, at times, translate from English to Kiswahili to Luo. Also, it ruled out the ability to take notes when many of them were illiterate. This was the first class that had so many people that both new their sttus and were open about it. In fact, 7 of the 8 that sat for the exam were living with HIV. Some of the older women that did not take the exam but attended the course were women caring for grandchildren.

I guess the final thing to note was the amount of times we prayed. ALthough the organization is not faith based, we typically begin and end classes with prayer because the members are usually recruited from church groups. But, in staying with the Canon, prayer developed a whole new meaning. Reuben had to come down a couple of days so we would pray because he arrived safely. Then, we prayed when he left to go back home so that he would make it safely. We prayed before we ate and after the meal. We prayed when I left the room to take a nap so that I would sleep well. It is not a bad thing, but it just seemd as if we were doing it every time I blinked.

An Emotional Wreck

I am an emotional wreck today. I think I wrote about Stephanie, one of the volunteers, that is helping to get two young boys moved into an orphanage and enrolled at Epico-Johns which is the grade school run by Mama Betty. They were orphaned about two years ago and their uncle has been caring for them. He was one of the people enrolled in my first EMPOWER class. The parents died within about a year of each other. The boys are 10 and 6. The youngest was burned on various parts of his body, including his face. The burns, although a bit disfiguring, aren’t quite as bad as I anticipated.

I offered to take Stephanie and the social worker to pick the boys up. The social worker had to do a final interview to see that the children were truly orphaned and that the extended family was unable to support them. It was a no brainer. The father had even mentioned that he tries to make sure they eat at least once a day. Their home was very modest and housed an extended family of 8 including the boys.

Humphreys, the uncle, has tried to care for the boys but he just can’t afford it. Although he was happy for the opportunity, I could tell that it was a bittersweet experience for him. His eyes seemed a bit watery at times but he maintained his composure. Stephanie had some donated clothes that were good for Moses and Joseph. In addition, she had new t-shirts for Humphreys’ biological children.

After about an hour interview with the social worker it was time to leave. Humphreys polished a pair of black shoes and put on a suit that was a bit too big and a bit tattered if you looked closely. In Kenya , both men and women tend to have at least one formal outfit that they can wear for church or special occasions. I’m sure that this was the one outfit that served that function.

The drive back to the main road was a bit quiet. I knew how I was feeling, but I wondered what was going through the heads of each of 6 other people in the car with me. I had already shed some tears as we walked to the car. It was the first time that Moses, the 6 year old, had ever been in a car. The dirt road back to the main road was 12 miles long. They definitely live in the interior.

The trip from the main road back to the orphanage is about another 18-20 miles. The orphanage is very clean and bright. Each bedroom has 4 beds. We made the children’s beds and they both had smiles on their faces. I didn’t see any beds when we were at their home so my guess is that they just slept on mats. Stephanie took them outside to the water pump where they brushed their teeth with a toothbrush for the first time. The uncle will be able to visit on the first weekend of each month so there is still a guardian right maintained.

As we left the uncle gave the boys a little talk. The case worker was explaining that he was telling the boys to be strong and study hard. He explained that it was a wonderful opportunity and that they were in good hands while he would be away. I had to get in the car as I was having the tears roll. Fortunately, I didn’t break down into loud sobbing.

We took the uncle by the school so he could see it and then we took him into Bungoma so that we could have lunch together before he caught a matatu home. We went to Coffee Garden which is one of the popular restaurants that are safe for the stomachs of mzungus (Caucasians). It’s not extravagant. For instance, I get beef and chips (beef and fries) for 120 shillings or about $1.80. He said that he’s never been in a restaurant like it before. Mama Betty was in town and she joined us. It was good because she was able to tell him more about the school and how she would be able to look after the children as well.

I am still a bundle of emotions as I think back to both today and my time here in Kenya . We, as Americans, are privileged beyond our wildest dreams. That is not to say that we do not have poverty because we certainly do. However, I don’t think it is ever to the degree it is here. I think I’m going to just end here for now. I’m on the verge of breaking down again and don’t feel like doing it in a room full of people typing on computers. Just make sure that each of you reading this counts your blessings for the day and not your woes. Do something good for someone less deserving as you reap great reap untold rewards. And finally, tell those near you how much they matter because they may not be there for you tomorrow or the day after or a year or ten years from now.

Touching Base

It's not been an overly eventful few days, but one of rest and reflection. This was to be my week to do a lot of updates to the curriculum, but it is turning out to be one of a lot of napping. I knew I was tired from the pace I was keeping, but have learned that I was bordering on exhaustion. I'm getting well rested and taking long naps in the afternoon and turning into bed by about 8PM each night.

It has been interesting to watch the student teachers from Indiana University. Some of the are embracing the experience and trying to learn as much about the culture as possible whereas others seem to be miserable. The schools are quite a bit different in many respects. For one thing, they don't have any sort of problem with whipping a child on the bottom with a piece of sugar cane. The classes are more structured and so "out of the box" activities or lessons aren't a strong suit. However, that doesn't mean you can't learn from the experience.

A number of the students managed to get fairly drunk on Friday night and stayed up partying until about 12:30 AM despite the talk that said that having a discrete drink was fine but getting drunk was not. The family is very religious and so they don't want the young kids to be around a lot of alcohol. Additionally, it sets a bad example to the locals when they see a bunch of American volunteers drunk. And, to top it off, it was the night before the funeral of Mama Betty's uncle. All in all, not an appropriate thing to do. The students claimed that they weren't aware of the rules about "quiet time." Common sense would dictate that when the generator and lights go off then it's probably quiet time. That and the orientation manual says its 11PM. Now reading back over this paragraph definitely makes me feel my age.

Next week I'll be spending down near Kisumu doing a class to a group of Luo's. It has meant doing some additional research on the culture as we spend part of a day discussing social/culural practices that affect HIV. The Luo's are the only tribe that don't practice circumsion. As such, their infection rates are the highest in the country. In talking with Reuben, I will still present the facts around the reduction of HIV in circumcised males and the science behind it. They also take a much stronger stance on wife inheritance. Wife inheritance is the practice of a male relative, typically a brother, getting married to the widow of a dead relative. This has a huge effect on HIV rates. Luo's are predominant Christian and quite religious, but have strong "hybrid" beliefs that tie Christianity to their tribal traditions.

Thank God It's Friday

Well the week has come to a close and I am very happy to have the day to rest and get caught up. It has been a little more hectic, and therefore tiring, than usual. I am off for the next week in terms of classes, but will spend some of my time doing the updates to the manual. I have tried some of the new material and it seems to fit fairly well. This entry is starting with the oldest stuff first. And, because the days have kind of run together, I'm not sure of the actual date of each thing.

I know that I've been discussing the crazy rain, but when it hails along the equator you know it's bad. One evening right about sunset, we were looking at this really beautiful cloud that had flashes of lightening within it. The lightening wasn't coming down to the ground, just within the cloud. I should have known it wasn't going to be good. We were finishing up with dinner when the rain started. The roof in the main house is corrugated metal, so it can get a little loud. However, when it sounded like hammers hitting it, we looked out and saw hail coming down. It just build up more and more until, between the rain and the hail, you literally could not hear a person speaking unless you yelled at each other. There are 2 puppies left of a new litter and so we tried to go out to find them. The runt of the litter was near the back door trying to make it over. He was shaking so bad and so I had to hold him to try to calm him and keep him warm. Stallone eventially found the other one and it seemed to have found shelter somewhere. Stallone, who is 27, remembered hail from only one other time in his life. The ceiling in the hut didn't leak, but there was a ton of little pieces of thatch laying all over. Additionally, the wind had blown water under the door so I now know where all the low spots are. The strange thing is that the next morning when picked Mary up in Webuye (15 -20 miles away), she said there was not a drop.

I wasn't prepared for coming home on Tuesday. There were a total of 14 student teachers coming from Indiana University. Also, a former volunteer named Janna was staying over night with her parents and their tour guide and driver. I'll start with Janna first. When I came the last time, Janna had just left the farm. I heard stories about how horrible she was. I figured that they were simply exagerating because it couldn't be that bad. Well, I was wrong, she was actually worse than I could imagine. She never shut up from the moment she walked in the door. She was on day 17 of a 21 day safaris through Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya. Her mother didn't seem that old, but her father was pretty frail. He was staying in the house and kept getting lost on the way to his room. The drivers had said that Janna actually pushed him out of the way in Uganda and knocked him down. They told her that if she did it again they would leave her by the side of the road. They said it was the worst group of people they had ever been with. She was supposed to stay just one night, but we were graced with her presence for 2 nights.

So, with the student teachers, Janna et al, and the regular volunteers, we had 28 people shoved into the living room. I was truly overwhelmed by both the people and the noise. I've been eating with Reuben in their bedroom because it's more civil. They will be done with the dining room/gather gazebo today and so people will be able to spread out and I think I can handle it then. I'm making a point of visiting with people outside or when they aren't all in there together. I don't want to be antisocial, but it is just too much to deal with. (Sorry mom, I'm ending all these sentences with prepostions and I do know better)

Yesterday was graduation day again. We graduated 14 people. The tests scores were the best ever. 3 people in the 70's, 3 in the 90's, and ther rest in the 80's. My one student, Justus, showed true dedication. First, he was only planning to sit in on the first class. However, he decided to return on the second day. When he showed up on the 3rd day, we gave him a manual so he could stick around. He brought us 10 avocados one day and a huge bunch of bananas (still on the stalk) another day. When he came the fifth day he apologized fof not bringing anything, but said he wasn't feeling well. He came on the exam day and passed with a 92 or 94, I can't remember for sure. He didn't look well at all, and had to leave several times. After class we found out that he'd been throwing up since the day before. We took him to the hospital in Webuye even though he was afraid of impsoing on us. It took most of the afternoon, but the eventually gave him a shot of quinine and proscribed other antimalarial medication. The pharmacy was closed by then and it was too late to get a matatu home. We brought him to Kanduyi which is just outside Bungoma. He has some relatives there where he could spend the night. We also got him some bottle water and glucose drink. The glucose drink is fairly common and used when people are so sick and can't keep stuff down. It's basically a drink to replenish electrolytes. The mobile clinic picked him up this morning and will get him the medicine and a ride back to town.

Sitting in the hospital yesterday was a bit somber. There were a number of HIV/AIDS cases coming and going. Usually it doesn't wear on me, but it began to do so. Sometimes I can't help but think "Will I be there, and if so, when?" It's not a thought I try to go to as a positive attitude is certainly the best. I'll be able to shake it and even writing this is quite carthetic.

Again, my thoughts go out to everyone reading this. I am enjoying my time here and know that I am doing good. Oh, I do have another story. One of the volunteers has "adopted" two brothers who have lost their parents. The one had some extensive burns from a fire when he was younger. I think they are 10 and 6, or about there. The uncle has been trying to care for them but just doesn't have the money. Stephanie has arranged to get them into an orphanage in BUngoma where they will get good care. They normally don't take children above 7 because they need time to raise the money for secondary school. Stephanie will sponsor there school, so it just took her offering two cows to get the children accepted. They will attend school at Epico-Jahns (part of ICODEI) so Mama Betty will be able to look out after them as well. Stephanie asked the uncle if he'd be willing to have them tested for HIV. The uncle said yes and that he wanted to be tested himself. He said that because of John he knew it was important. It turns out that he is Humphreys and was in my first class back on this trip! Progresss may be slow, but it seems to be steady.

Going to Class in the Interior

Sorry for the delay in getting a new post added to the blog. I've been in town some to check email but haven't taken the time to write much else. The first class was tiring and so I am still taking some time to catch up with rest. Trying to do some self care as I have lot's off you checking in to make sure I am doing that.

I started an EMPOWER class on Thursday. It is north of Bungoma in a village called Nakoba. Nakoba is in the interior which means it's way off the beaten path. The first day was full of excitement for Mary and I because we came up over a little rise and hit some mud and sank in up to the front axles. I should have put the car in 4 wheel drive but the roads were dry, just narrow and rutted. It took about 12-15 men to get us puched out... That and 200Ksh ($3.00) They wanted more money because they know msungus have money. Mary argued with them and we got back on the road.

I wish I could fully translate what the roads going into the interior are like. Some of them aren't too bad and are simply dirt lanes that are wide enough for two cars. Others aren't much more than a walking path that a car can squeeze down. Lots of deep ruts, but we got to class.

This class has 12 students. Again, like the last one, they are definitely eager to learn and ask some really good questions. We have 3 more days of class and then the final day for the exam and practice presentations.

I'll try to keep up a little better on the blogging. We got two volunteers in last night. They are both working with HIV/AIDS so they can switch between doing EMPOWER and the General Awareness presentations. That will also give me a little extra time to work on updating the manual.

Why I Do What I Do

Yesterday was the last day of my first EMPOWER training since coming back to Kenya. It was in the village of Ejinja. We were able to graduate 11 students out of 16 that were in the class. The remaining 4 were unable to complete all of the sessions for a number of reasons. There were a couple of deaths in the family, illness and such. I remember writing about the last day of class being bittersweet when I was here the last time and this current round is no difference. Those attending class put so much effort into both getting to class and then the studying required to learn the material. Although the material is presented in both English and Kiswahili, the manual is still only in English. Hopefully, after this next round of revisions, it can be fully translated.

Graduation Day is always a day for celebration and so I ordered a cake for the occasion. However, the class gave me the better surprise. Sometimes, when we do classes, the women will arrange to have lunch for us after each session. But, with this group that did not happen. It wasn’t out of not wanting to do so, but because even the close people were still a distance from the class location. Additionally, I think that this group was even more financially burdened than the average.

So, it was with great appreciation that Mary and I were greeted with celebratory food that the group had arranged. A case of sodas was brought in for everyone. These cost 17Ksh each or about 25 cents. We also received bananas and hard boiled eggs. The class ate 2 loaves of bread (plain). Some of you don’t know it, but I really do not like hard boiled eggs. It’s a whole food texture thing that just makes them catch in my throat. But, knowing that they had gone out of their way to pool funds for both the sodas and the eggs, I managed the ability to eat two of them. I think I even did it without making any faces. They also sang for us.
One of the students had written something that I have included below. Several of the people mentioned have been involved with mobile clinics that have visited and provided medical treatment. It really epitomizes why I am here and the intrinsic rewards that I received.

A Vote of Thanks

It was once announced by the former president of Kenya HIV and AIDS is “a national disaster.” That time this monster used to kill more than seven hundred people a day, but through government and non-governmental organizations such as Intercommunity Development Involvement (ICODEI) situation has reduced. In that connection I would like to pass sincere thanks to the founder of ICODEI, through them I have met different expert who has discharged knowledge about HIV and AIDS to name a few Laura Allen from USA, Carey from Canada, Janet Okamu from Kenyan [these were people that did a General HIV Awareness several years back and he remembered their names], and this present time I would like to pass my thanks and appreciation to Mr John Motter from USA and Sister Mary Nyumbura from Kenyan and also Rhea from Australia who is also working under ICODEI.

Let God bless you as you continue expand teaching in Western Kenya, all over the country all over the world, thank for the value human life, sure you are doing a promising work.

Even though this is a day of departure, please remember to come back and see the differences.
Pamoja Tuangamize Ukmiwi [this means Together We Fight or Defeat AIDS]

Thanks By Kevin Maina Maloba

A Big Boy's Bed

Woo Hoo! I got a big boy's bed today. It is a 4'x6', so not really a full size bed, but definitelye bigger than a twin and it's not a bunk bed. They are building a new building that will house up to 16 people. It's mainly for student teachers that come to Bungoma through a somewhat sparate program with the University of Indiana. I offered up my twin bed for that building in exchange for buying a new bed for my hut. It was a total of $150 for both and worth every penny. It is much more comfortable and less claustrophobic. If I slept on the top bunk I ran the risk of a large tumble should I have a seizure at night. And, sleeping on the bottom bunk was really claustrophobic because the beds aren't quite as high as they are in the states. I'm definitely settling in and enjoying the small little luxuries.

We lost 3 volunteers on Saturday. They were all nice, but I really hit it off with two of them and so it was sad to drop them off for the bus. They were both medical students. One was from Tasmania and the other from Chicago. They had arrived on the same day and it was apparently a great love connection. The remaining volunteers are all enjoyable and nice to be around. It's always a little odd since I am probably older than some of their parents. One volunteer has made a couple of "off" remarks around my HIV status, so I will take a wait and see approach. If it continues, I'll have to have a talk. I think that sometimes it's not meant intentionally so it provides a chance for education.

The heavy rains in the afternoon continue to plague us. Just think back to any National Geographic shows you have watched and that will give you and idea of the amount of rain that is dumped on the ground. Upon waking in the morning you can see some puddles, but it is surprising to note that most of it is nowhere to be seen.

Take care everyone and know that I am thinking of all of you.

A Surprise Visit to the Morgue

One of the other volunteers and I had a really interesting time after class on Wednesday. Rhea, a medical student from Tasmania in Australia, went to observe the class with me on Wednesday. Afterwards we headed into Bungoma to do internet, stop at the market and pick up a birthday cake we had ordered for Mama Betty's birthday.

Also, we wanted to stop at the VCT (Voluntary Testing and Counseling) Center, which is housed on the grounds of the Bungoma District Hospital. We needed to get female (Reality) condoms for class on Thursday. When we pulled into the grounds and asked where the VCT was, they pointed to this building towards the back. We walked in that direction and saw two men in an open door. So, we walked in and asked about female condoms. As soon as I asked, I looked through another door and realized that the blanket on the floor was in the shape of a body. Then in the back corner on a little raised slab were two male corpses with just their genitally covered. (This is really a run on paragraph, but tough) The man responded to may request for female condoms by saying, "Yes, we accept female bodies." Then, we asked where to go to get the female condoms, and he said "Yes, I can give you a tour." Eventually, he pointed us to the pharmacy.

We had no luck in getting the female condoms at the hospital pharmacy, but on the way back to the car, Rhea asked if we should take the man up on his offer for the tour. I was game so we headed back into the morgue. The morgue can hold up to 12 bodies in the 3 coolers (4 each). The first door was for patients who died in the hospital. The second door was for private bodies. And the third door was for police forensics. He pulled the second door open to show us the four bodies, 3 men and 1 woman. They don't cover them with a sheet or anything. They all looked surprisingly young. In the meantime, the body in the blanket was being lifted into the back of a pickup truck. Despite, the appearance of formality, the body was being treated quite gingerly and with respect. It's important to note that in this rural area, embalming is not the norm. As I said in my last posting, most people are prepared at home.

The smell of formaldehyde and slight decomposition was one that stuck with us for a while afterwards.

The Start of an EMPOWER Class

I am so far behind on my blogging, but will try to get caught up this morning. I started my first EMPOWER training since returning to Bungoma. It's actually very nice because it is only about 20 minutes from the farm in Kabula. And, I think it is the closest to a main road of any place I have been to while in Kenya. It can't be more than a half mile off the main road. There are 16 participants. One group is from the other side of a town and bicycle about 15 miles to get to class each morning. Another group is made up of women that will ultimately train other women. And then the third small group are men from right around the church. It's surprising that the group that travels the farthest is the group that is always there on time. Kenyan time is always a bit different from what we, as Americans, are used to. It's good for either building my patience or trying my patience.

People are truly keen to learn about HIV and how to prevent it. Once again, everyone in the room knows people who have died of HIV/AIDS and the orphans that are sometimes left behind. The questions I receive can be the same that I get asked in the States or they can be remarkably different. The common one here is how long HIV lives in a corpse. In the interior areas where I teach, the bodies are prepared at home and buried in a coffin or simply wrapped in a blanket. You would think that scientists would have come up with an answer but it is still and indeterminant length of time. We end up discussing the need to treat the body with care because of both HIV and then other germs that are present as a result of natural decomposition.

We have the day off today because it is the last day of Ramadan and one of the participants is Muslim. In this are of Kenya about 95% are Christian and 5% are Muslim. Over on the coast the numbers are simply reversed. It's actually a relief as I have been going fairly strong and need some time to rest and take a long afternoon nap. We'll have class again on Monday and then Tuesday will be the exam, practice teaching and graduation.

Up North to Church

Sunday and it's off to church with Reuben and Mama Betty. He is in a new church since the last time, but it is still up north towards Kitale. You head to Kiminini, hang a right, go to the second village, hang another right and drive into the interior. In other words, off the beaten track. Even though I did trainings at Reuben's old church when I was last here, I never got to hear him preach. Now, I know some of you are wondering what the heck I was doing in church. I am a fairly spiritual person and was raised going to Sunday School and church each week. I don't go often, but certainly hold a fair amount of faith that things will be well.

Anyway, back to the subject. Church is a wonderful celebration of music and song and dance. Most of the service was in Kiswahili, but I was amazed at how much I could follow despite not knowing what was being said. Reuben is a very charismatic preacher and engages his congregation. The congregation said a special prayer for my mom and her chemo treatment. I certainly think the power of prayer can work. I talked to her yesterday (Monday and yes, I'm post dating again) and she had been in bed in quite of bit of pain for 3 days. Monday was the first day she'd been up and about.

We had lunch at a house that had been a colonial estate during the English occupation of Kenya. It was bought by a member of the church diocese. If the walls could talk. Towards the end of British rule, there was really ruthless treatment of native Kenyans. Anyway, it was a great lunch and visit. I will likely stay up there sometimes when I am doing classes as it would eliminate the daily 2 hour drive.

Back to the house for Chapati night. Chapati is a flat bread that is done on a griddle over a small charcoal brazier and they are so good. They're basicallya big round pancake type flour that for some reason is just wonderful to eat.

I know that these postings may be a little choppy, but time at the internet cafe is always too short. The good news is that there is a cafe that is a little faster connection than the old one. More to come another day.

Visiting Day at Boarding School

Saturday was the day for the monthly visiting day at Donna's boarding school. Even parents are preventing from visiting other days besides the designated one. The reasoning behind this rule is that it allows for a better learning environment because of fewer distractions. Boarding school is also preferred because if a child goes to school at home, then they are likely to have to help with work or chores around the house in the evening. Read chores as caring for the younger children, working in the shamba (field), wood for cooking, etc. Additionally, because of the lact of electricity in many households hours for study are shortened.

The drive to Donna's school was about an hour south. Seeing Donna spotting the family and then running to greet them created a real warmth in me and an understanding of a loss that I feels has happened in many family units. This is a country where extended family is still very cherished and people often stay within close proximity for their entire life. Also, paying to send a child to school is done as a way to better the family and is somewhat of a sacrificed recognized by all. I think it's done with the understanding that despite the time away, it is best in the end. I'm not sure that I am making sense on this one, but hopefully I am.

I'm excited because Donna will be home in another 6 weeks and will stay through the month of December and January before heading back. She is a kind young woman that has an infectious smile and life. All of the children do.

Still adjusting to the time change, the driving (crazy), and the rainy season (torrential rains around 4 or 5 in the afternoon, lasting30-40 minutes).

The Bus to Bungoma

Well, what can I say, the bus was long and tiring but it got me to where I was going. We left a bit late and made the trip in about 9 hours. I was sitting where I could see the speedometer and I'm not sure that was a good thing. Much of the time we were going about 25 mph. They have repaired a section of the road since the last time we made the trip. But, another section has been torn up. Much of it is gravel or clay and so you just can't go fast.

Reuben was waiting for me in Bungoma. It was wonderful to see him again and to actually realize I was back in Kenya for real. The farm has changed a little. They have built a big brick gazebo that will serve as the dining area once it is complete. The house is a little empty compared to last time. The second son, Edwin, received a scholarship at the Polytechnic in Torino, Italy. Donna, the eldest daughter, went to boarding school shortly after I left in January.

Not much else to report. I am trying to get caught up on posts, but need to get off the computer. I've been on here for nearly two hours and, quite frankly, need to get out for some fresh air. The posts to come are Visitation Day at Donna's School and a trip up to Reuben's new church.

Meeting With Tuendelle Mbele

I don't know why I said I was headed to Bungoma in the last post since it was only Wednesday. Anyway, it is Thursday (well, it's Monday but I'm backdating this post). I spent the day taking it easy and reading.

At 4:00PM, Luzaras picked me up to go to Ruaraka. I wasn't sure what to expect, but off I went. It was quite a long trip time wise because of the horrendous traffic. We got to the place around 5PM and met David. He took me on a tour of the EPZ and pointed out the various factories and what they made. The textile factories produce for Walmart, Target, JC Penny, etc. As I said before, it is piece work that is done in fairly oppressive conditions. There was also two pharmaceutical companies, but I'm not sure what they made.

Rather than going down into the housing section of Ruaraka, we stayed up in the market stalls. They had arranged to meet in the back room of a restaurant. It ended up being about 35 people in the room. The division of men to women was similar to that in the factories so I would guess about 3 to 1.

I shared about my experience living with HIV for about 10 minutes and then opened it up for questions. We shared informatiuon for about an hour and a half. I did ask 3 questions that I think really drive home the impact of HIV in Kenya. The questions were:

1. How many of you know someone who has died of HIV/AIDS?
2. How many of you know orpans as a result of HIV/AIDS?
3. How many of you know someone who died of HIV/AIDS, but would never admit it while they were sick?

For each question, EVERYONE raised their hand. I certainly don't think the same thing would happen in the US. Also, the level of stigma is still so great that many people will not admit there status.

I would have continued to talk, but it was getting on to 8PM and so it was best to take leave and head back to the hotel. I know that David appreciated my discussion because he held my hand the entire way back to the van. In Kenya, that is a sign of friendship and warmth.

An hour later, I received the following text message, "Great! John. Don't go weary in doing good. Keep up! God has much in wtore for you. He has a plan and a purpose for you" Needless to say, I slept very well with a feeling of comfort.

Always Feeling Humbled

In the end, I did not make it to Kibera. The concierge was unable to leave work on time and I needed to be out of Kibera before it got dark. I'm up in the area on whether or not this was a good thing. For emotional as I can become, I'm not sure that I could have maintained my composure through the visit. Kibera is roughly 1.25 square miles and has a population of 1 million people. The average home is 10 feet squared and is inhabited by 5 people. How does one comprehend such living conditions. While I was incarcerated, I was in a cell that would have held about 8 people. The house I live in would be inhabited by 110 people. Simply, incomprehensible.

I did meet with two of the organizers from the Tuendelee Mbele EPZ Workers Welfare - HIV/AIDS Education Project. Tuendelee Mbele stand for We Continue Forward." It's located in the Ruaraka slum area. The EPZ's are Export Processing Zones where many garment factories are located. I will be going to meet with the larger group this afternoon/evening. The group was organized by several union organizers that were put down by the government during a country wide effort several years ago. One man, John, wheres a deep scar on the back of his head -- the result of a clubbing during the strike. I was hooked up with this group by two Canadian volunteers that were in Bungoma the same time as me last year.

I am talking to them about my experiences living with HIV. They recently had a training of 30 peer leaders and did testing. Some of those tested are now dealing with the fact that they are HIV+. Stigma and discrimination reigns high. Additionally, women workers make up about 70% of the work force. They are often subject to forced sexual relations in order to keep their jobs. Because of this, HIV continues to spread throughout the community.

I wish this entry could be a bit more upbeat, but it is the reality of the rampant poverty and the result affects on HIV infection. The bright side is that workers are beginning to strive for healthier working conditions.

Tomorrow morning I'll be headed to Bungoma. The bus leaves from downtown at 8AM. I should arrive in Bungoma by 4 or 5PM. Despite the relatively short distance (200 miles) the speed of the bus is hampered by the poor road conditions. I'm excited about being back in Bungoma and the work I'll be doing.

Arrived Safely In Nairobi

Well, this post won't be too exciting, but I have arrived safely back in Nairobi. I got into Nairobi around 6AM yesterday morning. The traffic, even that early in the morning, is bumper to bumper. But, best of all and unlike last time, my luggage arrived safely with me.

I'm back at the Panafric Hotel. It's truly amazing that most everyone, from the doorman to the woman in the business center, recognized me and welcomed me back. I spent the day napping and reading on and off. More napping than reading. I woke up this morning and am feeling well rested and ready to take on the day.

I'll be running errands today. I've got to go to the technical bookstore to look at some HIV/AIDS materials that I can use in updating the curriculum while I am here. I also need to get my bus ticket to Bungoma on Friday. And finally, I get to see if I can have my laptop repaired since the screen was broken in route. Not sure that I can do that, but I think that I may be able to use it by hooking it up to a monitor.

I am going to the Kibera slums with the concierge this afternoon. He has a project there with AIDS orphans. It is always difficult to be up front on my not being able to support a new project, but I did say that I could do a small donation. He knows me from the last time I was here, but didn't realize that I was HIV+ until a mentioned it yesterday. He really didn't believe me and said that there is no HIV in America. It took some convincing, but he finally agreed that I could have HIV.

I will be going to the Ruarake area tomorrow afternoon to meet with another group. Two of the volunteers that were in Bungoma with us last year have supported this group. I am delivering a digital camera and some money on their behalf. The group were union organizers in the garment district. The government squashed their efforts and have blacklisted them from being able to work in the factories. They have formed a welfare league to support the workers and provide HIV education and testing. They recently did testing for a large group and are now dealing with the results. Those that are negative are trying to be supportive of those that have tested positive. Those that are positive are trying to comprehend the results and deal with the stigma that is still so very pervasive. I am going to meet with them and share my experiences.

Not much else to report. It is exciting to be back in Kenya and I'm exciting about making it to Bungoma on Friday evening.

Lots of Babies at the Masai Mara

I just arrived back into Nairobi after 3 days at the Masai Mara Game Reserve. The game drives were wonderful and the game viewing fantastic. It's so strange to see the animals so upclose. Unlike the zoos, there are an enormouse number of flies and insects buzzing around the animals. It's no wonder that you always see twitching and swatting their tails in the nature films. There was also an overwhelming number of babies.

There are both the "Big Five" and the "Big Nine" in terms of African animals. It was originally the Big Five in terms of what hunters would want to kill on safaris of days gone by. The Big Nine are elephants, water buffalos, hippos, zebras, giraffes, lions, leopards, cheetahs, and rhinoceros. I managed to see all of them except for the leopards. They are always elusive and nobody from where we were staying had seen any while we were there. However, the others more than made up for it.

The elephants were so numerous. The largest herd we saw was a group of 20. Although I saw the babies at the Sheldrick Elephant Trust, to see them playing with there mothers and other youngsters was very exciting.

Giraffes were just as numerous and we saw a herd of 18 as well as many smaller ones. Our guide said that one of the babies was probably not more than a couple of days old. I'm not sure which would be worse, birthing and elephant of birthing a giraffe. Fortunately, I won't ever have to find out.

We always saw the lions in the heat of the late afternoon or shortly after sunrise. Therefore, they were always like housecats just laying lazily in the sun. However, I would not want to be outside of the vehicle no matter how lazy they appear. They are quite large and would not want to experience their jaws closing down on me. The babies were a bit more playful.

I feel like a broken record in terms of naming an animal and then repeating just about the same thing for each one. That being said, the hippos were very numerous in groups of about 30 or 40. They mainly just wallow in the water and pop their heads up every so often, but are fun to watch none the less.

I'll wrap it up with the huge numbers of antelopes. There are dik diks, impala, hartebeests, topis, and several others whose names are escaping me. Also sighted were hyenas, jackals, wart hogs (truly ugly but fun to watch), and too many birds.

Geri and I are back in Nairobi for overnight. We will be leaving for Lamu on the coast in the morning. Then back to Nairobi on Monday afternoon before flying back late that night/Tuesday morning.

Final Days in Bungoma

Saturday was a big day for a farewell celebration at the Manning Training Square where we donated the embroidery machine. It was quite the party. All of the volunteers joined us for the event. When we arrived we found that they had made farewell signs (with markersw and flipchart paper that Geri had given them) for the two of us. Once again the entire community came out to show support.

It is very remarkable to think what the embroidery machine means to them. Everyone made speeches about what the machine means in terms of the school and the livelihood of the students. Mike's (the director of the school) parents were there and spoke. Apparently his father had donated the land that the school sits on. If you don't remember from the last post, the school is literally in the middle of a huge area of sugar cane.

The band played music again and there was lots of dancing and celebration. We had to move the dancing outside because the heat inside the room was too much to bear. The food this time was even better than the first time around. Chicken, beef, chipatis, mashed bananas, cabbage, and other things I can't remember. Suffice it to say that we all went away stuffed.

Sunday morning was very sad as we said goodbye. Reuben drove us into town to catch the bus back to Nairobi. He started to cry as he said goodbye and that, of course, set Geri and me off as well. The work to be done in the area is so great and I'm glad that I was able to do at least part of it.

The ride back to Nairobi was a little over 8 hours. The roads are so bad in some spots that progress is very slow. It was strange to be back in Nairobi as it seemed like ages since we left in December. There is a big human/social rights conference going on so there are quite a few Europeans and other non-African people. It really is strange to see mzungus. In Bungoma we were truly part of a very small handful of non-Africans.

We will head out in an hour or so for the Masai Mara Game Reserve. It is an area that abuts Tanzania and the Serengetti. We'll be there for three days of safari and then back to Nairobi for one night and then on to the coast. We have just a week left in Kenya and I'm sure the time will fly by quickly.

My Last Week in Bungoma

I didn't realize that it had been so long since I left and entry in the blog. The last week here in Bungoma has been going by so quickly. If anything, the final impression is that I should never complain as some people here have problems so much worse than mine.

On Wednesday Shayna and I went to visit a group of HIV+ individuals that live in what we would describe as a sub-division of Bungoma. Richard, or translator and Reuben's brother, set the meeting up as he is also a counselor for people with HIV. The section of town is a very poor area. We met in the village elders home which was just two rooms that were maybe 15x15. The other homes were in several long buildings that were divided into one room "apartments." There were 18 HIV+ individuals just within that tiny community.

The stories were heartbreaking. The village elder was probably about my age or maybe a bit younger. He had already lost his wife and was caring for the children with the help of his mother. ALso living with him was his sister who had lost her husband and also had children.

Another young woman had lost her husband, had a seven year old and 3 year old twins. She was afraid to get any of them tested because she said she woulod feel so guilty if she had passed the virus on to them. Another woman's husband refused to get tested even though she was positive.

We spent some time talking about HIV and I shared experiences with them as they questioned me about how long I had been postive, how healthy was I, etc. Some of them are in medical care but others are too afraid to go back to the doctor. And, many of them have not had their children tested.

One of the fun things of the day was this one little boy that was there watching me. I was the first white person he had seen and so he wasn't sure what to make of me. After a while he did come up to me to touch my skin to see if it was real. He tried to rub it to see if the white came off. In time he was playing with me and showing me his toys which were all made out of leftover parts from soe sort of machine.

Tomorrow we have been invited back to the technical school for a celebration of some sort for giving them the embroidery machine. It will end up being an all day affair. They already told us that it was going to be 10AM to Noon East African Time. That means that it will likely start at 11 or 11:30 and go on until whenever. I'm not sure what they are plannning but it will likely be big.

On Sunday morning we head back to Nairobi in the morning. We are taking the Easy Coach which is a nice bus that only makes limited stops in the 2 main cities. It'll be about an 8-9 hour ride. After one night in Nairobi we'll head out to the Masai Mara for a safari.

Weekend In Kisumu

We are down to just 6 volunteers and everyone wanted to go to Kisumu for the weekend so we commandeered the Pajero and headed out Saturday morning. It is a little over 2 hours of driving. The first have of the road is some of the best I have been on in Kenya. The second have of the road makes up for the first have. It's so-so in terms of potholes, but has enough speed bumps to really drive you crazy. They put speed bumps everywhere and not just in the market areas you drive through. Anyway we made it.

Kisumu is south of Bungoma and is the third largest city in Kenya. It sits on the shores of Lake Victoria. It is very strange because you see so many mzungus (non-Africans/caucasians). In Bungoma, aside from us at ICODEI, you only see a few others that volunteer at another local organization.

Geri and I stayed at the Imperial while the others were at a less expensive guest house. The Imperial was such a splurge because it had a TV (with CNN), hot showers, big beds, and AIR CONDITIONING. It wasn't all that expensive and what a treat! It wasn't a late day, so we actually got to enjoy it.

After getting cleaned up, we met the others for lunch and then were going to go shopping for souveigners. However, the brakes did not seem to be working. I checked the fluid which was low and so added more. That didn't seem to help so I looked again and you could see that it had all emptied out by the front right tire. We went to a gas station where there is a mechanic. The funny thing is that the mechanic then takes you to this big outdoor "mechanics shop" where they do the work. I wish that I could post the pictures. We ended up getting new brake pads put on for about $25 plus $15 in labor. Car problems are always par for the course, but the can be stressful.

We finished up and decided to go on to the market for souveigner shopping. Kisumu is apparently much cheaper than Nairobi. It was near the Kisumu Museum, but it was not an easy find. Many of the roads aren't marked, so it took a few, or many, wrong turns before we made it. Everyone did their shopping.

We had planned on going to Hippo Point to see the hippos, but the clouds were rolling in and I was tired. We decided to wait and go in the morning. After dropping the others off, we went back to the hotel to enjoy the room. Geri had a couple of screwdrivers and I had my Coke. We ordered room service, took our second HOT showers, and watched CNN and another channel that had a CSI episode. The storm definitely arrived with some loud thunder and very close lightening strikes. I was probably asleep by 8 or so.

In the morning, we went out to Hippo Point and rented a boat to take us out to see the hippos. They only come on land at night so a boat is a must. They took us out and we got to see a group of about 6. They are so funny as they have just their ears above water but then will lift their whole heads up and snort at you.

The ride back seemed like a very long one. The speed bumps are so bad and I it the same one, that is just over the crest of a hill, that I hit when coming back from Kisumu before. I was in a stressed mood by the end of the ride and was my usual pleasant self.

I drove into town alone and picked up the water pump that Geri, another volunteer, and I pitched in to buy. They were overwhelmed with the present and so grateful. It was about $125/each for us, but will make a world of difference for them. Their well serves them, the school, the volunteers, and a number of families that walk their to get water. It'll be know more hauling up of buckets using a rope. Hopefully, it will get installed in the next day or two.

Graduation Day and My Last Trip to Mulimani

Friday was graduation day for my last Empower class and it definitely was an emotional one. It has been such a wonderful experience to be here and so it was sad to know that I wouldn't be teaching another class. All six of us volunteers made the trip since there were no other programs scheduled for the day. We had to stop in town to pick up the graduation cake for the class.

I'm happy to say that all of the students passed the exam with very good scores. Most of the people were in the 80's or 90's. I think that we spent so much question and answer time at the beginning of each class that they really understood the material.

I got a little emotional at the end of handing out certificates. In Kenyan culture, if you want to show respect in a handshake, you place your left hand on the bend in you elbow as you are shaking the person's hand. Every student did that as I gave them their certificates. It is very humbling to have that done. I didn't realize until Mary (my translator), the class coordinator, and Reuben all expressed how much my disclosing my status meant to the community and the students. It just isn't something that is done forthrightly.

Like the last graduation class, they sang songs for us as we cut the cake. There was definitely a lot more picture taking this time. First, the other volunteers were taking a lot of pictures and then the class had someone that had a digital camera taking pictures. Graduations are a very big deal.

One of the best things was that I got to take pictures with the little boy that ALWAYS stood by the road to wave at me both going and coming to class. We had stopped the day before so Mary could speak to his mother and invite hime to the graduation. I always knew that it would be a good day when I saw him. He is only about 3 or 4 and I'm not sure that he knew for sure what was going on.

As usual, we had car problems going home. One of the back tires had a large crack/tear on the sidewall so we had to stop and get that changed. I think I've written before that the tires here all have inner tubes, so changing tires is not always necessary if you think the tube is okay. But, when I'm hauling all the people, it got changed. Labor is a strange thing here as it only cost 50 shillings, or about 75 cents.

I Can't Bring Home the Bacon, But I Can Bring Home the Chicken

Tuesday was the big day for delivering the embroidery machine to the trade school. Geri had been to the place before, but it was a first for me. It was about a 30 minute drive from the farm, but I don't think it was that far in distance. I say I don't think, because there is no way I could get there by myself if I tried. We went out to the main road, turned left at the road to St. Theresa's Secondary School, and then it was all sugar cane fields. We drove and turned a few times and then all of the sudden we came to a clearing with a building sitting in it.

The school was originally set up to train girls that had dropped out of school for various reasons, such as pregnancy. Nothing new, huh? Now it also serves men who are trained in carpentry and masonry. Don't think of training in the same since as in the US. It is very basic and the school is very small. They have no begun to train pre-schoolers, but there is no physical room for them.

They had a program arranged for us. First, they all introduced themselves and gave a brief history of the school. Then, we introduced ourselves and received the Kenyan version of applause which consists of these 3 claps and some words. The whole community turned out for the event. Not counting children there wer probably 50 people or so. It may not seem like much, but since we hadn't really passed many houses on our way in, it sure seemed surprizing.

The "band" that played all had homemade instruments that our native to their tribe our culture. I really should not have put band in quotation marks, because they were a trued band for their culture. I have to admit that the instruments were nice to listen to, but the man that sang needed some more training.

It could have turned into an all day event, but we told them early on that we had to be back to the farm by 2:30 because our transportation was also a bus for the kids in school. They served us lunch which was a banquet unlike what I had seen since being out in Western Kenya. Not only did we have meat, but we had two kinds -- chicken and beef. We also had potatoes, ugali (I'll explain that one another time), rice and sukumo wiki (I'll explain that one later as well). They were truly grateful.

As we left, the director of the school explained that because of the time constraints and such, they had not been able to feed us properly. So, he presented Geri and I with a chicken to take home and fix in a "delicious and proper way using good spices." The chicken was kind of nice looking as chickens go. They wrapped it's feet in jute so that it was easier to tuck under my arms and carry away.

The chicken had one night of freedom on the farm, but it got cooked last night. I'm glad I didn't have to wring it's neck, but it was really delicious.

I will try to get anothet entry in tomorrow. Some volunteers have lefted and three more have arrived. They seem very pleasant and will make the rest of our time enjoyable. I think that if we can have one of the cars, we will all drive down to Kisumu this weekend. It sits on Lake Victoria and is famous, for among other things, Hippo Point. You guessed it, a lot of hippos hang out there. I hope all is well wherever you are sitting and reading this.

Odds and Ends, Bits and Pieces

I thought that would would get caught up on some of the miscellaneous things that I never seem to have time to write about. I was supposed to go visit with some HIV Support Groups today, but the communication with Julius (the person arranging it all) seemed to have gotten lost. It's a little frustrating, but I'll get over it and it allows for a day of "catch up."

Geri and I had so much laundry and we were both dreading it, so Reuben got a woman from the area to come and do it for us. It's a win-win situation for both as she makes some extra money and I am saved the hassle of doing laundry by hand. I've come into town to do a lot of emailing and some shopping. I have to pick up some gas for the small generator so that I can go home and practice with the embroidery machine. Tomorrow is the day we present it to the class and so I need to know some basics about it.

The trip back from Uganda was very nice. We just didn't feel like being in a matatu so we rented a private driver to get us to the border. It was only $55 each and money very well spent. The car had are conditioning so we were not covered in red dust by the time we got home. Peter picked us up at the border so it was completely matatu free!

I have been wanting to write about transportation here in Kenya. Never call a Kenyan lazy and if they are late getting somewhere it is probably because they spend so much time in the process. People either walk, take a boda-boda (bicycle taxi) or a matatu. No matter how far out of a town or market you are, their are people walking or on a boda-boda. Some of the hills here are very steep and it is not uncommon to see someone pushing a bicycle loaded down it something heavy up the hill. That something can be anything from wood, chairs, metal doors, coal, chickens. You name it, they haul it. It just amazes me.

Last week was the start of my second Empowerment class. We met on Wed, Thurs, and Fri. Geri went with me and taught some of the sections as well. Kenyans are even more quiet about sex than Americans. They just don't talk about it with parents or elders. We actually did an exercise where the men had to say vagina and the woman penis as we went around the room one by one. We will meet again this Wed, Thurs, and Fri.

The time is flying by at this point. I will be happy to return home, yet very sad at the same time. There is so much that needs to be done and we are way to spoiled in the US. Just the act of getting water, clean or otherwise, is a chore. You can only get clothes so clean when you are washing them in a river or stream that is obviously not clear. That same stream may provide your drinking water. The other option is that you walk a distance to get water from a community well.

I should probably wrap this up and get on with my day. I have to go to a print shop to print out a document, visit the grocery and then get gas for the generator.

Rafting, Swimming, and yes... Peeing in the Nile

Sorry that I am so behind on entries, but last week was a hectic one and access to the internet was very limited. When I was able to get to the internet cafe, it was even slower than usual so I wasn't able to do much writing.

Geri, a new volunteer named Shayna, and I headed over to Jinja, Uganda on Friday afternoon. It is quite interesting to cross the border. Fortunately, Reuben was with us to guide the way. First, you fill out forms on the Kenyan side of the border. Next, you cross into a No-Man's Land of a couple hundred yards before you are officially in Ugandan. On the Ugandan side you fill out Ugandan forms and pay your $30. Then, you walk another quarter mile or so to catch a matatu (in Uganda these are called taxis).

The Ugandan exchange rate is confusing. There are about 68 Kenyan Shillings to the US Dollar and 24 Ugandan Shillings to the Kenyan Shillings. So our ride to Jinja was 15,000 Ugandan Shillings or roughly$9.

The matatu was crowded with 17 passengers, including driver. The three of us were in the last row with our bags piled on our laps. It made for a long 2 1/2 trip. The road is the main highway that goes from Mombassa, Kenya through Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the Congo and then turns south towards South Africa. At best, it is two lanes of paved tarmac and many other times it is just dirt/clay. We all looked red by the time we arrived in Jinja. At one point, we heard a big pop and realized that one half of the sliding window by Geri had popped out and shattered on the road.

The tented camp we are staying at is quite nice and has HOT showers. It's been 3 weeks since truly hot water so they felt great. We ate and went to bed early because the rafting trip was starting at 8:30.

In the morning, we caught a ride down to the rafting headquareters and then over to the start of the ride. The Victorian Nile is the beginning of the Nile as it leaves Lake Victoria and travels North. There were 3 6 man rafts, a few rescue kayakers and the safety boat. Most of the rapids we travelled through were class 4 and 5 with a few smaller 3's and 2's.

Unlike in the US, they like to flip the boats because there aren't any huge rocks. So, we flipped a total of 3 times during the course of the day. I fell out another time but was able to keep ahold of the rope. The only real fatality was that I chipped my front tooth when I was under on the last flip. But, hey, how many people can claim that when they go to the dentist.

Parts of the river were slow enough that we could get in the water and float along with the boat. Yes, you guessed it... I had to go and so I did. I figured, millions of people have peed somewhere along the course of the Nile and so I did to.

It's the next morning and I am still sore, but it was worth it. We are hiring a car to drive us back to the border because it will be a lot more comfortable and doesn't cost that much.

Excuse the grammar in this blog, I know that I switched tenses all over the place, but tough.

Visit to an HIV/AIDS Orphanage

Let's try this post again. I was about 4 paragraphs into typing when the screen blinked and I lost everything. Frustrating, but I'll get over it.

Seeing as how Geri and I were probably asleep by 9 on New Year's Eve, we were up very early and on the road back to the farm. We made record time as there was absolutely no traffic. We pulled into the farm in time for coff/tea and brakfast.

It was the last day on the farm for Phil and Maggie from Canada. They were heading to Kisumu to meet her brother and sister-in-law for some sightseeing and family history hunting. They were both bron in Kenya and wanted to try to find some family records. We agreed to drive them to Kakamega where they were spending the night and making a donation to an HIV/AIDS orphanage on behalf of a friend. Geri and I pulled together some of the school supplies so that we could add them to the gift.

The building itself is a new one for the children. They moved into it from an older on in August. It still has some work to be done but is very nice. For example, it is wired for electricity, but will need to have the wires run from the main road when funding permits.

The home has 38 children but only 20 were there for our visit. The others had gone home for 2 weeks to visit what family was still living. The head of the place, Veronica, never lets them go for more than that because they come back with problems like malnurishment or ring worm. The stigma is still so great that the relatives don't always take care of them. Or, the few remaining relatives may be ill or poor and so the environment is simply not a healthy one. The 20 children their are completely alone and have no relative alive or willing to accept them. The children range from about 3 years to 16. Some were still very shellshocked, but many seemed to be happy and playful.

The chldren sang for us, recited a poem about children's rights, and laughed and giggled as we shared the spirit of the day. There are so many orphans in Kenya and Africa, but is was good to see that these were being taken care of. Veronica said that she had been abused as a child and so she knows the pain that some of the children are going through. When they arrive, they are very withdrawn but they come out of it over time. It defintely makes me count my blessings and be happy for the support of my family, friends and communty.

I know that I am still behind on blogging, but this will have to do for today. I will try to get caught up over the weekend. We are finally going to make it to Uganda tomorrow and I'm hoping to have some time and better access to a computer.