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.