Are we there yet??

Day 21 – Friday, February 19, 2010

Today we travelled and travelled and travelled. It was a really fun combie to be in: my mom, the teens and their moms, and Danelle, one of the nurses who is really sweet. We were supposed to have a 3.5 – 5 hour ride (yep I know that’s quite a range), but it ended up being 8.5 hours. Over 3 of those hours was on a road that was so bumpy, I actually appreciated having a seatbelt on to keep my head from hitting the roof! It was unbelieveable how uncomfortable we all were for so long, but yet no one in the combies complained about the length of time. Not having a watch certainly helped…. But really people weren’t upset. I don’t think I’ve ever been a part of a group that was so collectively easy-going.

We arrived in Tsavano Animal Reserve and had a 22km ride to the Kilaguni Serena Safari lodge within the reserve, and got to animal watch the whole way! We saw giraffes, a kind of deer, the most beautiful blue bird that I’m sure was just like Zazu on Lion King, wart hogs, and a lot of elephant dung. That was hopeful for the next day! We were completely covered in dirt from the open windows all day long, but we all just thought we had a nice tan. J This illusion was shattered when we stepped off the combie to hot hand towels to wash our face and hands with and saw the white cotton turn to an ugly brown! We went in and had a lovely lunch around 530pm, with the plan to return for dinner around 8pm. Holy cow was this place gorgeous! This is the Kenya most tourists see. The lodge overlooks a beautiful water hole, that tons of animals were just sitting at, completely oblivious to us. It was unbelieveably surreal. Plus the food was so much more like what we were used to … and there was bread and cheese! My two favorite things that I have not had in so long! We went skipping to our rooms after dinner and were amazed to see them. Not a single thing was wrong. We were all so tolerant and easy going about our past rooms, that this beauty was really a shock. The mosquito net goes all around the beds, so as not to impose on you as you sleep. The shower is self contained with beautiful tiling. The toilet has a lid. There are mirrors everywhere. Oh, and apparently there is a problem with baboons coming and stealing stuff off your balcony. What a cool problem!?! Oh oh oh! I missed the best part….they have a gift shop, someone to do laundry for you, and a spa! My mom and I ran to the gift shop and bought stuff for the first time all trip! We have beautiful bracelets, new beaded sandals, and some other goodies! I will have clean laundry tomorrow for a mere $10! All meals are included! Wow we have really arrived. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief during ‘lunch’ as we were finally able to relax. I now know why the safari wasn’t after the first weekend. As I was leaving dinner, my mom and I booked a pedicure for the next day (for our new sandles) and I put down a $40 deposit to get a hair dryer! Yes everyone, my hair is soft and looks like hair for the first time in weeks! It is also surprisingly long. This also means I took a warm shower for the first time in weeks….not scalding hot or freezing cold! Wow! Wow! Wow! This is really energizing for the next week in Mombasa! Tomorrow morning we leave for a safari at 6am so I better call it a night, but golly gee is this a fun trip! My mom said it best ‘this is worth taking 1000 people’s temperature!’ J

Summary: So far the safari is already incredible! I can’t wait for tomorrow!

Books read: 9 (Left behind prequel book 2…only one more!)

Drug Renegades

Day 20 – Thursday, February 18, 2010

Today was the last day. My task was paperwork in the morning….I’m collecting all of the forms and inputting them in a database so we can have a better idea what drugs are used, the most desired prescription of glasses, etc. This is somewhat boring but a nice break, (plus I get to listen to music)! Then the power went out and my battery was completely dead, so I had to find a new task to occupy my time. I went out with Suzanne (the coordinator for Chalice…i.e. the boss), and one of the new girls who arrived: Tracy. We handed out Albendazole (anti parasite) and a huge vitamin A dose to everyone who didn’t get seen. Vitamin A is especially helpful for their eyesight as the dust and sun just reek havoc on the local’s eyes! To those in the vision clinic that don’t need glasses, we give hats or sunglasses to try to help prolong their good eyesight. Anyway, the people who were seen inside would all get these medicines, and we didn’t want to leave that people that couldn’t be seen with nothing. It was an interesting task as one of the pills had to be chewed and the other swallowed. Also, we opened the gates to distribute the pills, set up a table there, and people walked up. We had water to help the pills go down and I really would have thought people would have a couple of glasses, but the people outside the gate would drink ½ and throw the other half on the ground. This is the first time this wasteful behavior was displayed. Normally, people were so careful about water, not even the kids spilled. So, we poured ½ as much water in the cup. Same thing…people would toss half of it out. We have no idea if that was supposed to be an insult, but we just kept saying ‘asante…kwaheri’ (thank you….good bye) afterwards to be kind. This was more of what I expected we’d be doing in Kenya as it was a little crazy and more renegade, (it could never be done in the states!), but apparently this is along the lines of what we’ll do in Mombasa.

Afterwards we went to the school and they performed the most incredible dances for us! Better than any we had seen before! The girls’ hips moved in about 50 directions. I’m impressed when I can make mine swing left and right while I walk! Well of course they pulled a few of us up and stage with them and didn’t we look completely ridiculous in comparison. Even when they were swaying there were about 4 separate motions to the movement! After a heartfelt goodbye to the sisters…it is clear they run a tight ship and it shows. Chalice has been sponsoring the area for a number of years and about ½ of the children in the school, and they had the highest graduation rate (for 8^th grade) in their whole district! Plus all of the children looked healthy, unlike in Mikinduri where help has been available for a much shorter period. When we were leaving we had a nice walk through the town of Kamugongo, trying to meet up with the combie. It felt great to stretch your legs and see the town. And as usual we got quite the stares. We were moving to the safari the next day, so this was our last evening in town. It was a nice, low-key one, with everyone relaxing and sharing a drink.

Summary: Gave drugs to people on the street….literally.

Books read: 8 (Left behind prequel series…not good but I bought the other 2 so I’ll read them…)

Poker and Church...not in that order

Day 19 – Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Not much happened that was different than the previous day. I have really enjoyed getting to know everyone but am saddened with the idea that so many people are leaving on Sunday and I’m staying on an extra week. :*( My mom, the teenagers, the dentist and his wife. They’re all really sweet and I think the last week will miss something without them. I taught the teens how to play blackjack and poker, and have been collecting bottlecaps all week (from the nuns) in order to show them betting. Their parents are aware, but I’m pretty sure they’re not too impressed. Oh well! I also taught them high low today, haha! (no drinks…don’t worry!)

 

There was a beautiful mass today for Ash Wednesday, in this quaint little church that was decorated by the kids. The front half of the pews were filled with children from the school, and the interesting part was, I didn’t see a teacher in sight. All of the kids sat through mass without making a peep. If that were the states, there’d by a teacher on every row just to minimize the talking and figiting, and having gone to parochial school, I am sure of this! There one was little baby who sat in front of me and cried anytime a mazungo (white person) looked at her; she would go into hysterics! It was especially funny because her dad was one of our translators, and couldn’t have been any nicer!

 

Summary: Fun day corrupting youth…..while doing good in the vision clinic.

 

Vision Clinics on the Go!

Day 18 – Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Mercy Care Clinic, near Mwengi in the town of Kamugongo, is run by a group of Franciscan nuns from India. My goodness can they get things done! We’re no longer on African time with them. With the help of the locals, they built an amazing medical facility in 2003. Sister Bastian taught the locals how to make cement. She’d send them down to the dry river to collect buckets of sand to mix for the building. After a week in Mikinduri where so much was outside, this facility was ‘heavenly’.

A typical day for us: We have a great big breakfast at our hotel around 7am and get in the combie at 7:30 for a 30 minute very bumpy ride. When we arrive at Mercy Care Clinic, we go to our separate stations, and start with a prayer every morning. Then we meet at 11am for tea the sisters have prepared and a treat called Mondazi, like a doughnut. We are all starving for lunch at 1pm, but are so amazed every time for how tasty the food is. There’s an incredible stew, a fresh fruit from the grounds (watermelon, papya, etc), amazing Chapati (African pancakes that are tortilla-like), a coleslaw, and corn flour (a maize-like substance). Also there is often a special treat….a soda! We go back for a few more hours work, then head back to the hotel for a nice evening. Dinner is around 7pm, and I’m never hungry for how much I ate at lunch! We had a special dinner treat on Monday night: French fries and fried fish!

On Wednesday, the vision team split off in the morning to do local visits of local huts, more specifically Danelle, Alana, Ryann, Edwin, Jordan, Emily, George, Jenny, Theresa, Jo Ann, Cheri, Ted, and Greg. Here are thoughts from that group: They dropped us off in the middle of nowhere, where we walked up and down a crazy path where the local women were wearing heels! We arrived at a very humble farm that was very clean. They had a separate storage hut above ground with a thatched roof. There was a small hut for a house that is primarily a sleeping area. The third hut was the cooking area. The other two places we visited were similar, but the roof varied between tin and sticks and mud, and the walls were sticks and mud or home-made bricks. One man cultivated honey and he put 5 hollow logs high in a tree to attract the bees. They climb the trees once a year and get 50 litres of honey! It was ridiculously hot on this visit!

Meanwhile the vision clinic was running back at Mercy Care Clinic, and 5 workers (Karen, Greg B, Cat, Shawna, and Libby) saw 100 people! In vision today, there was a woman I tested who was 101! Shawna adds, she wanted reading glasses for sewing! What an inspiration!

Later in the afternoon, the group went to a local town and did an off-site vision clinic. It was the home town of one of our translators, and we met her grandmother: the chief of the town! We set up in a miraculous 5 minutes in the local school and were operating in no time! We helped 40 people in the local town! Theresa adds, the best part, there were no speeches! After the clinic we got back to Mercy Care Clinic in time for Ash Wednesday mass. As we were leaving for the hotel, all of the children burst into a simultaneous cheer! It was awesome! Jo Ann recalls, as one little girl yelled after we send ‘bye’, ‘hi I’m fine!’ It was totally adorable!

Shawna has been doing double duty in the vision and dental clinic. Here are some of her thoughts: I’m assisting Bill (the dentist). This entails loading the needles, passing the instruments, calming the patients, identifying which tooth is the problem, and other dental assist acts. It’s been a great team this year. Mwengi is the first time we’ve had a smoking hot shower. (We need to be careful what we wish for as the hot shower is unbearably hot!) Today we pulled 21 teeth in the afternoon, because Dr Bill hurt his foot and spent the morning in town getting an xray. Luckily there were no broken bones, and he got to go eat lunch with the nuns today. Yesterday, Dr Bill pulled 30 teeth! Bill and Shawna say: Hallelujah, Amen! We got through another day again!

From Karen: When counters were needed in the pharmacy, Cat and Karen leaped into action! Karen’s highlight was learning how to cut pills without crushing them! They counted pills into smaller bottles. Karen related a funny situation: Cat and I were sitting there pretending we could do this job. Ryan hands us a bottle and asked for 40 pills. Neither of us could get the bottle open! We thought it was childproof! Well Wycliffe made us feel better by pulling out a knife to open the bottle! It was a blast but Karen will stick to running the vision ‘kingdom’.

Today has obviously been a very busy day, and we’re quite happy to relax back at our hotel. We are just past the ½ point for most of the volunteers. We miss our families and are so appreciative of everything we’re experienced here so far!

Summary: Crazy day! Super fun! I held 2 babies!

From the Teens

Day 17 – Monday, February 15, 2010

Compiled by Alana (13), Jordan (14), and Emily (14) Jewell and Ryann Jinks (14) (with typing aid from Libby).

We visited four schools while the clinics were running: 3 in Mikinduri and one in Mwengi. In each school we went into classes and talked about Canada. The children had an opportunity to ask questions and they mostly cared about the rulers of Canada. They thought we had kings and presidents. They taught us about forestry in Canada and the changing relationships in Africa. They asked us about pastimes (sports). They didn’t understand ice hockey, ringette, or skating, as snow was such a foreign concept. They didn’t believe there was transportation in the winter either. Their textbooks were outdated, like they thought the main transportation of logs was via rivers.

The children had plaid and solid uniforms, with collared shirts. The girls are never in pants and do not show their shoulders or knees. Since most of their heads were shaved to prevent lice and to help them concentrate on class, it was hard to tell the girls from boys. At the secondary school, when we handed out soccer balls, we met a future soccer player: Joachim Mutethia. He was so good, we got his autograph. He was juggling the ball for 5 minutes straight!

Then we visited the primary school where the children surrounded us, even before we were at the entrance gate. Jordan said it was as if we were breaking into a bee hive and they swarmed us. We had a least 6 kids on each arm; it was impossible to walk!

The third school we went to was a secondary school 20 minutes down an extremely long bumpy road. We were rattled, literally. It was like a roller coaster ride, but it wouldn’t stop! Once we got there, we were greeted by the principal and we visited form 2 (grade 10) and started the t-shirt exchange. We tried to explain the plan, but no one understood, so we had Patronilla (the coordinator of the school visits) repeat it in again in English. It turns out they just couldn’t understand our accent. Emily and Theresa (an adult team-member) handed out the t-shirts and pictures. Everyone was really excited! Ryann took pictures of each person while Alana took their names and ages. Sadly the next day, one of the team-members was looking through the pictures and accidentally wiped the card! All of our pictures were gone, including the t-shirt exchange pictures! We felt awful but since we were leaving the next day, we knew our classmates would understand.

Today’s school experience had a dramatically different feel. We were in the primary school attached to the convent where we held the clinic (Mercy Care Clinic in Mwengi). The school consisted of 300 students who according to the Sisters, got the highest marks in the area. Many of them are orphans due to a high percentage of HIV/AIDS. We were in the school to perform HIV testing for the many children sponsored by Chalice. The nurses (Danelle and Jennie) pricked the children’s fingers and collected the blood. Ryann and Alana comforted the children with finger puppet shows and provided gauze. At the time, Emily was helping the nurses station taking blood pressure, respiratory, temperature, and heart rate. Jordan was helping one of the nuns at the laboratory, who couldn’t speak English and kept mispronouncing Jordan’s name. (Emily and Jordan had problems with the blood). It was sad, especially since three of the children out of the 122 tested positive while we were there, but we know they will have access to medication and ‘learn how to live positive lives’ (according to Nicholas, one of the testers).

The differences between the schools here are from one extreme to the other, but the teachers in every school said that the smartest children were nearly always the poorest. One such girl was Caroline, the girl from the first blog, and is in the attached picture. (Peace Easy)

More Chickens

Day 16 – Sunday, February 14, 2010

So we started off today by going to mass (it’s Sunday). In Africa, a Catholic mass is so much more lively than even the Baptists in the States. There is a pulse to the mass that everyone in it is part of the celebration. It makes you think about how excited the apostles must have been. The choir was easily 50 people, and every song automatically had about 15 different harmonies. It was incredible! I don’t think my ears even heard or could distinguish the different tones within each song! Also there were a group of 20 kids, 5-10 year olds, that danced up the aisle in front of the alter boys (but behind the initial alter boy with the cross), and to bring up the gifts, and to present the book for reading. Now I say they danced because it was gorgeous, but really it was more of a shuffle. However, every one of them were in perfect unity shuffling from side to side, and slightly up the aisle. Really there’s no way to sufficiently explain it, but it was beautiful. Mass was 2-1/2 hours long, though as much as I’m shocked to say this, it didn’t feel like it. Plus it was in the local tongue of Kombo, so not a lot was understood, but the priest did repeat the homily in English for us.

Of course we were the center of attention. Every child had their eyes turned on us and when we’d smile, they’d coyly turn away then look through their hands to see if we were still smiling. The coolest part of mass was during the bringing of the gifts. One little girl brought a live rooster, with it’s legs tied, put it on the alter, and left it there as if this were completely common. Apparently (if you read a previous blog), chickens are something that are highly coveted and a big gift. The crazy part was the rooster just sat there, didn’t make a peep; I think it knew it was in church too! No one really would have noticed it was there if you didn’t see the girl carrying it up.

Also I noticed the local people were surprisingly short (in height). I was average height (at 5’5”) with only a handful of people taller than me. That is not a feeling I experience very often. Everyone was very dressed up and there was a clear dichotomy in the population. The wealthy had very nice clothes and extensions, and poor people did not. Every child there, as I previously noticed, was perfectly behaved, didn’t squirm at all, and some as young as 10 were even there alone (without parents).

After mass, we took a combie to the clinics to set up for tomorrow. Apparently our new site is a 40 min drive each way. That will be a bummer, but the road isn’t too bad, and I plan to bring a book. The clinics are set in a local convent run by Franciscan nuns from India. The ladies that run the permanent clinic are lovely and enjoyed my very poor Swahili. We had a small valentine’s day celebration with decorations and red plates, and a few of us (mom and I included) brought chocolate for everyone else. It was fun! I got a card from my dad and one from my mom with a cute small gift. Plus the Sees chocolate I brought my mom are miraculously in perfect condition! Not melted in the slighted! I spent the remainder of the day relaxing and inputting data. That’s the problem with having my own room…I’ll use it to stay up late when I should be asleep….like now! Night! I hope you all had a fantastic Valentine’s!

Summary: Mass had a lively pulse but was not brief.

Read: 7 books (the new Miley Cyrus/Nicholas Sparks movie: last song….really good!)

On the Move

Day 15 – Saturday, February 13, 2010

Today the plan was to move to the next site in Mwengi with a stop at the Nakumatt (Walmart). This was very exciting as the town we had been in didn’t have stores with supplies at the ready, i.e. toothpaste, diet coke, pillows, whatever. So we had a bit of a delay getting in the vehicles as it was complicated packing all the supplies we needed and fitting the amount of people we had, but I ended up in the fourth row in the middle (there were only 4 rows and ours was the only one with the middle seat). That was fine as I had been lucky enough to get a window seat on the way up. The funny part was, there were so many organizer and planner type personalities that it took everything I had not to offer my two cents. There were too many chiefs (and no Indians necessary).

Anyway we got to the store after ½ an hour and I grabbed my few necessary supplies: chips, soda, rum, and a power adapter as mine had blown the day before. Then we were told there was a 2-1/2 hour drive to lunch. What they left out was that after lunch, there was a 3 hour drive to the next hotel. When we were contemplating stopping for lunch, everyone decided to skip it and go on (once they found out about the three hours) and we’d grab fruit at a stand. This was also a good plan because we had so much junk food from the nakematt, no one was really hungry. So: our combie driver pulls over to a fruit stand on the side of the road, and goes out to buy bananas as they don’t have to be cleaned. All of a sudden, our combie starts rolling down the hill. He had forgot to put the parking break on! It was hilarious! We were all so packed in with suitcases and bags no one could get to the break or front seat, and luckily someone jumped in and stopped us from rolling right into the stand! As we were about to leave, we saw that one of the other combies had a flat tire. So, we all waited as they unloaded the combie, changed the tire and reloaded. Quite a humorous day, with a 3 hour drive ahead! Plus it was a million degrees (okay, maybe 95 F), and no air conditioning!

The Kenyan roads are quite interesting. From what I can tell, there are no speed limits, but every so often, especially before towns, there is a speed bump. In a car I’m sure this is fine, but sitting in the back of the combie, my head was very close to touching the ceiling more than once! They were fun though, and it was always as you were in the middle of a nice nap that one would come up. I did get good reading time though on my Kindle (medium 4 for reading methods if you’re wondering: Computer, audio, paper, and kindle).

Another neat thing about the roads are that the building are all giant advertisements. The most common cell phone here is ‘safari’ (which means journey or trip, fyi). As you’d pass by a building, it could be anything: butcher, barber, convenience store, it would be painted exactly like a billboard. Really neat use of space and very effective. If I needed a Kenyan cell phone, I would certainly use Safari.

Now that we were moving to the Congo area of Africa, it finally looks like you expect. Previously, in Mikinduri and Nairobi, it seems so lush with thousands of trees and green everywhere. Hills and mountains all around, definitely not like the Lion King or Madagascar 2. Here in Mwengi though, I could see Simba hanging out. The plains stretch on for miles, and there are not many elevation changes. The grass looks more straw-like and yellow, and the few trees are more desert trees. I would not call this area lush, but there are still green parts to it. As you’d expect, the temperature increased as well, and the nice breeze seems to have disappeared.

Anyway we got to a very nice hotel. Mwengi is a bigger city than Mikinduri. All of the rooms have toilets and a shower with a hot water tap (yes my standards are quite high now). Plus the rooms are about the same size but these are now considered singles. I won’t argue. I love my mom, but after she blew my converter trying to plug in airplane headphones, I was definitely ready for just a little space. (Oh and I did buy my own pillow at the Nakumatt so life has been good). Additionally, my mom has had problems with migraines based on the bumpiness of transport and I have been staying out later than her, and I feel guilty coming in and waking her. This will alleviate that. Oh – I left out the best part – there’s a pool! It’s not encouraged to drink the water, but apparently it’s clear (enough) and a nice 85 degrees! I could hear my mom’s sighs all the way from my room! Also some of the couples got the honeymoon suites with a bath tub and king size bed. It’s such a cool group, I don’t think people are really jealous, just astounded that it’s available!

We were supposed to have dinner at 715 so we got a few hours to ourselves, but of course in Kenyan time, we didn’t eat until 830. No one cared too much. We played cards and I taught the teenagers black jack. I’m not sure their parents will let them hang out with me much longer…. Anyway, off to my own comfortable bed with clean soft sheets (not the sandpaper ones from the other place).

Summary: We moved locations and are now in what you think Africa should look like!