take a load off Fanny

It's good to be back in the US of A. My travels left me weary but safe. When I first got off of the plane in Heathrow, I hopped on the tube to the center of London. I stepped outside and was overwhelmed by rainfall, electricity, infrastructure, and people EVERYWHERE. I nearly cried. Thankfully I had Mimi and James' familiar faces to greet me and Japanese food to appease my stomach. I spent the night at their flat which I was so thankful for. I would hate to have been stuck in the airport for 19 hours waiting for my next flight. James told me it was the least he could do for his best man.
The next morning I woke at 5:30 am London time, 8:30 am Kenya time and headed to the airport via 2 hours of various forms of London public transportation. As I was sitting on the double decker bus in the early morning, I thought about the independence that I have gained from my travels the past month. I thought about all of the times where I had to "just figure it out" and did. My fellow American students often talked about how this quality is not seen with strong presence in the people of Kenya. Kenyans rely on their brothers and sisters, but do not have unrealistic expectations for others. If something isn't done at the end of the day, hakuna mata (no worries), it will get done eventually. I find this way of life appealing. Maybe we should lean on each other more. We might find more satisfaction with our everyday lives.
There's nothing like seeing your family for the first time after living for weeks in the bush. I had a beautiful homecoming, complete with Claussen kosher dill pickles and lots of cheese (ah life is good in Wisconsin). The past few days have been absolutely refreshing and gave me another opportunity to appreciate just how lucky I am to have my family who support me with everything that I could possibly need and Josh who would still be right by my side, cheering me on if I wanted to fly to the moon or join the circus.
Thank you for following me to Kenya and back. Your comments helped motivate me in so many ways while I was there and I probably would have lost my mind if it hadn't been for your support. I hope I could paint a little picture of my experience in Kenya for you and that you find your adventure bone and go on one yourself someday. It's never too late and I can promise that you won't regret the people you meet, the places you see, and the lessons you learn. Peace!

all i really want to do is baby be friends with you

Hello! Today was the culmination of weeks of hard work, blood (from thorns in the bush), sweat(from long walks between bomas to collect data in the hot sun), and tears (from frustration, exhaustation, and joy). We presented our results and recommendations to over 80 community members of the Mbirikani Group Ranch, stakeholders, and representatives from the Mbirikani Aid Clinic. Mostly babas (husbands) were representing their households. Unfortunately, only a handful of mamas came. This was slightly expected because of the role that the woman plays in this culture as the housekeeper and caregiver. Many of our recommendations were well received by our audience, others not. Topics of pesticide use, diet, and HIV lead to heated debates between community members.
In my time here, I have noticed that a lot of "this is what we have done for years" thrown around. Unfortunately, "what has been done for years" doesn't work with other modern practices that have been adopted by the Maasai. For example, I spoke with a nurse yesterday who informed me that many women do not exclusively breast feed their children anymore simply because Western culture is abandoning the practice. In an area where disease spreads like wildfire, babies can't afford to not have the essential immunities that only breast milk provides.
Our presentation stressed that in order to preserve this society, Maasai must be flexible to change certain practices. They cannot assume all of the burden however; cooperation from NGOS, government officials and the local community must exist. Indeed, public health cannot be addressed by only one sector.
You could not ignore the fact that these people were passionate about the status of their community. They would not have traveled so far on a Sunday, when nearly everyone spends the majority of the day at church, if they didn't.
I'm going to bed tonight feeling incredibly proud to be part of this project. Though I feel like my time has passed without any mercy of slowing down, I know it is time for me to leave. For my first trip in Africa, five weeks provided me with nearly more than I could handle at times. I saw more than I wanted to but didn't really see enough. I'll be back though.

busier than santa at christmas

It’s crunch time at KBC! We have been working long days to write our papers and get ready for our presentation on Sunday. I’m really excited to present our results and our recommendations for the community. My group examined hand hygiene and food preparation practices. Our suggested interventions are low cost, sustainable, and have the potential to reduce rates of diarrhea and respiratory illnesses in the area (google Tippy Tap and Lorena stove). I can’t believe I leave in a week. I imagine it will be difficult for me to adjust back to my old ways and lifestyle. This experience has truly changed my perceptions and values, all for the good! I’m so glad my parents raised me and Kelly to be adventuresome and explore the wider world. I wouldn’t be here otherwise! Sorry this is short, back to work!