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!
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Sunday, August 9, 2009
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.
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.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
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!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
rolling, rolling, rolling on the river
Hi All! Sorry I haven't posted in awhile, we're really busy here at KBC! Last week we completed our data collection and we have been busy entering our data ever since. We are finally sitting down tomorrow to start some analysis. My second day in the field was a stressful one. We were not welcomed at our second boma to say the least. The Mama did not want to be interviewed because she said that people come through all the time, use her for information, and nothing comes of it. She said that she would not give us any of her time unless we give her something. Our guide Solomon explained to her that we are students and we came with nothing. He told her who his family was and that he was a teacher at the local school. She said she knew his parents and she respected him so she allowed us to interview her. It had taken nearly an hour to get her consent for the questionnaire. Throughout the whole interview she kept saying she had no confidence in us and that she didn't want to waste her time, but Solomon insisted that if she were to continue and attend our presentation on August 9th that she would be proud to have been a part of our research. Solomon knew exactly what to say and my partner Annie and I were so thankful to have him as our interpreter and guide. At the next boma, none of the wives wanted to be interviewed so we asked the husband if we could interview him. About half way through the interview, the husband said he did not want to continue and we had to throw out the data he had given us since we can only include questionnaires that are 90% complete. At another boma the wives were also reluctant to be interview so we tried to interview the husband only to discover he was drunk. Finally one of the wives agreed but she stopped about 80% of the way and we had to throw out that data as well. Feeling defeated and exhausted we rested under a tree to have some lunch. Not shortly after we sat down, 6 kids and a young woman came over to our shade. We gave them the rest of our lunches and talked to them through Solomon. It turned out that the young woman was the next person on our list to interview. She was 21 years old with 1 son and 8 months pregnant. I didn't even know that she was pregnant until she told us during the questionnaire. One of our questions about nutrition revealed that she only eats one meal a day. Maasai women purposefully eat less during pregnancy to keep their babies small and make childbirth less painful. A "good weight" for a baby is about 4.4 pounds. I tried to imagine myself living as this woman, who is my own age, does. I can barely take care of a houseplant at this point in my life. It really opened my eyes to a much larger world than I am exposed to in America and made me appreciate the fact that I am able to go to college and get a good education.
On a much lighter note, yesterday was a free day so we decided to go back to Loitokitok to go on a hike. Our group was escorted by the Kenyan Wildlife Service who carried rifles to protect us from any harm. I was a little frightened by the fact that something may need to be shot on this hike, but thankfully we didn't encounter any troubles. We hiked through a dried up river and actually crossed the border into Tanzania! The scenery was beautiful and we had the most incredible view of Kilimanjaro; the elevation made us all huff and puff a little harder than normal. Just taking a deep breath down in the riverbed was enough to rejuvenate me for the next two weeks because the air was so clean and cool in my dusty lungs.
Today we had a celebration (just because!) complete with slaughtering and roasting a goat, sodas, peanut butter bars, and a dance party in the chumba lit by a soccer ball turned disco ball (all you need is a little tinfoil and a flashlight!) It just goes to show that all you really need to have a good time is good company and we have all found that in each other here. That's all for now, take it easy!
On a much lighter note, yesterday was a free day so we decided to go back to Loitokitok to go on a hike. Our group was escorted by the Kenyan Wildlife Service who carried rifles to protect us from any harm. I was a little frightened by the fact that something may need to be shot on this hike, but thankfully we didn't encounter any troubles. We hiked through a dried up river and actually crossed the border into Tanzania! The scenery was beautiful and we had the most incredible view of Kilimanjaro; the elevation made us all huff and puff a little harder than normal. Just taking a deep breath down in the riverbed was enough to rejuvenate me for the next two weeks because the air was so clean and cool in my dusty lungs.
Today we had a celebration (just because!) complete with slaughtering and roasting a goat, sodas, peanut butter bars, and a dance party in the chumba lit by a soccer ball turned disco ball (all you need is a little tinfoil and a flashlight!) It just goes to show that all you really need to have a good time is good company and we have all found that in each other here. That's all for now, take it easy!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
team teamwork!
Today was our first day in the field! I traveled with my partner in crime, Dan, and our translator John. John has been working for SFS for 7 years. Before joining SFS, he worked for an NGO in Kenya that raised money to send Maasai girls to school and to promote their attendance in secondary schools. Traditionally Massai girls are not sent to school, but the community is trying to change that in order to empower their women. I was able to see the impact of the lack of education of women today as we were collecting data.
The questionnaire we developed has 6 sections: demographics, water storage and collection, agricultural practices, household sanitation, hand hygiene and food preparation practices, and household illnesses and episodes. We are viewing these topics through a “health lens” with a goal to identify causes of health problems, low cost, sustainable interventions, and any barriers to interventions. Many of our questions inquire about sensitive issues like HIV, opportunistic infections associated with HIV (tuberculosis), sexually transmitted infections, toileting practices, etc. We had to throw out a lot of these questions in our initial drafts of the questionnaire and be careful with how we word certain questions. Some of the information given to us contradicted what we saw as we conducted the questionnaire. Many of the children we saw had runny noses and were coughing violently, but when the mother was asked if her family members had any of these symptoms in the last month, she responded that they hadn’t. Also, some of our repetitive questions had contradicting answers so when it comes time to analyze our data, it’s going to be a difficult task. Another problem is the communication barrier. One of our questions, “How are people who have HIV/AIDS viewed by the community?” is translating as “How are people who have HIV/AIDS seen by the community?” and the response we are getting is “The mobile clinic sees them.” When we asked how HIV was transmitted, many of the women didn’t know. When we asked why they didn’t have a latrine, many of the women said that their husband would not allow one, even though they would like to have one. Another question asked “Do you think that diseases can spread among people who practice polygamy?” and only one woman thought that to be true. Many of the women don’t believe that they can get HIV from their husband even though he has multiple sexual partners. What is the solution here? You can’t expect the Maasai to stop practicing polygamy. Our goal is to preserve Maasai culture while educating people about how they can protect themselves, which is why programs like the one John was a part of are so important to developing nations.
My favorite part of the questionnaire is asking the women if they would like to come to our camp on August 9th when we present our research and suggestions for interventions to key stakeholders and community members. Most of the women said they would like to come and we took their name so we could send a car for them. It was great to see these women wanting to learn about what is going on in their community and what needs to be going on. My heart will be so happy when that day finally comes!
The questionnaire we developed has 6 sections: demographics, water storage and collection, agricultural practices, household sanitation, hand hygiene and food preparation practices, and household illnesses and episodes. We are viewing these topics through a “health lens” with a goal to identify causes of health problems, low cost, sustainable interventions, and any barriers to interventions. Many of our questions inquire about sensitive issues like HIV, opportunistic infections associated with HIV (tuberculosis), sexually transmitted infections, toileting practices, etc. We had to throw out a lot of these questions in our initial drafts of the questionnaire and be careful with how we word certain questions. Some of the information given to us contradicted what we saw as we conducted the questionnaire. Many of the children we saw had runny noses and were coughing violently, but when the mother was asked if her family members had any of these symptoms in the last month, she responded that they hadn’t. Also, some of our repetitive questions had contradicting answers so when it comes time to analyze our data, it’s going to be a difficult task. Another problem is the communication barrier. One of our questions, “How are people who have HIV/AIDS viewed by the community?” is translating as “How are people who have HIV/AIDS seen by the community?” and the response we are getting is “The mobile clinic sees them.” When we asked how HIV was transmitted, many of the women didn’t know. When we asked why they didn’t have a latrine, many of the women said that their husband would not allow one, even though they would like to have one. Another question asked “Do you think that diseases can spread among people who practice polygamy?” and only one woman thought that to be true. Many of the women don’t believe that they can get HIV from their husband even though he has multiple sexual partners. What is the solution here? You can’t expect the Maasai to stop practicing polygamy. Our goal is to preserve Maasai culture while educating people about how they can protect themselves, which is why programs like the one John was a part of are so important to developing nations.
My favorite part of the questionnaire is asking the women if they would like to come to our camp on August 9th when we present our research and suggestions for interventions to key stakeholders and community members. Most of the women said they would like to come and we took their name so we could send a car for them. It was great to see these women wanting to learn about what is going on in their community and what needs to be going on. My heart will be so happy when that day finally comes!
Sunday, July 19, 2009
"come in," she said, "i'll give you shelter from the storm"
Hey folks! Here’s an update of what’s going on in Kenya:
Yesterday was a free day for the students so we decided to visit an orphanage in Loitokitok. Many of us brought books to donate and we all chipped in 100 shillings (1.30 US dollars) to buy food for the kids. When I stepped out of the Land Cruiser, a young girl named Nankinyi took me by the hand and sat next to me on a bench. Every one of my peers had been “designated” a kid to hang out with for the day. The children greeted us with a song and dance and many of us were moved with a mixture of emotions.
The mother of the 20 children, Phyllis, explained how she and her husband started the orphanage back in 2003. She had each of the kids introduce themselves and share their class rankings. We were all very impressed by their intelligence. They were all at the top of their classes and Nankinyi had her report card to prove it. She also showed me a photo album which had a picture of her when she was found abandoned and pictures from each school year. When I asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up, she said she wanted to be the President of Kenya. I told her she had my vote.
Phyllis handed out papers with contact information for the orphanage and asked us to fill out a form with our addresses so the kids can write to us. The form also asked for institutions that may be able to contribute to the orphanage.
Then the kids gave us the grand tour of the orphanage, which was pretty disheartening. The kids have to share beds with one another and they didn’t have a lot of space to run around. Also, the structural integrity of their shelter was less than adequate. The kids are responsible for taking care of chickens, dogs, goats and a couple cows for which they sell the milk to make money for food.
A game of net ball (basketball but no dribbling) was rapidly arranged and we all enjoyed running around the kids and using our height to help our team. They were fascinated with our digital cameras and it was hard to take mine away from some of them! Looking at the pictures they took was pretty hilarious.
Before we knew it, it was time for me to say goodbye to Nankinyi. She said she would write me a letter and then asked me to send her money for a mattress and sheets for boarding school next year. After talking with my fellow students, I understood that nearly everyone had been asked by their kid for money. Some had been asked for their watches and jewelry. Our experience at the orphanage taught us a lot about how destitute Kenya is. Many students felt like the song and dance was not so much a greeting as it was a performance. That being said, there is no doubt in my mind that those kids are being well taken care of by Phyllis, who rescued and raised these kids to be polite, responsible, intelligent young men and women.
After we left the orphanage, we went to the VCT in Loitokitok, where people can come and get free HIV counseling and testing. We were introduced to some members of the support group for the VCT, who spoke about their personal struggles with accepting HIV positive status and how the VCT has helped them to cope with it. They all introduced themselves by name and the statement “I am living positively.” It was truly incredible for these people to open up to complete strangers and talk about something that comes with huge stigma. Many people don’t even know their status, which is why free educational counseling is necessary in an area like Kenya where HIV prevalence is so high. Another problem in Kenya is that many people do know their positive status but don’t know where to get support and are often in denial or don’t attempt to get treatment. One of the members, Nancy, told us that her friend was being buried that day because she had not been educated early on in her diagnosis about treatment. Another member, Joan, passed around a picture of herself from 5 years ago when she was in the hospital. She probably weighed about 90 pounds and she was paralyzed on part of her right side. The picture had hands coming from all directions, indicating people praying over her. I could barely look at it because the woman in the picture was not the Joan I saw before my eyes. The Joan that I saw was healthy, happy and living positively.
The support group also makes and sells BEAUTIFUL beadwork with a mission to help provide financial stability to its members living with HIV/AIDS, who often do not have enough money to pay for their treatments. The group is currently struggling with marketing their product and is trying to make their project appealing to investors. I have contact information if you or anyone you know is interested in helping this group with their very important cause.
Though this day shed some moments of despair, it also shone with moments of hope. Kenya is FULL of intelligent and willing people that can make a significant change in their country, but are not given the necessary resources to bring their vision to life. What makes Kenya unique to me is that even though it borders countries characterized by civil wars, genocide, rebellion, corruption, famine, and violence, Kenya has managed to outshine most of these evils. You cannot deny the hope that Kenyans have for themselves, their families, their neighbors, and their country. Kenya will always have a special place in my heart. I hope to see the day when the people of Kenya start influencing the countries around them, instead of those countries influencing the people of Kenya.
Yesterday was a free day for the students so we decided to visit an orphanage in Loitokitok. Many of us brought books to donate and we all chipped in 100 shillings (1.30 US dollars) to buy food for the kids. When I stepped out of the Land Cruiser, a young girl named Nankinyi took me by the hand and sat next to me on a bench. Every one of my peers had been “designated” a kid to hang out with for the day. The children greeted us with a song and dance and many of us were moved with a mixture of emotions.
The mother of the 20 children, Phyllis, explained how she and her husband started the orphanage back in 2003. She had each of the kids introduce themselves and share their class rankings. We were all very impressed by their intelligence. They were all at the top of their classes and Nankinyi had her report card to prove it. She also showed me a photo album which had a picture of her when she was found abandoned and pictures from each school year. When I asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up, she said she wanted to be the President of Kenya. I told her she had my vote.
Phyllis handed out papers with contact information for the orphanage and asked us to fill out a form with our addresses so the kids can write to us. The form also asked for institutions that may be able to contribute to the orphanage.
Then the kids gave us the grand tour of the orphanage, which was pretty disheartening. The kids have to share beds with one another and they didn’t have a lot of space to run around. Also, the structural integrity of their shelter was less than adequate. The kids are responsible for taking care of chickens, dogs, goats and a couple cows for which they sell the milk to make money for food.
A game of net ball (basketball but no dribbling) was rapidly arranged and we all enjoyed running around the kids and using our height to help our team. They were fascinated with our digital cameras and it was hard to take mine away from some of them! Looking at the pictures they took was pretty hilarious.
Before we knew it, it was time for me to say goodbye to Nankinyi. She said she would write me a letter and then asked me to send her money for a mattress and sheets for boarding school next year. After talking with my fellow students, I understood that nearly everyone had been asked by their kid for money. Some had been asked for their watches and jewelry. Our experience at the orphanage taught us a lot about how destitute Kenya is. Many students felt like the song and dance was not so much a greeting as it was a performance. That being said, there is no doubt in my mind that those kids are being well taken care of by Phyllis, who rescued and raised these kids to be polite, responsible, intelligent young men and women.
After we left the orphanage, we went to the VCT in Loitokitok, where people can come and get free HIV counseling and testing. We were introduced to some members of the support group for the VCT, who spoke about their personal struggles with accepting HIV positive status and how the VCT has helped them to cope with it. They all introduced themselves by name and the statement “I am living positively.” It was truly incredible for these people to open up to complete strangers and talk about something that comes with huge stigma. Many people don’t even know their status, which is why free educational counseling is necessary in an area like Kenya where HIV prevalence is so high. Another problem in Kenya is that many people do know their positive status but don’t know where to get support and are often in denial or don’t attempt to get treatment. One of the members, Nancy, told us that her friend was being buried that day because she had not been educated early on in her diagnosis about treatment. Another member, Joan, passed around a picture of herself from 5 years ago when she was in the hospital. She probably weighed about 90 pounds and she was paralyzed on part of her right side. The picture had hands coming from all directions, indicating people praying over her. I could barely look at it because the woman in the picture was not the Joan I saw before my eyes. The Joan that I saw was healthy, happy and living positively.
The support group also makes and sells BEAUTIFUL beadwork with a mission to help provide financial stability to its members living with HIV/AIDS, who often do not have enough money to pay for their treatments. The group is currently struggling with marketing their product and is trying to make their project appealing to investors. I have contact information if you or anyone you know is interested in helping this group with their very important cause.
Though this day shed some moments of despair, it also shone with moments of hope. Kenya is FULL of intelligent and willing people that can make a significant change in their country, but are not given the necessary resources to bring their vision to life. What makes Kenya unique to me is that even though it borders countries characterized by civil wars, genocide, rebellion, corruption, famine, and violence, Kenya has managed to outshine most of these evils. You cannot deny the hope that Kenyans have for themselves, their families, their neighbors, and their country. Kenya will always have a special place in my heart. I hope to see the day when the people of Kenya start influencing the countries around them, instead of those countries influencing the people of Kenya.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Sawa sawa?
Mercy! What a tiring day! Today was a community service day. We went to work on the Kimana Water Project, which is a project funded by the European Union dedicated to using natural springs in Kimana in a sustainable way and to keep the water clean. In order to do this, many troughs and many fences must be built to keep out animals. We built a section of fence out of large rocks and cement, so I can now add masonry to my resume.
No one can say that we haven’t learned anything here. We were offered tea but we all heard our professors screaming “no!” inside our heads. We politely refused but the workers kept telling us that the water was clean, which is perfect evidence for the level of understanding the water quality.
Today was really hard but also rewarding work. The “general contractor” asked who was paying us. When we replied that we were not being paid by anyone, he corrected us and said the God will be paying us for our hard work. He gave a Maasai prayer and asked for blessings for all of us. Our work was very much appreciated.
At one point a woman walked by with her 20 liter water jug to collect from the river. She said something to one of the workers which he translated for us as “I didn’t know you people did hard work like this, I only see you in the markets.” It’s amazing that those workers do this every day. The only equipment we had were wheelbarrows for the cement, and shovels… no gloves, no construction hats, and most of the workers were wearing sandals.
I’m going to go rest my bones. Lala salama (goodnight!) Here’s a little ditty by Little Feat that Dad was playing before I left.
Oh, I am just a vagabond
A drifter on the run
Eloquent profanity, it rolls right off my tongue
And I have dined in palaces
Drunk wine with kings and queens
But darling, oh darling,
You’re the best thing I have ever seen
Won’t you roll me easy
Oh, slow and easy
Take my independence
With no apprehension
No tension
You’re walking, talking
Mmm paradise, sweet paradise
No one can say that we haven’t learned anything here. We were offered tea but we all heard our professors screaming “no!” inside our heads. We politely refused but the workers kept telling us that the water was clean, which is perfect evidence for the level of understanding the water quality.
Today was really hard but also rewarding work. The “general contractor” asked who was paying us. When we replied that we were not being paid by anyone, he corrected us and said the God will be paying us for our hard work. He gave a Maasai prayer and asked for blessings for all of us. Our work was very much appreciated.
At one point a woman walked by with her 20 liter water jug to collect from the river. She said something to one of the workers which he translated for us as “I didn’t know you people did hard work like this, I only see you in the markets.” It’s amazing that those workers do this every day. The only equipment we had were wheelbarrows for the cement, and shovels… no gloves, no construction hats, and most of the workers were wearing sandals.
I’m going to go rest my bones. Lala salama (goodnight!) Here’s a little ditty by Little Feat that Dad was playing before I left.
Oh, I am just a vagabond
A drifter on the run
Eloquent profanity, it rolls right off my tongue
And I have dined in palaces
Drunk wine with kings and queens
But darling, oh darling,
You’re the best thing I have ever seen
Won’t you roll me easy
Oh, slow and easy
Take my independence
With no apprehension
No tension
You’re walking, talking
Mmm paradise, sweet paradise
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