Exploring a New Town, Bungoma!

Hello everyone! As usual, so many things have happened since my last post! First of all, on Thursday we got to meet the women’s group that we will be working with this summer and who will ultimately be running the kitchen once we leave. They went around in a circle and told us exactly why they chose to be part of this project and what their hopes for the project are. To my knowledge I‘ve never met someone with HIV before, but in this group of about 20 or so, almost all of them were HIV positive. When you think that this is just a small group of women in a rural area of West Africa, the reality of HIV and AIDS in this part of the world starts to become clear. As each expressed their gratitude to us and WHE for coming, as well as their hopes that the project would be a success, it fired us up to really get things started and work past our roadblocks as quickly as possible! We then spent the rest of the day trying to find a suitable lab space for the project and exploring several options, all of which came up to a dead end. We finally met with a man in the community who is a lab technician at the Mbale hospital and the husband of one of the Muungano board members. He told us that there are no suitable labs for our project in the area, and that our best bet would be to set up our own private lab in the community. This seemed a bit time consuming and costly, so we decided to explore one last option in Kayamega at the Lake Victoria North Water Services Board, where Charles’s cousin works. Through that connection we were told we would be able to use the lab for a temporary period this summer while we got another, more permanent, lab established, as they only have a very small incubator that they use regularly and no skilled technicians, only water analysts. With that knowledge we emailed Bob back at WHE about the possibility of setting up a lab space in Kiritu and are still trying to work out the logistics of all this. We’re all hoping for the best!

As well, on Thursday, the public health department came by to check out the space for the kitchen and let us know exactly what would have to be done to get the space ready and approved. The list included putting in a chimney, painting, and fixing the windows as they currently only have bars and no windowpanes. We are in the process of getting this priced and then we will have to let Louise, the founder of the Muungano foundation and the school we’re working at, know the total cost. So far the list seems to be getting longer and longer, including electricity, running water, the fees for public health, and now the requirements for the kitchen. Hopefully Muungano will have the money for all this as they also have other projects on the go, including of course, maintaining the school! All in all, Blake and I are again in a position of waiting, which seems to happen a lot here in Kenya! But this was okay as Charles kindly took us to his apartment in Bungoma for the weekend to stay. We got to see the city a bit and then Charles said he would take us somewhere we could go swimming. I think both Blake and I were expecting some sort of swimming hole, but to our surprise he took us to an outdoor resort of sorts just down the road from his apartment, complete with swimming pool, bar, and small restaurant. Needless to say, this quickly became our favorite place and we returned the next day as well to swim and take in some sun!

Another benefit of staying with Charles was getting to learn more about his life. Charles has been our main contact for all things on this project as he is incredibly reliable and efficient. He is also one of the happiest people I have ever met! He is always smiling and laughing and nothing seems to get him down. At the end of the day when Blake and I sometimes get frustrated, feeling like were exploring so many options only to come up with nothing, Charles is always quick to point out that at least we’re getting somewhere, even if it means just ruling certain things out. Often times at his apartment when we get up for breakfast, Charles already has a roomful of people there talking to him. He wanted to explain to us exactly what was going on and why he has so many visitors, so he launched into an incredible life story. We knew that he was a pastor at a church here in Bungoma, which wasn’t surprising as almost everyone here attends some kind of church, but he told us that when he was younger he hated God and in his childhood and adolescence he lost many friends because if anyone even mentioned the word God he would get up, walk out, and never talk to them again. He said in school he was at the top of his class, very bright and enrolled in all sciences (in Africa this means you are very desirable and popular) and so he thought the Bible was just a story and that people only believed because they were stupid, and since he was educated if he could just teach people then they wouldn’t need the Bible anymore. As well, he had many health problems as a child and was finally diagnosed with a heart deformity that could not be fixed. The doctors gave him 2 months to live when he was about 20 years old. His father was very high in the Kenyan government and so often foreign visitors would be directed through him, meaning Charles got to meet lots of people from abroad. Around the time that he was told he would soon die, a man came from Japan and when he met Charles he told him that he could pray for him. At his point he had given up all hope, his family was mourning, and he was desperate. So he made a deal with the man. He wrote on a piece of paper that if the man prayed for him and he got better, then he would serve God, and if the man prayed for him and nothing changed then he would never entertain the thought of God again. He signed it and the man prayed. The next day Charles went to the doctor to get checked out and said he had a problem with his heart and was dying. The doctor was confused and asked him if he was crazy because he said Charles’s heart was healthy and strong. Of course Charles went to his father and got one of the top doctors to take a look at his heart as well, and to the doctor’s amazement his heart was completely healed. In that moment Charles decided to not only start serving God, but also to dedicate his life to helping others do the same. He moved to Bungoma where he knew nobody and opened a small church. He currently works for five different organizations from Monday to Thursday, then spends Friday to Sunday working at the church, counseling people in the community, and helping those in need. He gives all his good clothes to the poor and those deemed ‘crazy’, will feed those that are hungry even if it means him and his wife going without food, and wants to open a school for children who don’t have the money for education but show great potential. He says the key to his  success has been that he now lives with a code of transparency, faith, and love and will only befriend those that live the same way, avoiding the corruption and what he calls “self centeredness” that stop some people here from being truly trustworthy. He runs the church with the idea that some people will believe by faith and others, like himself, must witness miracles before they’ll believe. We got the opportunity to go to his church this morning, which is Evangelical, and witness what he was talking about in a service they call 'deliverance'. This was so different than a church service in Canada (although I haven't been to an Evangelical church there) and included people screaming and falling to the floor as they were being prayed for or healed! It was a little alarming and much different than I'm used to, but also great to experience the faith of another culture. Everyone there was so passionate about what they were doing!  

Charles told us that in Kenya there is so many churches yet so much corruption because people feel the need to only do for themselves and are unwilling to do for others, taking what's not theirs if it will benefit them and they can get away with it. He says that he thinks North America is so blessed because we give our time and money for others. This caught me off guard as I’m not so sure I believe that given how blessed we truly are in Canada, we do much with what we have been given. Maybe its because, unlike in Kenya where people will show up at your door asking for dinner, we are simply to lazy to go out and look for those in need. In Kenya, poverty is all around you; you simply have to walk out the door to find someone that could use your help, in fact picking just one person or one group to help is the hard part. In Canada we walk out into our neighborhoods where everyone is as well off as we are and can simply avoid those parts of town where people live below our standards. I know, at least in my own personal case, the real reason is that I, too, am self-centered, and that I want for myself. Whether it’s free time, money, or any numbers of things, ultimately I make the choice to ignore those in need in my own community for my own benefit. After hearing Charles’s story and the stories of all the people he’s helped, I can safely say I have never met anyone so inspired and truly good as Charles. The commitment and compassion he shows to his church, his community, and this yogurt project are truly a blessing to those around him and to us!! I don’t know how this project would succeed without him, and he has definitely made me think about what it means to be in a position in privilege. 

In one of the caves on the way down...sorry I'm so sweaty and gross!

The view from the top looking out at the rest of the mountain and down on the town

Lastly, today we got to go to a local mountain here in Bungoma! It wasn't that large, but it certainly took a lot of effort to climb! Rachel, Charles's housekeeper, took us and the piki piki drivers also came to the top with us, which was a good thing because I'm pretty sure they had to take me by the hand and drag me half the way up as it was steep and I was running out of steam! On our way up we met a group of local boys who said they would take us an easier way to the top where we could see some caves and monkeys, so we followed them around the mountain and up another way. We did manage to see a monkey, but he ducked behind the rock when he saw our cameras! When we finally got to the top we stopped to take some pictures and have a quick snack before heading back down and trying to beat the rain home. I got a few bumps and bruises, and I don't know if the grass stains on my shorts will come out, but it was definitely worth it as it was one of the coolest things we've got to do here in Kenya yet! I attached some pictures I took with my playbook, I have better ones on my camera that I'll add once I have a cord! 

Kitchens and Fridges and Labs! Oh my!

Jambo! I figured it was time to update everyone on the ongoing project here in Kiritu. Since my last post we've already hit several roadblocks regarding the lab and kitchen, but we've also made some progress. First off, we met with the Chief of the town on Monday at what they call the "location", which sounded very James Bond to me so I was quite excited. Of course it was just the Chief's office a few doors down, but it was still cool none the less. We presented him with a letter regarding exactly what the goals of our project were, and lucky for us they were approved by him, which means we can go ahead with the project! We also attended the Chief's barazzaa, which is kind of like a town meeting, where we got to briefly introduce ourselves and our project to the rest of the people. On the way there I got to have my first piki piki ride! These are small motor bike taxis that you sit on the back of, and they have probably been my favorite things about Kenya so far! After that we got to visit the Muungano Special School and meet the staff and children. Unfortunately we did not get to spend much time in the classroom as we had to hurry off, but it was nice to finally see all the faces we will be helping! The school already provides a breakfast for the students, kind of like an oatmeal that comes in a package, but the yogurt will be added onto this as well once the kitchen is up and running. It was clear some of them were malnourished and definitely grateful for the food as they licked the package completely clean!

As mentioned in my previous post, electricity has been a huge issue to the project as this is essential! The staff at the school thought that it would be more cost effective to get electricity wired into the room the kitchen will go in then to buy a generator and keep it running. Doing this has a 65,000 KSH (about 812 dollars) start up cost, and then also a monthly fee based on usage. We have to confirm with Louise's foundation, the Muungano foundation, whether they will be able to cover this cost. As well, the kitchen requires running water. The school already has a rain water tank, so we just need to be able to raise it so that the water runs down, then attach some kind of hose system that will bring the water into the kitchen so it can be boiled and used. We are looking into the price to do all this and also the time line for these projects to be completed as we can't start anything with the kitchen until they are done!

Our last roadblock occurred today when we journeyed into Kisumu- yes, JOURNEYED! First we had to piki piki into the junction, a small space down the road from Mudete where piki pikis and mutatus gather. We then hopped on a mutatu, which is like a van with about 14 seats that gets very crowded! We then took this into Kisumu, which took quite a while! Once we reached Kisumu we got off the mutatu and into a tuk tuk, which is kind of a small covered motorbike with seats in the back, and traveled to KEMRI (Kenya Medical Research Institute) to talk to John Vuluva, the director, about helping us with our lab situation. When we finally arrived at KEMRI, about 2 hours later, we briefly met with John, who also helped with the yogurt project in Oyugis, and he gave us some numbers to get in touch with a lab technician that can come out and see our lab space to determine what is needed and what they can provide. This makes us slightly nervous as the local lab doesn't have any of the supplies we need, but its possible our budget might allow us to buy some of the equipment ourselves so KEMRI does not have to supply it all for us. This would make everything a lot easier as I know the women would not have the time or money to make the journey we did today every 2 weeks to pick up the probiotic.

But as I said we also made some more progress! We now have meetings in the works for the public health department to come see the kitchen space and approve it, as well as contact with the lab technician to come see the lab space. We also purchased a fridge today while in Kisumu that is currently holding the bacteria and will be used in the kitchen once its up and running- we might have some fruit in there for ourselves as well! We are also eagerly awaiting a response from Louise in regards to the electricity and water, and once that is a go then we just need to focus on getting the lab outfitted and training a technician to do the work. Hopefully once piece at a time it will all come together!

Now for something about my own experience here in Kenya! While we were in Kisumu today with Charles I told him I wanted to go see the lake. Maybe all those summer memories of cottaging in Canada made me miss being out by the water! He was happy to oblige and we took another tuk tuk over to Lake Victoria. Once there we hired a boat to take us out on the lake, and yes, spot some hippos!! We only had to boat about 20 minutes when we saw two hippos in the water. We could only see their heads come up, but we got pretty close! I tried to take some pictures but they move pretty quick! I think I got one decent shot and a video, which I'll post once I can find a cord that fits my camera. As well, behind where the hippos were bathing was an impala reserve and game park, so we got to see some impalas grazing at a distance. There was also a group of school children there who I think were just as excited to see the hippos as they were to see and have us wave at them! All in all it was an exciting day and should be an eventful few weeks to come as we try to get the project rolling!

Gillian Meets Kenya

We made it to North Marigoli! After 3 flights, 2.5 days, and no sleep, I'm so happy to finally be here. Yesterday we spent our time getting things like phones and internet as well as getting the house set up with beds so we could get some much needed sleep! Today I definitely felt much better and was eager to get a look around. Isaac (or Eye-Zak as he spells it on his artwork) took us to two markets, one very close to the house so we could get more money cards for our phone and internet stick as we had already run out, and then to a market in Mudete (moo-de-tay), which was about a 30 minute walk from the house. Although when we first stepped outside it felt like it was about 25 degrees, by the time we got to town it felt more like 40! The sun here is SO hot! Much different then our sun in Canada. On the walk we got to talk to Isaac about the differences between Canada and Kenya. He told us that before any Canadians or Americans had come to the small town they thought people with white skin were just a myth! He asked us how we felt when we first saw anyone with dark skin and when we told him Canada is very multicultural and we grow up with people from all races he didn't really seem to understand the concept. He was also eager to find out why we Canadians love the Maple tree so much, which we thought was hilarious! We told him they make maple syrup and he said he wished we brought some so he could try it. I wish I had thought to do that! I guess I was thinking more about the new foods I would get to experience and not thinking much about what from Canada people here would like to try. We told him maybe we can get Louise, who will be joining us in July, to bring some with her. We also passed by a small project on the way, which Isaac told us was suppose to be turned into a fishing pond so the people there could catch fish. Unfortunately he informed us that the project had been ongoing for 7 years already even though it looked like it had just been started a few months ago! He said he hoped one day it would eventually get done. This concerned me a little as Blake and I are only here for 3 months, but everyone we've met seems so committed to the project and ready for things to get going. Charles, who picked us up from the airport, said that on Monday we will meet with people from the health department as well as the chief of the village so they know what's going on with the project. We will also be going to the school (finally!!) so we can meet the kids and the staff there. Then on Tuesday we will get to check out the lab facilities both in Mbale and Kisumu to see what each can provide. We have already run into some snags with the project in that the school does not have electricity, which is needed for the fridges to keep the yogurt cold and edible, so we may have to find a generator of some sorts if we can afford it. As well, Charles informed us that often times the people who sell milk will water it down to save money, which wont work in the yogurt as it must be good quality for the yogurt to be made properly, so we are trying to find a way to test the quality of the milk before we buy and use it. Hopefully we can come up with the answers to all our questions so far this week so we can really start things moving as soon as possible! I will post later this week with some updates!