News from Kenya - #13

Journal Entry 13-Day 25, 26, 27

Saturday April 24 8.45 PM

It’s been a rather frustrating day but I am doing OK. We were supposed to go to visit two wells today but Rom got very sick yesterday. He had not been feeling very well for a couple of days but it reached a peak. His blood pressure was very high and he had a fever. He thought he had malaria. This morning he did not feel much better and his pressure was still high. Pamela insisted he go to the hospital or the MD. I didn’t trust having him go to Russia hospital as the care there is slow and poor. He had gone to a private MD close to the flat in the past when his diabetes was first diagnosed. I said I would pay for the visit. We walked over together. The place was clean and well run. We only waited a few minutes and he saw the MD- an Indian named Dr. Patel. He had seen Rom before and remembered him although it had been a few years before. His blood pressure was still high - about 210/180. They took blood and a urine sample. His blood sugar was good and he did not have malaria. They gave him medication for his pressure- about 6 pills right in the office. He was given enough medicine to take home to last about a month and was told to “lay flat” until Monday and come back again for a check-up. The whole visit including blood work, urinalysis and medication came to 1,700KS- about 22 dollars. We walked back to the flat and of course he did not go home to rest in bed but did sit most of the rest of the day. I’ll say more about that later.

Thursday April 22, 2010 Paul and I took a Tuk Tuk to see the well at Kibos. The well has water but the pump has not been working since it was vandalized last June by one of the locals. They took important parts of the pump making it useless. A technician who is repairing the pump was meeting us at Rom’s house and the 3 of us would go together. When we arrived at Rom’s house the technician was not there yet. After waiting about 20 minutes two technicians arrived on bicycles. They both wanted to go with us but the Tuk Tuk’s are only supposed to carry up to three passengers. We told them there was no need for two of them to go but they insisted. Finally the driver told one of them to get in the front seat with him and off we went. It was only a 30 minute ride but the roads were TERRIBLE! It’s a good thing I was feeling good because it was soooo bumpy my insides were all mixed up I’m sure J.

When we arrived an older woman, the caretaker of the well, greeted us. I was encouraged to realize the well itself is full of good water. They have to lower a bucket into the well about 50 feet on a rope and pull it up to obtain water. I did it myself and was surprised how heavy the plastic bucket was when full of water. The villagers come early in the AM and again around 5 or 6 to get water. We were there about noon so there was not one around. Hopefully the parts will arrive in Kisumu from Nairobi within the next two weeks and the pump will be operational again. We bumped our way back to the flat arriving about two PM.

Jane Olao arrived at the flat with her glasses about 3.30PM. She said she got to the hospital about 9.30 AM and waited until after 2PM to be seen by the MD. I can’t believe the way they disregard the people’s time. The glasses look nice on her and she said she can see much better. She was somewhat self-conscious about them as not many people in Kenya have glasses. I encouraged her to wear them all the time and assured her after while she would hardly notice that she was wearing them.

Max Madero arrived from Tanzania about 3.45PM. Rom had stayed behind while we went to see the well so he could be available to meet Max whatever time he arrived. Max, Rom Paul and I shared about our mutual organizations. We are hoping to establish a link with his group in Tanzania called Zinduka- meaning “wake up” We then all went to dinner at RK-hotel.

Rom and Paul left and Pamela and her distant cousin Cecelia arrived to spend the night. Pamela has still not been able to get a flight back to her home in London due to the disruption from the volcano in Iceland. She is now scheduled to go Tuesday April 27^th. She was supposed to go on the 19^th. She needs to get back to her 3 children and her job as a nurse. She is still trying to get an earlier flight but it is doubtful.

Cecelia, Pamela’s second cousin’s daughter story is a sad one. When she was in eighth grade – at age 14 she was raped. She told me she was very innocent and did not know what was happening to her. She knew it was bad and wrong. The man said not to tell anyone what happened. She did not tell anyone about the rape until she had missed her period for three months. She asked a friend at school what could be happening. Her friend told her she was probably pregnant. Cecelia stated she was so upset, she cried and cried. She considered getting an abortion but was not able to obtain enough money. She confided in her older sister who told her mother. Her mother told her not to get an abortion as it might kill her. She gave birth to Eugene who is now six. Her mother took care of the baby and Cecelia managed to finish primary school but never went to Secondary. She studied hair dressing in 2007 through sponsorship from an NGO and has a certificate in that skill but has been unable to afford to set up a business. She did try working with another hairdresser who had an established business but she paid her so poorly that she could not live. She had another child when she was 16 years old-Virgine- now age 4. She explained that the man who eventually fathered the child had offered to help her better her life and they were together for a little while and then one night they slept together. He went away and has not helped with the child in any way. She states she has only been with a man two times in her life and now has two children. She has been living with her brother and his wife and taking care of their young twins and her own children plus doing the cooking and cleaning. Last Sunday her brother got angry with her and beat her badly with a cane. She said to him “just go ahead and kill me I don’t care anymore” He said “I will kill you and bury you without a coffin” He beat her some more and left her outside in the ally. She had earned 300 shillings earlier in the day plaiting someone’s hair. She was so distraught that she used the money to buy some chemicals and drank them to try to commit suicide. She is only 21 years old. Her neighbors saw her drinking and came to her assistance. They took her to Russia hospital. She does not remember going to the hospital but woke up there the next day. They treated her with IV's and the antidote for the formalin she drank is Tusker beer. She had to drink three bottles and she was drunk on top of everything else. Pamela stayed with her most of the day on Monday. She was supposed to see a counselor on Tuesday but it was not arranged so they made her stay until Wednesday. Wednesday no counselor came and she was discharged and told to come Friday AM at 9.00 to see the counselor. Pamela brought her to the flat to stay along with her 4 year old daughter. The son is still staying at the brother’s house. The children have not been told what is going on.

Cecelia is a very nice person-quite shy-and hesitant to speak English although she is fairly fluent. Wednesday night I visited with them and Virgine and I played games on my Ipod touch. She did well with the puzzles and identifying letters and numbers. She does not know her colors in English yet but seems like a bright little girl and I really enjoyed playing with her. My heart has gone out to Cecilia. I agreed to try to help her start a hair dressing business of her own. She needs seed money amounting to about 320 dollars to cover three months rent and purchasing the necessary chemicals and scissors. I told her to try to find a room to rent that she and the children could live in and a place for a shop. She is still looking. She found two places but they were too small and too expensive. If she does not find something she will have to go back to her home village of Awasi and live with her mother. Doing this carries a very negative stigma in their culture and she stated she would feel like a burden to the family and that her life may as well be over. Friday morning she got up and went to Russia hospital for the counseling session. I didn’t see her again until that afternoon around 5 PM. She stated she waited at Russia until noon when the clinic closes and the counselor did not come. This is so typical of the situation at Russia hospital and makes me very angry. Pamela, Cecelia and I talked a long time and Cecelia told me her story from the time of the rape up until now. I think it helped her to be able to talk. I asked her to promise that if she felt like killing herself again in the future she would go to her older sister (she is close to her) or Connie and let them know how she was feeling. She promised she would do that. She states she is feeling hopeful due to the money she will be getting to start a business. She has struggled so hard since age 14 it is unbelievable that she still has spirit and energy to go on. She loves her children and wants to be able to give them a better life than her own.

After going to dinner with Max from Tanzania we came back to the flat and Max talked to me more about Zinduka and showed me many photos of their projects. I was able to transfer them onto my computer so I can share them with our Board. They are a well organized group.

Friday AM Paul and I walked with Max to the bus stop and said our goodbyes. He took a matatu back to Tanzania. He plans to talk to his Board regarding linking with FIOH and come back to visit Rom and Paul sometime in June to complete plans. I hope it all works out.

Paul and I then walked to Kisumu Girls Boarding school. Jeanette Cassandra Oloo who is sponsored by Sandy Warner attends that school. It was built in the early 1900’s as a school for the children of white people who were running Kenya at the time. After Kenya obtained it’s independence from England in 1963 the school was opened to locals. It is considered to be the best school in the area and is very hard to get into. There are 1000+ students in the school and many come from distant places to attend. We met with the principal and assistant principal and then toured the school. It is large and very old. The physical plant is in need of repair but the standard of teaching is high. The girls sleep 6 or 12 in a very small room. Some bunks are triple in height. I was glad to be able to see the school.

We took a Tuk Tuk back to the flat and watched another episode of the BBC planet Earth. Paul also updated me on the condition of the chickens we purchased and had vaccinated. 7 of the 15 died including the three that were kept at Rom’s house. The rest seem to be doing well. They must have been sick when we bought them. I told Rom we should go back to the seller and complain although it will not do much good. I don’t want more chickens from the same place and they never give money back here. I asked Rom if he would be able to give a few of his vaccinated chickens to the women to replace the ones lost. He said he could do that.

Paul and I went to RK hotel and had supper and he went home.

I visited with Pamela, Cecelia and her daughter. Virgine and I played more games on my Ipod. She really likes them. We went to bed after midnight.

END OF JOURNAL 13