News from Kenya - #16

Journal entry 16

Thursday April 29, 2010 10.30 AM Days 32 and 33

Paul and I are supposed to be going to meet the head teacher at a Boarding school today with our sponsored student Winnie Sunday. I have written about her before. She is repeating her second year of Secondary School and is doing very poorly. She is treated badly at home by her father who is a drunkard. We are hoping she can be accepted into a boarding school so she can concentrate on her studies without the pressure of her home life. We had an appointment for today but Paul just called and spoke to the head teacher and she said to come tomorrow before 8 AM instead. I get so frustrated with the way people’s time is not respected here.

We have still not traveled to see the two wells that FIOH-USA has never seen in Oboch and Konyango or the new Posho Mill in the village of Seme because we have not found a car/driver to take us there. Mary Ellen and I planned to see the two wells in 2007 but it rained too hard and the roads were washed out. Michele did not manage to see them when she was here in 2008 as her time was very short and Rom and Paul were in school full time. All three places are too far away for a Tuk Tuk to take us. I have been pushing Rom to arrange something even if it costs more than he thinks it should. I have traveled all this way and it would be silly not to see the wells and Mill because of having to pay 10 – 20 dollars over the expected charge for a car and driver.

Yesterday we took a Tuk Tuk to see our newest well in Kano. It is an area that has a lot of cholera and they were in need of a well with clean water. The area is very rocky and the place with the best soil and water is quite near the road. As we arrived I could see that the top of the pump was missing from the well. We talked to the caretakers of the well. They said the pump was stolen last April, 2009 very shortly after the pump was completed. They never told Rom because the phone number they had no longer worked and they didn’t know where he lived. The water is good and they are using a bucket to draw it up. They said the water supplies a large area and they are very grateful to have the well. We will try to repair the well. The cost to replace the pump is $400 dollars. They plan to build a structure around the well in an attempt to prevent it from being stolen again. People are so desperate for money that crime is rampant.

There was a young man living next to the well who was very ill. He probably has malaria and was taking the only medicine he could afford to treat it. That medicine is not effective. He was burning up with fever and had a bad headache. I gave him some Motrin to help with the fever and pain. We went to the pharmacy later and got him the correct medicine for malaria. Rom will bring it to him.

We went to see another well close by that we built a couple of years ago in the village of Alendu. It was funded by the K-kids at Holmes Elementary school. It is working very well and the pump is intact. That pump is also very near the road and Rom suggested they weld the bolts so they cannot be easily removed by thieves. It was nice to see a well without any problems.

After visiting the wells we went to the store that sells the pumps to price the repair cost. Because Rom gives them a fair amount of business they give him a 15% discount.

From that store we walked about a mile to pick up the white cane that was sent from Nairobi for Nelson Otieno who is in class 7 at St. Oda’s school for the blind, to replace the one that broken. The one that broke was a folding cane that he received from England but they do not have any folding ones here in Kenya.

We walked back to the flat about 5.30 PM and discussed our plan for the next few days. Rom was feeling quite tired and went home. Paul and I had a light supper at the flat and he left by 7.30PM. I had the evening to myself and read a book called Think Big by Ben Carson MD. It is very inspirational. I bought it along with Ben Carson’s first book, Gifted Hands to give to the students at Kanyamedha Secondary School where Paul teaches. I wanted to read them first. I have also started to read Obama’s book Dreams From my Father.

Friday April 30, 2010 10.00AM

Yesterday I was frustrated most of the day because we were not able to accomplish anything and I was worried about Rom. He went to see the MD and felt sick again. He rested at home for the day. Paul and I talked and discussed things and created a check off list on the computer for them to use to assess the status of all our funded wells on a quarterly basis. Hopefully that way we will be notified in a timely manner if there are any problems. I read much of the afternoon and finished Think Big.

At 3.00PM I went with Paul to his driving lesson. He had asked permission and they said I could ride with him during one of his lessons. We first went to the theory class. There were about 20 young men and one woman sitting around the table with the toy cars. The instructor was teaching them the “ins and outs” of navigating 4 lane round abouts as they have many in Nairobi. It was interesting. Then we went outside to use the real car. The instructor came to the car with his son of about 7 years. Paul said he usually rides in the back seat. The instructor refused to allow me to come. We went and talked to the manager who said it is against the law to have anyone ride in the back seat when someone is under instruction. I asked why the little boy was allowed to ride and why they had told Paul I could come. He had no answer but would not allow it. Then he said I could do it on a Saturday sometime. I said if it is against the law how can it be OK on Saturday? He had no answer. I went back to the flat and Paul had his lesson. Maybe they were hoping I would offer them a bribe to let me go- I’m not sure. It makes sense that the insurance companies would not allow passengers but that is not the reason they were giving me. Paul said he is feeling more comfortable every lesson with his driving ability and he thinks the instruction is quite good.

I called Lillian Dajoh when I got back to the flat about 5.00PM and arranged to get together with her this evening. (Friday) We sponsored her for school and now she is doing well with a job and raising her two children. I also called Francis Omondi, a friend, and arranged to meet him last evening about 6.30 or 7.00PM.

About 6.30 PM the doorbell rang and I thought it would be Francis but it was Cecelia. She has not had any success finding a room to rent for her house or her shop and she came for advice and consolation. We talked until about 7.30PM and when Francis didn’t show up we went to RK hotel for dinner. Francis called while we were there and he joined us for dinner and we had a nice visit.

Cecelia came back to the flat and stayed overnight. It rained very hard all night and we were unable to go to see the Boarding School today with Winnie as the roads were too muddy for travel. I went shopping at Nakumatt with Cecelia and then we went to talk to Felix to see if he knew of any rooms and/or shops in the area where he lives in Nylenda. He is going to check around and let us know tomorrow. Cecelia then went off to search in the village of Manyatta.

I talked to Rom this morning and he said he is feeling better and is coming over around 1.00PM. I hope we accomplish something today.

End of Journal 16