A Healthy Healthy Day!

As Tony has made many of the posts seen, he has decided to highlight another voice. Although in America my name is Laurel, I have found that with their accents people can't say it. Therefore my Kenya persona has become "Rose."

Yesterday was the day of our Free Health Clinic in Meru. We had more people come than we ever expected (758 to be almost exact). We had supplies for a thousand but never expected more than 600. It was quite emotional to see some of the people who came.

Some had traveled very far in the worst health conditions imaginable. One had cancer and wanted to see if there was anything we could do for him. Another man walked several miles on crutches because he had previously lost a leg and wanted it checked. Several came in taxis and needed to be carried in. As I was on registration, through a translator I became aware of these conditions and it saddened my heart. Eventually we ran out of complimentary health kits and it was very hard to turn people away. But everyone received their medication, so that was celebrated.

However there was many joys. Our group was able to significantly lighten the emotional load people were carrying not only through medication but also through laughter. Many children were amazed to see a white person and it soon became a game to get close and play with us. Tony and Katrina played many games of tag, making the older and sicker ones laugh. Apparently adults don't run much in Kenya.

We also broke the ground for a permanent free health clinic. There was much joy from everyone in that. Hopefully we can all uphold our promise to come back physically and monetarily to make this dream come true.

Laurel "Rose"

Missed Day - University and Hospital

I apologize for not blogging last night. It was a very long and full day. I hope today's blog will make up for the omission.

Yesterday we first went to Kenya Methodist University. It was founded in 1997 with 11 students and to over 9000 students on 5 campuses today. The main campus is in Meru, near where we are staying. They have several bachelors and masters degree programs, but focus a lot on agriculture, business, and nursing.

We toured the campus after meeting the Bishop that runs the university. He explained that on 6% of students that reach 8th grade go to college. Not 6% of all children, 6% of all the kids that first attend school, second reach 8th grade, third pass the test that allows them to go on to high school, fourth finish high school, and fifth pass the test that allows them to go college.

That is a lot just to go to a university. And that is a lot that don't get the chance at high school or college. Education is very important here, but some still can not afford what is considered free education.

The university itself was beautiful. We walked through the men's dorm and it felt just like an American dorm with music blaring, people yelling, and others watching TV. But there were no vending machines in the building.

The library was FULL of students actually studying. But they only have 60,000 books, which seems like nothing for a library. And the computer lab with Dells was full of students. Which all goes to show how important education is for the people of Kenya.

Once finished with the university we went back to the Bio-Intensive center for lunch. Then it was on to Maua Methodist Hospital. We were met there by a Methodist missionary from Texas. Bill walked us around the compound and explained all that went on in the hospital. While it was interesting to see how that did so much with so little, the sanitary conditions were still shocking. The furniture in use for hospital beds and the rest looked similar to what you would see in movies showing the hospitals of the 50's.

But at the same time, they had two X-ray machines, both donated, and the best nursing school in Kenya. They had 90% graduation rate from that school. But it was a bit disturbing to see the mortuary next to the kitchen. The bodies that were not claimed by the family were simply put in a large pit and then covered with chemicals to help the bodies decompose. And this was fifty feet down the hill from the kitchen.

The babies that we visited at the hospital each received 2 baby hats and there seemed to be a total lack of privacy in the rooms. We were simply told to walk right into the rooms without any checking with the parents to see if they wanted visitors. One mother was in the middle of breast feeding her child and seemed unsure of our presence, but then continued feeding her baby while we stood there.

Tony and Laurel (Rose)

Emotional To See

Today we visited the Kioni Generation High School and the Mwaki Children's orphanage. Both were eye opening and heart wrenching. And in different ways.

The high school was amazing at what they accomplish with so little. Classrooms with dirt floors and no windows. Their main hall isn't complete. No school van because it is broken down.

The school head master gave us a tour of their grounds. They have teachers in one dorm, 77 boys in another, and 53 girls in the girls' dorm. They also had a farm that produced food for the students and a little to sell. They grow corn, which they call maize, tomatoes, and kale. They were in awe of the idea of growing maize "corn" to be used to make petrol "gas."

After the tour we went to their hall and the choir sang for us and they were so beautiful. They sang three songs in their native tongue for us. Then we got to meet the teachers and staff. After that we introduced ourselves and presented some of our gifts to them, three soccer balls for the school and a pen for each student.

The soccer balls were a huge hit. Within moments the presentation was over and everyone was outside playing. Then it was time to go. So on the road we were to the orphanage.

The orphans greeted us with music as soon as we got out of the vans. Singing a song of welcome for us. Then their guardians came up, singing and dancing. Soon we were all pulled into dancing with them.

They took us to chairs and we sat then a blessing was said and we ate a huge meal of rice and stew and fruit. After the meal we learned the history of the Mwaki and the women that support the orphans. The women make quilts to sell which they then use the money to support the orphans. So we presented the women with funds to finish a new community center where they can make their quilts to provide more support for the orphans. They danced and sang all over again when we gave them the money. The appreciation was evident on their faces.

It was the most emotional day by far on this trip. But seeing the pride in the high school students to be able to attend school at all and the joy from the women supporting the orphans makes any hardship I might personally face fade away.

Tony
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Careful how you drive

Today we left Nairobi after breakfast and head north to Meru. This is where our mission work will take place. But first we had to get out of Nairobi. That was an adventure.

Nairobi is in the process of building new roads all over the city. But for now they've torn up roads to prepare for the better roads. So everywhere we went we were in traffic jams. We took forever to clear the city.

Even as the traffic seemed to never move a motorcycle would zip by. Or a street vendor would stand in the street offering fruit for sale to passing buses. And if the traffic was slow and there was space, the drivers created their own lane until the space ran out.

After leaving Nairobi, we headed north passing by the west and north side of Mount Kenya. The reason for going that way instead of the shorter way along the east side of Mount Kenya was to stop at Trout Tree restaurant.

The restaurant is part of an active trout farm, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. The restaurant itself is built into a huge fig tree. Everything except the outdoor kitchen is suspended in the air. The monkey sitting in the top of the tree didn't seem to mind us too much. However, the gander that was by the playground hated us!

The food was amazing at the Trout Tree, as has all the food been. But everything isn't amazing. Seeing the people selling almost anything along the road has been hard. They are a proud people reduced to begging for people to stop and buy from them. And as we drove the homes we passed became smaller and smaller and looked less like a home and more like a metal shack.

We finally made it to Meru, but only after slowing for sleeping policemen all along our root. "Sleeping policemen" are speed bumps placed on even major highways to reduce the speed of vehicles. Which works well with the potholes, no lane lines, unmarked no passing zones.

Now we are in Meru at the Bio-Intensive Center. It is a place founded by the Methodists that teaches local farmers organic farming. Don and I are roommates yet again as we are the only males without spouses here.

Tomorrow morning we shall visit a local high school to see how secondary education is done here. In the afternoon we shall visit the Mwaki orphanage to share lunch and some fun with them.

Tony
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Church as never before

Today was the day for church. And is it a DAY for church. My host family, Charles Mwiti and his wife Lucy, had a full beautiful breakfast for me. Fruit, yogurt, cereal, coffee, tea, milk, and so much more.

Then off to the church with Charles. He explained so much about Nairobi as we drove through the city. It is a beautiful city.

The church service was so interesting and so crazy. It was 3:30 hours. But so worth it. Pastor Charles preached. But there was so much music and half of it was in Swahili. Even in Swahili it was beautiful.

Every person that arrived at church came up to say "karribu", which means "welcome." We were all treated so well, as honored guests. We each had to get up during the service and say who we were and a bit about are few days in Kenya so far.

The music continued throughout the service with songs done with a full band and songs done with just a few voices. All were beautiful and very touching. And everyone danced in the pews.

After the service we went to the youth hall where we were served lunch. Rice and potatoes and a tortilla like bread called Chapo. It was all very good. BUT the fresh pineapple was amazing!!

After the meal every host family greeted every one of us to see how we slept, how was breakfast, and were we warm enough. It was 70 degrees and the Kenyans were chilly and we were all loving the weather.

After we left the church we went to the giraffe sanctuary on the edge of Nairobi. The giraffes were able to eat from our hands both from the ground level and an elevated deck that put us at giraffe eye level. The warthog that followed the giraffes around was funny. Once I have a real internet connection I will post pictures.

Tomorrow we leave for Meru and a whole new adventure.

Tony
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