Kayla in Kenya

The Long Journey Up and the Long Journey Home… Kenya Week 35: May 30- June 5

2010-06-09T08:29:00.001-07:00

There’s something magical about watching the morning sun tiptoe its way over the horizon from the top of a 15,000 foot mountain. It had taken us three days of grueling climbing to reach the summit of Mt. Kenya. Despite the fact that Van and I started the climb in less than perfect health and despite the fact that there’s pretty much ZERO oxygen over 14,000 feet above sea level, and despite the fact that freezing winds nearly knocked my hiking boots right off, I’ve never felt more alive standing on top of the second tallest mountain in Africa at sunrise.

In a powerful way, climbing Mt. Kenya is a perfect metaphor for my eight months in this crazy country. I’d heard climbing the second tallest mountain in Africa was an experience of a lifetime. Something not to be missed. A challenge worth the struggle. An adventure few could claim. So I read everything there was to read. I made sure I had all the right equipment and supplies. I found a guide to show the way, a porter to carry the heavy stuff, and a much more experienced mountain climbing friend to accompany me.

Coming to Africa was nearly identical. An experience of a lifetime. A world full of challenges waiting to be discovered. An adventure. Something not to be missed. So I read everything I could about Kenyan culture, politics, and health care. I found a great NGO to set everything up. I found sponsors, friends, and donors to make it possible. And I had a few other Americans to go with to help along the way.

But just like coming to Kenya, I started climbing Mt. Kenya not really having any idea what I was getting into. Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning before we started the climb, the mountain was covered in clouds. So when Joseph our guide pointed in the general direction of the mountain, I could only imagine what exactly the monster I was hoping to conquer really looked like. Just like any movie or book or map of Africa can try to point out what exactly Africa is all about, I only had a cloudy, vague idea of what that really meant.

Ready for the adventure despite the lingering cough and looming clouds, we started hiking. By Tuesday at sunrise, we reached Point Lenana- exhausted, freezing, and wheezing. Suddenly the hours of hiking, the sore legs, the cold nights were totally worth it. We’d signed up to climb a mountain. This is what we were looking for. This is what we got. And so much more.

As I looked out over what seemed like all of East Africa from my heavenly view point, I realized that I had done much more than climb a mountain. I had done much more than survived a four day hike. I had survived eight months in Africa. I had built wonderful relationships that gave me new view points. I’d overcome challenges that lifted me to new heights. I’d seen things few others in my world back home had ever seen. And just when I thought I couldn’t go another step, I did. And another. And another. And before I knew it, I’d reached the summit.

While I can claim that I conquered Mount Kenya, I know that in no way can I claim that I conquered Kenya. But I conquered myself in Kenya. I proved to myself that I could take another step. That I could overcome the lack of oxygen, the absence of creature comforts, the familiarity of the known.

As we hiked back to basecamp Wednesday morning, I constantly turned around to look back at the clear blue sky and enormous mountain we had just climbed. “You mean to tell me I just came from THERE?” “I walked all that way?”

The saying is true- ignorance really is bliss. Because honestly, had I seen the mountain Sunday morning, I don’t know if I would have made it all the way to the top. Looking back at the mass of rock I had just ascended and descended, I wondered why I ever thought it was a good idea to climb that mountain and how the heck I managed to make it to the top.

And maybe that’s the greatest metaphor. Had I really known what the heck I was getting myself into when I signed up to come to Kenya, I don’t know if I could have made it. Looking back now, I am amazed at where I started and where I reached. “I really came all that way?”

So just like climbing Mt. Kenya and just like my eight months in Kenya, I started and ended in the exact same place. The base of the mountain. And the airport. But the places I ventured between here and there defy explanation. Incredibly difficult. Surprisingly painful. But worth every moment.

And just like climbing Mt. Kenya and just like my eight months in Kenya, I can’t wait to do it again. Not right away. I need some time to recover. But someday I’ll be back. Maybe not in the exact same place or with the exact same route. But I’ll climb another mountain. And I’ll come back to Africa. It’s too good to miss out.

Adventures of a Lifetime …Kenya (and Uganda) Week 34: May 23-May 29

2010-06-09T08:27:00.000-07:00

After spending eight months in tiny little Karungu, I wanted to travel a bit through East Africa before heading home. There’s too much beauty in this part of the world to miss! So Van and I spent the week heading from one adventure to the next on wonderful Kenyan and Ugandan public transportation. Below are my High’s and Low’s for Week 34- my second to last week in Kenya. The High’s were super high and the Low’s were a bit too low. But that’s Africa right? What a great way to end my time in Kenya!

Sunday, May 23

High: Spending the afternoon with Emma and Calmax. Calmax is attending Nursing School in Kendu Bay thanks to a wonderful donation from friends back home. Van and I got to see his school, meet his teachers and roommates, and visit the hospital where Calmax is learning the wonderful art of nursing. What a blessing to be a part of that experience!

Low: Leaving Karungu. Enough said.

Monday, May 24

High: Crossing the border into Uganda. Uganda is clean, organized, and well paved (the roads that is!).

Low: Watching Van turn white, then green, after our delicious Indian food lunch. For some reason it didn’t sit well with him. Poor guy.

Tuesday, May 25

High: Flipping the raft TWICE while white water rafting down the Nile on some of the wildest Class 5 rapids in the world. There’s no feeling like being swept down a raging river hoping the safety kayaks are nearby to come pick you up. Don’t worry Mom, it was all perfectly safe!!

Low: Inhaling half the Nile the second time we flipped the raft. The racking cough the rest of the afternoon was a bit annoying, but it was totally worth it.

Wednesday, May 26

High: Eating dinner at Carnivore, the world famous unlimited grilled meat restaurant in Nairobi after getting off the bus after the ten hour trip from Jinja, Uganda to Nairobi, Kenya.

Low: The sinking “you’re getting sick” feeling I got halfway between Jinja and Nairobi. It didn’t help that Van was feeling nauseous again sitting next to me.

Thursday, May 27

Low 1: Spending the whole day in bed after being diagnosed with a bacterial respiratory infection. Turns out it’s not a good idea to inhale half the Nile. You will get sick. So my 100 degree fever and earthshaking coughing made for a long, painful, “this really sucks” day.

Low 2: Realizing that starting to climb Mount Kenya tomorrow with this fever and infection might not be a good idea. So Van and I decided to push back the climb two days so I could recover. Unfortunately that means we only have 4 days instead of 5 days on the mountain.

Friday, May 28

Low: Despite all the Coartem (Malaria medication- just in case I have malaria), Amoxicillin, Ibuprofen, and anti-histamines prescribed by the doctor in Nairobi, my fever still didn’t break and my coughing hadn’t subsided. So again, I spent the whole day in bed.

High: Having Van and the priests at the St. Camillus Seminary take good care of me. And feeling my fever break late in the evening.

Saturday, May 29

High: Waking up and knowing that the worst of the infection was over and that we could start our Mount Kenya climb tomorrow as we’d planned. We met up with Joseph the mountain guide and his younger brother Paul the porter in Nanyuki, the small town at the base of Mt. Kenya, to prepare everything so we could start the 4 day adventure first thing the next morning!

Low: Although I was finally feeling much better, poor Van had yet another bout of…something. So between my coughing and his barfing, we made for a well prepared, super-healthy, mountain climbing duo!

It’s Not Goodbye, It’s See You Soon… Kenya Week 33: May 16-22

2010-06-06T08:52:00.000-07:00

"Wait, you’re going home? America home?”

“You mean you aren’t coming back to Karungu?”

“How long will you be in America before coming back to Kenya?”

Question after question flooded me this week as I wrapped up my work here in Karungu. The week was packed with home visits, follow ups, and sneaking in two more school cementing projects with the remaining budget. Meanwhile, head teachers and community health volunteers from around Karungu called, visited, and pleaded that I not leave yet. “There’s still so much work to be done…how can you go now?”

I heartbreakingly responded to each of my new friends and co-workers with more or less the same answer…

“I’m going home for more schooling. But the Jiggers Project is still going on. I won’t be here in person, but I’ll be in America raising money and working with the volunteers here in Kenya. And don’t worry, I’ll come back to Kenya as soon as I can.”

Although I realize the difficulty of that promise -to continue raising money and working with the project while a medical student and promising to come back to Kenya as soon as I can- I know that I’ve worked too hard, invested too much, and began something too great to let it end when I leave Karungu.

The greatest blessing of the week was visiting many of the homes and families we’ve worked with. Almost everyone is jigger free and full of hope. Because of the heavy rains lately, many of the newly constructed homes remain unsmeared. But each of the families promised that as soon as the soil is dry enough to begin smearing, they’ll complete the work. And everyone seemed to understand how to prevent the jiggers from returning. So my unofficial evaluation of the project so far:

SUCCESS!!

While the greatest blessing was visiting all the families, the greatest heartbreak by far was saying goodbye to the neighborhood kids. As I gathered my last few things from the house, the kids drew pictures and wrote “Goodbye Kayla” notes. I managed to hold back my tears just long enough to hug them all goodbye. Of course kissing little Davis on the cheek and realizing I wasn’t going to be around to see them all grow into beautiful adults was too much. As I walked away from my little Kenyan house in the staff compound for the last time, eight months of tears poured down my suntanned cheeks.

Those tears instantly resurface when I think of the life I’ve left behind in Karungu. By far the most difficult, frustrating, overwhelming, lonely, eight months of my life. And yet simultaneously the most transformative, eye-opening, encouraging, unbelievable, indescribable eight months of my life.

So I have to keep reminding myself: Yes I’m going back to America. But it’s not goodbye, it’s see you soon.

Kenya: I’m not through with you yet.

Nying’a Kayla Adhiambo na Otati… Kenya Week 32: May 9-15

2010-05-19T05:14:00.000-07:00

You can ask my mother: I’ve always hated goodbyes. As a child I preferred crying in bed buried under my covers rather than saying goodbye to family and friends on their way to the airport. Unfortunately such behavior is frowned upon for 22 year old Public Health Officers. But believe it or not, the long, heartbreaking ordeal of saying goodbye has begun. I’m still trying to piece together where exactly the last 8 months disappeared to. As I went to visit and say goodbye to each of the homes and families I’ve been worked with over the past months, I’m witnessing firsthand the fruits of my labor and that of all the donors and supporters of the project.

So I have to pull myself together and search for the right words to express as I hug each person goodbye. Those words usually include praise for their hard work, encouragement to continue preventing the jiggers, and finally a promise to return as soon as possible.

As I look ahead to my last week in Karungu, I can’t help but think about how much more work there is to do. Right now I’m out of time and out of money. But that doesn’t mean I intend to stop working with the Public Health Officers and Community Health Volunteers. I might not be here in person, but with modern technology and a lot of love, I’ll definitely be here in spirit. I plan on continuing to raise money to help the families that were left behind and complete the projects we placed on the “Wish List”.

Next week I’ll give the final count for the project. How many people we treated for jiggers, how many homes we cemented or smeared or roofed, how many classrooms we cemented, etc. etc. But for now, I want to focus on the people. Yeah, the numbers are nice and easy to process. But they reflect the very real struggles, hopes, joys, and dreams of the people I’ve come to know and love.

Last Friday I said a tearful goodbye to my friends in Otati (a small village in Karungu) and promised to return as soon as I find a sponsor to pay my transport. They promised to keep working hard to help those affected by jiggers.

And they once again reminded me and made me promise to never forget:
“Nying’a Kayla Adhiambo na Otati”.

My name is Kayla Adhiambo from Otati.

p.s. Speaking of names: Check it out! My blog made its way onto another blog! http://nameberry.com/blog/2010/05/05/african-names-a-report-from-kenya/

The OTHER Kenya…Kenya Week 31: May 2 - May 8

2010-05-16T12:51:00.000-07:00

Some experiences defy description. Being surrounded by over 200 grazing elephants slowly migrating their way across East Africa is exactly one of those experiences.

This week I bid a quick goodbye to Karungu to experience the other side of Kenya: the breathtaking landscapes and abundant wildlife that most people only watch on the Discovery Channel or read about in National Geographic.

Monday was a whirlwind, two wheeled tour of Hell’s Gate National Park. I shared the sights and the soreness with Guilia Martelli, an Italian medical student who had just completed two months of research for her thesis on HIV and secondary infections (what better place that St. Camillus Hospital in Karungu?!?) We spent the day riding rented bicycles, dividing our awe between the spectacular rock formations, the magnificent gorge that gives the park its name and its eerie resemblance of many people’s imagine of the less preferred afterlife, and the countless wildlife grazing only feet away from the bike path. Don’t worry, there aren’t any predators in Hell’s Gate; the zebras, antelopes, and warthogs were much more afraid of us than we were of them.

Let me just say this about the Hell’s Gate National Park: if you only have one day to spend in Kenya, this is where to spend it.

After 8 hours of hard cycling on rough terrain my rear end slowly recovered over the next few days while I ran errands in Nairobi. Then I completed “The Other Kenya” experience with a two day Safari of the world famous Maasai Mara, accompanied by a dear friend visiting from home. Between the family of lions lounging only feet away, the awkward wildebeests scrambling to their feet to get out of the way of our vehicle, and the countless elephants encircling our comparatively tiny vehicle, I found myself constantly speechless and close to tears. It was truly an unbelievable, unforgettable, “I’m going to tell my grandchildren about this” experience.

Let me just say this about Maasai Mara: if you only have two days in Kenya, this is where to spend them.

After this week, I now see why tourists from around the world spend thousands of dollars to visit Kenya and its indescribable beauty. While I wasn’t exactly thrilled to end my safari and begin the long trek back to Karungu on public transportation, I know that I wouldn’t trade the up close and personal experiences I’ve had a REAL Kenyan life here in Karungu. The scenery and wildlife keep the tourists pouring in and the Kenyan economy stronger than many of its East African neighbors. But the Kenya that I know: the heartbreaking, breathtaking, rural Kenya is the Kenya I will always and forever consider home.

Something of a Silver Lining...Kenya Week 30: April 25- May 1

2010-05-05T08:26:00.000-07:00

The rains throughout Kenya continue pouring. I'm continually frustrated by the dark clouds and muddy roads. I cringe everytime we have to change our plans and postpone our activities. Yet the clouds that frustrate me bring joy to most Kenyans: the farmers rejoice as their crops - the well being of their families- grow and green.

As I reflect on this past week, I realize that every dark cloud really does have something of a silver lining...

Wednesday morning, I sat comfortably in the big Land Crusier on the way to Otati for a Jigger Removal Day at the Dispensary. The few other volunteers and health workers also in the vehicle eagerly discussed the events of last night: thugs broke in and robbed one of the biggest business men in the Karungu division, stealing anywhere between $650 and $6,500 depending on which rumor you believe. As they swapped gossip, we came upon a huge crowd gathered in the road. Apparently one of the robbers had been caught and killed during a shoot out with the police in the field only a few hundered meters from the road. As the police proudly walked back to their vehicles, the crowd rushed to see the murdered body, declaring happily that justice has been served.

While I spent the day trying to hold back the nausea I felt each time I saw the image of the murdered robber in my mind, I found out that I had also been the victim of a crime. On Wednesday afternoon, not a small chunk of change of the Jigger Project money was stolen within hours of being withdrawn from the ATM.

My already nauseuos stomach swelled into my chest. My first thought was not anger towards the robbers but rather an overwhelming saddness. How can I continue helping the families plagued by these parasites? My time in Kenya along with the project budget is already running low. Now there's almost nothing left. Do I have to cancel the projects we've already begun? Will we have enough funds to buy the cement we promised for Not Primary School, after the community has worked so hard to raise the funds to prepare the floors for the cementing? And what about the families that we promised to help smear their homes? Do I have to tell them nevermind- we don't have any more money?

And what about the donors that trusted me with their money? What kind of missionary am I to allow such a thing to happen? Can I face them and tell them I used every penny of their money to the best of my ability?

Thankfully there's a silverlining in ever cloud. A sympathetic volunteer doctor at St. Camillus donated $194 to help refund some of the stolen money. And the Catholic Medical Mission Board is giving me an "emergency stipend" this month that I can apply back towards the project. Even with the extra help, I'm still "in the red" when it comes to the stolen money. But since I'm personally responsible for the project funds, I'll make up for the loss from my meager savings. At least that way I don't have to say no to the families we've already promised to help.

Despite the rather traumatic day on Wednesday, I'm still incredibly optimistic about the Project and my reminaing few weeks in Karungu. Its been such a blessing seeing the Before and Afters of each of the families we've assisted. Whether they stand in front of their newly roofed and smeared homes or admire the miraculous healing of previously jigger infested hands and feet, the look of hope and gratitude on their faces is undeniable. So yeah, I'm out a few hundred dollars. But I'm not doing any more that what I've asked my donors to do. At least I get to see the Before and After's first hand.

I still have sympathy for the robbers. They would probably choose to work and earn a living if they had the option. But in a country with almost no jobs and staggering poverty, many people feel forced into theft for survival. Meanwhile, I pray for the family of the murdered man. I hope that someday a reliable justice system will be in place to negate the need for Mob Justice. And I hope that the men that stolen our money use it well.

May they all find some small silver lining in their dark clouds, especially during this Kenyan rainy season.

My name is Kayla Bronder and I have Jiggers...Kenya Week 29: April 18-April 24

2010-04-24T06:10:00.000-07:00

At first I thought it was Poison Ivy. The red, swollen, itchy skin reminded me of my almost yearly encounters with that cursed plant back home. But how could I get Poison Ivy only on the tip of my left big toe and my right second toe? That’s weird. But it really itches. And the skin is pretty red. Hmmm...well whatever it is, I’m sure it will go away in a few days.

A few days later I noticed the tale tell quarter inch wide white halo with a black dot in the center. Right on the end of my toe nail.

No.

Absolutely not.

It can’t be.

I ALWAYS wear closed shoes when I’m out in the community. My house has a nicely tiled floor. And I shower everyday, which always includes a thorough scrubbing of my feet.

That CANNOT actually be a jigger. I would have notice before it got that big!

Turns out I was wrong. It was not only one jigger. But four. Two big ones along my toe nails and two small jiggers attempting to sneak their way into the sides of my toes.

My initial reaction was embarrassment. How could I not have noticed bugs digging into my feet? And why did I convince myself for three full days that it was some strain of Africa poison ivy rather than actually taking a closer look? Maybe I shouldn’t wear my flip flops when I go down for dinner. I don’t want the other volunteers or priests to notice!

Right alongside embarrassment was disgust. Those are living, breathing parasites burrowed inside my toes! THAT IS DISGUSTING. That white halo with the black dot in the center suddenly takes on a whole new meaning when it’s inside your own toe rather than that of a 7 year old boy running around without shoes.

So my toes itch, I’m feeling a bit queasy at the thought of the living insects inside my skin, and I’m totally ashamed that I’ve allowed the very parasites I’m working to eradicate dig into my feet.

Now what do I do?

The first step to overcoming a difficulty is acknowledging your problerm. I’ll break through the social stigma and admit that I have a problem. Here goes...

My name is Kayla Bronder and I have jiggers.

Thankfully in the past seven months I’ve become something of an expert jigger remover. Cutting out the little buggers was quite easy although not entirely painless. While digging away at my feet, I thought to myself how different it is to remove your own jiggers rather than someone else’s. The sharp pain as the razor digs too deep instantly tells me to stop. Whereas the poor children can only cry and pray I don’t do that again. And I realized that the removal of the jiggers is only the beginning. The swelling and itching actually worsens for a few days after the flea is removed as the body heals itself. Rather than being relieved to finally have the jiggers out of their hands and feet, our poor patients go home in even more pain than before.

The good news is that I’m three days post operation and I’m healing well. And as I overcome my embarrassment and disgust, the swelling and itching slowly fade.

The small circular scabs ground me in the humanity behind the parasites I’ve been working to eradicate. Tungiasis is no longer a disease that affects only the poorest of the poor living in mud huts. As the saying goes: If you play with fire, you’ll get burned. Or in my case: If you fight jiggers, they’ll eat your toes.

In a way, I’m thankful for the experience. Before I came to Kenya, I told my mother that I hoped I would get just one, mild case of some tropical disease I had studied in my social work class. Of course that comforted any fears she had about her daughter living half way around the world. But I was thinking maybe a bought of malaria or some general diarrheal disease. Nothing serious, just something to make my whole experience in Africa complete. I’ve been here almost 7 months and I’ve never felt healthier in my life. No malarial fevers, not even occasional nausea. A few jiggers qualify as that mild tropical disease I’d hoped for and I’ve escaped relatively unscathed. So don’t worry Mom.

More importantly, the experience has forced me to reflect on the very real dangers that people face everyday in Africa. My white skin or my American passport does not make me immune to those dangers.
Is it worth it? Absolutely.
Would I do it over again? Without a doubt.
Am I looking forward to returning as soon as possible? Definitely.

But next time I’ll pay closer attention to any mysterious, poison ivy-like itching.

What’s in a Name?....Kenya Week 28: April 11-April 17

2010-04-17T01:10:00.000-07:00

In Luo culture, the naming of a child is an important and yet strangely flexible process. Unlike American parents, Luo parents often wait days or even weeks before naming their baby. And while the first name is a traditionally Christian or “Western” name, the second name usually indicates the time, weather, or conditions of the child’s birth. Finally, the father’s name (in our context, the last name) is often overlooked and only used for official documents.

For example, a little boy born at noon time could be named something like Michael (Christian name) Ochieng (O for a boy, -chieng for “noon time”).

A baby girl born while it is raining could be named Vivianne (Western name) Akoth (A for a girl, -koth for rain)

My Luo name is Adhiambo. A for a girl, -dhiambo because I was born in the late afternoon.

The majority of children are named just along those lines. Don, Tony, Stephan, Joseph, Mercy, Faith, Camilla, Fenny, followed by Oluoch, Oriri, Odhiambo, Akinyi, Apiyo, Adongo, and so on and so forth.

Occasionally parents feel inspired by athletes, musicians, or world leaders and name their children Clinton, Regan, and countless Barak Obamas. Right alongside our great American presidents are their beautiful wives Hillary and Michelle. I haven’t met too many Georges or Lauras, but I try not to read too much into that.

Unfortunately some parents make drastically horrible decisions when it comes to naming their children. My (least) favorites have included Violence, Morphine, and Dotcom. Thankfully for Luo children, they mostly go by their Luo names, so they need not dwell on the cruel miscalculations of their families.

The final interesting realization I’ve come to concerning the Luo child naming process is the powerful flexibility of the whole ordeal. With hundreds of babies born at home each day in impoverished conditions, the practice of Birth Certificates, embroidered baby blankets, Birth Announcements remain foreign oddities. So a baby’s name often evolves and changes until something sticks. With that introduction to the beauty of Baby Naming here in Karungu, I want to introduce you to some of the beautiful babies born in the past months:

Kayla Adhiambo Remember little Rocky from Otati with jiggers? He’s now a big brother, again! Rocky’s mother delivered a tiny baby girl, at home, sometime at the end of February. At the time of this photo, Emily told me the baby’s name was Dotcom Akoth. “Dotcom?” I asked incredulously. I must have misunderstood! “Yes, Dotcom. Like from the internet.” Alright then...Dotcom...Poor thing.

Two weeks ago we followed up with Emily, Rocky, David, and Baby Dotcom. They had moved into a tiny mud hut that was previously the kitchen of a family member. Emily could no longer pay rent on the small home they’d lived in before and was forced to relay on the meager resources of her impoverished family. We had to do something to help. A single mother witih 3 small children in a mud hut will amostly definitely become reinfested with jiggers.

We discussed with the family and agreed to buy the metal roofing materials if the family came together to build the rest of the house. When we arrived on Monday morning with the roofing materials, a smiling Emily handed me her beautiful baby girl, introducing her as Kayla Adhiambo. When I asked what had happened to “Dotcom”, the rest of the family insisted that the baby’s new name is Kayla Adhiambo, as a sign of appreciation for the help.

Two weeks ago I was given chickens. This week, a namesake.

Fayol Ailleo
Steve the nurse and his gorgeous young wife Martha live two doors down from Amanda and me in the staff quarters. The newly married couple joyfully announced to us in November that Martha was pregnant and due sometime in April. Martha smiling told me that if that baby is a girl, she will name her Kayla. Two weeks ago Martha gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. Since Kayla was out of the question, they decided to name him after Amanda. Three day old Baby Ailleo was running quite a high fever and poor Amanda was nervous. But he’s doing well now and Martha, Steve, and Baby Ailleo are back home and happy!

Amanda and I laughed and rejoiced at the honor of both having babies named after us the same exact week!

Phanis Kayla Okoth
Lillian is a Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) Counselor at St. Camillus. People come to her to find out their HIV status, so she spends her days restoring hope and reassuring devastated patients. When I first met her in October I thought she looked pregnant. But I didn’t want to be rude, so I didn’t ask. So when the other nurses started joking with her that she looked pregnant, I was reassured. But Lillian stubbornly refused to admit she was pregnant for 3 more months, until it was undeniable. When she finally accepted that she was having her fifth baby, after years of not having a child, she jokingly told me she hopes it’s a girl so she can name her Kayla.

On April 10, 2010 Baby Kayla came into the world. Yes, within one week, there are now three Kaylas in Kenya.

Jerry Edward
Titus Okoth is an exemplary Community Health Volunteer in Otati. The bright, hard working 28 year old consistently goes above and beyond his duties as a volunteer to help mobilize the community and assist the most needy families. He’s well spoken, always smiling, and happy to be an integral part of improving his community. And he works tirelessly without any pay, in the afternoons after he’s tended his fields. It’s been a pleasure working with Titus throughout the project.

Titus’s beautiful wife gave birth to a big baby boy March 25, 2010. The proud father introduced me to his family this week and asked me if they could name their son after my father. I honestly did not believe him at first.

You want to do what? You really want to name your son after my father?
No, Kayla really can’t be a boy’s name. (And I already had two baby girls named after me this week.)
Well, it is my father’s 50th birthday this week, so the timing is perfect. And my father never had a son to carry on his name, so I’m honored! My father would be proud!
His name is Gerald Edward, but everyone calls him Jerry.

The rest of the afternoon, I proudly carried Baby Jerry in my arms. Happy Birthday Dad!

So Much To Do, So Little Time...Kenya Week 27: April 4-April 10

2010-04-15T05:07:00.000-07:00

My apologies for delaying Week 27’s Blog! I’m five days past due, but for the first time in Kenya, I’ve been too busy to even think about writing. What a blessing! So to commemorate this wonderful occasion, I’ll share with you exactly what’s keeping me so busy! The spare moments I’ve managed to stay in the office, I’ve written a comprehensive workplan January-May, 2010. I’ve caught up on many of my reports, data analysis, and Activity Indicators. They may seem like boring paperwork, but they represent the depth and bredth of the work we’ve accomplished in just a few short months!!

Enjoy!

Nyatike Jigger Eradication Campaign Work Plan 2010

Monday, January 4: Meeting with Otati Sublocation Community Health Volunteers to organize mobilization and spraying for Otati Jigger Eradication Campaign (used MOH motor bike)
Tuesday, January 5: Purchase Otati Campaign supplies in Kisii (used public transportation)
Wednesday, January 6: Reports, Budget
Thursday, January 7: Organize for Otati Jigger Removal Day
Friday, January 8: Otati Jigger Removal Day I (used SCMH and MOH vehicle)

Monday, January 11: Severe Cases report to SCMH, treat Zadox Ouko, Brian Odhiambo, David Otieno, Eunice Juma and 4 children
Tuesday, January 12: Home Visit and Needs Assessment with Eunice Juma and David Otieno, organize cementing and smearing of homes
Wednesday, January 13: Otati Jigger Removal Day II (used SCMH and MOH vehicle)
Thursday, January 14: Reports
Friday, January 15: Kisumu

Monday, January 18: Organizing for fundraising/publicity
Tuesday, January 19: Reports, Research, Meet with Tom Odhong to discuss Project
Wednesday, January 20: Reports, Preparations for Rabare
Thursday, January 21: Rabare Primary Removal Day (used SCMH and MOH vehicle)
Friday, January 22: Organizing for fundraising/publicity

Monday, January 25: Reports, Research
Tuesday, January 26: Reports, Budget
Wednesday, January 27: Research, Follow up with Wambogo Family
Thursday, January 28: Organizing for fundraising
Friday, January 29: Follow up Eunice Juma and family and David Otieno. Organize for nutritional support for David Otieno

Monday, February 1- Friday, February 25: Travel and Fundraising in the United States

Monday, March 1: Follow up Juma family, David Otieno
Tuesday, March 2: Meeting with NJEC Stakeholders at SCMH
Wednesday, March 3: Reports
Thursday, March 4: Home visit Wambogo Family
Friday, March 5: Home visit Wilson and Jackline, Follow up Otati Dispensary and Otati Primary School

Monday, March 8, 2010: Return from Nairobi
Tuesday, March 9: Meeting in McAlder- Nyatike District Headquarters with MOH Public Health Officers concerning Collaboration, Organization, and Way Forward for Nyatike Jigger Eradication Campaign
Wednesday, March 10: Roof Construction for Wilson and Jackline in Otati
Thursday, March 11: Reports, Organizing for CHV Training
Friday, March 12: Reports, Meeting with Tom Odhong to plan for CHV Training

Monday, March 15: NJEC Community Health Volunteer Training I: Gunga, Sori, Otati, and Raga Subdivisions. At Karen Zwickert Children’s Home.
Tuesday, March 16: Home visit and Needs Assessment with CHV Richard Oongo: Misiwi Sublocation: Priscilla Ariri, Eleseba and Samson, Rosa Anyango, Arrange for treatment at SCMH and smearing all three homes
Jigger Removal for Rose Anyango in her home
Wednesday, March 17: Nyora Beads Project, Reports
Thursday, March 18: Bring Priscilla Ariri, Elseba, and Samson to SCMH, begin jigger removal and treatment (used SCMH vehicle)
Friday, March 19: NJEC Community Health Volunteer Training II: Misiwi, Okayo, Alendo, and Ngira Subdivisions. At Karen Zwickert Children’s Home.

Monday, March 22: Write Training Reports
Tuesday, March 23: Jigger Removal for Priscilla, and Nyora Beads Project
Wednesday, March 24: Be the Change Vacations and Karen Zwickert Children’s Home Project
Thursday, March 25: Jigger Removal for Priscilla, Reports
Friday, March 26: Morning: Data Analysis, Afternoon: Wachara Removal Day

Monday, March 29: Morning: Reports, budget
Afternoon: Purchase supplies and return Priscilla Ariri home (used SCMH vehicle)
Follow up with Elseba and Samson
Tuesday, March 30: Reports, organize Removal Day work plan with Tom Odhong
Wednesday, March 31: Needs Assessment Otati Primary School and Rabare Primary School
Follow ups in Otati Sublocation: Wilson and Jackline (used SCMH vehicle)
Meet with Tom Odhong to organize Removal Days
Thursday, April 1: Reports, Analyze Data, Organize for next week
Friday, April 2: Public Holiday

Monday, April 5: Public Holiday
Tuesday, April 6: Cementing Otati Primary and Rabare Primary (used SCMH vehicle)
Wednesday, April 7: Reports
Thursday, April 8: Riat Dispensary Removal Day (used SCMH vehicle)
Friday, April 9: Severe Case removal in SCMH: Regan Owino and Eric Odhiambo

Monday, April 12: Roof Construction in Otati: Emily, Rocky, David, Kayla Adhiambo.
Follow up: Otati Primary, Rabare Primary, Wilson and Jackline. Community meeting with Not Primary board and parents (used SCMH vehicle) Needs Assessment in Otati: Owidhi, John Ogalo and family. Needs Assesment in Not: Thadayo Odongo and family, Daniel Konje and family Tuesday, April 13: Meeting with Tom Odhong to complete April and May Work Plan, Work on Reports, visit admitted patient with jiggers
Wednesday, April 14: Morning: Reports, Establish May and June work plan train Medical 2 nurses on Jigger Removal
Afternoon: Visit severe cases in Okayo (need transport, can take motor bike)
Thursday, April 15: Morning: Purchase materials for Roof Construction: Ogalo family, Follow up with David Otieno, organize for completion of smearing
Afternoon: Write reports, settle budget
Friday, April 16: Morning: Reports, Budget
Afternoon: Follow up completed projects: Otati Primary, Rabare Primary, Emily Roof, Ogalo Roof (need transport, can take motor bike), Needs assessment at Wangara Primary School

Monday, April 19: Not Primary School Cementing Project
Tuesday, April 20: Obware Removal Day (Need SCMH vehicle)
Wednesday, April 21: Riat Dispensary Removal Day II (Need MOH vehicle)
Thursday, April 22: Roofing at Okayo: Julius Ojwang/Rose Atieno/Colleta Adhiambo, and Hellena Omolo
Friday, April 23:

Monday, April 26:
Tuesday, April 27: Raga Primary School Removal Day (Need MOH vehicle)
Wednesday, April 28: Aringo Primary School Removal Day (Need SCMH vehicle)
Thursday, April 29: Roofing at Not: Thadayo Odongo/Mary Anyango and Daniel Konje/Anna Chieng
Friday, April 30:

Monday, May 3: Alendo Primary School Removal Day (need SCMH vehicle)
Tuesday, May 4: Otati Dispensary (Need MOH vehicle)
Wednesday, May 5: Bronder in Nairobi.
Thursday, May 6: Nairobi
Friday, May 7: Nairobi

Monday, May 10:
Tuesday, May 11: Obondi Primary Removal Day (Need MOH vehicle)
Wednesday, May 12: Not Primary (Need SCMH vehicle)- tentative depending on status of cementing the school.
Thursday, May 13:
Friday, May 14:

Monday, May 17: Ratanga Removal Day (Need SCMH vehicle)
Tuesday, May 18:
Wednesday, May 19: Follow up with Elseba and Samson, Priscilla, and Wambogo family
Thursday, May 20: Meeting with NJEC Stakeholders at SCMH- draw comprehensive Work Plan for June-December 2010, organize Management Structure and Way Forward with Liz as new coordinator
Friday, May 21: Kayla’s last day in Karungu, Maternity Wing Inauguration

Two Chickens in One Week: We Must Be Doing Something Right!...Kenya Week 26: March 29-April 4

2010-04-07T00:45:00.000-07:00

As we celebrate Holy Week, I can’t help but smile when I think about the gifts we’ve given and the gifts we’ve received this week. By Holy Thursday, Priscilla, Elseba, Samson, Wilson, and Jackline were resting comfortably in their jigger free homes. Otati Primary School and Rabare Primary School were working hard to prepare the floors of their classrooms for cementing. We had all the data collected and we’re making a schedule for the upcoming Jigger Removal Days. And we made an “Informational and Educational Communication” piece, i.e. a small flyer about how to treat and prevent jiggers.

Even more exciting than seeing the project really come together despite bad weather and worse roads is seeing the appreciation and relief in the eyes of the people we help. When Priscilla’s nephew walked up to the home holding a squawking chicken, I thought he was giving it to Priscilla for a welcome home gift. But when he thrust it towards me, wings flapping and feet kicking, I realized he wanted me to accept his feathery display of gratitude. Luckily Richard the Community Health Worker recognized my hesitation and intercepted the bird. We express our gratitude for the gift, and then passed it on to Priscilla. She needs the protein more than we do. As we drove away, the family smiled and waved as Priscilla held the chicken in her lap. Maybe she’ll have a few eggs to eat for Easter.

Two days later we visited Wilson and Jackline to see how the construction of their home was coming along. They’d faced some difficulty with the rains and the floor of their home was more of a mud pit than a floor. But we organized for the work to continue and the community promised to help Wilson finish the walls and floor. As we prepared to leave, Wilson snuck away. A moment later he came back carrying a chicken and a huge smile on his face. As with Priscilla, I tried to say, “thanks but no thanks”. But Wilson would have none of it. Although he only has 4 chickens, he insisted that I take one as a sign of his appreciation for helping him complete his new home.

Although I’m quite sure the chicken-Easter Egg connection was lost on the Kenyans, I chuckled to myself at the thought of receiving two chickens the week before Easter. For all the times I’ve felt discouraged or useless here in Kenya, the chickens remind me that we really are doing something right.

I carried the chicken down to the kitchen and proudly handed it to Dominic the cook. The questioning look on his face revealed his suspicion of how and why I was handing him a live chicken. When I told him about Wilson, he smiled approvingly and went into the kitchen for the knife.

Please Don’t Rain on My Parade...Kenya Week 25: March 21-28

2010-03-29T06:03:00.000-07:00

Yet another slate gray cloud head roles its way towards the hospital. Will this one let loose its power like last night? Or will sneak past and spare us the drama? What happened to Karungu’s nearly perfect, always sunny weather? Where did my nice running trails sink away to? Why does everything have to be constantly dirty, muddy, and musty?

I can’t help but feel bad about my irking feelings of annoyance: the women quickly place their troughs and basins outside the house to catch all the clean, fresh water the heavens bless them with. Tomorrow morning they won’t have to make the long heavy trek to the lake to fetch water. And rain means growth, so their children won’t starve when it comes time to harvest.

But the more it rains, the less anything happens. And in rural Kenya, that’s an impressive statement. I never imagined LESS could happen here, but apparently it can.

The roads are muddy in the morning after the nightly downpours. And by the afternoon- just when the sun has dried the roads to make them passable- the next storm creeps in. Women can’t bring their babies to the immunization clinics. Children can’t walk to school. Motorbike drivers can’t manage the slippery mud. So while everyone else settles into the customary Rainy Season Lethargy, I beg the heavens to clear for a few precious hours.

We can’t collect the data the community health volunteers gathered. We can’t visit the severely affected families. The homes and schools we’re cementing can’t continue their work because nothing dries. And so I sit in the office hoping these clouds silently pass overhead so that tomorrow I can go out.

This Is Africa.

Highs and Lows...Kenya Week 24: March 14-20

2010-03-21T23:09:00.000-07:00

With the annual Missouri Scholars Academy just around the corner, my favorite House Meeting activity continues to spring into my mind. “High Low” has become an MSA classic: everyone has a chance to say the high and the low point of the day. In the Scholar Spirit, here are my highs and lows for Week 24!

Sunday, March 14
High: Successfully shopping in the Sori Market. Amanda and I bought our favorite Kenya legume called Green Grams, black beans, tomatoes, onions, bananas, salt, and laundry soap. Everything you need to survive in your own in kitchen in Kenya.
Low: Nothing really comes to mind, so I guess it was an overall good day!

Monday, March 15
High: Seeing the enthusiasm in the Community Health Worker’s eyes as we taught them about preventing jiggers and mobilizing the community to eradicate the parasite. We now have 38 more people eager to make the Nyatike Jigger Eradication Campaign a sustainable, productive project
Low: Waiting over 1.5 hours for the training to start. Welcome to African time.

Tuesday, March 16
High: Finally getting out into the community to see some of the severely affected families. Seeing REAL Kenyan life trumps anything I do within the confines of the hospital walls.
Low: Finally getting out into the community to see some of the severely affected families. Humans should never suffer such pain and isolation. I bounced back and forth between heartbreak, shock, nausea, and compassion.
Low #2: Hearing Teresa’s response to my question about purchasing a bed for an extremely pour grandmother and her five year old grandson, both infected with jiggers. “No”, she said, “we don’t need to buy them a bed. A bed is a luxury.”

Wednesday, March 17
High: Helping Amanda celebrate her 29th birthday, twice! Once with the neighbor kids and after dinner with the other volunteers and visitors.
Low: Wanting to fall asleep at 9:00 pm after one beer. Wow, I’m getting old.

Thursday, March 18
High: Bringing Priscilla and Elseba, two of the women we met on Tuesday, to St. Camillus to remove their jiggers. They’re finally getting the help they’ve deserately needed.
Low: Spending all afternoon meticulously removing each jigger alongside 3 other nurses and still not removing them all.

Friday, March 19
High: Training 35 more Community Health Workers to become the workforce and life blood of the Nyatike Jiggers Eradication Campaign. I had a powerful moment when it hit me that I was an integral part of making ALL THIS happen. It was both humbling and encouraging. For all the times I felt worthless or unnecessary in Kenya, I’ve realized that I’m using my passions and talents to really do something good. I apologize if that sounds arrogant, but I needed that self-confidence boost.
Low: Realizing that I only have 2.5 months left in Kenya. How did it go so fast? And why do I have to leave now that the project is really moving? And what changed so dramatically that I’m dreading the day I have to say goodbye?

Saturday, March 20
High: It’s Saturday. Enough said.
Low: How can you have a low when its 72 degrees, sunny, with a perfect breeze coming off the lake?

A Good Thing Has Been Done Today...Kenya Week 23: March 7-13

2010-03-17T02:09:00.000-07:00

By the time we arrived with the roofing poles and metal sheets, the walls were up and the men were ready to start building the roof. A smiling group of Community Health Workers arrived carrying shovels and pushing a wheel barrel full of soil to reinforce the wooden beams for the walls. The women sat under the shade trees stirring huge pots of noyo and rabolo, the traditional foods prepared for large groups. Wilson worked tirelessly with the other men despite his age and HIV+ status. The smile on his face and energy in his work revealed his pure joy at finally completing his new home. Wilson’s wife Jackline sat shyly in the shade, talking quietly with the neighbor women.

I met Wilson and Jackline back in November when the Otati Community Health Workers asked me help the couple severely infected with jiggers. We removed the parasites and sprayed their home, but within one month, the jiggers had returned. We removed the jiggers a second time, re-sprayed the home, and gave them closed shoes to protect their feet. But when I visited the couple last week, the jiggers had returned for the third time. Obviously, something more needed to be done. Their poor health status combined with Wilson’s age and Jackline’s slight mental handicap made it nearly impossible for them to get back on their feet without extra help.
The community recognized the need of this struggling couple, but it seemed useless to make any improvements to their home. The thatched roof desperately needed repairs and the mud walls slowly crumbled around them. Structurally the home was beyond repair and the only real option to improve their quality of life and prevent the jiggers from returning was to build a new home.

Wilson had planted the Bluegum trees needed for the poles and was slowly collecting the wood for the walls. He had dug the holes for the beams and leveled the ground where he hoped to build the home. But it would be months before he had enough wood beams for the ceiling and probably never before he’d save enough to actually finish the house. Without a new home, the jiggers would continue to return, causing him and his wife constant physical and psychological pain.

Wilson’s efforts stirred something in me. He was obviously working hard to improve his life and needed just a little help to really become self-sufficient. So we came up with a plan: If the community comes to help Wilson build his home, I’ll buy the metal sheets for the roof and the cement for the floor. All in all, Wilson and Jackline could get a new home for around $500 of building materials, a few days hard work from their neighbors, and a small contribution from Wilson’s extended family.

While the men labored in the hot sun, I sat under the trees with the women learning to sosa- pull the corn off the husks. As they prepared lunch, they taught me practical Dholuo words for the day...kornindo: bedroom. korbudho: sitting room. musmal: nail. dirisha: window. dhot: door. Once I’d mastered the essential words for building a home, the women taught me the seven planting seasons: 1. beto: clearing the bushes. 2. puro: preparing the soil. 3. yoro: re-digging 4. komo: planting 5. doyo: weeding 6. dumbo: preharvesting 7. keyo: harvesting.

Hearing the women discuss their work as farmers, I realized that after almost 6 months in Kenya, I still have almost no idea of the reality of life for a typical Luo in Karungu. They eat what they grow in their fields, they build their own homes, and they pray that the right amount of rain comes at the right time. At times they become so focused on their own survival that they don’t have the energy or resources to help their struggling neighbors. But today reminded me and everyone there of the beauty of coming together to help those in need. Some people can donate money, others time, others corn, and others water. All equally precious, all equally necessary. I couldn’t help but think that this is exactly the type of development work the world needs.

By 4 pm, the roof was complete. The women agreed to return next Thursday to place the mud in the walls. Wilson’s extended family will prepare the ground for cementing. By the following week, we’ll be ready to cement the floor and move Wilson and Jackline into their new home. As we stood in front of the nearly finished home for the group photo, the smiles emanating from each face gave away their inherent joy. Everyone knew that a good thing has been done today.

Before and After...Kenya Week 22

2010-03-08T21:33:00.000-08:00

Pictures really are worth 1,000 words, so I'll let these photos do the talking. The Befores and Afters of the families we've helped so far with the Jiggers Eradication Campaigns show how powerful a little help can really be.

The Wambogo family was covered with painful parasites locally called jiggers and struggled to survive in their dilapidated and parasite infested home...

Three months later, the Wambogo family back is on their feet in their new home...and jigger free!

Zadox (on the far left, soaking his jigger invested hands and feet in antiseptic) is a slightly mentally handicapped total orphan. Different families in the Otati community take care of him when they can. Sadly, this lack of consistent familial care led him to becoming severely infected with jiggers. The parasites covered his hands and feet, making it too painful to walk and too humiliating to go to school.

The severity of Zadox's jiggers forced us to bring him to St. Camillus Hospital. We removed hundreds of the parasites with Zadox under sedation. He went home the next day bandaged but walking.

Two months later, Zadox is back in school and doing well. His hands and feet are jigger free and once again he’s smiling happily.

Wilson and Jackline have long suffered the horrible itching and debilitating pain of jiggers. Both are HIV+ and their home is nearly falling apart. All of their children have passed away, leaving them vulnerable and extremely needy. We brought them to the Otati Dispensary to remove the hundreds of parasites from their hands and feet.

Even after removing Jackline’s jiggers and spraying their home with powerful pesticides, the jiggers retrned. Below I’m removing the fleas from Jackline’s feet the second time.
After removing Jackline's jiggers a second time, she managed to keep most of them at bay. But Wilson and Jackline's case requires a bit more help. Read Week 23's story to see what happens next!

Over 180 children and adults from the Otati Community came to have the jiggers removed from their hands and feet on the two Otati Jigger Removal Days.

Two months later I went to follow up at the nearby Otati Primary School. The head teacher proudly reported that the students are doing much better. According to him, the quality of life and health of the entire community has improved after the Otati Jiggers Eradication Campaign.

0 to 60, then 60 to 0...Kenya Week 21: February 21-27

2010-02-27T01:11:00.000-08:00

If I went from 0 to 60 the moment I landed on United States soil, I went from 60 to 0 the second I stepped off the plane in Nairobi. Talk about whiplash…

I got back to Karungu on Wednesday and I expected to hit the ground running once I got back to work on Thursday. But I forget that I’m in Africa…where…everything…happens…just…a…bit…slower…

Restarting the Karungu Jiggers Eradication Campaign has to wait till Tuesday when I can meet with Tom, Barnabas, and Teresa- the other leaders in the Campaign. I guess that’s one of the realities, benefits, and disadvantages of working at the community level. I depend on so many other people that sometimes I have to wait patiently. I’ve often heard, “They’ve had jiggers for years. They can wait a few more days.” While that sentiment nearly drives me nuts, I understand the deeper reality behind the seemingly heartless words. I can’t eradicate every jigger this week and we have to plan well to make the Campaign lasting and effective. Luckily my co-workers have told me that many lists have been compiled of individuals with jiggers, so that’s a great start. Its happening slower than my “go get ‘em” attitude prefers, but I’m excited to see what we can do!

In the mean time, just a few reminders that I’m back in Kenya:

1. We took a shuttle, a bus, a pseudo-taxi, and a motorbike to get back to Karungu. Luckily the nine hours of horribly uncomfortable traveling conditions passed in a jiffy as I slept away my jet lag!

2. I was greeted by cheers and hugs by my precious neighbor kids the moment I stepped into the gate of the Staff Compound.

3. I've finished my book, started another, updated my photos, returned all my emails, and had free time to take a nap, go for a run, and play with the kids. This is Africa.

4. Two of my co-workers had family members pass away while I was gone. Both were middle aged men who had been battling AIDS for about 4 years.

5. The interesting tragedy of the week: a man was attacked and killed by a hippopotamus in a nearby village. Fantasia lies…turns out hippos aren’t sweet and nimble like ballerinas.

Thank You, From the Bottom of My Heart...Kenya Week 20: February 14-20

2010-02-22T01:07:00.000-08:00

Fourteen days ago I endured 28 hours of cross continental travel while anxious excitement coursed through my veins. I knew I had two weeks to cherish my sister’s wedding, pull off a fundraiser presentation at my church, and complete as many tasks as possible on my endless, “TO DO WHILE HOME” list.

Today my deep sighs and droopy eye-lids merely hint at the whirlwind of activity, fun, and hard work that dominated my two week “vacation” back home. My flight back to Nairobi leaves in a few short hours and I’m desperately trying to process everything that just happened.

I can’t express my deep gratitude for the love, encouragement, and support I received from family, friends, neighbors, and strangers alike while I was home. My 1.5 Minutes of Fame was just enough to gather some excitement about my presentation at St. Marks. Over 85 people came to hear my story, ask probing questions, and become a vital part of the project. Many others that couldn’t make it out asked how they could also contribute.
So for those of you following along on this crazy “Kayla in Kenya” that to help me continue fighting jiggers, here’s how:

Checks can be written to St. Marks Mission with “Kayla in Kenya” in the memo.

Please mail the checks to:
St. Marks Catholic Church
c/o Hilda Beck
3736 S. Lee’s Summit Rd.
Independence, MO 64055

100% of your donation will go to projects to assist the poorest of the poor afflicted by jiggers in Karungu. I’ll continue to write about the people we help and the efforts we make to educate and mobilize the community against these parasites.

In the faithful irony of life, I’m looking forward to getting back to Karungu for some much needed rest. At the same time, I know I have a busy few months ahead of me establishing the Eradication Campaign. Thankfully Kenyan live by the mantra: “Haraka haraka ahinya Baraka” roughly translated into English: “Hurry hurry has no blessing”. i.e. I can recover from my lightening speed two weeks in America while eradicating a devastating public health burden one pesky jigger at a time.

Kayla in Kansas City talking about Kenya...Week 19: February 7-13

2010-02-16T16:41:00.000-08:00

Going from Karungu (where the most exciting event is when the white lady comes to remove jiggers) to Kansas City has been overwhelming to say the least. More has happened in one week than I can wrap my brain around: the Saints won the Super Bowl, my sister got married, and apparently people are really interested in what I’m doing in Kenya.

Turns out the Independence Examiner caught wind of what I’m up to and decided to write an article about me. I talked the reporter’s ear off and on Saturday, all of Independence got to read about Kenya, jiggers, and what I’m trying to do... http://www.examiner.net/features/x626055883/Shes-finding-her-mission-in-the-great-unknown#comments

NBC 41 read the article and before I knew it, my photos of Kenya and my story about the Parasite Eradication Campaign are neatly tucked between traffic and the weather! http://www.nbcactionnews.com/news/local/story/Metro-Woman-Makes-a-Difference-in-Kenya/QHqoKIyL9EaSceo98nop-g.cspx

And to top it all off, the Lee’s Summit Journal front page shows the photo below the heading, "Lee's Summit North grad working in Kenya".
http://www.lsjournal.com/100/story/44259.html

With all this publicity, I’m humbled...and slightly embarrassed. While the attention seems silly, I appreciate the uniqueness of my experience and I hope it can inspire someone to do something more. And it’s great publicity for people to come to my presentation at St. Marks on Thursday!

Speaking of that...if you’re in town, come hear my story first hand!

Kayla in Kenya Presentation
Date: Thursday, February 18th
Time: 7 pm
Location: St. Marks Catholic Church, the Upper Room
3736 S. Lee's Summit Road
Independence, MO 64055

Leaving...Kenya Week 18: February 1-6

2010-02-06T05:51:00.000-08:00

As I pack my bags to fly back to the States, I can’t help but think about what I’m leaving and what I’m going home to. I’m leaving my summer clothes and perfect weather for winter coats and snow storms. I’m leaving my mosquito-netted bunk bed for my mosquito-free bed in my own room. I’m leaving my co-workers, patients, and beautiful neighborhood kids for my real family and friends. I’m leaving relaxing weekends of reading and exploring for fun filled weekends of weddings and festivities. And I’m leaving my work of eradicating parasites to raise money to eradicate more parasites.

Thankfully even though I’m leaving Karungu for a few weeks, the Jigger Eradication Campaign will continue. Tom the Public Health Officer is continuing to organize Removal Days at local schools. Barnabas the Assistant Chief is continuing to help jigger infected individuals in our area get the extra assistance they need. And Teresa the Director of Hope and Life is continuing to find those with jiggers and bring them to the hospital. And my family and friends in Kansas City are working hard to organize and publicize the presentation I’m giving at St. Marks on the 18th. Van made a great flyer for the event. Joe is talking to everyone and anyone about the event and organizing interviews for me in local newspapers. My mom is contacting neighbors and friends to help spread the word.

And all the while, I got to spend a few days at the beach with the Karungu Mzungus. The timing was perfect: Amanda flew into Nairobi on Saturday after her arm completely healed; I needed to be in Nairobi to fly home; Lauren and Christy had a few days between their travels before flying out of Nairobi; and Angela wanted to say hello and goodbye before we all go our separate ways. We all converged on Nairobi and traveled to Diani Beach to spend our last few days together. So I managed to sneak in a few days with my dear friends at the beach. But don’t worry; I kept working on the Campaign reports, prospectus, and presentations!
Angi, Lauren, Amanda, Me, and Christy at Diani Beach.

So I’m leaving Kenya. But only for two weeks. Which is a good thing because I’ve got jiggers to remove, families to help, and Public Health interventions to implement.

We’ve Got a Good Thing Going...Kenya Week 17: January 24-31

2010-02-03T07:27:00.000-08:00

It’s amazing how a series of small, yet related events can evolve into a full blown public health intervention. I’m seeing it happen before my eyes. Or rather, I am seeing how my actions are making it happen. It started when I couldn’t get the story of the destitute Wambogo family out of my head. So we removed their jiggers and built them a new house. Then beautiful little Rocky with 5 jiggers in his feet led to the discovery of the jiggers outbreak in Otati. Then Wilson and Jacklin, 150 children and adults in Otati, and 45 school children in Rabare. And just when we thought that jiggers only affected individuals in remote areas, the severity of the problem hit close to home when we found 2 families in Sori Town, only 3 km from the hospital.

Eunice, a beautiful young widow, and her 6 children slept on the floor of their barely livable mud hut on the outskirts of Sori. After we removed their jigger and bought them new shoes, we realized we needed to go a step further. Her young children not only suffered from jiggers, but also constant respiratory infections from sleeping on the dusty floor. and cemented their floor. Eunice told me that you never know when God will answer your prayers. But for her, He did when we first knocked on her door.
Eunice's young daughter at the door to their newly cemented home. The family is sleeping soundly and away from the fleas in the soil

David was so poor he swallowed sand to make his stomach feel full. Neighbors brought him homemade beer, when they had extra, and he drank to ease the hunger pains. His feet and hands were so covered with jiggers he could barely walk and couldn’t sleep at night from the unbearable itching. Since we’ve removed his jiggers, bought him a good pair of shoes, smeared the floor of his home to keep the jiggers away, and bought him food and cooking supplies, he’s regaining his strength and his dignity. He hasn’t drunk alcohol in 2 weeks since the day, as he put it, that the two white ladies (Lauren and I) told him to quit drinking. And the smile on his face tells the story of a man ready for a second chance.
David proudly displaying his jigger free feet!

Everyday we are getting reports from Community Health Volunteers, Social Workers, and concerned community members about jigger cases throughout Karungu and beyond. So now that we’ve opened the Pandora’s Box of a major public health concern, what do we do about it? Currently nothing is being done to help those infected or prevent further infections. And we’ve realized that jiggers are plaguing hundreds, if not thousands of our neighbors

So I sat down with Barnabas Wajiwa, the Assistant Chief of Sori, to develop a plan. Working with the District Public Health Officer, St. Camillus Hospital, and the Provincial Authorities, we’ve designed a systematic, sustainable program to not only help those infected with jiggers, but to implement major prevention efforts and educational activities. It’s even got a catchy name: Karungu Jiggers Eradication Campaign, or more conveniently, KJEC! It won’t be easy and it won’t happen quickly, but little by little, we can drastically reduce the health burden caused by jiggers in Karungu. And what is particularly appealing to me is that since jiggers most significantly affects the poorest of the poor, these pesky parasites are a direct way to reach the people in our community that most need our assistance. We can do more than just extract the fleas from their feet. We can give them shoes, help them clean their homes, and in severe cases, even cement the floor of their mud huts.
The only real kink in the whole program is that we need funds to really make it effective. We don’t need millions of dollars. For about $3 we can give a child a good pair of shoes to protect their feet. For about $300 we can cement the floor of a home and permanently prevent jiggers from returning. For about $600 we can cement the floor of a classroom to protect school children from getting jiggers from their classmates.

In another series of well-timed events, I’m flying home next week for my older sister’s wedding. But instead of putting the project on hold till I return, we’re taking advantage of this priceless opportunity. My home parish, St. Marks Catholic Church in Independence, Missouri, has agreed to let me host a fundraising event for the project. Talk about good timing! My family, friends, and neighbors who made it possible for me to come to Kenya can hear and see first hand what I’m doing. Anyone who’s curious can come learn more about living and working in a developing country. And anyone who wants to help drastically change the lives of some of the world’s poorest and forgotten can find out how.

Here are the details!

Kayla in Kenya Fundraiser
Date: Thursday, February 18th
Time: 7 pm
Location: St. Marks Catholic Church, the Upper Room
3736 S. Lee's Summit Road
Independence, MO 64055

I’ll write more about the event and the Karungu Jiggers Eradication Campaign as we go along. But in the mean time, clear you calendars and I’ll see you at St. Marks on the 18th!

Time Flies When You’re Having Fun...Kenya Week 16: January 17-23

2010-01-25T01:11:00.000-08:00

Rabare Primary School Jigger Removal Day.

It’s amazing how time flies when you’re having fun.

And when you’re staying busy.

And when you’re removing Jiggers.

It’s really just amazing that time can fly in Kenya...I guess there’s a first for everything.

After firmly establishing myself as the local “Jiggers Expert”, I spent all week organizing to remove jiggers, removing jiggers, or writing reports about removing jiggers. I’ve learned some great lessons. For starters, I’ve learned that for every hour you spend “in the field”, you have to spend 2 hours researching, coordinating, and fundraising beforehand, then 2 hours writing reports and following up. For the first time in four months, the week passed quickly and I finally felt like I was really gettin’ in the groove of things here in Kenya.

Thankfully, I love what I’m doing. Well...blood curdling screams from small children having live insects extracted from their toes isn’t so fun. But knowing that in ten minutes their feet will be jigger free and they’ll have long forgotten the pain makes it all worth it.

On Thursday teams from St. Camillus and the District Public Health Office met at Rabare Primary School to remove jiggers from 50+ students. We’re becoming much more organized and efficient and by 2 pm, all hands and feet in Rabare Primary were jigger free.

The teachers and community were incredibly grateful for the assistance and receptive to the health education and instructions we gave concerning jiggers prevention. Unfortunately six of the nine classrooms have a dirt floor, which explains why so many students have jiggers. I talked to the Head Teacher and we’re going to work to see if we can find a way to cement the floors.

While we waited to go back to St. Camillus, the kids invited us to jump rope and play soccer with them! I guess their feet weren’t too sore after being de-jiggered!!

Now I’m back in the office writing reports and getting ready for our next step. And I can’t believe it’s already time for lunch.

Goodbye, Hello, See You Soon... Kenya Week 15: January 10- 16, 2010

2010-01-20T01:08:00.000-08:00

After having their jiggers removed at Otati Removal Day II, everyone lined up for a pair of brand new tennis shoes! This kills the proverbial two birds with one stone: protect their feet from infection after removing the fleas AND prevent new fleas from entering!

This week, besides spending four days in a row patiently removing jiggers from children and adults around Karungu, was filled with hellos and goodbyes to some of the most amazing women I’ve ever met. I said a sad goodbye to my beloved fellow American volunteers. Lauren and Christy faithfully finished their year and waved goodbye to St. Camillus, to Karungu, and to all the lives they’ve saved and people they’ve touched. I’m deeply saddened to see them go. In the three quick months we shared in Kenya, they were my neighbor, teacher, role model, trainer, cook, psychotherapist, and most importantly, dear friend.

Lauren and Christy: so close to being the exact same person we shortened their names to simply LandC. The tall, skinny, always running, non-coffee drinking, adventure loving, poverty fighting, X-ray taking/baby saving Americans. The happiest cynics you’ll ever meet. The first Americans to live in the St. Camillus Staff Compound. The first Americans to embrace, perfect, and teach me to cook Kenyan cuisine.

I’ll miss you dearly and I’ll do my best to keep your Kenyan legacy alive. When the children yell “Ciao!” while I’m out on my morning run, I’ll remind them we’re Americans and not Italians by consistently responding, “Obama!!” I’ll cook ugali and green grams and chapatti and sukuma wiki. I’ll always show up a few minutes late, but still way earlier than the Kenyans. I’ll play Spoons, drink the occasional Tusker, and dance like a mzungu every chance I get!! Thanks for being my trailblazers, my big sisters, and my heroes!
Lauren and Christy bequeathing their beloved propane stove to Amanda and I the night before they left Karungu.

Speaking of heroes, after saying goodbye to Lauren and Christy, I got to say hello to one of my hometown heroes, Brooks Zitzman! Despite being my boss for two years when I was a Resident Assistant at Tulane University, Brooks has become one of my biggest role models and dearest friends. She graduated from Tulane with her Masters of Social Work in December (p.s. that’s her second Masters degree...she’s a genius...and maybe an overachiever!). But instead of getting a job, she decided to spend 2 weeks travelling in Africa with her friend Michelle, a former Peace Corp Volunteer. Brooks and Michelle are staying near Kampala, Uganda, only a few hours from the Kenyan border. So we arranged to hang out in Kisumu, Kenya for the weekend!

Angela, the young Italian working at the hospital, and I travelled to Kisumu by “Public Means”. i.e. crammed into an over packed “mini-bus” trundling along the so-called Kenyan “roads”. We made it alive and spent a lovely weekend with Brooks visiting the Kakamega Forest (the only forest in Kenya last remaining section of the ancient jungle stretching from the Congo all the way to Kenya) and enjoying the pleasant but sparse town of Kisumu.
Brooks and Me with Angela, Coath, and the two Peace Corp volunteers we met on the way. We had a lovely afternoon exploring the beautiful Kakamega Forest

It was such a treat to visit with Brooks. We stayed up late discussing Africa, poverty, politics, faith, education, love, etc. We share similar world views and she helped me think about many of the questions and struggles I’ve had in a new light. Brooks is one of the most incredible women I’ve been blessed to know and love. If only Brooks and Lauren and Christy could have met. Maybe we’ll all have to rendezvous in New Orleans for Mardi Gras 2011!

What I learned in 2009...Kenya Week 13: Dec 27, 2009 -Jan 2, 2010

2010-01-01T23:41:00.000-08:00

What I learned (and re-learned) in 2009:
o There is no place like home for the holidays.
o Celebrating New Years Eve with countless Italian priests (all over the age of 55), Kenyan Seminarians, and 3 other Americans can actually be a blast. As long as you dance the night away and don’t care who’s laughing.
o Poverty is without a doubt the most complicated and heartbreaking reality in the world.
o HIV is the most devastating tragedy in our world today. It is real and people are dying.
o Cold showers aren’t that bad if it’s warm outside.
o Writing a good letter takes a long time.
o Swimming in Lake Victoria isn’t as appealing as it sounds.
o There is no such thing as a childhood in Africa.
o Everyone should get to know their neighbors. They’ll be there for you when you need them.
o It’s the small things that count.
o Coffee with warm milk is the best start to the day.
o I talk too fast and I mumble.
o I love (and miss) great live music.
o Hard work is much more rewarding than figuring out the easy way out.
o Sometimes good things come to those who wait. But usually good things only come to those who are brave enough to go out there and work for it.
o There is something incredibly therapeutic about watching a sunset over a beautiful body of water. I think it is the closest we can come to experiencing infinity.
o Slow down.
o Language barriers can be one of the most frustrating obstacles. Curse you Tower of Babel.
o Good books are underrated.
o There is nothing more beautiful or priceless than a child.
o I love knowing I made someone smile. Especially if they are sick or in pain.
o Traveling is a priceless luxury.
o My education is the greatest gift I’ve ever received.
o The solution to America’s obesity problem is simple. Come spend a few months living like an African. Between dodging cars and donkeys while walking to the market, fetching (and carrying) your own water, washing your laundry by hand, grinding your own corn meal, and eating the same food every single day, you’ll shed those pounds in no time!
o Being a white person in rural Africa is kind of like being a celebrity: people watch your every move, everyone wants to be your friend, and most people want something from you. Believe me, its overrated.
o I’m a naïve 22 year old mzungu who has had everything she ever needed handed to her on a silver platter and who has no idea what suffering or pain really is.
o I love good conversation.
o I’m a very friendly person.
o I’m going to be a great medical doctor…eventually.
o I love living and working in the developing world.
o It’s not about what you have or where you are or what you are doing. It’s about who you are with.

What I am looking forward to in 2010:
o Removing Jiggers from 60+ people in Otati on Friday.
o Helping kids go to school that otherwise wouldn’t graduate because they can’t pay their school fees
o My sister and Casey getting married in February, Amy and Chase getting married in July
o Having visitors in April/May
o Jamie going to Tulane in August
o Moving back to New Orleans
o Starting Medical School
o Making a snowman
o Living simply and slowly
o Warm showers

Twas the Day Before Christmas...Kenya Week 12: December 20-26

2009-12-27T01:37:00.000-08:00

I feel my Kenyan Christmas experience is best expressed in rhyme**... Enjoy!

Twas the day before Christmas, and all through St. Camillus,
The mzungus spread Christmas joy even if it would kill us.
The decorations were hung by Kayla and Lauren with care,
In hopes that visitors would leave them right there.

The patients were nestled all snug in their beds,
While Christy placed dextrose and painkillers over their heads.
And Dr. Jimmy monitored patients with his smile and stethoscope
Checking vitals and breath sound for signs of hope.

When out on the staff compound there arose such a clatter,
I sprang up from my nap to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew with glee,
To see little Alan stuck up in a tree!

The moon on the breast of the beautiful lake
Gave the luster of a postcard or something else fake.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
A tall Italian priest, talking loud for all to hear.

With a tank top and shorts, his cigarette aglow,
I knew in a moment it must be Fr. Emilio.
More rapid than eagles his orders they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called us by name!

"Now Kayla! Now, Jimmy! Now, Lauren and Christine!
Fr. Mario! Fr. Julius! All the novices get in!!
Climb into the cars! Be careful don’t fall!
Its time for Christmas Mass! Now dash away all!"

The Duluo Christmas songs they were a-singing,
While the English Noel in my ears was a-ringing.
After Mass we drank wine and ate Panattone,
All together in the house so we didn’t feel quite so alone.

On Christmas Day we gave the patients some sweets,
And sang them Christmas Carols. Oh what a treat!
We each had a few packages we opened with joy.
The chocolates and cards much better than any trinket or toy.

My Kenyan friends and neighbors did little to celebrate.
For them having rice makes their small feast just great.
Poverty keeps them from buying gifts and such.
But at least they can take off work and not do much.

I hope you all enjoyed my little Christmas rhyme.
And I pray that it finds you warm, happy, and fine.
A poet I’m not, but I wish you with all of my might,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

**The characters and events of this poem are based on fact...to the greatest extent possible when attempting to rhyme. Any resemblance to classical American Christmas poems is purely coincidental.

Do you know how to dance? and other such questions...Kenya Week 11: November 13-December 19

2009-12-21T05:12:00.000-08:00

As part of my new job working with the HIV/AIDS Prevention program AWAKE, I helped facilitate a five day volunteer training for the Catholic Diocese. 24 volunteers came from each parish in the diocese to learn the basics of HIV/AIDS, Life skills, and Peer Education so they can in turn train the youth in their parishes and local schools. The basic idea: teach adults how to teach kids life skills and the basics of HIV/AIDS Prevention. Being the local “Public Health Officer” AND the token American, the volunteers came to me with any question concerning health, HIV/AIDS, STIs, and of course, the state of being in our beloved United States.

Many of the questions were incredibly relevant and insightful:
o How has the HIV/AIDS epidemic affected food security?
o How long can the HIV virus survive outside the body?
o If a baby is born with both male and female parts, is it a male or a female?
o Why do many of the symptoms for STIs only affect women and not men?

Others made me realize we have a big job to do concerning health and sexual health education:
o Can you get HIV by kissing?
o Why do women stay longer with the virus than men? (Translation: Why do HIV+ men died sooner than HIV+ women?)
o Do people with the HIV virus go to heaven?

Others just made me laugh. Here is a sample of the more noteworthy inquiries regarding Obama-land:
o Do you have potatoes in America?
o Do old people get taken care of in America?
o Do you have grass in America?
o If you don’t have ugali or sukuma wiki in America, what do you eat?
o Is it true that men are only allowed to have one wife in America?

And of course, they all wanted to know:
o Do you have a husband?
o How many children do you have?
o Which team are you for? (Translation: Are you a Manchester United or Chelsea fan? Translation: Do you watch European Football?)
o Do you know how to dance?

It was an exhausting, intense four days of training. My brain was tired mostly from having to explain what Americans eat other than ugali and sukuma wiki. But we managed to have fun and ended Thursday evening with a dance party! And not to brag or anything, but apparently I’m a good dancer according to Kenyan standards.

From Rongo we headed to Homa Bay, the headquarters for our Catholic Diocese. The diocesan employees close out their year with Staffmass, a four day (yes, a full four days!) party. We only attended the last afternoon of festivities which included speeches (a Kenyan staple for ANY social gathering), giving out gifts, and of course, a dance party!! Encouraged by the “You really know how to dance like a Kenyan” comments I’d received the night before, Nancy and I had a great time dancing into the night! And again as the token mzungu, I must have danced with over half the males currently employed by the Homa Bay Catholic Diocese!!

And just in case I hadn’t had enough Christmas celebrations or dancing, we made it back to Karungu just in time for the much anticipated St. Camillus Hospital Staff Christmas Party. Luckily this time I wasn’t the only mzungu and actually knew most of the people. Lauren, Christy, Jimmy, and I still managed to be the highlight of the dance party. I’ve figured out that Kenyans just want to know how us white people dance.

So as it turns out, the answer to your question is:
YES, I do know how to dance.
YES, America does have potatoes.
YES, men in America are only allowed to have one wife.

Jiggers Infestations, Public Transportations, and Priestly Ordinations... Kenya Week 10: December 6-December 12

2009-12-20T21:37:00.000-08:00

What happens when your schedule includes an Ordination in Nairobi on December 12, a Volunteer Training in Rongo December 13-18th, a Christmas Party in Homa Bay on the 18th, followed by another Christmas Party in Karungu on the 19th? Ten days of intense traveling, talking, sitting, eating, and not sleeping. I’ve barely seen a computer in the past 10 days! But I’m happily back on the porch overlooking the endless Lake Victoria in the dry Karungu heat. Let me fill you in on the highlights of my life in Kenya the past two weeks!!

Monday, December 6, 2009 We found a young boy, Rocky, with jiggers in his feet last week during the Mobile Maternal and Child Health Clinic at a nearby village called Otati. I removed the jiggers but knew we needed to spray their home to kill those still living in the dirt floor. I organized to bring disinfectant and a sprayer to spray any homes in Otati with jiggers. Frank (the nurse that help us so much with removing Mary, Michael, and Gaston’s jiggers) graciously agreed take me on his day off to spray the homes. We rode out on his motorbike and disinfected Rocky’s home and one other home. The older couple living in the home had a serious case and we agreed that I would return on Thursday to remove their jiggers at the dispensary.
Tuesday and Wednesday, December 7 and 8, 2009 I helped facilitate another Life-skills training with AWAKE. The trainng was just down the road at B.L. Tezza, the primary and secondary school for orphans run by St. Camillus. The kids were a joy to teach and seemed to enjoy the training.

Thursday, December 10, 2009 I traveled with the ART Clinic (Anti-Retroviral Therapy for HIV/AIDS patients) to Otati to remove the jiggers from the husband and wife we met on Moday. We also brought a bed and mattress for Rocky’s family. They’d been sleeping on a mat on the ground, one of the common problems causing jiggers infections. Between bringing the bed to the home and rumors of a mzungu removing jiggers at the dispensary, a crowd of mothers and their barefooted children, all infected with jiggers quickly gathered. Before we knew it, we had over 35 different families reporting at least one child with a jiggers infection! a.k.a. Jiggers Outbreak in Otati!! Now I’m coordinating with the local nurse, village chief and government public health officer to arrange a community wide day for disinfection and removal of jiggers. Hopefully these sweet kids will be jigger free by Christmas (or at least the New Year!).

This is Rocky's little brother David. The family was so excited to finally have a bed and mattress.

Despite the unexpected outbreak discovery, I still managed to be back to Sori to catch the “night bus” with Lauren and Christy to travel to Nairobi. The night bus leaves Sori at 4:30 pm and inches its way towards the capital city, picking up passengers, sugar cane, corn, goats, chickens, and anything else that may be traveling to the booming metropolis. Lauren tells the story better than I possibly can. Check out her latest blog: http://laurenmeisman.blogspot.com/

Friday, December 11, 2009 After a fitful night’s sleep constantly interrupted by crying baby, a gawking chicken, and constant stop and go on the half paved highways, we arrived in Nairobi at 3:30 am. We stayed on the bus till the driver kicked us off in the pre-dawn haze of the city-center. The three blonde, young, and sleepy mzungus broke through the crowds of vendors, bicycles, push carts, taxis, and buses till we managed to escape the markets and arrive at the Kenyan Embassy to renew our visas. I won’t go into details of renewing my visa, but lets just say in a notoriously corrupt country, sometimes its helpful being blonde, young, and from America! Apparently my feminine charms exempt me from the hassles of the entire visa renewal process and no, Mr. Embassy Worker, you cannot have my phone number (but thanks for making this whole ordeal quite easy!)
We spent the afternoon finding a hotel and a decent place to eat lunch then shopping for beautiful Kenyan fabric. Kangas, kitanges, and kikoyos are literally the fabrics holding Kenyan life together. These versatile materials are a day to day necessity for a Kenyan woman: they become everything from the tablecloth to baby sling to travel bath towel. They’re sewn into exquisite Sunday dresses, men’s shirts, and grocery bags. The unbelievable diversity of materials, patterns, colors, and written messages on the fabrics made the afternoon an explosion of color and battering. Not exactly like shopping in the sterile and set-price atmosphere of an American mall and the three Mzungus had a blast! We bought fresh baked bread, peanut butter, and apples (all of which are priceless in Karungu!)at the grocery store and ate dinner in our hotel room before falling asleep at 8 pm!

Kenyan kangas, kitanges, and kikoyos in one of the many shops on our shopping spree!

Saturday, December 12, 2009 We really came all the way to Nairobi to attend the Camillian Ordinations and Final Professions. Richard was ordained a priest while Elphas, Thomas, and Joseph took their final vows as brothers. We’ve become friends with almost all the Camillians in Kenya, especially the younger brothers and seminarians and we were happy to be there for their big day. The celebration was beautiful and lasted all day!! In the evening we managed to enjoy a bit of Nairobi nightlife, which was a treat after being “in the bush” of Karungu!!

The Meaning of Friendship...Kenya Week 9: November 29-December 5

2009-12-04T23:23:00.000-08:00

“What is a friend?” Daniel asked the group of middle school children.

“Someone you like.”
“Someone who gives you his things.”
“Someone who is your neighbor.”
“Someone you trust.”
“Someone who helps you.”

The idea that a friend is simply someone who gives you his things or helps you surprised me initially. Is it because these kids have so little that a friend is anyone that gives them something? All of the children, aged 10 to 17, are partial or total orphans and are sponsored by the Mercy Orphans Group, a large organization within the Catholic Relief Services. Mercy Orphans sponsors 75% of their school fees, provides support for their caretakers, and trains teachers and volunteers to assist these needy youth. As a part of their school sponsorship they must attend a 4-day “Life skills Training” course. Sitting in a circle in a dilapidated schoolroom on incredibly uncomfortable desks, these children learn about everything from Communication, Being Assertive, Self Esteem, and Setting Goals to HIV/AIDS, Rape, Sex, and Abstinence. I was blessed to spend two days learning and laughing alongside these beautiful kids.

After two months of working in the Maternal and Child Health Clinic, I have decided I want to utilize my skills as a “Public Health Officer” and spend more time in the community. While I’ve had incredibly valuable experiences working in the Clinic and helping in the Wards, I’m hoping to learn more about life, health, and poverty outside the gates of St. Camillus. After coordinating with Father Emilio, nurses, social workers, and volunteers at the hospital, I’ll be volunteering with AWAKE. AWAKE is a youth HIV/AIDS Prevention Program that reaches kids in the classroom to teach them about HIV/AIDS and how to avoid becoming infected. Starting in January, (when the kids go back to school) I’ll help give talks and facilitate discussions along with the other AWAKE workers. The AWAKE Coordinators, Angela, Daniel, and Mary, are excited to have me on board: hopefully the mzungu (white person) will make the kids pay more attention rather than distract them. And I am looking forward to the opportunity to “be in the field” and to impact, in some small way, the lives of the students we reach with the AWAKE Program.

After the first day of my “new job”, I couldn’t help but reflect on Daniel’s talk about friendship. I realized the children’s response that a friend is someone who gives you his things is not simply a result of their poverty or need. It is not a way of seeing a friend as someone to take advantage of. Rather, it is acknowledging that a true friend will give till it hurts. They’ll share from their own poverty to help someone they care about. This is universal: my friends give me not only their things, but also their time, patience, support, love, and joy. Good answer kids.

Even more surprising than the students’ response to Daniel’s question about friends was his next question to the students:

“How many children do you think Kayla has?”

Wait, WHAT!?!

Some kids giggled. Others quickly guessed the number of my offspring:
“2!”
“3!”

WHAT, I’m only 22?!?!!?!

I quickly clarified: “ONGE!!” (“NONE!!”)

“Kayla doesn’t have any children because she wants to complete her education and accomplish her goals.”

Where are you going with this Daniel?

“And so Kayla chooses friends that will help her accomplish these goals. Her friends also work hard and want to accomplish their goals and dreams.”

Ok Daniel, nice recovery. I guess the fact that most Kenyan girls have at least 2 children by the age of 22 makes me a good role model for these girls. I’m glad my fertility could help you clarify what it means to be a good friend.

All in all, it was a wonderful training. The kids seem to pay attention and even managed to have some fun. I can only hope something sunk in and they’ll keep themselves and their friends virus-free. Who knows? Maybe they even learned a life skill or two.

ONLY IN AFRICA: Kenya Week 8...November 21-28

2009-11-29T22:29:00.000-08:00

ONLY IN AFRICA...

o Do four Americans, five Italians, eight Kenyans, and one Tanzanian sit down together to share a Thanksgiving Dinner.

o Does someone taste stuffing, chicken gravy, and apple pie for the first time in their life and love them!!

o Is World AIDS Day the biggest event of the year.

o Do children’s nursery rhymes ask, “AIDS, AIDS, do you have no mercy?”

o Do World AIDS Day Weekend festivities include a football tournament, a net ball tournament, an eating contest, and hours upon hours of skits, songs and dances.

o Is the highlight of the World AIDS Day festivities a dance off for young boys.

o Does the winner of the dance off win $6 because he hip-thrusts and gyrates better than the other boys.

o Only in Africa will the answers to the question, “Why is HIV/AIDS such a problem in this community?” include Wife Inheritance, Polygamy, and Boredom.

o Is an eight year old girl HIV positive while her mother is HIV negative.

o Does a 60 year old woman get admitted to the hospital for Malaria when she actually has an ear infection.

o Does an 8 year old boy get sent home from the outpatient clinic with a broken femur.

o Does a woman’s dead body get carried home on a motorbike.

o Does one country have 42 different tribes with their separate languages, cultures, believes, and traditions.

o Does the man building your home not show up for three weeks to finish cementing the floors and walls.

o Do lake flies attack a hospital in such numbers that you can hardly see through the cloud on your way home from work.

o Does a white girl get proposed to at least once a week by hospital patients, motorbike drivers, shop owners and strangers on the street.

o Am I constantly mistaken as an Italian and a nurse because I’m white.

Home is where the Heart Is …Kenya Week 7: November 15-22

2009-11-20T23:22:00.000-08:00

Sitting in my room at the St. Camillus Seminary in Nairobi, I caught myself off guard when the thought, “I want to go home!” popped into my head on Monday evening. But the “home” I imagined was not Lee’s Summit, Missouri or New Orleans, Louisiana. Suddenly “home” meant Karungu, Kenya. In seven short yet powerful weeks, my paradigm shifted once again: I live in Africa. I work at a hospital in the bush. My friends are Italian volunteers, Kenyan seminarians, and Luo nurses. For fun I play with my beautiful neighbor children, run on muddy cattle trails, write letters, and read books. And one week away from home was too much. I wanted to be back. I wanted to give vaccines to babies, to speak broken Duluo, to laugh with the seminarians and priests at dinner, to constantly scrape mud from my shoes, and to watch the sunset over the lake.

This unexpected Karungu-homesickness nestled down right next down to my America-homesickness. Undeniably, while in Africa I’ve yearned for the comforts and security of my America-home more than ever before. I miss the paved roads, warm showers, and the luxurious beauty of the developed world. I miss grocery shopping, cooking dinner for my family, going to the movies, and leaving the house after the sunset. I miss the Streetcar bumbling down St. Charles Ave in New Orleans and the parasite-free lakes in Kansas City. I miss the instant and reliable communication with my loved ones. I miss feeling safe enough to travel alone and I miss blending in.

Yet when I look around me, I realize most of the people in Karungu can barely fathom what it means to miss such extravagant homes. Gaston, Michael, and Mary were thrilled to return to their new jigger-free, concrete-slab, one-room home. Mary the Nurse Aid wishes her home had running water so she wouldn’t have to fetch it from the lake every morning. Emma the Cleaner wishes she had her own home so she and her children wouldn’t be at the mercy of her landlord when she can’t afford to pay the month’s rent. The children at Dala Kiye have a beautiful home, loving caretakers, three meals a day, and school fees so they can graduate high school. Although they’re HIV+ and orphaned, they may be the most blessed kids in all of Karungu. Meanwhile the other 5,000 orphans and vulnerable children around Karungu have no home to miss. Day in and day out they struggle to find a roof to sleep under, a decent meal to eat, and a relative to pay their school fees.

Back at home in Karungu, I still miss home. And since I miss Amanda while she’s at home in New York recovering from surgery, I wrote her a letter telling her to come home soon.

My home is Lee’s Summit, New Orleans, Karungu. My family and friends send me precious letters from California, Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, Missouri, Belgium, Swaziland, Chile, and Iraq. How blessed I am to have so many homes and so many loved ones. If “Home is where the Heart Is”, then my heart is scattered across the globe in countless pieces.

My beautiful neighbors back home in Karungu.

Literally, Sticks will break your bones!!... Kenya Week 6: November 8-November 14

2009-11-14T11:21:00.000-08:00

Call it bad luck or just bad timing, but turns out that last week’s blog titled “Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones…” would have been a more appropriate title for this week’s blog. Let me tell you a little story…

It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon in rural Karungu Kenya. Men, women and children walked along the side of the road to and from the booming Sori Market to buy dried fish, corn, second hand clothes and an assortment of other Kenyan goods . Cars, buses and motorbikes sped up and down the dirt road, narrowly missing each other and those walking along the muddy roadside. Among those innocently heading to the market were three American volunteers named Kayla, Amanda, and Lauren. The lovely young ladies wanted to buy clothes and shoes for a poor family they are helping at the hospital.

Suddenly a motorbike driver with a large wooden door attached to the back of his tiny bike swerved dangerously close to the jolly group. The girls jumped to the side just in time, all except for poor Amanda’s left forearm. Perhaps unaware of how large his door actually was or perhaps simply just a bad driver, this young man rudely cut their good hearted trip short.

Amanda bravely held back tears and while grasping her arm informed the merry group that the Sori Market would have to wait; she needed to head back to St. Camillus. Now Lauren conveniently happened to be the St. Camillus X-ray technician, so the girls went straight to the X-ray room. Sadly, X-rays don’t lie: Amanda’s arm had a minimally displaced mid-shaft radial fracture. In other words, her left radius was broken in two. The moral of the story: My mom was right…sticks really do break bones. THE END

After Dr. Jimmy splinted Amanda’s arm and she got some pain killers, everyone decided the best option would be for Amanda to come to Nairobi so an orthopedic surgeon could set the bone and properly cast it. We contacted all the necessary folks back in the States (Mom and Dad Ailleo, Richard from CMMB, etc.) and Fr. Emilio made some calls to find the best orthopedic in Nairobi. We decided I would travel to Nairobi with Amanda to continue playing the role of roommate, friend, nurse, and surrogate mother. So on Tuesday morning Father Julius, Amanda, and I made the eight hour trek to the capital.

Unfortunately after taking one look at the X-ray, Dr. Krishnan told Amanda that if it was his arm, he’d opt for surgery. Casting her arm won’t guarantee that the bone will realign and heal properly because of the location and type of break. It will heal much better and much faster with a plate and screws holding the bones in place. So instead of getting a cast and returning to Nairobi like we originally hoped, Amanda boarded a plane back to New York for surgery.

While poor Amanda is back home awaiting surgery, I’ve been relaxing at the St. Camillus Seminary and exploring Nairobi with Fr. Julius. Instead of playing nurse and roommate, I’ve had a unplanned vacation!! In the morning I read, drink coffee, and fully appreciate the excellent internet by uploading photos onto Facebook. In the afternoons Father and I run errands throughout Nairobi with wonderful side trips to see some of the city’s highlights. The Catholic University of East Africa, the Bomas of Kenya (a park and cultural center), the beautiful Benedictine Monastery, Togoni District Hospital, the August 7th Memorial Park (for the 1998 U.S. Embassy Bombing) the Kenyatta International Conference Center (with an rooftop view of Nairobi), the Westlands Market, and many of the neighborhoods in and around the city (the Kibiera Slums, Langatta, Westlands, Parklands, City Center…). I pass the hours stuck in traffic practicing Kiswahili and listening to Father Julius’s funny priesthood stories.

It’s been an unexpected yet pleasant vacation, sadly at the expense of Amanda’s arm (for those of you from the Gulf Coast, the closest thing I can compare this to is a Hurrication!!). But after five days in the city, I’m more than ready to return to the bush of Karungu!! I need to get back to work (that’s why I’m in Kenya after all!) and I miss the clean air and beautiful sunsets over the lake. Till then, I’ll continue enjoying the bustling city life of Nairobi!

Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones…Kenya Week 5: November 1-November 7

2009-11-10T21:54:00.000-08:00

I remember being a little girl and crying to my mother after being teased by my sisters or neighborhood friend. Attempting to comfort me, she taught me the age old adage, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me”. After five weeks in Kenya, I’m sad to say that for once, my mother was wrong. Turns out that “Sticks and stones (and motor bikes and machetes and alcohol and all sorts of dangerous objects) can break your bones, but words can actually kill you”.

Being from a country where everyone speaks the same language and little patience is awarded those who don’t, the language barrier faced by Kenyans within their own country seems particularly debilitating. The cycle of poverty and illiteracy perpetuates itself as young girls drop out of school because they can’t pay their fees and suddenly find themselves married with 4 children.

I’ve seen it over and over. Kenyans grow up speaking their Mother tongue, be it Duluo, Kisii, Kimeru, Kiswahili, or any of the 42 tribal languages in Kenya. Children only learn English (the Official Language of Kenya) and Kiswahili (the National Language of Kenya) in school. That is, if they go to school: with a national average High School enrollment of only 25% in the best regions, very few Kenyans actually speak English or Kiswahili. When almost all official documents, reports, etc. are written in English, working as anything other than a substance farmer or fisherman becomes nearly impossible. People are limited to working and living among their own tribe which limits their ability to trade goods, travel, or improve their quality of life.

Accessing quality medical care falls into the exact same category. The Maternal and Child Health Clinic’s walls are plastered with colorful and informational posters on everything from protecting your child from Malaria, to knowing your HIV status, to proper nutrition for infants. Unfortunately all the posters are in English or Kiswahili which means few of our clients can actually read them. The handy little Immunization Cards and Tuberculosis Medication Charts given to each client serve as little more than reminders of when to return to the clinic. At least the clients understand the dates written in the “To Come Again” column.

As I learn the Duluo language Mus Mus (slowly by slowly), I am again reminded of the difficulties and depth of a language barrier. As a mzungu (a white foreigner), I at least given the benefit of the doubt and endless patience as I attempt to communicate. But for those Kenyans who were not fortunate to learn English or Kiswahili (like my beloved Jiggers Family), I simply pray for their safety and comfort. In a world where knowledge is power and the pen is mightier than the sword, the beautiful Luo Tribe on the shores of Lake Victoria fight everyday to improve their lot. What a blessing to be a small part of their battle.

Extreme Home Makeover, Kenya Edition...Kenya Week 4: October 25-October 31

2009-10-31T01:02:00.000-07:00

I once imagined poverty as the lack of necessary resources like a decent home, enough food, or good clothing. While this image of poverty rings true, a deeper reality of poverty exists: a poverty that affects not only your physical wellbeing, but also your emotional, mental, and social wellbeing. An abject poverty that prevents an individual from truly living. I recently encountered such a poverty...

Mary became a widow only one week after the birth of her second son. Left alone in the world with two baby boys, one mentally handicapped and one epileptic, she had almost no resources and few options.

Fast forward 16 years...

Mary and her sons Michael and Gaston now live in a mud hut with a thatch roof on a small piece of land graciosly given to them by a young fisherman. When it rains, water pours into the house through the large holes in thachting. Their clothes are literally threadbare, all three suffer from malnutrition and they rely on the generosity of well wishers for food and water. Gaston does is best to gather food, water and firewood, but his occasional seizures are a huge threat to his safety in their exposed environment. Michael’s mental disability prevents him from helping at all. Neither Michael nor Gaston attended school because of their illnesses and they have little to no social interaction with other people.

If this suffering weren’t enough, all three are now seriously infected with Jiggers. These flea-like bugs live in the soil and borrow into your skin. Once nestled in, they hatch their eggs which spread to surrounding tissue and continue to multiply. Jiggers are a common problem in rural, poor Kenyan communities. But the intensity of the itching of even one tiny jigger impels a healthy person to remove the jigger as soon as possible. But because of their already weak and vulnerable state, Mary and the boys struggled to keep the jiggers at bay and they quickly spread out of control. Mary can’t sleep at night because of the itching and Michael’s feet are so extremely covered by the bugs he can no longer walk.

I heard about “The Jiggers Family” my first week in Karungu. Irene, a Community Health Worker for the Maternal and Child Health Clinic happened to find the family while searching for pregnant mothers in the hills surrounding the hospital. When I heard the story, it struck a cord in my heart and I continued to ask about the family and their situation. Irene invited me to come with her to meet the family and I jumped at the opportunity. I knew something had to be done for them and I thought perhaps I could help.

The moment I met Mary, Michael, and Gaston, something in me knew this is why I had come to Karungu. They are the widow, the orphan, the poor, the hungry, and the sick that Christ talks about in the Gospels. How could I leave them in their abject poverty and go to sleep at night calling myself a Christian? Their neighbors can only do so much as they struggle within their own poverty. But I have all the resources necessary at my disposal and now a burning desire to act.

And so began the Extreme Home Makeover Kenya Edition plan. With the help of Irene, the nurses at the MCH, and Father Mario, we developed a two part program to get “The Jiggers Family” back on their feet (literally!).

1. We'll build them a brand new home: An iron-sheet roof will keep out the rain. A cemented floor and walls will keep out any possible jiggers in the soil.

2. We’ll bring them to the hospital to remove the jiggers and provide much needed medication, nourishment, rest, and love.

I made a few phone calls and quickly received an incredibly generous donation from a dearly loved one back home (Thank You!!!). With funding for the new home, Father Mario agreed to wave any hospital fees.

Feeling a bit like Ty Pennington from Extreme Home Makeover, we began coordinating construction of their new home last week. Irene (the Community Health Worker) has been working tirelessly to coordinate between me, John and Father Mario to keep construction going. Within a few days, the frame was complete and John the Builder was ready to nail down the roof.

On Tuesday, Duncan drove Irene and I to their home to bring all three to St. Camillus. Brother Stephen admitted them to the hospital and the amazing nurses Frank and Catherine helped them settle into their beds. As you can see, many many people have gone out of their way to help this family and I feel so blessed to be a part of it!

On Wednesday, Frank began the process of meticulously removing each and every jigger. Hospital staff, other patients, and visitors come to see us slowly work on our new patients. Although jiggers are relatively common in Kenya, such severe cases are rare. Some on lookers ask questions, some provide words of comfort or encouragement. Many just stare.

Words can’t describe and pictures can’t capture the extent of this slow, painful process. After soaking in a mixture of antiseptic and hydrogen peroxide for half an hour, the skin covering each jigger must be cut away and the little bug pulled out with forceps. Because they have been infected for so long, much of the skin surrounding the jiggers grew thick and calloused before dying. So the largest jiggers under the necrotic tissue grew to the size of a pencil eraser and became filled with tiny white eggs. Pus of all colors, blood, and eggs ooze out with each cut of the blade. After removing the jigger, a small open pit remains where the jigger had burrowed deep into the skin and tissue. But little by little, their hands and feet are freed of the bugs and begin to heal.

Multiple people have removed jiggers for countless hours over the past three days and still some remain. But Mary, Michael and Gaston silently suffer as we attempt to rid them of this horrible affliction. They are becoming more animated and cheerful, especially Gaston. He can’t read or even count to ten, but he constantly smiles and jokes with me whenever I come to visit them.

We hope to finish removing the jiggers soon and give them a few more days in the hospital to heal. Before returning to their new home, we will buy them new clothes, beds, food, and anything else they need as they begin their new life. They have a long, difficult road ahead of them. But with new friends, a new home, jigger-free hands and feet, full bellies, and a renewed sense of hope, I pray they are ready to continue on their journey.

Babies in Abundance...Kenya Week 3

2009-10-25T12:36:00.000-07:00

Any visitor to Karungu will quickly notices the incredible number of children running through the streets, walking home from school, carrying water on their head, or herding cows, donkeys and goats through the streets. Any visitor to St. Camillus Mission Hospital will quickly notice the unbelievable number of children in the pediatric ward suffering from malaria, anemia, horrible burns or any number of childhood diseases. Don’t forget the newborns in the Maternity Ward blessed enough to be born in the hospital as opposed to the mud huts on their homestead. Likewise, an endless number of children shuffle through the Maternal and Child Health Clinic each week for vaccinations and weighing.

This week I witnessed everything from the tragic and unnecessary death of an infant to the miraculous birth of beautiful newborn and nearly everything in between. It began at lunch on Tuesday, when we heard about two more babies admitted to the pediatric ward with horrible burns. They were placed in the unofficial burn section of the pediatric ward next to the three babies that have already been there over a month, two of which have endured brutal amputations to save their lives. I went to visit the pediatric ward in the afternoon to find the nurses gathered together with somber looks shadowing their usually joyful smiles. They pointed to Bed 1 and told me one of the burned babies had passed away moments before. I watched the mother stoically wrap the small child in a blanket, cover his head and carry him out of the ward towards the morgue. Never before had I seen a dead child with my own eyes. There are some things you simply can’t prepare yourself for.

Thankfully Thursday morning offered me a slightly more hopeful outlook for the perilously young of Karungu. Every few months HIV Positive mothers bring their exposed children to the clinic to make sure the children haven’t become infected with the virus. So this Thursday morning consisted of 34 mothers holding their 34 crying babies as Irene and Helen pricked their tiny fingers and dripped their blood onto filter paper. Despite the risks, most of these babies are negative and I thank God the mothers are doing their best to make sure their children stay protected. And once again I thank God for St. Camillus and the priceless services it provides to the community.

The week of babies concluded Friday morning with a double whammy. First, I went on Rounds in the Pediatric Ward with Dr. Jimmy, Dr. David, and Medical School student Tony. Rounds consist of visiting each patient, checking their progress and deciding the next course of action. The lucky kids are patted on the back and told they’re ready to be discharged. The less lucky kids get comforting smiles and continue with their Malaria medication, antibiotics, fluids intake, etc. The unlucky ones get concerned looks between the doctors and lengthy discussions about what to do next.
After two and a half hours, twenty something sick kids, and a mix of heartbreaks and smiles, I was ready to head back to the Maternal and Child Health Clinic. I decided to stop by the Theater (the Operating Room in American English) to say hello to the nurses. As good (or bad) timing would have it, nurse Christy rolled a pregnant woman into the Theater for an emergency C-section. With a low fetal heart beat they decided to get the baby out before it was too late. I asked the doctors if I could stay to watch and they happily agreed. After helping the nurses set up then eagerly/anxiously watching the incredible procedure, I was blessed to witness my first birth. Despite all expectations of the nurses and doctors, the baby boy came out kicking and screaming. The tension in the operating room quickly transformed into a huge sigh of relief as the healthy baby took in its first lung full of air. I couldn’t stop the tears welling up in my eyes and allowed myself to fully appreciate the beauty of the moment. I find it hard to comprehend that the miracle of birth happens thousands of times every single day.

With the entire world stacked against them, it’s truly a miracle to see any baby survive to the age of five unscathed by the harsh realties of poverty. Sadly not all make it through. In my small way, I think I’m helping. By making sure babies get their vaccines on time or weigh enough according to their age, maybe I can help just one baby avoid a fatal disease or waste away from malnutrition. In the meantime, holding three year old John in my lap during Mass and spinning Reagan through the air as he squeals with joy reminds me that I’m not here to save the world. I’m here to love those around me with all my being and praise God for the incredible blessings He has lavished upon me.

This is Real Life...Kenya Week 2

2009-10-18T01:54:00.000-07:00

I honestly believe I’ve seen, experienced, and learned more in the past two weeks than any other period of my life. Kenya is the real life version of the classes I’ve taken, the books I’ve read, and the prayers I’ve prayed. I’m seeing the devastation behind the data of HIV and AIDS I wrote about in essays. I’m administering the vaccinations and handing out the tuberculosis drugs I read about in medical and public health textbooks. I’m recording the very same monitoring and evaluation statistics I learned about in class. I’m holding in my arms the malnourished babies I saw on American television. I’m witnessing the power and immediacy of the prayer, “give us this day our daily bread” that I prayed a thousand times before. And I’m seeing the Beatitudes come alive every day in those that come to the clinics, the nurses, and all the Kenyans I meet.

This is no longer academic, artificial, or distant. This is Real Life.

Sunday morning I was blessed to attend my first Mass at St. Camillus Mission Hospital. Hundreds of kids, men, and women packed into the lobby between the Maternity Ward and the Surgical Ward for a beautiful celebration of the Eucharist. Complete with women singing, men drumming, and girls from Dala Kiye (the Orphanage next door) dancing in the aisles, I didn’t want Mass to end. Fr. Julius gave a powerful homily about the Gospel, which was about the rich man who went away sad when Jesus told him to sell all he owned and give the money away to the poor. In the context of the poverty surrounding us, this Gospel takes on a completely different meaning. I thank God for the opportunity to pray and grow in my faith in a completely different way.

In the afternoon Jimmy, Amanda and I visited Sori, the “town” 3 kilometers down the road. “Professor” Emma, the hilarious woman that cleans the MCH Clinic, invited us over to her house to show us “real Kenyan life”. She bought us sodas (a sacrifice for her and her family) and we sat in her tiny home discussing the various struggles and obstacles faced by Kenyans every single day. Just to mention a few: no running water which means fetching water from the lake every morning. No electricity or gas which means cooking all your food on a charcoal “giko” or a fire outside if you can’t afford the charcoal. No good paying jobs which means eating ugali and sukuma wiki every single day, if you can even afford that. No real “free” education which often means deciding between feeding your children and sending them to school. Needless to say, this is poverty at its worst. After an insightful and sobering discussion, Emma took us to the market to help us buy a few more odds and ends we need/want for our apartment. Sori’s market is the place to see and be seen on Sunday afternoons and another great “Kenyan” experience.

My work week was poignantly marked by one heartbreak after another. Irene, Helen, and Mary in the clinic constantly chuckle and shake their heads at me as I’m appalled by the stories we hear and suffering we see. They’ve seen this all their life. They know these realities. They cope by telling me calmly, “Well, this is Africa”. Meanwhile, I weep inside that children are born with HIV just because this is Africa. That mothers can’t afford to deliver their babies in a hospital just because this is Africa. That nurses draw blood of known HIV patients without gloves just because this is Africa. That orphaned children work to survive as maids, nannies, and farm hands instead of going to school just because this is Africa. I know this is real life. But we don’t have to resign ourselves to this suffering just because this is Africa.

To end on a slightly more positive note: With most of the horrible stories come heroic, compassionate, and loving action on behalf of the nurses, doctors, public health officials, and community members. I’ve seen people go above and beyond every single day to help this orphan, that pregnant mother, this sick old man. I’m honored and humbled to work with these incredible people. I pray that I can continue to learn from them and to serve with the same sacrificial love.

So Much To Tell...Kenya Week 1

2009-10-10T05:20:00.000-07:00

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. In the case of Africa, no picture can capture what I’ve seen and experienced in just one week. And no words can describe the beauty, joy, suffering and pain any picture would attempt to capture. But nonetheless, I’ll do my best to share the Kenya I have experienced in the past 7 days:

Doctor Jimmy, Nurse Amanda, and I landed in Nairobi Saturday evening. After passing through customs and gathering all our luggage, we found Boniface, the tall skinny, Kenyan driver for St. Camillus. He eagerly greeted us with a hug and huge “Karibu!!” (“Welcome” in Kiswahili). We spent the night under our mosquito nets at the St. Camillus Seminary in Karen, the wealthier, safer area of Nairobi.

After Mass Sunday morning, we began the 8 hour journey to Karungu. Like I said, no pictures or words can describe the beautiful landscape and people of the Rift Valley. We saw Massai men herding their cattle, women carrying any variety of heavy objects on their heads, and children smiling and waving wildly as the “Mazungus” (White people in Kiswahili) drove by. We stopped in Kisii to buy cell phones and calling cards and were greeted by a huge and desperately needed thunderstorm. We drove the rest of the way to Karungu on unpaved roads through the storm while Boniface joyfully exclaimed that we were bringing Karungu the blessing of rain! The sun set majestically just beyond the cloud line and the perfectly arched rainbow welcomed us to our new home.

Lauren and Christy (the CMMB volunteers that have been here since February) helped Amanda and I move into our apartment when arrived in the darkness of the storm. They are both so excited to have more Americans here and have been incredibly helpful welcoming and orientating us. Dinner in the dining hall (a 3 course Italian/Kenyan cuisine!) was a multi-lingual meet and greet. Father Mario, Angela, and three other short-term volunteers (Andrew, Julia, and Christina) are all from Italy and speak varying degrees of English. Father Julius and Brother Stephen are Kenyan and both speak English quite well. Mix in a bit of Kiswahili and Duluo and you’ve got yourself four languages and 3 overwhelmed and exhausted new American volunteers!!

I spent the week getting a feel for St. Camillus and exploring the surrounding village of Karungu. Here are some highs and lows:

- Amanda and I got “stuck” in our new apartment Monday morning until a merciful neighbor came and unlocked the door for us. No worries now; we’ve figured it out now! You just have to pull hard!

-Started work at the Maternal and Child Health Clinic/Tuberculosis Clinic Tuesday.

- Wednesday afternoon Brother Stephen took Julia, Christina, Amanda, and I to climb Tigra. This huge hill overlooks all of Karungu and provides a perfect panorama of the villages, homesteads, and lake. The hike ended up becoming a five hour epic journey with multiple “I can’t believe I’m experiencing this right now” moments. Watch the video below for a glimpse of what I saw from the summit!

- Every evening when I come home from work, the children in the Staff Compound come running and smiling towards me. I through them each into the air and give them big hugs. They constantly yell, “Ciao!”, “Hello!”, or “OBAMA!” as I walk by!

I’m working at the Maternal and Child Health Clinic (a.k.a. MCH)/ Tuberculosis (a.k.a. TB) Clinic. My co-workers Irene, Helen, and Mary, have been incredibly patient, helpful, and thoughtful. I’ve learned so much in such a short time and I know I’m going to enjoy my work very much.

Highlights and Lowlights of working at MCH/TB:

- Yes, it is both a pregnant mothers and infant clinic AND a tuberculosis clinic. Everyone is well aware of the danger and stupidity of the situation, but there are honestly few other options right now. They are dong the best they can with the little they have. And it’s better than nothing.

-I saw a pregnant mother find out she was HIV Positive on my first day. Talk about a wake up call. I’m in Africa. The HIV prevalence surrounding Karungu is anywhere from 15% to 30%, depending on who you ask. This is serious. This is everyday life.

- I’ve seen more TB patients, HIV patients, pregnant mothers, and newborn infants in 4 days than I’ve seen in my entire life. It’s incredible.

- I’ve learned how to give vaccinations, take blood pressure, find a fetal heart beat, and find the fundal height and presentation of the baby. I’m getting pretty good at estimating the gestation period and I’m learning about all the possible complications of a pregnancy. The ultrasound technician loves Americans, which means I get a detailed explanation for any ultrasound (which are actually very few since they are only referred if there are possible complications)

- When there are no patients, I started organizing and consolidating their out of date filing/record keeping system The nurses are very appreciative and I enjoy/abhor seeing the extent of the data collection the nurses must do for the unending number of sponsors/donors (A short list includes CMMB, PEPFAR, The Kenyan Ministry of Health, MYAE (and Italian Mothers to Mothers NGO) and many more).

- I went on one of the MCH Mobile Clinics. So much to tell.

I think that’s enough for now. In short, this has been one of the most beautiful, heartbreaking, discouraging, inspiring, and thrilling weeks of my life. I constantly find myself completely overwhelmed. I’m doing my best to be patient with myself: I can only do small things with great love. It’s only been one week and I have many more to go. I can only imagine what is in store.

Please continue to keep me in your prayers. More importantly, pray for the mothers, children, and sick patients that come to St. Camillus. Pray that we can offer them the comfort and care they need and that Christ will bring them healing of body and spirit.

Feel free to send me mail at the address on the right. According to the other volunteers, it is best to send things in padded envelopes rather than boxes or packages. So if you can shove it in an envelope, send it my way!! Any music, movies, games, or treats will be much appreciated by all the volunteers and neighbors!!

Also feel free to call my Kenyan cell phone. Simply dial: +254714798157. It is free for me to receive incoming calls, so get an international calling card or Skype and call away!! Nobelcom.com has rates to call from the States to Kenya for as low as 11 cents a minute!

Halfway there and living on a prayer

2009-10-03T00:16:00.000-07:00

Sitting in Heathrow's International Terminal as travelers from around the world hustle about to their various departure gates, the enormity of this globe and the experience I'm just beginning slowly sinks in. In a few short hours, Amanda, Jimmy, and I will board a plane to Nairobi. My emotions alternate between amazement, unbelief, shock, exhilaration, calm, and giddiness when I think about the journey I've begun. One of my life dreams is literally unfolding before my eyes.

I spent this past week at CMMB Orientation at the beautiful Stella Maris retreat house in Long Branch, New Jersey. The CMMB Volunteer Coordinators Richard and Lizzie organized an excellent 3 days where fellow volunteers heard discussions on essential topics ranging from travel safety, medical professional safety precautions, tropical health, maintaining communications, and the history, structure, and vision of CMMB. Most importantly, we met our fellow missionaries, both new missionaries like myself and veterans. Hearing their stories, seeing their passion, and feeding off their excitement only energized me more. We even spent a day in New York City at the CMMB Headquarters! We had a few free hours in the evening to explore the city. As a first timer, I soaked it all in. We walked from the CMMB Headquarters on 17th St. to Times Square, ate delicious NY pizza at John's Pizzeria, and took the train back to New Jersey. The short visit only made me want to return and explore the rest of the Big Apple.

On our last morning of Orientation, Lisette, Lisa, Liz and I woke up early to say Morning Prayers while the sun crawled its way over the Atlantic horizon. Cuddled under blankets in the picturesque gazebo, I couldn't help be thank God for the incredible blessings He has poured out upon me. My entire life has been one incredible grace after another. Leaving my family, friends, home, and first world way of life only reminds me the depth of God's blessings in my life. Saying goodbye proved much harder than I anticipated and the uncertainty of communication while in Kenya only make it harder. But I know my time away will only strength my love and appreciation for those at home who have shaped me and supported me through it all.

I'm half way to Kenya. In limbo between home and what will soon be my new home. Caught in the middle of the known and the unknown, the safe and the unsure, the comfortable and the challenging. At this point, all I have to live on is prayer. I repeated over and over during Orientation, "If God brings you to it, He'll bring you through it". With this thought, I lay my life in His hands. I pray that He uses me as His humble servant to heal the sick, bring comfort to the afflicted, visit the lonely, and feed the hungry.

My next post will come from St. Camillus Hospital in the tiny Karungu, Kenya. Bless the Lord, oh my soul!!

Its Really Happening

2009-08-22T21:35:00.001-07:00

The past few days have been a flurry of excitement as the details are all falling into place.

I've officially met my fundraising goal. Thank you to all of you who so generously donated. Words cannot describe my gratitude.
I bought my plane ticket for training in Newark, New Jersey. I arrive in Newark at 2:20 pm on September 28, 2009.
CMMB sent us our official flight itinerary!! We fly out of Newark on October 2, change planes in London (Heathrow), then arrive in Nairobi, Kenya on October 3! Father Emilio will pick Amanda, James (my fellow volunteers) and I up from the airport and we should arrive in Karunga the next day!
I sent my Visa application, passport photos (which turned out surprisingly not bad!), and actual passport to Lizuara (the CMMB volunteer coordinator). In her unending kindness, she's taking care of the rest of the Visa process for us!!
I've started my preparations for Kenya by ordering a travel guide (Rough Guide, which I'd highly recommend) and two books on Kenyan culture etc. I also watched The Constant Gardener, which takes place in Kenya. Its a great film and I'd recommend it to anyone, especially if you want to see the natural beauty of the Kenyan landscape and people. It's not exactly a feel good movie, but rest assured that I won't get myself into any trouble like Tessa!

As my departure date approaches, I slowly realize the gravity and beauty of the next nine months of my life. Honestly, I'm quite sure I have no idea what I'm getting myself into. I pray that I stop looking at my time in Kenya as an adventure (which it will undoubtedly be), and more as an opportunity to live humbly and serve selflessly. I know I will take home much more than I could ever offer, yet I pray that God will use me to do some amount of good. I also pray for patience, courage, and prudence; all of which will surely prove more necessary than I can imagine. Wow, this is going to rock my world.

Karunga, Kenya...Here I come!!

2009-08-19T08:14:00.000-07:00

I AM GOING TO KENYA!

Details (what I know so far):

• I'll be in Karunga, Kenya. Its a rural fishing town on the eastern shore of Lake Victoria in the Southwest corner of Kenya (very near the Tanzanian border)
• I'll be working at the St. Camillus Hospital with a group of Italian and Kenyan priests, a Hungarian surgeon, and other international volunteers. I'll also be with other Catholic Medical Mission Board volunteers (see below).

If you're interested, here is the link to the Hospital: http://www.karungu.net/

And here is a link to a wonderful blog by a volunteer that is currently there! http://www.laurenmeisman.blogspot.com/

Thanks to all of you for being so supportive and excited for me. Now that I know where I'm going, it’s slowly becoming all the more real. Please continue to pray for me and the people I will be working for/with. God bless!