Our last work day was spent with the sponsored children in Fort Portal. Some children are orphaned and have sponsors that cover most of their basic needs. Others are bright, top-scoring secondary students that have scholarships. All of them are extremely poor with tremendous drive and potential. They greet us with prayers and poems of gratitude. They are as young as 6 and as old as 20 and are dressed in their best to meet us. They ask us to stand and say a few words to them. My mom tears up as she tells them about one of her favorite song she sings in the choir that declares, “there are no orphans of God”. Many of the people start to cry. One of the kids comes to me after the meeting and tells me he has 3 others siblings at home with little to eat and no way to complete school. Two young sisters tell us that their brother is getting married and leaving the home. Their parents are already dead. The house is falling down. They are scared. They have no where to go and ask if we can take them with us.
This is the hardest part of my job. It is one thing to sit in the comfort of our offices and analyze the statistics and devise the best strategies. It is another experience entirely to have a desperate child look you in the eyes and tell you they need your help. I can’t start handing out money to everyone that needs it because there would be nothing left. We have to utilize our limited funds in a manner that will be effective and efficient. But how do you explain this to someone who is suffering. I so often have guilt when I tell them, “I am sorry. We are trying to help you, but we must be patient” while I return to the security of my hotel and they return to sadness and an unknown future.
It is inevitable. The day always comes when we are hit with the magnitude of the desperate needs of the children here. I know I cannot cry because once I start, I may not be able to stop. It is so much easier to ignore poverty and the gross inequalities in the world because if we acknowledge it, then we are responsible to do something about it. Sometimes I become frustrated with the lack of response from people who have the means and capability to respond to the hurting people of the world. However, I truly believe that anyone with half a heart and soul would be completely mortified if they saw first-hand the desperate needs of children living in the slums, brothels, and child-headed households of the world. I have to think, perhaps for my own sanity, that we have become numb and desensitized to all of the misery and destruction in the world through melodramatic infomercials pleading for help and the availability of 24 hours news highlighting the world’s wars and catastrophes. It becomes overwhelming to think about and seems a hopeless endeavor to try to ease the endless suffering and actually make an impact.
However, we have to keep our focus on the changes and progress that lie before us. The orphans that have safe, permanent homes, students that have textbooks and trained teachers, the grandmother who can now afford food, clothes, and school fees for her orphaned grandchildren. In fact, if we take the time to look we can see good things happening all around us. It may take time and it may take faith that the help will come, but we have seen so many signs of hope and progress that we can’t let them get lost in the sea of despair. Change is happening. At times, it may not be quick enough to suit us, but it is there.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
September 16-17th
On Wednesday, we left Kampala and traveled 4 hours west to Fort Portal. Uganda is a beautiful country full of green, rolling hills, and mountains. We stopped briefly to visit Faith, the founder and director of Bringing Hope to the Family. She has done an amazing job of organizing a children’s home (“we don’t call them orphans; they are children”), a vocational training center for 120 students, and a medical clinic currently serving 330 HIV-positive patients, 70% of which are children.
We picked up Mary Abigaba, our Fort Portal Director, and went to meet with the grandmother of one of our sponsored children. In Africa, it is customary to give a gift to someone helping you, no matter how poor you are or how small the gift. In Fort Portal, it is commons for the guardians of orphans who are part of our sponsorship program to give us gifts of food. This grandmother gave us a tray of eggs, a bowl of guava, and a bag of avocados. We have difficulty with this tradition considering the plight of the people giving, but Mary assures us we cannot refuse as it would be very rude. The same situation actually applies to all of our visits throughout Africa. A visitor is highly regarded and all of our partners serve us tea or soft drinks and something to eat.
After a long day, we checked in to the Rujuna Hilltop Guesthouse, a lovely bed and breakfast perched on a hill facing the Rwenzori mountain range and overlooking the village below. We can sit on the balcony and here the noises from the village, goats, cows, birds, chatter, and children laughing. It is a pleasure to stay here and feel like family with meals served in the dining room and long talks with the owner, Edith. The first time we stayed here we had the pleasure of spending time with her husband, Silvano. He entertained us with stories of his childhood, as well as his kidnapping and eventual exile by the army of the brutal dictator, Idi Amin. Unfortunately, he passed away in 2006 and Edith seems happy to have our company.
Thursday was spent making our way through the bumpy, dusty roads of the Fort Portal villages to visit the latest recipients of the Fort Portal microgrant Every year we grant cows to 40 women who are guardians of AIDS orphans. The majority are grandmothers who in their old age, are now responsible for the care of their grandchildren after the death of their own children. Too often they are caring for grandchildren from more than one of their own children. Yet, despite their difficult circumstances, it is unbelievable how much of a difference a cow can make. The daily milk for the children can greatly improve their health and with the $30-40 a month in milk sales, they can pay for basic necessities and send their grandchildren to school. They also breed the cows and can sell calves for additional income.
I have also been very impressed with their initiative. The women form their own micro-credit groups and save small amount of money to give each other loans to start additional businesses. Once the money is paid back, they decide to make a loan to another member. This proves to me that the initiative and motivation is always there, they just need the seed money to get started.
September 15th
Good Hope
Christian UpliftmentThe day started with visiting Christian Upliftment School. The schools serves children who are refugees from the civil war that has been raging in northern Uganda for the last 20 years. The North is an isolated area, where children hide at night to avoid being kidnapped and forced to become child soldiers. It was great to see the school in its new location on land that was purchased by an AYA donor. Other donors have begun to put up permanent structures and even a small merry-go-round (which was quite a monumental event where the whole community gathered to see the unbelievable fact that there was actually a piece of playground equipment in their area).
Hellen Owani runs the school and showed us around. They still have temporary classrooms made of tin sheets and dirt floors. None the less, Hellen no longer has the burden of coming up with money for rent and the children are excited to have a place to learn. One of the main functions on this trip is to organize for an upcoming grant from USAID to provide water wells and health and hygiene education to 29 communities in Uganda. Therefore, Hellen led us to the community water source where we will be providing the proper equipment to protect the spring. Although the water is clouded with mud (and who knows what else) and recently was responsible for a cholera outbreak, it is constantly full with community members filling dirty jerry cans full of water. They have no other option for water. When they have the money for charcoal or firewood they can boil the water to decontaminate it, but much of the time it is used untreated, leaving the people at risk for illness and waterborne disease.
After a brief tour, we had an assembly with the students. As usual, David made a formal presentation out of everything. Even photos we brought that were taken at his school last year, had to be officially presented. As we were in the assembly, David reminded the children of the desks, textbooks, and money for the feeding we had given and asked them to thank us again. As they expressed great appreciation, I couldn’t help, but look around and notice the remaining dilapidated classrooms and the children with tattered uniforms and mismatched shoes. I know we have helped them the most we can, but like all of our partners, I wish we had so much more to give to them.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Off to Fort Portal
We had a great day yesterday visiting Good Hope and Christian Upliftment. I will write more later, but for now we are headed to rural, western Uganda where it is highly unlikely we will have internet services.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Bethesda International
We arrived in Uganda's capital city of Kampala on Sunday afternoon. We had a small amount of concern after hearing about riots taking place on Thursday and Friday; many cars and businesses were burned and clashes with the police left at least 20 people dead. Uganda has a monarchy, but is ruled by a parliament and constitution and there was some conflict concerning recent "interference" from the king (at least this is the best I can understand). However, we have felt perfectly safe and aside from noticing a strong police presence in some areas, everything seems calm and back to normal.
Since Mom was having a little case of the African stomach bug this morning (she is totally fine now), Tina stayed back with her and I headed out to Bethesda International with our Kampala director,Vincents,and our driver, Maximus. We drove about 1 hour north of Kampala to Jinja. It was bittersweet to be at Bethesda again since its founder and director, Ruth Mirembe, died last year. None the less, they have continued with her vision and good work. Ruth founded Bethesda after she took in many of her nieces and nephews as her own siblings died of AIDS. She saw the increasing need for homes for other children as AIDS continues to orphan many of Uganda's children. Today, Bethesda provides foster homes to 200 children.
After meeting with Bethesda staff, we headed to a rural area known as Rapha, where Bethesda has 44 foster children and founded a community school for 257 children. I love riding through the African villages. They seem so peaceful and self-sufficient in their own very basic way. As westerners, our first impression is to think of people living in mud huts as people to be pitied, but upon further inspection it becomes apparent that although they live a very different life than us, they can have a decent and satisfying life in many ways that we do not. Our goals at AYA are not to bring people to an American standard of living, but for children to have the basics that make a good life possible; food, clean water, education, good health, freedom from violence and abuse, and the feeling of being loved and valued. It truly does not take a two-car garage and 42" plasma TV to bring people happiness. Anyone who has spent time in Africa will tell you that the joy and kindness of the people are remarkable. To them, if your children are fed, educated, and healthy, then life is basically good; everything else is a bonus, not a necessity.
After making our way through the village dirt roads, we were able to see Rapha School and the surrounding foster homes. I was happy to see the progress that has been made to the school. Columbine High School has been instrumental in raising money to build the Rapha School. I explained to the Bethesda staff the tragedy that Columbine is known for and how great it is that they have been able to make such a difference for another school on the other side of the world. Bethesda also has a wonderful farm in the Rapha community with livestock and crops that help to sustain their projects.
Before we headed back to Kampala, we had a nice lunch of fish (complete with the head, scales, and bones) and rice. As we made our way back, Vincents and Maximus decided to purchase some fish. Jinja is the source of the Nile River and fresh fish is readily available. To my surprise, they decided that the best way to transport the fish was to tie it to the side-view mirror. Therefore, we traveled with two large fish flapping in the wind. At home, people often have a flag with the University of Tennessee or their favorite football team, but I think two dead fish with blood and guts running down the side of the car really makes a statement. In fact, Africans make it apparent that ample trunk space is not a requirement for transporting large items. Driving down the road, you can see women with jugs of water, fruit, and even bundles of firewood on their heads. Motorcycles and bicycles serve the same purpose as pick-up trucks do in America. I even saw a man struggling up a hill on a bicycle with a huge dead hog on the back.
Okay, time to eat and update Mom and Tina on the day.
Since Mom was having a little case of the African stomach bug this morning (she is totally fine now), Tina stayed back with her and I headed out to Bethesda International with our Kampala director,Vincents,and our driver, Maximus. We drove about 1 hour north of Kampala to Jinja. It was bittersweet to be at Bethesda again since its founder and director, Ruth Mirembe, died last year. None the less, they have continued with her vision and good work. Ruth founded Bethesda after she took in many of her nieces and nephews as her own siblings died of AIDS. She saw the increasing need for homes for other children as AIDS continues to orphan many of Uganda's children. Today, Bethesda provides foster homes to 200 children.
After meeting with Bethesda staff, we headed to a rural area known as Rapha, where Bethesda has 44 foster children and founded a community school for 257 children. I love riding through the African villages. They seem so peaceful and self-sufficient in their own very basic way. As westerners, our first impression is to think of people living in mud huts as people to be pitied, but upon further inspection it becomes apparent that although they live a very different life than us, they can have a decent and satisfying life in many ways that we do not. Our goals at AYA are not to bring people to an American standard of living, but for children to have the basics that make a good life possible; food, clean water, education, good health, freedom from violence and abuse, and the feeling of being loved and valued. It truly does not take a two-car garage and 42" plasma TV to bring people happiness. Anyone who has spent time in Africa will tell you that the joy and kindness of the people are remarkable. To them, if your children are fed, educated, and healthy, then life is basically good; everything else is a bonus, not a necessity.
After making our way through the village dirt roads, we were able to see Rapha School and the surrounding foster homes. I was happy to see the progress that has been made to the school. Columbine High School has been instrumental in raising money to build the Rapha School. I explained to the Bethesda staff the tragedy that Columbine is known for and how great it is that they have been able to make such a difference for another school on the other side of the world. Bethesda also has a wonderful farm in the Rapha community with livestock and crops that help to sustain their projects.
Before we headed back to Kampala, we had a nice lunch of fish (complete with the head, scales, and bones) and rice. As we made our way back, Vincents and Maximus decided to purchase some fish. Jinja is the source of the Nile River and fresh fish is readily available. To my surprise, they decided that the best way to transport the fish was to tie it to the side-view mirror. Therefore, we traveled with two large fish flapping in the wind. At home, people often have a flag with the University of Tennessee or their favorite football team, but I think two dead fish with blood and guts running down the side of the car really makes a statement. In fact, Africans make it apparent that ample trunk space is not a requirement for transporting large items. Driving down the road, you can see women with jugs of water, fruit, and even bundles of firewood on their heads. Motorcycles and bicycles serve the same purpose as pick-up trucks do in America. I even saw a man struggling up a hill on a bicycle with a huge dead hog on the back.
Okay, time to eat and update Mom and Tina on the day.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Apologies
Just to let you know, I am writing some of these blogs while traveling down a dirt road and writing qucikly before the battery runs out. Not to mention I am exhausted and half brain dead by the end of the day. So, the spelling, grammar, and format may be a little off. Hopefully, you can still get the point.
Anyway, we made it to Uganda and it is finally time to chill out a bit :)
Anyway, we made it to Uganda and it is finally time to chill out a bit :)
Saturday, September 12, 2009
September 10-12th
One of the benefits of AYA is that it truly is an alliance, both in terms of people coming together to support projects and our partners coming together to support one another. When I visit Kenya and Uganda, I always look forward to meeting with all of our partners together. They are very innovative in looking for ways to collaborate. They formed as an alliance of non-formal schools to advocate for government recognition and to help form curriculum standards. When one partner has an emergency need, they come together to give what they can. They share knowledge and support each other’s projects; if someone has a need like welding, carpentry, or sewing they can purchase items from a partner running a project that meets that need.
On Thursday, we had a partner meeting at Pastor Fred’s school, Candlelight. As usual, everyone was very appreciative of support given and talked about progress and needs within their projects. The overwhelming theme was the need for food. Every single partner said that food was the biggest problem they are facing; prices have more than tripled and with a drought taking place throughout Kenya they are only expected to increase. Our biggest and most sustainable idea for dealing with the food crisis is to expand our farm.
Pastor Fred also arranged for an optetrician to talk to the partners and an arrange free eye exams at each of their school and home. Poor eyesight can be a big learning challenge to poor children that will go undiagnosed. Even if it was found that they need glasses, it would be very rare that they could afford glasses. He then makes glasses for about $20. We also have the possibility of collecting donations of used glasses.
We were also able to distribute boxes of basic medication purchased from MEDS to each partner. They were also absolutely thrilled to receive a picture of Barrack and Michelle Obama from the White House. We always receive local gifts from our African friends, so we wanted to bring them something from the US. Our gift was in no way supposed to be political. Kenyans just have a special affection for Obama because his father was Kenyan. They are very proud of him and often ask us how he is doing or even to tell him hello as if he is our best friend. Most don’t know all of the divisions in US politics; they simply see Obama as a connection and a symbol of hope.
Friday was a long journey to western Kenya. Thankfully, the road had been paved since I was last here which made the trip much faster and more enjoyable. We even saw zebras and baboons along the way (I forgot to mention we say an ostrich, a giraffe, and an antelope on the way to Kibwezi). We made a stop in Nakuru to visit Rafiki Home. Nakuru is an area greatly affected by the post-election violence in 2008. Many people we killed or displaced and the refugee camps are still visible. Rafiki runs a home and school, and although we could not stay long, it appeared they are doing a good job of caring for some very needy children.
After a quick lunch of rice, beans, and hot tea, we kept heading west to Eldoret to see Tumaini Home. As we arrived to the little village area where the home is located, the director, Joyce, came running to greet us and immediately gave us hugs and kisses. This is the first time I have met her and I was drawn to her joy and enthusiasm right away. She has 14 children staying with her; the girls stay in the small house with her and the boys stay in a mud house. It rained hard while we were there and soon everything was covered in mud. As we visited the boys house, I slid down the mud floor as I entered. Joyce told us that one of the boys, Marvin, recently woke up to a rat chewing on his foot. We certainly hope to get them better living conditions, but in the meantime, they hopefully, can get a cat to keep the rats away.
The children then performed for us with songs and drums. Before we left, my mom gave the older girls some nail polish her manicurist had donated. By the expression on their face, you would have thought we were giving them a new car. It is amazing to see how the smallest things can bring such joy.
Nine hours later we arrived in Kitale where we had dinner with Pastor Patrick Kimawchi and his wife Phoebe, the directors of Gospel Believers. We truly had an African feast with chicken, beef, goat, pumpkin leaves, fried bread, ugali, greens, potatoes and mangos. It was great to sit and visit, but we were also very tired. Africans are great about taking time to sit and talk with each other without rushing off. I always feel like a big wimp when I visit. Africans start their day early and don’t stop until late at night. I am always completely worn out by the end of my days in Africa, while the Africans never seem tired and never complain.
Today was a very exciting day. We began by visiting the AYA farm. As I stated, feeding programs are the biggest challenge for our partners and food prices are still rising in response to shortages. As self-sustaining solutions are always our priority, we wanted a way to grow our own food that could be sold to our partners for a very cheap price. We were able to purchase the first 5 acres to begin farming, but hope to expand. I am always amazed with Pastor Fred’s motivation and ingenuity. In addition to planting corn and beans, he has used a water source to create a well and a fish farm. The farm will also be able to have a second harvest of vegetables. He has also taken the soil to be tested to determine which crops will grow best on the land. We will get about 150 90kg bags of corn to distribute to partners in addition to beans they have already received. If we are able to secure additional funding, the farm can be a valuable source of food for a country already threatened by drought and rising food prices.
Finally we made it to Gospel Believers where they were hosting the ceremony to officially open the home. Over the past few years, we have raised money through a few generous donors to move the home from its original location in the Kibera slum to its present location. The change is astounding. They previously lived in a cramped tin shack with no running water and sewage and garbage running through the front of their home. They now have five spacious acres with their own crops, stream, and cows and nice brick structures.
In true African style, it was a grand event. The whole community came out with everyone dressed in their finest. They “slaughtered” a cow to celebrate, which I was relieved to know I was not going to have to be involved in the slaughtering. Of course, we were honored in the most humbling way by cutting the ribbon to the home, having my name put on a plaque outside the dining hall, having a special seat and being addressed as the guests of honor. I was also officially made an African woman and dressed in traditional African clothes. After a barrage of seemingly endless speeches by local pastors, teachers, and government officials, I was asked to make a speech. Although they allotted an hour for me, I took about 10 minutes to thank everyone and acknowledge all of the community members and AYA donors that made all of this possible. Most importantly, I wanted to address the children and remind them that Gospel Believers is their home and we are grateful to know they have a place where they are safe and loved and can have a wonderful future.
Now, we are back on the road to Nairobi and will head off to Uganda in the morning.
On Thursday, we had a partner meeting at Pastor Fred’s school, Candlelight. As usual, everyone was very appreciative of support given and talked about progress and needs within their projects. The overwhelming theme was the need for food. Every single partner said that food was the biggest problem they are facing; prices have more than tripled and with a drought taking place throughout Kenya they are only expected to increase. Our biggest and most sustainable idea for dealing with the food crisis is to expand our farm.
Pastor Fred also arranged for an optetrician to talk to the partners and an arrange free eye exams at each of their school and home. Poor eyesight can be a big learning challenge to poor children that will go undiagnosed. Even if it was found that they need glasses, it would be very rare that they could afford glasses. He then makes glasses for about $20. We also have the possibility of collecting donations of used glasses.
We were also able to distribute boxes of basic medication purchased from MEDS to each partner. They were also absolutely thrilled to receive a picture of Barrack and Michelle Obama from the White House. We always receive local gifts from our African friends, so we wanted to bring them something from the US. Our gift was in no way supposed to be political. Kenyans just have a special affection for Obama because his father was Kenyan. They are very proud of him and often ask us how he is doing or even to tell him hello as if he is our best friend. Most don’t know all of the divisions in US politics; they simply see Obama as a connection and a symbol of hope.
Friday was a long journey to western Kenya. Thankfully, the road had been paved since I was last here which made the trip much faster and more enjoyable. We even saw zebras and baboons along the way (I forgot to mention we say an ostrich, a giraffe, and an antelope on the way to Kibwezi). We made a stop in Nakuru to visit Rafiki Home. Nakuru is an area greatly affected by the post-election violence in 2008. Many people we killed or displaced and the refugee camps are still visible. Rafiki runs a home and school, and although we could not stay long, it appeared they are doing a good job of caring for some very needy children.
After a quick lunch of rice, beans, and hot tea, we kept heading west to Eldoret to see Tumaini Home. As we arrived to the little village area where the home is located, the director, Joyce, came running to greet us and immediately gave us hugs and kisses. This is the first time I have met her and I was drawn to her joy and enthusiasm right away. She has 14 children staying with her; the girls stay in the small house with her and the boys stay in a mud house. It rained hard while we were there and soon everything was covered in mud. As we visited the boys house, I slid down the mud floor as I entered. Joyce told us that one of the boys, Marvin, recently woke up to a rat chewing on his foot. We certainly hope to get them better living conditions, but in the meantime, they hopefully, can get a cat to keep the rats away.
The children then performed for us with songs and drums. Before we left, my mom gave the older girls some nail polish her manicurist had donated. By the expression on their face, you would have thought we were giving them a new car. It is amazing to see how the smallest things can bring such joy.
Nine hours later we arrived in Kitale where we had dinner with Pastor Patrick Kimawchi and his wife Phoebe, the directors of Gospel Believers. We truly had an African feast with chicken, beef, goat, pumpkin leaves, fried bread, ugali, greens, potatoes and mangos. It was great to sit and visit, but we were also very tired. Africans are great about taking time to sit and talk with each other without rushing off. I always feel like a big wimp when I visit. Africans start their day early and don’t stop until late at night. I am always completely worn out by the end of my days in Africa, while the Africans never seem tired and never complain.
Today was a very exciting day. We began by visiting the AYA farm. As I stated, feeding programs are the biggest challenge for our partners and food prices are still rising in response to shortages. As self-sustaining solutions are always our priority, we wanted a way to grow our own food that could be sold to our partners for a very cheap price. We were able to purchase the first 5 acres to begin farming, but hope to expand. I am always amazed with Pastor Fred’s motivation and ingenuity. In addition to planting corn and beans, he has used a water source to create a well and a fish farm. The farm will also be able to have a second harvest of vegetables. He has also taken the soil to be tested to determine which crops will grow best on the land. We will get about 150 90kg bags of corn to distribute to partners in addition to beans they have already received. If we are able to secure additional funding, the farm can be a valuable source of food for a country already threatened by drought and rising food prices.
Finally we made it to Gospel Believers where they were hosting the ceremony to officially open the home. Over the past few years, we have raised money through a few generous donors to move the home from its original location in the Kibera slum to its present location. The change is astounding. They previously lived in a cramped tin shack with no running water and sewage and garbage running through the front of their home. They now have five spacious acres with their own crops, stream, and cows and nice brick structures.
In true African style, it was a grand event. The whole community came out with everyone dressed in their finest. They “slaughtered” a cow to celebrate, which I was relieved to know I was not going to have to be involved in the slaughtering. Of course, we were honored in the most humbling way by cutting the ribbon to the home, having my name put on a plaque outside the dining hall, having a special seat and being addressed as the guests of honor. I was also officially made an African woman and dressed in traditional African clothes. After a barrage of seemingly endless speeches by local pastors, teachers, and government officials, I was asked to make a speech. Although they allotted an hour for me, I took about 10 minutes to thank everyone and acknowledge all of the community members and AYA donors that made all of this possible. Most importantly, I wanted to address the children and remind them that Gospel Believers is their home and we are grateful to know they have a place where they are safe and loved and can have a wonderful future.
Now, we are back on the road to Nairobi and will head off to Uganda in the morning.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Progress
What an amazing two days! On Tuesday we made it to Kibwezi, a tiny town about four hours southeast of Nairobi. When I was in Kenya three years ago, I met a man named Cosmos while visiting Kwa Watoto, another AYA partner. He told me about the children he had been taking into his home because there was no where else for orphaned or needy children in the area. I put him in touch with Pastor Fred and our AYA volunteers who came during the past couple of years. My mom and Tina, who are both with me now, made the initial trek to Kibwezi to visit Cosmos, his wife Rachel, and the children they are helping. They were living in a rundown building and with no regular source of income or food. Kibwezi is in a drought stricken area where even getting water was very difficult and expensive.
Tina was so touched that as after their initial visit, she said, “Please don’t let me forget them”. She didn’t! Tina and her church, The Sycamore Tree, were instrumental in raising the money to buy land and build Immaculate Home of Peace (which we call IHOP) their own permanent home. Although they recently moved in, they had an official opening ceremony of “The Sycamore House” with us. We had songs, food, and lot of laughs.
Today was another great today. We started by visiting MEDS (Mission for Essential Drugs and Supplies), a non-profit organization providing medication and supplies to other non-profits serving the poor. Several people had given us money for emergency needs and supplies and we figured this would be an excellent way to put it to use. Most of our partners do not even have access to basics like pain relievers, cough syrup, and anti-diarrhea medicine (still a deadly problem killing over 10 million children a year). We had an unbelievable mound of medication we were able to buy for a relatively very small amount.
Next we were off to Korogocho, a slum area of Nairobi. Upon first glance, Korogocho quite honestly looks like the closest thing you could find to hell on Earth-dirt, garbage, tin shacks, street children sniffing glue, and hundreds of thousands of people crammed together. However, if you look deeper and get to know the people you see their hard work, innovation, hopes, joys and their unrelenting determination to make a better life for themselves and their children.
We first stopped at Comboni Mission Sisters. AYA has been supporting the Children’s Health Project where we are currently providing medical care and treatment for 30 HIV-positive children and 32 HIV-positive pregnant women. It was a great joy to meet with Sister Encarna again. What an inspiration she is. She comes from Grenada, Spain, but instead of living a relatively easy life in that beautiful region, decided to give everything up and devote her life to the people of Africa for the last 30 years.
After a brief encounter with a drunk man holding a lead pipe who demanded I take his picture with Sister Encarna, we moved down the “road” to Rehema Primary and Orphange where we were immediately greeted by masses of school children posing for the camera and wanting to touch mzungu (white person) skin. Pastor Erastus is the director and a resourceful man who can do amazing things with small amounts of money. He manages to feed all 500 children in his school everyday and runs a school that scored number one in the region on the end-of-primary exam, even scoring higher than the better-funded government schools. After a few small grants from AYA for chickens and a sewing project, he has grown and expanded the projects into thriving sources of income for his school and orphanage. I was most excited to see the newly constructed orphanage built with funding from AYA donors. After walking through the narrow pathways filled with sewage and garbage, we arrived at the new home. It is truly a safe haven in the midst of the slum and a beacon of hope for children who formerly had no where else to call home.
Monday, September 7, 2009
No Sleep
It is 3:30am and I can't sleep. My body is so confused by the time difference. My heart is heavy and my mind is racing with thoughts of yesterday and what lies ahead today. So much need and so much to be done with so few resources. How will we ever get it all done? It takes a lot of faith and a lot of patience and sometimes I run low on both. I know we can only do our best and good things come in time. It is just easy to lose sight of the progress with such overwhelming and heavy feelings of responsibility to children in desperate need.
Karibu Kenya (Welcome to Kenya)
After 30 hours of travel we finally arrived in Kenya on Sunday, completely delirious, but none the less excited to be here. I was thrilled to meet our East Africa Director, Pastor Fred Afwai, and his wife Alice at the airport. After a good night's sleep, we were ready to go. One of my favorite things to do is simply stare out the window. I have always been fascinated by different cultures and far-off places where I am completely out of my element. Nairobi is a total assault on the senses. You can see people everywhere-scurrying to work, selling any item you can imagine, hauling water, charcoal, or live chickens. Hearing honking horns or blaring music from matatus (taxi buses) plowing through the center of town. Smelling exhaust and smoke from cooking fires. Feeling fear from Pastor Fred hauling full speed through crowded intersections and barely dodging pedestrians.
Our first stop was Kayole Community School. The director, Bernard, is an extremely amicable and extremely tall individual. They have 328 children up to grade 8 and feed 233 of the neediest children everyday. Food prices have skyrocketed so high that it costs $120 every week to feed them, an astronomical amount in a country where the per capita year annual income is $1000. His other major area of concern is paying teachers. They can't retain good teachers because they can't pay them regularly. He estimates it would take a salary of about $110/month to keep a quality educator. On a rarely good month, he can pay $70 to his best teachers. Most months, it is only what is available, even if it is $20 or less.
Next it was on to Sandota. We were immediately greeted by songs of welcome from the children. We are absolutely thrilled that some very kind people have donated money for Sandota to buy their own land. Currently they are renting the school they are using and the landlord has been breathing down the director, Carolyn's, neck to keep up with the ever-increasing rent. This generous donation for Sandota to build their own school has been an absolute blessing because without it, the 200 children of Sandota may have no other opportunity for education.
Finally, we met with Pastor Boniface and the children from Maximum Impact. Earlier this summer, some excited AYA volunteers came together and decided they wanted to have 5K run to raise money to build a school. After talking about different options, they decided Maximum Impact would be the best recipient. They are a good performing school, serving orphans and impoverished children, and already own their own plot where we can construct the school. One of the best reasons for constructing their own school besides safety from possible eviction, is the money that can be saved from not having to pay rent. Maximum Impact has to pay almost $500/month in rent. They have some students that can pay school fees and make money from a community computer and copier project funded by AYA, but most months it is a serious struggle to come up with the rent. Without having to pay rent, they can pay their teachers regularly, improve the feeding program, and buy scholastic materials.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Africa or Bust!
I’m heading to Kenya tomorrow with my mom and Tina (another AYA volunteer) to spend a week before traveling on to Uganda for another week. It’s been 3 years since I have been back and I can’t wait. While other AYA staff has made the annual voyage in my place after the birth of my son in May 2007, I decided to stay put while he was so young. Now that he is a bit older, I feel better about leaving (especially after he redecorated ALL of our living room furniture this morning with a black ink pen!).
I am keeping this blog while I am gone, not because I think I am so utterly fascinating that people will want to keep up with my every move, but to give a glimpse into the lives of African people and the amazing things AYA and our partners are accomplishing and the desperate needs that remain. This will be my sixth journey to Africa and I expect it will be as intriguing and meaningful as the trips prior. Along the way we will visit urban slums and rural villages, see old friends and meet new ones, laugh and cry, feel hope and despair, stick out like soar thumbs, get bloated from orange Fantas served everywhere we go, eat freshly butchered chicken cooked over a fire pit, wonder what we are eating, wonder how we got our self into this mess again, miss our families, miss ice, share the road with an obscene number of potholes and goats, and see the joyous, beautiful children of Africa that remind us why we came half-way across the world in the first place.
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