If I had been worried about keeping in shape here, I am definitely not anymore. I walked at least 10 miles yesterday with Josephine on a search to find her niece a sponsor. The girl (and her younger sibling) became orphans a month ago when their mother died of AIDS. While Josephine can support the younger one currently on top of her own children, the older girl is in secondary school where the fees are much more expensive. We started our journey from the office and trailed behind a decent sized herd of Maasai cows. There was a drought earlier in the year, and some of the nomadic tribes people brought their animals this close to the city in search of grazing land. The cattle didn't seems to have any problems navigating the narrow and steep path that had potholes so deep we used the spaces between as stepping stones.When we got to a busier street, people were greeting Josephine constantly, most of them HIV+ and part of her support groups. They would shake my hand as well, and after we left Josephine would tell me little summaries of their lives. "This one is positive and has three kids, but she is trying to go back to school to become a teacher." "This one still drinks and does other drugs even though she has a young positive child at home." The air pollution along the more major roads we walked was so bad from the buses, coal fires, and the smell of the rotting garbage. It's bad enough to make me cough, and I'm sure it can't help prevent respiratory ailments like TB that people in these cramped quarters are already prone to.
We finally reached our first stop, which was the Bridgeway Centre Trust, an organization that tries to find sponsors for orphans and other vulnerable children, as well as being involved in youth-targeted HIV education efforts. The director, Lucky Ngugi, spoke excellent English and we had a 20 minute conversation about the state of AIDS in the country and the ways prevention methods needed to be improved. He said that he doubts the infection rate is as low as the government reports with only 10% of the population having been tested, and that the one-size-fits-all approach to HIV education is missing out on some populations, especially the youth. His philosophy is that abstinence is wishful thinking, that the younger generation needs to be taught that "Sex is a wonderful gift, but one that needs to be handled responsibly to protect yourself and your partner." Lucky also emphasized that a lot of times organizations are so concerned with giving and giving that they don't have time to receive feedback on if what they are doing is truly being effective. He was unable to help Josephine's niece currently, but it was one of the best dialogues I have had so far about the state of HIV in Kenya.
Next we walked up another crowded and busy hill,and cut through a side street that happened to be a large marketplace and Fridays are apparently market day. The variety of things you could buy was astounding: all types of greens and fruits, pints of smelly anchovies, brand new looking Nike sneakers, live chickens, hair pieces, dvds, clothes in all states of repair, sambosas and french fries, belts and purses, little candies, anything. And the amount of people crowded into this little strip was almost suffocating! We made it through to another slum area and came to a large church complex. The person Josephine wanted to talk to was out recording a CD to sell to support at risk youth, but a man was there cooking lunch to give to the street kids (for some that is there only real meal of the day). She gave the man her info and then we left, taking a farther street to avoid the market and catching a large blue city bus to our next stop near Junction. The office we were looking for was on the second floor of the Iran Medical Center building, and it was interesting to see signs like "Gynecologist: Tuesdays and Fridays" and "Surgeon: Mondays and Wednesdays." Unfortunately, the Ngong Road Children's Fund had relocated so we headed out to our last stop, the District Health Clinic and Office. It was about a 15 minute walk, and I got to see workers laying the new fiber-optic cable that is going to increase internet access and speed across Kenya. When we reached the government clinic, there were at least 30 women and their children waiting in line to see a doctor with their family medical cards. The lady that we wanted to see about inspecting the LocalAid office so they can be registered and receive the HIV testing kits was at a seminar in Mombasa, but hopefully will stop by on Monday. So overall, not a very productive day, but a lot of walking. We made it back to the LocalAid office, but not before Josephine stopped at a roadside produce stand and bought a whole mango, two tangerines, and an avocado for about 30Ksh or less than $0.50. I was a little nervous about eating some because they were washed in front of me, but I was probably OK after they were peeled, and it's really hard to resist Josephine's persistent offerings. They were so fresh and so sweet. After the walk home and a lunch of leftovers, I used the rest of the afternoon for reading and resting my feet.
Now I had written all of that yesterday, but the internet cut out before I could post it, so I'll just add about dinner last night. Jaye, Lauren, Matteo, and I went to Carnivore, which has been voted in the top 50 restaurants in the world twice in the past ten years. The big draw is the barbeque they cook in a huge fire pit, and it used to include exotic animals like zebra, giraffe, and antelope. They no longer serve protected species due to government regulations, but we still had ostrich meatballs and crocodile. Carvers would come around to your table with huge swords or spits of meat and just cut of hunks onto your plate. Overall, it was a little touristy and overpriced, but they food was delicious and it was worth the experience. Plus, dessert was included. Today I am meeting the three of them and our guide Peter at Junction to go on a tour of Kibera. I don't really expect it to be much different than Ngando, but I'm sure that Peter will share some valuable insights into slum life. I think I might be getting a cold since all the kids have them and the air pollution is horrible, but hopefully I can get a good nights sleep tonight and get over it before I teach tomorrow. Wish me luck! Miss you all bunches.
No comments:
Post a Comment