Over two months ago, I wrote a post about a lovely 12 year old girl named Jacqueline. She has had a history of 30-minute epileptic seizures and is one of 8 children. Her disabilities has impaired the daily lives of the entire family (lacking the father who prefers to spend his time with his other wives) and threatens their survival.
Thankfully, Jackie now has a sponsor! An outstanding woman and sister in Christ, this person has helped send Jackie, her developmentally delayed sister Rose, and their mother to get to the hospital. Below are some excerpts of emails I have received from my in-country contacts (emphases are mine).
Sept 4
... We are just from Kisumu [where the hospital is] now. The gals have been attended to greatly, the doctors recomended lab tests for both especially the blood & urine samples. They have been given prescriptions, jackline was given reglol200 gms tabs for a whole month pending review that was recommended to be on a monthly basis. They also suggested a city [CT] scan on the head that they said will cost kshs 12000. They also recomended a protein enriched meal for her coz they feel her diet is not good for the kind of medication she is introduced to. All in all the family & i are so greatful for your support. Thank the lady who helped in the fundraising as well as all who donated towards their medical care & support. Can you believe this is their first time in a car? Just as you know our matatus, they had several convaltions & vomitings because of the crowding the seats. I know God will help them. ...
Sept 9
... Jacklin & her family too are good, i have been helping monitor her medical care. She's doing good though, with regards to the protein enriched meals, the mom has a slight problem. With the poor harvest, she does not have enough. If you guys can help in anyway,just do it. Otherwise just lets focus on her next medication. ...
Oct 4
Its so amazing that Jackline has so improved. Im at Dago and things are great. Imagine Jacklyn can count numbers upto 50 now and can write her name. Im so greatful. She is finishing her medication tomorrow and should be going back to hospital for check up and pick medication. Please if you can, help us get her the check and medication. ...
Neuroplasticity: changes that occur in the brain as the result of experience
Monday, October 6, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Dago welcoming their visitor: Part 1
At the end of my week at Dago Village, my host planned for me to observe the math class again till the end of the geometry lesson, and, at my request, observe Rose Achieng (Jacqueline's younger sister, with apparent developmental disability) in her class. Afterward, during their morning break, they were to gather the students in the center for me to present the donations officially.
Well, as per usual, things started much later than scheduled and it was all very informal. I gave my camera to Edwin to record for me. I told him that the microphone picks up best at 3 feet or so from the speaker and he took it to heart! He walked right up to all the speakers/performers and was almost in-their-face which made them shy away even more hahaha...
Anyway, enjoy! I captioned what I could and apologize for the gaps, probable inaccuracies, and poor color contrast. I've been using Windows Movie Maker to edit and publish these videos, then load them onto Youtube to embed onto this blog in order to save memory and make sharing the videos easier.
Well, as per usual, things started much later than scheduled and it was all very informal. I gave my camera to Edwin to record for me. I told him that the microphone picks up best at 3 feet or so from the speaker and he took it to heart! He walked right up to all the speakers/performers and was almost in-their-face which made them shy away even more hahaha...
Anyway, enjoy! I captioned what I could and apologize for the gaps, probable inaccuracies, and poor color contrast. I've been using Windows Movie Maker to edit and publish these videos, then load them onto Youtube to embed onto this blog in order to save memory and make sharing the videos easier.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Mzungu in the Orphanage!
Saturday, June 28th
At Dago, my hosts suggested I go to the orphanage around 2pm to do something with local kids. As per African Standard Time, they sent me at 4:30pm. When I arrived, there were about 14 children waiting for me.
By 6pm, there were 42 kids... and growing.
Apparently they had heard a mzungu was around and kept trickling in, even as we left the building.
My Dago host, Mr. Odoyo, suggested I make crafts with the kids like the other volunteers have done in the past, but I insisted on using books somehow (even though I had no clear plan except winging it SLP-style!). Mr. Odoyo also said not to go alone to see the kids, because "they are too much to handle without help." Susan came with me, and I'm so glad she did because she helped with translating back and forth between Luo and English whenever we didn't understand each others' accents.
They started off like the kids I came across last year, pushing & shoving, loud & rowdy, and extremely eager to touch/grab any part of the mzungu and her belongings. But after my experience at Kamiak High School, I gained some guts and disciplining strategies (thanks to some great special education teachers there!!). So even as the crowd swelled, I actually had control of the room using my ONE book, which held everyone captivated because... well it's a book. Something new.
We went through a couple books that night. I kneeled on the table and read a page or two for them at a time, then asked a comprehension question. They were very simple picture books, and my questions were extremely basic (e.g., "What is the boy doing?"). I also found a pack of math flashcards and did that with them as well (I know, once a nerd, always a nerd. Everything's gotta be educational with me! But they apparently enjoyed it!).
The kids initially all raised their hands and shouted "Me! Me! Me! Me!" even though none of them knew the answer or even understood the question. They just wanted the stickers I was giving as rewards. I didn't want to run out of stickers before I got to Sirua Aulo Academy (where I was headed the next day), so I changed the reward to getting their picture taken. At this point, Susan sat behind me and was in control of my camera.
These boys each earned their picture taken several times, and eventually started posing for them in their own ways. So cute.
Afterward, I taught them Simon Says, which took a while with lots of examples and Susan translating for me. But when they cottoned on finally, I let an older student take over and I was able to sit back, enjoy the game, and rest my voice.
<--"Simon says, 'Stick your tongue out!'" 
"Simon says, 'Pat your head and rub your tummy!'" -->
By dinner time, we had to stop. Mrs. Odoyo, who entered during the last hour, told the children to sing something for their guest. Here's what they came up with:
And finally, I suggested they gather in front of the orphanage for a group photo. This one is our "silly poses" picture. I love that they always show off their stickers (Thanks again to the MSD SLP who donated them!).
At Dago, my hosts suggested I go to the orphanage around 2pm to do something with local kids. As per African Standard Time, they sent me at 4:30pm. When I arrived, there were about 14 children waiting for me.
By 6pm, there were 42 kids... and growing.
Apparently they had heard a mzungu was around and kept trickling in, even as we left the building.
My Dago host, Mr. Odoyo, suggested I make crafts with the kids like the other volunteers have done in the past, but I insisted on using books somehow (even though I had no clear plan except winging it SLP-style!). Mr. Odoyo also said not to go alone to see the kids, because "they are too much to handle without help." Susan came with me, and I'm so glad she did because she helped with translating back and forth between Luo and English whenever we didn't understand each others' accents.
They started off like the kids I came across last year, pushing & shoving, loud & rowdy, and extremely eager to touch/grab any part of the mzungu and her belongings. But after my experience at Kamiak High School, I gained some guts and disciplining strategies (thanks to some great special education teachers there!!). So even as the crowd swelled, I actually had control of the room using my ONE book, which held everyone captivated because... well it's a book. Something new.
(I took this video after I released the book.
They were all fighting over The Three Little Pigs until they noticed I was recording.
This is also a glimpse at how the kids were before I got stern, and before the crowed tripled in size.)
They were all fighting over The Three Little Pigs until they noticed I was recording.
This is also a glimpse at how the kids were before I got stern, and before the crowed tripled in size.)
We went through a couple books that night. I kneeled on the table and read a page or two for them at a time, then asked a comprehension question. They were very simple picture books, and my questions were extremely basic (e.g., "What is the boy doing?"). I also found a pack of math flashcards and did that with them as well (I know, once a nerd, always a nerd. Everything's gotta be educational with me! But they apparently enjoyed it!).The kids initially all raised their hands and shouted "Me! Me! Me! Me!" even though none of them knew the answer or even understood the question. They just wanted the stickers I was giving as rewards. I didn't want to run out of stickers before I got to Sirua Aulo Academy (where I was headed the next day), so I changed the reward to getting their picture taken. At this point, Susan sat behind me and was in control of my camera.
These boys each earned their picture taken several times, and eventually started posing for them in their own ways. So cute.
Afterward, I taught them Simon Says, which took a while with lots of examples and Susan translating for me. But when they cottoned on finally, I let an older student take over and I was able to sit back, enjoy the game, and rest my voice.
<--"Simon says, 'Stick your tongue out!'" 
"Simon says, 'Pat your head and rub your tummy!'" -->
By dinner time, we had to stop. Mrs. Odoyo, who entered during the last hour, told the children to sing something for their guest. Here's what they came up with:
Thursday, July 31, 2008
"The Ditch"
Similar to Greg Mortenson building a bridge to overcome his first obstacle into Korphe (See: "Three Cups of Tea"; more info on this blog later), Emmanuel Leina needs to build a bridge.Badly.
This is the only connection between the main roads and Sirua Aulo Academy.
If it rains during the day, then all bets are off. If it rained overnight, at least he'd have to wait till it dries up a bit before trying to pass it. It is a 45 minute walk between his home and school.
It's hard to appreciate The Ditch from pictures, so I clipped together this 3 minute video for you. Among the many requests for donations I've presented in this blog, this one is just as important. Supply trucks cannot pass through this, so Emmanuel drives everything to the property himself. Right now, there are only temporary structures at the school, but the goal is for permanent buildings to be ready ASAP, including a clinic and library on the property. I will blog more about the property later, but for now suffice it to say there is currently no easily accessible clinic in the area, and no library in the entire Transmara District.
Well, except for the one massive suitcase of books I brought.
---
Again,
Village Volunteers is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and all donations are tax deductible.
100% of your contributions will go directly to the project of your choice, and all fees associated with wiring the funds to the villages are absorbed by Village Volunteers.
To donate by check, please make checks payable to Village Volunteers and note the purpose in the memo line ("Emmanuel's Bridge"). Checks should be mailed to:
Village Volunteers
5100 S. Dawson St., Suite 202
Seattle, WA 98118
USA
You can also make a donation online. Village Volunteers uses PayPal to securely process all online donations.
Or, if you would like to wire a donation to Village Volunteers, please email Florinda Peralta at florinda@villagevolunteers.org for our account information.
Name: Nathan Parningo
Chronological Age: 7Grade: Introductory (i.e., Kindergarten)
School: Sirua Aulo Academy
Vision Screening: Appears to be WFL
Hearing Screening: Appears to be WFL
Evaluation Date: July 5, 2008
Evaluation Location: Transmara District
Examiner: Linda, M.A., CCC-SLP, through Emmanuel as our Swahili/English translator
Reason for Referral: Nathan was brought to the school at my request to meet all children in the area with disabilities.
Educational History: Nathan attended nursery school with his twin brother, but was refused entry into the next and consecutive classes. His brother is now in Class 2 (i.e., 2nd grade) in a public school, while Nathan has been forced to stay at home for the past 3 years.
Medical History: Nathan presents as a healthy boy with a normal birth and developmental history.
Interview: They say he has a "heavy tongue" and that he "doesn't talk." However, further questioning revealed that he does speak, but it is not often and inaudible. I did not hear his voice in my short period with him. Mom reported that he can follow directions and if he wants something he can do it himself. Her biggest concern is that he has not gone to school.
I was not able to do a complete oral-motor examination with him; he did not imitate or follow directions much, though Emmanuel stated that he "understands everything." My clinical judgment is that he is selectively mute, and his segregation from his brother and peers has not helped his emotional-behavioral development. The tongue thing? Habit. He was able to close his mouth sufficiently, and I see no other reasons for him to maintain that open mouth posture. (Check sinuses? Darn, I didn't think of that! But I didn't see or hear about respiratory problems to indicate it)
In any case, Nathan's situation drives me crazy! He would do perfectly fine in school alongside his brother! In fact, we incorporated Nathan into the Intro class right away, and during break time he played soccer along with the other boys his age just fine! He didn't verbalize then either, but the boys allowed him to kick the ball and participate. He could catch up to his brother in no time, at least to Class 1, with tutoring and the higher quality education Emmanuel's school is providing.
For a tax-deductible Dollar A Day, you can help Nathaen get quality education, food, clothing, and in the near future, shelter, for A YEAR. $365 is a fraction of what you spend on coffee every year. Please help to ease the burden for this one family, and let this child realize his full potential. Contact me at autosmiler at gmail dot com and/or donate through the Village Volunteers website.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Name: Naeku Nkilasi
Chronological Age: 10Grade: Nursery
School: Sirua Aulo Academy
Vision Screening: Appears to be WFL
Hearing Screening: Appears to be WFL
Evaluation Date: July 5, 2008
Evaluation Location: Transmara District
Examiner: Linda, M.A., CCC-SLP, through Emmanuel as our Swahili/English translator
Reason for Referral: Naeku was brought to the school at my request to meet all children in the area with disabilities.
Educational History: Naeku has not attended school. No public school will accept her (even if they could accommodate her), and family cannot afford to send Naeku to a private school, though there are none in the area anyway.
Medical History: Born normal but had delayed milestones such that by two years of age they "realized something was wrong." As she grew up, she has had epileptic seizures lasting a couple minutes each, with up to 4 month breaks in between. Fortunately, she has not had one in the past three years. Naeku has a mental age of approximately four years old. Receptive language appears to be a relative strength, as she
speaks about 10 Swahili words.Interview: Mom reported that her biggest concern is that Naeku has not gone to school. She can wash dishes, sweep, wash clothes, and bathe herself.
Naeku is a very sweet kid. Although she was fearful of me as a mzungu, she clinged to Emmanuel right away, who is a stranger to her, and seemed to really enjoy socializing despite being kept at home for her entire life.
Here I do a simple oral-motor evaluation with her, which not only reveals any potential structural or coordination deficits but also gives a sense of her stimulability and expressive/receptive language skills.
And since I didn't feel like captioning this, here are a couple notes:
"Mzuri sana" means "very good" in Swahili.
"Asante sana" means "thank you very much" for those people-in-a-cave who haven't seen "The Lion King"
I suggested that Naeku and the other child with a disability (who will be profiled in my next post) start school in October when I return so that I can try to get them sponsored and come back to train the staff on how to accommodate them. But Emmanuel accepted them immediately into Sirua Aulo Academy, saying he's sure I could find them sponsors.
If you are touched by Naeku as I am, and want to sponsor her education, feeding, clothing, and in the future, her sheltering as well (when the dormitories are built) for an entire year, please contact me at autosmiler at gmail dot com. It is only $365 [a dollar a day!] to support her for an entire year. And don't forget, donations made through Village Volunteers are tax-deductible.
For the Nkilasi family, Emmanuel, and myself... Asante Sana.
If you are touched by Naeku as I am, and want to sponsor her education, feeding, clothing, and in the future, her sheltering as well (when the dormitories are built) for an entire year, please contact me at autosmiler at gmail dot com. It is only $365 [a dollar a day!] to support her for an entire year. And don't forget, donations made through Village Volunteers are tax-deductible.
For the Nkilasi family, Emmanuel, and myself... Asante Sana.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Name: Jacqueline Achieng
Chronological Age: 12Grade: none
School: none
Vision Screening: Unable to complete
Hearing Screening: Unable to complete
Evaluation Date: June 24, 2008
Evaluation Location: Dago Village
Examiner: Linda, M.A., CCC-SLP, through Edwin as our Luo/English translator
Reason for Referral: Jackie was referred for intervention due to significant concerns regarding her health, development, and cognitive status affecting the family's daily living and survival.
Educational History: Jackie has not attended school. Public schools cannot accommodate her needs. She is unable to walk to school or be unsupervised.
Medical History: Hospitalized for severe malaria at age 3 and has had epileptic seizures ever since. Mom reports doctor recommended she eats several small meals instead of 3 normal ones in order to decrease her chances of choking on reflux or vomit during an attack.
Family History: Jackie has 7 siblings and lives with her mom in a small mud hut in Dago village. Jackie's father has other wives and rarely visits this home. They suspect it is because of the disabilities in the family: Jackie's 10-year-old sister, Rose, is developmentally delayed.
Interview: Mom reported that Jackie zones out particularly when the moon is in its ascending
phase for 5 days, and when it's in the descending phase for 5 days (so, a total of 10 days). Her seizures last an average of 30 minutes, and there are times when she stares off into space.Mom reported that she constantly falls, resulting in scars on the back of her head. Mom says she "can't think straight" so she does everything for her (feed, bathe, etc.). I noticed she drools as well. During my visit, the moon was not in the right phase for me to see her in her more 'active' state, during which she can help with simple chores, talk, and feed herself.
On an average day, Mom must get up very early to make breakfast for her 8 children. This involves gathering firewood, getting water from the river, and preparing all food from scratch. She also does the laundry for all the kids, and by 10-10:30am she has to make another meal for Jackie before her other children return for lunch.
Around 4pm, Mom makes another meal for Jackie, and later makes dinner for everyone before bedtime. Dishes, farming, cleaning, and other chores are done somewhere along the way. Jackie has a habit of wandering around in addition to falling during seizures, so she has to be constantly supervised.
Mom's biggest concern, beyond her worsening state, is Jackie's inability to bathe herself. Jackie likes to follow her sisters to the river and tries to even copy washing panties, but she is ineffective and wastes their soap and takes up a lot of Mom's time.
Caregiver Education: I educated Mom about epilepsy, grand mal seizures, how it affects her growth and learning, and the different treatment options available to help her function normally. Having only cursory knowledge of epilepsy disorders, I couldn't do much else. I explained again my background in rehabilitation, and the training I can provide after the seizures are controlled. I had to emphasize that only through medical intervention like medication, which can be a long, complicated process to find the effective dosages, can she be able to function and learn.
However, I was determined to do SOMETHING to help while I was there. I returned the day after with some felt and a headscarf I bought in Kericho last year. At least to prevent more major scars from falls, she can wear a wrap like other women do, yet hide the extra padding underneath. Mom liked this a lot.
Next, at my request to observe the bathing process, Mom set up a little area out back with a tub of water and a wall of leaves. Mom said when she's not in her dazed period, she can do almost everything herself except bathe herself. The best way I thought I could help was to see what the problems were in person. Over the next half hour or more, I observed how Jackie bathed and how Mom interacted with her throughout the process, then taught Mom about teaching techniques, and finally spent time practicing with Jackie. I tried to give just some basic ideas like keeping to a routine, giving hand-over-hand help with verbal cues, and keeping her instructions short/simple. The best I could do then was leave her with some notes using donated paper and markers (Thanks again, folks!).
I wish you could each see the pained expression on Mom's face as she talked about her children, her sense of helplessness, her fear for their future. She was desperate for help. No, she IS STILL desperate for help. She's already doing everything she can for Jacqueline and her family, but has nowhere to turn. Mom is also a devote Christian, and said that she "trusts in God because He made her, and will do anything for her to improve her life".
Before I left her home for the last time, I committed myself to helping her and her family. First thing's first, Jacqueline needs medical attention. Edwin is still helping me figure out the costs and logistics of transportation to/from the hospital, potential medical fees, etc. so that I can have a ballpark figure to target when fundraising. Meanwhile, I think I can now start the process of creating awareness, arousing sympathy and requesting help.
To donate by check, please make checks payable to Village Volunteers and note the purpose in the memo line ("Jackie Achieng of Dago"). Checks should be mailed to:
Village Volunteers
5100 S. Dawson St., Suite 202
Seattle, WA 98118
USA
You can also make a donation online. Village Volunteers uses PayPal to securely process all online donations.
Or, if you would like to wire a donation to Village Volunteers, please email Florinda Peralta at florinda@villagevolunteers.org for our account information.
Lugging the donations across Kenya
On June 22nd, during the 7 hour journey from Nairobi to Dago village, Edwin (aka "Morning"), my arranged escort, and I took two matatus and so did my luggage.That is, we had to fit two suitcases into one matatu heading toward Kisii ahead of our own matatu and pick it up later when we arrived.
In Kisii, we transferred to another matatu but didn't have the option to separate my 3 cases since we were going to a more rural area.
So... they tied the largest suitcase to the roof and
stuck the other two in the back. My backpack with only my personal items in it stayed with me on my lap, where I was crammed in the middle of the front with the gearshift jamming into my leg.From Kisii, we rode into the Dago village center. Edwin found one of his friends with a motorbike and talked him into riding my suitcases home for us. Following the motorbike, Edwin and I walked the rest of the way home. I don't know the distance and don't remember how long it took to walk... It could've been anywhere between 20-40 minutes... Everyone who handled my suitcases, together weighing almost 200 lbs, lifted them as if carrying the grocery home. Men carried on their shoulders; women carried on their heads. Incredible strength and balance! (They weren't impressed with the wheels and handle method, which proved sensible since the roads are so bumpy).
Thursday, July 24, 2008
A Chance For Peace
A friend of mine, a fellow Village Volunteer volunteer, has also been touched by Kenya. Like me, Tyler has been infuriated by the media's reaction to and the pervasive misunderstanding toward the post-election situation. He is going back next month with other volunteers to try and remedy that. I earnestly pray that he succeeds in making a dent in the most resilient disease of Western civilization -- apathy.
Check out www.AChanceForPeace.com
Check out www.AChanceForPeace.com
A documentary about peace and crisis.
In December 2007, suspicions of corruption grew as
the announcement of the presidency in Kenya was
greatly delayed. Violence erupted and to date,
approximately 500,000 Kenyans have become
displaced refugees and 1,200 are confirmed dead.
A CHANCE FOR PEACE will ask, “Is Peace possible?”
while giving Kenyans the chance for their voices to be heard and to
broaden the canon of information on an issue mischaracterized by the
Western media as simply “another African ethnic cleansing.”
Books of cultural relevance
Thanks to the donations written directly to me (instead of Village Volunteers where they could've received a tax-break), I could afford to pick up a few more items when I arrived in Nairobi. We stopped by a book store and here are a few things I found that exemplify (exaggerate, really) the difference between our side of the world and theirs.
(Click on the images to see full size)
These are curriculum-based stories for the grades listed in the circles above the titles. They each are educational (e.g., "Doctor Tortoise" discusses common health problems related to basic care such as dental hygiene) or moral (e.g., the lesson Bogi learns in "Bogi Learns a Lesson" is to not be lazy and take advantage of others' kindness).
One of my favorite stories is "Sipoi and the Ogre", which is based on the Maasai. I've uploaded the first and last pages of this story, though I've copied the rest of the pages if any of you are curious enough to request it. :-)
The most intriguing book is the one on the bottom right for grade 4, "A for AIDS". For every letter of the alphabet, it gives readers reasons to be a part of eradicating AIDS, educating about its transmission, HIV awareness.
E for education
Listen and read all about HIV and AIDS
Learn how to avoid getting infected
Learn how to love those infected
Learn how to live with those affected
M for money
A lot of money is needed to fight HIV and AIDS
Rich nations must reach out to poor nations
And give them advice and help to fight AIDS
N for Nelson Mandela
A hero in our time
He stated that his son died of AIDS
He said stigma against people with AIDS
Was worse than the disease itself!
O for orphans
Mother went first
Father followed fast
AIDS is not a curse, we'll win at last!
X for experience
If you think AIDS is a curse you're wrong
If you ignore good advice you won't live for long
Having AIDS is not a good experience
Happiness in the future requires a lot of patience
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Mr. Anderson of Kamiak HS: Dago Primary Class 8 Thank You!
On Friday, June 27, my host arranged for me to attend the 8th grade class at Dago Primary School so I can document the use of the particular donations made by one generous teacher in Mukilteo, WA.
At Dago, the math teacher prepared a geometry lesson so the students can use the new compasses, protractors, and graph paper. Calculators were few, so they were given to the staff to use for grading. Class 8 were the recipients of the donations because they are to take a major examination by the end of the school year, which determines their chances of getting into a good secondary school (high school).
After the initial excitement of giving and receiving the items, I took a back seat in the class and quickly recognized the universal experience of student boredom. Notice when the teacher asks the class "Are we together?" or "Sawa sawa?" (which means "Okay?" in Swahili)... the class responds with a very under-enthused "yes."
(I wonder how much you can understand without my captions anyway? The other voices come from behind me, from Class 7. The classes share a roof with a mud wall between which doesn't reach the top, so it all reverberates on the tin.)
If you want to know what he's saying, consult your 8th grade geometry books. :-)
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Pamela tells about Susan's background
This is after I revealed to Susan and the family that Susan will be sponsored by an American couple for the rest of her education (she's in 6th grade now). Pamela, who is trilingual in Luo, Swahili, and English, had adopted her earlier on and now is expressing her appreciation and describing how Susan came to her household.
Book Delivery
Emmanuel is passing out board books to the nursery and intro/kindergarten students. It is their first time with such books (even for the teacher!) and... I'm just glad to have been able to record this. They are speaking Swahili, and the very enthusiastic boy on the left is my Brian!
I was aiming to update something to this blog each night since there's so much to share, but I've hit the ground running in Fairbanks and have been constantly busy (not all work though!). I haven't had much time to finish captioning these videos, but you can be sure they will be done and posted. By the end of the year. :-) Just kidding! Maybe over the next couple weeks? By the end of August? We'll see... It's 5 gigs of pictures & videos after all!
Friday, July 18, 2008
Cows and Bulls
At Dago village, they named this calf after me. Meet Linda the Cow. Don't laugh. Anyone else have a treasured animal in a foreign country named after them? So there.
At Oronkai village, Emmanuel has a bull named Balala, after a Kenyan politician. He didn't name it - I think a child of a friend named it.
At Oronkai village, Emmanuel has a bull named Balala, after a Kenyan politician. He didn't name it - I think a child of a friend named it.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
My kids
Like reading the definition of autism from a textbook and then meeting a child with autism, I hadn't fully understood what it's like to experience the midnight sun. It's freakin me out, actually, that it's 12am and it's twilight. About 10 people are still up and very active (I'd include me cept I'm falling asleep at the keyboard) at this hostel. And yes, of the 10 of us, there's only one other girl (but have you heard the saying, "The odds are good, but the goods are odd."?)
Anyway, I have been perpetually exhausted since Kenya and trying to catch up with this life so I will make this post short, and just introduce you all to my kids.
This is Brian Tajeuo. He is a rambunctious 5-year-old in the nursery class who loves to volunteer even if he doesn't know what he's volunteering for. Loves attention yet shy at the same time. Cute, sweet, and happens to have a cleft palate.
Lerionka Ololgisoi is in class 2. I began sponsoring him last year without having met him yet. Among my options, I chose him almost purely because I liked his name. It's fun to say (it's a Maasai name). Very shy.
They are $365 each to sponsor, which clothes, feeds, shelters, and educates them for an entire year.
A dollar a day, to give a child a chance at life.
Anyway, I have been perpetually exhausted since Kenya and trying to catch up with this life so I will make this post short, and just introduce you all to my kids.
This is Brian Tajeuo. He is a rambunctious 5-year-old in the nursery class who loves to volunteer even if he doesn't know what he's volunteering for. Loves attention yet shy at the same time. Cute, sweet, and happens to have a cleft palate.
Lerionka Ololgisoi is in class 2. I began sponsoring him last year without having met him yet. Among my options, I chose him almost purely because I liked his name. It's fun to say (it's a Maasai name). Very shy.
They are $365 each to sponsor, which clothes, feeds, shelters, and educates them for an entire year.
A dollar a day, to give a child a chance at life.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Fairbanks, AK
Arrived safely, finally, after 20 hours travel from Kenya-London-Seattle, a 3 day ferry ride from Washington, and 13 hour drive north through the Yukon Territory... to start work at my new short-term assignment at a private SLP & OT clinic in Fairbanks. Yes, they had me start the moment I arrived at 11am today, all my belongings still in my car! So again I must apologize for not updating - I've been internet and cell phone deprived for over a month! If you're mildly interested, utterly bored, or dutifully procrastinating, I'll put more details with pictures about my northernly adventures in my private blog.
For now, at least you can enjoy a couple videos. The first is of a typical scene where 23 bodies crammed into Emmanuel's car (which was named after me last year, as you can see pasted on the back window). He doesn't drop them all home, but gives 19 children rides on the way to his own home after Sirua Aulo school lets out, so it saves these kids 30-45 minutes of walking.
This second is another that makes me smile. I am telling 12 year old Susan Adiambo (which means "born in the evening" in the Luo language. They nicknamed me "Akinyi", which means "born early in the morning"), who is an orphan but adopted informally by my host family, that she will get to be sponsored from now on. The thing is, as you watch, you may wonder what the big deal is to sponsor an orphan. Yes, Susan is currently fed and sheltered, and is going to school. But with sponsorship, she can go to a boarding school to get quality education and be able to focus on that as her priority, rather than the constant chores of daily living at the home (I've another video of her showing me around the compound, talking about her life; I still need to caption it though, so again please be patient!). She will also be able to go to secondary school (i.e., high school), which is currently still expensive for families to afford.
Some notes before you watch: Patrick and Edwin are the natural sons of Pamela. They both live in Nairobi now, so you see them in city clothes (I made fun of Edwin that when he put on his sunglasses in that outfit he looks like a 'player'... a term he has never heard and tried to find in the dictionary but couldn't...)
Currently working on captioning the video of Pamela explaining Susan's background. I'll load it in the next post, along with information about other children who need sponsorships-- all children with disabilities.
For now, at least you can enjoy a couple videos. The first is of a typical scene where 23 bodies crammed into Emmanuel's car (which was named after me last year, as you can see pasted on the back window). He doesn't drop them all home, but gives 19 children rides on the way to his own home after Sirua Aulo school lets out, so it saves these kids 30-45 minutes of walking.
This second is another that makes me smile. I am telling 12 year old Susan Adiambo (which means "born in the evening" in the Luo language. They nicknamed me "Akinyi", which means "born early in the morning"), who is an orphan but adopted informally by my host family, that she will get to be sponsored from now on. The thing is, as you watch, you may wonder what the big deal is to sponsor an orphan. Yes, Susan is currently fed and sheltered, and is going to school. But with sponsorship, she can go to a boarding school to get quality education and be able to focus on that as her priority, rather than the constant chores of daily living at the home (I've another video of her showing me around the compound, talking about her life; I still need to caption it though, so again please be patient!). She will also be able to go to secondary school (i.e., high school), which is currently still expensive for families to afford.
Some notes before you watch: Patrick and Edwin are the natural sons of Pamela. They both live in Nairobi now, so you see them in city clothes (I made fun of Edwin that when he put on his sunglasses in that outfit he looks like a 'player'... a term he has never heard and tried to find in the dictionary but couldn't...)
Currently working on captioning the video of Pamela explaining Susan's background. I'll load it in the next post, along with information about other children who need sponsorships-- all children with disabilities.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Stateside!
I'm HOME!
Well, as "home" as a nomad like me can be. No rest for the weary though -- will update more when I can! Videos, pictures, stories till your eyes blur -- guaranteed!
Thanks for all your prayers for safe travels! Tomorrow I have to be in Bellingham by 3pm to catch my ferry to Alaska. The journey continues!
Well, as "home" as a nomad like me can be. No rest for the weary though -- will update more when I can! Videos, pictures, stories till your eyes blur -- guaranteed!
Thanks for all your prayers for safe travels! Tomorrow I have to be in Bellingham by 3pm to catch my ferry to Alaska. The journey continues!
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Sirua Aulo Academy Teacher Responses
I'm in Kericho now, at a Cyber because Emmanuel had to replace the car's brake pads and didn't want me to be bored waiting (though there's no way I would've gotten bored, with Kenyan newspapers to read, blogs to pre-write, "Into the Wild" to start reading, etc.) This one is much less annoying, though I still wouldn't call it high-speed. Anyway, onto the rambling!
I've decided to organize my blogs topically rather than chronologically because it would get tedious for writer and reader.
First on my mind is yesterday's last day with the Sirua Aulo Academy.
On Saturdays, all students and staff attend school to complete standardized testing, then gather to learn the scores. Each teacher takes turns telling who the top three scorers of their classes were, who come to the front to receive a star on their forehead and applause from the students. This weekend, after the scores were presented, a couple teachers gave speeches of thanks to me and the people who donated the items, then asked me to speak a few words. Which I promise I did NOT record on video so you won't get to hear it hahaha... Hey, you weren't there, so you don't get a say on what gets recorded or not :-) I basically thanked them for their welcoming me, the teachers for their time, reminded the students to study hard b/c a good education is the key to their future, and that when I return in October I expect to see the donated books worn down from overuse. Then I officially presented the items from the suitcase to the Headmistress, even though we had been using them all week. Teachers again gave thanks and then we gathered the whole school for a picture outside the classrooms. Then students were dismissed.
Earlier in the day, two parents brought two new kids to the school at my request. They are kids who were hidden in the homes over the years because they had nowhere to go, not being accepted by public schools or by the community. One was a 10 year old girl named Naeku Nkilasi. Mom said she had a normal birth but delayed milestones. Mom realized she was different when she was about 2. She had seizures which lasted only a few minutes at a time, but they were infrequent- she could go 4 months without it, and she hasn't had another since she was 7. Mom estimates she functions more like a 4 year old, though she only knows about 10 words in Swahili. She can do all regular chores and properly wash herself. When asked, Mom's biggest concern with her is that she has not gone to school.
Another child is named Nathaen Parningo. He is 7 years old and has a twin brother. He began nursery school with his brother but after that year was over, the Intro (e.g., kindergarten) and other subsequent teachers wouldn't let him into the class and now his brother is in Class 2 without him. He also had a normal birth and actually has had normal milestones and "understands everything" ... He just has a "heavy tongue" and doesn't talk. Or, when he does, it's inaudible. He can eat and swallow fine, for the SLPs among us. From my observation, he is normal in all aspects. Because of the time constraints, language barrier, decreased socialization, and intimidating aspect of a mzungu asking random questions, I wasn't able to diagnose much else on him. When asked, Mom said her biggest concern is that he has not attended school.
Notice a recurring theme?
I suggested we put Naeku into the Nursery class and Nathaen into the Intro that day to see how the kids themselves respond to each other. The new kids were shy at first, but since they were so warmly welcomed by the other students, they fit in well. They will both do well in school, especially Nathaen, whose story just makes me mad like hell. I expect him to excel quickly and hopefully catch up to his brother in a couple years based on the quality of Sirua Aulo's teachers compared to the public education Kenya has 'offered' where his brother is. My only concern was overloading the already overloaded Brenda who teaches this combined Nursery/Intro group (there were already 20 bouncy kids from 3-7 years old). I suggested (er... strongly recommended) to Emmanuel that he hires an assistant for Brenda if he were to accept these new kids into Sirua Aulo.
Well, there was no question for him, no moment of hesitation that these kids should come to Sirua Aulo or that Brenda will get an assistant if I suggested it. I said I'll try to find sponsors for these kids by October so that when I return, they can attend school and I can train the teachers on how to integrate them. Emmanuel being who he is, said he'll actually start them Monday because he's sure I'll find sponsors for them.
!!!
While the teachers were scoring the tests, the kids were free to play (many were enamoured with the jumprope and inflated ball I took from Emmanuel's home which his wife had been using as decorations on the wall and ceiling hehehe... this is what happens when volunteers bring foreign toys from the U.S. and don't explain what they are or how to use them!!) Nathaen immediatly was invited to play soccer (that is, kick the ball up and down the massive rocky hill the school is on) with the other boys. Emmanuel and I invited Naeku to play with the inflated ball and taught the 3-5 year old kids to take turns tossing it back and forth with her.
The Moms watched and were pleased beyond words. Eventually they went home because there were older students on whom we could rely to walk the two new pupils home safely.
This was a tough day for me, to have to say goodbye to the 70+ kids who have become accustomed to running up to Emmanuel's car saying "Hi Linda! Hi Linda! Hi Linda!" each morning. I spent time in each of the classrooms, with each of the teachers and all the students. My focus was on literacy, as I said, and introduced books into all the classes. The children LOVED them. Even the 3rd graders enjoyed lifting the flaps of a donated Sesame Street book. All new stuff to them.
This trip has been immensly satisfying, personally and professionally. I received the greatest compliments on Saturday during a debriefing meeting with the teachers. Mostly they said they learned to be more patient with the kids like me, because they watched the kids learning a lot from me being more patient with them and giving the ones who make mistakes at the blackboard a chance to fix and learn from their mistakes. Sorry that last sentence isn't coherent -- I was just told that we have to go soon and don't want to spend time editing now. I'll edit and add pictures, like I said, when I'm back in the States. Let me just mention that when I asked the teachers to share their thoughts and requests, they all said "bring your friends! and bring more books!"
I've decided to organize my blogs topically rather than chronologically because it would get tedious for writer and reader.
First on my mind is yesterday's last day with the Sirua Aulo Academy.
On Saturdays, all students and staff attend school to complete standardized testing, then gather to learn the scores. Each teacher takes turns telling who the top three scorers of their classes were, who come to the front to receive a star on their forehead and applause from the students. This weekend, after the scores were presented, a couple teachers gave speeches of thanks to me and the people who donated the items, then asked me to speak a few words. Which I promise I did NOT record on video so you won't get to hear it hahaha... Hey, you weren't there, so you don't get a say on what gets recorded or not :-) I basically thanked them for their welcoming me, the teachers for their time, reminded the students to study hard b/c a good education is the key to their future, and that when I return in October I expect to see the donated books worn down from overuse. Then I officially presented the items from the suitcase to the Headmistress, even though we had been using them all week. Teachers again gave thanks and then we gathered the whole school for a picture outside the classrooms. Then students were dismissed.
Earlier in the day, two parents brought two new kids to the school at my request. They are kids who were hidden in the homes over the years because they had nowhere to go, not being accepted by public schools or by the community. One was a 10 year old girl named Naeku Nkilasi. Mom said she had a normal birth but delayed milestones. Mom realized she was different when she was about 2. She had seizures which lasted only a few minutes at a time, but they were infrequent- she could go 4 months without it, and she hasn't had another since she was 7. Mom estimates she functions more like a 4 year old, though she only knows about 10 words in Swahili. She can do all regular chores and properly wash herself. When asked, Mom's biggest concern with her is that she has not gone to school.
Another child is named Nathaen Parningo. He is 7 years old and has a twin brother. He began nursery school with his brother but after that year was over, the Intro (e.g., kindergarten) and other subsequent teachers wouldn't let him into the class and now his brother is in Class 2 without him. He also had a normal birth and actually has had normal milestones and "understands everything" ... He just has a "heavy tongue" and doesn't talk. Or, when he does, it's inaudible. He can eat and swallow fine, for the SLPs among us. From my observation, he is normal in all aspects. Because of the time constraints, language barrier, decreased socialization, and intimidating aspect of a mzungu asking random questions, I wasn't able to diagnose much else on him. When asked, Mom said her biggest concern is that he has not attended school.
Notice a recurring theme?
I suggested we put Naeku into the Nursery class and Nathaen into the Intro that day to see how the kids themselves respond to each other. The new kids were shy at first, but since they were so warmly welcomed by the other students, they fit in well. They will both do well in school, especially Nathaen, whose story just makes me mad like hell. I expect him to excel quickly and hopefully catch up to his brother in a couple years based on the quality of Sirua Aulo's teachers compared to the public education Kenya has 'offered' where his brother is. My only concern was overloading the already overloaded Brenda who teaches this combined Nursery/Intro group (there were already 20 bouncy kids from 3-7 years old). I suggested (er... strongly recommended) to Emmanuel that he hires an assistant for Brenda if he were to accept these new kids into Sirua Aulo.
Well, there was no question for him, no moment of hesitation that these kids should come to Sirua Aulo or that Brenda will get an assistant if I suggested it. I said I'll try to find sponsors for these kids by October so that when I return, they can attend school and I can train the teachers on how to integrate them. Emmanuel being who he is, said he'll actually start them Monday because he's sure I'll find sponsors for them.
!!!
While the teachers were scoring the tests, the kids were free to play (many were enamoured with the jumprope and inflated ball I took from Emmanuel's home which his wife had been using as decorations on the wall and ceiling hehehe... this is what happens when volunteers bring foreign toys from the U.S. and don't explain what they are or how to use them!!) Nathaen immediatly was invited to play soccer (that is, kick the ball up and down the massive rocky hill the school is on) with the other boys. Emmanuel and I invited Naeku to play with the inflated ball and taught the 3-5 year old kids to take turns tossing it back and forth with her.
The Moms watched and were pleased beyond words. Eventually they went home because there were older students on whom we could rely to walk the two new pupils home safely.
This was a tough day for me, to have to say goodbye to the 70+ kids who have become accustomed to running up to Emmanuel's car saying "Hi Linda! Hi Linda! Hi Linda!" each morning. I spent time in each of the classrooms, with each of the teachers and all the students. My focus was on literacy, as I said, and introduced books into all the classes. The children LOVED them. Even the 3rd graders enjoyed lifting the flaps of a donated Sesame Street book. All new stuff to them.
This trip has been immensly satisfying, personally and professionally. I received the greatest compliments on Saturday during a debriefing meeting with the teachers. Mostly they said they learned to be more patient with the kids like me, because they watched the kids learning a lot from me being more patient with them and giving the ones who make mistakes at the blackboard a chance to fix and learn from their mistakes. Sorry that last sentence isn't coherent -- I was just told that we have to go soon and don't want to spend time editing now. I'll edit and add pictures, like I said, when I'm back in the States. Let me just mention that when I asked the teachers to share their thoughts and requests, they all said "bring your friends! and bring more books!"
Thursday, July 3, 2008
I'm in love!
... with Sirua Aulo Academy! 70 adorable charming students every day has done it to me. But more on that another time. I'm at an internet cafe and the connection is painstakingly slow and woefully expensive for what it's worth (that is, even though it's only 2 shillings/minute, it took 10 minutes for me to open up 1 email, after crashing twice over the previous 10 minutes). So here is a quick overview (I had pre-written it and copy/pasted here). Please be patient for the tons of pictures, videos, and details which can be uploaded when I'm back in the US with high speed internet and modern techology (i've no idea of the age of the hodpodge of computer parts I'm using right now)!!!!
June 22: 7 hour travel to Dago, arriving around 5:30pm
June 23: Joined meeting of Dago's community mentors from 8am (though with African time, we actually started at 10) till 5pm
June 24: Met and interviewed with two families dealing with disabilities
June 25: Returned to the Achieng family to provide counseling and assistance. I want to fundraise for these two children to receive medical attention, especially for a 12 year old girl named Jacquiline who I suspect has grand mal seizures so debilitating that mom says she becomes nonresponsive for a 10 day period while the moon is in the raising and lowering phases... Mom says the seizures last for 30 minutes on AVERAGE. Her other daughter, 10 year old Rose, functions like a 5 year old, and mom is afraid she will be just like Jacquiline, though I suspect she is more likely developmentally delayed.
June 26: Presented compasses, protractors, and graph paper to a Grade 8 math class-- Took pictures/video for proof :-); Visited Iago Primary School, the only school in the area with a special education program run by one person, Madam Rose. She cares for about 50 children in total, with 10-15 of them who cannot walk to school because of physical disabilities. She personally visits each home to provide care, home education, and other assistance, in addition to running a life-skills program and integrated special ed program, later walking each of her more severe kids home personally to ensure safety. I want to fundraise for her to receive a bicycle. She will also be an extremely important resource when helping start something similar at Sirua Aulo. Later that day, I walked to the town center with some new friends, where a 24 year old Daniel Odiambo suggested I become Mrs. Odiambo.
June 27: Officially presented donations to Dago Primary School (favorite moment: loud cheers of all the 200+ students when I said I've brought enough pencils for every student to receive a new one. One teacher than said let's give them out now, and they all lined up to shake the hand of the mzungu and receive a pencil); later went to city called Awendo with host mother for Market Day, riding in a matatu (made for 12 passengers max) overflowing with 23 people (yeah, they were hanging out the door, literally! yes, videos to come)
June 28: Video-recorded an orphan named Susan Adiambo as I told her two people named Elizabeth and Andrew will sponser her. A seed she was chewing fell out of her mouth and was speechless for the rest of the morning. :-D Later, at 2pm (actually, 4:30 African time), I went to the orphanage with 14 kids there waiting for me to play with them. By 6pm, the crowd swelled to 42 children. We read books, played Simon Says, they sang songs, we did math, etc. Initially, I used some donated stickers as reward for answering my questions, but quickly realized they will work for getting their picture taken with my digital camera.
June 29: Emmanuel came directly to Dago to pick me up. Had lunch in Kisii and met with the teachers/staff of Sirua Aulo. Kind of an introduction to me, the first white visitor, and the plan for the week.
June 30: Sat in on and assisted in the combined nursery + intro (i.e., kindergarten) class. After school (4:30pm), met with staff for an hour doing an in-service on vocabulary development and answering teachers' questions.
July 1: Intially intended for me to join the nursery/intro class again, but one teacher was very sick and had to go to the hospital, so I substituted her Class 2 (i.e., 2nd grade) class with Emmanuel helping to translate to KiSwahili to reinforce things and help teach. Didn't feel well all day b/c night prior I only slept a couple hours (mefloquine side effect?), and ended up sleeping after lunch leaving Emmanuel to teach the rest of the day. Cancelled after school inservice.
July 2: Attended Class 1 in the morning and co-taught. Introduced board books to nursery/intro
class who devoured and fought over them. After lunch, because Class 2's teacher was still absent and Class 3's teacher had to attend a funeral far away (Emmanuel had been running back and forth teaching both classes), we combined classes 1-3 and we co-taught using more donated books and a laminated safari board made by Kamiak HS's wonderful SLPA. Students devoured and fought over these simple books! In-serviced a bit to the two remaining teachers about reading with children.
June 22: 7 hour travel to Dago, arriving around 5:30pm
June 23: Joined meeting of Dago's community mentors from 8am (though with African time, we actually started at 10) till 5pm
June 24: Met and interviewed with two families dealing with disabilities
June 25: Returned to the Achieng family to provide counseling and assistance. I want to fundraise for these two children to receive medical attention, especially for a 12 year old girl named Jacquiline who I suspect has grand mal seizures so debilitating that mom says she becomes nonresponsive for a 10 day period while the moon is in the raising and lowering phases... Mom says the seizures last for 30 minutes on AVERAGE. Her other daughter, 10 year old Rose, functions like a 5 year old, and mom is afraid she will be just like Jacquiline, though I suspect she is more likely developmentally delayed.
June 26: Presented compasses, protractors, and graph paper to a Grade 8 math class-- Took pictures/video for proof :-); Visited Iago Primary School, the only school in the area with a special education program run by one person, Madam Rose. She cares for about 50 children in total, with 10-15 of them who cannot walk to school because of physical disabilities. She personally visits each home to provide care, home education, and other assistance, in addition to running a life-skills program and integrated special ed program, later walking each of her more severe kids home personally to ensure safety. I want to fundraise for her to receive a bicycle. She will also be an extremely important resource when helping start something similar at Sirua Aulo. Later that day, I walked to the town center with some new friends, where a 24 year old Daniel Odiambo suggested I become Mrs. Odiambo.
June 27: Officially presented donations to Dago Primary School (favorite moment: loud cheers of all the 200+ students when I said I've brought enough pencils for every student to receive a new one. One teacher than said let's give them out now, and they all lined up to shake the hand of the mzungu and receive a pencil); later went to city called Awendo with host mother for Market Day, riding in a matatu (made for 12 passengers max) overflowing with 23 people (yeah, they were hanging out the door, literally! yes, videos to come)
June 28: Video-recorded an orphan named Susan Adiambo as I told her two people named Elizabeth and Andrew will sponser her. A seed she was chewing fell out of her mouth and was speechless for the rest of the morning. :-D Later, at 2pm (actually, 4:30 African time), I went to the orphanage with 14 kids there waiting for me to play with them. By 6pm, the crowd swelled to 42 children. We read books, played Simon Says, they sang songs, we did math, etc. Initially, I used some donated stickers as reward for answering my questions, but quickly realized they will work for getting their picture taken with my digital camera.
June 29: Emmanuel came directly to Dago to pick me up. Had lunch in Kisii and met with the teachers/staff of Sirua Aulo. Kind of an introduction to me, the first white visitor, and the plan for the week.
June 30: Sat in on and assisted in the combined nursery + intro (i.e., kindergarten) class. After school (4:30pm), met with staff for an hour doing an in-service on vocabulary development and answering teachers' questions.
July 1: Intially intended for me to join the nursery/intro class again, but one teacher was very sick and had to go to the hospital, so I substituted her Class 2 (i.e., 2nd grade) class with Emmanuel helping to translate to KiSwahili to reinforce things and help teach. Didn't feel well all day b/c night prior I only slept a couple hours (mefloquine side effect?), and ended up sleeping after lunch leaving Emmanuel to teach the rest of the day. Cancelled after school inservice.
July 2: Attended Class 1 in the morning and co-taught. Introduced board books to nursery/intro
class who devoured and fought over them. After lunch, because Class 2's teacher was still absent and Class 3's teacher had to attend a funeral far away (Emmanuel had been running back and forth teaching both classes), we combined classes 1-3 and we co-taught using more donated books and a laminated safari board made by Kamiak HS's wonderful SLPA. Students devoured and fought over these simple books! In-serviced a bit to the two remaining teachers about reading with children.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Had a good day walking around downtown Nairobi. Bought 2 dictionaries and 12 more kid books for donation. These kid books are great because they are by Kenyan authors, and about village life. Future volunteers could do a better mix of donated Western books with in-country books.
We went to an Indian restaurant instead of Carnivore tonight. Great truly authentic Indian food. Rode in matatus all day, and that is such an experience -- the seats aren't always bolted completely to the van floor, some have flat-screen tvs playing music videos to attract customers, and they all have ticket takers who run on and off the van while it's still in moving traffic. Anyway, more on that another time.
A mosquito net has been draped over my bed; I took my second dose of mefloquine at dinner, and tonight I will resort my belongings to prepare for the bus ride to Dago in the morning. Breakfast at 8am, and out the door in 20 minutes. Here's where the real adventure begins!
We went to an Indian restaurant instead of Carnivore tonight. Great truly authentic Indian food. Rode in matatus all day, and that is such an experience -- the seats aren't always bolted completely to the van floor, some have flat-screen tvs playing music videos to attract customers, and they all have ticket takers who run on and off the van while it's still in moving traffic. Anyway, more on that another time.
A mosquito net has been draped over my bed; I took my second dose of mefloquine at dinner, and tonight I will resort my belongings to prepare for the bus ride to Dago in the morning. Breakfast at 8am, and out the door in 20 minutes. Here's where the real adventure begins!
Friday, June 20, 2008
Nairobi: Saturday, June 21
I've brought Seattle weather all the way here! It is completely overcast and mid-60's degrees, except the Kenyans aren't out celebrating the heat wave - they are bundled up in their winter gear and complaining about the cold!
The exciting surprise was an impressive gentleman named Junior Gaya being here in town to pick me up! He is a native Kenyan who hosts Village Volunteers volunteers in his Nairobi apartment with his sister, but moved to America and married last Fall, so I didn't expect to see him this time. I should explain about the news crew guess; NPR had interviewed Village Volunteer villages in the recent past, but I didn't know if it had been postponed since the unrest. So it was a wild guess. And the plane ticket upgrade was completely in jest, of course. :-) I spent the 17 hours on two planes in economy class splendor.
A few snafus in transit, though. London security confiscated 5 scissors from my carry-on, and would have also taken away my bag of compasses if I didn't react completely crushed the way I did. How could I have forgotten about sharp object restrictions?? Ironically, they ended up taking my carry-on away at the gate anyway because it was overweight. Fortunately, I have all day today in town, so I will replace those scissors myself, and purchase other items if I can.
Well, I just took my last running-water, temperature-controlled shower for a while. Today I will exchange for Kenyan shillings (KSH), get a cell phone set up for in-country emergency calls, attempt supply shopping, and maybe try a restaurant called Carnivore, recommended by a Seattle friend.
Talk to you another time when I have a chance :-)
The exciting surprise was an impressive gentleman named Junior Gaya being here in town to pick me up! He is a native Kenyan who hosts Village Volunteers volunteers in his Nairobi apartment with his sister, but moved to America and married last Fall, so I didn't expect to see him this time. I should explain about the news crew guess; NPR had interviewed Village Volunteer villages in the recent past, but I didn't know if it had been postponed since the unrest. So it was a wild guess. And the plane ticket upgrade was completely in jest, of course. :-) I spent the 17 hours on two planes in economy class splendor.
A few snafus in transit, though. London security confiscated 5 scissors from my carry-on, and would have also taken away my bag of compasses if I didn't react completely crushed the way I did. How could I have forgotten about sharp object restrictions?? Ironically, they ended up taking my carry-on away at the gate anyway because it was overweight. Fortunately, I have all day today in town, so I will replace those scissors myself, and purchase other items if I can.
Well, I just took my last running-water, temperature-controlled shower for a while. Today I will exchange for Kenyan shillings (KSH), get a cell phone set up for in-country emergency calls, attempt supply shopping, and maybe try a restaurant called Carnivore, recommended by a Seattle friend.
Talk to you another time when I have a chance :-)
Thursday, June 19, 2008
$0.35 per minute at SeaTac
Flight to London departs at 10:20pm, but I am here and ready to go.
Shana Greene, the executive director of Village Volunteers, and I added several more items into my grey luggage, such as 5 deflated soccer balls, trial antimalarial medication, and ... well, my socks. At curbside check-in, we discovered it is 75 lbs! The gentleman suggested moving some items over to my green bag, which was exactly 50 lbs (thank you very much). He saw that they were all donations and said because of that, he would like to "help [me] out as much as possible." He would accept up to 57 lbs in the green bag for free! We shifted some things out, and in the end I ended up walking away and we both forgot to pay for the extra weight in the original! God bless that man :-) And to all the people who donated to me to help pay the would-be charge! You can consider that money having gone to my vaccinations, airplane tickets, and visa application.
Shana kept hinting that there will be a surprise "that will be obvious". I took a shot and guessed she upgraded my plane tickets some how, but that wasn't it. She is excited that I am the first volunteer back after the election riots, but she took the precaution to ensure I will be escorted at all times, especially between villages. I wonder if the surprise is some kind of news crew :-)
Shana Greene, the executive director of Village Volunteers, and I added several more items into my grey luggage, such as 5 deflated soccer balls, trial antimalarial medication, and ... well, my socks. At curbside check-in, we discovered it is 75 lbs! The gentleman suggested moving some items over to my green bag, which was exactly 50 lbs (thank you very much). He saw that they were all donations and said because of that, he would like to "help [me] out as much as possible." He would accept up to 57 lbs in the green bag for free! We shifted some things out, and in the end I ended up walking away and we both forgot to pay for the extra weight in the original! God bless that man :-) And to all the people who donated to me to help pay the would-be charge! You can consider that money having gone to my vaccinations, airplane tickets, and visa application.
Shana kept hinting that there will be a surprise "that will be obvious". I took a shot and guessed she upgraded my plane tickets some how, but that wasn't it. She is excited that I am the first volunteer back after the election riots, but she took the precaution to ensure I will be escorted at all times, especially between villages. I wonder if the surprise is some kind of news crew :-)
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
What do you think?
I flipped through this donated book the other day called "My Very Own Octopus". In it, a boy imagines all the advantages of having a pet octopus, which includes protecting him from bullies and hugging him 8 times with his 8 arms. Those are all cute and appropriate.But this book includes full color pages of situations such as "My room would always look neat because my octopus would help me put away all my clothes" and "And when my friend David came to vis
it, my octopus would help us put away all my toys"... and then "of course we would share our allowance with my octopus for helping us"... Anyone else notice something about these lines?The boy goes on to daydream that "We would always take my octopus to the store when we went shopping. Our cart would be filled in no time at all. And anything our cart couldn't hold, my octopus would." and "On Halloween, my octopus could go around with me, and we would collect more treats than Glenn and all the other kids."...
This is the definition of American greed and materialistic competition! Consumerism starts with our children! This little boy is 'living the good life' of the Western culture of overindulgence. I'm concerned about the orphans getting the impression that all white kids have large rooms to themselves full of clothes and toys (true as it may be for most), and getting hung up on that... I mean, I'm not sure I'm comfortable explaining to poverty-stricken orphans that American kids regularly get money from their parents to buy whatever they want at the toy stores!
On the other hand, I don't want to shelter them from what it is like for a middle class American family, because that's the purpose of books - to educate and expand the minds, help them explore their world in ways they can't otherwise... I remember last year even secondary students at Pirrar were marveling at what dollar bills look like, and kept asking about what animals we raised in America, and what kinds of foods we ate, what our homes looked like... Who am I to judge how to filter their education? Perhaps this book can be presented to the students as it is -- a book written for upper to middle class U.S. citizens. -- and hope they understand.
Blog readers, what is your opinion? This is a genuine question about cultural sensitivity that I have been wrestling with over the past several weeks. Please feel free to comment on my blogs; I appreciate any feedback and value open discussion. Thanks!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
I love my mom and her Engrish
(we are chatting on instant messenger)
Mom: Did you get some shock's yet?
Mom: You know what I mean? To pretend.
Me: Yes, Mom, I got my shots
Me: To protect
Me: :-)
Mom: Did you get some shock's yet?
Mom: You know what I mean? To pretend.
Me: Yes, Mom, I got my shots
Me: To protect
Me: :-)
Monday, June 16, 2008
See that girl, watch that scene, dig in the Packing Queen
WoW!!! 140 pounds of school supplies & books (including weight of suitcases) were donated in a month! I never get tired of saying it: THANK YOU!
Kamiak High School staff and Mukilteo School District SLPs have been so extremely generous with their donations of mostly brand new items!! I didn't expect that!
For the sake of packing space and the environment (because they burn their garbage in rural Kenya), I had to open all packaging that can't be reused for storage. It was like Christmas in June! ;-)
All told, there are over 130 books (Pic is of my
sorting them by size into hard/soft covers), 1312 crayons, 584 pencils, 173 markers & color pencils (not counting an entire plastic box containing probably a hundred!), 22 rulers, 8 calculators (5 brand new! 1 TI brand!), 4 sturdy clip boards, and my favorite (b/c I didn't even think of it!): 11 protractors and 16 compasses with pencils! Not pictured are various educational toys, art/craft supplies, and my sanity.
How does one fit them all into 2 checked luggages and 1 carry-on?
Fragile items have to go into my carry-on for sure. Here's a glimpse of how tightly this is packed. (All those youthful years of competing with my brother in Tetris had to count for something!)
Layer 1
Layer 2
Layer 3
Final layer! This little buddy is 40 lbs.
By the time I finished that one, I was too tired to tightly pack the remaining check-in cases. I put the hardcover books in my soft-cased green suitcase along with some durable toys.
Layer 1
Layer 2. This one is just about 50 lbs (thank goodness -- Anything over that there is a $50 charge)
And finally, the paperbacks are in the more structured case with fabrics, tote bags, and maybe some of my clothes when I get around to going to Goodwill for skirts and such (which I will wear and leave in Kenya as further donations).
This suitcase was generously donated from a colleague SLP! She said I can donate it along with my other suitcases later as I leave. Perfect! The tough part is, it is 15 lbs empty, and now it is just about 50 lbs without my clothes in it... Well, I have 3 days to sort it out!
I'll have to make room for 2 deflated soccer balls (and pumps?) because both Emmanuel and Patrick have requested it last minute. Hmm...
I will be updating about my personal backpack when I get around to packing it... It is also interesting to read about, I'm sure, because it includes such things as 5 rolls of handrolled toilet paper in a ziplock bag, and my all-in-one liquid shampoo/soap/laundry detergent.
Stay tuned!
Kamiak High School staff and Mukilteo School District SLPs have been so extremely generous with their donations of mostly brand new items!! I didn't expect that!
For the sake of packing space and the environment (because they burn their garbage in rural Kenya), I had to open all packaging that can't be reused for storage. It was like Christmas in June! ;-)All told, there are over 130 books (Pic is of my
sorting them by size into hard/soft covers), 1312 crayons, 584 pencils, 173 markers & color pencils (not counting an entire plastic box containing probably a hundred!), 22 rulers, 8 calculators (5 brand new! 1 TI brand!), 4 sturdy clip boards, and my favorite (b/c I didn't even think of it!): 11 protractors and 16 compasses with pencils! Not pictured are various educational toys, art/craft supplies, and my sanity.How does one fit them all into 2 checked luggages and 1 carry-on?
Fragile items have to go into my carry-on for sure. Here's a glimpse of how tightly this is packed. (All those youthful years of competing with my brother in Tetris had to count for something!)
Layer 1
Layer 2
Layer 3
Final layer! This little buddy is 40 lbs.By the time I finished that one, I was too tired to tightly pack the remaining check-in cases. I put the hardcover books in my soft-cased green suitcase along with some durable toys.
Layer 1
Layer 2. This one is just about 50 lbs (thank goodness -- Anything over that there is a $50 charge)And finally, the paperbacks are in the more structured case with fabrics, tote bags, and maybe some of my clothes when I get around to going to Goodwill for skirts and such (which I will wear and leave in Kenya as further donations).
This suitcase was generously donated from a colleague SLP! She said I can donate it along with my other suitcases later as I leave. Perfect! The tough part is, it is 15 lbs empty, and now it is just about 50 lbs without my clothes in it... Well, I have 3 days to sort it out!
I'll have to make room for 2 deflated soccer balls (and pumps?) because both Emmanuel and Patrick have requested it last minute. Hmm...
I will be updating about my personal backpack when I get around to packing it... It is also interesting to read about, I'm sure, because it includes such things as 5 rolls of handrolled toilet paper in a ziplock bag, and my all-in-one liquid shampoo/soap/laundry detergent.
Stay tuned!
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Kenya 2008
Last year, students from Pirrar Secondary School for Girls in the Transmara District recited
this poem for me among many other "dramas" and performances. These girls, whose parents pay high prices for their secondary education (i.e., equivalent to high school) sleep in the room next to the classroom. Their outpouring of enthusiasm for education in the midst of having nothing that we privileged Westerners have (like electricity, clean water, toilets, sealed windows, adequate textbooks, air conditioning) was enough to bring me to tears. They marveled not only at my camera, but also at the scent of my moisturizer, the spiral-binding of my notebook, the color of my US dollar bill, the texture of my chap stick.
this poem for me among many other "dramas" and performances. These girls, whose parents pay high prices for their secondary education (i.e., equivalent to high school) sleep in the room next to the classroom. Their outpouring of enthusiasm for education in the midst of having nothing that we privileged Westerners have (like electricity, clean water, toilets, sealed windows, adequate textbooks, air conditioning) was enough to bring me to tears. They marveled not only at my camera, but also at the scent of my moisturizer, the spiral-binding of my notebook, the color of my US dollar bill, the texture of my chap stick.I couldn't fathom how spoiled we are. I couldn't take it. I cried that night.
Their school was burned down in the post-election riots that erupted earlier this year.
Not long after my visit to Pirrar, I visited another school called Tororet Primary School which serves over 200 students. Primary education is free (up to 8th grade), but I was not prepared for what I saw. The walls of one building were wooden planks with holes wide enough for children to walk through. They don't have floors -- the dirt becomes a muddy mess when it rains, in which children sludge around barefoot. Their library consists of two walls with practically barren shelves, and the 6 teachers share one desk in their one mud-floored office.
Nevertheless, just because I came to visit -- me, a mzungu (white person) -- the whole school put on a performance [see video below] and gave speeches. For me! I did nothing that day but take pictures to be used in creating awareness and requesting donations when I got back to the States; and I haven't been too successful with that. They asked me to give a speech, and presented me with two hard boiled eggs and a cup of chai. And later, they presented a bracelet handmade by the students using tire rubber and beads 'from the city'. I will cherish that forever.
The students and faculty were inspired by my simple visit. They said (as it was translated to me from a parent's speech in Swahili) whenever a mzungu (aka, white person; to them, Chinese are also white) comes to see them, it is a good omen. We bring good fortune to them.
How does one respond to that? I was floored. I had already brought donations of school supplies to another school (where they also held a ceremony by placing all my things on a table, bringing in a battery-powered megaphone, giving speeches and performances, and sharing a feast of goat meat soup), so I didn't have anything to give to Tororet.
I still don't know how to reciprocate Tororet's generosity. There are too many schools with too much need in this area; the donations I'm collecting this time are going to be split between two other schools/orphanages (Dago Dela Hera and Sirua Aulo Academy). Both these places need the school supplies as much as Tororet. I only wish all the people who have generously contributed items will be able to be there with me to see the faces of these precious children as I open the suitcase and say, "Here. These are for you." I will do my best to take pictures and videos as much as possible so you can see the good you have done for these wonderful children.
Last year, I went to the country without any idea what I would encounter. This time, I enter armed with nullified culture shock and another year's experience as a speech-language pathologist. I've had comparatively extensive contact this time with my village hosts, who have coordinated with me on how to make the best use of my time and specific skills.
Although I am going for exactly 3 weeks between June 19 and July 9, the unfortunate reality is that a whole week is used up just to get to these rural villages and back (2 days flying, 1 day bus ride over mock-roads). I will have 7 days at Dago with my host Patrick (yet to meet), and 8 days at Sirua Aulo with host Emmanuel (same from last year). Both have delineated a rough itinerary for me:
Hello,-----
Glad to hear your exicited about your final times before you travel.
We cant wait to be part of Dago in 2 weeks.
We have 7 days with you, short but will make the best of it when you come.
The first 2 days you will spend with a mother and her 2 disabled kids.
The 3rd day you spend with a mother a disabled widow woman who has 5
kids, they just lost there house to the wind 3 weeks ago and have
moved in at the grandmothers house.
4th and 5th day, you spend at the childrens center, helping with everything.
6th day, you spend at the disabled school, they attend classes half
day, then later taught practical work, ie farm work and shop keeping.
Last day at the center with the community and leaders.
Hope that works with you.
Any changes will be addressed, your allowed to change schedule, when
your here, coz im sure you can want more time at a certain point.
Cant wait to meet you.
Patrick
Linda Nashipai,
I hope this message finds you well and ready preparing to come home. I know there tons of questions you may need to ask, but be sure that Lord’s hand is in your trip and all will be well. I intend to pick you up during the early hours of the 29thJune from Keroka. Thereafter, we head for home. We will have a our first staff session in the afternoon- and I hope it will dwell around handling children with disabilities and empowering children through speech. It can be an hour session or at most 1 and half hour.
On the 30th June, you will be handling two kids, Leeyio and Brian who have some disabilities in their speech and handling of the 20+ kids in the introductory and nursery class- this will take you 2 days.
2nd July- class one
3rd July- class two
4th July- class three and a staff session in the afternoon.
5th July- Travel to Nakuru
6th July- Game viewing
7th July-Travel to Nairobi.
Each evening, we’ll be going through website content until the day you head back. Kindly bring the school one ball if you still some room in your luggage. Safe Travel.
Blessings and Love,
Emmanuel
I am intimidated at the prospect of being their one resource for the special needs population and the first volunteer back to the area after it was closed off from the threat of violence earlier this year. I am at the same time thrilled out of my mind to return to a place where love, hope, and happiness are at its purest, unencumbered by materialism, gluttony, greed. I'm anxious about my health and safety, as I will be days away from medical help should anything happen. Most of all, I am concerned that I won't be effective/useful enough to them, to be able to do something to help that will last. For these things, I trust in God to carry me through and use me as He sees fit. At the same time, I ask for your prayerful support throughout the journey and thank you in advance for it, so I know you will be with us in spirit.
----
[As the camera pans to the right, the adults at the table to my left are the school principal and a parent representative. On my right are the teachers, but I don't pan over to them on this clip. The students are performing a traditional Maasai chant about the moran returning home safely. At the time, many students were out at a district-wide music/dance festival and competition (which I was later able to attend! I might upload a clip of it where they do the same song in full regalia), but the remaining students did a magnificent job, don't you think?!]
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