Emmanuel's 3rd child, Shiloh, has been home from his boarding school for Easter break, but today he has to return to school so I came along to be able to go to a cyber cafe in a town that's on the way, called Kericho. Emmanuel's currently about town with him running errands, so he will come back in a bit to pick me up to return to the village. I'm on the computer for personal and business reasons: while I'm blogging, I'm uploading videos for another Village Volunteer project. Therefore, I don't want to insert pictures to the blog today because YouSendIt.com is being frustrating, estimating anywhere from 1 hr 45 minutes left till 10 hrs 38 minutes. Shoot me now.
Here is a pictureless summary:
3/31 Thursday
Nearly 2 hours in Nairobi morning rush hour traffic to get to the shuttle. Fortunately, that at least meant I had less wait time for the shuttle to fill before we could leave, about 45 minutes. Left the station at 9:30am.
11:00 flat tire. Fixed within 10 minutes!
12:00 arrived into town called Narok. Delayed for reasons I will explain at another time.
2:00 depart Narok
5:00 arrive Kilgoris. Reunion with Emmauel, who came to pick me up in his own car. Quick snack on chai and chapati rolled with egg. Drive 45mins-1 hr to his home from Kilgoris (Emmanuel says it would only take 15 minutes if the roads were paved or smooth)
4/1 Friday
Tour Sirua Aulo Academy. I was the first volunteer on site when the school opened in 2008. They had a couple temporary structures at the time, and about 70 students. Now they have nearly 300 students and a couple permanent buildings, including classrooms and dorms! The rest of the day was spent updating each other about our lives and goals. We also planned there rest of my stay. That evening, we tried to download Skype onto a laptop someone donated to Emmanuel, using wireless internet out in the village, but after an hour we drained the battery and didn't accomplish anything because there was basically no signal. Oh well, we tried.
4/2 Saturday
Sirua Aulo Academy had also been on Easter break, and school would start again on Monday. Staff returned Saturday to prepare and have meetings... and Emmanuel wanted me to start things off with an introduction to special needs and special education. He says it went well, though I always think my presentation skills need a lot of work. We first reviewed the book I brought, "Don't Call Me Special" to introduce the topic, and we had a bit of a discussion about it. It is such a good book that it led to a great start. The teachers said they learned that children with disabilities can and should be included in the same activities as everyone else; that they don't want to be labeled; that they can surprise us with great skills; that they can succeed given assistance. It was a new concept for everyone, they admitted.
I summarized a few of the most common disorders we encounter in the States (autism spectrum disorder, ADD, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, etc), and they had never heard of any of them, but they said they knew people or children who matched the symptoms I described. In fact, they said there were some in the school they thought fit the descriptions, but didn't know they might have a disability. I will have my work cut out for me in the next couple weeks, identifying them and giving the teachers strategies. I did clarify that I cannot diagnose anything but communication disorders; it is otherwise the role of a psychologist or doctor to diagnose disorders.
A discussion followed, about Kenyans' perspective on disorders, disabilities, witchcraft, stigmas, fear, etc. Fascinating stuff, but we were all looking forward to a future where that's a thing of the past.
After a tea break, Emmanuel kicked off their staff meeting and I stepped out to the library to prepare for the following day's trainings.
4/3 Sunday
For the first part of an hour, I presented information based on a printout of slides from a lecture given by Iowa's Area Education Agency (AEA) on building a robust vocabulary in students. I used the "Don't Call Me Special" book to give the staff practice on the techniques, then split them into partners with a variety of books to practice and then present to the rest of us. We got to see each other teach, and gave feedback about strengths and areas for improvement. The whole thing lasted about 2.5 hours, and it was a blast.
It was the same in Peru -- teachers love pretending to be students, and the worst students at that! They tease each other, there's lots of laughing, and a lot of encouragement. Emmanuel said the staff needed this opportunity to interact with each other. One of the staff gave a speech to thank me, and then we did a closing prayer. It was a good day.
In the late afternoon back at home, Shiloh and I used another laptop of Emmanuel's to watch "The Medallion". I suspect someone donated that other laptop to Emmanuel because this one was old and the battery lasted less than 2/3rd the movie (not sure how much of the movie was left actually, bc I've never seen it). Poor Shiloh; he'd been waiting forever to watch it and now couldn't finish until the end of the month, when he returns home for another break. His school doesn't have electricity either.
4/4 Monday
This morning we stopped by Sirua Aulo to make the videos I am currently sending to Village Volunteers. We stopped by a small town on the way to Kericho to have a simple snack which I found absolutely delicious: ndazi with egg. No picture because I accidentally left the camera in the car when we left it to be washed while we ate. Maybe we'll have it again on the way home :-)
So that brings us to me here and now. Until next time!
Neuroplasticity: changes that occur in the brain as the result of experience
Showing posts with label summary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label summary. Show all posts
Monday, April 4, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Water and Power
Hi everyone! It is 1:30am in Nairobi and 5:30pm in Chicago. I arrived safely and with all my stuff intact and not stolen :)
And the Kenyan visa was only $25 USD this time, instead of $50...
I landed after 8:30pm and was picked up within an hour (after immigration, long wait for the baggage, and a quick stop at an ATM). Had a late dinner with Wendy, Kenya's wonderful in-country coordinator and city host, and we talked till 12:30am! We agreed that even though the last time I was here was 2008 it only felt like last year at the longest, or yesterday.
Nairobi is like most major cities with all the modern amenities of internet, plumbing, and 24-hour electricity. Depending on a volunteer's arrival time and preferences, volunteers stay overnight in Nairobi before embarking on the long shuttle rides out to the villages the following morning. The shuttles don't have a set departure time; they wait in the lot until the seats are filled. Since it's a weekday, people are less likely to want to go to villages, so I may end up waiting there for 3 hours... we never know! Wendy recommends leaving her home by 6am or 6:30 at the latest, so that I can at least pick a good seat. There are some uncomfortable middle seats or back seats that I'd want to avoid having to sit in for the 8-10 hour rides.
Weatherwise, I feel like it's a perfect, cozy room-temperature, indoors and out. That means some Kenyans are wearing sweaters tonight and I'll be the one sweating by the time the sun comes out. :: sigh ::
In any case, this really will be the last time I'll have internet for a while. So I figured I should take this opportunity to post something of mild interest before you have to wait a while for my next update. I wanted to show you how I sterilize water with a SteriPen, and show off my trusty universal plug.
Cleaning Water
First I fill my bottle up to .5 liter or more. Then I push twice on my SteriPen for .5 L or once for 1 L and wait for the little green light to flash.
Next I immerse it into the water and when the SteriPen senses liquid, its ultraviolet light switches on to eliminates over 99.9% of bacteria, viruses and protozoa that cause water-borne illness. I agitate the water to ensure full penetration. After about a minute, the light turns off to indicate it's done.
After drying off and wiping down the edge of the bottle with anti-bacterial stuff, it is safe to drink directly from it. This is also water that I must use for brushing my teeth.
Universal Plug
And the Kenyan visa was only $25 USD this time, instead of $50...
I landed after 8:30pm and was picked up within an hour (after immigration, long wait for the baggage, and a quick stop at an ATM). Had a late dinner with Wendy, Kenya's wonderful in-country coordinator and city host, and we talked till 12:30am! We agreed that even though the last time I was here was 2008 it only felt like last year at the longest, or yesterday.
Nairobi is like most major cities with all the modern amenities of internet, plumbing, and 24-hour electricity. Depending on a volunteer's arrival time and preferences, volunteers stay overnight in Nairobi before embarking on the long shuttle rides out to the villages the following morning. The shuttles don't have a set departure time; they wait in the lot until the seats are filled. Since it's a weekday, people are less likely to want to go to villages, so I may end up waiting there for 3 hours... we never know! Wendy recommends leaving her home by 6am or 6:30 at the latest, so that I can at least pick a good seat. There are some uncomfortable middle seats or back seats that I'd want to avoid having to sit in for the 8-10 hour rides.
Weatherwise, I feel like it's a perfect, cozy room-temperature, indoors and out. That means some Kenyans are wearing sweaters tonight and I'll be the one sweating by the time the sun comes out. :: sigh ::
In any case, this really will be the last time I'll have internet for a while. So I figured I should take this opportunity to post something of mild interest before you have to wait a while for my next update. I wanted to show you how I sterilize water with a SteriPen, and show off my trusty universal plug.
Cleaning Water
First I fill my bottle up to .5 liter or more. Then I push twice on my SteriPen for .5 L or once for 1 L and wait for the little green light to flash.
After drying off and wiping down the edge of the bottle with anti-bacterial stuff, it is safe to drink directly from it. This is also water that I must use for brushing my teeth.
Universal Plug
Monday, March 7, 2011
Cusco 5-day summary
March 2 - Chicago to Mexico City. 11:20pm flight to Lima, Peru, was canceled. Stuck in Mexico for 24 hrs.
March 3 - Fun sightseeing Mexico City. Caught next 11:20pm flight to Lima.
March 4 - Lima into Cusco 9:15am. Very quick tour of Camino Nuevo's campus (but no school in session yet), quick lunch with Director of Manos Unidas, who suggested I take the next couple days to adjust to the high altitude, culture, language, and jetlag. So I napped till evening's dinner party with said Director and her friends.
March 5 - Walked around San Blas area of Cusco and took a "city tour" of 5 archeological sites.
March 6 - With Director & her friends to Pisaq's Carnival festival, during which children enjoy throwing water balloons, dumping buckets of water, and squirting water guns and spraying foam on people... Loved it!
March 7 - FINALLY spent the day meeting staff and students at Camino Nuevo! First day of school back from break; Came home more fulfilled and excited than 3 days of being a tourist. This will definitely be a primary destination for professional therapist volunteers. They are receptive to outside assistance, have a vast list of needs, and have plenty of work for any therapist. I still would love to get trained Spanish interpreters for therapists involved!!!!
Today I only spent assisting in 3 classrooms. In one class, the teacher was feeding a child with severe cerebral palsy when I came in. His head was rolled to the side and he was tied to a wooden upright chair so he wouldn't fall over. She reported that he doesn't chew and drools a lot. Boy am I glad (or, boy are they lucky) that I've got a dysphagia background. I taught the teacher how to support his head and body upright (since his wheelchair is too heavy to bring from home, apparently), use a smaller spoon with a soft tip, mash/puree all food, present only a half teaspoon amount, have him help hold the spoon and watch it approach his own mouth, and activate his lips to clear the bolus rather than bite on the spoon... And lo and behold, he chewed and swallowed and minimized drool almost to none, and feeding was a happy experience now he gets to participate. I also taught the teacher how to clean his mouth after each meal (which is extremely important since all his teeth looked like cavities, his gums were 100% inflamed as well as his cheeks... You betcha I said he HAS to be seen by a dentist ASAP), and how to give him drinks (using a sippy cup instead of from an open cup)
In another classroom with children with autism and down's syndrome, things were ... out of hand. Kids (about 6-7 years old) were putting blocks and toys in their mouths, one kid kept grabbing and pulling and trying to bite another kid's hair, another pulled his pants down to indicate he needed the toilet, another freaked out (tears, screaming, jumping, pulling others' hair and clothes) for no apparent reason and couldn't be calmed... There's a lot of work to be done... And finally I observed the afternoon class with the young adults, and helped a bit there too (though it was very calm in comparison hehe)
The plan now is that Tuesday I'll observe and help the rest of the classes.
Wednesday I'll actually go out into the rural villages to see how ThWB therapists can support families in the homes and communities.
Thursday afternoon I'll host a workshop for the teachers on communication and the many ways to use toys to teach different lessons (esp. regarding expressive/receptive language).
Friday I suppose I'll wrap things up in the classes, and in the evening I'll take a train up to Machu Picchu to spend the night.
Saturday Machu Picchu and then return in the evening.
Sunday all day outdoor rock climbing!
Monday fly back to Chicago via Lima and Mexico City again...
Tuesday finally arrive home.
I do have a lot of pictures, but as I am quite exhausted and slightly overwhelmed tonight, I'll post them another day. Buenas noches!
March 3 - Fun sightseeing Mexico City. Caught next 11:20pm flight to Lima.
March 4 - Lima into Cusco 9:15am. Very quick tour of Camino Nuevo's campus (but no school in session yet), quick lunch with Director of Manos Unidas, who suggested I take the next couple days to adjust to the high altitude, culture, language, and jetlag. So I napped till evening's dinner party with said Director and her friends.
March 5 - Walked around San Blas area of Cusco and took a "city tour" of 5 archeological sites.
March 6 - With Director & her friends to Pisaq's Carnival festival, during which children enjoy throwing water balloons, dumping buckets of water, and squirting water guns and spraying foam on people... Loved it!
March 7 - FINALLY spent the day meeting staff and students at Camino Nuevo! First day of school back from break; Came home more fulfilled and excited than 3 days of being a tourist. This will definitely be a primary destination for professional therapist volunteers. They are receptive to outside assistance, have a vast list of needs, and have plenty of work for any therapist. I still would love to get trained Spanish interpreters for therapists involved!!!!
Today I only spent assisting in 3 classrooms. In one class, the teacher was feeding a child with severe cerebral palsy when I came in. His head was rolled to the side and he was tied to a wooden upright chair so he wouldn't fall over. She reported that he doesn't chew and drools a lot. Boy am I glad (or, boy are they lucky) that I've got a dysphagia background. I taught the teacher how to support his head and body upright (since his wheelchair is too heavy to bring from home, apparently), use a smaller spoon with a soft tip, mash/puree all food, present only a half teaspoon amount, have him help hold the spoon and watch it approach his own mouth, and activate his lips to clear the bolus rather than bite on the spoon... And lo and behold, he chewed and swallowed and minimized drool almost to none, and feeding was a happy experience now he gets to participate. I also taught the teacher how to clean his mouth after each meal (which is extremely important since all his teeth looked like cavities, his gums were 100% inflamed as well as his cheeks... You betcha I said he HAS to be seen by a dentist ASAP), and how to give him drinks (using a sippy cup instead of from an open cup)
In another classroom with children with autism and down's syndrome, things were ... out of hand. Kids (about 6-7 years old) were putting blocks and toys in their mouths, one kid kept grabbing and pulling and trying to bite another kid's hair, another pulled his pants down to indicate he needed the toilet, another freaked out (tears, screaming, jumping, pulling others' hair and clothes) for no apparent reason and couldn't be calmed... There's a lot of work to be done... And finally I observed the afternoon class with the young adults, and helped a bit there too (though it was very calm in comparison hehe)
The plan now is that Tuesday I'll observe and help the rest of the classes.
Wednesday I'll actually go out into the rural villages to see how ThWB therapists can support families in the homes and communities.
Thursday afternoon I'll host a workshop for the teachers on communication and the many ways to use toys to teach different lessons (esp. regarding expressive/receptive language).
Friday I suppose I'll wrap things up in the classes, and in the evening I'll take a train up to Machu Picchu to spend the night.
Saturday Machu Picchu and then return in the evening.
Sunday all day outdoor rock climbing!
Monday fly back to Chicago via Lima and Mexico City again...
Tuesday finally arrive home.
I do have a lot of pictures, but as I am quite exhausted and slightly overwhelmed tonight, I'll post them another day. Buenas noches!
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Updates and FAQ
Updates
~~ Whirlwind Wheelchair International, inventor and manufacturer of the rugged RoughRider wheelchair, invited me to train and meet with their team last weekend at their headquarters in San Francisco. It was an amazing experience to have been in the same room with these brilliant minds and open hearts. They taught me about wheelchairs (particularly how to measure and assess candidates for them, since that is my plan for my upcoming trip) and we eventually discussed how we can help each others' goals. We concluded that they will focus on making and delivering their wheelchairs by the hundreds, and Therapists Without Border will focus on recruiting and sending volunteers (who are wheelchair specialists) out to measure, fit, and orient new riders to their chairs upon delivery. It's a perfect match! I can offer my registry of wheelchair therapists to other wheelchair donating organizations, as well.
~~ Also present at the training was Carolina, the co-founder of The Walkabout Foundation, which seeks to fund research to cure paralysis and provide wheelchairs to people around the world. They also partner with Whirlwind and the Christopher Reeves Foundation. I mention Carolina because she is this amazing woman who has already accomplished more in her life than most people I have ever met, and all for the sake of people with physical disabilities. She is my new role model.
~~ Tickets have been purchased for flights from Chicago to Cuzco, Peru, and back, March 2-14. Staff at Manos Unidas and I are excited to meet and help each other. The co-founder, Celeste, and I decided that I can do my observations and interviewing in the first week and in the second week I'll jump in as a therapist to give ideas for language goals for some students and speech therapy techniques for the staff. Perhaps over the weekend I can do touristy things... Usually excursions are the last thing on my mind during volunteer trips, though, so I only know of Cuzco's proximity to Machu Picchu because other people have told me so. I haven't yet done any research on what else I might want to do out there.
~~ The Therapists Without Borders website is being renovated by a friend with an artistic eye and simplistic style that I like. He has already given ThWB a fantastic new logo, which you can see in the Facebook link in the column to the right. Now to recall the 250 business cards I ordered from Vistaprint a couple months ago...
~~ The Kenya part of my trip is being organized. I will interview people with disabilities and their families to create a list of their profiles for future volunteers to review before they visit, as well as for the volunteers to update as they return. If there are any adults who might benefit from a wheelchair, I will assess and measure them out to be put on a waiting list to receive wheelchairs. (Only adults for now; Whirlwind is working on a prototype for pediatric wheelchairs to be distributed by the end of the year.) In addition to these profiles, Emmanuel and I will discuss future plans for a rehab center on the grounds of Sirua Aulo, as well as methods of incorporating children with special needs into his school at Namunyak Maasai Welfare.
~~ ThWB staff are planning on creating a fund (bank account) for itself as an organization, so that when people donate to ThWB (through Village Volunteers), the money can be set aside to sponsor people with disabilities to get medical treatment, sponsor purchases of rehabilitation equipment, wheelchairs, and prostheses, and even perhaps sponsor future volunteers through scholarships.
~~ On a personal matter, I have 8-10 students left on my caseload who need a new speech therapist to start within the next two weeks. Otherwise these students will suffer a gap in services. I had a caseload of 33 clients back in December... that means I have a ton of discharge reports that need to be written and I am very behind on them! I keep saying that, yet I haven't been doing them because I have been trying to keep up with Therapist Without Borders work!
FAQ
Will you keep a blog to keep us updated?
Yes, you are reading that blog right now :-) In reality, I don't know how often I will be able to update this blog while in the field. The places I am going to are, in fact, quite poor. Access to internet is questionable, but not impossible. I haven't decided yet whether I will bring my netbook. If I do, I will be able to use battery power to write blogs to later upload at a place with internet. Some villages in Kenya will have cyber cafes nearby (i.e., in Kenya, they can have internet via their cell phones. It's the craziest thing -- you're sitting in a mud hut where you drink rain water and use oil lanterns for a light source, yet you have cell phones with internet. Not touchscreens or iphones, but internet nonetheless. I might be able to borrow or rent one and keep y'all updated. We'll see :)
How can I help?
Yes, in two ways. I can add an area on the ThWB website to acknowledge partners, sponsors, and donors, as well as format a newsletter with the same.
How will you sleep? Get around? What will you eat?
These I will answer in future blogs, as I describe my current location and lodging situations. You can be sure I will document the food I eat :-)
Will you be safe?
Well, I am up-to-date on all my immunizations (including Hep B, typhoid and yellow fever; I only need a booster shot for Hep A) and in areas with malaria risk, I will take prophylaxis. Otherwise, I have traveled alone to several countries before, including 3 developing ones, and do feel that I have a certain sense of street smarts and knowledge of what's edible for my western stomach. In addition, the countries I will be visiting are currently quite stable, politically. Furthermore, Village Volunteers ensures that escorts are provided where necessary.
That said, I still cannot guarantee my own safety. Tribal warfare still exists; dangerous bacteria will still hide in innocuous places; insects will continue to attack me despite the gallons of DEET I poison my skin with; I can still be suckered, cornered, or attacked by devious men; I am not immune to the hazards of unpaved roads and reckless drivers... But I can assure you that I will take all necessary precautions to ensure that the probability that I will return safely will be higher than not.
Are you crazy?
Perhaps. But someone has to be, right?
~~ Whirlwind Wheelchair International, inventor and manufacturer of the rugged RoughRider wheelchair, invited me to train and meet with their team last weekend at their headquarters in San Francisco. It was an amazing experience to have been in the same room with these brilliant minds and open hearts. They taught me about wheelchairs (particularly how to measure and assess candidates for them, since that is my plan for my upcoming trip) and we eventually discussed how we can help each others' goals. We concluded that they will focus on making and delivering their wheelchairs by the hundreds, and Therapists Without Border will focus on recruiting and sending volunteers (who are wheelchair specialists) out to measure, fit, and orient new riders to their chairs upon delivery. It's a perfect match! I can offer my registry of wheelchair therapists to other wheelchair donating organizations, as well.
~~ Also present at the training was Carolina, the co-founder of The Walkabout Foundation, which seeks to fund research to cure paralysis and provide wheelchairs to people around the world. They also partner with Whirlwind and the Christopher Reeves Foundation. I mention Carolina because she is this amazing woman who has already accomplished more in her life than most people I have ever met, and all for the sake of people with physical disabilities. She is my new role model.
~~ Tickets have been purchased for flights from Chicago to Cuzco, Peru, and back, March 2-14. Staff at Manos Unidas and I are excited to meet and help each other. The co-founder, Celeste, and I decided that I can do my observations and interviewing in the first week and in the second week I'll jump in as a therapist to give ideas for language goals for some students and speech therapy techniques for the staff. Perhaps over the weekend I can do touristy things... Usually excursions are the last thing on my mind during volunteer trips, though, so I only know of Cuzco's proximity to Machu Picchu because other people have told me so. I haven't yet done any research on what else I might want to do out there.
~~ The Therapists Without Borders website is being renovated by a friend with an artistic eye and simplistic style that I like. He has already given ThWB a fantastic new logo, which you can see in the Facebook link in the column to the right. Now to recall the 250 business cards I ordered from Vistaprint a couple months ago...
~~ The Kenya part of my trip is being organized. I will interview people with disabilities and their families to create a list of their profiles for future volunteers to review before they visit, as well as for the volunteers to update as they return. If there are any adults who might benefit from a wheelchair, I will assess and measure them out to be put on a waiting list to receive wheelchairs. (Only adults for now; Whirlwind is working on a prototype for pediatric wheelchairs to be distributed by the end of the year.) In addition to these profiles, Emmanuel and I will discuss future plans for a rehab center on the grounds of Sirua Aulo, as well as methods of incorporating children with special needs into his school at Namunyak Maasai Welfare.
~~ ThWB staff are planning on creating a fund (bank account) for itself as an organization, so that when people donate to ThWB (through Village Volunteers), the money can be set aside to sponsor people with disabilities to get medical treatment, sponsor purchases of rehabilitation equipment, wheelchairs, and prostheses, and even perhaps sponsor future volunteers through scholarships.
~~ On a personal matter, I have 8-10 students left on my caseload who need a new speech therapist to start within the next two weeks. Otherwise these students will suffer a gap in services. I had a caseload of 33 clients back in December... that means I have a ton of discharge reports that need to be written and I am very behind on them! I keep saying that, yet I haven't been doing them because I have been trying to keep up with Therapist Without Borders work!
FAQ
Will you keep a blog to keep us updated?
Yes, you are reading that blog right now :-) In reality, I don't know how often I will be able to update this blog while in the field. The places I am going to are, in fact, quite poor. Access to internet is questionable, but not impossible. I haven't decided yet whether I will bring my netbook. If I do, I will be able to use battery power to write blogs to later upload at a place with internet. Some villages in Kenya will have cyber cafes nearby (i.e., in Kenya, they can have internet via their cell phones. It's the craziest thing -- you're sitting in a mud hut where you drink rain water and use oil lanterns for a light source, yet you have cell phones with internet. Not touchscreens or iphones, but internet nonetheless. I might be able to borrow or rent one and keep y'all updated. We'll see :)
How can I help?
- Donate: If you want your donation to be tax-deductible, donate through Village Volunteers and indicate "Therapists Without Borders" in the "other" field, either through a check or online. If you don't mind skipping the tax-deduction, you can donate directly to me by cash, check or money order. Contact me for my mailing address.
- Pray
- Spread the word
- Find me more therapists, especially wheelchair specialists
- Comment on this blog or email me to remind me that you are following my work and that it is worth my while to continue documenting my journeys. Through past experience, I have found it highly encouraging to receive such notes of interest, especially when the going gets tough, as they say.
Yes, in two ways. I can add an area on the ThWB website to acknowledge partners, sponsors, and donors, as well as format a newsletter with the same.
How will you sleep? Get around? What will you eat?
These I will answer in future blogs, as I describe my current location and lodging situations. You can be sure I will document the food I eat :-)
Will you be safe?
Well, I am up-to-date on all my immunizations (including Hep B, typhoid and yellow fever; I only need a booster shot for Hep A) and in areas with malaria risk, I will take prophylaxis. Otherwise, I have traveled alone to several countries before, including 3 developing ones, and do feel that I have a certain sense of street smarts and knowledge of what's edible for my western stomach. In addition, the countries I will be visiting are currently quite stable, politically. Furthermore, Village Volunteers ensures that escorts are provided where necessary.
That said, I still cannot guarantee my own safety. Tribal warfare still exists; dangerous bacteria will still hide in innocuous places; insects will continue to attack me despite the gallons of DEET I poison my skin with; I can still be suckered, cornered, or attacked by devious men; I am not immune to the hazards of unpaved roads and reckless drivers... But I can assure you that I will take all necessary precautions to ensure that the probability that I will return safely will be higher than not.
Are you crazy?
Perhaps. But someone has to be, right?
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 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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