Raising Money for Ron's Education

Below is a short video I put together to sum up my experience in Kenya, particularly in the rural village of Kokech, Nyanza Province. You will see a short clip of an interview I did with a young boy named Ron, the circumstances under which I met him were tragic but he was certainly no tragedy. He was so inspiring and to me he was one of the bright lights in a village with literally no electricity.

My mission is to raise money for Ron's education. Gylian is someone who quickly became a friend of mine while I was in Kenya. She helped me every step of the way and she also happens to be Ron's older cousin who is truly invested in Ron's wellbeing. We are working together to make sure Ron is able to go to secondary school. On average, 4 years of secondary school costs about $1500 in Kenya and so I am trying to raise $3000 to try and cover both the school fees and any additional costs such as books, uniform, and nutrition.

Something worth feeling...

This has been a hectic few months since I have come back from Kenya.  I have had to deal with the reality of life here in the states:  school, work, more work, more work, school, dishes, dogs, bills, school, did I say more work?  I finally had the chance to call Ron today after not speaking to him for 2 months.  He was so excited to talk.  To be honest, I think I was just as eager. And it was so refreshing to hear his voice:  a young boy simply eager to talk to someone about life and hope, and he happened to be on the other side of the world.  As I was just moving past the beginning of my day, he had already eaten dinner and was soon off to bed.  When I asked him what he had for dinner, he told me bread.  I asked him if he had anything else, and he said no, and that meat or poultry was hard to come by for his family.  I have frozen chicken and turkey sausage in my freezer ready for a future dinner, not even tonight's dinner.  I have leftovers from a seafood paella I made two days ago.  Would that be overnight shipping??? It just doesn't seem fair...

He likes the backpack I gave him for school (compared to the paper bag he was putting his books in before) and he also took his final exams for the semester and did very well.  Last I saw, he was in the top 5% of his class. He said he wished we could talk everyday...I would love to talk to him everyday, but I could only offer him once a week.  It seems like such a small thing but it has such a big impact on both of our lives.  For him to know that I am still thinking about him and to have an outlet from the rest of his life AND for me to have someone who keeps everything in perspective. Everyday we bitch and moan about something, at least I do: financial problems, traffic, people, feeling overwhelmed, overworked, under-appreciated, blah, blah, blah...And then there is Ron...a young boy who is so smart, bright, and full of potential who simply needs someone on his side who can see him through a shitty situation.  It's hard to balance the appropriate perspectives.

With his permission I think I might record some of our conversations from now on.  It's pathetic to say, but I miss him.  He etched his way into my heart (not very easy by the way) and now I feel a sense of obligation to him.  I legitimately care about this young boy and his future and I don't want to lose contact with him.  He has now become like my adopted little brother. And luckily he has a wonderful person looking out for him back at home.  Gylian is the young woman I stayed pretty close with in Kenya as she helped me with so many things and she is staying aware of Ron's situation and keeping me informed.  She is going to help me set up a restricted bank account where we will be able to monitor the funds to make sure the money being sent is put towards Ron's tuition and immediate needs. I don't think this would be possible without her.  Thanks Gylian!!!

Well, I know some amazing people who want to contribute to his high school tuition (which he alone cannot pay for) and I am putting together a short clip from an interview I did with him while in Kenya. They are raising the money as part of their Christmas gift giving.  I will keep you posted as to how this goes.  In the meantime a piece of my heart remains in Kenya with Ron while I try to fully function here....

What a disposable camera can reveal...

It's been a while since I posted something, but life has been crazy since I got back.  I got some pics developed from the disposable cameras I gave to kids in the village.  These are only pics from 2 disposable cameras.  Thanks to a donation from Steve Kraft, coolest friend evah!, I was able to provide a bunch of kids with the opportunity to take pictures of their lives.  Little by little, I will post all of their pics, so stay tuned...and yes, you get to see all the pics (head cut off, thumb in the way, whatever they took - it was their first time ever handling a camera on their own!)

I will be sending the students copies of the photos they took!  I know they're gonna be super-excited!

Back home...

I'm back home and soooo happy to be here.  I still haven't processed everything from the trip, but I figure it will all fall into place over the next couple of weeks.  The surveys were more or less a success as we managed to administer them and collect the data.  Now they need to be analyzed and we need to create a response to the data - the most important part of it all.  Okay, so we have all this data.  What now? I think it's more overwhelming to have started something and know the hard work still lies ahead.  I think there will be many challenges to the success of this project with sustainability being at the very forefront.  What types of interventions can we put into place with the least amount of effort that will have some type of impact?  What interventions can the community put in place with the least amount of assistance from us is probably a better way to word it That seems like the first step to take.

Things unrelated to the survey:

Ron - The 14 year old child I met while in the village who became an AIDS orphan right before my very eyes.  We both decided we wanted to stay in contact with one another so I will be calling him and sending him letters once a month to see how he is doing.  I bought him a phone before leaving so I can contact him.   I figured any fundraising I do in the future will involve securing some funds so Ron can afford to get through high school.  We are working on some kind of arrangement so I can make sure he is holding up his end of the bargain and earning the educational support and not just viewing it as though it is a handout of some sort. I just hope his personal situation does not deteriorate as his mother's health is declining (as she is also positive).  Right now he stays with his grandmother so he can be able to finish school (grade 8).

I brought a present home with me...
Well, maybe not a present, but definitely something came back with me to the states.  It presented itself as a fever with intermittent, crippling stomach pains and body aches.  Of course, the symptoms only presented themselves to me when I was several miles up a mountain on the Wapack Trail yesterday.  I feel better this morning, but there is something unnerving about a fever when you have come back from Africa.  All the possibilities - malaria, dengue fever, and the numerous other little buggers start to invade your brain space (both literally and figuratively) and make you wonder: "What the hell is in my body?"  I'm hoping this is just a 2-day thing that will sort itself out sooner than later.

Velcome to ze Nederlandz....

It's about 7am and I arrived in Amsterdam a couple hours ago.  Yesterday I had to kill about 12 hours of layover time in Nairobi before my flight left to arrive here.  And now I only have 5 hours to go before the final flight that will bring me home.  Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!  I am so excited to come home.  I know I haven't been gone for that long, but I miss my life.  I miss all the little things that add up to make it my quirky silly little life: Mike making me laugh, making yummy crazy dinners that always seem to include avocado or guacamole, my dogs, going for runs in the morning, and having my crazy fam over for dinners.

I'm too tired to come up with anything interesting to say although lots of little funny things happened in the past few days.  Maybe once I actually sleep for more than 3 hours, I can form intelligent thoughts again.

There is one funny thing I thought about as I was trying to fall asleep on Wednesday night (my last night in the village).  I remembered the very first night I arrived in the village.  News of a death in the family had also joined along for the ride and people were crying and mourning just as I arrived.  At first, I wasn't sure what to think.  I wondered, "Oh boy, did I take someone's room and now their unhappy about it?  Is someone upset that I'm here?"  I kept pacing back and forth in the dark room trying not to get anxious. And then it clicked..."Ahhh, even better...someone has just passed away and they are receiving the news..." I knew that mourning sound from my mother's Ethiopian culture of mourning when someone dies.  And then I met this young lady who was about my age named Gylian.  She was still a stranger to me at the time, but I could tell her job was to make sure I wasn't alone all the time and I had someone to talk to (if I only knew then how important it would be to have her around to get my work done!)  And then when she asked if she could sleep in the same bed that first night, I thought "you've got to be kidding, right?"  But by the end of the month, it was as though she was my sister or something and we would stay up in bed at night giggling about the funny things that happened that day.  I also learned that she literally acts drunk when she eats chocolate! It was hilarious...

More pictures while I have the chance...

The lovely yet bashful Belinda fetching some water from the well

Momma goat is giving me the goat version for "back off!"

Just a cool perspective...

It was pretty common for random kids such as this cutie and her friend to start following me wherever I went...

"It's a difficult life, but it's your life..."

That was the line a woman working with AMPATH here in El Doret said to a 20 yr old young man.  Both his parents died from HIV when he was just a child and he has been living on his own for over 10 years now with little help from remaining family.  She is the field coordinator for the AMPATH Orphans and Vulnerable Children Program.  Victor, the 20 year old, is literally living in a room the size of a closet and that is all he has. Oh yeah, and he has to take care of his younger brother. He has been receiving nutritional and school fee assistance for some time from AMPATH and now he is trying to get some school fees for college.  He just wants a steady job in an office to make enough money to have a good life.

When I asked him what a "good life" is, he said, "when I am in a position to help others is when my life will be good."  The AMPATH worker, let's call her Jane, was trying to give Victor some tough love.  She has seen it too many times where people become dependent on the assistance they receive and are unable to provide for themselves in the long-term. She told Victor he shouldn't be asking AMPATH how they can help him pay the remaining tuition fees, but what can he do to secure the money himself.  She even insisted that he spend his money more wisely.  He had little to nothing in his room.  A mattress, some newspapers to decorate the wall, and there was a cheeky radio playing some static tunes.  Jane suggested instead of the batteries to play the radio, he should be saving that money for school fees.

Yay, finally I can upload a few more pictures!!!

Here are just a few of the hundreds of pics I have:

From the first day, pictures became quite popular.  

They're singing...well, at least attempting to.  Pilista, the tallest girl in the middle, is hilarious!  She reminds me of Mike - she's just silly all the time!!!

Piggyback time!!!

Both are unsure about me.  At least Simba, the dog, warmed up to me.  I'm still waiting for Condo to accept me!

Bag lady, you gone miss your bus...

I have officially become the bag lady in Kenya.  I am always carrying way too much shit.  But how do you not?  I never know when I will see something cool and have to get a pic or take some video.  I never know when I will run into a place with electricity so I can charge my phone, laptop, batteries, etc.  Toilet paper and/or wipies are a must as sanitation is hard to find in some of the more remote areas.  I friggen love wipies.  Why should such a soothing wonderful thing be reserved for babies only?  Don't we adults deserve some comfort, too?

Today was pretty entertaining in a crazy sort of way.  Well, actually I wasn't entertained initially.  I was pretty tired and cranky and everything was pissing me off, even the cute kid on the bus who was trying to get my attention.  Mike knows how bitchy I can be when I pull my all nighters =/

Another random update

So the internet cafe network is too slow nowadays for me to upload pictures.  I have a million of them.  Maybe when I get to Nairobi, I will have a better chance.  Otherwise, pics might have to wait until I get back.  I have so many things to update.

The interviewers started the surveys on Monday and we are now finished!  I promised one of them, my roomate Gylian, if we finished by the end of this week, I would dance outside in front of the market like a crazy mzungu for all the locals to see.  I think I might have to live up to that promise.  Both a good and bad thing.

On Monday, I also met with kids from Grades 6, 7, 8 at the local school, Konditi Primary School.  The headmaster, Barrack Randa, selected some of the top students from each grade and we explained to them the camera assignment.  I gave them disposable cameras and taught them how to use them.  I told them they had to take pictures of the things that are meaningful in their life. The way the question was framed was, "If you wanted someone to know about your life and where you come from, what would you want them to see?"  Then they have to write a page paper describing why they took the pictures they did, i.e. what meaning do the images in the picture have to them?  And the contestant who is the most creative will win the final prize: a Canon Z135 camera with 2 rolls of film.  Barrack and I agreed that the student selected should be the high performing students because they are an example to the other students that hard work pays off. The students looked really excited, so I hope all goes well.

My mind is like a circus....

So it's been almost 2 weeks.  I like to describe my days as happening very slow but going by very fast.  Everything takes so long to accomplish that your days go by so quickly (getting to town, using an internet cafe's slow network where the power shuts down sporadically, printing papers out in a print shop using a xerox machine from the early 90s, having to charge my phone at a shop, and working with what locals have defined as "African time").  I am still happy to be doing this, it's just a lot of work.  At least I appreciate the conveniences of the structure and access to resources back at home much more. It's good to have these reminders in your life - to keep you grounded.

Public Health students - what we will do to gain experience and prove our worthiness to the cause!!!

Positive note
We are moving along.  We have identified and trained 9 interviewers (people from the community of Kokech) to administer the health survey and we have given them their catchment area.  The training went well...well, I think it did, since most of it was in a different language!  I kept wondering what the actual translation of my words were. The role-play was fun.

We delivered the medical supplies to Nyando District Hospital and met some interesting people.  One of the administrators and I are going to meet next week to talk more specifically about long-term sustainable goals they hope to achieve.  The hospital didn't even have any electricity until a year ago.  Parts of it still don't.

I am going to Nairobi on Wednesday to pick up sanitary bags for the school girls in the village.  There will be about a 100 kits.  This way they don't have to miss school when they have their period.

I'm working with a teacher at the local primary school to coordinate 2 things: 1. handing out disposable cameras to primary school students so they can do a little art project; 2. a Kokech village relay for the kids where they have to run a race to win the medals I brought with me.  It will be about 3km long and involves some silly shenanigans along the way (hopping, balancing a book on their heads, etc.).

Frustrations
Everyone wants to get paid for this survey. Trying to motivate people to volunteer their time towards to overall improvement of their community is challenging.  I kind of expected this to be the case, but you feel it more when you are on the ground and confronted by it. I think there is a culture in which NGOs, non-profits, and religious groups come to Africa, hand out money and put in place poorly designed projects that have no chance of sustainability, so people automatically expect something.  This survey is literally supposed to take a week and no one wants to do the work unless their is some financial incentive. Interviewers and respondents are going to receive incentives as I think is fair, but there needs to be a line drawn.

Miscellaneous
Matatu update - so they don't go 50-60 mph, it's about 80-90 mph.  The other day I literally felt up an older man (unintentionally) because I had nowhere to put my hands.  The matatus are 12-seaters and I counted 22 people.  And today I literally thought I was going to die as the driver was swerving to and from oncoming traffic, passing the slow cars and the potholes.  Don't ride in the front seat if you want peace of mind.

Modern meets traditional - there is an interesting mix of modern/western culture and traditional culture.  It's so strange and kind of cool.  The only problem is modern public health practices have not yet made their way to the rural parts.  So plastic water bottles and trash are literally everywhere.  In fact, in some places they burn the trash including the plastic bottles and the smell is pretty intense - it smells like carcinogens to be precise.  On a good note, I saw volunteers working to pick up trash just today.

Secrets kill
Another woman in the village died recently and her body was brought back to the village yesterday. She was the mother to young children under 10. There are a lot of deaths that are defined as someone who was "chronically ill" and I am being led to believe in many of these cases it more specifically translates to HIV/AIDS. As I talked to a couple locals, I find that HIV/AIDS is still such a sensitive issue that people don't really tell you when someone dies due to AIDS.  You have to really investigate.  On Sunday, there will be a funeral for a man from the village who also died due to HIV/AIDS. He left behind a 14-year old son who I have come to know quite well over the past week. It's pretty sad and common in this area.

Back to the issue of HIV/AIDS, apparently it is still common belief in the village that it is a result of witchcraft.  Hopefully the surveys will give us actual evidence (not just anecdotes) of what the current beliefs are regarding HIV.

Two weeks to go!!!

=)

Mzungu, mzungu...where are you going?

I might have to change my name to "Mzungu", which is Swahili for "white person."  Everywhere I go, both kids and adults yell out or say "Mzungu!", especially the kids in the village I am staying in.  I think I broke the ice a bit yesterday morning when crazy mzungu went for a run.  A bunch of kids were staring at me from a hill (later I found out that they thought I might be lost).  And then a couple of them came running with me for a minute before they got tired.  It was cute.  And I then became known as the crazy mzungu running in the village.  I wish that could be a profession.

So how do I some up the past few days quickly?  Okay, here goes.  I arrived in the village Thursday night along with the news of a death in the family. Yay for my perfect timing! And a few days ago, a women from the village, well a young women in her early twenties, died after childbrith because she was anemic and the hospital did not have here blood supply in stock.  At her funeral yesterday, the district commissioner made an announcement about our maternal/child health survey and trying to find means to prevent such unnecessary tragedies. He also spoke to village elders at the funeral who will now work with us to get the word out.

Pictures as promised!

I was a drug trafficker to Kenya, well medical supplies actually...to Nyando District Hospital, where they are lacking medical supplies resulting in doctors not wanting to work there

Yay to pedialyte coming to Kenya!

Caution tape on the door before our plane takes off!

Bednet with holes, aka mosquito funnel!

Simon and Peter who took care of me in Nairobi

When we met with Chandi to OK Chanda Women's Group to see how we can work together to administer the maternal/child health surveys in their village (they are some of the most amazing and inspiring women I have ever met!)

Pardon me, I tend to ramble...

Wow, I literally think I slept for 3 hours…maybe even less. I’m surprised I even slept at all given I am in a foreign country, by myself. Not to mention that it is 9:16pm back at home and 4:17am here.  I think by body is experiencing temporary amnesia.  “Who am I? Where am I? What’s going on?” said Liz’s body grumpily.

So, last night I arrived in Nairobi at 10pm.  We were delayed in France for almost 2 hours.  First of all, the airport in Paris CDG airport is insanely large and really nice.  Everyone who works there is extremely good looking.  It was kind of weird? I think I walked over a mile to get from terminal 2B to 2F.  And to board the plane to Kenya, we had to take a bus to the plane.  I get on and I am sitting next to Spanish speaking women, which I was very happy to hear.  To be able to understand most of what they were talking about was refreshing.  The plane was HOT as we waited to take off.  But I figured, “oh well, 10 minutes of this is nothing. It’s like training for Kenya…  They’ll turn on the air right after take off.  “

I see Spain, I'm in France, I still see your underpants...

I'm currently waiting for my connecting flight in the airport at France and minus a few setbacks, all is well. Everyone keeps speaking French to me so I'm guessing I don't have the "I'm American" stamp on my forehead like some people do.

Things you take for granted that I'm soon coming to realize:
1. I can't just go to the ATM to take out some extra cash
2. My credit card getting declined because I am using it in France and my bank is doing their job
3. All the airport employees speak French when they talk to me and give me the dumb stare like, "ok, I'm waiting for a response dummie."
4. Everything looks as it should, but somehow everything feels out of place...all the shops and cafes are here and they look familiar, but they are soooo NOT familiar

these are a few of my favorite things...

I know, it's only a month...but it feels like forever when you are away from the things that make you the happiest...my best days involve some mountain bike epic, letting my dogs run around like goofs, and finishing it off with good beer and lots of laughs...Oh well, suck it up is what I say!

Mike w/ silly hat

Ziggy and Irie love

Juliana, my beloved mountain bike =)

Counting Bald Sheep...

I am soooo tired. I should be sleeping, but I felt as though I should post a blog to update the shenanigans of today as I prepare to leave for Kenya in less than 24 hours...It's midnight and my flight should take off at 5pm tonight.

Today, I had to find out about traveler's checks (apparently my bank or any bank in my area does not have them - AAA does!), get my immunization shots for yellow fever, typhoid, and a polio booster with some anti-malarial pills and a round of antiobiotics in case I get some good 'ol diarrhea.

Please, no disclaimers...

So I just registered with the American Embassy today and came across a link that read "Travel Warning for Kenya". Just want I want to read before I fly in three days...Looks like all the warnings are directed near the Somali border and luckily I'll be on the opposite side of Kenya...still not something you want to read before boarding a plane...How you say, "cautiously optimistic"? =/

Like a lightning bolt

I'm taking an educated guess that people who get struck by lightning never see it coming. I should be sleeping right now, but instead I created this blog.  My mind is an ongoing checklist of things to get done before I leave in, well, 3 days. "Pack, fill out forms, make phone calls, get my travel shots, register with the American Embassy, pack, go to Target to buy supplies, pack..." When starting my summer internship with i-KODI, I never expected this to become part of the experience.  And even when my supervisors asked me if I was willing to travel to Kenya (at which point I believe my internal response was "Heck yeah!!!"), I didn't know how likely it was to actually pan out.  I figured it best to stay cautiously optimistic. I thought to myself, "That's super cool that they would extend such an offer, but let's see how things go." 


Well, a month later I am packing my things and getting ready to go. Just 3 days ago, I received confirmation of my tickets.  3 days ago!!! And I'm leaving in 3 days!!!  This is the whole lightning bolt reference. I'm excited, nervous, eager, tired, and did I mention nervous? I will be gone for a month and my itinerary is looking a bit on the full side.  I hope the community accepts me and I make them feel comfortable and able to open up to me.  I know it's a lot to ask for since I am a stranger to them, but by the end of the month, I hope to change that and become part of the community...you know, like the crazy distant cousin you have to love because there part of the family?