Last Week and Out of Africa

It’s so nice to be on a computer that responds and doesn’t take forever to connect!  It’s amazing what we take for granted.  Home at last, but will fill all of you in on our last week.

We left Kampala on Monday, February 2nd and drove to Mbarara.  We met the Rotarians at the Kash Hotel. My host did not arrive right away, but he sent a driver to take me to his house to drop off my things.  From there, we met at a dinner being given for all of us.  My host is Benon and his wife is Barbara.  They live in a lovely home.  Benon is a physician and built and started the Memorial Hospital in town in memory of his father.  Benon was the oldest of 20 children (his father had 3 wives…..common in that generation) and left money with directions for a hospital facility to be built in the city of Mbarara.  Benon decided to become a physician and built the hospital.  He has a general practice with a specialty in OB-Gyn.  He started a nursing school last year on the hospital grounds. 

Tuesday morning we each had our own vocational experiences.  I went to the hospital with Benon and donned scrubs and boots, cap and mask, and followed him into the OR (operating teater in Uganda) and watched Benon perform a C-Section.  They do some procedures a little differently, but it is mostly the same.  The incongruity is seeing the totally sterile environment kept up appropriately, but on carts with rusted legs and paint chipping off the window frames.  When the baby is delivered, it is wrapped in warm blankets and placed on a cart.  They do Apgar scores there, but do not bathe the babies as we do at birth.  They are also much quicker to cut the cord than we are, and that is because of transmission of AIDS from mother to child.  Even though not all mothers are HIV positive, they follow the same procedure routinely.  The babies stay with the mothers in the same bed.  No isolettes, and no nurseries.  It was fascinating.  They use spinal anesthesia (which they give while the patient is sitting up) for C-Sections, and no medications at all for vaginal deliveries.

Off we went to meet up with the rest of the group.  We then traveled by car to a school quite far from the city.  The headmaster of the school is a Rotarian.  We were there a very short time.  From there we went to luch at the King Fisher Hotel which is situated above the water and has a lovely view.  Tilapia is indigenous to East Africa, so we have had a lot of fish and chips!  We drove back over the bridge that has Lake George on one side and Lake Edward on the other (called the Great Lakes).  We looked for the baboons that roam around there, but no luck.  Later that night, after a very long day, we had a Goat Roast.  The goat was barbecued on skewers. Tasty, but somewhat fatty.  When we got home, Benon announced that we would have supper….my second of the evening!  A bit much and a bit late, but very nice. 

The next morning, before our departure to Kabale, Benon took me early to the nursing school and had me address the students.  They all have the same question….”If I am trained in Uganda, can I come practice in the US?”

We drove on very bumpy, mostly dirt roads to Kabale.  We arrived about 3:30.  We went to the White Horse Inn where one room had been booked for the 6 of us to change and relax.  We met Moses, the president of the Rotary club, for lunch.  We had a Rotary meeting that evening at the same location and then went home with our hosts.  My host was Lydia.  A very sweet woman who was willing to have discussions with me about living conditions in Kabale and also about politics in Uganda.  Lydia bought me a torch (flashlight) because her house is lit by solar power and the lights all go out early.  She cooks in the yard over firewood.  I had indoor plumbing here, but again, a bucket of hot water for bathing in a separate “bath room”.  Some of my other team mates did not have hosts that had indoor plumbing, but everyone did very well. 

We all met and went to visit two places.  First, the University in Kabale.  They divi8ded us into groups for various discussions and collaboration.  In mine, we discussed links with the universities in the US.  This is probably not the best bet for them, as they have local resources.  For example, it was believed that we gave computer courses (basic use of computers) to college students, by trained teachers who specialized in computers.  Of course, that is not the way it works in the US and of course we start teaching basic computer skills to young children.  We were also asked about courses online.  This won’t work in Kabale at this time as their internet connection is very poor and not at all reliable. 

From the University we went to the African International Christian Ministry, a vocational school.  Again, we were divided into groups.  Three of us were asked to address the issue of education of the girl child.  We were asked to address the students.  Of course, due to our accents, they did not understand us!.  When it was restated for them, they did not seem to have much interest, and their questions were not about that topic.  They wanted to know why they were “degraded” for being vocational students rather than being at a university.  The issue of the education of the girl child is not an easy one.  There is a cultural issue in this country, and many families teach their girls that the boys are the ones to get educated and the girls are to stay home and take care of the house and the children.  It does not seem likely that any of us will every make much of an impact on changing their cultural beliefs!  It was nice, though, that our input was being requested.  We found that they taught computer courses at the vocational school and I suggested that they coordinate and collaborate with the university on this.  We each spent the evening with our individual hosts.   It’s interesting to hear their views on the USA.  They somehow think that all Americans are very rich.  They think that life is always easy for us.  It’s true, by contrast, our life is easier.  But they are very surprised to hear we have homeless people here in California.  They don’t see how that is possible. 

Friday we drove back to Kampala.  Nine hours (includes a short lunch break).  We were met by our hosts and spent the evening with with them.  On Saturday, we were treated to salon treatments by the wife of a Rotarian who owns a local salon.  That was very nice.  We went from there to do a little last minute shopping and back to the country club to relax and use the internet.  Except, the internet was down!.  We changed clothes there and were taken to a dinner being hosted by local Rotarians.  This was a farewell dinner.  Joel Sekambebe came and it was great to see him.  He was the team leader to our district two years ago.  Joseph was with us again as well.

Sunday we met at 10:30 to prepare for the long journey home.  We said goodbyes with mixed feelings.  Anxious to get home after such a long time and yet, sad to see this wonderful adventure end.  38 hours in transit with all our layovers.  Very long.  How nice to be greeted at the airport by team members’ families and by Rotarians Rick Clark, Marge Cole, Larry Sundram, Dave and Marilee Breeding, Beverly Sumwalt and Bill Stumbaugh.  I’m home, but only physically.  I left a big chunk of myself in Africa. 

Goodbye Africa….for now.

Best,

Dale

PS  Stay tuned for photos. Check back to this site in a few days.

Got Matoke?

Anyone who knows me, knows that I LOVE food! Honestly, I’m probably the most un-picky eater on the face of the Earth (not an exaggeration)! I will try any kind of food and usually like it. That being said, a new culture brings many different foods, and East Africa is a literal buffet! Of course the team is desperately missing San Diego’s local taco shops and we can’t wait to have Japanese food soon (sushi especially)! However, we have eaten well on our trip and have been offered a wonderful variety of new and delicious foods.

When our adventure began in Mombasa, most of the food we ate included Indian dishes: spicy curries (some vegetarian, some with meat or fish), rice, and chapati.  Moving into Nairobi brought more traditional African dishes like ugali, mukimo, and greens.  Traveling through Uganda has brought their staple food–matoke!  They sometimes eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner here!  “Tea time” is also a must here in Africa.  Tea can be offered and enjoyed anytime during the day or night.  (As crazy as it sounds, I haven’t even missed my cafe lattes…yet)!

African Food Vocabulary (Please forgive any misspellings):

chapati-a flat bread (similar to a tortilla)

naan-another type of flat bread (Indian)

mukimo-mashed potatoes with greens (for color and flavor) and whole kernel corn

fresh fruit–papaya, pineapple, mango, banana, passion fruit, jack fruit, watermelon

ugali (AKA posho)–a stiff maize porridge

matoke–mashed plantains (staple food of Uganda)

ground nut sauce-ground peanuts usually served over matoke or cassava (a root typically steamed, boiled, or made into chips)

nyama choma–roasted meats

porridge–breakfast food prepared different ways, i.e. oatmeal or cream of wheat

dessert-not common like we are used to in the states (bummer!)-usually fruit is served for dessert

tea-served anytime of day-alone, with biscuits (cookies), bread or other snacks and almost always served with hot milk (adopted from the British) and sugar

Bon Appetit!  (Not sure how to say it in Swahili or Luganda yet…I will find out!)

~Kelli/Ms. Flandi

Getting Ready to Move On

We have had a really nice time in Kampala.  On Friday we went to an the International School of  Uganda.  This is a supreme private school.  Many of the children have parents working for the government and are from all over the world.  We observed the 4th grade class of a Rotarian.  Their assignment was to discuss energy sources that power their homes in their countries of origin.  Very impressive.  They made extensive diagrams and models.  They showed where there were solar panels, turbines, wind producing sources, generators and any thing else you can think of.  It was wonderful to see houses of kids from the UK, Germany, Israel, the US, India and many others.  What a wonderful opportunity for these kids.  I met a teacher from LA who is teaching drama here and she went to the same high school as my daughters.  Though she is younger than they are, she knew them.  Small world!  There was another teacher from Rancho Bernardo married to the French teacher at the school and he is from the Congo. 

In the afternoon we visited the Christian University.  One of the professors was a recipient of  Rotary’s Grants for University Teachers.  He and his wife are here for a year.  A very interesting university and beautifully maintained. 

We had a small amount of time for shopping and then went back to the International school to hear Jane Goodall speak.  She is an incredible woman and we were so fortunate to get to hear her speak.

Yesterday was a day spent with our host families.  William and Beth arranged for me to go see a facility for AIDS patients.  For adults it is an outpatient facility and for children it is both inpatient and outpatient.  I met one of the doctors who came chasing after me to to give me a signed copy of a book he had written.  He has an amazing story.  He himself is HIV positive and was diagnosed in 1994.  His wife was also positive and died a couple of years later.  He decided he wanted to help AIDS patients, so here he is.  He is married again and working hard at this facility.  His book is questions and answers,  and pretty basic by USA standards.  However, for newly diagnosed patients, the book is of interest and probably very helpful.  We went to do some errands and then went to some friends’ house for the evening on the other side of town.  The whole family came.  No car seats here, and only passengers in the front seats wear seatbelts (except me!).  It’s scary to see little kids running around in the back seat while we are bumping along in traffic on roads in awful condition.  We had a lovely evening with some wonderful people.  It was an outdoor feast with abundant food and drink.  I did try some goat and it tasted like lamb.  Home at midnight…even with all the kids.

Today I went to Church.  It’s a Protestant Church and it was quite interesting.  The minister spoke about pornography.  Beth asked if I wanted to take communion….I said I would pass.  She said that you don’t have to be baptized to do that here, but I know that is not true in the States.  The team then spent a relaxing few hours at a local country club.  It started to rain, but we had lunch and it was relaxing.

Tomorrow we are leaving for Mbarara and then on to Kabale.  We will be back in Kampala on Friday,  late in the day.  Not sure that I will have any web access at all while we are upcountry.  It’s hard to believe we will be home a week from tomorrow.

Best to all,

Dale

We are in Kampala

Dear All,

We arrived in Kampala from Jinja yesterday, Wednesday.  We met at the local Rotary office.  They are very well organized here.  We each got a folder with a detailed itinerary and list of our hosts, maps, notebooks and pens.  This was wonderful.  We got a briefing on the plans ahead.  The person that greeted us when we arrived was Joseph Kayizzi.  He is a Rotaractor and a past GSE team member to 5340 two years ago.  It was great to see him.  He is our guide for the next few days.  Yesterday we were off to a museum and then to the tomb of several past kings of Uganda.  The museum gave us a very good overview of the history of  Uganda.   We were then taken to the International hotel where our luggage had been dropped off.  There was one room for the 6 of us to rest and clean up and change for the Rotary meeting to follow.  The Rotary meeting was not a dinner meeting (many clubs here do not serve meals).  We were introduced and gave only a brief presentation, no powerpoint.  There was then a dinner at the same hotel, and all of our hosts were there.  At the Rotary meeting we also met some Rotarians visiting from Belgium.  They gave me a flag and had special coins for all of us.  We did not know they were going to be there, so though they requested flags, we didn’t have extra.  We only exchanged banners with the club president.

I am staying with William and his wife Beth.  They have 3 sons, 14, 7, and 19 months.  Very cute kids.  They have made me feel very welcome.  They live out of the city about 40-45 minutes.  There is so much traffic here and gobs of bikes and motorcycles.  It slows traffic quite a bit.

Today we went to a psychiatric hospital and also saw the training school for the psychiatric nurses.  Unlike our psych nurses who wear street clothes, the psych nurses here in Uganda wear nurses’ uniforms and caps.  Very interesting.  From there we went to a maximum security prison.  This was an amazing experience.  In the states, there is no way visitors would be allowed to walk through a maximum security facility.  The prison has inmates that have had a lot of education.  They are the ones who become the teachers in their schools within the prison.  There are many classrooms teaching many subjects from grade one through senior level high school.  The inmates are friendly and informative.  They get along well with the headmaster, the warden and the guards.  There are no gangs, no hierarchy within the prison and it is a very homogeneous group.  I was asked to say a few words and when I addressed a room full of inmates I told them I thought they should be commended and congratulated for choosing to go to school.  This is not a requirement.  The teaching and organization of the classes is really something to see.  This facility houses mostly those convicted of robbery and “defiling”.  There is no violence between inmates.  I can’t really describe it in words other than to say I was awed. Two Rotarians are on staff there.

From there we saw a vocational school for young men that are vulnerable and at risk because they had been in trouble with the law or on the streets.  It is run by a Rotarian. She showed us the wood shop where beautiful work is done. 

We went shopping for some crafts and Joseph helped us bargain.

I forgot to mention that before we left Jinja we attended a Rotaract meeting at which we gave our power point presentation.  One man stood up and said that District 9200 has had many matching grants with 5340 due to the efforts of Steve Brown. This Rotarian was John Okaronon. Then my host showed me a scrap book.  There she was in 1996 sitting next to Steve Brown at a meeting!  Steve’s ears should have been burning.  Philippe’s name has also come up multiple times.

More when I can.

Best,

Dale

Jambo from Uganda

Jambo!  Is it possible for time to fly by and stand still at the same time?  Our days are hectic with visiting Rotary-funded projects, sight-seeing, meetings and fellowships.  Each day passes like a flash in the night, yet we still have a couple of weeks to experience many new things.  Currently, we are in Jinga, Uganda and I just wanted to highlight some of the events that have stood out in my mind thus far from our travels.  Of course, the smiles on the children beats all that we’ve seen and experienced.  My always-so-thoughtful daughter, Dakotah, made some bracelets for me to bring on my journey.  She asked that I give them to other students her age while we traveled.  The smiles of gratitude I get from giving a child one of these bracelets is heartwarming.  The challenges these students face are many– hunger, shoeless and many times parentless, yet they find the motivation and strength to get to school.  Aside from the fact that I have I lived in a home with no running water, functioning latrine or electricity for the past few days, I am humbled by the people who still find happiness through all their adversities.  The people here are so welcoming and have made the trip here remarkable.  We have made some friends, who were open with sharing their culture and community with us.  Lastly, the scenery of each place we visited has been so diverse and beautiful– from the shorelines of Mombasa, the busy streets of Nairobi, the big game at the Masai Mara and the lush green hills of Jinja. Definitely, we’re making memories to last a lifetime. The details of our trip I’m sure is described on the others posts.  I just wanted to get a word in to let all family and friends know that yes… I am alive and okay. Until next time, Cheers!  -Liza Flowers

Dear All,

Here we are in Uganda. We left Nairobi on Friday and got to Naivasha that afternoon (January 23rd). We visited a very large flower farm. Flower farming is a major industry in Naivasha. The roses are beautiful colors and very fragrant.  They export primarily to Holland. We went for a drink on a floating restaurant and visited with some of the local Rotarians.  We all went back to one house to shower and change for dinner.  Dinner was donated at a restaurant/bar, by one of the local Rotarians.   There was no formal Rotary meeting, and we gave brief introductions.  The following morning we were all invited to the home of one of the Rotarians for breakfast.  It was wonderful.  The fruits here are delicious. Off to Kisumu.  It was a 6 hour drive on very bad roads.  Long, hot and bumpy, but we arrived for a late lunch with a few local Rotarians.  Kelli and I stayed in the home of Patty and Dan Schmelzer, an American couple from California.  they have been in Kenya about 7 or 8 years and are doing some wonderful things in the Kisumu community.  Dan is a Lutheran minister, but in addition to his church work, he and Patty have founded a program for children who are in the streets.  They give them meals, get them counseling, clean clothes and lots of love.  The plan is to send these children back to their families when they are ready to go.  They work with the families as well.  These are two very special people.  One of “their boys” needed heart valve surgery.  They raised the money to provide this surgery and St. Jude’s donated the actual valves.  Patty stayed with this boy and his father in Nairobi while the surgery was being done and while this boy recovered.  They have quite amazing stories. The next morning we left for Busia, our point of entry into Uganda.  It was about a 2 hour drive again with very bad and bumpy roads.  When we crossed the border, we transferred our luggage to the cars of waiting Rotarians.  We said goodbye to our driver, Kevin.  We drove another 1  1/2 or 2 hours to get to Jinja.  We all had lunch at the home of John Kirkpatrick, a Rotarian who is originally from England.  We all met later that night at the home of Peter and Ruth Kalibbala for a wonderful dinner.  Their home overlooks Lake Victoria.  It is a beautiful view.  It was a delightful evening and we all enjoyed the company of new friends.  John is very concerned for the comfort of all of us and wants to make sure everything goes well.

I am staying at the home of Petronella Lujwala.  She is the headmistriss of a secondary girls’ school and the Vice President of the Rotary Club of Jinja.  Next year she will be PE, and the following year she will be President.

Today we met at John’s house and went from there to see several sites.   School is not in session right now, but we visited the Wansimba Private School.  The Rotary club here has been involved with providing desks and other support.  We were able to meet with the headmaster.  We saw a water project that was a matching grant with the Torrey Pines Rotary Club.  Everyone here seems to know Philippe Lamoise!  Also, John has mentioned Steve Brown and Fary Moini several times.  The water project serves about 500 people, and we watched children filling their large containers with clean water to take home.  We then went to the Adopt a Village Project.  There are many small villages in the surrounding areas.  In the village we visited, Kiranga, Rotary has provided cows.  The cows provide milk, thus a source of income for these people.  They have also given them seeds to plant fruit trees.  We then had a picnic lunch at Bujagali Falls.  This is on the River Nile.  White water rafting looked awfully tempting, but not for this trip!

We then went to the Nalufenya Childrens’ Hospital that is part of the Jinja Hospital. We each planted a tree on the premises.  Mine was an avocado tree.  They have been initially planted in pots, then transferred to the soil when they are big enough.  The trees are avocado, mango and some citrus.  The idea is that this will provide fresh fruit eventually, for the children that are hospitalized.  We did walk through the hospital, and it is quite sad.  Many children on each ward.  The hospital serves no food at all, so parents have to provide the food.  If the parents want to stay there with their children, they sleep on the floor underneath their child’s bed.  They now also have a new wing they have opened for treatment of AIDS.  The hospital also does not provide medication.  The physician orders the medication then brings it from his/her own clinic.

Tonight we are making a presentation at a community Rotaract club (they seem to have a lot of these in Africa).  From there we are having dinner with our hosts.

I wish we could upload more pictures for all of you to see, but we have just not been able to do that.  Hopefully soon, from Kampala.

Best to all of you,

Dale

Kenyan Schools

At the time of this writing, we have already been in Kenya for nearly two weeks. This is the first time in a week we have had an opportunity to access the internet.  We have seen so many amazing things, met incredibly hospitable people, visited a variety of schools, tasted delicious food, and experienced a wonderful culture!  Although I feel rushed to post this blog, I willl do my best to share some of our experiences in Kenyan Schools!

Last week, we were able to see many different schools in Mombasa.  On Monday, we were dropped off in pairs to visit three different schools.  These schools are supported partly by an organization called ACTS (Assist A Child to School).  Rotary helps support ACTS which provides porridge to many students  everyday at 10:00 AM.  Emily and I spent the morning at Kongowea Primary School.  The things we saw amazed us!  Many children had no shoes, there were approximately 80-100 students in a classroom, and the need for supplies and basic facilities were great.  We had a chance to spend time in many classrooms and experience students who had very little but were still able to display good manners, show an incredible amount of motivation for learning, and seemed happy!  WOW!  What an example to see children in horrible conditions making the most of what they have!

A few days later, we were able to tour Majengo Primary School.  A Rotary club in Mombasa found this school in shambles in March of 2007 and decided to do something about it.  In April of 2008, Majengo had been transformed!  You would not believe the difference in the attitudes of the students when there is a beautiful and safe  environment  in which to learn and necessary supplies to be successful!  I had the honor to present a Class 7 (about 13 and 14 years old) with the paper cranes my students at Montgomery Middle School had made for them.  We also presented them with the books Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes and One Thousand Paper Cranes.  Paper cranes symbolize world peace and good wishes and I hope that we were able to leave a little of our hopes for the future behind with the students of Majengo.

The final school I will write about is Aga Kahn Academy.  What an enormous difference!  This school is a private school in Mombasa that is completely and totally state-of-the-art!  The exciting thing for me is that this school is an IB school, exactly what Montgomery will be moving to next year!  I networked with the IB teachers and coordinators and was told how AWESOME IB is.  I was so jazzed about this connection!  I cannot wait to get back to the US and share my new knowledge with my students and staff!  The students here are taught to be inquisitive and take initiative for their own learning. I still have so much to learn about all of this and am thrilled about the possibilities!

On a personal note, I would like to say hi to all of my fabulous students and hope things are going well with them and Mrs. Flandi!   I have so many fantastic things to share with all of you when I return.  I am hoping to post some pictures when we have more time so that you can see with your own eyes what we are doing here!  Also, love and hugs to my incredible family and friends.  I cannot wait to see you soon!

Kelli (AKA Ms. Flandi )

In Nairobi

Hi All,

We arrived in Nairobi on the night of January15th.  We were picked up by a driver and taken to a central meeting place.  The District Governor, Kaushik, and other Rotarians greeted us.  We were taken out to dinner.  Three of us stayed with Sumant Desai, the local area coordinator and three others stayed with Cheryl De Souza.  Friday morning the team was taken to a school  for which one of the local Rotary clubs provided toilets.  From there we were taken to the home of a Rotarian and given box lunches.  After that, 3 more schools.  4 Schools in one day is overwhelming.  The three afternoon schools were private Catholic schools, though all of the students are not Catholic.  One is a National School which is the highest level with the most resources.  That was a girls’ school.  The second was also a girls school, but a District school, so this is a lower status with fewer resources.  The children were all polite and anxious to see us.  The last school was a boys’ school.  We got there so late that we were only able to meet with the head master.  We were taken back to our host homes to get our bags and all six of us stayed at the home of the man who had hosted us all day.  We never knew his first name, or his wife’s.  However, his wife prepared a wonderful traditional African meal.  We were all glad to have a break from Indian food!

The next morning we were picked up early to catch a flight to Masai Mara.  We were the fourth stop and it was pouring rain when we left Nairobi.  We were greeted on the dirt airstrip by our guide, Albert.  On the way to our camp we saw elans, giraffes and warthogs.  We got to camp and were shown to our tents.  They were truly lovely.  Quite large, with electricity, showers, bathrooms, big mirrors; like any really nice hotel.  After one night we were upgraded to the camp next door.  I didn’t think it could get any more luxurious, but it sure did.  There were hairdryers and bathrobes, and an assortment of shower gels.  5 star for sure.  The service in both camps was also supreme.  They fell all over us and didn’t stop feeding us.  Every time we turned around there was more food or drink being offered.  The food was outstanding.  We went on safari the first afternoon from 3:30 til 7:15.  The next day we were picked up at 6:30 and dropped off after 12:00, and then again from 3:30-7:00.  I know my team mates will write in detail about the animals.  But, in a nutshell, we saw giraffes, elans, impalas, gazelles, elephants, hippos, rhinos, topis, lions (females with their cubs as well as males).  We saw many unusual birds, crocodiles and water buffalos.  The only things we did not see were cheetahs and leopards.  We did drive around looking for them but no such luck. 

Even though this time was meant as R&R for us, I must say it was also a vocational experience.  The teachers were all talking about how they could take this information back to their classrooms.  We have a kindergarten teacher, a 5th grade teacher, a 6th grade teacher, a middle school activities director and a high school teacher.  Each saw the educational value as it pertained to their own students.

We got back to Nairobi on the 19th and were escorted out to lunch.  From there we went to see two hospitals.  One, the Mater House Hospital is the only hospital in East Africa that performs pediatric cardiac surgery.  Rotary has been involved in that project by helping to sponsor many surgeries.  The hospital, is a full range hospital and has all of the other routine services.  Then we went to the special hospital for patients with spinal injuries.  This was a very special visit for me, as our Rotary district, 5340 has been instrumental in providing equipment to this facility through matching grants.  I felt very honored to be there as local Rotarians presented more equipment to this facility on behalf of District 5340.  There is a long waiting list at this facility.  By the time the patients arrive, many of them still require acute care, then move to rehab level.  Our district has provided physical therapy equipment to the facility, and at the time of the presentation, a large parafin bath was being presented.  This is an adult facility, no pediatric patients.  We attended an evening Rotary meeting and met a woman in Rotaract who will be one of the GSE team members coming to our district in April.  She is a banker named Margaret and is looking forward to her visit.

Over the next few days we visited more sites.  We visited an orphanage run by Kate, a woman originally from Pittsburgh.  She has AIDS orphans at her facility and they all go off to school every day.  Only a couple of the children are HIV positive, but they are all orphans because their parents died of AIDS.  We also saw an orphanage for children with AIDS.  This is a large facility.  The children are from a very young toddler age through high school.  These children have either been rejected by their families or are also orphans due to AIDS.  This place truly touched my heart.  The younger ones are schooled on site, and the older ones are sent to the local schools.  They are mostly “healthy” due to their HIV/AIDS “cocktails”.  A doctor comes once a week and they are able to do lab work on site.  They do utilize lots of nurses, and many come from the States to volunteer for a month at a time.  This project is pulling at my heartstrings, and I would love to come back and volunteer there.  The younger children hugged us and held our hands as they showe us around the properties.  They live in houses in “families” which is about as normalized a family as they will know.

We saw a school in the slums that has been an ongoing project of one of the Rotary clubs here.  The children are all so well behaved, polite and appear happy.  When asked what they need, they told us exercise books and pencils.  They sang for us in several of the different classes.  The teachers each got to spend some extra time in the classrooms, teaching and interacting with the children.  They really enjoyed that.  Two thirds of the children board at this school.  They have rows of bunk beds.  The Rotarians supplied the mattresses.  They also supplied a sun oven so that they will be able to cook for themselves as well as cook things to sell to help sustain the school.  There are two large water tanks.  One is on the ground, one on a platform, as it should be.  For the one on the ground, they send one of the little boys up to the top to pull water out with a bucket.  Very scarey, very dangerous.  I asked to see the bathrooms.  This is the part that got to me.  The bathrooms were dirt floors partitioned off with blankets.  On the ground was one plastic large container.  That was it.  I asked why they could not pump water from the closer water tank so that they could have proper bathrooms and showers.  The response was money.  However, we were then showed their pride and joy….their computer lab.  This is the nicest room in the school, and they are so proud of this room.  The computers were donated.  However, when I saw the dorms and the lack of bathrooms, they fact that they maintain the computer room so beautifully gave me a sinking feeling.  The lack of sanitation of course will make these children sick.  It is very hard to see. 

We watched  Obama being sworn in with our host families.  I am the only one staying with Sumant at this time.  It was an unbelievable thrill to watch this even from Kenya.  There were fireworks in the streets.  Everywhere we go we see Obama signs and stickers.  At one site visit someone said to us, “I know why you are really here….you want to see Obama land!”  When we are in Kusumu in a few days, we will be very close to the town where Obama Senior grew up.  This is a time that I am very proud to be an American.   After the inauguration, Sumant took me out for Chinese food!

We went to the Coca-Cola bottling factory.  They actually have some drinks that we do not get in the States.  It was pretty interesting.  We were then taken to a lunch time Rotary meeting.  We were introduced, but no presentation was requested.  We are now at the Karen Country Club relaxing.  One of the local Rotarians, Alex (a GSE team leader to Indiana last spring) is hosting us.  There is swimming, computer use and even massages, all supplied by Alex.  The generosity of Rotarians is beyond explanation.

Tomorrow we leave for Naivasha.  We will be there for one night, and then to Kusumu for one night.  From there we cross the border into Uganda for more adventures, no doubt a different experience than Kenya, but equally as rewarding.

Dale

Safari

Yes, we are okay!  We apologize for the lack of content on the blog, but we simply have had not had the time nor the internet access to post new information. 

We know we can never do it justice, but our safari trip to the Masai Mara was an experience that cannot be duplicated.  We flew out of Nairobi and our plane hopped from camp to camp, dopping off eager safari-goers anxious to see “The Big Five”.  Upon arriving at the Masai Mara, we met our guide Albert, who drove us in an open air Land Rover through the open plains of the Serengeti and to our home for the next two nights, camp Kichwa Tembo.  We were greeted by the staff, who served us during our stay there.  We settled into our “tents”, which were more like luxury hotel rooms under a large canvas covered room, and we prepared ourselves for our excursion.

During our three day stay, Albert drove us to the wildlife hot spots around the national park and gave us as many oppurtunities as he could to witness nature untouched.  The beauty of the landscape and the diversity of the animals was an experience that we all appreciated and will never forget.  Although the list of animals we saw is extensive, the rhino, elephant, giraffe, zebra, crocodile, baboon, mongoose, warthog, and all types of antelope were seen during the safari ride.  And yes…we saw lions…from about 15 yards away! 

We’re back to work now and will leave for Uganda on Monday.  We appreciate your blog comments.  They’re wonderful to read when we’re so far away.  We hope to blog again soon.

P.S.  Hey T.L. Waggoner, thanks for the love from Imperial.  Take care of my kids for me and tell them I miss them. Katie Gray, I have your lion pictures ready for when I get home. I even saw cubs! To my family and friends, thanks for the concern! Don’t worry, we’re okay and being well cared for.

Love, Jess

Bombolulu Workshop

Still today, people with disabilities in Kenya are shunned from society and viewed a curse to their families.  Fortunately, there are a group of people in Mombasa who are working together to change people’s view of the disabled, and also working to help them change their views of themselves.  We had the opportunity to visit Bombolulu Workshop and Cultural Centre, which enables person with physical disabilities to overcome their limitations by empowering them economically and socially so that they become fully integrated members of their communities.   Bombolulu was established in 1969 as a project of the Association for the Physically Disabled of Kenya.  The project trains and employs over 170 people with disabilities in handcraft production.

We were greeted at the center by Ali, who was a true example of the mission of Bombolulu.  Although he is visually impaired, he happily showed us the workshops including jewelry making, leather working, textiles, wood carving, a nusery, and a cultural center.  As we walked through each workshop we were welcomed by the warm faces busily working of their craft.  Each person in the center has been trained in a specific skill, and for 8 hours a day they work to create beautiful handicrafts that are then sold to generate money for the center.   As a team we were very impressed with their ablility to overcome their disability to create pieces of art and jewelry that surpass the skills of our own. 

If you would like to learn more about Bombolulu, check out their website at www.apdkbombolulu.com

I would also just like to say hi to my 5th grade students at San Onofre School!  I got to feed a giraffe (they have very long and sticky tounges!), see the Indian Ocean, taught some kids place value, and shook my booty with Swahili dancers!  I hope you are all well and I miss you very much.  P.S. – Kole, the ants out here are huge just like you said they would be! 

Love,

 Ms. Just