Overall my life in Kisumu Kenya is about as far removed from my little world in suburban Philadelphia as it could get, and the jump from one world to the other is as emotionally exhausting as it is physically. I arrived home in December just during the peak of the Christmas hustle and bustle. The materialistic mantras of the season, with advertisers hawking their latest and greatest technical gadgets and toys left me feeling numb and disillusioned. After being in Kenya for a little over 2 months now, I have grown to realize not only the great monetary divide that exists worldwide, but the aspects of hope for a better tomorrow that comes with financial stability. For those of us that are blessed to live in a stable environment, where fresh water flows from our faucets, and education and healthcare are easily accessible , hope comes easy. However with these luxuries comes a price, the responsibility to reach out to those less fortunate whose hope is lost in the day-to-day struggle to survive. I have heard first hand accounts of how one sponsor can lift one child out of poverty, providing him the opportunity to go to school, get educated and move on to higher education and with continued support attend a university. I have learned of one child, lifted up by one sponsor who went on to receive a medical degree, and with that degree, returned to his homeland to start a nonprofit that reaches out to thousands of impoverished people. That one child is my boss. A Kenyan physician, who after being trained in London came back to Kenya to form OGRA, a nonprofit that is doing incredible work for the people of the Lake Shore Region of Kenya. I am so privileged to be working for such a brilliant man, along with a carefully selected staff of some of the most intelligent and talented professionals in Kenya. I have learned so much, and I am delighted to be back for another round of learning, sharing, struggle and frustration. This is the continued story of my life in Kenya.
The Glue Boy
Shortly after returning from holiday break I made my weekly visit downtown to stock up on supplies. As usual, the Glue Boy was waiting for me. As soon as he spots the fair-skinned women with the red backpack he knows there’s a chance for a Zone bar or crackers. The Glue Boy, shoeless and covered in road dust, easily blends into his surroundings, making it easy for most people to pass him by. He sits day after day holding a soda bottle up to his nose, inhaling industrialized strength glue obtained from a nearby furniture maker. He is one of thousands in Kisumu, most likely a street child orphaned from the AIDs epidemic. Of those children I spot on a daily basis, this fellow stands out. He is one of the few that is still full of vigor, with a charming smile that reflects the residues of a childhood lost. I had to respond to his energetic greeting yesterday by telling him I had no food with me to share. He smiled and quickly challenged me to a 2 minute run to the market, “OK, Mzungu, 2 minutes, you be back in 2 minutes, I’ll be timing you!” It made the local vendors chuckle as they spotted this crazy white women fending off a busy intersection of tuk tuks to get some biscuits and nuts. As I played this game I wondered how many others have come before. How many other aid workers from far off lands have come with the hope that if they could do something to stop the hunger pains just for a little while in one child then perhaps their trip would have been worth it. This is life in Kisumu.
Below is an excellent video providing an overview of the glue sniffing street children of Nairobi. The sights and sounds that you see in the video are very similar to that of Kisumu, the city where my glue boy greets me every weekend. http://www.manythings.org/b/e/259
Hygiene Project Update
This week we welcomed two new members of team, Loren Nakamura from the US and Paola from Italy. Both come with a large amount of energy and ideas to advance the projects even further. We really welcome their fresh ideas and enthusiasm. Monday I toured the OGRA sites with Loren and Paola and paid a visit to each hand washing station we set up in the Fall. It appears all of them are well used and appreciated by the sites. A huge thank you to my good friend Ira Rubinstein for sending me soap, they came in very handy in resupplying a village clinic that had already ran out of their 2 month supply.
I’m anxiously working with the team in putting together a sustainability plan to keep a stable supply of soap available to these sites. I had the privilege in meeting a with a women’s group in the local area that makes and markets soap. After all the soap making programs I’ve reviewed the soap recipe used by this women’s group seems the most transferrable to the local villages I working with. Other plans include a chicken project for raising roasters and eggs . Loren, in the short week he’s been here, has really devoted a lot of energy to developing the chicken project and I look forward to continue to work with him to bring these sustainability plans to fruition.
Sharing my experiences with each of you, and reading your caring, thoughtful comments and questions have brought so much more meaning to my work here. Thank you again for all your continued support, prayers and well wishes.
Pictures From the Week: http://picasaweb.google.com/researchrn68/Week14#
