I'm all packed and ready to head to the airport to start the trek home. I should hopefully! be arriving in Madison tomorrow around late afternoon. I'm having breakfast at the Amsterdam airport at 5:30 Am with my nephew Andrew.
It's so much easier to say goodbye to the kids when you know you will be saying hello in 2 weeks. I'm so looking forward to seeing everyone, to endless hot showers and food. I know I'm heading for some culture shock, I've seen so many things here in the last 4 months.It will feel good to have a bit of a break. Feel free to call or stop by. I will try to put some pictures up on the blog while I'm home. See you soon!
Stay safe Officer Tim, xoxoxo little boy(get to give you those myself tomorrow night!)
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
No more monkeys jumping on the bed!!
The other night I was sound asleep under my mosquito net when a rustling noise woke me up. It seemed to be coming from the open window behind the curtains over my head. I reached up and pulled the curtain back to find a monkey trying to join me!!! I don't know who was more startled., He quickly turned tail and disappeared, and I quickly went back to sleep. I guess I am turning Kenyan. This has definitely been my week for African wildlife! I now sleep with my window closed.
Stay safe Officer Tim xoxoxo little boy
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Night of the flying termites
It has been raining, raining, raining. When there's a particularly heavy downpour at night multitudes of flying termites emerge. The other night Jody (my roommate) and I were hanging out in our rooms,avoiding the wet dash to the cottages, when I noticed some bugs flying around. My creature tolerance has gone way up here, I've seen some major ones!! also, one of our volunteer duties is to sort rice and beans, picking out the bugs. So, I've gotten pretty used to giant grasshoppers, cockroaches,snakes, chamelions, lizards, huge hornets and wasps,spiders, plus your garden variety ants mosquitos etc. We've learned to keep cups upside down, always look in your cup before filling or drinking and and always check the pan before cooking. Always spread your mosquito net before going to sleep.
Well, I'm sitting there and all of a sudden I realize that there's more than a few of them. These bugs are about 3", have multiple translucent brown wings and are drawn to the light. They fly around, then shed their wings all over the place, crawl around and die. Not a very pleasant life span. I looked around and realized they were coming in by the hundreds under the door, through the crack in the windows! I yelled for Jody, we she immediately opened the door, turned on the outside light while I turned off the inside light (of all nights to have power!)to draw them out. We then put stuff across the bottom of the door, closed the windows etc and sat in the dark. I admit I was totally grossed and freaked out and did have some cowering time on the lower bunk. After a half hour they were gone, leaving behind wings all over. Even more disgusting is they're considered a delicacy, are fried in their own fat. Not on my menu.
Stay safe Officer Tim xoxoxo little boy
Well, I'm sitting there and all of a sudden I realize that there's more than a few of them. These bugs are about 3", have multiple translucent brown wings and are drawn to the light. They fly around, then shed their wings all over the place, crawl around and die. Not a very pleasant life span. I looked around and realized they were coming in by the hundreds under the door, through the crack in the windows! I yelled for Jody, we she immediately opened the door, turned on the outside light while I turned off the inside light (of all nights to have power!)to draw them out. We then put stuff across the bottom of the door, closed the windows etc and sat in the dark. I admit I was totally grossed and freaked out and did have some cowering time on the lower bunk. After a half hour they were gone, leaving behind wings all over. Even more disgusting is they're considered a delicacy, are fried in their own fat. Not on my menu.
Stay safe Officer Tim xoxoxo little boy
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Happy Birthday to Me
Even though it's my brother tom's birthday! Happy Birthday Tommy! Tonite we celebrated the May birthdays. Because mine is on the 26th I was included in the cottage D celebration. It was definitely one I will never forget. I shared with John, Sammy K, and Ann. We all sat together, everyone sang the great happy birthday song to us, clapped for us, counted up to our birthday age,(which for mine was quite a challenge for them!) they even had my name on the cake! Everyone got up and danced, even Kennady!! Then they all wished me many blessings, told me how happy they were that I was there, and how much I meant to them. I truly am blessed. and old.
Pictures will come soon.
Stay safe Officer Tim and xoxoxo Little Boy
Pictures will come soon.
Stay safe Officer Tim and xoxoxo Little Boy
Sunday, May 13, 2007
I need to fix something
Last night when I was falling asleep I was thinking about my blog entries. I realized that in my haste I might have left the impression that it was me who was leaving a sustainable day care program and saving lives. Nothing can be further from the truth. I was trying to cram so much stuff in and the power went out 4 times because it was raining so hard, I kept condensing!Anyway, I want to make it clear how I feel about all that. It's Caroline and her staff who are doing all the work, who's ideas and plans are making this a success and sustainable. What I'm doing is volunteering my resources and expertise where I can help. My goal is a medical/nursing structure in place that anyone can step into and help the kids. Caroline and I hope to establish a volunteer network that will include Kenyan and American personnel. It's a very small piece of the whole program. I have seen and learned in my time here that what makes a program successful is not what the Americans bring to it but what the Kenyans do.
In time past how Americans would have contributed to this daycare program is built or found a site, supplied it with toys, maybe hired a kenyan to run it, maybe an American, fund raised to keep it going and hoped the donors didn't lose interest, made sure there was a plaque on the wall commemorating the American effort. Thankfully, we've all changed our ways. The vision Caroline has to learn the identify the needs of her community lease the land, provide the classes, encourage the parents to volunteer,all that is what's providing ownership and success.
It has been a struggle at times, coming from the nursing background that I do, to figure out what my role here is. I really don't know if I had been in charge if outcomes would be different. I do know that I have learned more patience, humility, developed more negotiating skills along with an appreciation of "Kenyan time."
The whole concept behind the Fulbright program is the sharing of cultures and resources so that both cultures learn from each other. That learning is what will strengthen our bonds, I am so lucky to be a part of that program and learn those lessons.
I feel better now.
Stay safe Officer Tim xoxoxo little boy
In time past how Americans would have contributed to this daycare program is built or found a site, supplied it with toys, maybe hired a kenyan to run it, maybe an American, fund raised to keep it going and hoped the donors didn't lose interest, made sure there was a plaque on the wall commemorating the American effort. Thankfully, we've all changed our ways. The vision Caroline has to learn the identify the needs of her community lease the land, provide the classes, encourage the parents to volunteer,all that is what's providing ownership and success.
It has been a struggle at times, coming from the nursing background that I do, to figure out what my role here is. I really don't know if I had been in charge if outcomes would be different. I do know that I have learned more patience, humility, developed more negotiating skills along with an appreciation of "Kenyan time."
The whole concept behind the Fulbright program is the sharing of cultures and resources so that both cultures learn from each other. That learning is what will strengthen our bonds, I am so lucky to be a part of that program and learn those lessons.
I feel better now.
Stay safe Officer Tim xoxoxo little boy
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Change is hard
More volunteers left this morning, at one point there were over a dozen here. When I come back in June I will be the only one!!! It's sad to see them go, a part of me thinks of when I will be leaving, you get jealous of the family they will see and the hot showers they will take. The young ones bring such life and laughter here. Still, the days go on, the rhythm settles into something new. New volunteers will eventually come.
A more difficult change is that which is happening in Nyumbani. As they transition from hospice to home they're putting lots of effort into getting the adolescents ready to go out in the world and live a longer, normal life. Part of that effort is as the kids get older they move out of the cottages into what they call the hostels. They're still on the compound but a little aside.There they have "mentors" and the emphasis is on teaching life skills. Well you can imagine the challenge of a house of only teenage girls next to a house of teenage boys!! Things weren't working well with the present mentors so they were let go. My beloved mum Ann of Cottage D was asked to take over the girls hostel! It's supposed to be temporary but we don't believe that. The D kids took it hard, for many she has been one of their only 2 mums. The little boys really cried, Mark said she could be there during the day but still had to sleep in D at night. Brian said it was the big girls fault they didn't have a mum, they couldn't have theirs! Ann did a great job of reassuring them, they will still see her everyday. The new mum, Grace, seems very nice. It helps that I too am still around everyday, it provides more consistency.
On Tuesday night the psychologist (English,grew up here, lived in Canada, Australia, and back in Kenya) invited my roommate and I to the Karen Country Club for a "Night at the Opera."! with her and her husband. They have digital and showed a video of an opera. It was actually great fun. It really is a part of Kenya's history,the colonial time. Seeing all those British expats, "white Kenyans" was really interesting. There are a surprising number of kenyans there too, which Mary said you never would have seen when she was growing up here. The "post-colonial crowd." Everyone was welcoming to us, there was a 3 course dinner during intermission. Real bathrooms!! with a full length mirror, have only seen glimpses of myself for 4 months! Who would have thought I'd see my first opera in Kenya!
Happy Mother's Day to all the mums in the world, especially little boy's mum, the best ever. I've learned over and over here that the best indicator/predictor for a child's health is the health of it's mother. I wish you all a healthy joyful day.
Stay safe Officer Tim, xoxoxo Little Boy
A more difficult change is that which is happening in Nyumbani. As they transition from hospice to home they're putting lots of effort into getting the adolescents ready to go out in the world and live a longer, normal life. Part of that effort is as the kids get older they move out of the cottages into what they call the hostels. They're still on the compound but a little aside.There they have "mentors" and the emphasis is on teaching life skills. Well you can imagine the challenge of a house of only teenage girls next to a house of teenage boys!! Things weren't working well with the present mentors so they were let go. My beloved mum Ann of Cottage D was asked to take over the girls hostel! It's supposed to be temporary but we don't believe that. The D kids took it hard, for many she has been one of their only 2 mums. The little boys really cried, Mark said she could be there during the day but still had to sleep in D at night. Brian said it was the big girls fault they didn't have a mum, they couldn't have theirs! Ann did a great job of reassuring them, they will still see her everyday. The new mum, Grace, seems very nice. It helps that I too am still around everyday, it provides more consistency.
On Tuesday night the psychologist (English,grew up here, lived in Canada, Australia, and back in Kenya) invited my roommate and I to the Karen Country Club for a "Night at the Opera."! with her and her husband. They have digital and showed a video of an opera. It was actually great fun. It really is a part of Kenya's history,the colonial time. Seeing all those British expats, "white Kenyans" was really interesting. There are a surprising number of kenyans there too, which Mary said you never would have seen when she was growing up here. The "post-colonial crowd." Everyone was welcoming to us, there was a 3 course dinner during intermission. Real bathrooms!! with a full length mirror, have only seen glimpses of myself for 4 months! Who would have thought I'd see my first opera in Kenya!
Happy Mother's Day to all the mums in the world, especially little boy's mum, the best ever. I've learned over and over here that the best indicator/predictor for a child's health is the health of it's mother. I wish you all a healthy joyful day.
Stay safe Officer Tim, xoxoxo Little Boy
Jukumo Letu
That's the name of the daycare center. It means "Our Responsibility." It was started by one of the Kenyan social workers who worked in Lea Toto for Nyumbani. I visited there with Melissa and was so taken by the children and the staff. Since then, because of the long rains they had to leave that space. It was flooded with raw sewage. As disruptive as that was they found a new place that is easier to get to, not so deep into the slum. It has a lot more windows too. No more exams outside! There's no electricity or plumbing, but overall it's better. I went there on Tuesday with my roommate Jody. I finally had a chance to sit down with Caroline to talk about the center. She's an amazing woman, very committed to the kids and the community. She had met with people from the village of Ngong to understand more what their needs were. Most are single mothers, they do what's called "casual labor" working when and where they can find it, selling vegetables crafts etc. A big concern is that they had no place to leave their little children, they either spent the day on their backs, literally or were left alone in the houses for hours. kids as young as 2. So, Caroline decided to open this center with her own funds. When it opened they had only planned on 25 children, there are now 49. People were leaving them at the gate. Eventually they think they will have about 100. Only 12 have been tested, 4 were +. The staff is volunteer. The moms help out one day a month. Caroline was able to fund raise to lease 2 acres of land, they now grow food to sell and for the center. They have also started microfinance projects like soap making, bead work and basket making. Caroline and I drew up some plans for the medical care, I will come at least every other week, probably once a week. I'm developing charts and forms. The docs who come visit me will do exams on the kids so each one has a good baseline exam. I'm going to teach the staff classes on hygeine, care of the ill child, care of the + child. They in turn will lead classes for the parents. When Dr. George comes back in late September he can take over the medical care, hopefully when I leave in November we'll have a system in place so there will always be coverage. So many of these kids never get medical care. With all our committment and everyone's generosity (and would it be awesome if my niece Tess could come paint the walls!) some nutritional guidance/help from Ammen's Stephanie, this will be a sustainable program. More lives saved.
A few more toys
They were able to get a few toys, actually the discarded parts of toys to play with. Still have the tires. I brought 2 bags of stuff donated by the friends of Toni,the best hairdresser in Madison, who happens to cut my hair and is going to freak when she sees it! The kids loved them, my daughter Elizabeth's moms group is going to hopefully help us with some more and also my book club. I will bring them back in June. Should be a fun day!
snack time
The kids get at least 2 meals and a snack, they have already seen an improvement in their nutritional status. They go to the market day in the village and buy fresh fruits and vegetables when they have the funds. Parents also drop off stuff if they can.
Some thoughts about the village
The way it's set up, with all the houses (48 of 52 have been built with bricks made onsite), the paths around, the community center, it all reminded me of Seaside in Florida. The new urbanism didn't come from modern day architects but from ancient African villages. They've learned that for the grandparents to be willing to leave their villages and come live there, no matter how destitute they are, they have to be able to go back and visit, they have to have a shamba (their own garden), their goats, and they have to promise them that when they die they will be buried in their home village. Because everywhere in the world there is no place like home.
Things we take for granted
I will never forget the sheer delight and amazement in the kids when the saw the new books and the school supplies. The school that some of them had been going to had dirt floors, no books, no windows, no desks. At the welcoming ceremony the night before the opening so many of them talked about the opportunity they had been given and how very much they wanted to learn. Sorry the picture is upside down, no matter how hard we try we can't get them to stay right side up!!
Grandmothers and raising the flag
These are some of the grandmothers who now live in the village, and the flag raising ceremony the morning the school opened. The kids were so excited.It was a momentous morning in the lives of a lot of people.
Beautiful Kenya and the entrance to Nyumbani Village
The scenery in Kenya is so beautiful, this is on the way to the village. The village entrance symbolizes everyone working together. Made possible by Fr. D'ag The Kenyan government,USAID, Kenyans,donors and volunteers
Closing Ceremonies and Splash
We had great closing ceremonies with a parade of nations, listened to all the national anthems,
every athlete received a medal donated by Fr. D'ag brother. They're still wearing them. Then we all went to Splash, Nairobi's water park with 2 slides!! these are my boys enjoying the sun.
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Back to School
I decided that it was much better not to wait until I could upload photos, that takes at least an hour or more. It's better if I stay up to date, and then do the photos. The Olympics at Nyumbani ended with impressive closing ceremonies. We had a very successful relay race, and the sprints were wonderful to watch. Ken was sitting on my lap watching the kids compete and line up for the sprints. he looked up at me and said "I want to run Susan" I helped him take off his socks, (the kids all run barefoot, he lined up and took off with the kids. he couldn't make it across the yard but he tried really really hard. We were all so proud of him, he got an honorary medal and the kids voted him MVP of the games for exemplifying the Olympic spirit. the kids went back to school yesterday to the mums' great relief. They have holiday here for the month of April, August, and December.
On Sunday I went with Sr. Mary and another volunteer, Tina, to Nyumbani Village for the opening of their school. We spent the night with some of the volunteers. The drive is long and hard but beautiful. So much of Kenya is really picturesque. The village was Fr. D'Ag's last legacy and it's just flourishing. They now have 120 orphans and 19 grandparents. The grandparents surprised us by doing a tribal dance and singing, it was so cool!! They talked about what the Village meant to them, that they had security. Everyone was fed and clothed and had medical care. The children were free to learn, the grandparents were free to pass on their traditions, and enjoy the end of their life. There is no electricity or indoor plumbing, but it will be self sustaining within 5 years. Within 4 years they will have 1000 orphans, and 250 grandparents. the opening of the school was a huge milestone in the development. I will never forget how specatacular the sky was at night, you could see the Milky Way!! We were also told they had just killed a huge red mamba snake that they found in a tree! I admit that totally freaked me out. The kids were so excited to have textbooks and supplies, a first for them. I know Fr. D'Ag is happy somewhere.
You can look at Nyumbani.org and click on the village to get the whole story of the village.
I'm actually going to keep this one brief! more later. Olympic,village and day care pics to come. Stay safe officer tim and xoxoxo little boy
On Sunday I went with Sr. Mary and another volunteer, Tina, to Nyumbani Village for the opening of their school. We spent the night with some of the volunteers. The drive is long and hard but beautiful. So much of Kenya is really picturesque. The village was Fr. D'Ag's last legacy and it's just flourishing. They now have 120 orphans and 19 grandparents. The grandparents surprised us by doing a tribal dance and singing, it was so cool!! They talked about what the Village meant to them, that they had security. Everyone was fed and clothed and had medical care. The children were free to learn, the grandparents were free to pass on their traditions, and enjoy the end of their life. There is no electricity or indoor plumbing, but it will be self sustaining within 5 years. Within 4 years they will have 1000 orphans, and 250 grandparents. the opening of the school was a huge milestone in the development. I will never forget how specatacular the sky was at night, you could see the Milky Way!! We were also told they had just killed a huge red mamba snake that they found in a tree! I admit that totally freaked me out. The kids were so excited to have textbooks and supplies, a first for them. I know Fr. D'Ag is happy somewhere.
You can look at Nyumbani.org and click on the village to get the whole story of the village.
I'm actually going to keep this one brief! more later. Olympic,village and day care pics to come. Stay safe officer tim and xoxoxo little boy
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Life goes on
I'm feeling much better, if there's one thing you learn here it's that life truly does go on. We all are remembering Margaret, I will never be able to forget her, but we are moving forward. Thank you all for all your support, you are all my life line to a saner world. The Nyumbani kids have been on school holiday for a month. The first 3 weeks they all had tutoring here provided by the volunteers. This last week has been the Nyumbani Olympics. Each cottage is an African country, (Cottage D is Tanzania) they watch an Olympic themed movie in the morning, (chariots of fire, cool running, miracle on ice etc) then we have the games and the afternoon is a special activity. One of the volunteers had gotten all the Olympic music so we play that and they had the opening ceremonies with the march of nations, each cottage made their flag, we have an olympic torch made out of tissue paper, we have an announcer and medals for the winners. The first day of the games I was caring for Margaret so I didn't participate in the game events, though I did take them to the movie. (It felt so surreal knowing she was dying listening to the olympic theme and the kenyan national anthem, an experience that I will never forget) They loved the real movie in a cinema, the older ones had been but not the younger ones. What I think they loved most was the hand dryer in the bathroom! When I checked in with Cottage D they were so dejected, they hadn't won anything! Which they totally blamed on me. yesterday was a much better day. George won the pacifier race! (you run across the yard with a pacifier in your mouth! and all of cottage D won the find the buried dead batteries in the sand event. My favorite was the Kenyan bobsled race! the youngest in the cottage sits in a cardboard box and 2 of the oldest pull them across the yard and we time them! It's so fun, if felt so good to laugh, it's what we all needed.
Ken was beside himself when Sr. mary put his medal around his neck! Here's a picture of George who broke our losing streak, some of the kids plotting team strategy, and a very proud ken.
Thank God, life does go on. Enjoy all the pictures, it took all morning to upload them but I'm caught up!
Ken was beside himself when Sr. mary put his medal around his neck! Here's a picture of George who broke our losing streak, some of the kids plotting team strategy, and a very proud ken.
Thank God, life does go on. Enjoy all the pictures, it took all morning to upload them but I'm caught up!
New meaning for ABC
This is a sign you would never see in the States. It's in the next village over, Dagorreti. Last time I was here I volunteered there.
Safari
Tho, the ese are just 2 quick pictures, have alot more but it would take too long. I'm standing in front of lake Nakuro, the pink in the background is thousands of pink flamingos.the giraffe picture is for Jack, aka little boy
kericho guest house
This is the guest house for the US Army's Walter Reed Project where Melissa and I stayed. Doesn't look like much but it was wonderful. This is a picture of the unlimited HOT water coming out of the spigot in the bath, it was slightly tea colored but it was HOT so who cared! I took a long Hot bath followed immediately by a HOT shower.The height of luxury!
dressed for the long rains
The kids call this my blue banana, thank you Caryl A for it! I wear it with my big black "gumboots" I got for 350 shilllings (about $5) everyone loves it and covets it! This is the only way to stay dry and upright in all the mud.
Easter
Sorry these are sideways!! We flipped them but then they uploaded like this! Anyway, it's latia in her Easter finery. Then flight crews from British Airways came loaded with gifts and celebrated easter with the kids. THis is a pilot who totally surprised the kids, dressed up like the bunny and they had an easter egg hunt.it was hilarious.
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