Mombasa Raha Day 3

Mombasa 

June 7, 2011

Today was an exciting day...It would be our first free day.  Okay well not entirely free.  We left the hotel a bit later than usual and walked to the beach.  When we got there the professor announced that we would be going on a Water Safari.  Some of the group stayed behind at the the hotel so we waited for them.  After everyone arrived we sat around some more and took pictures.  Our boats had not arrived so Johnothan and I decided to ride a camel.  It was such an awesome experience.  When I sat on the camel since I was in the front it lurched up and from the front up and I felt a jerk that frightened me a bot.  We rode for about 15 minutes.  Johnothan and I was being silly singing and posing on the camel.  Once we were done the camel sat down front first which was another sudden jerk.  

Just in the nick of time the boat arrive and our water Safari would begin.  I did not know what to expect as I have never heard of a water safari before. We set sail on the Indian Ocean. Apparently, there is a glass in the bottom of the boat so you can see the bottom of the ocean.  We saw the coral reefs and school of fishes.  It was indescribable.  I love water and fishes so this made my day.  Once we got out to the open ocean, one of the guys jumped and dived under and started feeding bread to the fishes.  The most beautiful zebra fishes rose to the top.   I screamed and shouted with joy punda malia fishes.   Then, we  were told that we could jump and snorkel and feed the fishes.  I was brimming with excitement.  I had never done anything like this before. I found snorkeling kind of difficult but I was able to feed the fishes.  There was also an Ugandan couple on our boat who was in Kenya for their honeymoon.  I even dived under the boat and touched the glass. 

We sailed out further to a blue lagoon with a sandbar.  Today, was a day of firsts.  I never heard of a sandbar either.  Sandbars are places in rivers, sea, and oceans that have a gathering of rocks, sand, and pebbles that may be more shallow than the rest of the ocean.  I never knew such a thing existed and so far from the shore and in an ocean.  We took tons of pictures and reveled in the moment.  

After we got back to the shore.  We had a free day.  I went  IL Covo...everyone in the group is in love with this place. WE ordered tons of food and it was so good.  The guys went to get a full body massage for five dollars and I went to swim in the pool.

Since it was our last night in Mombasa our professor arranged for us to go out on a group dinner.  Surprisingly we sowed up to Bombolulu.  On our way there we encountered a loud screaming which later we learned that someone was being hysterical.  Due to the beliefs of the people here they believed she must be possessed or that someone must have put a spell on her.  Two girls from our group suggested they go to the hospital but they disagreed with them.  The food was great and they had a dance floor for us to enjoy.  It was a great last night in Mombasa.  

Mombasa Raha Day 2

June 7, 2011
Mombasa

Today we had another lecture.  Today's lecture focused primariliy on politics.  The presenter, Yusuf, is the secretary to the Shirikisho party.  He explained the political party and its struggles in placing many people in Parliament.  One of the startegies they used was joining with the poltical stronghold and ruliing party, PNU.  Despite their efforts thgey were stuill unsucessful.   They lecture also covered some history that we knew about.

After the lecture we went to this great cultural center that is doing amazing things.   The name of the place is Bombolulu Workshops and Cultural Center.   They work with people of all abilities.  The people there despite their disabilities have the best ability and it's to create some beautiful art pieces.  The neatest thing was one group of men make wheelchairs for the other members who may need it.  They even have a school for children with disabilities and house most of them there.  The staff there performed for us and gave us a tour of more Bomas (if you don't know what that means see previous post ).   The performance was the best depiction of traditional dancing thus far.  Of course I jumped in and showed off with my Caribbean flavor.  They were all astounded by moves. At the end of the tour we went to the gift shop so I bought some stuff there to support the wonderful work being done.

Today, Wamai would be treating us to a beach that was on the other side, on the North Shore.  The beach was beautiful although it had a lot of seaweeds.  I chilled and read a book.

Some people planned a thank you dinner for our hosts, Dr. Wamai, Carlo, Hellen, Ben, and Charles.  We took them to this really fancy restaurant called Ill Covo.  I danced a little in their bar upstairs.  It was a a pretty chill day.

Mombasa RAHA (pleasure and leisure)

June 6, 2011

Mombasa

Our first day in Mombasa.  It's really humid here but it's also really gorgeous.  It's the hottest I have ever been since in Kenya. The hotel provided breakfast and then we proceeded to the tent outdoors for our lecture of the day.  We would be learning about the Swahili culture and people since we were now officially in SwahiliLand.  Our lecturer, Alawy Abzein, works for the museum of Kenya so he described the historical context behind alot of the cultural practice.  The culture of Mombasa or the Swahili people seems to draw alot from other cultures simply because they are on the coast so they interact with other through import and export. The original name for the Swahili people were Wanglizi.  Their culture is like a fusion of Middle East, Africa, Europe and India.  The men wear white robes and a hat with a tassel while the women wear black robes and cover their faces. Their music called the tarap has the mixture of all those countries described.  It was a very informative lecture and it was nice again to see the difference in cultures that one country can possess, all the diversity.  

Following our blog we went to see Old Town Mombasa.  It was the most beautiful city.  The construction iof the building were semblance of Portugual.  It definitely had European influence.  We went on a tour of Fort Jesus.  Fort Jesus has an interesting hsitory behind it beacsue it has been used for any purposes bcy many groups of people.  It was built by the Portugueses as a naval base, then it was taken over by the Oman Arabs, later the Bristish had claim to it and lastly it was a prison.  Through the fort their were little windows and the view of the ocean was amazing through them.  They even have an actual body display under the tree it was found.  We then had a walk through tour of Old Town.  While on the tour I bought a coconut and a mango.  Both were yummy and filling. 

Last stop on our list was for the day was a private hospital.  The name of the hospital is the Aga Khan Hospital which is apart of Aga Khan Health Services.  This facility was comparable to facilities in the United States.  It was a drastic change from the other hospitals and clinics that we have visited.  One could see the clear difference in services for the wealthy and the poor.  We met with Dr. Amyn Lakhani who works in the Health Services section of the Aga Khan Network.  He has had experiences in medical and health sectors in many places around the world.  He discussed health workers and I knew he would be a great source for my paper.  

At the end of the day we went back to our hotel.  We hung out in the pool for the rest of the day playing a bunch of games.  

On The Road Again: Nairobi to Voi to Mombasa

Friday, June 3

Driving to Nairobi

Today we would be leaving Kissumu  We woke up extra early because it would be an all day drive.  As usual we stopped a couple of times for chai for snacks, and to use a friendly bush.  We stopped in the town of Nakuru for munch but I was too exhausted so I stayed on the bus instead to read and sleep.  We drove from there straight to Nairobi.  We pulled into Comforts and it was the best feeling ever Home Sweet Home!!! I love the atmosphere created by the staff and the rooms in Comforts so I was extremely happy to be back.  I went straight to my room to use the Internet naturally.  I went to sleep early as we would be travelling again tomorrow and I wanted to wake up to pack. 

Sunday, June 4

On the road again driving to Voi/Tsavo

Voi

Today we would make a stopover in Voi before we went to Mombasa.  We would be going to game reserve.  The trip was not bad, we arrived at our new hotel at around 2:30 pm.  We stopped for chai as usual and to use a friendly bush.  The hotel we would be staying for the night was absolutely stunning.  The design was creative.  It looked like a tree-house on the ground  I was living in an actual hotel room but some people in the group got to stay in these cool  tents  that had a full bathroom.  There was a quad and the rooms surrounded the quad.  Everyone was really excited.  We ate lunch at the hotel and then we headed out for Tsavo East National Park: Theater of the Wild.  It was a ten minute drive from our hotel.  When we got there it took us a while to get in.  Our logistics guy Ben and the driver Charles said the best times to come is duck before they close and dawn  The Park was okay we saw some elephants and tons of gazelles.  At the exit we were greeted by buffaloes crossing the road.  The best part of the day though was going into the town and chilling with the guys.  Ben, Charles, Johnothan, Sam, Russ, and I went to the barbershop as they all decided to get a trim.  For the price of a 100 Ksh or $1.16 one gets a haircut, a wash, and a head massage.  The guys were all smiles.  We head back home and I immediately went to sleep as we needed to be up at 6:15 to go back to the park. 

Sunday, June 5

Tsavo East Park again

En route to Mombasa

The hotel staff woke us at around 5:50 to be ready to head to Tsavo East in the morning.  Ben told us that the best time to go is in the morning because the animals are moving first thing.  We were greeted by an elephant as we drove in.  I was really tired so at times when not much activity was going on I would sleep.   We took the same road we did the previous night and as we drove by we saw a dead giraffe lying there hollowed out.  We knew it happened last night.  It reminded me of the saying "Only the fittest survive".  We passed a gazillion gazelle (alliteration), saw giraffes eating from the trees, and standing in the road.  The cutest thing we saw were three elegant female ostriches and then all of a sudden we saw male ostrich perch down near them and he coked up and started swaying his black and white feathers side to side.  en and Dr. Wamai explained that it was their mating dance .  One of the females went close and walked away...he took it as a sign of interest and followed her. He proceeded to the dance again but they completely ignore again.   The animals were natural posers it was awesome.  We saw punda malias/ zebras.  Zebras are beautiful creature...I love their stripes.  Lastly we went to a far out part of the park....we were driving till Charles came to a halt once Ben says, "I have seen the lion".  This has to be the most epic saying on the trip.  Ben always spots things that none of us can actually see. Everyone was in a frenzy stating that they couldn't see. We waited there for a long time felt like an hour but I think it was for about 15-20 minutes.  Other buses came and parked looking out.  we were told that there were three lions.  Heading  east towards the lion was a whole group(?) of elephants.  We were hoping that it would scare the lions from their hiding place and that was exactly what they did.   Three female lions emerged from the bushes...we snapped pictures non stop.  Then they went back  into hiding.  we got pictures of them peeking up every now and then.  The elephants decided to cross in front of us.  They travel in a interesting way but it ensures that they are safe.  One elephant would stay behind  and one ahead on both sides of the road.  When they were crossing one stopped in the middle to ensure that it was okay.   One was literally a few feet from the bus it was exciting. Poor Ben was really scared...lol.  After the elephants crossed the lions reyreated back to their spot and I was able to get some cool shots.  It was like being in National Geographic.  We drove back to the exit where we were greeted by baboons and baby elephants.  We spent 4 hours in the park.  Amazing! Next destination was Mombasa...we would have to hurry and get ready to leave in an hour.

The drive to Mombasa was really short.  No one wanted to stop.  Everyone was dying to go to the beach. Once we got there we checked into the Kahama to Mombasa was really short.  No one wanted to stop.  Everyone was dying to go to the beach. Once we got there we checked into the Kahama hotel.  The hotel was like an American hotel...it had fancy key cards that control the electricity.  We were definitely in a tourist destination.  The hotel had Air conditioner, movie channels, and pool with a slide  We all decided to troop to Indian Ocean which is right behind the hotel. WE hung out in the ocean for an hour and half playing various games  Since the tide was coming in we retreated to the hotel room.  Afterwards My roommate Carlo, Amina and I got dressed up and ate at the hotel bar to have dinner.  It was a good day.  Finally, we were able to relax. 

Male Circumcision and CDC

Thursaday June 2
Kissumu

We met Dr. Bob Bailey who runs the Nyanza Reproductive Heath Society in association with clinic University of Nairobi, Illinois, and Manitoba (UNIM).  It is sponsored by the FHI as a member of the Male Circumcision Consortium.  The mission is to reduce the number of new HIV infection o Kenya by improving and expanding the provision of safe and voluntary male circumcision service.  Basically, Bob Bailey conducted a research that the lack of being circumcised to HIV.  He conduced a randomized control trial.   They had a group of men that were tested negative for HIV and then they separated them into groups.  One group would be circumcised and the other would not.   The experiment was discontinued in the middle as the medical board found that it was unethical to withhold  circumcision to those in the control group.  The reason for this they found a direct linkage to HIV contraction to not being circumcised.  The science behind this was that the foreskin has a mucosal surface that which has langahan cells that target HIV which carries really quickly to lympnodes compared to a circumcised penis whose outer surface which has Keratin that creates a barrier. The experiment revealed that circumcision revealed the risk of contracting HIV/AIDS by 53% . To learn more Click here!

Later we went to a clinic called Tuungane Youth Project.  We were  introduced to center by Rhoda Makioto.  We were even able to observe a circumcision done through local anesthesia.  It was THE COOLEST thing we have ever done hands down.  First, they gave us masks to put on.  A nurse was sterilizing the and then numbing the guy's penis when we walked in.  She then made two marks on the foreskin front and back. She clamped the foreskins at the spot they marked. And then she just used a scissors and cut right across.  They cut about 2-3 inches of foreskin.  There was blood gushing everywhere.  they used clamps to contain the bleeders.  The nurse sewed each bleeder separately with a dissolving thread made of intestine.  Then she sewed the foreskin back to the tip.  I met someone who I was able to survey, we automatically hit it off and talked about everything.

Later we went to the other side of Lake Victoria and Dr. Wamai and I shared a huge fish with Ugali  It was finger licking good.  We then had a visit to CDC/KEMRI which us the largest next to the one in Atlanta.  The presented a video to us and then a quick tour.  Johnothan dressed really sharp and gave his resume.  I really admired that about him. On our tour of the CDC we went into the neglected tropical disease center.  Someone decided to ask them what was he likelihood of us contracting Schistosomiasis from our jump into the Lake.  We were told that we may have gotten one or two worm.  Everyone was freaking out so they prescribed us a medication called PZQ.  I think we should be fine. I am not a fan of panic.

We then had dinner with all the people we interacted with.  It was a good night. We are leaving Kissumu in the morning to go to Nairobi for the night.

GLUK and Lake Victoria

June 1
Kissumu

Happy Madaraka Day! Our welcome to Kissumu was done by Dr. Ochieng of the Great Lake University of Kissumu (GLUK).  The local tribe in Kissumu is Luo, the same tribe as the Prime Minister Raila Odinga.  Thus, Kissumu area was the greatly affected by the Post-election violence of 2007.  The major political party is ODM or the Orange Democratic Movement.  He described how the party name came about and  the new constitution.  He knew alot about everything.  It was refreshing to listen to. Kissumu brings in alot commercial business because it is right near Lake Victoria.   He explained that the major agriculture is rice, fish, and sugar cane.
After talking with the students we went to a Madaraka Celebration occurring in Moi Stadium nearby.  They performed tradition dances, skits, poems, and more.  It was interesting...I ended up getting to a hot discussion with a guy about politics. We then proceeded to our favorite grocery store Nakumat to get some snacks.  Our next destination was the second largest river in the world, Lake Victoria.  We boarded one of the boast in search of hippos.  We saw people bathing and washing clothes at the shore of the river.  Earlier we heard that if we jump in the water too close to the shore we could get Schistosomaisis.  We saw hippo and a baby hippo.  We drove a little ways from the shore and then Emily jumped.  Soon everyone started to follow suit.  I jumped in but had the hardest time getting back in.
Once we got back I went to town with Hellen, Yvette, and Carlo in a tuk tuk. We ate pizza, laughed, and talked.  It was nice to get away from the group for a bit.
While in Kissumu I noticed that there was a huge Indian population. Many of these Indians owned many businesses in Kenya.

Traditional Healers and Tea Factory

Tuesday, May 31
Kisii

Today we had a lecture by three men who practiced traditional medicine.  They used the bible as the religious justification as to why herbal medicine is better.  They discussed all the herbs and plants they use and what it heals. It was a coincidence that there was an article in the newspaper about the place in Tanzania that had the wonder herb called Loliondo. The lecture was not to exciting for me as I hoped they would discuss the implications of herbal medicine in a modern world.  They, then, escorted us to a home based healer. When we got there they were burning the leaves into charcoal and then they crush it to make the powder.   We sat in a demonstration of the diagnosis. A man scattered all these shells, stones, and powder.  Based on how hey fell he would tell you what it is ailing you.  I did not really like its as a  Christian but I wanted to see what they did.  Some people felt like their prediction was spot on while others thought they were pretty generic.
We then went to the tea factory for a tour.  It was cool seeing the process from beginning to end.  I was so intoxicated bu the smell.  I bought two packs of the tea.
After we left the factory we drove to Kissumu.

Lwala Community Alliance

Monday, May 30th
Kisii

We had an all day site visit to Lwala Community Alliance. Of course our bus was not able to go all the way so we ended up walking there for about 20 minutes. When we arrived we were greeted by Kelly Baird who was the education and volunteer coordinator as well as Robert Kasambala, the Program Director. Kelly gave us the historical background of Fred and Milton who the community raised funds to send to school who later studied in the U.S at the same school pursuing a medical degree. They raised money to build a clinic back in their community. She describe the program with such zest and passion. I appreciated and loved the concept of Lwala which is an holistic approach to enriching the community. She explained that they focused on the strengths and used that for the initiatives that they had. Theses initiatives focused on creating uniforms for girls, reusable sanitary napkins, water sanitation, and washing hands. All of these programs are ran by the people of the community. This increases key players buy-in and many more people support it. We ate lunch and spoke to the women who were in the sewing club. We split up in groups and got a tour of the facility. The facility was impressive and the technology used was alot better than we had seen anywhere else in Kenya.

Kelly then took us on a tour of the community we met Fred and Multon's uncle. We walked to aspiring and even further to bridge that was shaky and missing woods that sometimes boda boda crossed with patients. Also, she showed us an unfinished bridge that was so much better but someone had ran off with the money before completing it.

We walked back to the school and saw the teacher's home. We helped to paint blackboards in several of the classrooms. I felt happy that we went somewhere and did the litttle that we could. We walked back said our laters and went to the bus. We all wanted to stop and get soapstone souvenirs as that is what Kisii is famous for. I got tons of pieces.

Later we met up with the group again from Lwala for a buffet style dinner. We also met Hellen's mom who was the sweetest. She is going back to secondary school. What an inspiration!

A Trip Down Wamai's Memory Lane

Saturday, May 28 Nyeri
Sunday May 29 Driving to Kisii

Today we would be re-living some of Wamai's fondest memories as well as visiting some cool places.  The first stop on our chill day was the Agikuyu Peace Museum.  This museum discussed that despite the tribal difference many of the tribes found common ground like food, drinking beer, and jewelry.  There were many cool artifacts all over the place.  It also had tons of quotes that were applicable to peace on the wall.  One of the tools of peace is a mother's baby.  Some of the reasons were it was taboo to kill a baby girl during inter community raids, and it was taboo for a man to beat his while she was holding a child. The curator discussed famous elders and took around the back to their peace garden.  The peace garden or shrine of the nine elders was dedicated to nine children of the first man and women.  it had nine trees native to Kenya in a circle.  Our next stop was the treetops hotel which was the last home of the founder of International World Scouts Robert Baden-Powell. The room was decorated all the scout flags around the world.  It was very colorful.  After, we visited his burial site.
Next we drove to see a bridge that Wamai built as a Scout but unfortunately it was not there.  However there was a beautiful fall so we took plenty of pictures.  As usual we had a mini hike back to the bus.  The next stop was Nanynuki where we would go to the equator.  It took an hour to get there, but before we visited we grabbed some food.  Johnothan and I saw the menu and went to town we ordered spaghetti and steak with rice.  We then proceeded to the equator where there was a demonstration.  In the demonstration if we move north of the equator the stick in water spins clockwise, in the south it spun counterclockwise and on the equator it stayed in the middle.
Later on we met up with the Nasisi group and had a buffet dinner.  The food was excellent and plenty.  I had ordered a cake for Johnothan the night before since his birthday was at midnight we sang for him and then poured water on him which was a Kenyan tradition.  Afterwards we hit the dance floor till we got tired.  We went to our hotel to ring Johnothan's birthday in at the pub there.  We even ran into one of the doctors we met at Nyeri Provincial.  It was a great night.  We had a long trip ahead so we called it a night at 12:30.

Sunday May 29th
Today we would be driving to Kisii.  However, instead,  of a straight trip we had a  few stops.  The first stop was Thomson Falls.  It was beautiful looking down on it.  Then, my face changed to surprise when I discovered that we would hike down the mountain to the bottom of the fall.  Why does everything we do turn into a hike?    We ended up hiking down the mountain but it was definitely worth it.  It was gorgeous.  I wish I was wearing proper shoes or I would have gotten closer like some people did.  The next stop was for chai and lunch.  The food there was gross which led me to become a semi vegetarian for the rest pf the trip.  We paused to admire the tea plantations in Kericho.  Of course I also used the tea plantation as a friendly bush. The way they pick the tea is two leaves and a bud. I had tons of questions when I saw the homes of the workers. Last stop on our list was our hotel in Kisii. Hellen explained to us when we were almost there that there should be no jeans. shorts, or leggings.  Kissi is very conservative, at one point they use to strip women who wear pants.  We finally arrived at our new hotel.  The rooms were huge and nice but it was no Kenya Comforts.

Nyeri Provincial Hospital and the Dam

Friday, May 27
Nyeri

Today we did the usual ate breakfast and walked to our next site.  It was a ten minute walk from the hotel.  We would be getting a tour of Nyeri Provincial Hospital. We spoke with the Deputy Medical Superintendent, JL Macharria.  He was not every effective in answering our questions.  Nyeri Provincial is the second ranking provincial hospital.  It has 410 beds. He showed us the many awards the hospital received.  Similar to our health they offer waivers to people who cannot afford.  He went over some data with us that was on the wall.
We met Dr. Njau who would take us on a tour of the different wards.  They have a system set-up in the outpatient clinic where the patients first went to reception paid 50 shillings and were issued a patient card to see someone.  This side of the hospital is mostly ran my Clinical Officers and Medical Officers and the interns.  They have various special clinics for diabetes, orthopedics, plaster room, and Mother and Child Health care.  The in-patient clinic is ran by the 8doctiors.  There is two female wards and one male ward.  They have consultants that specialize in specific areas.   We visited the maternity, pscyh, trauma, and internal medicine ward.  It was heartbreaking watching pregnant women sharing beds or children and adults with severe burns.  Many of the patients shared bed which must not have been sanitary or comfortable.  Also they were all in an open room compared to home where everyone has their own space.  Carlo almost broke because she was so distraught seeing something like this, she was so unaware of this and it happened in her own backyard.  I had enough for the days o I didn't go into the psych ward.  One thing is for sure anyone who practices medicine in a developing country is the best doctor because they have to deal with so much. Our group finished a bit earlier so I sat on the grass with Carlo and chatted for awhile then I decided to grab this superb fruit salad that had avocados, mango,banana, pineapple, and watermelon for less than a dollar.  It was so filling and tasty.
The bus arrived just in time.  we stopped in town for a short lunch but I do not eat.  Our next stop was a project on the River that Wamai helped to donate life jackets for.  They took us for a ride in the boat then they got tilapia which they fried for us.  It was amazing...I ate so much fish! We saw the tree nursery and even planted our own.
Next stop, Muringato Primary School where Dr. Wamai's sister Ann worked.  Once again the children greeted us in song so we sang back.  WE had a really intense discussion that Hellen facilitated about women taking advantage of the knowledge and go on to politics. We asked them whether they thought a woman could run a country and  a boy stated that "No because women cannot run a house so they cannot rule a country." We handed them school supplies and sent them on their way as it was running late.  The teachers had chai, avocado, chapati, and donuts waiting for us.  More food...I was stuffed.  I decided not to eat dinner.

Nasisi Youth Community Based Organization (CBO)

Thursday, May 26
Nyeri

We woke up and had breakfast in the hotel's restaurant.  We walked for ten minutes to YMCA where Nasisi is hosted. We were greeted by women singing and dancing traditional Kikuyu songs.  They had on the attire and their energy just sucked you in.  The sang and led us to a room where we met Michael who is  the director of Youth Development Partners Program.  Nasisi uses theater to educate the community.  It is a behavior change organization.  They touch on various issues like: drugs, health, networking, capacity building and more.  Mike led us into ice breakers sow e could get acquainted with the youths from the program.  My favorite was of course Mingle Mingle.  We participated in a Kikuyu traditional circumcision dance.  They dressed us up in native wear and taught the dance.  The guy who was singing used the lyrics to make us feel integrated which I really liked.  We did this for about an hour.  Sam ended up being the guy who was circumcised.  It was a lot of fun..You all know how much I like to dance!  We ate lunch there which was mukimo, bananas, and potatoes.   After the students performed for us.  They were brilliant actors, actresses, and singers. We were able to ask Michael some questions.
We went into Nyeri town for a bit.  I liked it alot more than Nairobi.  It was smaller but still busy but the air seemed alot cleaner and fresher.  We were scheduled to visited a school named St. Teresa All Girls Primary Boarding School.  The girls entered the room and introduced themselves.  They sang and danced for us.  They were like professionals.  We sang Bill Me Up Buttercup and Lean On Me. There is 309 girls in attendance and 14 teachers, 11 are paid by the government and three by the board.  Although it is a public school the girls go through an intense screening process. The grades range from class 4-8.   The girls there are very polite and respectful.  The girls compared to the other schools asked really good questions.  The facility was really nice and clean.  It was a change from the other schools we saw.  The girls come from all over Kenya.
This concluded our day.

Nyeri: Dr. Wamai's Family Visit

Wednesday, May 25
Nyeri

Today we drove to Nyeri which is in the Mount Kenya area.  I had to wake up early to iron my clothes that were not fully dry. The bus was late which gave me time.  We drove for about two and a half hours and then we  arrived at the Wamai Family farm.  The drive there was gorgeous, rolling hills and the climate changed to being a bit more cool.   We arrived at very neat home that Wamai was so proud to tell us he grew up in.  In the backyard there were tons of people preparing food.  Wamai introduced us then took us inside the house to meet his mother.   The house had three bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, and a bathroom
After we walked all around the land.  We picked canes, avocados, macadamia nuts, guava, and many other fruits.  When we got back they had a spread of mandazi, oranges, the best tasting bananas ever, and chai.  We would be walking to a local health center that Wamai's mom attends.  We made a couple of stops.  The first was a cattle dip and the second we had a mini hike down a waterfall that had a cave that use to host Mau
Mau during the revolt.  We took pictures at the bottom and top then left after a half hour.  The walk to the health center from there was about 45 mins.  Wamai grabbed my hand while he was walking I was jogging. He wanted to help me get to the front of the line instead of lagging behind.
At the entrance of the health center there was a sign that stated the rights of the patients as well as the fees for the different services.  The name of the clinic was Ngorano Helath Center which is a level three clinic.  As a head nurse Perpetua was knowledgeable and was able to answer all our questions.  On staff they have a Public Health Officer, seven Nurses, 2 Clinical Officers, and a Doctor.   They provide many services for all ages.  They have a comprehensive care center for HIV positive patients as well as they ensured that mothers saw them four times for antenatal care.  I was impressed by the data information that they had in place.  She even had a visual chart on the wall.   They also had a maternity ward.  I helped put a condom on a Mr. Woody and then helped the male nurse who was doing a coil insertion demo.  Dr. Wamai decided to get tested...funny guy!
Charles and Ben came to pick us up just in time for dinner.  Alizar helped to slaughter the goat. We then sat around and chatted while the food was finishing up.  we got to know the rest of the family.  They had Rice, stew, chicken, goat meat, mukimo, chapati , beans, and more.  Of course I had a Stoney baridi with it.  After dinner, I went inside to snuggle up beside Wamai's mom near the fireplace to look up the pictures.  I spoke to his sisters Jen and Ann.  I even discovered that Carlo is actually Wamai's niece.  Outside was a bit chilly, I could even see my breath.  When I got outside the group was singing, then Wamai's mom told a story of the woman who ruled the men, and then we did riddles.  It was a cute bonfire.  We said our Kwaherini and proceeded to our hotel.  Carlo and I would be rooming together for the next couple days.

Settling in to watch my Naija movie.  Good Night!