tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70187660223215169322024-03-05T09:36:53.513-08:00Gretchen Julie WagnerGretchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04256008293467136794noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018766022321516932.post-68358351192653554992012-07-04T01:21:00.000-07:002012-07-04T01:24:48.877-07:00Switzerland....
Known for its chocolate, watches, cows, banks, the UN as well as an obsession with efficiency. I will admit that I came with some apprehension as well as disinterest in the culture, relying on my desire to hike in the Swiss Alps to motivate me. Stamped by by comrades going to France and inadvertently preparing for that trip, the past days have felt like a dream of being somewhere unexpected and struggling to convince myself I am here in Switzerland, whatever that means. I have made my way around the region to check in on my kids only to find them staying in lovely homes with lovely people from all different backgrounds; French, English, German, Peruvian, Iranian etc... This makes it kind of hard to know what exactly is Swiss. Many of these folks have some kind of association with the banks here and I was saddened to hear from one of the host mothers that her husband works from 7am - 8pm each day. He travels often and does not have the luxury to be home even for the children's birthdays.
My host family is a bit different, they are a couple about the same age as my parents. They are semi-retired and were both born and raised here in Switzerland. My host mother was born in a small village not far from the town of Nyon where I am currently staying. She reminded me that these people work because they choose to. They choose to support large houses with multiple amenities and nice vacations. I am suddenly reminded of my own struggle to find employment and although I may not have much I am still master of my daily destiny.
Switzerland is much more agrarian that I thought it would be. People struggle here to find their way lust like anywhere. What I have found so far is an incredibly diverse population quite unlike any that I've ever seen.
Finally I saw the mountains for the first time yesterday. They've been hiding behind the haze of our first few days and the rain of the next few. They took my breath away! I think I'm ready to discover what this place has to offer...Gretchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04256008293467136794noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018766022321516932.post-75454078515239153512010-10-08T17:38:00.000-07:002010-10-09T09:40:43.120-07:00...back in the US and no time to blog...Well I am sorry I haven't written here in a long while. I'm sure many people won't be looking here as my adventure in Kenya has ended and the US just doesn't seem to be as interesting. I would beg to differ...<br /><br />I have started a masters program in Education called Prevention Science and Practice. You ask what that means and I say I'll tell you when I get the degree. :) My hope is that I'll learn a lot about program planning, evaluation and implementation. Nevertheless, I find it interesting that I am often reminded about what I want to do by day to day interactions with friends and strangers. <br /><br />The other day a friend was telling me a story about an altercation they had with a stranger. Apparently the stranger was indignant over having to share a space. This person attacked my friend verbally and after antagonizing my friend to a point of saying "shut up" this person got an authority involved. The altercation continued to the point where the stranger called my friend a very offensive name and eventually was removed from the facility. First of all I feel like the stranger's attitude was wrong from the start. I think a lot of people walk around with this kind of grumpy, antagonistic, "I'm gonna hit before I get hit" attitude making any dialogue difficult to begin with. But to step away from blaming the situation on someone's bad attitude I'd like to say that the situation was not necessarily handled in a way that might transform this person or help us avoid similar situations in the future. Punishment rarely changes attitudes or behaviors. I want to acknowledge people and their attitudes, good and/or bad and care for them despite their attitudes. I think the things I am learning are clues to figure out what bad attitudes are telling us about how society treats people and how, in turn people cope with society. Kids are the same, just less set and honestly more resilient. <br /><br />Another example of inspiration I had was in learning about a local community center, which had internship opportunities for high school kids to participate in a day camp for younger kids. Apparently on one of the first days a fight broke out between a couple of the younger kids. The older kids didn't do anything. No one told them to. After the incident, some of the leaders of the community center realized their mistake in not preparing the older kids to take a little more responsibility with the younger kids. They quickly re-examined how the older kids might be good role models for the younger kids and took steps towards training them to do so. I think this is a brilliant and natural strategy of working with youth. They have an innate social capital with each other and where an adult can be a good mentor for older kids, the older kids can in turn be great mentors for younger kids. Another benefit from this is teaching kids responsibility, leadership and that their voice in many situations is valuable. I really want to be involved with building programs like this, that call upon the talent that is already there. Whether it's working with youth or working with adults I think building on potential is more powerful than taking the time to wipe the slate clean and force individuals into a model that doesn't always make sense. Who am I to tell anyone what's best for them or how to go about achieving it? <br /><br />We'll see if I can learn to solve the problems of the world in just 9 months. If not then I guess the fun will just begin!:)Gretchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04256008293467136794noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018766022321516932.post-15832945067383876712010-07-24T06:02:00.000-07:002010-07-24T06:36:01.323-07:00My last week in Kenya...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhGMkok1NrqIru1XRzeO1tOKxOKRFlq8uRafgfvwe6SoZTNYKrdCJEby435ws8kUPqZua-o8d90u75SnQvkmmBGNWBSpZfUM_gTo8a2LHIpfxniUKlgRXl51xXTibPzxwTDY8DnmLmiM8/s1600/IMG_4497.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhGMkok1NrqIru1XRzeO1tOKxOKRFlq8uRafgfvwe6SoZTNYKrdCJEby435ws8kUPqZua-o8d90u75SnQvkmmBGNWBSpZfUM_gTo8a2LHIpfxniUKlgRXl51xXTibPzxwTDY8DnmLmiM8/s320/IMG_4497.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497465457462274610" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrKBT-kY94xUAYW-vibfKLIb9k3DH19BVBrGrvCALw6K6tdBDQO-p41CLTPgFX8zpWcvCywqZ9P3hY684SHdeOsey5ppq8vDeb90hXIb0YFQJglR5PHeraRL7ZyldydF8Wc5LvtXWQ5Is/s1600/IMG_4501.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrKBT-kY94xUAYW-vibfKLIb9k3DH19BVBrGrvCALw6K6tdBDQO-p41CLTPgFX8zpWcvCywqZ9P3hY684SHdeOsey5ppq8vDeb90hXIb0YFQJglR5PHeraRL7ZyldydF8Wc5LvtXWQ5Is/s320/IMG_4501.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497465156809384882" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiONsuYirWA9p0IPbltnv4HrvQQe0LhoyxYec5GQU-dR7aBYIGNaJC4JZEKwfaBIbFwraCW0Hh_8vULoBsiSf8HkpJ2cUqXlUCW2x857rPOcYu_qCssMswvrY_X1c_bxWzrcQuJ0_IjmRg/s1600/IMG_4519.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiONsuYirWA9p0IPbltnv4HrvQQe0LhoyxYec5GQU-dR7aBYIGNaJC4JZEKwfaBIbFwraCW0Hh_8vULoBsiSf8HkpJ2cUqXlUCW2x857rPOcYu_qCssMswvrY_X1c_bxWzrcQuJ0_IjmRg/s320/IMG_4519.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497464359409005778" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi34Kjp0E5YkoudskxUSG2MY7b4ZEMoq6ATw4WgLwHtlUHn4yKbvS-Wk6SCAd-Y73VfQ-DGh_Uz6UeaGgXu1oz3xm85lC7louPC-X1o7tk5HTFUKxaAYw28-DyABma42nAZNmSf2af5aqg/s1600/IMG_4523.JPG"><img style="float:left; 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margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMbIeFNeRY9XCxsQFOOuIlln8-Wvr2ehx2uX7gyZVWFiMsm_9rZvR0_99YUGoaN6JsOB7JJcTJ5Nz_mBxYJLTR6ZM9xBr0IR1yWUuRS2GOCpslz5oamxltki-WPgysQDrqCYgYMgu3JMk/s320/IMG_4554.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497462238995518050" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhikIUGH0cbgXBj3O3Ke2yN9x5PFopHQarKE0f0Q2rNod1BbQ63ULBBOLcn3dCv8nwYkoUvdOqoP9UVYOAGFnAcZRNfvMNkQkYnSVqSLNJpBtXBBu7zOB2ppMB8D_5QlC-V_vRHDDgn2kA/s1600/IMG_4586.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhikIUGH0cbgXBj3O3Ke2yN9x5PFopHQarKE0f0Q2rNod1BbQ63ULBBOLcn3dCv8nwYkoUvdOqoP9UVYOAGFnAcZRNfvMNkQkYnSVqSLNJpBtXBBu7zOB2ppMB8D_5QlC-V_vRHDDgn2kA/s320/IMG_4586.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497461807856998226" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Xgu_GPSvTNv82tun1ZbvxLpYq6sqFhZWVDLXuh86UQ0fQ-zMLCnsoVN1NpCF0BG-YyfS9M0S01Mvrz-lsfxh4LF2dim-9iZjEDVB2-2ZhfXAFuhkeJIc5Rw5O2nOsJreusnJY0ZBhQA/s1600/IMG_4655.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Xgu_GPSvTNv82tun1ZbvxLpYq6sqFhZWVDLXuh86UQ0fQ-zMLCnsoVN1NpCF0BG-YyfS9M0S01Mvrz-lsfxh4LF2dim-9iZjEDVB2-2ZhfXAFuhkeJIc5Rw5O2nOsJreusnJY0ZBhQA/s320/IMG_4655.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497461132292279970" /></a><br />Well here I am winding down my six month adventure in Chogoria, Kenya. I certainly have mixed feelings about leaving such a beautiful place and all the wonderful news friends I've made. But I am also looking forward to my new venture at Harvard and devising a way to come back. ;) <br /><br />The past month has been amazing and harrowing all at the same time. I finally got to climb Mount Kenya! You can see that it was a beautiful three day hike to Lanana where the terrain went from somewhat African to simply alpine. Each night was incredibly cold but that just inspired me to get up and hike each morning. We really lucked out with beautiful weather and got a great view of the sunrise. I am so glad I did this!<br /><br />The new Global Health Fellow also arrived this month. Her name is Liz and she's great! I am so excited to see where she takes the Public Health Program in the next year. When I went to pick Liz up from the airport I wanted to renew my visa so that I would at least be in the country legally when my flight leaves. However, I was informed that Kenya does not allow foreigners to remain in the country past 6 months, unless they have a work visa stipulating a longer period of time. Of course I worried the entire next week about how to deal with this. We decided to plan a trip outside of Kenya in hopes I could renew my six months upon re-entry. Although the idea of traveling to another country is usually enticing for me, I was looking forward to spending as much time in Chogoria as possible before I have to leave. On the way to Tanzania I decided to stop at the immigration office to make one final try to getting an extension. I was overjoyed to find a wonderful man who gave me until July 31 and did not even ask for a bribe. It's always nice to be reminded of the benevolence of humans and I am truly greateful. <br /><br />I'll see some of you very soon and I hope you enjoy these pictures!Gretchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04256008293467136794noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018766022321516932.post-11369497417003910652010-06-14T06:12:00.001-07:002010-06-14T07:04:42.354-07:00ANIMALS!First of all thanks to my Mum and Pops for coming to visit and taking me on a Safari and the Walter and Marsha for adding to the fun!
<br /> Some of the feelings I experienced in the past couple of weeks while out in the parks and reserves here in Kenya are indescribable. I think I was most affected by the fact that most of the people enjoying similar experiences were not Kenyans. I hope to make enough money one day to come back and take a couple of my friends in Chogoria for a Safari.
<br />We saw so many animals and I am still awed by the graceful giants. Elephants are so big and yet so peaceful. They travel several kilometers each day to get to water and then to higher, dryer ground at night all the while eating grass in harmony with so many other animals. Giraffes are like strange fixtures off in the distance sometimes standing in the same position for several hours fooling the observer that they are trees. The gazelles and zebra pepper the grasses and once in a while we even spooked up an adorable warthog running frantically with it’s tail in the air like a flag. The dik diks so small and delicate, it’s amazing they can survive among so many large predators. The lions, I have to say were pretty boring, just lying around paying no mind to anyone. I guess it’s good to be the king. ;) Whoever said hyenas are ugly never set their eyes on the adorable cubs we came across one afternoon. If I didn’t know any better I would have scooped one up to take home. We were lucky to see a cheetah and rhinos both seemingly less social and both amazing to see. The hippos were the most verbal and when we ventured out onto Lake Naivasha in a boat, they just observed us from under the water with only their eyes and noses peeking out. Of course there were monkeys and baboons who have been known to take food from a muzungu but ran at the sight of any Kenyan. It was a spectacular two weeks but the experience tempted my palette without fully sating it. I half joked and was half serious about coming back to volunteer for the park service for a year. I’d love to see the animals and countryside as they change with the seasons. Hmmmm…
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<br />Gretchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04256008293467136794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018766022321516932.post-65985007696358999312010-06-13T06:14:00.000-07:002010-06-14T06:09:20.245-07:00MORE ANIMALS!!!!!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRqlcIxclDYawp4L7xj4TI84gL3GskZuW06ixubFgh7Sv4fjAqwVi6uG1snNqzvyPWp9Zy4vQBAlC6p_9IpVzFo-e_1kbGOX4hmml9Qi8mO6nSEmUL4fg1Mxe1rgcwZPZLDY1_Qu4VW5Q/s1600/Who+you+looin%27+at%3F.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRqlcIxclDYawp4L7xj4TI84gL3GskZuW06ixubFgh7Sv4fjAqwVi6uG1snNqzvyPWp9Zy4vQBAlC6p_9IpVzFo-e_1kbGOX4hmml9Qi8mO6nSEmUL4fg1Mxe1rgcwZPZLDY1_Qu4VW5Q/s320/Who+you+looin%27+at%3F.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482254860426774370" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglNEa4SJEYcr4JRCjbtgqUKtXb79NfvBEX_-q1TkkOoM0DcV2hE1-Tq9tgbWKuyTD843xfGdb2wBHAMfhEjTCpLG7H3vhTcceZNnfQru4P-ZM9q_OZZ1yHUu5YytuhNZYgCs-MRdHOHV8/s1600/elephants+at+sunset.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; 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float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOF4ZtcbrTGFAmCqYbi5sD5aaDhnybc6TebzB9uCvVkA893_0BrJlfqpRY9EUOSeqHj-el_iv1-QnWhvqhjQh4fs8Q26l7TaL_wOOEHNxFAJsDJfESGmaTAaYmV0kI94bKFblM1eclWws/s320/Giraffe+in+the+distance.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482250409175374850" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidXb3LT3ldIpwNRoiKep0J5gurbDI32YE9FPqa3KMOm3gpzMtt_ui3vlEXZdSBYXkRhgNZ-GgPqWVeD87Lpqzc7N4cqVQRnmwLUbqJ91Pli9xBE7H8P-66AsrxO2F7uOIITX1KDJ1p5q8/s1600/Gimme+a+little+kiss.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidXb3LT3ldIpwNRoiKep0J5gurbDI32YE9FPqa3KMOm3gpzMtt_ui3vlEXZdSBYXkRhgNZ-GgPqWVeD87Lpqzc7N4cqVQRnmwLUbqJ91Pli9xBE7H8P-66AsrxO2F7uOIITX1KDJ1p5q8/s320/Gimme+a+little+kiss.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482250091844635858" border="0" /></a>Gretchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04256008293467136794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018766022321516932.post-49308884502363863652010-05-16T10:36:00.001-07:002010-05-16T10:43:44.398-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlQ4zXzh5qF91k5DXVL1kjYoiY2IjSHUCirZ8FG-eZG9vGi8w5JDBiNp7czugjbEUr8o3x3Z_kl20XUfEMIVX6lSxsU-rcvyHqhfdxU1tGQvTvRt5hnrmpA5CPdHO80EpatepCRZDA8yw/s1600/IMG_7836.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlQ4zXzh5qF91k5DXVL1kjYoiY2IjSHUCirZ8FG-eZG9vGi8w5JDBiNp7czugjbEUr8o3x3Z_kl20XUfEMIVX6lSxsU-rcvyHqhfdxU1tGQvTvRt5hnrmpA5CPdHO80EpatepCRZDA8yw/s320/IMG_7836.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471924713015392578" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYV7gMVn6ZpTLQb3bDtKVwJh50BdtyeqUO2rxAc3NbLw3n3pSUi_piQUNde1ZyPI5ClUYjsArZmff2wJfUyUOaRVxbdKzE5k9crdmdAFp2uqwlqZDZJ2t8goMMIEiJRP9Z5w61M9OIAd0/s1600/IMG_7835.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYV7gMVn6ZpTLQb3bDtKVwJh50BdtyeqUO2rxAc3NbLw3n3pSUi_piQUNde1ZyPI5ClUYjsArZmff2wJfUyUOaRVxbdKzE5k9crdmdAFp2uqwlqZDZJ2t8goMMIEiJRP9Z5w61M9OIAd0/s320/IMG_7835.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471924074870993554" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7j0BvhWSrBTZ9SAter2-58o2P4gemx4e94WbbyIDsE18OwRLwVeLQt1rVMNOLVg8QKgdJMnAu98wyPUnNJPWO6ni4KsZCGpVx6qgMRoXXiiyk9Oi4UejTKfZksOiHlDwvJ2bn6AVWL-4/s1600/IMG_7826.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7j0BvhWSrBTZ9SAter2-58o2P4gemx4e94WbbyIDsE18OwRLwVeLQt1rVMNOLVg8QKgdJMnAu98wyPUnNJPWO6ni4KsZCGpVx6qgMRoXXiiyk9Oi4UejTKfZksOiHlDwvJ2bn6AVWL-4/s320/IMG_7826.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471923765615871986" /></a><br /><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Well it’s been another busy couple of weeks with the addition of two new staff members and planning for a series of entrepreneurial trainings for groups to be funded by the VHI micro-finance program. I’m also getting ready to go for a Safari with my parents who arrive in Kenya on May 24!! I am looking forward to some time off and will hopefully be positing some interesting animal pictures the next time I write here!! J</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">So the past week took us to visit a number of people who are members of HIV groups. These are difficult people to visit for many reasons but logistically they generally live quite far apart from each other and they always seem to be in the upper reaches of the mountain just before the forest. I think I have mentioned before that HIV still holds a very bad stigma, in fact I have found that several members of these HIV groups will claim they have not be tested or they are negative. I find this curious as I am told the members often meet each other when they go to the clinic for their ARVs (Anti-RetroViral drugs) and start their groups that way rather than teaming up with neighbors. I imagine many of these folks are afraid of what I may think and are perhaps fearful of their status getting out to their relatives and neighbors. On the other hand there are many who say they are “positive living positively!” </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">So on a more observational note I wanted to write about how I really dislike the schooling system here in Kenya. As you know my apartment is about 15 feet away from an all girls’ primary boarding school. I am generally an early riser at about 6am and find the lights to the school already on and the girls saying their lessons, singing or cleaning their classrooms, often awaken me. They are up by 4 every morning and work until 9pm every night! I’m not sure how much free time they get and they are in classes both Saturday and Sunday. The academic year is divided up into trimesters January 1 to March 30, May 1 to July 31; September 1 to November 30 with breaks in April, August and December. These month-long ‘breaks’ often include a period of 2 weeks called “Tuition” where the kids are basically ‘studying’ rather than having time off. I am not sure the percentage but I think more than half of the Kenyan youth in school are attending a boarding school. These schools are often far away from home where their mother tongue is not spoken. I’m not saying boarding school is bad, it just seems the value of family is overshadowed by it.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Living so close to a school has certainly increased my awareness of how strict it is and how much time the children spend there. I must say that during the month of April I was actually able to meet school aged children while doing home health visits. It was lovely! I realized how much I missed kids. I’m not talking about a classroom of children staring at me and saying hello with an annoying nasal intonation, but kids at home with their parents or out exploring with their friends and doing things kids do! I remember the time I spent in Senegal was enhanced by the presence of children. They have a lot more patience than adults and when they are left to be kids, they have a lot more time too. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Recently I’ve been talking with some of my Kenyan friends about Meru culture and how it seems to be dying out. When the only singing you hear is old English hymns and dancing is pretty much non-existent and the schools in town are looming and closed off and exclusive its no wonder the culture is dying. It seems that globalization and access to images of foreign things that represent success and gratification add to the problem. This is not to say that globalization is all bad. Without it I would not be here now distributing mosquito nets in an attempt to lessen the occurrences of malaria and malaria related deaths. But as I do this work and reflect on my few experiences living outside the US, I am constantly brought back to the question of, how people survived and evolved for thousands of years without any of the conveniences of modernity when we cannot seem to now? </span></span><!--EndFragment-->Gretchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04256008293467136794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018766022321516932.post-70901399366214457502010-05-02T07:27:00.000-07:002010-05-02T07:41:31.362-07:00Wow!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu0Xn-ysFWHr2HpuyrxGzLe6dOaa_oTXRrso8UVOU49Gdxbj50XzdL8tqfzUWzRkzEhecLSf5ZB5cAaPDLUUV-5fnCJFaLefIhJ_v-XGUslrltmO8-ppZs1TevXBqZNJuMJVKsy_ueQD0/s1600/local+support+for+Obama.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu0Xn-ysFWHr2HpuyrxGzLe6dOaa_oTXRrso8UVOU49Gdxbj50XzdL8tqfzUWzRkzEhecLSf5ZB5cAaPDLUUV-5fnCJFaLefIhJ_v-XGUslrltmO8-ppZs1TevXBqZNJuMJVKsy_ueQD0/s320/local+support+for+Obama.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466681433211213906" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYPsAjXjBHPZvargSPApjCDQG3JOimK_SLp9b2Fh-kGq70MYc7Pe0GPPW4yx4SwxFNA3AMXl5og28cd4P8oVsaq0qSpUc_62P567-lKhte_Ysvn85XgkGLbuCkJWwPeZJbLuzW8w3HQDk/s1600/michelle+kendi+obama+kiambe.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYPsAjXjBHPZvargSPApjCDQG3JOimK_SLp9b2Fh-kGq70MYc7Pe0GPPW4yx4SwxFNA3AMXl5og28cd4P8oVsaq0qSpUc_62P567-lKhte_Ysvn85XgkGLbuCkJWwPeZJbLuzW8w3HQDk/s320/michelle+kendi+obama+kiambe.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466680982911077602" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQI11zKRFDpM7yVniDFi45u7ZP9IZF5JxexsRC9kGHgYOR7tQn35CgFmKSe3texx8TfmOMZ46TR2tnPw9BbqA0AI60LTYCYZay5QCl2-YTIHDgfsKCLg5lWXGTX5bUGPIPN1ZV01-4DnY/s1600/beatuiful+rolling+hills+2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQI11zKRFDpM7yVniDFi45u7ZP9IZF5JxexsRC9kGHgYOR7tQn35CgFmKSe3texx8TfmOMZ46TR2tnPw9BbqA0AI60LTYCYZay5QCl2-YTIHDgfsKCLg5lWXGTX5bUGPIPN1ZV01-4DnY/s320/beatuiful+rolling+hills+2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466680631974169346" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkrGlUDY5r9yYE1FHZuXXP_SY7LRhxE2v_atPDn25hX95LyoOIbIaTDzA7YdwYOrgF-1dM0_zp4bxLpZ3z8My2re9RMGynmaNFeTYHTuBispWgw6T-h07KrlI4TciD8jBq9GIo3yUGMOk/s1600/beautiful+rolling+hills.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkrGlUDY5r9yYE1FHZuXXP_SY7LRhxE2v_atPDn25hX95LyoOIbIaTDzA7YdwYOrgF-1dM0_zp4bxLpZ3z8My2re9RMGynmaNFeTYHTuBispWgw6T-h07KrlI4TciD8jBq9GIo3yUGMOk/s320/beautiful+rolling+hills.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466680245093965650" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjyHX7R-nds9czw_WoSupws0MLvu-DjjLcsLEbZU-N39zf0qDxso0X4ehr_kfc-H6ovERZ_JvhQbG04HuQaOxwAWIqbZjG2lzZ2ekDrWjJXBcRm1ttxlQkU_FZesdfyFbKXBa2a2FMz0A/s1600/lenny+muchui.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjyHX7R-nds9czw_WoSupws0MLvu-DjjLcsLEbZU-N39zf0qDxso0X4ehr_kfc-H6ovERZ_JvhQbG04HuQaOxwAWIqbZjG2lzZ2ekDrWjJXBcRm1ttxlQkU_FZesdfyFbKXBa2a2FMz0A/s320/lenny+muchui.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466679857233056130" /></a><br /><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">It’s May 2 and I have less than 3 months left!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The past couple of weeks have been busy orienting a new Community Health Nurse and getting ready for two new Group Coordinators to start tomorrow! Somehow I got the task of developing the orientations. I guess it has a lot to do with knowing what I missed when I started and wanting to make the transition easier for everyone else. I just hope I’m up to the task…<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">So unfortunately I never relocated my camera. <span style="font-family:Wingdings;mso-char-type:symbol;mso-symbol-font-family:Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type:symbol;mso-symbol-font-family:Wingdings;">L</span></span> But at least VHI has been kind enough to let me use the office camera and I’ve included some pictures here. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">As you can see (and imagine) support for Obama is strong here. I even found this small restaurant aka hotel far off the beaten path. I wonder how many Americans know Obama is their 44<sup>th</sup> President? Impressive… Also the baby I’m holding was named Michelle by her big brother in honor of our 1<sup>st</sup> Lady. <span style="font-family:Wingdings;mso-char-type:symbol;mso-symbol-font-family:Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type:symbol;mso-symbol-font-family:Wingdings;">J</span></span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">All this support for Americans aside I have to say I am not so happy about what some American politicians are doing here in Kenya today. Currently Kenyans are registering to vote on a new draft of their Constitution. As always in politics there are people who are against change and with so many controversial aspects, people begin to nit-pick rather than look at the document as a whole. What gets me is when certain groups use their influence to sway the populace when their role should be anything but political. All in all I don’t have the right to judge as I am not a Kenyan and morally I should not try to influence anyone by giving my opinion. However, it would appear that some political groups from the US are pouring money into the debate and meddling in affairs where they have no business. Perhaps I am naïve and I know this is how politics have been done for time in memoriam. Nevertheless, it still grates my nerves. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">So on a lighter note…<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">For the Community Health Nurse’s first week we did our Home Health Visits in pretty mountainous terrain. It was lovely as you can see from my pictures. I also fell in love. His name is Lenny Muchui! He’s an 8-year-old orphan whose grandmother was our guide for the day. Muchui accompanied his grandmother and sat in the front seat of the Land Rover next to me. Needless to say he got lots of sweets that day from yours truly.<span style="font-family:Wingdings;mso-char-type:symbol;mso-symbol-font-family:Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type:symbol;mso-symbol-font-family:Wingdings;">J</span></span> Muchui sang his ABCs and was engaged with us all day when most other 8 year olds would have been bored out of their minds. He also provided an excellent segue for our nurse and what her role with our organization will be. Apparently Muchui has some hearing problems. Fortunately it is caused by impacted earwax and can be relieved by a very simple and inexpensive procedure. However, if Muchui doesn’t have this taken care of soon, he could sustain permanent damage.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <span style="font-family:Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Like so many hospitals and doctor’s offices, the hospital here in Chogoria deals with a lot of patients and has a few doctors and nurses to deal with their needs. This causes for problems like Muchui’s impacted earwax to go untreated. Fortunately Muchui has a scheduled visit coming up and our nurse will connect with he and his grandmother to advocate and guide them to get the treatment he needs. I hope to see him again soon too!</span></span><!--EndFragment-->Gretchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04256008293467136794noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018766022321516932.post-6063452132183482252010-04-18T03:39:00.000-07:002010-04-18T03:47:49.948-07:00government positions...So is it a global pre-requisite that people working in government public service positions be gifted at giving the stink eye? I had to travel to Nairobi on Friday to renew my visa for another 3 months and had the pleasure to interact with the shiny people at the immigration office. First of all I asked where I needed to go and the woman looked at me as though I committed a sin asking her to help me. She waved her hand and told me I had to go to another side of the building "somewhere". This treatment continued throughout the process. Each counter had a person 'working' and about three or four other people laughing, reading the paper and otherwise wasting time and not really addressing my needs or making me feel welcome. I laugh because I am reminded about the way I often feel when going to get my driver's license renewed or vote absent tee. I guess it's nice to know that we aren't so different after all. I just figured (hoped?)our similarities were nicer...<div><br /></div><div>Anyway, folks I may have lost my camera.:( It's a shame too because I had a picture of a really huge tree I saw when out doing home health visits. Keep your fingers crossed I relocate it. In the meantime I'll try to be as descriptive with my words...</div>Gretchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04256008293467136794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018766022321516932.post-45715714983070934242010-04-07T11:58:00.001-07:002010-04-07T12:41:26.915-07:00Mombassa<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDN3QgLcnukEQPShNQ1P6BfAK347QVzJBsq7Hw0sCX711uF9tT3Xoc1UdjFevakiwJJe10yNeENsypfv29jUToWVA6AfEGpQmdMfCmHssTt21908oVXDV9K-vmf3y5Awqj-vs7TouV1_c/s1600/baobob+tree.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDN3QgLcnukEQPShNQ1P6BfAK347QVzJBsq7Hw0sCX711uF9tT3Xoc1UdjFevakiwJJe10yNeENsypfv29jUToWVA6AfEGpQmdMfCmHssTt21908oVXDV9K-vmf3y5Awqj-vs7TouV1_c/s320/baobob+tree.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457482656135365122" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk6MljrhAdEAGLyJdUxfHQiLne6EzFY2lcIpF-gcARO3ELxTt14lxylqY0kMFa2RM58CwrdVJNm8BbdekIo_1_LhxZolDEF1yAaeBJ_dJs84Nk2C1JftWODvL44CF4EDWuHxiJHbzHKXI/s1600/Fort+Jesus+1.jpg"><img style="float:left; 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margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin6kmRaXTK8av0WBw-7ndw7q_fn5Kat4Cy8WpY9xyOh_At-C_gUCp5KJkFC-ssVqei1GjhhvRN-tilthKReJ63POq39ov01u0av2GxCOYS_83w6QDszaoyeuEOlmbTk3BYQ2KMetsL-sk/s320/hungry+hippo.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457472590778484018" /></a><br /><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;text-indent:.5in"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>On the bus trip down I was reminded how small people always strangely seem to take the most space. Seated next to a freakishly small boy, I was awakened several times to a pointy elbow in my back or side, a knee or shoulder encroaching heavily on my space. All in all he was rather cute and aside from waking up one time by him coughing in my face, I didn’t mind the elbows. We arrived in Mombassa around 7:30am. I was delighted to see my first baobab tree since coming to East Africa. After 12 hours of sitting I wanted to walk to my hotel. The bus station conductor thought I was crazy, especially since I had never been to Mombassa. Aside from the early morning hustle and bustle of any city, it felt good to wander if a bit aimlessly. Besides the best way to find your way around I always say is to get a little lost first. My first set of directions led me very far off course but fortunately I asked someone who directed me first right then left and then right and finally left to get to the hotel. It’s a miracle I made it. <span style="font-family:Wingdings;mso-char-type:symbol;mso-symbol-font-family:Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type:symbol;mso-symbol-font-family:Wingdings;">J</span></span> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>So Fort Jesus was my first excursion. Mombassa is very much a tourist town and as a single muzungu walking down the street every potential tour guide is ready and insistent on showing you around. I wasn’t really in the mood and was successful at brushing most of the guides off except one who adhered himself to me by just following me around and not saying much. He was knowledgeable and I was glad to get a little more information about the “Swahili” people and learn that the language is about 70% Arabic. Mombassa was a major port long before European influence settled in East Africa and there is a lot of historical and cultural influence from trade with India, Persia and the Arabian Peninsula. The architecture has elements of Arabic, Swahili/Bantu and Portuguese styles. The old town kind of reminded me a bit like a mix between New Orleans and Lisbon. My guide told me it was the Portuguese who brought the Baobabs to Eastern Africa. I’m curious if this is indeed true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>Later my first day I made it to the beach and had my first dip in the Indian Ocean. The water was about as warm as the outside air temperature which was quite hot. I couldn’t help but think about how far I am from home. At least when I swam in the Atlantic Ocean while in Senegal I could imagine the US on the other side, this was not so much the case here. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in">Anyway, as my adventure continued I found that all the tourists in Mombassa to be not friendly. I did make a lot of Kenyan ‘friends’. They were mostly young boys working hard to pull one over on the naïve American girl. It was fun to chat with locals and get some attention. I did get to see some animals in a kind of reserve/park/zoo. I fed a giraffe and waited for the hungry hippos to get their evening meal.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in">The trip was good and aside from losing a ring, forgetting my umbrella and not getting any sleep on the way back to Chogoria, I was happy to return. It was the break I needed and though it would have been more fun to share the experience with someone else I am glad I had it.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <!--EndFragment-->Gretchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04256008293467136794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018766022321516932.post-20063654301416249152010-03-29T02:19:00.000-07:002010-03-29T02:27:12.093-07:00TIme flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana.<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>So, after a frustrating week I am trying to take inventory of all the good things I have to experience here. I have plenty of bananas, mangos, passion fruit, avocados, macadamia (emphasis on the da-mia part of the word), pineapples, etc…<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>I think the most frustrating thing about working in development is mitigating the well intended mistakes of the past. People have come to assume if they wait long enough, sooner or later some NGO will take pity on them and shower them with money. This is a phenomenon I experienced a lot more in West Africa but I am certainly seeing it here as well. As the coordinator of the Public Health Program I am conducting Malaria Awareness trainings and distributing treated mosquito nets to the greater Village Hopecore Community. Many of these groups have been connected with VHI for up to three years and have never been funded due to limited resources.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In fact part of the Public Health Program’s goal through the Malaria trainings and net distribution is to bolster morale and keep connected with our groups as well as conduct preventative health trainings. Recently we went to do a training and distribute nets with an unfunded group. One member complained about the event and needed to convinced about the importance of the training. His reasons were because he was upset with not being funded and it seemed as though he felt VHI owed him something. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>As part of our mosquito net distribution we follow-up with home health visits to continue the education and emphasize that the nets should be used. It’s a great way to know people and as I’ve mentioned in past blogs, a great way for people in our groups to spend time together. This man who felt we owed him something disappeared on the day we were scheduled to visit his home. His wife refused to leave her business or confirm that he in fact brought the nets home or that the family is using them. I have to question whether this person took the nets somewhere to sell them and I am disappointed. This is not something that happens regularly but when it does I am reminded of how so many years of charitable donations have caused apathy among people to take responsibility for their own livelihoods and increased the sense of entitlement to things they have been given. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>This brings me to another interesting observation about myself. One might think I am an insensitive conservative who doesn’t believe in welfare or public services. That is very far from true and I think my actions certainly speak to that. I do think that when charity is given we tend to be irresponsible. The work we are doing here is a struggle because of the amount of follow-up, which is sometimes more important than the initial tasks. Follow-up informs us when things are working and guides us to make progress and in turn help others make progress. Good investments are well researched and closely followed and in the case of development will eventually empower the population and strengthen a sensible system for growth and development.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Good investments rarely come from a haphazard distribution of funds. Remember the saying if you give a man a fish he eats for a day, if you teach him to fish he eats for life. This takes time and sometimes a lot of manpower. <o:p></o:p></p><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>But on a lighter note I went for another walk this weekend and made friends with a dog named Sivi. I am also looking forward to a trip to Mombassa for Easter Weekend. And the sun is shining!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Times, serif;"><br /></span>Gretchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04256008293467136794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018766022321516932.post-41606194853668135052010-03-20T10:18:00.000-07:002010-03-21T22:54:37.998-07:00My first nature walk.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyMfIUmqgATGioQ3Cq9Bnl1bsmrdR9ZbnSqYN0aLlxjwEu3B4nBkDMwmQrPMQk231rtXOE4k0rUf04nHehE9-kaOyjRgEaNBEgIAcV1A51qj6hVrTFlP6dL4N0xy9flwLWtqvtROFoAOY/s1600-h/quarries+on+road+to+Meru.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyMfIUmqgATGioQ3Cq9Bnl1bsmrdR9ZbnSqYN0aLlxjwEu3B4nBkDMwmQrPMQk231rtXOE4k0rUf04nHehE9-kaOyjRgEaNBEgIAcV1A51qj6hVrTFlP6dL4N0xy9flwLWtqvtROFoAOY/s320/quarries+on+road+to+Meru.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451128788230324450" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz2acA2SqlZg70RRFRRGC1GQCN5FrIdmEMSwhqs8A-EjYtXhVKg7dYFk4bZq0okvl80d_GbXbzq8nthTrP5ryEqOJbCsi5A9nC8QpcGlLfgum3vmK-2ofl1IeQXX32DvLA8QUS4mBP_c8/s1600-h/the+daily+commute.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz2acA2SqlZg70RRFRRGC1GQCN5FrIdmEMSwhqs8A-EjYtXhVKg7dYFk4bZq0okvl80d_GbXbzq8nthTrP5ryEqOJbCsi5A9nC8QpcGlLfgum3vmK-2ofl1IeQXX32DvLA8QUS4mBP_c8/s320/the+daily+commute.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451127736421446738" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJmb0NDkw8B708TIDxL14he-7EDUGlq3J9WunefPnLVgpt_Q8QhDAOn4vJEPvdvGSeRiiuIDAM_GbbLSkKItGia9uhYTo1Ra5uCxml20G3vBALXbNpLp0QzxVx1wTft5vWUvNeG_1sdyU/s1600-h/my+guide+Obedea.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJmb0NDkw8B708TIDxL14he-7EDUGlq3J9WunefPnLVgpt_Q8QhDAOn4vJEPvdvGSeRiiuIDAM_GbbLSkKItGia9uhYTo1Ra5uCxml20G3vBALXbNpLp0QzxVx1wTft5vWUvNeG_1sdyU/s320/my+guide+Obedea.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451126801072809122" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-0BKkhwt2i8nl2L66uSyJ1MOGIIYPGtdj16yTGLZnUHgqLcdnWzWrQ5UqM7MxqUniuSXuw_WkslFcjeZDZNJsF-4wz9B47svv5OP6PCBHZzb1-3pfN8t5e0GVLdBj1HwenjEcjl2DvCU/s1600-h/a+nice+place+to+live.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-0BKkhwt2i8nl2L66uSyJ1MOGIIYPGtdj16yTGLZnUHgqLcdnWzWrQ5UqM7MxqUniuSXuw_WkslFcjeZDZNJsF-4wz9B47svv5OP6PCBHZzb1-3pfN8t5e0GVLdBj1HwenjEcjl2DvCU/s320/a+nice+place+to+live.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451126275562973730" /></a><br /><br /><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQz4m9rzZqBR5TJuD3XJdpJrDbMG5nbOdB99zOiTpxi6fKWQm8qhvQ4L2w-rWyACeyIRj9_du6M8lx4XeCQIOrsGTxPUsKIcbotpmMLL25F2oHOVmsoZMvLWXJ-HHslubQI1cQ1_hPyeo/s320/Kalima+Karima.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451118973675020418" /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib1UEVhNY5o2sCdPUN2FllQqtbaP_qiXfC4wccrNdLNpxNyKyvvz-0GRQje5YJdXx9McDSHoBsOX5spoO_Acw11j-CZ3ng7S9lIf4zS-YpE8dU1X7JPl0y4FLWH_bFXBwJ-dY43LXNCCk/s1600-h/Mt.+Kenya+from+Kalima.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib1UEVhNY5o2sCdPUN2FllQqtbaP_qiXfC4wccrNdLNpxNyKyvvz-0GRQje5YJdXx9McDSHoBsOX5spoO_Acw11j-CZ3ng7S9lIf4zS-YpE8dU1X7JPl0y4FLWH_bFXBwJ-dY43LXNCCk/s320/Mt.+Kenya+from+Kalima.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451122458686315890" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />So <img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIZP-IVpg9J_8TEHYXJ77CQb1vt-5ZCT5xUqOTngszfhNCScjppKJCHQUzIHPyCYifmTrRB9YgaulRH60EI5fEFY9ndl4I6W18hupa6yUfoLOISKqaSify30qqjyDtgAgjtk5GoJLbhko/s320/Chogoria+through+the+trees.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451121896905102178" />I went for my first nature walk on Sunday. Apparently going up Mount Kenya is just too much money for one volunteer Muzungu and I'll have to wait until some folks around here want to go with to share the cost... In the meantime I went for a walk to a little mountain, called Kalima in Kimeru and the one we went to is called Kalima Karima. This is a little bluff I've noticed each time I'm on the road to Meru and I was pleased to climb it and get a different perspective. We passed through many farms to get to this Kalima and it is in an area called Thigaa within the Chogoria Location. It was a nice change from riding around in the Land Rover as we followed a well worn path up and down the valleys and across small rivers that the residents use for their daily commute.My guide/friend, Gitonga knows a lot about local plants and which ones are used for various illnesses. This outing was nice but I was a little disappointed by the lack of indigenous plants. In fact the trees on top of Kalima are all Blue Gum trees imported from Australia. Apparently nothing else ever grew there. We hope to venture to other areas where more local vegetation can be found aside from the Mountain and surrounding forest. I asked if there are traditional relationships with the forest here. Apparently outside the medicinal value of certain plants there are no other sacred purposes. Here you'll find pictures of Chogoria from the Kalima, Mount Kenya or at least the base, the road to Meru with quarries on the side, and a nice place to live.Gretchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04256008293467136794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018766022321516932.post-65087830939987463032010-03-14T10:29:00.001-07:002010-03-14T10:33:54.496-07:00“If you want to make God laugh, tell him what your plans are.”<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Nothing describes this better than my past week here. Starting last Sunday morning as I awoke to what seemed like a giant bucket being dumped down on us, knocking out the electricity for three days and preventing me from having a decent conversation with my dear nieces and nephew. The rains ebbed and came back with full force over the next thee days making roads impassable for vehicles and pedestrians alike. The mud became a sticky, slippery mess unpleasant and somewhat perilous to trudge through. My team found it difficult to come into the office on these days and in turn we had difficulty going out to meet my quota of 25 home health visits per week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>As the weather improved the vehicle broke and poor cell phone service to intended visit prevented us from reaching the goal. In short, it was a frustrating week.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>The rains came early this year and as 100% of the people we are working with are farmers, they are scrambling to harvest their corn and till their fields to plant anew. We are all dealing with unforeseen events, obstacles, and challenges. I am learning to roll with the punches even more and taking every experience as a lesson. I see the determination on the faces of the people here and know they will do what they can. It’s so easy to assume that when life has dealt you a bad hand the best thing to do is give up and fold. If you’re playing poker, you probably should. But life is not so linear and I believe even those who have the least can achieve the most, if they believe in themself. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>The other day I remember seeing a man driving a very nice new truck, he looked like some kind of government official. He looked as though someone stuffed a very sour lemon in his mouth and looked annoyed that anyone else existed in the world. Meanwhile visiting the very poor home of a young mother I saw joy in her eyes and the outpouring of gifts in appreciation for the visit of someone to her home. I tell myself to remember to see the sun when it shines and love the rain when it falls. When you have a little extra rejoice by sharing it with others. When plans don’t work out, then laugh and start again.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I was accepted into Harvard this last week for a masters program in Mental Health Counseling. I didn't believe this could happen after a summer and fall of rejection letters. Now I'll make the best of it and try not to make too many plans and just see what happens.</p> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: -webkit-xxx-large;"><br /></span></span><!--EndFragment-->Gretchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04256008293467136794noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018766022321516932.post-1166474263710585462010-03-11T11:16:00.000-08:002010-03-11T11:27:26.478-08:00monkeys in Chogoria...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXYKpOZJPa0iUCIQnJ9u4oOZkTwy0nWXQnkXB03KWOk28Gw6r74p_x3Tq7iJIn6jvQYXL5yvv3yCBeTJi8SibfPhHDL6QkDalZm-96OZ6vXiRQGSJDZGzpN_Q_nGPV_OQMUqNzRNOC7d4/s1600-h/DSCN0963.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXYKpOZJPa0iUCIQnJ9u4oOZkTwy0nWXQnkXB03KWOk28Gw6r74p_x3Tq7iJIn6jvQYXL5yvv3yCBeTJi8SibfPhHDL6QkDalZm-96OZ6vXiRQGSJDZGzpN_Q_nGPV_OQMUqNzRNOC7d4/s320/DSCN0963.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447459639008884530" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAdXqaDYIOWqOz1tsOzMfajGeavb8-qzrkmv-OLzIkwQwpxWyP3Cf_YU4YoHmN-99-nWdMrr2nbbAuzxDdtqAyLIAykafxySDzCuXrjc8yyynIbVGs2VbkCIV6HbA6vBQ3umn0zptuggA/s1600-h/DSCN1065.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">Cute houses</span></a><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Baby Pineapple</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAdXqaDYIOWqOz1tsOzMfajGeavb8-qzrkmv-OLzIkwQwpxWyP3Cf_YU4YoHmN-99-nWdMrr2nbbAuzxDdtqAyLIAykafxySDzCuXrjc8yyynIbVGs2VbkCIV6HbA6vBQ3umn0zptuggA/s1600-h/DSCN1065.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"></span><img style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAdXqaDYIOWqOz1tsOzMfajGeavb8-qzrkmv-OLzIkwQwpxWyP3Cf_YU4YoHmN-99-nWdMrr2nbbAuzxDdtqAyLIAykafxySDzCuXrjc8yyynIbVGs2VbkCIV6HbA6vBQ3umn0zptuggA/s320/DSCN1065.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447459249216654786" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtFu-J74cyqmMAqAkhKuspeqPGP2YkIW4LCrQnDq64UZy9FKaIbQwHimyweW0omCEkloqTpYw9eLcqe1LvWJ-nG39LD43GEOE4_GztSwDsrjyUULhB2upDjMp8ZvdLHqREvXaMkxBeA2w/s1600-h/Stone+house.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtFu-J74cyqmMAqAkhKuspeqPGP2YkIW4LCrQnDq64UZy9FKaIbQwHimyweW0omCEkloqTpYw9eLcqe1LvWJ-nG39LD43GEOE4_GztSwDsrjyUULhB2upDjMp8ZvdLHqREvXaMkxBeA2w/s320/Stone+house.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447458857666099314" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNnrsviblBpQ5czDIFYl0YCT_LKcoMSa6lrynpEX3lEK3MRsi0PGnAm_GcJscfUzCJ0CtYCk-7FgzT7B0yV06tg_81g8_xq3i8y-apkcC_PclkVwZwqDMamox1JKtCHaZk5hotwCxM7S0/s1600-h/DSCN1067.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNnrsviblBpQ5czDIFYl0YCT_LKcoMSa6lrynpEX3lEK3MRsi0PGnAm_GcJscfUzCJ0CtYCk-7FgzT7B0yV06tg_81g8_xq3i8y-apkcC_PclkVwZwqDMamox1JKtCHaZk5hotwCxM7S0/s320/DSCN1067.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447458451620902930" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvUsgA6-pXerFrCpVcwKJnXIYiCLyvmI0Wyt_DtcWJb_nUpvLuzJlfy7wj-m-9P-hip0KYUGAXXdNrEErBzOinBseFGPowwGJEsZTCRzw3WkoMSUDWeS4a4nZEKBwBW7yxAiPU3LZtkYM/s1600-h/IMG_2582.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 172px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvUsgA6-pXerFrCpVcwKJnXIYiCLyvmI0Wyt_DtcWJb_nUpvLuzJlfy7wj-m-9P-hip0KYUGAXXdNrEErBzOinBseFGPowwGJEsZTCRzw3WkoMSUDWeS4a4nZEKBwBW7yxAiPU3LZtkYM/s320/IMG_2582.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447457990129945442" /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>...</div>Gretchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04256008293467136794noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018766022321516932.post-53231067017864961032010-03-04T22:39:00.000-08:002010-03-04T22:52:50.379-08:00Babble...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu8hyeb5Ik6vGj4qs_TYk3TpPKNdL72VV6gK7BFdMjaOEHjI3bQKo9xVacd81hozorsU6MXVNskvw3RBnD-PZbuqXRpGbG4HZXPe6K8lV_lKzFQobpj1tbUgtQgvKoZhlgfqjZlVObbUs/s1600-h/DSCN1042.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu8hyeb5Ik6vGj4qs_TYk3TpPKNdL72VV6gK7BFdMjaOEHjI3bQKo9xVacd81hozorsU6MXVNskvw3RBnD-PZbuqXRpGbG4HZXPe6K8lV_lKzFQobpj1tbUgtQgvKoZhlgfqjZlVObbUs/s320/DSCN1042.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445037786990714082" /></a><br />So yesterday as I was walking home I noticed a crowed of people and wondered what was happening. I then noticed that there was a truck in the ditch that carries water off the side of the road in the rainy season. Apparently a mechanic was backing the truck up and misjudged things and well fell in the ditch. I thought for sure it was over for that poor truck. But after a few moments of gawking about 25 men got underneath the truck and proceeded to push it out of the ditch. There were a few people yelling at them to direct too. I guess they exist in every culture. ;) I was amazed. <div><br /></div><div>I live right behind a primary boarding school for girls. They are up at 4am and usually don't go to bed until 9pm. They are loud and whenever I climb onto the roof to hang my laundry they gather at the window and stare. I don't mind so much but I am reluctant to encourage them by acknowledging them as they should be studying and not looking at the muzungu. Other than that the kids here are interesting they are either terrified by me or feel that they can take liberties with me that they would not do with adults from their own culture. I still love them though. </div><div><br /></div><div>Here is a rainbow I woke up to the other day. The camera cannot do it justice, it was so clear and colorful. It really made the rest of my day seem good... </div>Gretchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04256008293467136794noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018766022321516932.post-1135474382641597392010-03-02T21:06:00.000-08:002010-03-02T21:08:31.313-08:00Munga<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>So, as the Community Health Coordinator for Village Hopecore International (VHI) I am conducting trainings for our partner and associate groups in malaria prevention and proper treatment as well as distributing mosquito nets. To ensure that people are using their nets properly and actually using them on all the beds in their households I have been visiting them. These visits are a wonderful way to connect with people and as our associate groups have not been funded it’s a great way to keep connected. I am learning a lot about the general health and well being of people through these visits and a survey. It’s interesting to visit a home that may have dirt floor and a non cemented pit latrine but they have a variety of crops and many different animals, on the other hand you visit homes with flush toilets inside and cemented floors but little in terms of crops and animals. Wealth is not always apparent.</p><p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in">The past several days I have been visiting the homes of four groups (48people) in a village called Munga. This area is farther down the valley from Chogoria and too hot for tea so many of them grow coffee. We have also had some heavy rains the past few days making it a bit treacherous driving. Nevertheless, I have been given so much food not just during our visits but to take home I feel like I should have a party. I was given a rabbit yesterday, which I had to cook today. This is my first time cooking rabbit so I hope it tastes good. <span style="font-family:Wingdings;mso-char-type:symbol;mso-symbol-font-family:Wingdings"><span style="mso-char-type:symbol;mso-symbol-font-family:Wingdings">J</span></span> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in">I am especially impressed with these people I am visiting and each day I am with them, I visit about 8 homes. Generally, I am greeted by the chairperson for the group and as we visit each home an entourage develops so that by the time for lunch there might as well be a party. I don’t feel entirely deserving of all the gifts of appreciation, but I am happy to be a part of something that brings people together to enjoy fellowship and recognize how much they mean to each other. I was serenaded by the group today and at the last house was compelled to dance with its owner as she and her friends sang. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in">I am constantly reminded of the good work that VHI is doing in terms of community education. Last week I read an article in the newspaper about a man who committed suicide after visiting an HIV clinic. One can presume his HIV test came back positive and he could not bear the disease, which to so many seems to be a death sentence. VHI funds groups of people who are all HIV positive. The only stipulation we have is that people who are HIV positive working with us, must be taking Anti-Retro Viral drugs. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I read a story about one man in one of these groups who lives with his wife and two dependants and through a Village Hopecore loan has been able to grow a business of breeding bulls. He is well respected and has been able to maintain his health to provide for his family. <o:p></o:p></p> <span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Times;mso-ansi-language:EN-US">Today, I met a woman who left her husband and children to live with her parents. As I asked her more questions and if she has been tested for HIV she seemed quite nervous. Eventually she confided that she is HIV positive. When she told us she left her husband because of problems I wonder if he cast her out because of her being HIV positive. This is a common practice here where men ask their wives to go to the clinics to be tested. When their wives come back positive them men throw them out and ignore the fact that they are probably also positive. This woman is not much younger than my own mother. You can imagine what a strong impression this made on me. But I am hopeful. She has united with people in her community through the Village Hopecore group and I believe she will be encouraged by their support and that of VHI. The work here in the words of KK Mugambe is to eradicate poverty both physically as well as mentally. When one does not have an idea of hope, no matter how much material wealth they may come by means nothing in the long run…</span><!--EndFragment-->Gretchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04256008293467136794noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018766022321516932.post-60955528204510188762010-03-01T21:56:00.000-08:002010-03-01T21:58:30.890-08:00Well, the rainy season I think has started. We got stuck yesterday in the vehicle while out doing home visits and had to walk around in the mud. It's not so bad if you have appropriate footwear but I finally gained the inches I've always wanted with the amount of mud that cakes on the bottom of my boots. :) More to come...Gretchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04256008293467136794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018766022321516932.post-33192711585260898592010-02-21T01:44:00.000-08:002010-02-21T07:06:25.971-08:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zE5kZgjyC77D9AEKPvUrCs5KnGQ_fdpn9HQAO_30zqyEYIYDDwOt00qb8gWdk1c1Em5ivkfwBX43bcMQ1A1Ac0m2yrSfwZLRsO-59v8wpSuy7gS6zANTfRMGHMEthGe1j-vrxClbRuY/s1600-h/my+front+door.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zE5kZgjyC77D9AEKPvUrCs5KnGQ_fdpn9HQAO_30zqyEYIYDDwOt00qb8gWdk1c1Em5ivkfwBX43bcMQ1A1Ac0m2yrSfwZLRsO-59v8wpSuy7gS6zANTfRMGHMEthGe1j-vrxClbRuY/s320/my+front+door.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440636719090401714" /></a>Welcome to my apartment!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3l6KdAjYqmsi234Lrtomr3fmmkz8wo_tSxTCBDspEilhqlqeRvkxu2oxy_d1UWFdHhgCCX-jFAfuUzMTYX4hGJcNYsyKI_V8DRCkvvtF5wL6hq2wn8j15XT8BzEdB_Vmu_DdU3BoOnGA/s1600-h/mt.+kenya+1.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3l6KdAjYqmsi234Lrtomr3fmmkz8wo_tSxTCBDspEilhqlqeRvkxu2oxy_d1UWFdHhgCCX-jFAfuUzMTYX4hGJcNYsyKI_V8DRCkvvtF5wL6hq2wn8j15XT8BzEdB_Vmu_DdU3BoOnGA/s320/mt.+kenya+1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440636177089838098" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLxcDTOLYQWlYuWi1tbLZJN9fUeyWydQy17X3r3_T9CloalhbrC6aVFVF0OpxAgtN8CB4BDqCeAgV9qci_XDWqicq7utm19JKVGxFBaZycCOXhlVmB8eo2I8PfAgoxqKrn7tOBKdAmQ1s/s1600-h/vhi+vehicle+2.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><br /></span></a><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>This is Mount Kenya!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><img style="text-decoration: underline;float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLxcDTOLYQWlYuWi1tbLZJN9fUeyWydQy17X3r3_T9CloalhbrC6aVFVF0OpxAgtN8CB4BDqCeAgV9qci_XDWqicq7utm19JKVGxFBaZycCOXhlVmB8eo2I8PfAgoxqKrn7tOBKdAmQ1s/s320/vhi+vehicle+2.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440635573878573554" /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNx9fFyRpGceULtxlDys-o6Gtbl0CQAoj8-XeEUQzobPF8lmAQN-Ebyr7j3rsA6ODW9ZMdL-2uUbjhZPWTkE8QVrK-Ok3IO8RHA-sWPKLiPuN5aKVdxzDoKnb_N9FuUDTYtl_zm1cdQM/s1600-h/tea+fields+5.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNx9fFyRpGceULtxlDys-o6Gtbl0CQAoj8-XeEUQzobPF8lmAQN-Ebyr7j3rsA6ODW9ZMdL-2uUbjhZPWTkE8QVrK-Ok3IO8RHA-sWPKLiPuN5aKVdxzDoKnb_N9FuUDTYtl_zm1cdQM/s320/tea+fields+5.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440634699871150306" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqeUvven1kK32EidmBkudBHSpnYoye7STwAb5BPPZeB-1vPC-H8dFjARMN6jiSFNiw3JiMzZ_VgLxy07J3TMHtYMzyzHSyP9XSxXhTGMAPymq-xJOq6vokTPKAeugJdnD0wyfgW9N7ZfQ/s1600-h/tea+fields+2.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqeUvven1kK32EidmBkudBHSpnYoye7STwAb5BPPZeB-1vPC-H8dFjARMN6jiSFNiw3JiMzZ_VgLxy07J3TMHtYMzyzHSyP9XSxXhTGMAPymq-xJOq6vokTPKAeugJdnD0wyfgW9N7ZfQ/s320/tea+fields+2.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440633906688221938" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6oYtKEIi9-ZEgCoqrkaDmEgLVd7Xx5NWuHMae2cGntbc95HEvDk3a2oy10o-d4voRNMOcn_0s3QnrJUIjAz_HQXaqLFI2DN72O5Pf5T8BACFlUuF9EuLNjHj4AIq0JpvH4896hu8Ok24/s1600-h/tea+fields+3.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6oYtKEIi9-ZEgCoqrkaDmEgLVd7Xx5NWuHMae2cGntbc95HEvDk3a2oy10o-d4voRNMOcn_0s3QnrJUIjAz_HQXaqLFI2DN72O5Pf5T8BACFlUuF9EuLNjHj4AIq0JpvH4896hu8Ok24/s320/tea+fields+3.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440633277197370322" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuwgoUffqypWaiRgpPnWU4OJmkCr5WBdaxMrkE3keq6XOQtLcse3p9XuJAxvxs8FkKwW24NarrhyphenhyphenZmYwN1MJKo-T5vguTDvINn3qTGTnTj2aziFHBjI4_Pcp-UePITJ05ZHqqga7fQBdw/s1600-h/tea+collection+site.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuwgoUffqypWaiRgpPnWU4OJmkCr5WBdaxMrkE3keq6XOQtLcse3p9XuJAxvxs8FkKwW24NarrhyphenhyphenZmYwN1MJKo-T5vguTDvINn3qTGTnTj2aziFHBjI4_Pcp-UePITJ05ZHqqga7fQBdw/s320/tea+collection+site.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440632543340655458" /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>This is how I get around</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>This is people picking tea. It's actually quite peaceful, no motors just quiet...</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Tea plantations and farms</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Tea pick up site. Folks have a spot for their tea and at the end of each day a truck comes to weigh the tea and take it to the factory to be processed.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXPLRjmOP6bNnMkKXun9CCXTOt91ZZOekoa2x9o8zAe_7YOPFRpgDtvRkyFbpD45BJaJ2uD-vn1j8zpgi7jH58Subx8-2AXEJAR1I_vSRbsrEOVHDKlqY82hSNnhuUMNdSUc79JD6eWMs/s1600-h/chameleon+6.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXPLRjmOP6bNnMkKXun9CCXTOt91ZZOekoa2x9o8zAe_7YOPFRpgDtvRkyFbpD45BJaJ2uD-vn1j8zpgi7jH58Subx8-2AXEJAR1I_vSRbsrEOVHDKlqY82hSNnhuUMNdSUc79JD6eWMs/s320/chameleon+6.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440631694595047170" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2-Ui90JZ5ay2FCtXsaiHgt4Q5xhViVdE3g1u8_PEAR2enMKaSGc452y19Cr02i38yMD9XOuuz2D5C3nGeYUriZl7Ki8Vm2gDncaJGh2Z3nX7HdFYrOl3DcVPHLKlQ9Ik_aiNcPnS9afc/s1600-h/Me+with+goats.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2-Ui90JZ5ay2FCtXsaiHgt4Q5xhViVdE3g1u8_PEAR2enMKaSGc452y19Cr02i38yMD9XOuuz2D5C3nGeYUriZl7Ki8Vm2gDncaJGh2Z3nX7HdFYrOl3DcVPHLKlQ9Ik_aiNcPnS9afc/s320/Me+with+goats.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440630762343725202" /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>A three horned chameleon. It was just swaying across the grass and really made me think of a triceratops. Maybe the dinosaurs are still among us. :)</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Me... and a couple of friends.</div>Gretchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04256008293467136794noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018766022321516932.post-6939740579624418612010-02-21T01:22:00.000-08:002010-02-21T01:23:45.667-08:00Pedestrians do not have the right of way!<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">This is interesting for a country that statistically has 1 car per 40 people skewed by the difference between the urban and rural populations. Most Kenyans live rurally and in those areas it’s probably a greater ratio of say 500 people to 1 car. So I ask why do pedestrians have to keep their eyes open for the cars? Just move before they hit you! <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">So the past couple of weeks have kept me busy which is why I have not had the chance to write until now. Good news as you can see, is the photos. We had a big reception for a group of Americans who came to see what Village Hopecore International is doing here in Kenya. It was a lot of work to organize the VHI funded groups to come and also invite entertainment, all of who are affiliated with VHI. We started about 2 hours later than planned, which made for a very long and hot day for the people who arrived on time. It was success and worth it! One of the Americans who visited decided 4 years ago to put off her visit to Kenya and spend that money on sponsoring a group. She finally saved enough to come and visit. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Yesterday, I went to the town of Meru, which is about 40 km north of Chogoria and maybe 10 km north of the equator. I took a public bus call a Matatu to get there. They wait until the vehicle is full before leaving the station, which they call a stage here. The nice thing about this is you can find yourself ready to go somewhere and be the one person the vehicle needs to go. Usually if one has left recently another will fill up pretty quickly. There’s no worry about being late and missing your bus. The problem about this is there is little or no regulation on how many people can be stuffed into the vehicle. So as we are driving along the road to Meru if anyone is waiting on the side of the road for a vehicle to pass by they will stop and stuff them in the vehicle. This especially happens in hours before dusk and nightfall. As I was returning to Chorgoria it was a little later than I hoped and at one point the vehicle which has 14 seats plus the driver had about 23 passengers, 2 hustlers to get passengers and take their fare and 1 driver. We also had a TV set taking up one seat for a while.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Anyway, it really made me appreciate getting around on foot and taking my time and space to get from one location to another. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">So I find that I am easily distracted in the Home Health Visit part of my job by the animals. I love the cows and goats. The other day I found a little black kitten curled up in a bag of corn. He was very happy to have a scratch and cuddle. I want to pet the dogs but as they are usually present to protect, they are seldom friendly. Also I don’t want to deal with the potential of rabies. The goats here are very soft and are a special breed for milking. At least here in Chogoria we are blessed with milder temperatures and a fair climate to have European looking cows, sheep and goats, which produce more milk and become pretty big when well fed. A far cry from what I found in Senegal where the cows had barely enough milk for their calves and the goats could produce enough surplus milk for human consumption for just a short while after giving birth to their kids. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">There is definitely a lot of potential here. Though I think other parts of Kenya are not so fortunate…<o:p></o:p></p> <!--EndFragment-->Gretchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04256008293467136794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018766022321516932.post-74797389756505255562010-02-07T20:35:00.000-08:002010-02-07T20:40:19.031-08:00<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">I find myself thinking about the story of the three little pigs. Fortunately when I was in Senegal I did not have a millet stalk hut. Nevertheless, my cement walls were topped off with a thatched grass roof. Here many of the homes are made of stone and cement but I find the wooden houses much more aesthetically pleasing. I imagine that not too long ago many home looked like this in the US. Nicely decorated living rooms where guests are received with small bedrooms in the back. Outside pit latrines and kitchens separated from the house. I don’t imagine many of these homes would last hundreds of years like the Victorian’s and Brownstones of Boston but then again they don’t have the long cold winters and blowing snow either. They also don't have the big bad wolf... Simple homes for simple lives.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <span style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US;font-family:Times;font-size:12.0pt;"><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">So this week I was thrown into my new job by giving a training earlier in the week on the importance of Malaria prevention and then proper treatment if the disease is contracted. We handed out mosquito nets (note: here they pronounce the qu like you do for ‘question’ rather than like a k). Thursday and Friday I went to 11 homes to see how the nets were hung and ask some general health questions. These people are affiliated with Village Hopecore International (VHI) only as associate groups. This means they have not received a loan from VHI but are in the process of what is called a Merry-Go-Round. They prove their ability to receive a loan and pay it back by working in groups of 12 to loan money and pay back to each other first. It’s really a neat way to encourage self-motivation for money management and creates ambition where no hope existed before. Anyway, I was overwhelmed by acts of appreciation for the mosquito nets through gifts of corn, papaya, mangos, bananas, pineapples, passion fruit and eggs people gave me from their gardens. It’s really quite humbling. I am also inspired by the poly cultures people do here with cash crop farms of tea and coffee that are fertilized by the manure of the cow they keep to provide their families with protein through milk. They also feed their cows, guess what? Grass and every home I’ve visited have what seem to me to be very happy, healthy, interactive cows.</span></blockquote> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span><!--EndFragment-->Gretchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04256008293467136794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018766022321516932.post-33286224233256164262010-02-01T21:31:00.000-08:002010-02-01T21:32:02.731-08:00<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in">One day away from completing my orientation and I feel like things are picking up. Today I was honored to sit in on a meeting with a group of elders call Njurincheke. This is a group that is specific to the Wameru people of this region of Kenya. I believe there are similar groups throughout Kenya. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>Basically, this group was formed in 1730 to maintain the integrity of the Meru community and culture. Always men who are over 18 years old, married and not believed to be a thief, a wizard, or a murderer they are wards for the vulnerable members of the society as well as for the environment and represent a supreme council of the Wameru people. The Njurincheke are not political and do not accept payment for the work they do. In other words, if they are not corrupt as they say they are not, their potential for holding Kenyans accountable is huge. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in">Unfortunately in recent years the work of the Njurincheke has diminished to being more of a representation of traditional views, as they do not have much to inspire change with in terms of capital. There is also a general break from tradition and values here that is seen even in the United States. Globalization and desires that are sparked by television and advertisement for people who may not even have the means to send their children to school or get appropriate medication has pushed youth out. When I was in Senegal there was a phenomenon they called ‘rural exodus’, where youth would go to the big city in hopes for a cosmopolitan life only to find the hardship of hustling and lack of familial support along with the temptations of the city. I imagine this occurs here as well. <o:p></o:p></p> <span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Times;mso-ansi-language:EN-US">The meeting today was to offer a partnership with the Njurincheke to conduct a feeding program for the most vulnerable families in the area. Orphans and HIV infected and affected people are the main focus, but there are also elderly who are left to care for their grand and great grandchildren because the parents have left. Despair or ambition are the two culprits, I am guessing for this occurrence. We hope with this feeding program, we can help the Njurincheke regain some legitimacy in the eyes of the community and that they can inspire hope on the farm rather than the big city. </span><!--EndFragment-->Gretchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04256008293467136794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018766022321516932.post-10243289354044639102010-01-28T09:25:00.000-08:002010-01-28T09:26:54.631-08:00<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">Well I go a new nickname. After several days of attempting to remember and pronounce my name, several of my new colleagues decided to call me Makena, which means happy/joyful/jolly. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I also had my first real tour of the area and saw elephant dung in the forest today. I am so excited at the possibility to see an Elephant. Apparently they will come to the farms just outside the forest in the early morning and eat their corn. I know that’s not good but I can’t help feeling a little enchanted by it as well. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">We met with 5 vulnerable families today to assess their need for a pilot feeding program we are going to start. Many of these families are made up of grandparents or great grandparents who have found themselves the caretakers of small children whose parents have either died or gone away. It’s not certain in all the cases if the parents were victims to HIV although I did meet a 15 year old girl who has been HIV positive all her life. She probably contracted the virus from her mother’s breast milk. Nevertheless, she is going to school and her quality of life seems relatively good. In fact in a visit to her school I saw her running and playing with the other children flashing a brilliant smile. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Times;mso-ansi-language:EN-US">On a lighter note we also met with several people who were loan recipients and it is really encouraging to see people take the initiative and creativity to make their lives better. Apparently one big problem here is the apathy many young people have in improving their situation. There was a woman about 29 years old who bought goods for a small boutique and she seems to be making money already. Another man took his loan money to dig ponds to farm tilapia fish, a fairly new idea in these parts. There are few areas where this kind of endeavor can take place due to the mountainous terrain.</span><!--EndFragment-->Gretchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04256008293467136794noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018766022321516932.post-83898077271715601652010-01-26T08:35:00.001-08:002010-01-26T08:37:10.523-08:00<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">I have been in Kenya now for 6 days and I must say it is surreal in many ways. I suppose I have spent more time in Africa than most but I would be hard pressed to call myself an expert. Nevertheless, there are things about Kenya that force Wolof words to my lips and ears. There are things about it here that remind me of Ghana, Mali, and Cameroun, most especially the public transport vans with their dangling appranti who harass you to get on and hang off the van to gather more passengers. The drivers drive too fast for the roads and the vehicles themselves but somehow get us safely to our destination.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>The terrain and vegetation here are similar to Ghana and Cameroun with the red sand, rolling hills and grass (something you rarely saw in Senegal). Although today I was embarrassed I did not recognize a coffee tree because in my mind it is not a crop of Africa but of South America. There are many cypress looking trees that cause me to imagine I am in Southern Europe. I am taken aback each time I step outside and find the heat is no more than on a hot summer day in Boston. Unlike the heat of Senegal that introduced me to sweat in places I never knew I could sweat while doing absolutely nothing. Apparently January is the hot month too! <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>Once again I am made aware of how expensive the Western world is. The difference between what a farmer can live on and what I need in order to maintain a fraction of my lifestyle in the US is beyond comprehension. I ask myself what is true development? Is it the presence of cell phones, internet, and television when only a fraction of the population here can even consider them as a part of their life? When to buy a 1/2 kilogram of carrots is 15% of the credit I put on my phone and will last me perhaps a week.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in">Each African country has the chant for white person from the peeping frog sound of ‘toubab’ in Senegal to the soft mumble of ‘abruni’ in Ghana; the term here is ‘Muzungu’. I have yet to be harassed in the same manner here by aggressive children jockeying to get a look at the white person and see if she eats. I imagine the number of tourists and aid workers here are greater and so the novelty is much less. This is not to say I am not picked out in the market by the beggar assuming I have money to throw at him, it’s just less…<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in">My new boss is a Kenyan born man who had the opportunity to go to the United States for high school and remained there for about 30 years advancing his education and career before coming back to Kenya to see what he could do to help his people. So far it is an amazing story of reverse brain drain. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in">There are a lot of things I am experiencing here and I have yet to scratch the surface. Although if I don't get used to people driving on the left side of the road I might get hit! I do hope my subsequent blogs will be a bit more coherent and less rambling. Unfortunately, in the midst of moving and packing I seem to have forgotten my camera charger and link up to the computer so pictures will be delayed until I can figure some other alternative…<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Peace<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <!--EndFragment-->Gretchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04256008293467136794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018766022321516932.post-8856332313178143452010-01-20T15:41:00.000-08:002010-01-20T15:45:11.200-08:002:41 am Nairobi...Well, I made it! No delays and safely delivered to a lovely hotel in Nairobi. The only down point of the trip was looking online in Amsterdam to find that Scott Brown won the Senate seat in Massachusetts. I am slightly pleased that I will be away for the new transition. However, a bit torn that I am too far away to do anything.<br /><br />I will hopefully update in a couple of days with more interesting things to say...Gretchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04256008293467136794noreply@blogger.com1