Thursday, June 11, 2009

Medical Prep and more




Yesterday was a busy day.Over the weekend we had local volunteers in the town take flyers around to their churches,schools and local hangouts. The flyers read that we would be hosting a FREE medical clinic in Maai Mahiu and the registration for an appointment was being held on Wednesday and Thursday of this week. With a team of well over 20 medical professionals or med students they would be able to see almost 700 people. We figured out how many people could be seen by the doctors and took appointments all day yesterday (Wednesday) and by the end of the day we had filled every spot. Which left those that show up today (Thursday) SOL. It was crazy to see 700 people come through the doors for everything from dental problems,need for eye care, to probably some serious diseases.

Although our medical system in the states isn't that great, the type of treatment that most people recieve here in Kenya is astonishing. It's insane to see medical professionals standing around biting their nails, chatting it up, and just generally ignoring their own patients and people.

Today is Thursday and I am at the office working and I just told the ladies that today and tomorrow will really be the last two days for us to work together. First of all they didn't believe me and thought that I was playing a joke on them but once they realized that I was serious they all got teary eyed adn asked why I was leaving. I got the look that I get everytime I am here from someone that I have grown close to. It's the "will you ever come back" and the look in their eyes that they get when I say yes that kind of says "yeah,sure". I don't know how many years I have to come back for these people to get it. I will always come back. I am trying to mentally prepare myself for saying goodbye to all of the kids and their caretakers Jane,Jane,Martha,Margaret,and Mama Peter. These ladies and kids are the highlight of this trip.

I will admit to being a tad bit homesick but once I leave I know that I will feel like I just left a piece of me behind. I know that it will take weeks to adjust but you never completely do. Atleast I don't. I decided to make a video with each lady today that I will share with you when I get home.I have tons of video that I will be posting by the way.

Anywho,it's kind of a bummer to go. I leave next Wednesday.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

THIS IS KENYA- ALSO







I haven't written in a while. We have had two teams here in Maai Mahiu and so we have been pretty busy. Last week the Kansas College Team helped to build a new floor for one of the classrooms and part of the funds that they raised went to purchasing a brand new giant fuel efficient stove for Ngeya Primary! The week went well as the DWC team from Canada had a lighter week of working in the garden and then traveling to Good Shepard Orphanage to play with the kids. They wrapped up their week by having a bbq and slaughtering a goat here in town and then Sunday they all hiked Mt. Longonot!

Saturday we took the Kansas team to Nairobi where they would later catch their flight. Before we got there we stopped by an elephant sanctuary where there were bunches of orphaned baby elephants. We also got to check out a baby rhino! SO CUTE! Two of the girls from Kansas are staying on with us because they will be doing nutrition demonstrations during the free medical clinic next week in Maai Mahiu. We started preparing for the med teams arrival and tomorrow will begin our clinic appointment setting days to arrange appointments for the sick here in Maai Mahiu.

We figured before the madness begins we might as well have a mini vacation day. Mayers farm is about 20 minutes from Maai Mahiu which is shocking because they look like polar opposites. The Mayers farm has a natural spring on premises and that is where they bottle their water. They also have turned old farmhouses into houses that you can rent out for the night. We laid out in the sun, relaxed and then Nathan cooked us a pretty awesome dinner. Had a glass of wine and just chilled out by the fire and told jokes until we were all exhausted. It was a great way to chill before the upcoming weeks.

In other news, I have tried to change my plane ticket but it looks like I am shit out of luck. so i will be heading home next week. I am not sure how I feel about it, I will admit here and there I get a little home sick but I know that when I get home this is the only place that I will want to be. This trip has been so different from my previous trips because I got to live in the community and walk to work everyday. The office here is pretty sweet because most of the time you are mingling with the disabled children and you can hear them sing and laugh most of the day.
Ok I am getting weepy just thinking about leaving so I guess this time will be much harder than I thought. I have had more of a chance to take in Kenya and it will be a tearful goodbye.

P.S. You have no idea how amazing the feeling was to walk barefoot on grass. Something we really take for granted.