Kimana Days

The past week I have been working hard on our research report. Everyday has been spent writing and analyzing data! We haven't had much internet lately which has been kind of a bummer.

Today was our first free day since last Wednesday. We got to go on another hike. On the drive there we saw a pair of giraffes! They are such cool animals...I never get tired of seeing them. This time we drove towards the Kuku Ranch area and hike up a great big hill. Once we got to the top we could see miles in every direction, it was really spectacular. On the negative side it was pretty cloudy so we weren't able to see Mt. Kilimanjaro at all.

The area that we were in is being strongly affected by the drought. Everything is so barren and the hill that we hiked on was once home to many small species, but is now completely deserted. Once we were on top of the hill, seeing the areas most affected by the drought was very clear from the variation in soil color.

After the hike we came back to the camp and had lunch before setting out again for the Kimana market. Once again being swarmed by the mamas who wanted to sell us their beadwork. It's always quite the chlostophobic experience. After picking up some items, we set out to Club Kimana for some drinks. Always a great day to end out the day!

Now I am back at camp and watching a pirated copy of the Lion King that my student affairs manager picked up from Nairobi (she couldn't find a legit copy anywhere haha). The perfect movie to watch in Kenya!

In little over a week I'll be back in the States and I must say, I am ready to return. Kenya is amazing but I am definitely craving all the ammenities and comforts of home.

Myama Choma

Yesterday was a great day! We set out early from the camp and drove to Loitokitok. We then went on a hike through a gorge at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro! The gorge separates Kenya from Tanzania so I was able to set foot onto Tanzania (no visa required!) The gorge was really spectacular...there is no longer a river that flows through it but there are many clues to its existence...the smooth rock, gigantic cliff walls, and stagnant pools of water. For our protection we had to have KWS guards with guns during the hike in case any wild animals decided that they needed an afternoon snack.

After hiking to Tanzania and back to Kenya we set out to the Loitokitok market. The markets are always an adventure...being white or "mzungu" always attracts a lot of vendors looking to sell souvenirs to travelers. While dodging the mobs, I made some pretty cool purchases! First, a pair of shoes made from old tires...these are the shoe of choice for most of the Maasai. The peddler fits the tire shoe to your foot, adjusting the straps by re-nailing them and cutting off any extra rubber. Then after walking around some more I found a pretty peice of fabric to add to my collection of Kenyan cloths.

After the market we got to go to one of the clubs in Loitokitok. Being the only people in there, we didn't have to wait for drinks and the club turned up their music. A great way to end the day!

Today I spent most of the day in lecture and working on data analysis for our research project. In the afternoon, we were able to see the entire process of roasting a goat. They brought in the goat, slaughtered right there, and then proceeded to skin it. I will admit, I turned away when they killed it, but crept in for the anaomy lesson. The goat tasted great, but it's so rich that it unsettled my stomach :/ Everytime that I've had it here it doesn't seem to stay put in my stomach so I don't know if I'll be having any more myama choma while I am here!

Another day in Kenya

The last few days we haven't done anything quite as exciting as visiting the orphanage, VCT and club. We have been working really hard on our research project, most hours of the day. On Monday we went out to the field and did a pre-test for our questionnaire. The young woman that we talked to was 19 years old and already had a 10 month old and was married to a 28 year old man. There were a ton of kids around while we were administering the survey and they could not leave me and my friend who was doing the survey with me alone! The kids kept asking for my watch and pen and were very intrigued by my hair...while I was recording the information, the kids began to sniff my hair.

Other than that we have been stuck inside the SFS base working all day. Somedays I get to go on runs and the local kids run up to the fence and watch us...kind of makes me feel like a zoo animal.

Today, we were surprised by the staff! They decided that we were working really hard so they decided to take us to the Kimana club again! We all got to have a little Tusker...very nice. Another nice surprise was that they had diet coke!!! Diet coke in Kenya is like an endangered species...hard to come by! I was so excited that I decided to buy a bunch of bottles and bring them back to the base with me :) They now have no more diet coke haha we sold them out.

Tomorrow we begin our field work for the questionnaire. It's going to be lots of long days!

Lalasalama

Yesterday I went to an orphanage in a nearby town. It was so heart wrenching to see the kids that were living there...they have so little. I met a boy named Moses and he showed me around the house and kept me company while we stayed there. Moses, as well as all of the kids staying at the orphanage had great marks in school. The woman who runs the orphanage is a teacher and really emphasizes the importance of a good education. I hope that all of the kids there have the opportunity to attend college one day and make a good life for themselves. The village where the orphanage was is called Loitokitok and it is such a picturesque place. It is right on the lower slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro and the view of the mountain from there is amazing. It is actually a pretty big town and has it's own hospital. After visiting, we ate lunch at a hotel where I had french fries! (Not something you see everyday in Kenya!)

We then went to an AIDS counseling/testing center and met with several people who are HIV positive. It was so touching to hear their stories and the types of things that they have faced since living with the disease. There is a definite stigma towards people with HIV, in not only Kenya but the U.S. as well. I was glad to hear that they were speaking out on their disease and helping others who are in their shoes.

Following the AIDS center, we all went to the market and looked around. (Always an interesting experience!)

After the market we then returned to Kimana and stopped at a local club or "bar", and got a couple beers. AH. It was really nice to relax with a beer after the busy and emotional day! While at the club, some people from my program ordered a roasted goat...they then proceded to butcher the goat right then and there and cook it. (Kind of made me lose my appetite to be honest!) I did try it though, and it was alright.

Another new experience while at the club was going to the bathroom...a note on Kenyan bathrooms: In the area that I am staying, most people do not have a toilet with running water as we are accostomed to in the states. Many people have "mobilets" sort of a porta potty looking thing, many just go in the bush, and others have latrines that just have a hole in the ground. Well, the club had the latter. And as you can imagine, after having a couple of Tuskers (beer) I had to go pretty bad...I have been avoiding these strange toilets like the plague...Unfortunately, I just couldn't hold it anymore and had to give in. I can now say, that I know how to pee in a hole in the ground. Should be a skill on a resume if you ask me!

Other than the excursion from yesterday, most of my days have been full of lectures and work. It really is quite tedious what we are doing and by the end of the day I am ready for sleep. We are putting together a research project that should normally take 6-12 months, in 5 weeks. So, you can imagine what that is like.

My Swahili is sadly not getting too much better, but I am hoping that one day I will have mastered a good chunk of it...maybe then I can come back one day and communicate with everyone!

Well, I am off to bed...another long day in Kenya and I am worn out!

Lalasalama (goodnight)

Hello from Kenya!

It has been just over a week since I arrived in Kenya and already I have had a lifetimes worth of experiences. Things here are so much different than in the U.S. and everyday is a new adventure. So far I have visited a few clinics, Maasai villages, went on a safari, and experienced a lot of the local culture and traditions. I am starting to miss the everyday amenities from back home, especially diet coke, cold foods, and hot showers, but overall I am having a great time.

Every morning I wake up to Mt. Kilimanjaro, such a magnificent land form. During breakfast, we always have a troop of monkeys and baboons that play around in the yard.

When I'm not out in the field getting to experience all that Kenya has to offer, I am stuck in lectures filling my brain with loads of information. I am working on a research project that will assess the types of illnesses in the Kimana area. Most days are go-go-go! from 7:30am-11pm.

The internet here is not so great, so it's hard for me to update my blog as often as I would like, but I will do it as much as I can!

kwaheri! (goodbye in swahili)

5 Days until Kenya!!!

I am now 5 days away from my trip to Kenya! This past weekend I moved into a new apartment so I haven't had much time to focus on packing for my trip. Now that I'm all moved in my sights are set on Kenya!

A little more about the program... I will be a student at the Center for Wildlife Management Studies in Public Health.

I will be arriving in Kenya through Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi. From the airport I will meet up with the entire group and drive for about 4 hours to Kilimanjaro Bush Camp (KBC), where I will be staying for the duration of my trip.

KBC is located on the slope of Mt. Kilimanjaro and 25 km to Oloitokitok town on the Kenya/Tanzania border. On a clear day there will be an excellent view of Mt. Kilimanjaro.

The camp is fenced within 25 acres of a 60 acre piece of land. The camp has spacious grounds with student bandas, chumba, office block and staff houses. There will be approximately 28 students in the program, and I will be living with 3 other students in a shared cottage (banda).

The program is an intensive five weeks field based course that will be conducted among the Maasai community. I will be involved in designing and implementing a household health survey; in analyzing data and preparing a report. I will have the opportunity to present and discuss the survey findings with community members to identify follow-up health interventions.

I will have limited access to internet and other forms of communication, but I will try and make as many postings as I can! I CAN'T WAIT!!!

Summer Update

For the past week I have been bandage free! Yay! My nose is feeling much better...I can breath better already and the swelling is almost down. It's still a little sore, but it's been very manageable.

Last Thursday I took the MCAT. (AH!) I won't find out my score for 30 days... probably a good thing so that I won't have to worry about it until then! I feel like I didn't do the best, but worse case, I retake it. No big deal!

Now that the surgery and MCAT is behind me, I am looking forward to my trip to Kenya! I leave in 11 days!!! Woohoo!!! On Monday I had lunch with the girls from Madison who are going on the trip with me. We ate at Buraka, which is a restaurant that serves African cuisine. I had the traditional Kenyan dish and beer (yummm). A little preview for the weeks to come! I can't wait! I have gotten almost all of the supplies that I need for my trip now too, so close to being ready :)