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)