January 2nd, 2009
Home care visits. Today I went around on a scooter delivering ARVs to the local HIV patients who can’t come into the office for care. I went to check on the triplets. Yes, the quadruplets I told you about are now triplets. The little girl Katherine died of malaria. Very very sad….it’s so hard to see these poor kids who are so sick and how many children die from malaria here. Kelvin, Kennedy and Camp David were home with their mom Salamai, two other children and the father of the two older children. It is customary to bring a gift when you come to someone’s home. I had run out of food and felt terrible about it. However, I did have some stickers (assorted color stars) so I gave the older kids the stickers as a gift-seems stickers is the last thing they need, but the kids were excited. Kelvin and Kennedy are infected with malaria now and Camp David is healthy. Yes, that is his name. J Poor Kelvin and Kennedy are extremely lethargic and sick. Salamai explained she had run out of food for the babies formula and that is how she mixes their meds. Charles, the director was with me and told Salamai he’d come back with food. As we took off on his motor bike I asked him when he was going to bring the food for the baby formula and he said the grant money didn’t cover any food and he didn’t know. It is frustrating b/c Charles wants to help, but makes false promises to some of these people….It’s a catch 22 with the funding b/c they get funding for ARVs, but not food and ARVs can’t be taken without food. The government and many givers of grant money won’t give out money for food because they want the local people to learn to produce for themselves. Understandable and makes sense for some healthier patients, but how are HIV+ bedridden people supposed to farm? or those with sick triplets?
Given the poor health of the triplets, I decided I was going to get them the food they needed for the next 6 months since Charles had told Salamai he'd be back with food. We got a bjage and loaded up on dried soy beans, sorgum, powered milk, cane sugar, maize, etc. Two hours later, we were back at the triplets house. I couldn’t help but smile when I saw the whole family was wearing the stickers I had brought as earrings! Salamai, the father of her two older kids, the older kids (one boy), and all of the babies wear wearing gold and blue star stickers on their ears. A happy moment given all this poor family has gone through….
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Happy 2009!
January 1st, 2009
Happy New Year! Today I am headed to Fukayosi, a masai village not far from Bagamoyo. Luka, the Masai who guards UKUN has invited us to attend a Masai ceremony today. I know 2 phrases in Masai, so my ability to communicate will be lacking today.
Happy New Year! Today I am headed to Fukayosi, a masai village not far from Bagamoyo. Luka, the Masai who guards UKUN has invited us to attend a Masai ceremony today. I know 2 phrases in Masai, so my ability to communicate will be lacking today.
Old MacDonald had a Farm EIEIO…
December 31st, 2008
Old MacDonald had a Farm EIEIO…
Almost 2009! Tonight we had Amani club with the orphans and other HIV+ kids. Their teacher had asked me to arrive early to give an HIV lesson to the older kids. When I arrived, Assam, their teacher told me I was just in time for my turn to lead the class in song. First of all, I am not good at speaking in front of an audience and much less comfortable singing…All of the kids were saying, “Sing something teacher Marissa. Sing!” So, I felt obligated and all I could come up with is “Old MacDonald.” The first animal I could think of was pig which wasn’t the best choice in front of a muslim audience. The kids are so musically talented. They picked up the song right away and joined in and did some fancy clapping, so luckily I wasn’t singing by myself for too long. The kids flip flop their r’s and l’s. Some get my name right and call me Melissa, others call me Marissa and some call me Teacher Mona Lisa…Kind of funny.
After singing, I gave the HIV lesson-it went well.
Old MacDonald had a Farm EIEIO…
Almost 2009! Tonight we had Amani club with the orphans and other HIV+ kids. Their teacher had asked me to arrive early to give an HIV lesson to the older kids. When I arrived, Assam, their teacher told me I was just in time for my turn to lead the class in song. First of all, I am not good at speaking in front of an audience and much less comfortable singing…All of the kids were saying, “Sing something teacher Marissa. Sing!” So, I felt obligated and all I could come up with is “Old MacDonald.” The first animal I could think of was pig which wasn’t the best choice in front of a muslim audience. The kids are so musically talented. They picked up the song right away and joined in and did some fancy clapping, so luckily I wasn’t singing by myself for too long. The kids flip flop their r’s and l’s. Some get my name right and call me Melissa, others call me Marissa and some call me Teacher Mona Lisa…Kind of funny.
After singing, I gave the HIV lesson-it went well.
Traditional Healer Breakthrough
December 30th, 2008
Last week we had our meeting with the traditional healer’s council. Very interesting…..I definitely understood how some of the plants could help with various ailments, like ginger for upset stomachs, etc. However, when I asked the head healer how he thought HIV originated, he said that what happened was a white man married an African woman, but he didn’t really love her. He then slept with a dog. The dog had HIV. After that he slept with her again and infected her with HIV. She was so upset that he didn’t love her that she slept with many of the men in the village and they also contracted HIV/AIDs. The healer also said there were two types of HIV/AIDs. One type is the real type that he couldn’t always cure, but the other type was fake HIV that came about because of witches in the village casting spells on various people to make them think they had HIV/AIDs. Apparently, the healer can cure the witchcraft HIV/AIDs, fairly easily.... So, needless to say, after that meeting I didn’t have much hope, as far as, getting through to the traditional healers. BUT, today it seems we might have made a break through afterall. One of the healers brought his patient with HIV to the hospital next to UKUN. He explained that after speaking with us that he thought HIV was not a traditional disease and can’t always be cured in traditional ways, so he wanted us to try western medicine on his patient. I was so happy that I hugged him. He had told me he was very honored that I would come all the way from America to meet with him and the council. He really wanted me to get him a machine that he could use to make his plant medicine into pill form. Of course, I tried to explain that wouldn’t be possible, but he gave me his address……Maybe I can just mail some herbal remedies from home.... Great day overall and very hopeful!
Last week we had our meeting with the traditional healer’s council. Very interesting…..I definitely understood how some of the plants could help with various ailments, like ginger for upset stomachs, etc. However, when I asked the head healer how he thought HIV originated, he said that what happened was a white man married an African woman, but he didn’t really love her. He then slept with a dog. The dog had HIV. After that he slept with her again and infected her with HIV. She was so upset that he didn’t love her that she slept with many of the men in the village and they also contracted HIV/AIDs. The healer also said there were two types of HIV/AIDs. One type is the real type that he couldn’t always cure, but the other type was fake HIV that came about because of witches in the village casting spells on various people to make them think they had HIV/AIDs. Apparently, the healer can cure the witchcraft HIV/AIDs, fairly easily.... So, needless to say, after that meeting I didn’t have much hope, as far as, getting through to the traditional healers. BUT, today it seems we might have made a break through afterall. One of the healers brought his patient with HIV to the hospital next to UKUN. He explained that after speaking with us that he thought HIV was not a traditional disease and can’t always be cured in traditional ways, so he wanted us to try western medicine on his patient. I was so happy that I hugged him. He had told me he was very honored that I would come all the way from America to meet with him and the council. He really wanted me to get him a machine that he could use to make his plant medicine into pill form. Of course, I tried to explain that wouldn’t be possible, but he gave me his address……Maybe I can just mail some herbal remedies from home.... Great day overall and very hopeful!
Poa Kachisi Kamandizi “Very Crazy Cool like a Banana!”
Just got connected to internet-yahoo. Just getting a chance to post these....
December 26th, 2008
"Poa Kachisi Kamandizi." This is the latest phrase I have learned. The local rastifarians love this phrase and the local kids think it is hilarious if I say it to them. A couple of nights in the evening I have been taking Tinga Tinga paint lessons. I love it and my teacher is Rasti, a local art student from Bagamoyo. Freshi, freshi, poa and schwari are the main words in Rasti’s vocabulary. They all mean cool, very cool, ultra cool, but all mean cool in some form. So most of the lesson we just say freshi and poa to each other….Anyone who passes by on the street gets a, “mambo, freshi, freshi” greeting from Ratsi. Saying he is mellow, is an understatement. I have never met anyone who is so relaxed and not in a hurry to do anything……
December 26th, 2008
"Poa Kachisi Kamandizi." This is the latest phrase I have learned. The local rastifarians love this phrase and the local kids think it is hilarious if I say it to them. A couple of nights in the evening I have been taking Tinga Tinga paint lessons. I love it and my teacher is Rasti, a local art student from Bagamoyo. Freshi, freshi, poa and schwari are the main words in Rasti’s vocabulary. They all mean cool, very cool, ultra cool, but all mean cool in some form. So most of the lesson we just say freshi and poa to each other….Anyone who passes by on the street gets a, “mambo, freshi, freshi” greeting from Ratsi. Saying he is mellow, is an understatement. I have never met anyone who is so relaxed and not in a hurry to do anything……
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