Our Last Day in Kenya

·      Journal prompt: Share cultural information that you have learned which was totally foreign to your previous experience.  

 Goats were anywhere & everywhere you looked in Kenya & Tanzania! We learned livestock are very important to the Maasai tribal people and are indicators of their wealth and status.


The following are pictures I took our last day in Kibera. We were able to attend their church service on Sunday which was absolutely incredible. A church packed with families and schoolchildren belting out songs, dancing, and clapping. They are such faithful people and being able to worship with them was just awesome. 

 I was so impressed watching mothers tie their baby onto their backs with such ease. 

 Always greeting our bus with huge smiles & such joy. 

 Miss Clare was waiting for me when we got into Kibera on Sunday and was my sidekick that day. 

 Sunday school. Again, children on their best behavior listening attentively to Mr. Ken, their Sunday school teacher. Most of them came with their bibles in their hands. There was a 5 year old "doorman" who would open the door each time newcomers arrived and they would all scoot over to make room for them. This may seem like frivolous info but I was blown away by their behavior and the fact that there didn't need to be an adult there telling them what to do because they're SO self-sufficient.  There were  at least 70 kids of all ages jammed into this room and I didn't see a single one acting out. Take note, American kidlets :) 

Reading the Word.

 Sona & Nancy were quite popular :)

 Packed church.

 The people behind it all, Karen & Sandy Baird. We all have so much respect for these two. They have completely dedicated their lives to serving the Lord & you can tell they are so loved by the people of Kibera.  

 :)

Until we meet again, little friends!

Something I was really moved by on this day was during the offering at church. Seeing children & adults of the slums of Kibera come up to the front of the church, giving the little money they had brought tears to my eyes. These people live in 12x12 ft shacks with no electricity, some with no running water. Not only did they come to church praising God and thanking Him for what they have, but they also came with money to give to their church. We all have so much to learn from these people.

http://newhopeinitiative.org/donate/

Medical Camp in Kibera

Journal Prompt:   Summarize your greatest concern at the beginning of today.  Demonstrate how you addressed/coped with the concerns.

The night before medical camp we partnered up and began to mentally prepare for a huge day. We were going to be offering medical care to hundreds, if not thousands of people from Kibera. We were told that for some people, this could be the first, and maybe the only time they would be able to have access to medical care. Though we were limited on what meds we had to offer and had obviously never diagnosed and prescribed on our own, we were reminded of the importance of being confident in what we knew. (If I had a penny every time I heard that in nursing school...) While that's easier said than done when someone places their health issues in your hands, it is so true. Sure, I had some concerns going into the day- I think we all did. But Sandy from NHI said it best when he told us that no matter what we did, we were helping people who otherwise wouldn't be receiving medical care and would be changing their lives for the better. 

The night before medical camp I think I slept 3 hours. Jet lag probably played a role in that. But I just laid there thinking about the poverty I had seen that day and all of the incredible people I met. It only took one day in Kibera for me to realize I would be coming home a different person, with a much different outlook on so many things. 

Ready for the day ahead of us! Christina, Lindsey, & I were roommates throughout the entire trip. The first night one of our bunk beds collapsed when I sat down on it which set the tone for the next 2 weeks. (Lots of laughing.)

Some times in life things do not go as planned whatsoever and you just have to go with the flow. We were reminded of this fact the morning of medical camp. To give some background, "Africa Time" & "America Time" are 2 very different things- punctuality & being in a rush all the time is not too common in Africa. Our bus was running half an hour late and we had received word that hundreds of people would probably be starting to line up to receive medical care. To make matters worse, we got stuck in a 3 hour traffic jam because of the Kenya Marathon. The trip to the slums should have only taken us 15 minutes, but by the time we got to Kibera it was 11:30am. I expected the people to be upset or angry, because they had been promised to be seen by the American nurses starting at 8am, and most never have the opportunity to get medical care. We pulled up to the slum and at least 30 little kids were waiting for us and are jumping up and down shouting "MZUNGU!" (white person) and "'OW ARE YOU!" (the main phrase they know). They were so excited and lead us to where all the people are waiting.

We got to the location of the medical clinic, where there were hundreds of people quietly & patiently sitting there holding their babies smiling, applauding, & greeting us. They were so happy we were there, even though we were nearly 4 hours late and they had been waiting for us in the hot sun for hours. If that had happened in America, something tells me the people waiting would not be greeting us with a smile or an applause. Sandy's wife, Karen told us that since these people are so impoverished they don’t feel entitled to anything. To them, us being there to put on this clinic was a gift that they didn’t feel worthy of. We were told they would have sat and waited for us without a complaint until nightfall.

That day we saw patients with everything imaginable. Tuberculosis, malaria, HIV, heart disease, and seriously ill children and babies. There was a prevalence of parasites, infections, and respiratory and GI issues because of their terrible water conditions. We were limited in medical supplies and the meds we could give the people, but they were so appreciative to have us there and to receive any help they could get. When I would ask a patient how long they had been experiencing their symptoms- some would say weeks, others would tell me they had felt sick for months or years but that they couldn’t afford to receive care. I have had some humbling days in clinical in the oncology unit and working in the Operating Rooms, but this day was unlike anything I ever have or ever will experience as a nurse in the US. Though the people we served had very little and had to endure such difficult circumstances, I have never met such kind-hearted or faithful people.

I will remember this day of the trip for the rest of my life. Interviewing patient after patient and learning about their lives, their struggles, & getting a sense of their perseverance was so eye-opening to me as a nurse and a young American woman. I do believe that we helped a lot of people that day. But I think it goes without saying that the people of Kibera helped us, "the mzungu nurses", just as much.

 Could not have had the successful day that we did without our FABULOUS translator Miss Faith Afandi. Faith is a schoolteacher at New Hope Academy. We have so much respect for you, Faith! Thank you again.

When we got there the head Chemist (pharmacist) gave us these sheets which listed the 37 meds we had in stock and the 24 possible labs we could run. 

The classrooms were transformed into eval rooms and a pharmacy for the day. 

(We saw so many kids and ran out of pediatric medicine before anything.)

#TheTeam. 

Partner in crime. Jen is a walking encyclopedia of all things medicine and is going to be a BALLIN' nurse. She lectured me a lot about staying hydrated in between patients. Thanks JP. Hehe.

Journal prompt asks us to explain how we addressed/coped with concerns. I think the New Hope school motto pictured above says it all!

This Is Africa. Day 2.

[Written on July 3rd]

We safely arrived to Nairobi Airport in Kenya at about 9:15pm after two smooth flights. Other than my team learning that I sleep with my mouth wide open, everything went without a hitch. All of our luggage and medical supplies arrived at the airport and we got through Immigration without any issues. We met the wonderful Sandy Baird, director of New Hope Initiative, and hit the road to the Ndemi Guest House where we stayed for two nights. We were only on the road five minutes when we saw a pack of zebras standing by the highway. I thought that was a fitting welcome.

Greeting us outside our window the first morning in Nairobi, Kenya was a vervet monkey- a common sight in East Africa.

Today was our first day in the slums of Kibera, one of the largest slums in the world. I will never forget this day as long as I live. I have a new understanding of poverty, an unparalleled respect for people who have dedicated their lives to helping the poor, and want nothing more than to alleviate the pain and suffering that was in front of my eyes. 

Kibera. Pictures don't do it justice. This goes on for miles upon miles. 

After medical camp orientation we met the ladies of Project Biashara and got to watch them sing, dance, & worship. They're the type of people who you just find yourself constantly smiling around because their joy is so contagious. The ladies make beautiful jewelry and sell it in the states to help provide for their families. I believe average earnings amount to about $110 a month. They do beautiful work, to take a look follow this link. In Africa, "To help a woman is to help her family" so maybe you will consider doing so. The woman on the far right, Eunice, is the proud mother of 9 children! After they got done they asked us to do an American song and dance. Guess who busted out the Cha Cha Slide & Cupid Shuffle? [Guilty.]

This is little Emmanuel. He was sleeping on this lawn chair wrapped up in a fleece blanket and stalking hat while his Mom worked on jewelry. It's winter in Kenya right now- it was about 70 degrees which is actually quite cool to them, and they really bundle their babies up. I could sit and hold these babies for hours.  

I sat down with the ladies of Project Biashara and tried to make jewelry at their speed and skill. (Key word being tried.) I am so inspired by their faith in God and how dedicated they are to providing for their families. 

The ladies of Project Biashara bring their little ones with them each day they work. These children are so well-behaved. I was amazed at how they quietly sat and watched their moms work. They wanted to touch my blonde hair and called me "Inna". My friend Dixon told me that my name basically means "finger nail art/polish" in Swahili :) 

When the kids saw us walking into Kibera they came running from every direction shouting: "'OW ARE YOU!" Imagine hundreds of little ones shouting this at the same time with huge smiles on their faces. It was so awesome.

I would point to my camera and say "want me to take your picture?" to which each child I asked would nod their head then reach for my camera. They loved to see pictures of themselves.

With the beautiful ladies of the New Hope Initiative Academy. NHI Academy is more than just a "slum school". This is a special place where they are producing feature leaders, and that is so evident. The girls I'm pictured with are scholarship students who speak flawless English. They told me about their favorite foods (maize), their families (many had up to 7 siblings), helped me with my bad Swahili, and wanted to know all about Americans and their day-to-day lives. Their sweetness absolutely melted my heart. When they asked me what type of foods Americans ate they giggled when I told them about cheeseburgers.

"Can we have a picture too?!"

Children living among garbage and swine. Such a heart-wrenching sight.

Sneaking through the gate to hang out with the mzungus at the church. We certainly didn't mind!

If you are interested in donating please visit http://newhopeinitiative.org/donate/. I have seen what amazing things this organization is doing and can assure your donation will help change a life for the better.