I have arrived in Kenya, Africa and I am safe and sound. I want to thank all of my family, friends and colleagues for the kind support they have given me because without it, this trip would have not been possible. The people of Kenya have warmly welcomed me and my GSK colleagues who are here trying to make a sustainable difference.
The first week here was spent just trying to survive and adapt to Africa. The trip here took almost two days and included a six hour ride in the back of a 4 wheel drive vehicle. The trip from Nairobi to Kisumu was very scenic since we passed through the Great Rift Valley which contains many game reserves. In the distance I could see zebra and antelope and along the road there were baboons just walking around. The main roads in Africa are paved but not very smooth because there are giant potholes and ruts everywhere. Secondary roads are all dirt and travel is very slow so distance is irrelevant here. You learn to ask how long it takes to get somewhere, not how far it is. Amazingly, I was told the roads get worse during the upcoming rainy season...
Everything in Africa simply takes longer to do than anywhere else in the world. We have developed a phrase "this is Africa" to explain why you must learn to accept things as they exist here. For example, the electric power goes off at least several times a day without warning for indeterminate amounts of time. The internet can be off for days because the local villagers need clothesline so they dig up and cut the telephone cables. And I have yet to find a word that means "now" in Kiswahili which apparently is not needed here.
All of the volunteers are housed in a nice local hotel run by the OGRA Foundation. It is within a secure compound surrounded by an electric fence. Once in a while an animal, snake, lizard, etc. gets zapped and you can hear some crackling sounds, ugh! Meals are provided by the hotel and I have been eating mostly chicken and pasta. There are other local foods but I have yet to develop a taste for ugali (a maize based cornmeal) and other delicacies. I drink anything bottled- water, soda, and beer (TUSKER is an African brew that is very refreshing!).
We are provided transportation to the OGRA Foundation offices and into the villages for field work. OGRA is the local community health organization that receives funds from Direct Relief International. All of the GSK PULSE volunteers are working for OGRA on projects that are designed to improve the lives of the nearby communities but in a sustainable way. One of the first programs I was introduced to was the orphan feeding center. The funding for this program is due to expire in June 2010 and I am helping launch a poultry project to raise broiler chickens to sell in the local markets. The funding raised from this program will feed the orphans and hopefully sustain the program on a long term basis. The first shipment of 250 chicks arrives next week so I am on a steep learning curve.
The villagers lack the basic necessities of life- sufficient food, clean water, a comfortable home, access to medical care and a living wage. The average person earns less than a dollar a day and 90% of homes here don't have water or electricity. Malaria and AIDS are rampant and infrastructure or government services are non-existent. NGOs like Direct Relief International and the OGRA Foundation are trying to install sustainable programs like the chicken project so the profits from the sale of the chickens will buy the next batch and also feed the children. Simply providing funding for an orphan feeding program does little good since the program will end once the funding stops. This happens all the time here so the focus is to give the Africans a hand up but not a hand out.
No comments:
Post a Comment