"hello sista"

hello all!

sorry it has been a week since my last post - there have been a couple of things inhibiting me from creating a new blog entry. 1. it has been raining here a lot, and when it rains in Kenya, we lose power. every single day over the last week we have lost power..sometimes for the entire day. it gets annoying, but i have come to accept spotty electricity as part of life in here. 2. i have had a bout of the flu since sunday. i spent all of sunday evening, monday and all day today in bed. i finally felt well enough to try and eat something and get out of the house so here i am!

on friday we didnt do a whole lot, heather and i attempted to go to the office to try and work on some documents for the feeding program but as soon as we arrived at the office (which takes a half hour to walk to) the power went out. we hung around for awhile but after an hour of waiting for the power to come back on we walked home. it was a very unproductive day.

on saturday i went into the city center. although i am staying in Nairobi, we are outside of the main hubub. a couple of the volunteers and i decided to venture into the city to do some shopping and such. we took the city bus (the entire days transportation cost around $1) and had an adventure. i thought when we got into the city that we would see more caucasian people, but we did not. at this point though, i am getting used to the staring and honestly hardly notice it. the main streets of Nairobi are not what i pictured at all. all of the buildings have very old architecture and it is like walking down the streets of what i picture america to look like if the 30s and 60s co-existed. i was concentrating too much on not getting hit by the crazy amounts of insane drivers to take pictures but i promise to try and snap a few next time i venture in.
the markets we went to were very interesting and i bought some really neat things (which i wont mention as some are gifts that i would like to keep a surprise). the most overwhelming part of the day was going to the maasai market. this is a huge market in the center of Nairobi in which vendors come and set out blankets full of crafts and such for sale. let me tell you - a half hour of this was all i could take! as soon as you step into the gates you are assaulted with "hey sista let me show you ____" and these people do not let up!! they will follow you all over the market grabbing your arm, putting jewelry on you in an attempt to have you purchase their goods. i dont have a problem being firm with people, but unless you are outright rude they will not leave you be! the worse is if you pause for even one millisecond at their blanket, then they assume they have you hooked and you are a goner! i did buy one thing at the market - an oil painting of giraffes on the savannah at sunset which i am VERY excited to frame at home. after buying that i got the heck out of there....ill venture back sometime again before i leave.

on sunday we decided to go to the national park and the giraffe center. we had heard from a volunteer who left that you could go to the national park and pay 1000Ksh (approx $10) to pet a cheetah. when we got to the park gates we asked the staff where we had to go to pet the cheetah. they proceeded to laugh in our face. "you cant pet the cheetah" said the guard, "thats illegal". so we told her we had heard of people petting the cheetah for 1000Ksh and she said "ohhh no, you cant pet the cheetah for 1000Ksh, it will cost you 40,000Ksh" (so apparently it wasnt illegal, you just had to be willing to fork over some serious dough). after we entered the park we had an extremely shady employee follow us around for a good deal of time before he approached us and said, "if you give me 1000Ksh, ill let you pet the cheetah." although we were tempted, the idea of ending up in Kenyan jail was too strong to go though with it and we said no. it was yet another example of the amount of corruption that happens here in Kenya, as well as all over the world. (i couldnt resist snapping a picture of the sign as we left the park - below). we decided that since we were already there we would go on the safari walk and see some of the wildlife. the safari walk is basically a VERY open zoo. the animals are behind fences, but you can get extremely close to them and the monkeys just wander around the zoo. at one point i was within 3 feet of a baboon!

although i wouldnt pay again to go to the national park, it was really nice to get out of the city and be in the forest. i didnt realize until we were on the walk how much pollution is in the air here! the cars all run on diesel fuel and the air is very smoggy! it was wonderful to smell the fresh air and not feel like i was contracting black lung for a few hours.

after the national park we wandered to the giraffe center which was the highlight of my trip thus far fo sho!!! this center was designed to protect one of the endangered species of giraffe and there is even a hotel on the property that you can stay at where giraffes wander around the grounds! (basically a dream come true for me and definitely where i want to spend some time in the future.) at the center the giraffes come right up to a platform where you can feed them, as well as kiss them! of course i went right in for the smooch! to do it you put a food pellet in-between your lips and the giraffe goes right in for the kill. i knew everyone would want a photo, so in order to get the shot i had to kiss the giraffe 9 times lol. this is not a clean peck either, they are quite slobbery! but i cant say i didnt enjoy it a little - i mean how often do you get to kiss your favorite animal?? especially when it is not one that you can have as a pet lol.

on the way back from the giraffe center we got caught in a rainstorm (when it rains here it RAINS. it will downpour so hard you can not see in front of your face, and then stop within an hour), got on a bus packed to the MAX, got stuck in rush hour traffic that was at a standstill, and sat next to a chicken on the bus. yes, a chicken. i have come to the realization that this is Africa, and i love it :). despite all the chaos, and the fact that nothing happens quickly, there is something about this place that has me hooked!

after two long days of running around and taking wayyyy overcrowded transportation, i spent the last couple of days laying in bed sleeping and recovering.
i hope that all is going wonderfully at home! (though i hear that it has been rainy and cold so im not missing too much)
miss and love you all!

keeping busy!

hello all!

its been a few days since i posted a blog so here is a summary of what i have been up to:

on friday heather and i spent the day in the volunteer office doing some logistic work for the feeding program in Kibera. since the program is so new (it has been running for about a month) we have a lot to do as far as creating documents for the future volunteers who will be taking over the program to follow. at times it is a bit overwhelming, and we have learned that nothing happens quickly in kenya, but it is very exciting to have such an impact on a wonderful project!

saturday we spent just hanging out sleeping in after a long week of being out in the sun. it was nice to just talk with the other volunteers and play some cards. i have introduced everyone in my house to skip bo and it has taken on like wild fire! we play everyday, and we have even created a "champ board" where we write the name of the winner everyday. its been a nice way to unwind and get to know one another! for those of you in lax, i have yet to introduce them to the 1024 Farnam version, but i am sure that will happen over the next three months :)

sunday we headed to Fourteen Falls, which was amazing! it was a long day since the falls are about 2 hours away from Nairobi, but it was a lot of fun! i got to meet volunteers who are staying all over Kenya, and i even went cliff jumping! to get to the site where we got to jump we had to cross a very treacherous path of rocks with a very strong current running through them! we had a guide who showed us where to step and we all held hands as we crossed in a long line. it took about a half hour to get across, and my legs were sore the next day from bracing myself against the current, but it was worth it! the one thing that continues to amaze me here is the amount of trash everywhere! even at the falls, which are a beautiful natural site, there is trash everywhere! the 30 garbage bags i brought as a donation will hardly make a dent in the trash here! even in the city people just throw litter on the ground. in the slums there is no garbage pick up system, so people throw it on the ground due to the lack of anywhere else to put it, but in the city they have trash cans and a garbage removal program which is why i don't understand the overwhelming amount of trash!

after the long day we had on sunday, we got up early again on monday to put on a medical camp about 2 hours outside of Nairobi. the camp was a big success, with hundreds of locals who had not seen a doctor or received medical care in over a year, showing up! we had several different booths such as dental care, womens health, family planning, HIV/AIDS awareness & testing, as well as many doctors & nurses available for check-ups. being the outspoken person that i am, i was assigned to family planning and spent the day showing the locals how to use a condom. it actually went over very well and the men asked a lot of questions! after the sessions were done, we had a lot of time where people were just waiting to see the doctors so i spent the rest of the day playing with the kids and getting to know the locals. i learned a lot and it was a very interesting, as well as entertaining day!

yesterday i was back in Nairobi at my placement handing out food in Kibera. it was an overcast day, which was nice because when it is hot out it is not pleasant to be in Kibera! there is almost no wind, and the smell of the sewage and garbage gets a bit overwhelming! it was good to see the familiar faces of the families and check in on them. after a week and a half i finally feel comfortable walking to Kibera from the volunteer house by myself and managing to not get lost. the thing that is very tricky about Kenya is that they 1 - do not use north, south, etc...they just say something is "over there". 2- they have very minimal street signs. besides main roads, streets are not labeled so you have to remember your way by landmark. this can get very difficult as the streets are so crowded that they look very similar. especially once you enter the slum, it is almost impossible to navigate, as every alley looks the same (to me at least). one of the men that takes us through Kibera said that after a few weeks i will notice the differences, so i said that on my last day i will lead the tour through the slum...we shall see if i am able.

after the last three days of running around and being gone from 7am-7pm, i am taking today to catch up and relax. i am also going to try and do laundry for the first time! we shall see how this goes... :S

until next time!
xoxo

week one coming to a close...

hello all :)

yesterday i had orientation into the IVHQ program, we got to meet all of the other volunteers, as well as the administrative staff in Kenya. i continue to be impressed with how friendly everyone here is! they are all so happy, and grateful for our time/help. it is so wonderful to be amongst such friendly people!

after orientation we went just hung out and all spent some time getting to know one another. the house that i am staying in holds 10 volunteers, and right now we are at full capacity. it has been just as much fun getting to know the volunteers from all over the world as it has been to get to know the kenyans! last night we had a big discussion about the differences between "american" english and "british" english - which was quite entertaining! as much as i have loved getting to know all the other volunteers though, it is hard because i have had to say goodbye to a few i have grown close to already! (they have placements in other parts of kenya) it is amazing how fast you bond with others while traveling, especially since we are all in an unfamiliar surrounding.

today i went into Kibera again. for the rest of the time that i am here i will be going into Kibera to pass out food on Mon, Tues & Thurs, and spending time at the WEEP center on Wed and Fri. the WEEP center is a center for women who are living with HIV to come and learn trades such as sewing and bead work, so that they may make money to support themselves and their children. here, the women living with HIV/AIDS are severely shunned and are not allowed to make an honest living. they are often disowned by their families and their husbands leave them, making it nearly impossible for them to survive. this center provides work for the women, as well as education for their children, allowing them to support their families. it was another humbling day of meeting friendly, wonderful people making the best out of the very little that they have.

i am also very excited because on monday i will be participating in a medical camp that is being put on by a fellow volunteer! many of the people in this area have not seen a doctor or had medical care in over a year, so this camp is bringing together doctors, nurses, etc so that these people can receive basic care. i will be helping with patient education, which is right up my alley! it costs us volunteers about 2500Ksh for the day - which is roughly $30, which helps to pay the doctors and buy supplies. i think it will be a great time!

other than that, heather and i (a volunteer from colorado who i have gotten close with) have been spending our free time planning trips for the wknds. i have already decided i will end up spending more than i wanted in these three months, but there are just SOOO many things i want to do and who knows when i will end up on this end of the world again! this wknd we are thinking of going to the market in masi - which i have heard is huge! and then perhaps to the giraffe center, where you can kiss a giraffe (you all know how excited i am to swap spit with my favorite animal)! we dont do much in the evenings during the week, one because we are exhausted from walking around in Kibera all day in the sun & two because it isnt safe to walk around Nairobi after dark.

speaking of which, it is getting late here, and we have some errands to run on the way home. until next time!

xoxo

"hello - how are you?"

hello hello

its weird to say this after only a couple of days, but i am officially starting to feel settled in, and am now referring to the IVHQ house as "home." the people i have met (both volunteers and kenyans) are sooooo nice! i am so glad i came here!

today i went into Kibera which is the largest slum in Nairobi and the second largest slum in Africa. it was the most humbling experience i have EVER had. Kibera houses over a million people, literally every corner of space is utilized! these people have nothing. literally. they live in "houses" that are the size of my room with no running water - and if they have some money, spotty electricity. even the houses with electricity are pitch dark, and almost impossible to see anything. we spent three hours walking around passing out flour and beans to residents, who were so thankful for our help! the food we gave them (about two bags of flour and a bag of beans per family) feeds their family for a week. everywhere we walked the children would shout out "hello, how are you? i am fine" in a chorus (the most english they know) and chase after us. it was so adorable, and heartbreaking at the same time. seeing these kids who were so smiley and happy, running around in donated, dirty clothes shouting out to us and coming up to get hugs was overwhelming. sadly, most of the families cannot afford to send their children to school, so the kids spend their days playing in the sewage and rummaging amongst garbage. to send a child to school here cost 600 shillings a month, which  is a little over $5. but the families simply cannot afford it. i have already decided that i am going to sponsor a child and pay their school fees, it is the least i can do when they have so little.

the project i helped out on today passing out food was started by a past volunteer very recently, and they are looking for a volunteer who is "long term" to help run it. i am considering taking this post, as surprisingly i am the most long term of this new batch of volunteers. as heartbreaking as today was, it was also reassuring that the things that we do here are actually helping! by providing food for these families, they are able to save money to put toward their children's school fees.

after returning from Kibera - literally covered in feces, yes feces (my shocks will most definitely not be coming home with me!) we went to the "walmart" of Nairobi to purchase drinking water and some fruit. i also bought a Kenyan cell phone and some minutes, so now i just have to figure out how to use it!

tomorrow we have orientation, though i have to say i feel like i am getting the hang of the lifestyle already without it. tonight i will be taking a much needed shower, followed by packing up in case i am moving for my placement.

i will try to post pictures on my blog soon, but to be honest i haven't taken many because i don't feel comfortable enough yet. i draw enough attention to myself being here, that i don't want to add to it by being "that tourist" with the camera. also, i have not figured out how to add pictures at the internet cafes. the computers are old, and i am not sure i can plug my memory card into them...perhaps i will have to search for a more expensive cafe that may have more updated equipment.

well, time to head back :)
 xo

getting settled in...

for those of you keeping track - yes, i was able to post twice in one day! crazy eh? turns our internet access is not as hard to get as i thought it would be. i am currently sitting in a cafe about a block away from the IVHQ volunteer house. soooo much has happened to me already and it has only been one day!!

around 11am this morning i was able to get in touch with the volunteer coordinator in Kenya and they came and got me from my hotel. right away when i got to the house, the volunteers that were there asked if i wanted to come to the "mall" with them. we walked about the equivalent of 6 blocks and explored some of the shops. trying to convert shillings to dollars in my head is SO confusing, i am hesitant to spend much money until i am more comfortable with the currency.

after we were done at the mall, we went to the IVHQ house in another part of Nairobi, and then continued on to explore one of the markets. we traveled by way of "matu" which is basically a SUPER over-crowded mini-van. where in the US mini-vans seat 7 people, here there are at least 15! it was very interesting, but i am learning to be ok with no personal space! all in all a days worth of exploring cost me about a dollar, so i cant complain.

anyways, we are headed back to the house for dinner so i have to run!
lots of love! xo

 

ive arrived!

hello all :)

well i arrived. as most of you know, my flight was changed last minute and after 24 hours of pure chaos and freaking out (thanks to those of you that put up with me) i made it to Nairobi! since my flight was pushed up 24 hours i booked a hotel near the airport until i can meet up with someone from IVHQ. i made it to my hotel at 12:30am, and crashed immediately after wayyyyy too long of traveling!

the plane rides were alright. i ended up with a middle seat for both flights (9 hours each) so that was unfortunate, but i lucked out by meeting two very nice gentlemen. on my second flight i sat next to a man from Texas who now lives in Bujumbura for his job as a contractor, which is an hour flight from Nairobi. he was very nice! (and cute :) ) and offered to show me around if i ever wanted to visit with him this summer. it was very reassuring to meet a fellow american and exchange contact info!

for those of you that are convinced i will find a husband this summer you will find the following entertaining - when attaining my visa yesterday the woman working told me: (while reading my passport) "you are single?? you have a beautiful smile miss! if you continue to show that while in Kenya you will have all the men asking to be your husband and you will never leave!" that gave me a good laugh after all my travels! :)

here are a few things i have learned in my short time in Nairobi already:
1. cab drivers here have the same mentality as those in Greece, if you want to pass someone and the other lane is not available, use the shoulder of the road!
2. 50-60 degrees is cold. when i arrived at my hotel the security guard came out to the car in a jacket, pants, hat, and one of those ski masks that we Wisconsinites feel is only necessary when it is 20 below zero! keep in mind i was dressed in yoga pants and a tshirt.
3. nothing is done in a hurry, which is something i could stand to learn from. i think the rest of the world is onto something here - we in America seem to be the only ones obsessed with time.

anyway, i need to get going - i have to check out of my hotel in the next hour and i have no idea if/where i am meeting someone from IVHQ. i think this may also have something to do with the lack of urgency with time here...
well until next time!!
xoxo