July 7, 2010 Kisumu Blog 1
July 8, 2010
Blog 1 From Kisumu, Kenya
Dear Family and Friends,
I am in Kisumu yet one more time for a very special occasion: to participate in the opening of the new KMET Building that I have been helping with for the past year. This is my third trip here and the second alone without Hinda, and it will be my last one alone, though I am getting along well without her.
But first about my getting here. It was a verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry loooooooooooooong flight:
Seattle to Atlanta to Accra, Ghana, to Nairobi to Kisumu. About 23 hours in the air,and another 12 or so on the ground including waiting for the plane I missed from Nairobi to Kisumu because of lost luggage. In fact both of my suitcases were lost, but after a couple of days I retrieved them including one that Kenya Air forgot to put on the plane.
I am happy to be back here with all of my friends at KMET, and I received a very warm welcome from all of them. nIt is great being back except Hinda is not with me. But, next time. We have agreed to that.
I am living in the community with friends of mine – a couple with two children . Festus Amino and his wife Roslyn and their children Kennedy and Agnes. I have my own room, and there is running water and a toilet. But most importantly, Roslyn and Festus are wonderful hosts and we have lots of fun and laughs together. I feel very comfortable there with them. I ride a motorbike to and from work every day for about $1.30.
For those of you who know that I am an insulin dependent diabetic, I am happy to tell you that I have reduced my insulin intake to 0. Why? The living here is easy and relaxed. Little stress, and because of the heat, (for me), am eating less. Hopefully I will lose the weight I gained since I left here in March.
The new KMET building is beautiful and quite functional. There will be an opening ceremony on July 23rd in which I will participate and will have a role to play on that occasion. Perhaps I will slaughter a goat for the meal we will eat afterwards. We shall see. Hahahahahaha!! On a more serious note, for my recent 72nd birthday gift, KMET has named the pharmacy in the new building in my honor: The Schnurman Pharmacy”. I am proud, honored, and humbled by this.
A few days ago I attended a meeting in a village some distance from here where the KMET staff has been doing some community organizing, and the meeting was to explain to the people in the village of Bondo the short and long term plans that the committee had developed. The committee created a community map drawn on the ground showing what exists, and what they will develop over the next few years. It is yet another example of how KMET works to support the needs that the community articulates and supports them to implement them. This organization really believes and practices empowerment, rather than develop programs for people and communities which in the long run do not work anyway.
But there is a long way to go. I have attached a photo of a young girl who was sleeping on the ground outside KMET’s Sisterhood for Change Program. She needed to be given food, and more. It is sad to see, but it is the reality here, just like it is unfortunately in our own country – the wealthiest in the world. If we wanted to eradicate poverty, we could, but do we? I don’t really think we do.
So this is an introduction to my next month here. Hope you are all well.
Love,
Peter
Blog 1 From Kisumu, Kenya
Dear Family and Friends,
I am in Kisumu yet one more time for a very special occasion: to participate in the opening of the new KMET Building that I have been helping with for the past year. This is my third trip here and the second alone without Hinda, and it will be my last one alone, though I am getting along well without her.
But first about my getting here. It was a verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry loooooooooooooong flight:
Seattle to Atlanta to Accra, Ghana, to Nairobi to Kisumu. About 23 hours in the air,and another 12 or so on the ground including waiting for the plane I missed from Nairobi to Kisumu because of lost luggage. In fact both of my suitcases were lost, but after a couple of days I retrieved them including one that Kenya Air forgot to put on the plane.
I am happy to be back here with all of my friends at KMET, and I received a very warm welcome from all of them. nIt is great being back except Hinda is not with me. But, next time. We have agreed to that.
I am living in the community with friends of mine – a couple with two children . Festus Amino and his wife Roslyn and their children Kennedy and Agnes. I have my own room, and there is running water and a toilet. But most importantly, Roslyn and Festus are wonderful hosts and we have lots of fun and laughs together. I feel very comfortable there with them. I ride a motorbike to and from work every day for about $1.30.
For those of you who know that I am an insulin dependent diabetic, I am happy to tell you that I have reduced my insulin intake to 0. Why? The living here is easy and relaxed. Little stress, and because of the heat, (for me), am eating less. Hopefully I will lose the weight I gained since I left here in March.
The new KMET building is beautiful and quite functional. There will be an opening ceremony on July 23rd in which I will participate and will have a role to play on that occasion. Perhaps I will slaughter a goat for the meal we will eat afterwards. We shall see. Hahahahahaha!! On a more serious note, for my recent 72nd birthday gift, KMET has named the pharmacy in the new building in my honor: The Schnurman Pharmacy”. I am proud, honored, and humbled by this.
A few days ago I attended a meeting in a village some distance from here where the KMET staff has been doing some community organizing, and the meeting was to explain to the people in the village of Bondo the short and long term plans that the committee had developed. The committee created a community map drawn on the ground showing what exists, and what they will develop over the next few years. It is yet another example of how KMET works to support the needs that the community articulates and supports them to implement them. This organization really believes and practices empowerment, rather than develop programs for people and communities which in the long run do not work anyway.
But there is a long way to go. I have attached a photo of a young girl who was sleeping on the ground outside KMET’s Sisterhood for Change Program. She needed to be given food, and more. It is sad to see, but it is the reality here, just like it is unfortunately in our own country – the wealthiest in the world. If we wanted to eradicate poverty, we could, but do we? I don’t really think we do.
So this is an introduction to my next month here. Hope you are all well.
Love,
Peter
posted by Peter and Hinda Schnurman at 4:34 AM
2 Comments:
Go Peter! What an amazing story! So inspirational. You are an amazing force for positive change in the world.
Love, Michelle
Re community organizing in Bondo, who is "the committee"? You say,
"The committee created a community map ... showing... what they will develop over the next few years." You say "KMET works to support the needs that the community articulates", but I must have missed where you say what the community articulated.
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