Blog 2 Kisumu
Blog 2
Kisumu, Kenya
Week of September 26, 2011
Hello Everyone,
Hope you are all fine as I am here in Kisumu. I have been just short of one month and things are going very well. I have exciting things to tell you, so let me start.
Some of you know about Marion, the 11 year old orphan who Hinda and I, and some of you are helping to stay in and finish school.. I have told you before that Marion is very very smart. Well, as I write this, she is in Indonesia, the only person in her school who was chosen to attend a UN Youth Conference on the Environment. WOW! Yes, she will go places, and she has already started. Not bad for someone so young from a very small village. It was a real challenge to get her a passport and birth certificate in only 1 day, but we did. And then she didn’t get her ticket until just a few hours before she boarded the plane, but she got off ok. All’s well that ends well. I just heard that she is doing very well and enjoying herself.
In my last blog I told you about the dental clinic that will be starting here – actually on Monday, October 3rd. When you look at the photo you will recognize that it is pretty much state of the art. All of the equipment has been donated including instruments, chair, light, compressor to run everything, and all supplies. The dental clinic will be collaboration with World Missions International run by of all people, a Japanese American dentist from Seattle who lives in Nairobi and runs several dental clinics. Even the dentist will be donated. Actually she is a COHO – Community Oral Health Officer, kind of like a nurse practitioner with quite a bit of community dental experience. Already there are lots of people waiting to get dental care, I will not be modest here, and simply say I am proud and happy to have brought this about. It fills a very big gap in the services that K-MET provides to the community ,and will make a difference.
Here is a funny thing A new airport just opened a couple of weeks ago here. A very nice and modern one. However, when I went to pick someone up, I first went to the old airport and then was told that t was closed and directed to the new airport. Where were the signs???
The new building is progressing very rapidly and I am optimistic that it will be completed by the time I leave here. I am really working hard to make that happen. See some of the photos. I was very proud to have helped lay the cornerstone.
I had to take Marion to get a Yellow Fever shot and went to a large clinic in the community. Marion was the only patient. All of the other people there were staff and all were sleeping and or sitting around doing nothing. In addition, they had the vaccine but only in packaging for 10 doses and wouldn’t open it for her, so one of us who brought her had to go in a very big rainstorm to buy a single dose and bring it back.
There has been a crack down on vehicles which are not properly licensed, insured, etc., so go to the town where Roselyne and Festus come from, we need to use those vehicles – matatu’s, designed for up to 14 but carrying perhaps 21 or 22. So what happens is that the matatu picks you up takes your money, and then if they get stopped, they just strand you wherever and you are left nowhere with and your fare is gone.
From a young boy as I was walking back from a funeral: “Hey mzungu (white man). I am going to send you a rat”. Hahaha.
Buy the way, on the Friday night of the funeral which was very near to where I was staying, the music and preaching was so loud that none of the 5 of us who slept in the room that night had any sleep which was not good after all of helped cook and wash dishes for the many special guests who came for the funeral. We were all pretty tired the next morning, only to have to get up early and cook breakfast and lunch and wash dishes again – all outside with wood and/or charcoal fires.
For the past few days there has not been enough water pressure to take a shower so I have to take splash baths which are ok, but not great. Well, at least we have had power.
Heard enough? I think so. Hope you enjoy the blog and photos.
Love, Omosh,
(the nickname for my Kenyan name
me of Omondi meaning born early in the morning). It is how most people call me now. And I have learned so much Luo and Kiswahili and enjoy speaking. I get lots of teasing.
Kisumu, Kenya
Week of September 26, 2011
Hello Everyone,
Hope you are all fine as I am here in Kisumu. I have been just short of one month and things are going very well. I have exciting things to tell you, so let me start.
Some of you know about Marion, the 11 year old orphan who Hinda and I, and some of you are helping to stay in and finish school.. I have told you before that Marion is very very smart. Well, as I write this, she is in Indonesia, the only person in her school who was chosen to attend a UN Youth Conference on the Environment. WOW! Yes, she will go places, and she has already started. Not bad for someone so young from a very small village. It was a real challenge to get her a passport and birth certificate in only 1 day, but we did. And then she didn’t get her ticket until just a few hours before she boarded the plane, but she got off ok. All’s well that ends well. I just heard that she is doing very well and enjoying herself.
In my last blog I told you about the dental clinic that will be starting here – actually on Monday, October 3rd. When you look at the photo you will recognize that it is pretty much state of the art. All of the equipment has been donated including instruments, chair, light, compressor to run everything, and all supplies. The dental clinic will be collaboration with World Missions International run by of all people, a Japanese American dentist from Seattle who lives in Nairobi and runs several dental clinics. Even the dentist will be donated. Actually she is a COHO – Community Oral Health Officer, kind of like a nurse practitioner with quite a bit of community dental experience. Already there are lots of people waiting to get dental care, I will not be modest here, and simply say I am proud and happy to have brought this about. It fills a very big gap in the services that K-MET provides to the community ,and will make a difference.
Here is a funny thing A new airport just opened a couple of weeks ago here. A very nice and modern one. However, when I went to pick someone up, I first went to the old airport and then was told that t was closed and directed to the new airport. Where were the signs???
The new building is progressing very rapidly and I am optimistic that it will be completed by the time I leave here. I am really working hard to make that happen. See some of the photos. I was very proud to have helped lay the cornerstone.
I had to take Marion to get a Yellow Fever shot and went to a large clinic in the community. Marion was the only patient. All of the other people there were staff and all were sleeping and or sitting around doing nothing. In addition, they had the vaccine but only in packaging for 10 doses and wouldn’t open it for her, so one of us who brought her had to go in a very big rainstorm to buy a single dose and bring it back.
There has been a crack down on vehicles which are not properly licensed, insured, etc., so go to the town where Roselyne and Festus come from, we need to use those vehicles – matatu’s, designed for up to 14 but carrying perhaps 21 or 22. So what happens is that the matatu picks you up takes your money, and then if they get stopped, they just strand you wherever and you are left nowhere with and your fare is gone.
From a young boy as I was walking back from a funeral: “Hey mzungu (white man). I am going to send you a rat”. Hahaha.
Buy the way, on the Friday night of the funeral which was very near to where I was staying, the music and preaching was so loud that none of the 5 of us who slept in the room that night had any sleep which was not good after all of helped cook and wash dishes for the many special guests who came for the funeral. We were all pretty tired the next morning, only to have to get up early and cook breakfast and lunch and wash dishes again – all outside with wood and/or charcoal fires.
For the past few days there has not been enough water pressure to take a shower so I have to take splash baths which are ok, but not great. Well, at least we have had power.
Heard enough? I think so. Hope you enjoy the blog and photos.
Love, Omosh,
(the nickname for my Kenyan name
me of Omondi meaning born early in the morning). It is how most people call me now. And I have learned so much Luo and Kiswahili and enjoy speaking. I get lots of teasing.
posted by Peter and Hinda Schnurman at 5:20 AM
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