My return to Kenya in September was just after the kids have returned to finish out the year in their third term. It is also the shortest term of the year and cut even shorter with the continuing problems of the Kenya Elections. The August 8th elections were declared null and void and the date reset for Oct 17th then again to the 26th.
The supreme-court have until Monday to decide if they will uphold the results of the latest election when less than 40% voted. Actually, at this point no one knows what's going on with all the political nonsense. The opposition won't settle for anything less then a win or chaos will ensue, already (even with the opposition pulling out of the race) we are experiencing protests in colleges (now closing for that reason) and road blocks, tires burning....fun stuff like that.
We have arranged a couple joy-filled Sundays to bring kids around for playing with glitter and glue and coloring animals masks.
Eating sausage, eggs, bananas, peanut butter, bread and chai are always a draw with hungry kiddos. We managed to laugh a lot and get as much glitter on us as our projects!!
The timing was perfect as we had a volunteer visiting us for 10 days. We may not have been exactly what she was looking for (more of an orphanage) but she loved what we were doing enough to take on 3 of our families!! Katy is from San Diego and has adopted a village in Mali where she has built a well, kitted out a medical clinic and a school with supplies. She is there now as you read this in over 100 temps for 3 weeks checking on her project. During Katy's stay we visited all the Cu-cu's, met with our HIV+ Moms and planted another 100+ trees in honor of Wangari Maathai. The Anniversary of her death was Sept 25. To date we have planted well over 1000 trees...pretty exciting!
Our new solar/water system enables us to keep planting not only our "endangered forest" but more crops, such as maize, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, cabbage tomatoes and beans to name just a few.
The kids are all in good form besides the usual colds, malaria and episodes of chicken pox. Our boy Kevin, with kidney disease, is a bit quieter with some stomach issues (now seem to be resolved). Our Sarah, with spina bifida, is fantastic and always a joy!
My one great sadness is the corrupt schools. The free schools are NOT free and the kids are constantly being sent home for some illegal fee that goes straight into the teachers pockets. They are not allowed to return to school until AFTER the fees are paid. MAKES ME CRAZY!!!!
I've returned from 1 week with Helen up in the Milgis (Samburuland). So much need with the medical fund. We've been able to better the quality of life for so many. New cases found us and others came to say thank you and show us how well they are doing. The young man who lost his leg in a motorcycle accident, now doing well with his prosthetic leg and really chuffed and ever so grateful. Little Lucy, born with her bladder outside her body, now able to at least be in school now and not shunned by her smell. She is ready for her second operation. A mom returning for soothing eye drops from an accident with a thorn piercing her eye.
Three new cases are really stretching our budget: a little boy born with his genitals formed only partially outside his body---like Lucy, many surgeries to come. A young man with serious and very painful growths on his entire left foot.....on his way to hospital and the little girl with a cancerous eye (the whole eye!! In Nairobi now with many surgeries and treatments. Read more about our medical fund here.
Mom's school (Nonchurra Primary) is lovely and sweet and loaded with school supplies and happy faces!! So no matter how hard our lives may seem at the moment...we are lucky and so blessed!!