JAMBO! Every single day that I've been here has far exceeded anything that I could have expected. Today was really eventful and we really got into the heart of some of the issues going on here. The first thing we did this morning was go to the AMPATH (Academic Model for Providing Access To Healthcare) building where we met two field agents who work for the OVC (Orphans and Vulnerable Children) program. We then got into two vans and drove into the slums of Eldoret stopping in different places where each pair of students was meeting with the field agent who would be taking them on the house visits. The purpose of these house visits is just to check up on how a family is doing. The leader of the OVC had given us a special assignment of interviewing the people we saw and then writing about their house and our expirience with the people.
We got out of the car onto a crowded street where everyone was staring at us and some coming up to us to shake our hands. Our agent met us there and led us through an alley to where all the houses were. Cows and goats were everywhere and the streets were covered in dirty water and mud. Some of the houses were made of cement and a lot were made of mud. Children ran to the streets to gawk at us and say, "Mzungu (white person); How are you?" They loved it when we waved and responded.
We went to six houses in all. They varied in size and decor, but all of them were inadequate (In one house had a soccer ball sized chunk of mud fell from the ceiling while we were in there). We met lots of children who had lost one or both of their parents to either AIDs or the political clashes. The guardians were the mothers, aunts, grandparents, and even random neighbors that were kind enough to take the orphans in. We saw places that consisted of one room with a chair and bed that served as home for 7-9 people. We met children who were constantly hungry, but still focused on their school work and taking care of their younger siblings. We talked to the people for about 15 minutes in each, and were amazed by their stories. One woman was the guardian for six children, was HIV positive, had just had pnemonia last week, and was diagnosed with cancer yeaterday; but she still smiled at us and welcomed us into her home.
We were all really humbled by what we saw and the kindness of the people. Seeing where they lived and hearing about what they've lived through, and then seeing that they could still smile and laugh, has really has changed the way that I look at a lot of things. I am also amazed at what a difference organizations like AMPATH and the OVC program are making. They have saved so many lives and made everyone in the community more hopeful. So far, it has been a really great trip.
~Annie Garau