Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Thursday, April 19, 2007
It is so freakin' nice to have regular internet access from home. Nothing better than email in pjs. I am working down my to do list.. and one of the things was.. upload my "A Day in the Life" becuase people have asked.. and so if you feel you know.. skip it..
I must admit, my current day in the life involves getting up, drinking tea, admiring Sam's gorgeus view (see below.. though this was taken during a much greener time of year.. september 06 maybe??), reviewing ASHA submissions, reading, attempting to work, staring into the suitcase that looks like it exploded in the hallway, and finally settling down for a massive nap.
But anyway.. this was actually a VSO requirement, but typically serves as my answer to the "yeah, but what do you actually do" ..
A Day in the Life…
Because of the travel inherent in my position and the variety of districts covered, my day to day and week to week schedule changes and this is one of my favorite things about the job. When I am at home in Kisumu however my days typically unfold as follows…
I tend to stir around six a.m. ish because strangely enough, in my small compound this seems to be a time of relative calm and quiet before things get geared up for the day. Shortly after the morning has taken a breath, the roosters start crowing and people begin moving around, usually fetching water from the pump outside my window as they start their day. I actually get out of bed well after seven and wash my face and dress quickly before I grab a matatu (Kenyan version of the mini bus) to head into town. In the mornings transportation rarely makes it up to my street corner, so I walk the five minutes to an area called car wash and join the hustle to get myself a seat on a vehicle.
Then, what happens with my day depends on the schedule (which I plan with the team many months in advance!). Sometimes I will head to the Educational Assessment Resource Center (EARC) to meet my colleagues before heading out, or other days we meet at the main matatu stage downtown if we are going further afield.
Every Wednesday I try and remain at the center because this is our assessment day (but also Vihiga’s). On assessment days we are insanely busy evaluating children until the mid afternoon when we might break for tea. On Fridays we try and have staff meetings to discuss cases and schools, but it depends what else is going on. On days I know I will be at the center I may also see clients for therapy. They tend to be children referred from the Association of the Physically Disabled Kenya (APDK) located at the nearby provincial hospital or children I have assessed and want to follow up with. I also do speech evaluation days at the hospital periodically though not as frequently as they would want.
The function of the EARC (there is one in each district) is to identify, assess and place children with special needs. Much of what the staff does involves educating teachers, administrators, parents and other community members about the needs of individuals with disabilities. They often go out to communities or schools to provide services as needed. In Kisumu they have perhaps 50 special education sub units that they work with as well as two community based rehabilitation groups.
When we do site visits, we can perform a variety of functions. Sometimes the point is to ‘sensitize’ the community to issues related to disabilities, sometimes we will go specifically to do mobile assessment clinics, where we meet the parent, the child, complete a questionnaire, assess the child for appropriate services and make referrals as needed. We are often in schools to also support teachers on strategies for teaching, or on working with their children.
Special education (introduced in about 1984 largely because of money and input from the Danish government) in Kenya is well meaning, but often under funded and rife with misunderstanding about the needs of the children. All too often, the children are placed in classrooms where there is little planning or implementation directed at their current levels of functioning. Part of this is due to issues in training special education teachers (which is slowly but surely improving) and material resources for the children.
If I am lucky, on the average day I may get in 3-5 good hours of work with teachers, children and parents. More typically, by the time we have traveled somewhere and by the time people have shown up and gotten situated we are lucky for 1-2 hours of actual work! I usually go into town late afternoon and try and use internet, or complete chores that I need to do. I then go to the market and select vegetables for dinner (my favorite part of the day) before boarding a matatu and heading home. Once home, the first thing I usually do is collect enough water for a bucket bath, dinner, and washing up. I will then take a bath. I prefer to do this before dark, because if I have to take a “shower” with the light on I am just a feast for the mosquitos. I then make a simple dinner which is usually a variation on vegetables and rice. The availability of produce in Kisumu is wonderful so it isn’t as dull as it sounds! I typically spend my evenings working on my computer, writing letters, or reading and head to bed at about 10pm. I have an American friend that comes for dinner and Scrabble on Tuesdays and on the weekends I go out for dinner and crazy dancing.
Having said all this, at least half of the time I am on the road and so my schedule is less organized! Each district I visit comes with preferred activities for the region. In Mumias for example I try and spend the evening with some Dutch doctors and nurses that reside on St. Mary’s hospital campus, in Laikipia I can usually watch television!! In Nairobi I definitely try to make the most of the fabulous nightlife.
When I am visiting other districts I usually stop by to greet the District Education Officer and then visit a school, a community based rehabilitation group or do whatever it is I came to do. In Mumias I try to always schedule my visits around the Wednesday morning therapeutic playgroups which I attend with the occupational therapist. In Vihiga I have been doing additional training with their Kenya Institute of Education distance learners so will travel to meet with them. I am exceptionally busy but my colleagues and I have a good idea of the things we hope to get achieved and the time frame in which we want to do them. Next term I will be covering about 14 districts and supporting district teacher trainings, the following term I plan to support teachers in their classrooms and start training the physical and occupational therapists in the western districts. Next year we would like to work more with the early childhood teachers to enhance their use of language strategies in the classroom and identify children with special needs earlier. This is perhaps an ambitious plan but my coworkers are all very competent and knowledgeable so typically do much with very small suggestions!
The job involves working with lots of different people, but I think it is a well conceived project, with clear objectives that allow a certain amount of flexibility to serve the individuals in each district as they request. Training teachers and supporting them in their classrooms provides me with a nice mix of working with adults and children, and also allows me to see exactly how teachers are using the skills I am training on. There are many fundamental misconceptions about speech and language that have had to be overcome but for the most part by providing teachers with concrete and functional activities, they are able to immediately implement strategies and see the improvement in their children for themselves.
I must admit, my current day in the life involves getting up, drinking tea, admiring Sam's gorgeus view (see below.. though this was taken during a much greener time of year.. september 06 maybe??), reviewing ASHA submissions, reading, attempting to work, staring into the suitcase that looks like it exploded in the hallway, and finally settling down for a massive nap.
But anyway.. this was actually a VSO requirement, but typically serves as my answer to the "yeah, but what do you actually do" ..
A Day in the Life…
Because of the travel inherent in my position and the variety of districts covered, my day to day and week to week schedule changes and this is one of my favorite things about the job. When I am at home in Kisumu however my days typically unfold as follows…
I tend to stir around six a.m. ish because strangely enough, in my small compound this seems to be a time of relative calm and quiet before things get geared up for the day. Shortly after the morning has taken a breath, the roosters start crowing and people begin moving around, usually fetching water from the pump outside my window as they start their day. I actually get out of bed well after seven and wash my face and dress quickly before I grab a matatu (Kenyan version of the mini bus) to head into town. In the mornings transportation rarely makes it up to my street corner, so I walk the five minutes to an area called car wash and join the hustle to get myself a seat on a vehicle.
Then, what happens with my day depends on the schedule (which I plan with the team many months in advance!). Sometimes I will head to the Educational Assessment Resource Center (EARC) to meet my colleagues before heading out, or other days we meet at the main matatu stage downtown if we are going further afield.
Every Wednesday I try and remain at the center because this is our assessment day (but also Vihiga’s). On assessment days we are insanely busy evaluating children until the mid afternoon when we might break for tea. On Fridays we try and have staff meetings to discuss cases and schools, but it depends what else is going on. On days I know I will be at the center I may also see clients for therapy. They tend to be children referred from the Association of the Physically Disabled Kenya (APDK) located at the nearby provincial hospital or children I have assessed and want to follow up with. I also do speech evaluation days at the hospital periodically though not as frequently as they would want.
The function of the EARC (there is one in each district) is to identify, assess and place children with special needs. Much of what the staff does involves educating teachers, administrators, parents and other community members about the needs of individuals with disabilities. They often go out to communities or schools to provide services as needed. In Kisumu they have perhaps 50 special education sub units that they work with as well as two community based rehabilitation groups.
When we do site visits, we can perform a variety of functions. Sometimes the point is to ‘sensitize’ the community to issues related to disabilities, sometimes we will go specifically to do mobile assessment clinics, where we meet the parent, the child, complete a questionnaire, assess the child for appropriate services and make referrals as needed. We are often in schools to also support teachers on strategies for teaching, or on working with their children.
Special education (introduced in about 1984 largely because of money and input from the Danish government) in Kenya is well meaning, but often under funded and rife with misunderstanding about the needs of the children. All too often, the children are placed in classrooms where there is little planning or implementation directed at their current levels of functioning. Part of this is due to issues in training special education teachers (which is slowly but surely improving) and material resources for the children.
If I am lucky, on the average day I may get in 3-5 good hours of work with teachers, children and parents. More typically, by the time we have traveled somewhere and by the time people have shown up and gotten situated we are lucky for 1-2 hours of actual work! I usually go into town late afternoon and try and use internet, or complete chores that I need to do. I then go to the market and select vegetables for dinner (my favorite part of the day) before boarding a matatu and heading home. Once home, the first thing I usually do is collect enough water for a bucket bath, dinner, and washing up. I will then take a bath. I prefer to do this before dark, because if I have to take a “shower” with the light on I am just a feast for the mosquitos. I then make a simple dinner which is usually a variation on vegetables and rice. The availability of produce in Kisumu is wonderful so it isn’t as dull as it sounds! I typically spend my evenings working on my computer, writing letters, or reading and head to bed at about 10pm. I have an American friend that comes for dinner and Scrabble on Tuesdays and on the weekends I go out for dinner and crazy dancing.
Having said all this, at least half of the time I am on the road and so my schedule is less organized! Each district I visit comes with preferred activities for the region. In Mumias for example I try and spend the evening with some Dutch doctors and nurses that reside on St. Mary’s hospital campus, in Laikipia I can usually watch television!! In Nairobi I definitely try to make the most of the fabulous nightlife.
When I am visiting other districts I usually stop by to greet the District Education Officer and then visit a school, a community based rehabilitation group or do whatever it is I came to do. In Mumias I try to always schedule my visits around the Wednesday morning therapeutic playgroups which I attend with the occupational therapist. In Vihiga I have been doing additional training with their Kenya Institute of Education distance learners so will travel to meet with them. I am exceptionally busy but my colleagues and I have a good idea of the things we hope to get achieved and the time frame in which we want to do them. Next term I will be covering about 14 districts and supporting district teacher trainings, the following term I plan to support teachers in their classrooms and start training the physical and occupational therapists in the western districts. Next year we would like to work more with the early childhood teachers to enhance their use of language strategies in the classroom and identify children with special needs earlier. This is perhaps an ambitious plan but my coworkers are all very competent and knowledgeable so typically do much with very small suggestions!
The job involves working with lots of different people, but I think it is a well conceived project, with clear objectives that allow a certain amount of flexibility to serve the individuals in each district as they request. Training teachers and supporting them in their classrooms provides me with a nice mix of working with adults and children, and also allows me to see exactly how teachers are using the skills I am training on. There are many fundamental misconceptions about speech and language that have had to be overcome but for the most part by providing teachers with concrete and functional activities, they are able to immediately implement strategies and see the improvement in their children for themselves.
okay.. have been crap at email.. but for those trying to get a hold of me.. Leap reconnected my old cell phone for the duration of my visit. So I can be reached on that number.. should be in the archives of your address book. But you might not want to talk to me anyway becuase I am a cranky pants. b xx
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
It seems.. I have internet at Sam's. From past experience I suspect it is a brief tantalizing connection.. but here is the post I was looking for earlier..
April 18, 2007
Like all good ex-employees, still on pay roll, I went to Leap’s farewell cocktail reception for Perry at the Union League club last night. What a good time it was, but I struggle to recall a bad time I have ever had when there was an open bar. Anyway, the conversation came around to me.. as most those I am involved in do. ha.. and my blog. I was informed that while this is all very entertaining, it is hard to know what Kenya’s really like, and so allow me please a Karen Blixen moment. I know my Kenyan writer friend will be appalled and indignant (I may be treated to a barrage of colloquial English mixed with Swahili swear words), but here I go.
Kenya (the country). An overview. According to me. Based on nothing but those vague hours on my travels when I have been awake.
Because all things seem to begin and end in Nairobi, I will start there. I never thought I would like Nairobi. I certainly didn’t want to move there, and wasn’t tempted by Mike Terry’s speech job at all, primarily because it was located here. Per Phil Connell, the capital was based here because it was not a malaria area, but with the changes in weather patterns, this is no longer true. I also read (or did I dream this, because in the depths of my cranium I can not recall the source at all.. hhmm) that Nairobi was built on this location because it was a camp back in the rail building days, but fortuitously it happens to be an area that straddles the tribal land of the Akamba, Kikuyu and one other group. Anyway, I will look into that and get back to you, and basically Nairobi is better than I was led to believe, and is preferable to Johannesburg on the whole, in every which way. Nairobi is still completely dodgy, and yes the random violence is deeply unsettling, but there are lots of fun things to do there and it truly is an eclectic kind of city. It is rather compelling in many ways, but I don’t know the place all that well. In fact I have spent more time in night clubs than anywhere else. If Nairobi is the heart of the country, then surely Kassarani (where I usually stay with Tanya and Sarah), is the armpit.
Heading west from Nairobi along one of the main highways .. after a while the road climbs up an escarpment and you can see over the rift valley (is this the rift valley??) who knows.. but anyway you can see for miles, and it is stunning. There is a very dramatic drop off beside the road, so that the landscape (facing south) is spread before you quite literally at your feet... Still going west.. you will eventually hit Nakuru, which has been described to me as a ‘dusty plain’, but I like it. Certainly it is drier and less beautiful than other parts of the country. Nakuru is famous for Lake Nakuru National Park and its plethora of flamingos but often you can see their pink haze in the distance on several other lakes along the highway (therefore Jason thinks paying to go see the stinky birds up close is completely unnecessary).
Beyond Nakuru, you eventually start to get into a very lush agricultural area. Around Kericho (which appears to be entirely owned by Unilever) are all the tea plantations. It is picturesque. Although some might argue that people working for pittance in the hot Kenyan sun so I can drink premium brand hot beverages is evil, I have no adequate retort. North of that area I believe there is a lot of dairy land (or why is Eldoret known for its cheese? – I am there in September I will let you know)? Still going west the land flattens as you get to Kisumu and Lake Victoria, but then about 5 miles beyond my neighborhood, it rises into rocky hills and rolling vistas. As you continue west and perhaps north it gets into the Kakamega forest, and then as you go towards Mumias and the border of Uganda, sugar is the main industry. Per Martin “I know when I am getting close to home when I see sugar cane.”
The Masai Mara on the southern border as you might recall from pictures last summer is rolling Savannah grasslands.
Going east from the capital on the train or the Nairobi – Mombasa highway, you head through lovely landscapes that are much flatter. The Tsavo game parks are in this general direction and the pictures you may recognize from this area are those that show Kilamanjaro presiding in the distance. I am much less familiar with this route, but I do know it ends at the Indian Ocean and the coast is beautiful. Have I ever met a beach I didn’t like? Well yes, let me just say, there is a reason that the North Sea is not a fashionable holiday destination.
Up towards Lake Turkana the country is supposed to be incredible and completely different. Those who have been highly recommend it. But I am a scaredy cat and don’t prefer travel that requires an armored escort. I am never going to be a great adventurer it would seem. So.. apparently Maralal in Samburu is also wonderful.. like a real frontier town (and has the cattle rustling to boot). This is actually where one of my EARC’s is based, but VSO has travel restrictions on it so we will see if I ever make it.
I have definitely seen wild zebra, monkeys and baboons. You not ever likely to stumble upon a lion (outside of a game park), but maybe I am wrong. I don’t worry about wildlife. Wild life I spend a lot more time considering.
I don’t hang out with a bunch of white people (“mzungu”). Mainly because I don’t know a bunch of white people to hang out with (not because I am such a discriminating friend). However, in Nairobi there are 3 white volunteers .. that I like and spend time with. In Kisumu, there are apparently many wzungu (plural.. but I must admit this is about the extent of my Swahili), and you can see them all at the Simba Club for Indian buffet on Friday nights. Apart from the two Danish boys I see periodically in the internet café and at Lutheran School I don’t run into them and don’t know them. I don’t know if there are these colonial outposts, or American schools. I suspect there are both. Or maybe there is not.
So. The American government has travel advisories about going to Kenya. Apparently they haven’t the capacity to respond to terrorists in the event of an attack. And the United States have been so adept at this in the past. I recommend you respectfully ignore said warnings and come visit, because the country is beautiful, the sky very large and Kenyans extremely welcoming. And.. after listening to people whine and bitch on a daily basis about small and petty things, having watched people create dramas because they have everything they could possibly want in life, and stillness may allow space for introspection and the realization that they don’t like who they are, or, that they could be happy if they chose to be.. visiting somewhere different is all rather refreshing.
April 18, 2007
Like all good ex-employees, still on pay roll, I went to Leap’s farewell cocktail reception for Perry at the Union League club last night. What a good time it was, but I struggle to recall a bad time I have ever had when there was an open bar. Anyway, the conversation came around to me.. as most those I am involved in do. ha.. and my blog. I was informed that while this is all very entertaining, it is hard to know what Kenya’s really like, and so allow me please a Karen Blixen moment. I know my Kenyan writer friend will be appalled and indignant (I may be treated to a barrage of colloquial English mixed with Swahili swear words), but here I go.
Kenya (the country). An overview. According to me. Based on nothing but those vague hours on my travels when I have been awake.
Because all things seem to begin and end in Nairobi, I will start there. I never thought I would like Nairobi. I certainly didn’t want to move there, and wasn’t tempted by Mike Terry’s speech job at all, primarily because it was located here. Per Phil Connell, the capital was based here because it was not a malaria area, but with the changes in weather patterns, this is no longer true. I also read (or did I dream this, because in the depths of my cranium I can not recall the source at all.. hhmm) that Nairobi was built on this location because it was a camp back in the rail building days, but fortuitously it happens to be an area that straddles the tribal land of the Akamba, Kikuyu and one other group. Anyway, I will look into that and get back to you, and basically Nairobi is better than I was led to believe, and is preferable to Johannesburg on the whole, in every which way. Nairobi is still completely dodgy, and yes the random violence is deeply unsettling, but there are lots of fun things to do there and it truly is an eclectic kind of city. It is rather compelling in many ways, but I don’t know the place all that well. In fact I have spent more time in night clubs than anywhere else. If Nairobi is the heart of the country, then surely Kassarani (where I usually stay with Tanya and Sarah), is the armpit.
Heading west from Nairobi along one of the main highways .. after a while the road climbs up an escarpment and you can see over the rift valley (is this the rift valley??) who knows.. but anyway you can see for miles, and it is stunning. There is a very dramatic drop off beside the road, so that the landscape (facing south) is spread before you quite literally at your feet... Still going west.. you will eventually hit Nakuru, which has been described to me as a ‘dusty plain’, but I like it. Certainly it is drier and less beautiful than other parts of the country. Nakuru is famous for Lake Nakuru National Park and its plethora of flamingos but often you can see their pink haze in the distance on several other lakes along the highway (therefore Jason thinks paying to go see the stinky birds up close is completely unnecessary).
Beyond Nakuru, you eventually start to get into a very lush agricultural area. Around Kericho (which appears to be entirely owned by Unilever) are all the tea plantations. It is picturesque. Although some might argue that people working for pittance in the hot Kenyan sun so I can drink premium brand hot beverages is evil, I have no adequate retort. North of that area I believe there is a lot of dairy land (or why is Eldoret known for its cheese? – I am there in September I will let you know)? Still going west the land flattens as you get to Kisumu and Lake Victoria, but then about 5 miles beyond my neighborhood, it rises into rocky hills and rolling vistas. As you continue west and perhaps north it gets into the Kakamega forest, and then as you go towards Mumias and the border of Uganda, sugar is the main industry. Per Martin “I know when I am getting close to home when I see sugar cane.”
The Masai Mara on the southern border as you might recall from pictures last summer is rolling Savannah grasslands.
Going east from the capital on the train or the Nairobi – Mombasa highway, you head through lovely landscapes that are much flatter. The Tsavo game parks are in this general direction and the pictures you may recognize from this area are those that show Kilamanjaro presiding in the distance. I am much less familiar with this route, but I do know it ends at the Indian Ocean and the coast is beautiful. Have I ever met a beach I didn’t like? Well yes, let me just say, there is a reason that the North Sea is not a fashionable holiday destination.
Up towards Lake Turkana the country is supposed to be incredible and completely different. Those who have been highly recommend it. But I am a scaredy cat and don’t prefer travel that requires an armored escort. I am never going to be a great adventurer it would seem. So.. apparently Maralal in Samburu is also wonderful.. like a real frontier town (and has the cattle rustling to boot). This is actually where one of my EARC’s is based, but VSO has travel restrictions on it so we will see if I ever make it.
I have definitely seen wild zebra, monkeys and baboons. You not ever likely to stumble upon a lion (outside of a game park), but maybe I am wrong. I don’t worry about wildlife. Wild life I spend a lot more time considering.
I don’t hang out with a bunch of white people (“mzungu”). Mainly because I don’t know a bunch of white people to hang out with (not because I am such a discriminating friend). However, in Nairobi there are 3 white volunteers .. that I like and spend time with. In Kisumu, there are apparently many wzungu (plural.. but I must admit this is about the extent of my Swahili), and you can see them all at the Simba Club for Indian buffet on Friday nights. Apart from the two Danish boys I see periodically in the internet café and at Lutheran School I don’t run into them and don’t know them. I don’t know if there are these colonial outposts, or American schools. I suspect there are both. Or maybe there is not.
So. The American government has travel advisories about going to Kenya. Apparently they haven’t the capacity to respond to terrorists in the event of an attack. And the United States have been so adept at this in the past. I recommend you respectfully ignore said warnings and come visit, because the country is beautiful, the sky very large and Kenyans extremely welcoming. And.. after listening to people whine and bitch on a daily basis about small and petty things, having watched people create dramas because they have everything they could possibly want in life, and stillness may allow space for introspection and the realization that they don’t like who they are, or, that they could be happy if they chose to be.. visiting somewhere different is all rather refreshing.
I actually wrote a fairly extensive blog this morning.. and sure enough.. it is nowhere to be found on my zip. Alas. I will upload it tomorrow.
I am in Chicago. In response to all the questions.. I don't feel different about things now that I am back. I am still so very happy to be doing what I am doing, where I am doing it. In fact if anything, the visit confirms that I needed a change. Monday night at 5pm I was sitting at my same desk, working on my same computer, with literally piles of children's books and activity manuals and programming notes and I thought I had never left. Dave was meant to pick me up in Lincoln Park at 5:30 and I was still downtown, running late, completely discombobulated and it could have been last January, or last November, or 2003!
It has been lovely to see people though. Saturday night a large group of us (including Margaret Farren my 10th grade teacher who was in town from Ireland on a conference!!) went out for beers and pizza to catch up. Phil and his girlfriend Melissa too, and whilst it is always going to be a little bittersweet with Philly, it was great they were there and I am wouldn't have it any other way.
So. No regret. I can't believe you even thought to ask. b x
I am in Chicago. In response to all the questions.. I don't feel different about things now that I am back. I am still so very happy to be doing what I am doing, where I am doing it. In fact if anything, the visit confirms that I needed a change. Monday night at 5pm I was sitting at my same desk, working on my same computer, with literally piles of children's books and activity manuals and programming notes and I thought I had never left. Dave was meant to pick me up in Lincoln Park at 5:30 and I was still downtown, running late, completely discombobulated and it could have been last January, or last November, or 2003!
It has been lovely to see people though. Saturday night a large group of us (including Margaret Farren my 10th grade teacher who was in town from Ireland on a conference!!) went out for beers and pizza to catch up. Phil and his girlfriend Melissa too, and whilst it is always going to be a little bittersweet with Philly, it was great they were there and I am wouldn't have it any other way.
So. No regret. I can't believe you even thought to ask. b x
Thursday, April 12, 2007
I went to see a psychic medium today.. I last went in February 2006 so it was enlightening to consider the difference in readings. I will have to pull out the tape from that session and listen to them back to back. To be fair.. my reading was less interesting than the psychic invasion of my loved ones. Ha. I already know mostly what is going on with me, it is the others.. But this is neither the time nor place for those stories.
Saw Becky today for lunch and Kate for dinner. How lovely. What wonderful friends. I also spent a considerable amount of time roaming around Covent Garden and it brought back this amazing day/night I had in London with Kate and Liz when we were about 17. It was a true all nighter where we arrived home from the bars barely in time to get our cab to the airport to meet Kate's parents and head to Corfu for 2 gorgeus weeks. Bliss. It definitely ranks within the top 10 nights of my life for various reasons, but the amazing thing is, just thinking about it transports me back to the way i felt at that time, having just graduated from high school, having untangled myself from the web of Mike Boger and knowing that I had 6 weeks in Europe with wonderful friends before starting college. Infinite possibilities.
I have been sitting in Melissa's apartment working on my training manual all week. Like somewhat of a recluse really. But tomorrow I move on.. soon. b x
Saw Becky today for lunch and Kate for dinner. How lovely. What wonderful friends. I also spent a considerable amount of time roaming around Covent Garden and it brought back this amazing day/night I had in London with Kate and Liz when we were about 17. It was a true all nighter where we arrived home from the bars barely in time to get our cab to the airport to meet Kate's parents and head to Corfu for 2 gorgeus weeks. Bliss. It definitely ranks within the top 10 nights of my life for various reasons, but the amazing thing is, just thinking about it transports me back to the way i felt at that time, having just graduated from high school, having untangled myself from the web of Mike Boger and knowing that I had 6 weeks in Europe with wonderful friends before starting college. Infinite possibilities.
I have been sitting in Melissa's apartment working on my training manual all week. Like somewhat of a recluse really. But tomorrow I move on.. soon. b x
Friday, April 06, 2007
It is so interesting to be here and reflect on Kenya and my current life there given a bit of distance. Claire was on the same flight as me to England and I couldn’t imagine how she must be feeling to be finished with the project. I think going home must be much harder than leaving it. Departing you have the excitement of the unknown whilst coming home you know that you are going to have to conform to some kind of ‘real life’ for better or for worse. I had dinner with an American recently and he explained to me that he was hoping by the time he reached 30 (a mere 12 months away) that he would have the perfect job and the perfect woman, a set up for his next phase. As I approach 30 I have no such clear delineations about my next moves. But for right now I am sure I want to be in Kisumu doing what I am doing.
Speaking of life changes… Melissa and Chris are having twins in October. I am so very happy for them. Twins seem like a lot quite frankly, but being an aunt is fabulous and I am quite happy to change diapers and give cuddles when I am in town. It’s wonderful to love a little person that you don’t have to be responsible for. I’m only sorry that they will be in New York not London- it being considerably further from Nairobi.
So I had a dinner date at the airport last night. He was late, but so were most of the passengers on the plane due to the Nairobi-Mombasa highway. Traffic seemed a ridiculous reason for a flight delay. Lately I feel like I am in high school. I feel like 10 years dropped away and I can’t really explain why it’s like this. Maybe it’s because things are new and fresh and full of possibility in the same way those recently graduated seem to feel about college? Maybe it’s poorly articulated conversations under street lights?
So school got out yesterday and Kisumu was a zoo. People were everywhere, the traffic mad, Oginga Odinga as busy as I have ever seen it. I now have one whole wonderful month to get all those things done that have taken the back burner because of the national training. Martin and I are submitting a proposal to the occupational therapy association for their East African conference in Zanzibar in September, I have scads of Leap work, my HIV paper and the training manuals. Computer by day loved ones by night. First here, later in Chicago and then finally in Lamu. Heaven. So I’ll be on and off this next month. I may finally get through my inbox and actually email people.. also if you are planning to visit you better let me know.. 2007 is nearly booked up in its entirety. Soon. B xx
Speaking of life changes… Melissa and Chris are having twins in October. I am so very happy for them. Twins seem like a lot quite frankly, but being an aunt is fabulous and I am quite happy to change diapers and give cuddles when I am in town. It’s wonderful to love a little person that you don’t have to be responsible for. I’m only sorry that they will be in New York not London- it being considerably further from Nairobi.
So I had a dinner date at the airport last night. He was late, but so were most of the passengers on the plane due to the Nairobi-Mombasa highway. Traffic seemed a ridiculous reason for a flight delay. Lately I feel like I am in high school. I feel like 10 years dropped away and I can’t really explain why it’s like this. Maybe it’s because things are new and fresh and full of possibility in the same way those recently graduated seem to feel about college? Maybe it’s poorly articulated conversations under street lights?
So school got out yesterday and Kisumu was a zoo. People were everywhere, the traffic mad, Oginga Odinga as busy as I have ever seen it. I now have one whole wonderful month to get all those things done that have taken the back burner because of the national training. Martin and I are submitting a proposal to the occupational therapy association for their East African conference in Zanzibar in September, I have scads of Leap work, my HIV paper and the training manuals. Computer by day loved ones by night. First here, later in Chicago and then finally in Lamu. Heaven. So I’ll be on and off this next month. I may finally get through my inbox and actually email people.. also if you are planning to visit you better let me know.. 2007 is nearly booked up in its entirety. Soon. B xx
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Well.. yesterday's entry never happened, and I can't guarantee much for today's. I fly to London tonight and I am mentally in 600 places. Last night the phone rang at 11pm and becuase i had been asleep for an hour I thought it was my alarm and time to get up and so slept badly all night.. I then had this really strange dream.. and in describing it it may not seem strange, but I can't shake nor place the yakky feeling that came with it.
So I was picked up by a boy.. man really in his car, an old convertible something something and he wanted to take me to lunch. We were sitting in the back and he kept trying to kiss me, but i wished he would just watch where he was going. Anyway we are headed down Michigan Avenue and he wanted to take me to Lawry's or it might have been Trotter's (neithr of which I might add is on Michigan) but I was wearing Jamie's denim jacket (I wear it on the motorbike) and jeans so I couldn't get in.. and then I woke up. See.. seems very innocuous. Maybe it's becuase I am reading Mimi Sheraton's "Eating my words"
Anyway today I did a home visit.. made mum feel like someone cares, though unsure what on earth we are going to do with this child. but.. more later. I have a few chores to do before i leave town. Uuurgh. what sort of blog entry is this? Much to say.. next week perhaps. Mum - I'll talk to you from Mel's. b xx
April 3
I am a little distracted today. Any wit or wisdom has abandoned me. Maybe it did so long ago but I am feeling it this afternoon. I've been at the hospital all day seeing patients. The joy of being referred a 2 year old I tell you.. of course the predicament is that now i have all these follow ups scheduled and I wasn't going to see patients for speech therapy.
So I was picked up by a boy.. man really in his car, an old convertible something something and he wanted to take me to lunch. We were sitting in the back and he kept trying to kiss me, but i wished he would just watch where he was going. Anyway we are headed down Michigan Avenue and he wanted to take me to Lawry's or it might have been Trotter's (neithr of which I might add is on Michigan) but I was wearing Jamie's denim jacket (I wear it on the motorbike) and jeans so I couldn't get in.. and then I woke up. See.. seems very innocuous. Maybe it's becuase I am reading Mimi Sheraton's "Eating my words"
Anyway today I did a home visit.. made mum feel like someone cares, though unsure what on earth we are going to do with this child. but.. more later. I have a few chores to do before i leave town. Uuurgh. what sort of blog entry is this? Much to say.. next week perhaps. Mum - I'll talk to you from Mel's. b xx
April 3
I am a little distracted today. Any wit or wisdom has abandoned me. Maybe it did so long ago but I am feeling it this afternoon. I've been at the hospital all day seeing patients. The joy of being referred a 2 year old I tell you.. of course the predicament is that now i have all these follow ups scheduled and I wasn't going to see patients for speech therapy.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Kisumu is hot, hot, hot right now. Even the Kenyans are complaining. Last night Brian stood outside talking to me through my kitchen window while I cooked, deeming the temperature in my kitchen to be miserable. He is becoming like such a Kenyan man, next he'll expect me to serve him. Ha. I did beat him at Scrabble though so all is well.
Yesterday I gathered up my brain matter.. finally got a bank card so can access my pay, attempted to pick up my Kenya Airlines tickets (it takes 60 days for the internet purchases to be processed??)and had lunch with my Dutch doctor friend from Mumias who I am going to Lamu with. I discovered Kisumu has a tourist market and sought it out. I also spent a good deal of time and energy looking for mint for my cous cous.. it is just such a delicious addition, but to no avail. Wednesday apparently.
Today I met Wellington at the District Education Officer's for a meet and greet. He wasn't there again (the DEO), but at least I have been trying. We then did a speech and language training with some of the Kenya Institute of Education (KISE) distance learners.. and boy were they a barrel of laughs. At 1 o'clock I just decided I had had enough and gave them the packet of handouts to read through at their leisure. Then Wellington decided he wanted to take me home (as they do! ha.). "Fine" said I while simultaneously groaning inwardly at the prospect.
Wellington explained that in order for me to know him, really know him I had to see who he was at home and where he came from. Sure. I can't say I know him any better having seen his home, but it was still a cool visit and it's not often you get to meet your co-workers mother.
First though we stopped at a school where Wellington actually did his primary education and his brother now works as a teacher. The school is a part of a link program through the British Council and they currently have some British visitors, teachers who are actually staying with Wellington's mother. Wellington and I rocked up on the motor bike, greeted the headmaster, had a soda, promised we would consider them in the district training and turned down lunch (I was later disappointed to realize it was dengue and chapatti not the typical ugali and skumawiki! Of course - they had visitors!!)
Back on the bike, up a winding dirt path and there we are Wellington's family compound. Basically his mother lives in the middle and her 5-6 sons have houses within a stones throw. I wasn't too clear on the 3 daughters. 1 of them lives in Kakamega though. So apparently as a son you can always come to your mother's for dinner and basically the men get together with their mum every night, eat together and chat about the day, politics etc, pray and then go home at 10pm. And your wives? "They take care of the children. After my father died, the children had to eat at their own homes because it was too much for my mother to be cooking for all of them." How wonderful to grow up with a pack of children all around. It really was a beautiful homestead and I got to see the cows and chickens.
The other day we were talking about children. I was saying I would want four children, but it was unlikely to happen because I wouldn't want to not work for that long. And the Kenyan women said, "you don't have to stop work, the children just run around and other people look after them". I pointed out that as a speech therapist I had to talk to my children a lot. "No" said they "the other children will talk to them." Oh. Okay then. I love that when I am marketing or out and about you will just come across a child sitting by themselves playing, engaged in whatever it is they can get their hands on. Yesterday there was a little one causing havoc with a sack of potatoes, and the world goes on around them.
Anyway, Wellington and I had a good chat over tea and indeterminable jam sandwiches and now I am back in Kisumu. There is a dish here called Katchimberi? something with 4 syllables, starts with /K/ ands with a vowel.. I am going to try and make that to go with my Dahl Makhani (from a packet bad me) and rice. Last night I finished packing so I am going to work on the upcoming training manuals. Hope life is exciting for everyone and Spring has appeared in the midwest. love, love. b
Yesterday I gathered up my brain matter.. finally got a bank card so can access my pay, attempted to pick up my Kenya Airlines tickets (it takes 60 days for the internet purchases to be processed??)and had lunch with my Dutch doctor friend from Mumias who I am going to Lamu with. I discovered Kisumu has a tourist market and sought it out. I also spent a good deal of time and energy looking for mint for my cous cous.. it is just such a delicious addition, but to no avail. Wednesday apparently.
Today I met Wellington at the District Education Officer's for a meet and greet. He wasn't there again (the DEO), but at least I have been trying. We then did a speech and language training with some of the Kenya Institute of Education (KISE) distance learners.. and boy were they a barrel of laughs. At 1 o'clock I just decided I had had enough and gave them the packet of handouts to read through at their leisure. Then Wellington decided he wanted to take me home (as they do! ha.). "Fine" said I while simultaneously groaning inwardly at the prospect.
Wellington explained that in order for me to know him, really know him I had to see who he was at home and where he came from. Sure. I can't say I know him any better having seen his home, but it was still a cool visit and it's not often you get to meet your co-workers mother.
First though we stopped at a school where Wellington actually did his primary education and his brother now works as a teacher. The school is a part of a link program through the British Council and they currently have some British visitors, teachers who are actually staying with Wellington's mother. Wellington and I rocked up on the motor bike, greeted the headmaster, had a soda, promised we would consider them in the district training and turned down lunch (I was later disappointed to realize it was dengue and chapatti not the typical ugali and skumawiki! Of course - they had visitors!!)
Back on the bike, up a winding dirt path and there we are Wellington's family compound. Basically his mother lives in the middle and her 5-6 sons have houses within a stones throw. I wasn't too clear on the 3 daughters. 1 of them lives in Kakamega though. So apparently as a son you can always come to your mother's for dinner and basically the men get together with their mum every night, eat together and chat about the day, politics etc, pray and then go home at 10pm. And your wives? "They take care of the children. After my father died, the children had to eat at their own homes because it was too much for my mother to be cooking for all of them." How wonderful to grow up with a pack of children all around. It really was a beautiful homestead and I got to see the cows and chickens.
The other day we were talking about children. I was saying I would want four children, but it was unlikely to happen because I wouldn't want to not work for that long. And the Kenyan women said, "you don't have to stop work, the children just run around and other people look after them". I pointed out that as a speech therapist I had to talk to my children a lot. "No" said they "the other children will talk to them." Oh. Okay then. I love that when I am marketing or out and about you will just come across a child sitting by themselves playing, engaged in whatever it is they can get their hands on. Yesterday there was a little one causing havoc with a sack of potatoes, and the world goes on around them.
Anyway, Wellington and I had a good chat over tea and indeterminable jam sandwiches and now I am back in Kisumu. There is a dish here called Katchimberi? something with 4 syllables, starts with /K/ ands with a vowel.. I am going to try and make that to go with my Dahl Makhani (from a packet bad me) and rice. Last night I finished packing so I am going to work on the upcoming training manuals. Hope life is exciting for everyone and Spring has appeared in the midwest. love, love. b
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Hooray for Sundays. It is so quiet in Kisumu.. many of the Javakali (sp??) vendors are not out and businesses are closed. I spent all morning lounging about in my P.J.s. drinking chocolate milk (no electricity). Strange, but lovely. I wrote some thank you notes and started packing for my trip. The afternoon unfolds.. i anticipate a little cooking and a lot of work. Photos from this week are uploading. Big love. b
March 31, 2007
Look what I found! An attempt at a blog entry (see below). Well.. it’s only been a week since I started (but didn’t finish) that. It feels like such a long time. You know the scene in the movies where the pages fly from the calendar to indicate the passing of time? That’s been my March. And so here I am at home in the aqua house post-national training, slightly remorseful that it’s over. It was such a wonderful albeit exhausting experience. Last night I was out with Tanya et al. but got up to catch the 9am bus to Kisumu with many of the other western participants. (Cute text at 7:13 am “Hey busy bea you do well to have you phone on and be here for breakfast”) I am so glad I did. It was wonderful to spend time with them all the way home. I thought I would write to try and process all the things I have learned this week.
Training adults is great. Especially when they are dedicated and knowledgeable as this group was. I really gained as much as I imparted… maybe I need to back up to the beginning of the week?
So Sunday, after a moderately late night or early morning depending on how you look at it (I finally went to Carnivore for dinner and then to Zoho's in westland for dancing), I got up and went into VSO to finish gathering paperwork and go to Nakumart for last minute supplies. We arrived at the hotel in Kassarani and did a little set up. Monday we talked about communication. All day we discussed what speech, language and communication is and the typically expected developmental milestones. This was a really hands on workshop, so much of the information was generated from the crowd, and we merely molded and responded to what they gave us. We did Jeopardy in the afternoon and it was a pretty good first day. I can’t seem to recall who did our opening remarks- oh yes I can! Anne Musalia from the Ministry of Education and she actually attended the conference all week and was fairly fabulous. When you start the workshop, after giving god his due (?) credit for his role in the organization of it all you assign roles and responsibilities. Can I tell you.. people took these very very seriously. Wellington (my good colleague from Vihiga ~ 45 minutes north of Kisumu) was chairman and took to the job with relish and much formality. He also started calling me Madame Bea (I must tell Esme). I pointed out that perhaps the title was a bit unnecessary to which he replied “but it’s a sign of respect Madame.” Alright then. Martin (one of my very favorite colleagues – of the rehab playgroup fame- from Mumias ~ 2 hours north of Kisumu) was the Welfare officer and it was ridiculous the things people came to him about. Apparently many many partipants were constipated because of eating too much protein (our meals were all buffet). Now, I think even if I was going to die from poo related issues, pretty much NOTHING could make me tell a colleague about it. Nothing! And if I did, I would expect them to say, why don’t you stop eating that mountain of meat then and eat some fruit? People came to Martin for things big and small. Apparently this is a job not to be overlooked. Maybe people just like going to someone to fix their problems??
Just to add.. in case I haven’t mentioned it before.. In addition to my own facilitation, Claire, Mike, Tanya and Sarah (all Nairobi based VSO volunteers who work in disability) came to help with small and large group work and to lead sessions. It was great to have such a competent group to do team teaching. It also made it much more fun (for me) and I think for the participants.
So Tuesday we talked about assessment all day. Doing assessments, setting goals and creating IEPs. Wednesday – Speech and language disorders, picture communication, specific diagnoses.. Thursday – my favorite.. creating learning environments + activities (a little Bev Bos action) and Friday they worked on and presented case studies and we had the rigmarole of scheduling district training rollouts and the closing ceremony. People had infinite patience.
So.. some favorite parts..
* The prayer people were Lilian (Christian) and Dima (Muslim) and they did really a really nice job of it (Can you say that?) I loved to watch Lilian lead the prayer because it was such an earnest imploring of god.. like watching a serious conversation with a good friend. Also.. the choral songs that she kicked off the morning with. My all time favorite actually had the words “Satan you are a loser, loser, Satan you are a loser forever.” Jesus of course is a winner. I liked Dima’s prayers because it was a new experience to hear someone talk to Allah. I felt well looked after spiritually. Someone put on the course evaluation that morning prayers were their least favorite part of the conference, I suspect they are not actually an optional part of the workshop structure. Not having them would be like canning the opening and closing ceremonies (lip service to the ministry, VSO and anyone else)
* Listening to conversations between participants about love and marriage. I am floored by the difference in expectations. Today someone was talking about going to work in Southern Sudan or America as it pays more than Kenya and I said “well what about your wife and children?” (I am so niave) and the response was “no I am done with them now, I will go and work so I can support their education”.. I did point out that his youngest was actually only 2! And this is someone who works with and appears to enjoy children. Semi related.. Tanya has also gotten some really great texts from Kenyan men that go something like this:
T: Thats fine, but I am not having sex with you you know
KM: No, of course not I am saved.. unless you want to
or.. T: Alright, but you do know we are not going to have sex
KM2: No, I didn't think that. We're just friends. But it's not a bad idea
Ha.
* Being quoted by Silas, Wellington and Martin! These three are really my closest and dearest colleagues and it was lovely to have them there. They are so supportive. If I was explaining something or someone was talking about something.. one of them might chime in, “you know one time I was working with Bea and she said..” It was so funny to me and yet such a show of solidarity I thought.
* The excitement about making collages even though there was a whole roomful of other fun activities.. they couldn’t be dragged away! I have uploaded some of the pictures.
* The ridiculous team building evening. Mingle, mingle, mingle…
* This one scrumptious fish dish
* Making a classbook.. the participants all had to give me a one page picture or story about their families. I was interested in the commonality of the things people shared, as well as some of the things it would have never occurred to me to include (“I am married to two wives who I dully paid dowry for”). I took some story dictation as well and I got a really nice little bit of insight into their lives.
* Getting to know people. Someone asked me about being far away from my parents and I explained that dad was fairly unhappy about me being in Kenya, mainly I thought because he had fears about my wellbeing and it was like a light bulb went off for this man. “Oh so your parents worry about you, like we worry about our children? They want their children nearby and safe too.”
I am just so overwhelmed by the dedication and potential of a project like this. 20 districts are now training 20 teachers each. Each of those 400 teachers have at least 10 (sometimes up to 120) children in their class… if they only do one tiny thing differently… it’s staggering.
Perry announced he is leaving Leap this week and the girls called me up to tell me the news and see informally if I would even consider coming back early and helping with the transition, but honestly.. I have never been so happy with my work. Also, if I am going to be considered for upper management in Leap eventually, I will be so so so much more useful to them with this project experience than without. I did agree to attend a meeting while I am in town though and I am sure I am going to love being back there for a couple of weeks.
I really need to get these district roll out training and participant manuals done though so everyone here can start preparing. May, June and July I am going to be on the road constantly. It will be exhausting, but I am so excited.
What else.. I also had the pleasure of meeting Grace Macharia, a smart and attractive woman who I just know is going to start Kenya’s first speech and language program. She is being sponsored (and bonded) by the Ministry of Education to go to the University of Reading and become a speech therapist. Hooray. The Kenya Institute of Education (KISE) are threatening to start a speech and language specialization next year and Grace already works within KISE so it could actually all happen within the decade.
So here I am. Me, my computer and the arse dent in the sofa. I have a mosquito coil along for company but maybe it’s just poisoning my air intake?? I am so glad to be home though between now and my flight to Heathrow I have to do a home visit, spend a day doing evaluations at “Russian” the district hospital, train 20 distance learners up in Vihiga and get organized for the start of next term. I also need to cook some healthy meals and sleep many many hours. More soon. Love, love. B xx
p.s. I will upload the pictures I took..
p.p.s. Some of you have asked about what to donate, I asked the districts to put down anything they would like and so here you have the wishlist. Not unlike things I had previously listed. I have removed things like tape, reams of paper and other general supplies I know can be bought here for the price of postage! For anything else, I can bring things back in April from the States/England and also there are speechies coming out mid June, July and August. Do let me know if you are sending any of these items.
District Wishlists…
- Toy cars
- children’s scissors
- toys (in Kenya they are really expensive and pretty rubbish. If you buy toys please remove them from their packaging. Choose simple toys that don’t require batteries.)
- crayons
- Markers
- 1 otoscope (I have ordered these from amazon.com before)
- handouts on drooling, cerebral palsy, autism
March 24, 2007
It’s been an exhausting week. I feel ill. It’s Saturday and I am not where I should be (the Special Education Professionals get-together). Instead I am sitting here eating dengue, chapatti and githeri in Kassarani wondering at which point I became the proverbial child in the candy store? When did my inability to decide become merely not deciding and choosing all that’s offered? This week I needed a good dose of “but no I need some sleep.”
I’ve been in Nairobi staying at the dry and morally superior Methodist guest house. The latter coming from the troops of American missionaries that are in the business of saving souls and here I wish to digress for just a moment.
The Democrats in the last US election were accused of being scattered. They didn’t come together on any one point, whereas the Republicans could and did and were victorious. In development, I think NGO’s are the Democrats and missionaries the Republicans. Not because of the obvious religious right connection but because the missionaries are all united in purpose. The missionaries are successful because all of them have a common focus, whereas with NGO’s some care about water, some women and children, some HIV, some abstinence.. whatever it is, it disperses the general efficacy of any one group I think. But there’s so many issues what do you choose? See.. leading the lost to the door of the lord it an obvious victor.
March 31, 2007
Look what I found! An attempt at a blog entry (see below). Well.. it’s only been a week since I started (but didn’t finish) that. It feels like such a long time. You know the scene in the movies where the pages fly from the calendar to indicate the passing of time? That’s been my March. And so here I am at home in the aqua house post-national training, slightly remorseful that it’s over. It was such a wonderful albeit exhausting experience. Last night I was out with Tanya et al. but got up to catch the 9am bus to Kisumu with many of the other western participants. (Cute text at 7:13 am “Hey busy bea you do well to have you phone on and be here for breakfast”) I am so glad I did. It was wonderful to spend time with them all the way home. I thought I would write to try and process all the things I have learned this week.
Training adults is great. Especially when they are dedicated and knowledgeable as this group was. I really gained as much as I imparted… maybe I need to back up to the beginning of the week?
So Sunday, after a moderately late night or early morning depending on how you look at it (I finally went to Carnivore for dinner and then to Zoho's in westland for dancing), I got up and went into VSO to finish gathering paperwork and go to Nakumart for last minute supplies. We arrived at the hotel in Kassarani and did a little set up. Monday we talked about communication. All day we discussed what speech, language and communication is and the typically expected developmental milestones. This was a really hands on workshop, so much of the information was generated from the crowd, and we merely molded and responded to what they gave us. We did Jeopardy in the afternoon and it was a pretty good first day. I can’t seem to recall who did our opening remarks- oh yes I can! Anne Musalia from the Ministry of Education and she actually attended the conference all week and was fairly fabulous. When you start the workshop, after giving god his due (?) credit for his role in the organization of it all you assign roles and responsibilities. Can I tell you.. people took these very very seriously. Wellington (my good colleague from Vihiga ~ 45 minutes north of Kisumu) was chairman and took to the job with relish and much formality. He also started calling me Madame Bea (I must tell Esme). I pointed out that perhaps the title was a bit unnecessary to which he replied “but it’s a sign of respect Madame.” Alright then. Martin (one of my very favorite colleagues – of the rehab playgroup fame- from Mumias ~ 2 hours north of Kisumu) was the Welfare officer and it was ridiculous the things people came to him about. Apparently many many partipants were constipated because of eating too much protein (our meals were all buffet). Now, I think even if I was going to die from poo related issues, pretty much NOTHING could make me tell a colleague about it. Nothing! And if I did, I would expect them to say, why don’t you stop eating that mountain of meat then and eat some fruit? People came to Martin for things big and small. Apparently this is a job not to be overlooked. Maybe people just like going to someone to fix their problems??
Just to add.. in case I haven’t mentioned it before.. In addition to my own facilitation, Claire, Mike, Tanya and Sarah (all Nairobi based VSO volunteers who work in disability) came to help with small and large group work and to lead sessions. It was great to have such a competent group to do team teaching. It also made it much more fun (for me) and I think for the participants.
So Tuesday we talked about assessment all day. Doing assessments, setting goals and creating IEPs. Wednesday – Speech and language disorders, picture communication, specific diagnoses.. Thursday – my favorite.. creating learning environments + activities (a little Bev Bos action) and Friday they worked on and presented case studies and we had the rigmarole of scheduling district training rollouts and the closing ceremony. People had infinite patience.
So.. some favorite parts..
* The prayer people were Lilian (Christian) and Dima (Muslim) and they did really a really nice job of it (Can you say that?) I loved to watch Lilian lead the prayer because it was such an earnest imploring of god.. like watching a serious conversation with a good friend. Also.. the choral songs that she kicked off the morning with. My all time favorite actually had the words “Satan you are a loser, loser, Satan you are a loser forever.” Jesus of course is a winner. I liked Dima’s prayers because it was a new experience to hear someone talk to Allah. I felt well looked after spiritually. Someone put on the course evaluation that morning prayers were their least favorite part of the conference, I suspect they are not actually an optional part of the workshop structure. Not having them would be like canning the opening and closing ceremonies (lip service to the ministry, VSO and anyone else)
* Listening to conversations between participants about love and marriage. I am floored by the difference in expectations. Today someone was talking about going to work in Southern Sudan or America as it pays more than Kenya and I said “well what about your wife and children?” (I am so niave) and the response was “no I am done with them now, I will go and work so I can support their education”.. I did point out that his youngest was actually only 2! And this is someone who works with and appears to enjoy children. Semi related.. Tanya has also gotten some really great texts from Kenyan men that go something like this:
T: Thats fine, but I am not having sex with you you know
KM: No, of course not I am saved.. unless you want to
or.. T: Alright, but you do know we are not going to have sex
KM2: No, I didn't think that. We're just friends. But it's not a bad idea
Ha.
* Being quoted by Silas, Wellington and Martin! These three are really my closest and dearest colleagues and it was lovely to have them there. They are so supportive. If I was explaining something or someone was talking about something.. one of them might chime in, “you know one time I was working with Bea and she said..” It was so funny to me and yet such a show of solidarity I thought.
* The excitement about making collages even though there was a whole roomful of other fun activities.. they couldn’t be dragged away! I have uploaded some of the pictures.
* The ridiculous team building evening. Mingle, mingle, mingle…
* This one scrumptious fish dish
* Making a classbook.. the participants all had to give me a one page picture or story about their families. I was interested in the commonality of the things people shared, as well as some of the things it would have never occurred to me to include (“I am married to two wives who I dully paid dowry for”). I took some story dictation as well and I got a really nice little bit of insight into their lives.
* Getting to know people. Someone asked me about being far away from my parents and I explained that dad was fairly unhappy about me being in Kenya, mainly I thought because he had fears about my wellbeing and it was like a light bulb went off for this man. “Oh so your parents worry about you, like we worry about our children? They want their children nearby and safe too.”
I am just so overwhelmed by the dedication and potential of a project like this. 20 districts are now training 20 teachers each. Each of those 400 teachers have at least 10 (sometimes up to 120) children in their class… if they only do one tiny thing differently… it’s staggering.
Perry announced he is leaving Leap this week and the girls called me up to tell me the news and see informally if I would even consider coming back early and helping with the transition, but honestly.. I have never been so happy with my work. Also, if I am going to be considered for upper management in Leap eventually, I will be so so so much more useful to them with this project experience than without. I did agree to attend a meeting while I am in town though and I am sure I am going to love being back there for a couple of weeks.
I really need to get these district roll out training and participant manuals done though so everyone here can start preparing. May, June and July I am going to be on the road constantly. It will be exhausting, but I am so excited.
What else.. I also had the pleasure of meeting Grace Macharia, a smart and attractive woman who I just know is going to start Kenya’s first speech and language program. She is being sponsored (and bonded) by the Ministry of Education to go to the University of Reading and become a speech therapist. Hooray. The Kenya Institute of Education (KISE) are threatening to start a speech and language specialization next year and Grace already works within KISE so it could actually all happen within the decade.
So here I am. Me, my computer and the arse dent in the sofa. I have a mosquito coil along for company but maybe it’s just poisoning my air intake?? I am so glad to be home though between now and my flight to Heathrow I have to do a home visit, spend a day doing evaluations at “Russian” the district hospital, train 20 distance learners up in Vihiga and get organized for the start of next term. I also need to cook some healthy meals and sleep many many hours. More soon. Love, love. B xx
p.s. I will upload the pictures I took..
p.p.s. Some of you have asked about what to donate, I asked the districts to put down anything they would like and so here you have the wishlist. Not unlike things I had previously listed. I have removed things like tape, reams of paper and other general supplies I know can be bought here for the price of postage! For anything else, I can bring things back in April from the States/England and also there are speechies coming out mid June, July and August. Do let me know if you are sending any of these items.
District Wishlists…
- Toy cars
- children’s scissors
- toys (in Kenya they are really expensive and pretty rubbish. If you buy toys please remove them from their packaging. Choose simple toys that don’t require batteries.)
- crayons
- Markers
- 1 otoscope (I have ordered these from amazon.com before)
- handouts on drooling, cerebral palsy, autism
March 24, 2007
It’s been an exhausting week. I feel ill. It’s Saturday and I am not where I should be (the Special Education Professionals get-together). Instead I am sitting here eating dengue, chapatti and githeri in Kassarani wondering at which point I became the proverbial child in the candy store? When did my inability to decide become merely not deciding and choosing all that’s offered? This week I needed a good dose of “but no I need some sleep.”
I’ve been in Nairobi staying at the dry and morally superior Methodist guest house. The latter coming from the troops of American missionaries that are in the business of saving souls and here I wish to digress for just a moment.
The Democrats in the last US election were accused of being scattered. They didn’t come together on any one point, whereas the Republicans could and did and were victorious. In development, I think NGO’s are the Democrats and missionaries the Republicans. Not because of the obvious religious right connection but because the missionaries are all united in purpose. The missionaries are successful because all of them have a common focus, whereas with NGO’s some care about water, some women and children, some HIV, some abstinence.. whatever it is, it disperses the general efficacy of any one group I think. But there’s so many issues what do you choose? See.. leading the lost to the door of the lord it an obvious victor.
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