9-29-2006
One thing I noticed while at the court and police station, there are no
computers! In America, there's a computer on every desk!, I don't believe
I've seen one computer!Well with the court temporarily behind us, we're free to do other funner things! It's 5:30 am, they are supposed to wake me at 5, so we can go pick up the things for the famine feed. I'm all packed up, but no one else seems to be awake. Last night I was able to do Internet, but I forgot something important for Collette, and I think I won't have another chance 'till next week sometime.
I thought a lot last night, I woke up at midnight, couldn't go back to sleep. It's like I've forgotten all about my telescope control software I'm working on, etc. All I think of is the kids, the chiefs, etc.
Carol has started a program under the IHF umbrella that keeps the Pokot college students together, in some sort of an organization that does projects to mostly help the Pokot at home, such as encouraging girls to attend college, not do mutilation, and many other projects. They met with Carol for their 2nd meeting yesterday at the Nakuru center. The Pokot are really the lowest of the low socially, and discrimination is brutal. They are thought as the scum of Kenya by most Kenyans, according to carol, but gosh, these kids are NOT the scum of anything, they're really intelligent, verbal, have wonderful ideas, articulate beautifully. Many of them are going with student loans, and several families pitching in to pay for one kids college. Most of these kids come from "rich" families, which means they have a couple of cows instead of just one goat. Now these kids have such a heart for helping their own people it's wonderful to see! This program is called SAPTOP, Students ?? Pokot ?? ?? ?? I can't remember. There were about 20 kids, 3 of them girls, attending 3 different colleges.
When I heard Carol talking about the "chiefs", I had a certain picture in my mind. You think of painted faces, spears, feathers. Well, I've met 6 or so chiefs, and my stereotype was all wrong. These are wonderful folk as far as I can tell. One is the pastor of a church (practically everyone here is a Christian) named Yusuf. Then there's Moses, Amos, Joshua, and others. They all like me a lot, and are really helpful. They mostly dress in suits, or otherwise very nicely. Most carry cell phones!
One problem is power. They don't need much, just enough to charge their radios, cell phones, and now the two laptops they're going to have. We're going to tally up the power, and try to put in 3 solar panel stations. Power is miles away, and this will help them a lot. Communication among them is a big problem, and this may help solve that problem.
I wanted to talk about Dr. Timothy Kipkopus. Out of all the people I met, there are only 2 drivers, one chief and then this 20 or 24 year old named Frederick. He's the official driver and drives everyone around! Well, he and Tim picked me up at the airport. I've had a lot of communication with Tim before I got here. When I was first emailing him, I thought that I was talking to an American. The emails had absolutely perfect tenses, were very eloquent. Well, Tim is the only Pokot medical Dr. He told me that he did well in school and kept getting scholarships. Now he could have a really high paying job, but instead he works at a pharmacy, and is the IHF director. He's about 26 or 27. His heart is with his people. He loves the children and is always looking out for them. He is such a wonderful person, and IHF is so lucky to have him. Muhia was the former director, and Tim is taking his place. Muhia is the one that stole thousands of dollars. Now IHF is really lucky to have Tim!
9-30, 5:30am, well after writing the above (in the early morning of the 29th), we left for the Pokot. I'm thinking that moses was thinking we didn't have too much money, they didn't fill the car with gas, and we didn't have enough water, more later. We arrived at the Pokot orphanage at I think about 10 or so. Now much more singing and dancing.
You have to realize that the famine feed got really messed up. We had it scheduled for the 30th, but then for some reason it was rescheduled for the 29th. So we emailed all the Pokot people to let them know, right? Just kidding, and that is the problem, many of them didn't get the message, so not enough folks showed up. They were all out at the main road, waiting for us, who knows how long!
The singing and dancing lasts forever, and I'm starting to sweat! Finally it's stopped, it's funny to see them, they love to look at me, but then when I meet their eyes and smile, they turn away. It's kind of hard for me, to be singled out, and the complete center (well Carol too). You know to be in a sea of blacks, and I'm the only white male (I've seen two others since I've been here! So, now I am the minority, but instead of the dirt minority, I'm the lofty white male! Everyone wants to shake my hand and hugs, but then they sort of shrink away. It's kind of draining! Those of you that know me well know that I'm not a flashy, business man, I'm down at the lowest level, and here I'm this amazing white male, sure is different.
So Carol insisted I do part of the famine feed, and I'm putting flour in their bags. Two scoops, each bag. They tell me they boil water, then make a paste out of it, the consistency depending on how many people they need to feed.
Ok, now the famine feed is going on more, on its own, the chiefs, etc. are now taking over, and we head for the watering hole a few K's away. On the way, Carol was feeling manipulated by one of the chiefs, who is a really great person, but always has to be in the limelight, and wants to get his church involved (He's a pastor). Carol is very tired of his "politics" and is disgusted that even here, while people are starving, politics is involved!).
The water hole is a man made lake that was carved out of the landscape with caterpillars etc. There are many animals that drink this water (it's only fed by rainwater during the rainy season). We are at the end of the rainy season, so it's full. There are many animals. Goats, donkeys, camels, cows, and many others. The people drink this water too, and that is one reason there are many health problems. There is a community of folk that live around the water hole. Unfortunately, during the dry season, it drys up completely, then the animals can die, which make the people die. So now they take off looking for other water, and don't use the only "bore hole" (well) that is for miles around (the only clean water).
We arrive at the water hole, and now I'm seeing a lot more people here, but Carol is concerned, 'cuz she's thinking there's way too few people. Carol started talking to them about IHF. There were several communities there, and she had the women break down into their local groups, and each group selected a representative. Then Carol addressed each group (I think there were about 5). They presented their selected group rep, and then Carol told that group rep they they were now her sister, that they had equal vote on the board, equal say as she has, 1 vote each. These people here are really grateful for IHF, the only organization helping them, including their own government.
Well, I forgot to mention that there was much singing and dancing when we arrived. Now I'm starting to get gifts. There were many guys there, some old, some young, but each guy holds a staff and then this little thing that looks like an anvil, however, it's made out of wood. I was curious and asked. They use it to sit on! They also use it for a pillow! During the dancing, some women put a beaded leather belt around me (two of them), then a bracelet. The beaded belts signify bravery, and the bracelet if I remember correctly, signifies a friendship or something. Then they gave me one of the wooden anvils, now I'm a true brave warrior I guess.
Also, soon after we got there, we decided to look at the "bore hole". They said there's plenty of water there, and the well is 110 meters deep (hard to believe). There is a pump at the bore hole, with two large flywheels (one on each side), with a handle sticking out like a crank. There were two young girls cranking this, and capturing precious water in a plastic jug. So I must try it. The reason it's a fly wheel, is the inertia is used to suddenly pump another squirt of water up from the depths. The pump must be at the bottom, so there must be a mechanical linkage from the top down to the bottom. Well, I tried to pump, and it's amazing how much energy it takes. If I arrive from the city, and I must get some water, it would just break me into a sweat, and I'd be out of breath, but I'd get my water. If I've been walking several K's, and I'm sick and weak from starvation, it's just not fair to have to put the amount of energy into this pump. So now I'm thinking what kind of energy we can use. Wind? No wind in the dry season. Gas or diesel is very expensive and must be brought in. Solar cells? Well, it would work, but it would take a lot of them. I'm thinking this may be the best way, but something has to be done. I can't stop thinking about this and I want to be the solution....
During the hours we were there, Carol pointed out the signs of malnutrition and starvation in some of the children. Bloated stomachs, hair falling out in clumps, red areas in the hair too. This is the rainy season, and so this is the time where the folks have the most food, so it's really sad to see.
So the famine feed was finally started, there were now more people, as people were arriving during the time we were there.
They had called from the orphanage, that they wanted us to come back. We had thought we were done with that, but they were insistent, so we promised we'd return to the watering hole, and headed back to the orphanage. After arriving, it's now understood why we were brought back. There were many more people there, and they made us get out of the car and they "danced" us up the long driveway, and into the orphanage area. Now everyone is singing and dancing, and I get another anvil, a beaded bracelet for Roberta, a necklace, and much singing and dancing. It is really cool there this time of year they tell me, but I don't agree! Cool is relative! I'm sweating like a pig, and no chance for water, because it would be extremely impolite to drink water in front of the people. Now since we were there in the morning, they had set two chairs out and they had actually made a canopy of leaves for us. But as soon as we (Carol and I) sat down, we had to get up again, because something Carol had never seen was happening. The males had gathered and were doing a dance. They came at me with there staffs in hand like spears, all the while chanting. I felt in no way intimidated, it was part of a dance. One of the teachers translated:
We need water, help us get water!
We need medicine, help us get medicine,
We need food, help us get food.
This was a cry for help to the white male god, and Carol has never seen the men sing and dance before.
Now we sit in the chairs again, and someone brings us bottled water, and we refuse for politeness, just wanting it soo bad! Now several of the locals talk directly to us, via translator, and they are pretty much the same. "Thank you so much for the food, and thanks you so much for the orphanage, but please help us get water, and a medical clinic, and could you increase the food?" . Now there is one of the oldest of the orphans, that has written a poem, it's about the child slavery that takes place for especially orphans, that get water for other people, so they can get a meager bite of food. Apparently she has some experience with this, and it was a wonderful song/poem, so beautiful and sad, (she sang in English). Later she copied it down for us, and I'll send it to you next time.. (Note, it's at the end of this log)
Ok, now there are two bags of flour left, and we start the final famine feed for the day. It was absolutely incredible, they were fighting to get in line, and the guys had their bags, and carol insisted that women and children first. She ended up sitting on the flour bag until they settled down and got the women in line. Now it's two scoops per person, I'm taking my turn, now it's one scoop per person, the second bag is getting empty, now it runs out, and people are still in line, Carol asks around for anybody with shillings (we're both out of shillings) to give to the last people so they can buy food, there are only a few shillings collected. It's over, and folks start to leave again. I'm drained. We go in the male orphanage section, and some of the orphans make food for us, and we get water. The water is now gone. We (Carol and I) can't drink the local water, we're not immune as most are. We're out of bottled water, and we're out of shillings. The closest town is three hours away. We promised we were going to get the telescope out at the watering hole, so we had to head back there to tell them we had to go to town to get water. It was cloudy anyway. There were a lot of folks that had stayed because of the telescope, which was explained to them, but they still have no idea about. Now plans had changed, and we had to drive back to tell them, then backtrack and a three hour drive to the city (where I'm writing this from). The first ATM didn't work, we're panicking. There's one more in town. It works! Ok, now water, finally, Here I am, 3 hours without water, and I'm in a panic. It's a way of life for them!
Ok, now shower time, it's time to get started on the next day!
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