Dan Grays log from his trip to Kenya and Indonesia in September and October of 2006

9-30-2006

This section is about Saturday, the 30th, it's Sunday morning.  One thing I've learned, nothing goes according to plan!  Plan: Eat, do some shopping, Gas, and then head straight to Riongo to do a famine feed.  Well, we did the breakfast, and the shopping part, but that's where it ended.  On our way, just to the Pokot area, and rock through the tire.  The jack didn't work properly, so, we flagged down an English tourist who was nice enough to loan us a jack.  Finally changed it, and then thought it better to head back into town and get it fixed which we did.  Now we have a spare again, and then Kachaya gets a call that some orphans are sick, so we need to go there first.  We stopped by the orphanage (not really close to it so the children wouldn't see us), and found out that they would be OK for a while, so we start heading for Riongo.  Riongo is in the northeast area, closest to the Turkona tribe.  It is the farthest we drive for the famine feeds   When about 3/4 of the way there, another flat.  We had to be creative with the jack.  Then we finally make it to Riongo.  We were expecting Yusof to be there with the van.  No van, Carols upset, ok, now it's kind of a repeat of what we did at the watering hole, with one main difference, Carol pointed out signs of advanced malnutrition in many children.  These people have been waiting for hours for us, literally hours, because of the two flat tires. Ok, more singing, tons of it, then another necklace and a beautiful headband around my forehead (too tight).  Then Carol gave her speech, and then Carol wanted to take the sickest to the clinic, but our vehicle was too full. I offered to stay with my luggage, but then Kachaya said it may be dangerous, so we promised to return, and to make sure the sickest were still there.  Then we took off to find Yusuf.  About a 2 hour drive, we find a Pokot village where there were many buildings, a store or two, two churches, etc.  We find Yusuf there with the van, building a community center.  Carol hardly said any words, but I could tell was furious.  Remember Yusuf is the pastor of the church, and is always bringing politics and religion to the IHF community.  Many of the volunteers go to his church, and he has a lot of clout with all the people, but he brings politics to IHF, and is totally against the rules.  He has a great heart, even takes orphans into his own house, but carol is completely frustrated in him!  Anyway I think this is the last straw.  Well we decide to drive both vehicles to the orphanage, then we decide to take the van to the Riongo, and others take the jeep to the clinic with the sick orphans,  Ok, we get there about 8 something, already dark, and there they are waiting for us, have been waiting all day!  We pack up these children (and some mothers), and head to the clinic.  One baby is having a hard time breathing, another is vomiting out the window.  The Pokot women smell like goats, it's not bad, I can't explain it, but it was a bit nauseating to me, and one time I lost it.  I find if I breathe through my mouth, I can control my nausea.  Two hours of bumps and we arrive.  We are absolutely beat.  We drop them off, then we head back into the village to find a "hotel"  It's full 'cuz of some political event.  No food all day.  I gave carol a power bar, only food for either of us since breakfast.  We decide to drive to lake Baringo and they were full too.  It's after midnight.  Carol is nervous, this is Njagga's safari stomping grounds.  One time, several people were paid to surround Carol to instill fear. They finally find some rooms, a double room for Kachaya and two singles for Carol and myself.  There are cockroaches running around on the floor.  I don't feel like eating, I go straight to bed, I don't wake up 'till 7:00.

This doesn't even feel real to me, it is reality, but by the end of the day I had a screeching headache, from the stress and the realities.  I find these people are desperate, and they are literally dieing.  My mind is reeling, I can't even think and I feel numb.  Today, Carol told me about a letter that the young girl who wrote the poem gave here while we were briefly at the orphanage.  She quietly slipped the letter in her hand.  Her brother has died, and her parents died.  She still has a younger sister .  The letter was a plea for help for her sister who is bleeding, probably in her poop.  Carol says this is Dunges fever, and she will go insane or die if untreated.  So part of the plan today is to try to find her and bring her to the clinic.  So our plan is to go to town, get the flat fixed, go to the orphanage and pick up the van, then head back to the clinic, pick up the Pokot folks, bring them back to Rionga.  Then back to the orphanage, bring back more children including the singers younger sister to the clinic, now I have no idea what we'll do after this, but one thing is for sure, this plan will be changed!

Dan Grays log from his trip to Kenya and Indonesia in September and October of 2006

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!

Just Retrieved from the Archives (2006) - Dan Gray's Volunteer Experiences when I was a volunteer director IHF Kenya

Dan Grays log from his trip to Kenya and Indonesia in September and October of 2006

9-28-06
Un-believable!
I remember the looting at the Rodney king trial and 'Katrina', it seems when all authority is removed, the worst and best in humanity comes out.  Remember the looting that took place, ok, now you can steal and you know you won't get caught!  Remember the news clips where even police officers were stealing from Wallmart stores!

Well, I guess this is part of being human, cultivated from years of evolution.  The Christians call it the depravity of man, but it's not in all humans, I see both very strongly here.

When I first was doing research on IHF in late 2005, I found some references on the Internet to a Kenyan paper where supposedly some scammers stole money from IHF.   Well, it's true, and unbelievable.  It happens all the time here, other charities are used to it, and chalk it up as a "cost of doing business".  It looks really bad to financial supporters to know that THEIR money has been stolen, so it's just hushed up.

Carol will not let that happen here.  The way it's supposed to work, is the investigation department of the police force is supposed to gather all data regarding the case, then the prosecutor is supposed to use this information in court.  After the investigators have done all their work, there is a pre-trial meeting, where the prosecutor looks at the data to see where the strength and weaknesses of the case is.  Well, the court date is set for today.  Yesterday was the 1st day we met with the prosecutor, and we find that the investigators have not done their job at all.

Ok, more info.... What I learn is tribes are everything here, and we find that most of the police force on the investigating force is from the same tribe as the defendant, and so it's no wonder that they are impeding the investigation to protect their tribe member, but it gets worse.  We find that the banker president is actually a relative of the defendant, and has absolutely been un-believable in obstruction of justice.

Yesterday as a last resort, after meeting with the prosecutor, we all went to the bank.  We had two police officers from investigations, and we had Juma, the pro-bona lawyer here, (he as evolved above the corruption and is wonderful), and Yumas, a Pokot Chief who is the primary signer on the bank account, (two others in the CON were the other two signers on the account) along with Carol and myself.  The police had earlier obtained a court order to get all the info from the account, which shows the withdrawals.  The bank president had intentional left out all the withdrawals over the time period of the theft, because it's too much of a coincidence that all the checks they listed were there from the times where there wasn't any theft, and the checks were missing over the period of time which the thefts occurred.  So, it's the day before the court date, we're in this meeting with the banker president, and it's completely obvious that this person is obstructing the justice.  Even thought we had the primary signer (the Pokot Chief), Carol, who was wiring the money to the account, the investigating lawyers, Juma, our lawyer, he would not give us any more information.  This is with the previous court order in place.  Unbelievable!  Also, since we don't have enough info for the case, we're going to try to get a delay in the case today.  It's the only chance we have to win this thing.  Both Juma and the prosecuting attorney think this will happen in any case, but we asked the bank president for a simple 1 sentence letter, explaining that he wasn't able to get the information in time, so we could show this to the judge, and get a delay, and he refused to even do that!  His excuse: "It doesn't go like that".

Well, I have my predictions, here they are.  We will get a delay.  The prosecutor is another man that I find has evolved beyond the selfishness we see, and wants justice.  He is almost ready to retire, but is a well respected prosecutor.  He has clout with the police department and I believe he will get the information we need.  Since then the case is cut and dry, I believe we will win this case, and justice will prevail.  But it won't come for lack of trying, only because of Carols insistence that the women and children will not be stolen from, and beware of any others that try.  I believe that after these cases are tried, and justice prevails that no one will ever try to scam IHF in Kenya again, so it will be worth it when it is all done.

Ok, well, we've been so busy with the case, I haven't had any time to email, I suspect I will be emailing this out after the court case today, as there is no time before.  But last night was soooo unbelievable!  The children from the Pokot orphanage were driven down from Pokot to Nakuru where the case is being tried.  They stayed for the first time at the new orphanage that the volunteer chiefs and others are getting ready for them.  They were brought down so they (along with several other chiefs as witnesses) could show up in court, and the oldest of them could actually be witnesses to the fact that the famine feeds were NOT happening, that the scammers were pocketing the money.  This happened for 5 months I think.  The scammers stopped the famine feeds and reported that they were doing them.  They pocketed the money that IHF was sending them for these months.  They did more too, too much to explain here.  But the point is, We had one last meeting with the lawyer and the prosecutor.  We decided to have it at the orphanage.  We arrived first, and the children were all dressed in their uniforms, and they ran out to meet us, and they all wanted to get really close to me, hug me and shake my hand.  I started balling (those of you that know me well, know that this was totally predictable).   Then what really blew my mind was that these kids started to sing.  No instruments. You could have set a clock by the rhythm.  Their feet were tapping, and their bodies were moving, and there was the soloist which would sing the first line, then the rest of the children would echo, in absolute perfect pitch and rhythm, like nothing I've ever heard.  Roberta I wish so much you could have been there, but next time you may.  They all called carol Mommy and they called me Daddy in the song.  After that we gave them the toys that Roberta packed in my suitcase.  They had so much fun, they have never had toys before, and it was unbelievable.  Well, we had our meeting with the prosecutor, and then we finally left and I was exhausted and fell into my bed (btw, they don't put chocolate mints on the pillows here).  We pay $8 a night for my room!

Today is the trial, which we expect to be very short with a delay until more fact finding.  This afternoon I hope to have time to email etc.  On Friday (tomorrow)we head out to Pokot (I think it's about a 4 or 6 hour drive).

So this is my life here so far!

Best Poem of 2005 - I black

This poem, written by an African child was
nominated for the Best Poem of 2005.
Colour
When I born, I black;
When I grow up I black;
... When I go in sun I black; When I scared, I black;
When I sick, I black;
And when I die, I still black;
And Ü White fellows;
When U born, U pink;
When U grow up, U white; When U go in sun, U red;
When U cold, U blue;
When U scared, U yellow;
When U sick, U green;
When U die, U grey;
And U call me coloured?

Acknowledgement: Poem adopted on my blog

Some clients can make you hit the roof!!

Had a very rotund person (never seen her before -- so not a regular) came in and ask me about getting a shingles vaccine as she did not want to catch it from any of her friends. I told her that it was in no way contagious. She goes on to say that 2 or 3 of her friends have it or have had it and that her doctor told her that "IT. WAS. CONTAGIOUS!" I told her that "I will back off my previous statement a very small bit -- If a person comes into contact with a shingles rash, for instance if they are covering the wounds and come into contact with the actual seeping wound, they could potentially catch CHICKENPOX if they had not previously had CHICKENPOX or the CHICKENPOX Vaccination. Shingles, meaning the form of chickenpox that comes back up later in life and causes serious pain, cannot be transmitted from on person to another." [Source: http://www.immunize.org/askexperts/experts_zos.asp] Her response was a steadfast, "Well, my doctor doesn't agree. He says you can get it from anyone that has shingles on their skin or has ever had it."

At this point, I once again took the position of not giving a fuck. Either listen to reason or go away. I told her, "If your doctor is telling you this, and he is serious, I think you need to get a new doctor. As I can print out several different papers and references in just a few minutes that would disprove that notion."

Her response was, nothing less than I expected, "Maybe I should get a new pharmacist..." I just said, in a trailing voice but loud enough for her to full figure out what I PROBABLY said, "I think you should do that you stupid fat bitch..." Believe me...she was being a standoffish, stupid, fat bitch.

This is me....

Lets start off with my favourite quotes.
Keep reading because this is the place I will do all my unfinished business.

"crisis": any situation you want to change
"bilingual": unable to speak English
"equal opportunity": preferential treatment
"non-judgmental": blaming society
"compassion": the use of tax money to buy votes
"insensitivity": objections to the use of tax money to buy votes
"simplistic": an argument you disagree with but can't answer
"rehabilitation": magic word said before releasing criminals
"demonstration": a riot by people you agree with
"mob violence": a riot by people you disagree with
"a matter of principle": a political controversy involving the convictions of liberals
"an emotional issue": a political controversy involving the convictions of conservatives
"funding": money from the government
"commitment": more money from the government
"docu-drama": a work of fiction about famous people
"autobiography": a work of fiction about yourself
"national budget": a work of fiction about government spending, never to be followed
"people's republic": a place where you do what you are told or get shot
"national liberation movements": organizations trying to create people's republics
"policy research": looking for statistics to support the position you have already taken
"stereotypes": behavior patterns you don't want to think about
"Moinomics": media explanation of downturns in the economy
"robust economy": media explanation of upturns in the economy
"constitutional interpretation": judges reading their own political views into the Constitution
"politicizing the courts": criticizing judges for reading their own political views into the Constitution
"a proud people": chauvinists you like
"bigots": chauvinists you don't like
"anti-war movement": disarmament advocates who know the idea won't fly under its own name
"private greed": making money selling people what they want
"public service": gaining power to make people do what you want them to
"innovation": something new
"new innovation": something new by someone who doesn't understand English
"competency": competence, as described by the incompetent
"moderate Arabs": mythical beings to whom State Department officials make sacrificial offerings
"special interest lobby": politically organized conservatives
"public interest group": politically organized liberals
"accountability": holding teachers, public officials, and private businesses responsible for the consequences of their misdeeds
"chilling effect": holding journalists responsible for the consequences of their misdeeds

Thomas Sowell A POLITICAL GLOSSARY (From Compassion Versus Guilt and Other Essays, NY: Morrow,1987)