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!
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