Yesterday was a truly remarkable day. I had cook crew in the morning, which means a 6 AM wakeup call and a hectic morning cooking chipati, eggs, oatmeal, beans and fruit. Then I had class, where each group discussed their research indicators. From the indicator list, we can make up the questionnaire for next week. After lunch, the four of us in the HIV/AIDS group went back to the VCT Boma in Loitokitok to sit on an HIV/AIDS group therapy session. Our Student Affairs Manager (SAM), ironically named Sam, and one of our group members, Naom who is Kenyan translated the session for us.

The therapy session had about 25 participants not counting the five of us, one Sister, one American (former SFS student) and the director of the Boma. The turnout was really impressive and several of the women commented on how empowering the turnout was.  

Listening to these women was life changing; their bravery absolutely astounded me. They began the session with a group prayer and then everyone went in a circle telling their story, however short or long were comfortable with. There were both laughs and tears with these stories. These women showed incredible perseverance through debilitating stigma and discrimination, not to mention horrific opportunistic infections like TB and Sarcoma. During the discussion, many women were coughing strongly and several said they were diagnosed with TB. Many other women had left their husbands or were widowed and found out about their HIV status by rumour. One woman had such severe sarcoma that her eyes completely swelled shut; she had to use spoons to open her eyes. Another woman had been completely ostracized from her family after disclosing her HIV status and had to move. She felt completely stigmatized and discriminated upon; she would hold her dress up to her face when speaking to people in fear of spreading her disease (a common misconception is that HIV is airborne). Several other women were accused of witchcraft, have trouble maintaining the schedule of ARVs, have difficulty keeping a job and cannot afford to buy their baby’s formula or nutritional supplements (another way to transmit HIV is through breastfeeding).

This visit was fascinating to our research on the closing of the Imbirikani clinic. Without prompting from us or knowing that we were studying the impacts of the closure of the Imbirikani Clinic, most women said that they used the Imbirikani clinic and were severely struggling since it’s closure. Several constant themes were the lack of nutritional supplements, formula, ARVs, water treatment, inpatient care, emergency medical care, etc. These women were abandoned over night. The closure of the Imbirikani clinic clearly had an incredible impact on their lives and livelihood.

Most of them said that they don’t know where they would be or what they would do without this VCT Boma. On the drive home, Sam was telling us how this VCT is one of a kind. Most VCTs only provide minimal ARV support (by monitoring whether people are taking drugs) and HIV testing. This VCT center is extremely unique because it provides these incredible support sessions. The center does not stand out because of more funding, but perhaps because of the leadership. A woman named Susan (I believe) runs the VCT center; she acts as the Mama to everyone. She runs the center with an extremely gentle hand and is incredibly welcoming to all, while exuding respect to everyone there, and receiving the same in return.

Today, Friday, we had class in the morning on Qualitative and Quantitative research methods. The earlier classes were much more interesting and well taught. Now, the professors are becoming extremely repetitive and simply reading off of their slides. This does not bode well for three hour long classes on stastical analysis or data collection methods. While the courses are necessary for our directed research, most of know the material and both professors here are extremely repetitive. Also, the professors are very soft spoken and it is often difficult to get a straight answer from anyone. I’m not sure if it’s a cultural difference or simply a teaching style, but it’s frustrating and much different from what I’m used to in my little hybrid of American and European learning system.

In the afternoon, we went into Kimana to use the ATM, get some beads and wire for our Maasai jewellery making session and run a few errands for KBC. It was nice to go to town without the entire group from SFS, which can be overpowering, and on a non-market day. The extremely uneven rubbish filled dirt roads are peaceful, for some reason and little street-side shops that sell extremely obscure items are endlessly entertaining. Loose cows and shoats (sheep and goats) wander aimlessly around, eating trash out of the garbage fires along the side of the street. It is common to hear “Mzungo!” every few minutes and have people trying to give us directions to a store “where they definitely sell beads” just so we would give them a ride (we didn’t). The little children would run up yelling “hi!” or “Jambo!” They are so adorable. Eventually, we found some beads and with some bartering, Sam got us a great deal for our Maasai beading lesson tomorrow. Now, I’m sitting on the porch outside of the Chumba overlooking the baboons swinging in the trees and lizards running in zig-zags around the Bandas. Everyone is going to play soccer soon, but I’m hoping they change their minds and want to play volleyball. Although my knees are feeling great, I am still very nervous about hurting them in soccer. Plus, the guys are all extremely aggressive players, particularly the Kenyans and it is rather intimidating.

Tomorrow is going to be a wonderful day! We have another non-program day (NPD) and we are going to “the most beautiful place in Kenya”. I am forgetting what it’s called, but whenever we tell anyone where we are going, they say “No way! I’m so jealous!” so it better be good. They haven’t done this trip with an SFS group in over a decade, but Sapaya and Daniel are both from the Group Ranches up there. Normally, it costs non-residents 50 – 1,500 USD (Yes 1,500 USD) per day per person for entry. We are getting in on 1000 Kenyan Schillings (about 12 USD) because we are going through a deal with Sapaya’s group ranch! We will be going on a three-hour hike and I am so excited! When we come back in the evening, three Maasai Mama’s will be coming to teach us how to bead. Then apparently we are going to a bar, which I’m sure will be interesting.

I’ll try to post something on Sunday, but next week be prepared to hear very little from me. We are doing directed research for four days (sometimes in places two hours away when we have to get up by 5) and analysing the data when we return home in the evenings. We aren’t allowed to go to bed until all the day’s data has been recorded. I’m excited, but a bit nervous because it will be very taxing. I’m paired up with Naom for directed research, which is nice because she can speak Swahili and is in my group for the entire project. However, she can’t speak Maasai, so we will still have a translator. Wish me luck!