Giraffes, giraffes, everywhere Giraffes!

Rothchild's giraffee-saw so many during our tour, couldn't keep count!

Female topi antelope (along w giraffes, the most numerous animal i park

This giraffe crossed right in front of us as we snapped photos

Entrance to Ruma National Park

That describes our Amazing visit Sunday to Ruma National Park near Homa Bay, Kenya. When we left Migori at 8 AM, we thought we’d go to Lake Victoria & maybe take a ferry.  However, after a delicious  “full English breakfast” at the Homa Bay Hotel, we discovered the ferry wasn’t running due to an explosion of water lillys that appeard to choke the shores of the lake for miles.  As we’re learning to be FLEXIBLE, shifted plans & visited a nearby national park instead.  This turned out to be a great decision!  Hired a park ranger guide & spent over 4 hrs bumping over rough, unpaved park roads in search of wildlife.  And did we see it:  Rothchild’s Giraffes & topi antelope (more than we could count!), tiny oribi antelope, zebras, impalas, vervet monkeys, water buffao, bohor reedbuck & gazelles.  Birds included great crowned cranes, cattle egrets, weaver birds, marabou storks & hammerkops.   Returned to our Migori guesthouse tired, dusty, hungry but happy!  Now today it’s back to seeing patients in the two hospitals here-Kate will spend the day with 3 students at the mission hospital next door, while I accompany another team of 3 and an American doc to the district hospital about a 10” walk away.

Jena longo ni James

That's how I started off my introduction to the community health workers & teachers at our meeting with them yesterday in the village of Bware. I'd learned the phrase in our Kiswahili class during orientation.  It means "My name is James." I continued saying "Meme ni nesi & Mena toka Vancouver, WA" or I am a nurse, I am from Vancouer, WA. My intro brought please smiles, laughter, and applause from the local group. Our team received a very warm welcome from each of the 15-20 community members attending.  After touring the clinic bldg & the separate maternity dispensary (built with funds raised by the community & Ray of Hope), we were formally welcomed.  A brainstorming session followed & we decided the specific health screening & health education topics our team would provide to both the 3000 students in the 6 primary schools in the area as well as the health education topics community health workers group wants. After the meeting broke up, Kate & I met our Bware homestay host, Benson.  We'll go there on Weds 10/3 to begin our 4 week stay while the PA students & other members of our team stay in Migori. Today we have a free day so 7 of us will go by taxi to Homa Bay, Kenya, a town about 1 1/2 hrs away on the shores of Lake Victoria.  We'll have breakfast there at a guesthhouse, explore the town, and hopefully take a ferry ride on the lake.  Will share that experience in my next post.

Orientation: 2 days down, 1 to go

Haven’t been able to post to my blog since leaving Nairobi because I was having trouble with the Internet modem I purchased there.  But worked with an IT person at the hosptital today & hopefully the problem is fixed & I’ll be able to post this report:

Today completed 2 days orientation to St Joseph Mission Hospital, Migori, Kenya.  This AM joined 3 students & Dr. John, their American clinical preceptor, for morning rounds with the staff pediatrician.  Saw 14 children (age range 6 mos-teen).  ~50% had malaria, some with another Dx such as sickle cell anemia, carditis, or other compications.  Others kids had typhoid enteritis, upper lobe pneumonia, parotitis, abdominal injuries dt falling out of a tree, & an 11 mos old with burns on both arms due to boiling water that fell onto a table as child walked underneath (2 of the kids were so precious, I just wanted to pick them up & hold them)!  Other orientation lessons inc Kiswahili lessons, the Top 10 Tropical Diseases, Kenyan medical abbreviations, & road safety. Tomorrow we’ll all go by van or taxis to the nearby village of Bware.  We’ll meet the members of two local groups (BUCHWA & BBEKAS) and learn what projects they’d like us to assist them with during the next 4 weeks. Weather has been very warm & humid with thunderstorms this afternoon & last night, neither lasting very long. Food is tasty & filling: today’s lunch was spagetti with toppings of chicken cubes &/or lentils & cabbage-type salad. Yesteray after class, Kate & I walked down our unpaved road to the main road, then about 200 yards, across a pedestrian bridge spanning the local river, to a supermarket where we purchased extra bottled water, cookies, chocolate, and laundry detergent.  We’re using our REI purchased Steri-Pen to sterilize tap water a couple times a day& think it’s almost magic the way it works.   

Greetings from Kenya!

As sounds of night birds are heard through the window of our cottage at Musmark Guesthouse in Nairobi, wanted to write a short post to let all know we arrived safely last night at 11:15 PM local time.  Our flight was delayed 3 hrs at Amsterdam airport, so we arrived much later than planned. Stood in a long que once we landed, waiting to clear customs. After that, picking up our checked bags & going through customs was easy. Mr. Barasa, Ray of Hope's Kenya coordinator, met us with warm hugs & handshakes & welcomed us to Kenya. He & a friend ferried the 9 of us to this comfortable guesthouse located in a nice area of Nairobi.  Slept soundly shielded by mosquito netting draped over our bed from ceiling. Today, Reuben, one of the ROH teachers from the school here shepherded us through the process of exchanging money, purchasing cell phone, sim cards, minutes and wireless computer modems.  Then we had a delicious lunch seated at outdoor tables at a restaurant in town. Afterwards visited an open-air market to purchase crafts. That was an INTENSE experience for all of us as we felt much, much pressure from the touts to buy and pay way more than we felt comfortable doing. Got caught in a rain shower, but then took taxis back to the guesthouse.  Since it was rush hours, traffic was bumper to bumper. Glad to finally get back, get

We made it...to Amsterdam

Made it to Amsterdam, first leg of our journey completed.  Was a long flight-10 hours-but the free, in-flight movies helped pass the time.  Only 2 seats in our row, so easy to get up & stretch wo disturbing others. Couldn't check our 3 duffel bags w medical supplies all way through to Nairobi, so had to claim them, go through customs (a breeze), find an XL locker (a bit of a challenge), then store them until tomorrow AM when we'll pick them up for our next flight to Nairobi.  Didn't actually go in to Amsterdam but to nearby Haarlem, an easy 40" bus ride.  This is a old, beautiful town of canals, brick & cobble stone lined streets, a gorgeous Gothic cathedral, and a historic WINDMILL! Staying at B&B where we have an entire apt to ourselves!  Now, off to find dinner in town.

Ready to fly to Amsterdam

Sitting at PDX waiting for our Delta direct flight to Amsterdam. Had to rent a luggage cart to get all our bags to the counter, then kept it until almost through the security screening line. Unfortunately, were told we CAN NOT check the 3 large duffels through to Nairobi because we're stopping for more than 12 hrs in Amsterdam.  So that means we need to claim them when we get there, take them through Dutch customs, then try to find luggage lockers to store them at airport until we're ready to leave on Monday.  Oh well, bound to be some hassles on this adventure.

Whew...packing done!

Took last 2 days off to take care of many last minute details: call airline-make sure we each are allowed to check 2 bags for free (Yes) & if we can check those bags through to Nairobi so we don't have to deal with them in Amsterdam (MAYBE-need to ask at PDX tomorrow), register our trip details with US Embassy-Nairobi, create itinerary & ER contact list for key family members, get cash from bank, get absentee election ballots-figure out confusing ballot measures, move bicycle to basement, wash car-cut grass-pickup downed apples, do & fold laundry, see chiropractor, email Nairobi acquaintance re dates we're there, collect spare pair of glasses for Ray of Hope volunteer already in Kenya...and of course, PACK!  Kate & I each have a Rick Stevens carry-on plus a day-pack. Also have a duffel bag with medical supplies, gifts & personal stuff that wouldn't fit in our carry-ons.  Also have 2 Ray of Hope duffel bags we packed last week. My brother agreed to take us to the airport in the morning so that helps a lot.  Expect my next post may be from the airport or Amsterdam on Sunday after we arrive.

Ray of Hope Packing Party!!

Kate & Pamela sorting supplies prior to packing

Filza, Therese, & Tristan sorting supplies

Filza & Therese wrapping surgical equipment

Kate packing towels around the surgical equipment in the middle of the bags.

Touring the garden after lunch

The packing crew takes nourishment

The Ray of Hope packing party today was a big success!  Seven volunteers showed up at Teresa's house to fill 9 duffel bags with medical equipment, baby clothes & blankets, school supplies & tooth brushes.  When we were done, we weighed the bags & figure we're transporting over 400 lbs of supplies to Kenya.  Wow.  It was nice for Kate & me to meet a couple of the volunteers we're going to Kenya with-Filza, a OHSU medical resident, & Tristan, one the physician asst students from Pacific Univ in Forrest Grove. We took a break in the middle of the packing event to enjoy lunch on the back deck of Teresa's house & tour her bountiful garden!  Finally, a big thank you to Jamie, an AmeriCorps volunteer, who came to her first ROH event and helped out sorting supplies for a couple hours.  Now...next stop....KENYA!!

Half-way there!

Kate counts layettes & discovers we're 1/2 way there! We now have 50 sets of 2 one-sies, 1 cap, 1 bulb syringe & 1 blanket per newborn thanks to donations from many supporters.  If we can collect more one-sies & caps before Sat 9/15 when we pack everything up, we can make more sets.  We'd still like to take 100 layettes with us to give to new Moms who deliver at the Maternity Dispensary in Bware, Kenya.

Where is Bware, Kenya anyway?

Wanted to share a Google Map link to Bware, Nyaza District, Kenya where we'll be based, showing the Maternity Dispensary.  To the south (about 15-20 minutes drive) is Migori, where the 6 PA we'll be preceptors for will live while they do their clinical rotations at Migori District Hospital and St. Joseph Umbo Hospital:
http://goo.gl/maps/6eN91

Update on Layette Project for Bware Maternity Dispensary

Today Kate received a gift of 100 bulb suctions from a local Bunco group that wanted to help our effort.  During the past week, a number of my co-workers have donated one-sies and caps & tonight I came home to find another donation from my brother & sister-in-law, more one-sies, caps, and pencils for the schools we'll be working with. This is all very exciting.  I'm counting the days...16 more days until we leave for Kenya Sept 22.  Wow!