Saturday: I would like to reset the scene for you. I showed up to the event (cancer awareness day) It was being held at a local primary school. I marched over to sign up for the 3000 meter race. At the time I signed up there was only one other lady signed up. She came over to greet me as I was at the table. Go figure she is like a real kenyan runner! I come to find out that she just got back from running a half marathon in China...... I think to myself ...."great.......... hopefully more people sign up so it is not just me and her, that's not much of a race..." After the men finished their half marathon (in an hour!) We got ready for our race. By this time a few other women had signed up. They were all around may age or a bit older, but all of them were mamas. I thought "I actually might have a chance here" We lined up, and the race began. These women took off in a full sprint! ...... Now for those of you who run long distances, we usually try to keep one pace throughout, meaning we don't sprint at the beginning. Well I was so overwhelmed, I took off at a much faster pace than I am used to, and still managed to fall behind very quickly. The race was 7 times around the field, which by the way, was uneven and un-mowed. I did my best to pick up my pace, but I'm also racing at an altitude of about 5000ft. I finally started to gain up on a mama, and passed her. I finished the race second to last..... and the mama I beat was running barefoot and in a skirt......... a little embarrassing, but everyone was very supportive! and now I can officially say I raced with the kenyans :)
The races were not the only thing going on that day. There was soccer and volleyball games, as well as free cervical cancer screenings. While all the women were waiting for their turn to get screened, I took that opportunity to teach about breast cancer, and I taught them how to do a self breast exam. So I say all and all it was a very good day. I was exhausted afterwards, and was in bed by 7:30!
(Friday) I was working with the Living room. the outreach group that I normally work with, was very busy preparing for tomorrows cancer awareness outreach day, so I felt more in the way than helpful. We did take the HIV positive patients, to the AMPATH clinic in Turbo, so that kept us busy until lunch. After lunch (and more sitting around doing nothing) I headed home. No better way to end the day than snuggling with Kibaibai, sipping an adult beverage, and watching Grease! Just a way to relax before tomorrows cancer awareness day. I'm going to run the 3000 meter race (against kenyan women) and then give a talk about breast cancer. Susan told me today that they are expecting over 500 attendants, well here's hoping I don't trip while I'm running, or mess up my talk!
Thursday, after a brief house cleaning episode, I went over to visit my neighbors. It had been over a month since I had visited! I can't believe how much the kids have grown! We settled right into our normal routine, as though I had just seen them the day before. The reheated some lunch for me (even though I had already ate, they always insist) Then I hung around, helped bath the babies and caught up on our lives. I really miss them when I don't see them. I am so lucky to have families that make me feel like part of their family. It makes being here alone, much easier. I'm planning to go visit again next week, hopefully I will have time to teach them how to bake!
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Monday, October 8, 2012
Pup tent
This weekend Kibaibai got a lot of mommy time. I worked everyday this past week, so Saturday and Sunday I spent at home getting stuff done.
I finished my Halloween costume, cleaned the house, got a couple long runs in, and finished kibaibai's dog tent!
Since I have a couple of vacations planned in the upcoming months..... the main one of course GOING HOME! I had to figure out what to do with Kibaibai, since everytime I leave hime to be watched by my farm boy, I come home to find something more from my house missing! It is starting to really bug me, so Lindsay and I decided to build Kibaibai a dog house! I found some great ideas on the internet, about how to build with recycled plastic bottles, and since there is not really any type of recycling done here, I thought GREAT! Well.........Lindsay and I hiked to turbo, bought the supplies and hiked back (and got our work out in for the day).
We also found a lady selling Strawberries!!!! I had not had a strawberry in a year! By the time we got to my place they were more like strawberry puree, but we still ate them..... well I was eating them until Lindsay found a worm in one! Yep thats life here.... we ended up making make shift strawberry daquiris.
Anyways back to my story, Lindsay built the frame, while I worked on the plastic bottles,..... well go figure I didn't have enough bottles! The idea I got was to cut the bottoms off and stack them, then line them up to make a wall.... well I only had enough to make to rows! So that's when I decided on the doggy tent.
Wednesday:
Yesterday and today I did home visits with my new co workers, Scott and Susan. They work for the Living Room, which is the organization I am now also working with. The home visits are where we go and visit the HIV positive clients, and check on how they are doing, if they are going to their appointments, taking their medications and what not. The first place we stopped today, the women is a mother of 3, she is HIV positive, and mentally ill. Here they don't have specific diagnosis's for the mentally ill, here they are just called "crazy". The women was not around, she had left her three children, all under the age of 5, to fend for themselves. Their neighbor has a kind soul, and makes sure the children get some food. However she herself barely has enough to support her family. I was told the mama who left her children, goes and finds small jobs to do, then uses the money to buy food for herself and doesn't feed the children. The youngest girl, was a client of the living room for a few months because of malnourishment, but has since been discharged due to her recovery. The mother is a client of AMPATH, which is where she gets her check ups and ARV's at no charge. Also when you become a member of AMPATH, you get 6 months of food supplies for you and your family, and guidance on starting your own garden. As you have probably guessed, the mother never started her own garden.
When visiting homes like these, we are not there to bring food/money to everyone who needs it, unfortunately there is no funding for that. We take note of what is going on, and unless there is someone who desperately needs medical attention, there is not much we are able to do. I give as much information as I can about nutrition, water, health, anything I know, but it's still hard when that's all I can do...........
As heartbreaking as these home visits are, I really like my work so far with the living room, and I really like the people I work with. They have no problem walking everywhere (which is a blessing!) Alot of Kenyans would rather take a motor bike than to walk a couple kilometers.
I finished my Halloween costume, cleaned the house, got a couple long runs in, and finished kibaibai's dog tent!
Since I have a couple of vacations planned in the upcoming months..... the main one of course GOING HOME! I had to figure out what to do with Kibaibai, since everytime I leave hime to be watched by my farm boy, I come home to find something more from my house missing! It is starting to really bug me, so Lindsay and I decided to build Kibaibai a dog house! I found some great ideas on the internet, about how to build with recycled plastic bottles, and since there is not really any type of recycling done here, I thought GREAT! Well.........Lindsay and I hiked to turbo, bought the supplies and hiked back (and got our work out in for the day).
We also found a lady selling Strawberries!!!! I had not had a strawberry in a year! By the time we got to my place they were more like strawberry puree, but we still ate them..... well I was eating them until Lindsay found a worm in one! Yep thats life here.... we ended up making make shift strawberry daquiris.
Anyways back to my story, Lindsay built the frame, while I worked on the plastic bottles,..... well go figure I didn't have enough bottles! The idea I got was to cut the bottoms off and stack them, then line them up to make a wall.... well I only had enough to make to rows! So that's when I decided on the doggy tent.
Wednesday:
Yesterday and today I did home visits with my new co workers, Scott and Susan. They work for the Living Room, which is the organization I am now also working with. The home visits are where we go and visit the HIV positive clients, and check on how they are doing, if they are going to their appointments, taking their medications and what not. The first place we stopped today, the women is a mother of 3, she is HIV positive, and mentally ill. Here they don't have specific diagnosis's for the mentally ill, here they are just called "crazy". The women was not around, she had left her three children, all under the age of 5, to fend for themselves. Their neighbor has a kind soul, and makes sure the children get some food. However she herself barely has enough to support her family. I was told the mama who left her children, goes and finds small jobs to do, then uses the money to buy food for herself and doesn't feed the children. The youngest girl, was a client of the living room for a few months because of malnourishment, but has since been discharged due to her recovery. The mother is a client of AMPATH, which is where she gets her check ups and ARV's at no charge. Also when you become a member of AMPATH, you get 6 months of food supplies for you and your family, and guidance on starting your own garden. As you have probably guessed, the mother never started her own garden.
When visiting homes like these, we are not there to bring food/money to everyone who needs it, unfortunately there is no funding for that. We take note of what is going on, and unless there is someone who desperately needs medical attention, there is not much we are able to do. I give as much information as I can about nutrition, water, health, anything I know, but it's still hard when that's all I can do...........
As heartbreaking as these home visits are, I really like my work so far with the living room, and I really like the people I work with. They have no problem walking everywhere (which is a blessing!) Alot of Kenyans would rather take a motor bike than to walk a couple kilometers.
Monday, October 1, 2012
last week
Today 1/10/11
Last night I heard kibaibai growling in the kitchen, and my gate out back was rattling. I ignored it at first, then I remembered....... Kibaibai's bone that I just bought him 2 days ago, was outside! Sure enough when I went out back to check, it was gone! I knew exactly who took it, those thief puppies! Simba and Chewy! hahahhahahah These puppies are being trained to become security dogs for our compound. They are still small enough to fit through the hole in my gate, that's how I knew it was them! So I grabbed my flashlight and went out in search of the stolen bone.
Now I know it seems a little silly to get so protective over a dog bone, but I buy Kibaibai a HUGE bone to chew when I am going away for a night. I don't go away that often, but he usually gets 1 or 2 a month, and at 100 shillings a pop, I've become a little protective.
So I went out to the farm, the puppies heard me coming and started jumping and wanting to play, they knew they had been caught. But I didn't see the bone. All of the compound workers were sitting around a fire out back. I told them I was looking for Kibaibai's bone that the puppies had stolen. They couldn't even talk because they were laughing so hard! I'm sure they were thinking, "this crazy white girl, she already lets the dog sleep with her, now she's out in the middle of the night looking for the dog's stupid bone!" Well through their laughter I told them to help me look. One of the guys found it back in the barn where the pups like to play. Happy that it was found, I thanked them and bid them good night. When I got back to the house, kibaibai was overly joyed that I had retrieved his precious bone. It was then that I noticed, I was covered with mud! The puppies had been jumping all over me and I guess they were muddy the whole time.
I washed up after calling mom and dad and telling them the story, then I called it a night.
Just another night in Africa.
Thursday 27/9/12
Finally got a chance to go out and work in my garden. It looked like I hadn't been out there in months rather than just a few weeks. My green peppers are blooming! However everything else is dead or dying. My lettuce is not dying, its actually flowering, which I did not know it could do. Lindsay says I should let the seeds fall and it will grow with out replanting it, so that's what I am going to do. I really love having a garden, I can see why people in the States garden, it's kind of a good way to relieve stress. The problem here, is that no one will let me do anything by myself. I tell them they don't need to help, and that I want to do it alone, but they just don't get it. I know they are trying to be nice, and think I don't know what I am doing, but sometimes I just need that alone time! Anyways after cleaning my house, doing laundry, and working in the garden, I am EXHAUSTED!
visited some new neighbors after lunch. Well they are not "new" but new to me, since I just met them. Now I'm ready to rest up and get ready for the weekend. Breezie and Lindsay are coming tomorrow, then Saturday were going to Eldoret. I have to teach a JOYWO class, but afterwards were going dancing. We all need to relieve some stress, and what better to do so, then going out in Eldoret!
Tuesday 25/9/12
Today was my first day working with the living room. I mentioned before that it's a nursing/rehab/hospice center. I'm working with the outreach program. Today we did home visits to the HIV positive clients. I'm pretty much doing what I do with JOYWO except it's a little more personal. I taught the people we visited to day, about the importance of treating their water before drinking it. We were very out in the rural! and walked the whole way, which was really nice. I met 2 babies, and neither of them cried or feared me when I held them . I already this new work! Tomorrow I am going to a widows group to teach. Then I won't go back until next tuesday.
I want to leave you with a little bit of humor, since my pictures won't load.... TIA...
check out this site! http://whatshouldafricacallme.tumblr.com
Last night I heard kibaibai growling in the kitchen, and my gate out back was rattling. I ignored it at first, then I remembered....... Kibaibai's bone that I just bought him 2 days ago, was outside! Sure enough when I went out back to check, it was gone! I knew exactly who took it, those thief puppies! Simba and Chewy! hahahhahahah These puppies are being trained to become security dogs for our compound. They are still small enough to fit through the hole in my gate, that's how I knew it was them! So I grabbed my flashlight and went out in search of the stolen bone.
Now I know it seems a little silly to get so protective over a dog bone, but I buy Kibaibai a HUGE bone to chew when I am going away for a night. I don't go away that often, but he usually gets 1 or 2 a month, and at 100 shillings a pop, I've become a little protective.
So I went out to the farm, the puppies heard me coming and started jumping and wanting to play, they knew they had been caught. But I didn't see the bone. All of the compound workers were sitting around a fire out back. I told them I was looking for Kibaibai's bone that the puppies had stolen. They couldn't even talk because they were laughing so hard! I'm sure they were thinking, "this crazy white girl, she already lets the dog sleep with her, now she's out in the middle of the night looking for the dog's stupid bone!" Well through their laughter I told them to help me look. One of the guys found it back in the barn where the pups like to play. Happy that it was found, I thanked them and bid them good night. When I got back to the house, kibaibai was overly joyed that I had retrieved his precious bone. It was then that I noticed, I was covered with mud! The puppies had been jumping all over me and I guess they were muddy the whole time.
I washed up after calling mom and dad and telling them the story, then I called it a night.
Just another night in Africa.
Thursday 27/9/12
Finally got a chance to go out and work in my garden. It looked like I hadn't been out there in months rather than just a few weeks. My green peppers are blooming! However everything else is dead or dying. My lettuce is not dying, its actually flowering, which I did not know it could do. Lindsay says I should let the seeds fall and it will grow with out replanting it, so that's what I am going to do. I really love having a garden, I can see why people in the States garden, it's kind of a good way to relieve stress. The problem here, is that no one will let me do anything by myself. I tell them they don't need to help, and that I want to do it alone, but they just don't get it. I know they are trying to be nice, and think I don't know what I am doing, but sometimes I just need that alone time! Anyways after cleaning my house, doing laundry, and working in the garden, I am EXHAUSTED!
visited some new neighbors after lunch. Well they are not "new" but new to me, since I just met them. Now I'm ready to rest up and get ready for the weekend. Breezie and Lindsay are coming tomorrow, then Saturday were going to Eldoret. I have to teach a JOYWO class, but afterwards were going dancing. We all need to relieve some stress, and what better to do so, then going out in Eldoret!
Tuesday 25/9/12
Today was my first day working with the living room. I mentioned before that it's a nursing/rehab/hospice center. I'm working with the outreach program. Today we did home visits to the HIV positive clients. I'm pretty much doing what I do with JOYWO except it's a little more personal. I taught the people we visited to day, about the importance of treating their water before drinking it. We were very out in the rural! and walked the whole way, which was really nice. I met 2 babies, and neither of them cried or feared me when I held them . I already this new work! Tomorrow I am going to a widows group to teach. Then I won't go back until next tuesday.
I want to leave you with a little bit of humor, since my pictures won't load.... TIA...
check out this site! http://whatshouldafricacallme.tumblr.com
Monday, September 24, 2012
I had an awesome weekend! I went to Kakamega to visit my friend Lindsay, and we had a much need girls wine night. On Saturday we met up with a couple other volunteers for a perfect pool day. Then Linds came back to my place. On Sunday morning (and I mean bright and early) we headed to Mt. Elgon. I am currently working on a proposal with my Kenyan friend Remmy, to get funding to build a childrens home out in Mt. Elgon. There are no childrens homes in that area, and there are a lot of orphans. So on Sunday we went out to visit the children and get to know their stories. It is always hard to see children that are sturggeling and not be able to do anything about it. Most of the kids live with their grandmothers and other relatives. However these guardians have little to no work, so even though the children have a roof over their head, it doesn't mean they are getting fed. The public primary schools here in Kenya have free admission. But you much buy your own uniform and they do not provide lunch for the children. So even though these orphans have family and house, they are only getting one meal or less a day. And that one meal is usually chai, or ugali. So we are really hoping that we get some funding and are able to start constructing soon.
Now I am at the office. I am teaching on Saturday to all of the JOYWO mobilizers. These are the women who are in charge of all of the groups in their areas. Since I am not getting another counterpart, I thought it would be easiest to teach the mobilizers, then they can teach the womens groups.
Tomorrow and Wednesday I am starting my new volunteering job with the Living Room. It is a rehabilitation nursing home and hospice. I am going to being working with the community outreach part of the program. Im excited to finally have something to do!
So my week is pretty full. I'm hoping to have time on Thursday to work in my garden, it needs it pretty bad. I'm pretty sure the farm workers on my compound probably are talking some smack about what a bad farmer I am. This would be because my garden looks more like a jungle, with a few green peppers popping out! hahahaha
Until next time......
Now I am at the office. I am teaching on Saturday to all of the JOYWO mobilizers. These are the women who are in charge of all of the groups in their areas. Since I am not getting another counterpart, I thought it would be easiest to teach the mobilizers, then they can teach the womens groups.
Tomorrow and Wednesday I am starting my new volunteering job with the Living Room. It is a rehabilitation nursing home and hospice. I am going to being working with the community outreach part of the program. Im excited to finally have something to do!
So my week is pretty full. I'm hoping to have time on Thursday to work in my garden, it needs it pretty bad. I'm pretty sure the farm workers on my compound probably are talking some smack about what a bad farmer I am. This would be because my garden looks more like a jungle, with a few green peppers popping out! hahahaha
Until next time......
Monday, September 17, 2012
If I never get on another matatu again, it would be to soon! Well unfortunately this is my only mode of transportation, so I guess I will have to. I have just been having some bad luck with them lately. twice last week my matatu's engine overheated and we all had to get out and wait for it to cool, as they poor water over it. "Why not use engine coolant?" you ask. I ask myself the same thing every day! Im thinking about starting to carry some with me and sell it to the drivers whenever this happens. ( which is more often than not in this country).
On another happier note. I just got back on Thursday from my language training. A few of my friends and I (Andrea, Jojo and Cassidy) Decided we all wanted to learn more of our local language, which is Kalenjin. We went to Andrea's site, which is very rural, and did our classes at the local dispensary. I am really impressed how much we learned in just a short 3 days of class! My community is soooooo impressed with me now, (as if they weren't before :). We got to celebrate Cassidy's birthday while we were all together. She had just came back from America, so she brought a box cake mix and a can of icing. I had forgotten how yummy cake in America is. It was so delicious, we made ourselves sick from eating the whole thing! We only shared 1 piece!
Now I am back at my site for the duration. Well at least until Halloween ;) On Wednesday I am going to Kipkaren (a near by town) and starting to volunteer with the social workers at the rehab center that a women from America started. I am so excited to have something more to do!
Well, that's all I have to say for now. But I want to leave you with a few picutres:
On another happier note. I just got back on Thursday from my language training. A few of my friends and I (Andrea, Jojo and Cassidy) Decided we all wanted to learn more of our local language, which is Kalenjin. We went to Andrea's site, which is very rural, and did our classes at the local dispensary. I am really impressed how much we learned in just a short 3 days of class! My community is soooooo impressed with me now, (as if they weren't before :). We got to celebrate Cassidy's birthday while we were all together. She had just came back from America, so she brought a box cake mix and a can of icing. I had forgotten how yummy cake in America is. It was so delicious, we made ourselves sick from eating the whole thing! We only shared 1 piece!
Now I am back at my site for the duration. Well at least until Halloween ;) On Wednesday I am going to Kipkaren (a near by town) and starting to volunteer with the social workers at the rehab center that a women from America started. I am so excited to have something more to do!
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| Me, Andrea, Breezie, and yep that's a hippo right behind us! We lucked out at Kiboko Bay pool and saw a hippo and her baby come up to shore to eat |
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| And you all know this guy. Kibaibai and I realxing, he loves his stuffed animals |
Sunday, September 2, 2012
WOW ! Im finally back to site, without visitors, so I will finally update you on the past few weeks. Starting with 3 weeks ago, I had a student from Seattle stay with me for a few days. Natalie, she had been volunteering with another volunteer in Rongo, and decided she wanted to see Eldoret. We had a great time. We also visited a clinic that is big on fistula repairs. Google it if you don't know what a fistula is, it's a little too graphic for me to write about here.
After her visit, I headed to Bomet, to visit 2 volunteers, Cassidy and Johanna. I stayed with them for 2 days, then we all headed to Nairobi. Cassidy was flying home, and Johanna and I had our mid service medical exam. Well wouldn't you know, but peace corps messed up the dates and told us to be in Nairobi on Sunday, when Monday was a holiday. Go figure, so our medical exam couldn't start until Tuesday, which means we had to stay until Friday! So I spent a (very expensive) week in Nairobi. No wonder peace corps calls in Nai-robbery. It's such a culture shock, compared to being in the village. I spend on one meal in Nairobi what I would spend in an entire week at my site. But I will not lie to you and tell you that I hated it. It was really nice to get out of the village, and get to see my friends. And best of all TB free! hahah that's pretty much all they were worried about at the medical exam.
After Nairobi, we headed to Kisumu. I got to spend my birthday laying by the pool, and going out dancing. It was, to say the least, an AWESOME birthday! Made possible by my great group of friends!
We all enjoyed our night out in Kisumu before going up to a Pastorial Center (aka, convent) to spend the week in a PEPFAR HIV/AIDS training.
We have had PEPFAR trainings before, and am usually unimpressed by the content of the training. Each volunteer brings 2 counter parts (or co workers) with them from their community. I really feel this is a great learning experience for the counter parts. But for us as volunteers, its mostly a refresher course. But again, it's a great excuse to get away from site, and spend time with some volunteers we never get to see.
The first 2 days of training, I got to learn more of my local language: Kalenjin. We learned so much in 2 days, that we decided to apply for a language immersion. Which will happen next week. I will travel to Andrea's site, along with Cassidy and Johanna (we are all Kalenjin) and we will spend 3 days learning more of the language. Look out resume! here comes language number 3!
The rest of the training, like I said was a lot of what I already know. But it was good to see the counterparts getting involved in the discussions. We also got to get to know the counterparts a lot better. One night andrea and I had dinner in Kisumu, when we cam back, there was music playing. We ran into the hall, and found all the counterparts sitting and watching a couple people dance. Well with that, we ran and started dancing right along with them! After a couple songs, we got some more volunteers in to help, and eventually got everyone out of their seats and dancing! Im sure there are some pretty funny pictures floating around there some where.
I got home on Saturday, completely exhausted, with my voice almost gone. I had a great "vacation" but am really happy to get back home. I think I might have been more happy to see kibaibai then he was to see me. Now I'm ready to buckle down and get some real work done in my community.
After her visit, I headed to Bomet, to visit 2 volunteers, Cassidy and Johanna. I stayed with them for 2 days, then we all headed to Nairobi. Cassidy was flying home, and Johanna and I had our mid service medical exam. Well wouldn't you know, but peace corps messed up the dates and told us to be in Nairobi on Sunday, when Monday was a holiday. Go figure, so our medical exam couldn't start until Tuesday, which means we had to stay until Friday! So I spent a (very expensive) week in Nairobi. No wonder peace corps calls in Nai-robbery. It's such a culture shock, compared to being in the village. I spend on one meal in Nairobi what I would spend in an entire week at my site. But I will not lie to you and tell you that I hated it. It was really nice to get out of the village, and get to see my friends. And best of all TB free! hahah that's pretty much all they were worried about at the medical exam.
After Nairobi, we headed to Kisumu. I got to spend my birthday laying by the pool, and going out dancing. It was, to say the least, an AWESOME birthday! Made possible by my great group of friends!
We all enjoyed our night out in Kisumu before going up to a Pastorial Center (aka, convent) to spend the week in a PEPFAR HIV/AIDS training.
We have had PEPFAR trainings before, and am usually unimpressed by the content of the training. Each volunteer brings 2 counter parts (or co workers) with them from their community. I really feel this is a great learning experience for the counter parts. But for us as volunteers, its mostly a refresher course. But again, it's a great excuse to get away from site, and spend time with some volunteers we never get to see.
The first 2 days of training, I got to learn more of my local language: Kalenjin. We learned so much in 2 days, that we decided to apply for a language immersion. Which will happen next week. I will travel to Andrea's site, along with Cassidy and Johanna (we are all Kalenjin) and we will spend 3 days learning more of the language. Look out resume! here comes language number 3!
The rest of the training, like I said was a lot of what I already know. But it was good to see the counterparts getting involved in the discussions. We also got to get to know the counterparts a lot better. One night andrea and I had dinner in Kisumu, when we cam back, there was music playing. We ran into the hall, and found all the counterparts sitting and watching a couple people dance. Well with that, we ran and started dancing right along with them! After a couple songs, we got some more volunteers in to help, and eventually got everyone out of their seats and dancing! Im sure there are some pretty funny pictures floating around there some where.
I got home on Saturday, completely exhausted, with my voice almost gone. I had a great "vacation" but am really happy to get back home. I think I might have been more happy to see kibaibai then he was to see me. Now I'm ready to buckle down and get some real work done in my community.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Nutrition kwelli?
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| yep, that's me and the 5lbs burger and fry challenge at a bar in BG. For those of you who didn't know I was a part of this, I did not finish in the given amount of time (45 minutes) but i did finish 3.5 lbs! woot! |
So what Kenyans eat is really important to me.
After searching online, I found that main foods include beans, rice, ugali (solidified grits) greens, and potatoes. I pretty much thought, Great! those are pretty healthy foods!
Oh how wrong the internet was.
Upon arrival to Kenya and moving in with my host family I learned the truth about nutrition in Kenya. Ugali is they're focus. Ugali is just flour made from corn, added to boiled water. Its basically grits, just solid not soupy. And usually eaten with sukuma wiki, which is kale, that has been shredded and fried. And I know I've mentioned chapati and potato dishes in other posts. Also pretty much all the "tasty" foods are deep fried.
So needless to say, the foods eaten here are definitely NOT healthy. However the healthy options are available.
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| fresh fruits, veggies and even home made honey available at the local markets |
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| grains and beans available at the local markets |
So now I am going to try to spread the new of nutrition through my village. I want to have a cooking class so I can teach them how to steam not fry, and also how to bake with a jiko oven (similar to a dutch oven) I am also planning to teach all of the JOYWO group leaders, so they will be able to teach their womens' groups.
Now the issue comes to change. My mother is right (again) change is slow, no matter who you are or where you live. I know they will listen to what I am telling them, about the importance of eating healthy balanced meals, but will they change?
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