News from Kit: August 4, Week 3

Hey all,

I am just writing in with an update from my third week in Kenya. Thus far, life in the east is going really well. I attended another HIV/AIDS campaign this past weekend in which I participated in a 10k race. It was my goal to not get lapped three times, and it is safe to say that I did not meet that goal, in fact I wasn't even close. I believe that I was lapped around seven times. I did however finish the race (I would have rather died than quit), and while at the beginning of the race I heard my fair share of mzungu (white) comments, the end of the race held many encouraging comments from the crowd such as: "Do not surrender!" and "Don't worry, the Kalinjin are the world's best runners." Upon finishing the race, I felt as if I had been set on fire, and then promptly extinguished with a pitchfork. All in all, the race was a success and I will always remember the day I ran against some of the fastest runners in the world.

On a more serious note, my work at the clinic has been going quite well. Last Wednesday, some of the ELI health staff and I hosted a mobile antenatal and Maternal and Child Health clinic in a village a small distance away from our Chebaiywa clinic. I think that my favorite part of the day was when I administered an intradermal injection to a screaming six month old baby during a heavy rainstorm in which all of the mothers and their children packed into our small work station in order to seek refuge from the downpour. I guess you never know quite what to expect when working in the field, though you are however guaranteed that it will not be boring.

Perhaps one of the issues that has laid heavy upon my heart has been a patient that I had the privilege of meeting a couple days ago. She is a single mother who is only able to walk with the assistance of a cane. Her eldest son is mentally handicapped, and has frequent outbursts of rage. During his last outburst, he jumped upon his mother (who was unable to escape due to her walking condition) and stabbed her seven times with a stick, which consequently was the reason for her visit to our clinic. Fortunately, she will recover from her wounds, but in a town with an obsolete mental health system, this mother is left to live in fear of her first-born son. I am currently working with the ELI staff in order to determine the best method in which we will be able to assist this mother, which to me, further underlines the importance of the developmental work that ELI is conducting in Kenya. The value of having a local Kenyan staff who care about the condition of their community and are willing to invest themselves for the benefit of those who are suffering around them cannot be expressed in monetary terms.

It is now time for me to depart as my time slot for Internet availability is nearing a close. Thank you again to all who have continued to pray for me during my time in Kenya; your prayers are much appreciated.
-Kit