Adventures on Rusinga Island

Public Health in the Schools

jilljahns — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 11:07:00 GMT

Thursday 6/7

The boys did not return today, which is fine. Today was the first day Meshack and I went to schools to administer the water and sanitation surveys. I spoke with the teacher and Meshack with the students. All in all, I think it went well. We first went to a primary school called Uya. It is one of the main schools, and I am under the impression they partner with Rusinga Island Trust fairly often. When we had completed the surveys at Uya, Elizabeth showed up and the 3 of us walked to a school called Eddie Memorial. Eddie is situated at one of the highest points of the island, in an area I have never been before today. The land around the school is semi-arid because of the location. They are about an hour walk from the lake, and they are really lacking in the area of clean water. They do not even have storage equipment for water at the school. Since they are on this large hill/ Mini Mountain, there is a really big problem with wind. Not just erosion, their school building is missing a substantial piece of roof. This side of the island is one of the most remote, but the teachers really seem to be trying to give the students a good education. For some reason I cannot explain, I fell in love with Eddie and really want to help them out. I can’t fix their roof, but if we planted trees to form a windbreak of sorts perhaps future damage can be avoided. Hopefully we can make that happen. We stayed there around an hour, and then walked back on a longer path. We stopped in a place called Gumba Beach, and Meshack bought us some mandazi, which is sort of like a binget or donut. By the time we returned home I was quite tired. I was supposed to go back to Uya that afternoon for a talk about conflict resolution, stress, and anger management, so Elizabeth said she and I could walk together. So June and I are talking and eating lunch together, and about 1:30 Elizabeth leaves. We were supposed to go together at 2:30, so I thought she would return. She did not. By 2:45 she was still not back, so I decided to go by myself, even though I didn’t know the way. So I start walking and I passed by this girl I met named Irene (she is the one whose living room I danced in yesterday). I told her where I was going, and she said she was going there too and we should walk together. I did not even tell her I needed help getting there. God is so good. Even better, she showed me a shortcut. It isn’t like I could find it again, but the journey only took half the time. So I arrived before Meshack or Elizabeth and just hung out in the teacher’s lounge. I got to spend time with some of those teachers, which was not only fun but very beneficial for me. As it turns out Elizabeth was waiting for me at the center the whole time, so it was nothing more than a miscommunication. Teaching the class went ok, but the kids had a devil of a time understanding my or Elizabeth’s accent. So I felt superfluous. That night Elizabeth joined us for dinner. The four of us had a good time just being free in each other’s company. So basically, another full and tiring and wonderful day!

First day teaching

jilljahns — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 11:01:00 GMT

Wednesday 6/6

Today Mark and Alphonce left for Kisumu to buy some stuff for the community center project Mark is working on. So I was sort of left on my own, but it ended up being really awesome. So I spent essentially my entire day today teaching in the nursery school. There was language with middle class, maths with pre-unit, and creative time with baby class. I thought I would like baby class best because those 3 year olds are just so darn cute, but my favorite was actually pre-unit. Those kids really impressed me. It is not like I am surprised these kids are smart or anything, but I was under the impression nursery school was comparable to kindergarten. When I was in kindergarten, I was not doing multiplication and division. That did not come until like 3^rd grade. They each have their own set of 100 sticks, and use these sticks to solve math problems. Also, the pre-unit kids are so much better-behaved compared to the other 2 classes. The baby class kept staring at me as a mzungu, and middle class, while eager to learn, was just a group of wild children. Although truly I felt most like a teacher in middle class today. I would draw a picture and they would give me the spelling of the word (three letters only). So we all had a grand time making fun of my really sorry excuses for drawings. Eventually I just would call on students to draw the picture for me, which was a good way to get them involved. But yes, pre-unit was my favorite. Then I went home, and on my way I was invited into a neighbor’s home for some dancing. It was fun, and I made some friends this way. This evening I spent time with June, and then Eve came over to have ladies night with us. I have heard so many stories, and shared so much about the USA. Truly, I had a wonderful time hanging out with these terrific ladies.

Luckiest Day Ever

jilljahns — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 10:56:00 GMT

Tuesday 6/5

So yesterday's entry was done in the morning, and since then SO MUCH has happened!! First we must go back to Monday. Monday I met with the nurse, Magdalene, to try and find a place for me in the clinic. Unfortunately, they really don’t need much help, which is kind of disappointing but oh well. I’ll be helping with their after school reproductive health program after school twice a month, and I also have a project of my very own. In short, my project is water. In our meeting with Magdalene Alphonce asked if there was a public health area I could work on, and she said they were having a big problem with the children not using clean water in the schools, even though it is available. So that is my project: working to change this. We created a survey about the water and sanitation practices at school, and planned on asking a focus group of 12 students and (separately) one teacher at four of the local schools.

So Tuesday morning I was having breakfast with Alphonce and Mark as usual, when a gecko fell from the ceiling directly into my tea! Like right into the cup of hot tea. Don’t worry, he jumped right out and scurried off completely safe, but it was a real surprise. I found it hilarious, and bizarre, and Alphonce told me it was good luck. Well boy was he right. This afternoon I was in the office, writing e-mails about the sponsorship program, when a mzungu came in. First of all, I was shocked to see another white person. I know this is funny because 1) I myself am white, and 2) I’m not the only white person on the island, but it was surprising nonetheless. His name is Martin, and he is a teacher from the North of England. He and a group of 10 other teachers from his area did a sort of exchange program with teachers from Kenya. So they were visiting one of the schools on the island, and brought with them these water pumps. There were 10 small (to serve 20 people/day) and one large (to serve 500 people/day). Considering yesterday we were brainstorming methods of getting clean water readily available in the schools, the timing is nothing but providential. So this evening Magdalene, Mark, Alphonce and I went to where this group of teachers was staying for a demonstration of the pumps. The smaller one, or family size pump, looks just like an air pump. The larger one, or community size, is a bit more complicated, but is still essentially a hand pump. Truly, they sound too good to be true. They are supposed to clean the water using a system of microfibers; they last for decades, and require minimal upkeep. They can even clean water that is visibly dirty and make it perfectly safe for even non-natives to drink. It all sounds too perfect really. This group wants to get one community sized pump in every school, and then students could take the cleaned water home to their families and the clean water would be available to the community for use. It looks like the biggest obstacle, and it is a HUGE obstacle, would be getting people here to accept and actually use these pumps. Martin and another teacher named Charles want to get a community size pump for each of the schools on the island, and plan on asking businesses in their area to donate money and sponsor these pumps (which cost only about $300 for the community size and $30 for family size). Exciting stuff, and these pumps truly sound like a great asset to the community, but the pumps alone are not the answer. There also needs to be habitual changes in how water is drawn, as well as hand washing practices. These are the types of things we need to consider as we move forward with the water and sanitation project. One of the Primary schools on the island has actually had one of these pumps for the past 9 months or so, and I am eager to hear about their experience with it. Also adding that to my to do list. When we left the teachers the 4 of us went to eat at a place called Rusinga Guest House. I really enjoyed having the time to get to better know Magdalene, and it is especially good to better understand what she expects from me. She is just a wonderful person and I really look forward to getting to spending time with her.

First Weekend!

jilljahns — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 10:51:00 GMT

Monday 6/4

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad! These past few days have been quite busy for days off. On Saturday Mark and I went with Adam to Mbita, which is the closest town to us. We took a piki piki (or motorbike), which was an experience. From the outside it appears much more dangerous than it feels if you ride. You just have to balance (and I know some of you want to make a joke about my lack of balance now that I said that). We had lunch and walked around a bit, just trying to get more acquainted with the area. As mzungu we got plenty of stares and waves, but that is just to be expected. We got home in the early evening, and had a great time at dinner talking with Eve. She is a wonderful and very smart person who has come to the island to help out with the computer program. After enjoying her company the lovely June came in with her son, Alex. Alex is a very bright and very active five year old. He spoke to me a length in Luo, and although I could not understand him we had fun playing. He is also pretty good at speaking English, when he wants to.

On Sunday Alphonce had some people coming to the house to repair a wall in the master bedroom. They were there pretty much all day, and now the house and all its contents are covered in a layer of dust. Geesh. Around 10:15 that morning mark and I went with a guy named Peter and a guy named Oliver to the local Lutheran church. It was quite small, with about 10 people outside our group in attendance, but everyone was so very kind. The pastor even had Oliver come up and translate the message into English for us. After church we went to Alphonce’s other house for the day and night. He has three kids: Bianca, Emily, and the brand new Maxwell (born May 29). They are fun, but quite a handful. Particularly Emily. Also at the house was Alphonce’s niece and nephew, Lette and Lenox (twins). They too were lots of fun, and incredibly bright. At dusk Mark, Alphonce, and I went in search of a hippo, but had no luck finding one. However, we have made plans to look for one every evening until we find one. We have been told they are quite rampant, so we shall see.

Random Elaboration about the Island

jilljahns — Thu, 9 Aug 2012 02:35:00 GMT

Saturday 6/2

Last night I experienced my first rainstorm, which scared me to death. The roof is made of tin, so even a drizzle is deafening. I woke in the middle of the night and thought the roof was going to crash on me. I could have sworn it was hailing but no, just a regular rainstorm. My childhood dreams of having a tin roof are absolutely unfounded and silly.

The birds here chirp incessantly, expect most of the night. They begin at dawn, so the birds have been waking me up with the sun each morning. Some may consider this annoying, but I find it magical. The birds here are the only native African animals I have seen. All the animals around here are mostly livestock plus cats and dogs, and I find it amusing how they just roam freely. Most of the cows and goats have ropes around their necks, but they aren’t attached to anything. There are a ton of dogs here, but they are seen more as animals for protection of humans and crops than part of the family.

Nairobi and Kisumu are not much different from US cities, especially Nairobi. Perhaps a little more run down by US standards, but not much else is different. I will say one thing though: traffic is insane. Cars weaving in and out of each other, so many motorbikes almost hitting cars and people, it is just madness. I could never drive under these conditions.

And lastly, I forgot to mention earlier but on the day we arrived a young man died. Thankfully Alphonce warned us about what to expect from funeral rituals before they began. There was so much wailing, yelling, and screaming you would not believe. A large group of people gathered at the home of the young man and mourned in this fashion for hours. The cries lasted for about 5 hours, ending around 9 pm. Apparently the funeral usually takes place on the weekend, about a week after the death occurs. There is a great deal of wailing again, and the funerals take place at night. Then for the next week there is loud music coming from the home of the deceased. So I guess that is something to prepare for!

Exciting Chance to Change the Life of a Child

jilljahns — Thu, 9 Aug 2012 02:31:00 GMT

Friday 6/1

So I’ve been here what? 48 hours? And now I am an actual member of the Trust. Not just a volunteer. I have taken on a coordinating role with the child sponsorship program run by RIT. It is a big undertaking, but I am really excited about it. So there is a Nursery School right across from RIT headquarters run by the trust. As previously touched on, HIV/AIDS is a huge problem on the island, and I have found out why. This is a fishing community, and many of the fishermen are migrant workers. Poverty is an epidemic on the island and many women, unable to feed their children, trade fish for sex with the fishermen. It is not that the mothers do not know the risks involved; it is a matter of not having any other options. So the fishermen migrate to different fishing villages doing the same thing, and this spreads HIV/AIDS all over the region. The parents die, leaving many children orphans. Because of the fish for sex trade, a large percentage of children at the nursery school are orphans and unable to pay tuition for school fees. For this reason RIT has a child sponsorship program. You can sponsor a child for $250 a year, which pays for tuition, uniform, 1 meal each school day, free healthcare at the local clinic (which includes vaccinations and checkups) and deworming every three months. There are currently 87 children at the nursery school, and the vast majorities still need sponsors. So I am working on that, which I am happy to do. I sponsor a child in India through Compassion International, which adds up to nearly $500 a year. Which, don’t get me wrong, is great and I have been so blessed through it, but financially it is quite a lot for a poor college kid. Another benefit of sponsoring one of the kids here is they only ask you sponsor the child for 3 years. 3 years as opposed to the 10 year commitment I made to my Compassion kid@ So I am pretty excited about this sponsorship thing and I’ve been working on ways to get other people involved too. So I’m not in charge of this or anything, but people who want to sponsor will talk to me directly if they have any questions, and I can get answers from the president of the organization. Needless to say, I am stoked about all the possibilities. And if anyone reading this is interested in sponsorship, you should let me know and I will send you in the right direction (e-mail jjahns09@austincollege.edu). It is really exciting to see God working so early on!

I Made it to the Island!

jilljahns — Thu, 9 Aug 2012 02:25:00 GMT

Thursday 5/31

So last night was my first night on Rusinga. I was asleep by 9 pm and awake y 3:30 am. The same thing happened last night in Nairobi, so I’m guessing it is the jetlag. Luckily I have not been tired in the least, but I do hope this changes soon because lying in bed for 3 hours in total darkness is boring. I stay in a compound owned by Alphonce with Mark and a Peace Corps Volunteer named Elizabeth. There is another PCV on the island named Adam, and that is pretty much the extent of white people here. Both the compound and island are very beautiful. This whole time I have been preparing for a beachy place, but nothing could be further from reality. This place is really rocky and only hills, and at the village there is about 15 feet of sand before the hills, rocks, and some grass starts. But it is incredibly gorgeous. We are not the only island in the areas, and they are all rocky and hilly, which makes it look like we are surrounded by small mountains. Also, everything is incredibly green. There are flowers everywhere, fields of maize, and just a generally lush area. Apparently, this is the only time of year the island is like this. The rainy season lasts about 3 or 4 months, and it started at the beginning of May. All other times of year the landscape is brown and dusty. I feel so fortunate to have come at this time of year, but I sort of want to see what it all looks like the majority of the year. As for our compound, it is sparse but still cozy. There is a woman named June who comes here to cook for us, and based on the one meal of hers I have eaten she is absolutely amazing. And bonus points for her because she does it all over a fire. There is no electricity on this part of the island except for a few places (like the community center), and no plumbing. There are no showers, and the restroom facilities are outhouses. But it is not so bad (yet). People really underestimate how much this part of the world is developing. I mean sure, they don’t have plumbing or electricity. But they are working on it. Cars are not a rarity, and motorbikes are crazy popular. True, people here do walk must places, but I think Americans should do more of that anyway. Really, it is just a different way of life, not a lesser way. Not to downplay the serious level of poverty of course. So many families are struggling just to eat and survive. The epidemic of HIV/AIDS is quite rampant, and many children are left without one or both parents because of the disease. It is really sad, but as I have not been here even 24 hours I have yet to be exposed to that part of life here.

Sorry Guys....

jilljahns — Thu, 9 Aug 2012 02:19:00 GMT

So as you obviously noticed I have not uploaded anything from my trip. Sorry about that, truly. But I DID write in a journal over there, and now I am uploading those entries one at a time so you can read them if you so choose! I hope you do. I had an amazing experience and I want to tell everyone about it. This seems like a good way to do that. I'll be uploading them a little at a time, when I have time. So yeah. Enjoy, ask as many questions as you want, and I let me know what you think. Love, Jill

First Things First

jilljahns — Sun, 27 May 2012 04:10:00 GMT

Hello All!

If you are reading this, you are most likely a family member or friend, and know about me and my trip. In case you do not, hi I'm Jill Jahns and I will be spending 7 weeks off the Kenyan coast of Lake Victoria, on Rusinga Island. I am fortunate enough to have been the recipient of a Global Outreach (or GO) Fellowship at my school, Austin College. Because of this, I am able to travel to Kenya and volunteer with my friend and fellow student, Mark Hagge. As previously mentioned, Mark and I are going to Rusinga Island, specifically a fishing village on Kolunga Coast. Rusinga Island is about 10 miles from end to end, and 3 miles at it's widest point. Even so, there are about 25,000 residents on the island and 6,000 on Kolunga Beach. Truly, I do not know much more about the island at this point, but I will be sure to fill you in as I go and experience it for myself. The organization we are going through is called the Rusinga Island Trust, and you should visit their website at rusingaislandtrust.org. They have asked me to blog our adventures, and I am more than happy to oblige. HOPEFULLY I will be able to connect to the internet while I am there. I have been told I can buy an internet card once I get to Kenya, but there is always the possibility that will not work out. If that does not happen, I promise to journal and post it all here once we return to the states. Mark and I leave tomorrow morning (Monday) for Kenya, and should reach the island on Wednesday. Of course your thoughts and prayers are much appreciated, and I cannot wait to tell you all about my experiences. If possible, I'll do another entry once we get to Kenya!

Love,

Jill