Today Jamie and I went with some of the nurses from the clinic down the road a little to a very poor neighborhood (I've seen enough here to know it is not the slums, but from an American point of view it is very close). We brought with us vitamin A (which is very helpful in reducing malaria infection rates) and deworming pills, and proceeded to hand them out to 230 kids. We had no idea there were that many kids anywhere around there, but they came out of the woodwork. Young kids were carrying their younger siblings and standing patiently in line as they waited to receive the medicine. It was great for me and Jamie to feel like we were making a difference, and for us to get the chance to interact with so many kids. It's definitely a place where Jamie and I are going to go back to, just to play with the kids who hang out there. School does not start for another week for them, so I think the same set up holds true for them as it did for so many kids of my parents generation. They are free to roam as long as they return home at nightfall. And with so many kids all around I doubt they are lonely or bored (and without tvs or video games, what a concept).
Next week we are going to go out into the field twice with the clinic; to an island in Lake Victoria, and to a neighborhood further off the main road. We have about 250 pills left, and there are enough needy kids around that pills do not go wasted here.
This weekend we're headed up to Sipi Falls, which is a 6 hr bus ride northeast. There are amazing waterfalls, hikes, and tours of some of the finest coffee beans in the world. We're not sure exactly what we're doing once we get there, but there's possibility of repelling down the waterfalls. We'll see how that goes (for those who don't know heights are not my favorite, but sometimes my need for adrenaline overpowers the fear. Like when Jamie and I went skydiving). We leave tomorrow morning, and will get back sometime Monday afternoon. Should be a great trip.
On a sadder note, my Grandpa Bob took a turn for the worst the past couple days. It has turned out to be terrible timing for me to have traveled to the other side of the world, but my thoughts and prayers are with the whole Laipply clan. There's no painless outcome to this situation, but I send them all my love.
