From the net

My work here is wrapped up; as are Alex and I who are currently in two twin beds under one mosquito net. We are spending our final night in Kenya relaxing at Bamburi Beach just outside of Mombasa. The past week was filled with meetings and, from those, came many decisions that I think will continue to carry the EAC in a positive direction. We discussed staff and teacher salaries, job descriptions, and budgeting for next year. I have a better understanding of the day-to-day operations and the current challenges and needs. I couldn't feel better about the work I was able to do in this short of a time. I happily surprised that I was scrambling at the very end to do one-hundred last minute things.

Personally, I am torn in many ways. Torn between being in love with life there and being aggravated with it, feeling comfortable and, at other times, confused and out-of-place, the desire to stay and readiness to get home to New York...all these feelings and more have been washing over me. I'm letting them do just that, but through them all, am pretty sure I want to come back sooner rather than later and stay for a few months to do some serious work partnering with other NGOs, the government, and corporations within Kenya to ensure the organization's sustainability. The thought of doing that excites and inspires me.

I spent the last night there at Aisha's house with Maryam and Do. The food and company were comforting. It felt like home. Toward the end of a long day and evening, I started to sneeze a lot. Aisha was worried. When she tucked me in, literally because she has to tuck me in to the mosquito net that fits so tightly around the bed, she got me some medicine. As she went to leave, she told me that she would check in on me during the night, just like I begged my parents to do every night when I was a kid, “Come check on me!”. The gesture didn't go unnoticed and I slept like a baby.

Last night, Salemu, a boy who I knew before and is now a young man (ish), came by to see me and was limping as he approached the house. He had hurt himself playing football. His barefoot looked broken. I told him to meet me there this morning at 8am and we could go to the clinic. Just like 3 years ago, he injured his foot the day before I left. So again we went my final morning in Takaungu on a motorcycle to the EAC clinic where the ever impressive Valerian fixed him up.

These incidences had the same impression on me; having someone to care about you, to care about your joys and your pain, and having people who will take care of you, is what we all want and deserve. It's health and education. It's hearing and listening. It's caring and community. It felt so good to know Aisha cares about me enough to check in on me at night to make sure I am sleeping and feeling well, and I could see in Salemu that same feeling when I rubbed his back while Valerian pulled and pushed on his injured foot causing him a great deal of pain.

When a nurse says to me that his favorite part of his job is that he feels that he is listened to and that he has ownership over the clinic I know we are doing something good there. When the groundskeeper excitedly explains to me how we can save money building a new latrine that the kids need, or a health worker states the case for keeping at least some services in Takaungu after we move the clinic to Mauveni, I can see we have individual people who care for this community and take pride in their work. This community knows they have somewhere to go, someone to rely on, and someone who cares.

We also are closer everyday to transferring to a sustainable, local model. The next most important step is to hire a solid School Manager that can work with Head Teacher Catherine, to run the school. This will happen by April. Also, to get the Community Health Unit of 50 Community Health Workers functioning as they should and as they do in most of Kenya. One step at a time.

We leave tomorrow night. I'll be home the next morning. Can't wait to see Shawn and after a weekend with him, I am looking forward to Occupying. Just got my tent and sleeping bag from Burning Man. Perfect timing, thanks Dad and Denise!

Hope you enjoy the pictures! Check out the official EAC blog if you want to keep updated and join the mailing list.

Love you all, thanks for listening.