Week Three in Kitui

I've tried all week but Friday afternoon seems to be the best bet for updating this thing. The last week has been really interesting, so let me hit on some key points:

• Mike, my next door neighbor, told me God sent me to Kenya so that I will give him $40,000 Shillings (over $500 dollars) to help him go back to school. He will pray that I make the right decision. I gave him an indirect no (it's considered very impolite to be direct with people here when you want to say no to something) and don't feel bad about it, especially after learning that Mike has stolen and sold cattle from his mother and is basically a bad person according to my host family and the community. I'm sure its not the last I'll hear from my buddy Mike.
• I learned a lot more about Kenyan culture this week. We had several "cultural cross sessions" and many things about the way Kenyans act was made apparent. For instance (and of course I am generalizing here) Kenyans have no personal space at all and don't spend time alone. If I try to study by myself and don't lock myself in my roon, which is considered very strange to do, I am surrounded by children asking questions and looking over my shoulder and telling me the answers to the Swahili phrases I'm trying to learn on my own. There's also my mama constantly bringing me food, or my sister wanting to go into town with me; sometimes it would be so nice to just get away and be alone, but it's so hard to do here. Kenyans assume if you want any time to yourself than something is wrong and the best way to resolve it is to spend time with you. Also, the Kenyan sense of organization and time is so much different than the United States. So far almost every commitment that has been made has been postponed or rescheduled, and meetings seem much more about being social that getting things done. This isn't always a bad thing so much as a huge change from the American way of doing things. I could go on and on about cultural difference, like how it's blazing hot and almost everyone weats long sleeves and slacks,and even winter coats, but I've only got a few minutes left.
• We started our small business development training this week. Our site is a community cooperative that raises money for orphan children to eat school lunches, which is probably the only meal they reliably get. In one small school of 400 students about 50 of them were orphan children, and they live at home with the oldest child (often only 8 or 9 years old) who is in charge of the household. Most of the parents died of HIV/AIDS and I am looking forward to the AIDS awareness and education facet of my service here. We visited the school and had a chance to talk to the orphans and tell them the importance of an education. When we showed up I felt like a rock star. I'm sure that in this small village outside of Kitui we were one of the first groups of white people to ever show up at the school. The children were screaming and rushing out off classes to shake our hands and look at us.
  
• A few of the volunteers here are part of the first group funded under the president's PEPFAR (Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS relief) plan in Africa. The volunteers found out that, under no circumstances under the funding from this act, are they to mention condoms as a way to prevent the transmission of AIDS. All the billions of dollars going towards this act is to teach abstinence only, so in my opinion it's like throwing money down the choo. When you are here and see the subservient role of women ,many of whom loose their virginity at 11 and 12, it's hard to believe that an abstinence only approach will actually work in this culture.
  
• I will know in three weeks where I will be posted and what I will be doing. I get to go onsite in four weeks and see my house and meet the people I will be working with. Things are actually happening now! So exciting! I will either be working with a community run organization or through an NGO, but that's about the extent of things for now.
• This weekend I am going to Machacos, which is a nearby town. They may have a better internet cafe there and if they do I will try to upload some pics. If not I'll write more soon. Hope things are great in the states!