Weekly update before Migori

Here’s a quick update; compared to the last few weeks there’s not a whole lot to write about. That should change soon though. I’m on my way to Migori to work with a group called the “Brittney James Children’s Fund.” This organization came to speak at my mom’s church regarding their work in Kenya and rally support about two months before I left to come here. They sponsor and maintain both an orphanage and a hospital and I have been keeping in touch with Steve James, the founder of the organization, over the past six months. He is flying into Nairobi tonight with a group of volunteers from Alabama and I have planned a visit them and help out. I am leaving from Kisumu in the morning to help them out with various projects and should be there for about a week. The best part is that I’m returning on Thursday to meet a group of Peace Corps Volunteers in Kisumu for a white water rafting trip on the Nile in Uganda, so I’ve got an exciting week ahead of me.

This last week I went to Eldoret to see some Peace Corps friends over the weekend. We met with girls from a secondary school and conducted an AIDS education class using balloons. We played a “myth busters” game where we listed common myths or facts (e.g. HIV can be transmitted through breastmilk – Fact, HIV can be tranmitted through mosquito bites - Myth). The slips of paper with the myths or facts were hidden in balloons and teams of girls would have to pop the balloon to read the statement out loud. They would then vote on if it was true or not and it sparked some good discussion. If they got the answer right they got candy, so other than being a little distracted by the balloons and candy it went really well and the girls enjoyed it. I also snuck a few water balloons in to liven things when the answers were wrong, which was lots of fun for everyone that didn’t get soaked. Anyway, I plan on working with the girls again and also the group in Kisumu soon.

While in Eldoret I met up with Habakkuk, my work colleague, on Monday. We are working with millers and bakeries in Eldoret through a commodities exchange and hope to be able to start selling dried sweet potato chips over the next few months to markets in Eldoret. Other than that it’s been work as usual. I got the computer working again and have spent some time working with the Wake Up Women’s group, a group sponsoring orphan children. I hope that while in Migori I will be able to get some ideas to work with the group and I also plan to apply for a grant to start a poultry project with this group for income and food for the orphans.

So I’m about out of time and need to get going. I’ll write again in a week, hope all is well back home.