Fundraising – Step One

It’s around 8 at night, and I’m sitting on my couch thinking about this junky old laptop I pieced together from scrap computers and how useful it’s been. It’s funny that my Y2K compliant computer would probably be in a dumpster right now, but instead it’s become cutting edge technology in Shimanyiro Village. Writing is therapeutic for me, but I couldn’t imagine being stuck with pen and paper. I’ve all but forgotten how to write by hand and my handwriting is terrible. So anyway, here’s the latest:

I had my first two meetings scheduled with disabled groups this week, and it was typical hit-and-miss in terms of actually getting things accomplished. The first one was on Monday in Migori, and all it all it went really well. The second meeting was scheduled for Wednesday in Kakamega, but despite all the preparation and planning it didn’t actually happen. I think everything will work out in the end but Kenya can drive you crazy if you let it.

I’ve been working this week with APDK (The Association for Physically Disabled in Kenya), an excellent organization that I plan to collaborate with for a fundraiser. If only I had gone to them first instead of wasting my time with the corruption and nonsense of Benson and KPDK. I learned a lot about accountability and trust in this country through that experience and don't want to give up on helping the disabled. Thousands of disabled people in Kenya crawl on the ground or make due with improvised walking sticks and crutches as best they can, and I want to do something to help. I’m very close to having a proposal drafted and I’ll be sending out all the details in the next few weeks. The intention of the fundraiser will be to raise money towards assisting five disabled groups with rehabilitation equipment and income generation.

The first step is already underway. APDK conducts mobile out-reach clinics where the assessments of persons with disabilities are provided, measurements are taken, and the proper supportive appliances are recommended. They are a non-profit organization, and after explaining that fundraising through Peace Corps requires a 25% community contribution, they agreed to conduct these clinics free of charge. The first mobile clinic was scheduled on Monday in Migori, and as I said it went pretty well.

Nothing here seems to go exactly as planned here, and I went into this project expecting stumbling blocks along the way. I wasn’t disappointed. With assistance from the BJCF orphan’s home, probably the most efficiently run place in this whole country, the disabled group was organized and ready by 10:00, the time APDK committed to arrive. At 11:00 APDK had still not shown up. I was a mildly irritated but not concerned. It is typical for things to start “African time”, which is generally an hour or so later than scheduled. However, by 12:00 I was getting angry. Why hadn’t they arrived? I had already committed wheelchairs to this group in the past and the project fell through, and I couldn’t stand to see it happen again. The problem with aid work in Kenya, I reasoned, is that you have to depend on Kenyans to get anything accomplished (terrible, I know, but like I said I was angry at the time). By 1:00 the anger was gone, and I was just plain depressed about everything I was trying to do. Around 1:30, as if sensing that I had finally lost all hope, the APDK truck arrived. Nobody else seemed too concerned that they were more than three hours late, and once again I had to ask why I allow myself to get stressed out when nobody else in this county gets worked up over something as petty as time.

It turned out APDK at least attempted to make it by 10. The problem was they brought a team of six in a pickup with seating for five, and there were not enough seatbelts for all 4 people in the back row. At one of the thousands of roadblocks the police lay out on any given day, this was noted by a police officer who decided to arrest the entire car. Surprisingly, he did not ask them for a bribe or write them a ticket. He simply wanted to waste their time for three hours by detaining them and harassing them a bit before letting them continue on their way.

So once they arrived things went great. The team that came to access the disabled group was top-notch, and included physical therapists, an orthopedic surgeon, and several others trained in accessing the needs of disabled people and fitting them for proper equipment. They stressed that providing the physical equipment is merely the first step, and training for economic activities such as microfinance and small business is also important. Once the disabled have mobility, APDK feels that an essential part of rehabilitation is to integrate them into the community through providing them with a means of employment and a sense of purpose. I very much like this long-term, sustainable solution. Pastor Fred, Steve James’ Kenyan counterpart in charge of operations at BJCF, was also impressed. He informed APDK that he will be happy to continue working with them and the disabled group, meaning that long after the initial funding for the equipment these people will continue receiving service and support.

The majority of people in the Migori disabled self-help group are adults, and APDK also noted how important it is to address the needs of disabled children. Oftentimes children with disabilities can wear low cost corrective shoes or undergo minor surgeries that can provide them with a lifetime of mobility without the use physical equipment. The collaboration that was made between APDK and BJCF has the potential to have a huge impact on the local community. BJCF is in the process of building a community clinic that will provide free medical care to orphans and the very poor in the area. It is due to be completed in November. At the same time, APDK is not currently working in Migori, but plans are underway to expand into the area. APDK was very impressed with the clinic and it appears as though APDK and BJCF may start working together in finding disabled children in the area and correcting their disabilities before they become lifelong problems. How great is that?

Eleven people were assessed on Monday. Several of them are requesting "business tricycles" which are equipped with a carrier, lockable box, and umbrella which allow the user to operate a small business. One man is a cobbler and another works at tailoring, so giving them the mobility to get into town where business is best, as well as a workspace for their trade, is a very good thing. One child, named Job, has Cerebral Palsy and was brought from a nearby Peace Corps Volunteer’s compound to the event. He is now connected with APDK and will receive physical therapy and medication through this organization, while with the fundraising money he can receive a wheelchair. Perhaps the most amazing story is of a woman that has been crawling on the ground for more than a decade. To my surprise she didn’t need a wheelchair at all. She has an issue with her hamstrings that can be corrected with minor surgery. Even more incredible, there is a clinic in a nearby town that provides this surgery free of charge. All that is required in terms of funding for her to regain mobility is the transport to the clinic and a brace that she needs to wear while she recovers from the operation. The total cost of providing this woman with the ability to walk after spending her entire adult life crawling in the dirt? About $15.00. Apparently this is all too common. Many children can be kept from a lifetime of disability for less than the cost of a tank of gas.

So my next meeting was scheduled for Wednesday. This disabled group was the first one I had spoken with, and I was eager to get them fitted and move along with the fundraising. I have been working with the District Officer on this project and he was excited to hear that a team from APDK was finally coming to visit this group. Earlier this month I had made a trip to Busia, about two hours away, to visit with the regional APDK office and confirm everything. I also spoke with the local social development officer to ensure everything would be in place for the event. When Wednesday came things started well. The APDK crew was supposed to arrive at 10, and unbelievable they arrived at my office at 10:00 sharp.

Then things got confusing. Apparently the District Officer had told another disabled group that an APDK crew was coming to fit people for wheelchairs. This group was waiting on benches outside, and now I found myself in a situation where an entirely unexpected group of people wanted service and were expecting me to sponsor them for equipment. I explained the situation to APDK and they agreed to evaluate the group but make no commitment to providing them with equipment. As I watched them do this I realized just how much of a demand is in this country for assistance to the disabled. After giving it some thought I decided that depending on the total amount of funding required for first four groups, perhaps I can add this one as well. I will want to make sure the source is anonymous though, because the last thing I need is people in my village realizing that I am a source of funding.

So after accessing this group we were finally able to leave for the interior village where the disabled group I intended to assist was waiting. I piled into the car with a team of five doctors and the social development officer and we were on our way. After driving for about half an hour down a bumpy dirt road we arrived at the location where the group was supposed to be waiting. When we saw that nobody was there it suddenly dawned on the social development officer that she forgot to inform the group that they were to meet today. The group consists of about 20 people living all over the place and it would have been impossible to gather them together at the last minute. Thus, the entire day was wasted and we had to reschedule. I made a comment about how difficult it is to get anything done in this country, which I felt bad about later (but not really because it’s true), but at least there is a plan B. The meeting with this group has been rescheduled for October 11^th. God willing things will work this time.

So that is my week in terms of the wheelchair project. Beyond that I met with the Kakamega Network officials in Kisumu on Tuesday to visit a medicinal garden, and I feel they were given a lot of good ideas to work with in terms of crops to promote to network farmers. Yesterday we had our monthly executive meeting, where I think it finally dawned on the officials that they have to watch their spending and start making money if the group is going to survive. I also had a chance to catch up with several volunteer friends during my travels, including some of the new volunteers working in Migori. One of them actually has a background is physical therapy and is excited about working with APDK in the future. I’m also training for a half-marathon at the end of October and I’ve been running a lot. I’m up to about 8 miles now so I still have a ways to go in a month’s time but we’ll see what happens. As for now I think I’ve written enough but I’ll post an update again soon.