African Art

As many of you may know, I’m not a writer. I consistently lack motivation and the perfect words never seem to find the page. This is perhaps the core explanation for my recent absence in posts. In addition, I’ve been extremely busy and many exciting things have happened.  Our nutritional program has finally launched, we are making strides with the street youth, and my Luo (the local tribal language) is improving daily. There are many things about Africa that I absolutely love, but still others I really miss from home.   I miss my friends and family more than words can describe and although we often Skype, it simply isn’t the same.  I miss feelings clean and could definitely live without the vast amount of inside mosquitos and bugs. I miss my freedom to go out after dark and really hate being imprisoned in the house on weekends. I missed being in Missouri for the epic weekend of World Series Champs and beating Texas A&M in overtime. And finally, I miss cheese and all the other wonderful foods that aren’t to be found here!  For the most part, however, I’ve adapted to some of the challenges that I initially faced.  Bathing in cold rain water no longer bothers me and I now know the trick to clear the kitchen of bugs before entering at night. Taking a Matatu is just part of everyday life and I have learned to drive a hard bargain.  I have made a number of friends here and Andrea and Francisca are the absolute best. I couldn’t ask to live with better girls and we laugh A LOT!  I love gazing at the lake and seeing the beautiful birds, flowers, and sunsets. The children here are SOO sweet and I’m fairly certain I will sneak a few back with me ;-).  I’m learning so much about medical issues and I am gaining much insight about the differences between health care in developed and third-world countries. Most importantly, I am grasping a clearer picture of who I am as an individual.  I have so much time to self-reflect and it is helping me be a stronger, more independent, and wonderfully happy person.    

This baby is definitely NOT malnourished

A few weeks ago we finally had our meeting with the head of the district hospital to discuss our nutritional program.  We received the “Go Ahead” and last week we began taking the height and weight of every child under 5 years in a one of the villages around the dispensary.  He also committed to providing the necessary vitamins and medications from the hospital pharmacy each month and the therapeutic food is arriving to the dispensary tomorrow. We have already discovered about 7 children in one village who are either malnourished or at risk and on the first day, we discovered twin boys who were in a severe condition.  They were at risk of death and we were extremely worried.  The mother refused to take the children to the hospital because she believed that her family was cursed.  Regardless of any efforts, she assumed the children’s health would not improve and was therefore more concerned with taking care of her other children.  We understood the urgency of the situation, however, and threatened to call the police if they were not taken to the hospital.  The next day, we thankfully saw the boys in the children’s ward and our hearts were lifted knowing that they were in good hands. In addition to this program, I gave my first public health presentation to the school children a few weeks ago.  My lecture included proper hand washing techniques and the importance of clean water.  The presentation went really well and I am now preparing for my next session coming up soon!

Juliet is severely malnourished and was admitted in our program

Giving my presentation to the school children

At the hospital, I have been spending a few days in the maternity ward helping with the delivery of babies.  This has been such an eye opening experience for me and I absolutely love it.  I had never witnessed a delivery before and although bringing in a new life is such a significant moment, it definitely isn’t the prettiest site.  Also, anesthetics aren’t used and generally, 3 mothers are delivering at the same time, in the same room. Not so easy on the ears.  After the mother has given birth, she moves to the post-natal room where she will share a bed with at least one other mother (occasionally you find 3 mothers resting on the same bed).  There was also a point in time when a mother was minutes away from giving birth and no one could find a pair of clean gloves.  Andrea and I also use the word “sanitary” very lightly when it comes to discussing the tools and situations because the hospital is a long haul away from being properly sanitized.  When we finally reached the last delivery of the day, the baby emerged from the womb completely silent. Tears welled up in my eyes and I felt a knot in my chest as Andrea and the nurses worked to elicit a response.  When I finally heard a strong cry, I felt a surge of relief. Despite the dirty conditions, the hectic atmosphere, and the continuous screams from the mothers, I was reminded what a beautiful and miraculous gift life really is. 

I finally had the opportunity to travel to Uganda and visit my family. It was a long journey.  After dealing with the frustrating immigration men, becoming covered in mud as I crossed the border, and spending 3 hours being dripped on by the leaking bus, I was simply ready to arrive. It was well worth my troubles when I was greeted with delicious food, a cold swimming pool for the hot days, horseback riding through the beautiful country side, and most importantly a warm shower. About an hour outside of Kampala, we crossed the Nile River with a beautifully colored sunset overlooking the horizon.  As I was listening to my Ipod, “What a wonderful world” began to play.  Seeing such a beautiful site reminded me of the wonderful world we live in.  I quickly forgot about all the pesky occurrences of my travel and decided to appreciate the sights and sounds.  This is my everyday life.  I become frustrated, annoyed, and tired.  I feel like my day is falling to pieces and I question why I’m even here.  Then, something beautiful happens and it changes my whole outlook. They say art comes in many forms and I witness this daily. I see art it in the mural painted across the sky each night, the laughs I hear from the children, and the beginning of a new life in the maternity ward. Most importantly, I see the art of my own life and as Thanksgiving approaches, I am reminded of how thankful I should be for all that I have.  Things are not always easy here but life does not have to be perfect to be wonderful =).

Love, Saskia

Beautiful Sunset outside our house

My Chilean Sisters.. Love Them

My Name is Saskia Akinyi and I am One

I have now been living in Kenya for one month and I am amazed at how quickly the time passes. Many of my projects are well underway but there is still much work to be done. Last Friday, Francisca and I ventured to the base site where the street youth live. They literally stay in a garbage dump and I think it may have been one of the most eye opening experiences of my life.  We have been working with them the last few weeks discussing ideas to help them off the streets. Besides not having a house, there are a large variety of problems that they encounter and it is a huge challenge for us.  At their home we witnessed first-hand the depth of their suffering.  Upon arrival, we were extremely nervous and intimidated.  The street youth generally don’t allow visitors to their base and as we approached, we were met with harsh glances.  After the men explained our reason for visiting, however, the base leader welcomed us with open arms and the tour began. While treading over heaps of trash and broken glass we were shown each of their sleeping spots. These “beds” are basically just 3 large stacked pieces of cardboard with a sheet of plastic for rain protection. During our tour a milk truck pulled up and everyone stopped mid-sentence and raced to claim their expired milks. Today I was told that one of the boys was beaten to death by a police officer.  We already knew how horrific the situation was but seeing their home and hearing their stories really puts things in to perspective. 

The last week I also helped with the polio campaign in response to a recent outbreak in my area.  For two days, I traveled from house to house giving children the vaccinations that they needed.  In the clinic itself, Andrea and I have started working on the malnutrition program. If the case is severe enough, the patient is sent to the district hospital in Kisumu. Unfortunately, the dispensary does not have the necessary resources to treat out-patient cases and if a child is only moderately malnourished, they are simply sent home.  Because the hospital is such a far travel, parents will often fail to go despite having the referral.  We hope to develop an outpatient program that will allow the children to receive the proper care they need from home.  Additionally, I will start implementing my prevention program next week. I met with the headmaster of the local school and my first session will cover hand-washing and clean water techniques. I will soon begin giving the presentations in the community as well.  Finally, I spent a day in the district hospital of Kisumu last week.  This hospital is in such a terrible condition and more than half of the girls in the women’s ward are immunosuppressed with HIV/AIDS. Resources here are very limited and any money received from the government somehow disappears into the world of corruption. 

On Sunday, the girls and I decided to take a break from our work and relax at Dunga Beach on Lake Victoria.  We were able to eat, enjoy a cold beer, and take in the beautiful scenery of the lake.  It was so nice to step away from the hardships that we witness every day and unwind in a peaceful location. We conversed with some of the local fisherman and Andrea and Francisca were finally able to eat some deliciously prepared fish.  We still have yet to see the Hippos but plan on going sometime in the very near future.   The girls are attempting to teach me Spanish but between learning their language, Luo, and Kiswahili, I am having difficulties keeping all the words straight.  We have befriended a few of the local children who come screaming and laughing when we pass.   Three sisters in particular are especially wonderful: Blesser, Joy, and baby Cynthia. Blesser and Joy are the only ones who remember our names and proudly demonstrate their intelligence when they come to greet us.  We love seeing them and always take a few minutes to ask about their day.

When arriving at home after a long day of work I am always greeted by a friendly swarm of mosquitos. Fran has become an expert mosquito killer and I am trying to quickly learn her skills. In the evening, I douse myself with mosquito repellent hoping that this will ward them off.  Unfortunately, with my fingers covered in spray, everything quickly eludes the smell and taste.  My room and clothes are permanent stained with the smell of “Off! Deep Woods” and my dinner often carries just a hint of deet. Before falling asleep, I lie in bed and hear them buzzing around my room.  I laugh to myself and feel victorious knowing that I am safely under my net.

On a separate note, I came across this quote a few days ago and it gave me some much needed inspiration.  There are such a vast number of problems in Kenya that I sometimes feel hopeless.  I have all these ideas but the implementation is more difficult than I had imagined.  Each problem is backed by five additional problems and solving the root of the dilemma is quite a challenge.  Instead of fixating on these hardships, however, I’m trying to see all the beauty that Kenya has to offer.  The locals have given me the name Saskia Akinyi to signify the time of day I was born.  When I am having a discouraging day, I remember that I am Saskia Akinyi, I am one, and I can make a difference for someone. 

Love, Saskia

Oranges Are Not Orange, They're Green!

First week of work=success! For the first half I attended a program about malnutrition in children and the protocols to diagnose and treat. The last two days, I went with Silas to a forum about the protection and sensitization of Kenyan children. Both are enormous problems. Acute Malnutrition rates are between 15-20% in children under the age of 5 and almost 80% of families in Kenya are below the poverty line. Children are shunned to the streets if born out of wedlock or from incest and are forced to find other means if their parents have died or are unable to adequately provide. They are dirty, turning into thieves, and often die in the streets. Francisca and I will be working to help these children and Andrea and I hope to set up a malnutrition program at the clinic this year.

At my first day in Rota, I was guided around the clinic and given a proper induction. The clinic is housed in two buildings and although small, offers a variety of different services. The dispensary also houses a mother’s ward and HIV counseling. Their resources are incredibly limited, however, and both electricity and running water are absent within the buildings. I assisted Andrea in seeing patients and learned that about 75% of her patients are positive for Malaria. Today, a 4 month old was brought to the clinic with infected mosquito bites and a very severe case of impetigo around the head and ear. Andrea informed me that the proper protocol would be to remove the scabs in order to allow the infection underneath to heal. Unfortunately, because of poor conditions, the risk of further infection is too immense. Tomorrow, the dispensary is sponsoring a discussion session for HIV patients. I am very interested to hear their stories and learn about life with HIV/AIDS. I’m still struggling to finalize the projects I will undertake but am attempting to absorb a wealth of information before I decide.

While the girls traveled to Nairobi for the Chilean Independence Day last weekend, Kenneth took Lilly and I out to eat at a nearby resort. It was a beautiful area overlooking the mountain side while monkeys surrounded us swaying from the tree tops. We stayed and watched the Arsenal soccer game before heading back to the house. At the market that evening, a little boy asked Kenneth if he could touch me. He had never touched a mzungu before and wanted to know what I felt like. I laughed and shook his hand but secretly felt comparable to a zoo animal. Most children here have never laid eyes on a mzungu and see us as a type of novelty.

Because of my continuous solo travel to Kisumu, I have officially mastered the Matatu! I am now accustomed to the stops, the stench of BO, and the everyday price negotiations. Besides the use of the Matatu, I also rode on the back of a motorcycle, cruised around town using a Tuk Tuk, and held on for dear life when balancing on the back of a bike. Each is an experience but I have definitely fine-tuned my transportation skills. On our Matatu to Rota today we were stopped by police controlling the Matatu loads. Regardless of our perfect status, the police wouldn’t let us pass without payment. Corruption in the police force is an extreme problem. Our Matatu turned around and dropped us off far from our final destination. No other Matatus were accepting passengers for fear of the police and thus, we began the treacherous 5 mile walk to work.
Once we hit the beautiful dirt road to the dispensary, we were provided with a sense of relief. The sun blazed down on our backs but the light breeze swaying through our skirts made the heat bearable. The lush green grass and crisp fresh air were enough to make me momentarily forget about all the problems at hand and simply enjoy the scenery. The people along the road are familiar with our faces and call out to us from their fields, taking a break from their work to smile and wave. After a lengthy day of work, Andrea and I took a deep breath, ate our green oranges (yes, oranges here are green), and began the long journey back to the house. Tomorrow we will wake up, head out, and gracefully tackle the challenges of a new day.


Love, Saskia

My New Home

How does one begin to describe life in Africa? Shall I first tell about the bugs that crawl around your feet when utilizing the facilities, the streets which are lined with trash and filth, or the children who shriek mzungu! mzungu! everytime you pass? Maybe I should portray the beautiful scenery, my first taste of real wildlife, or the unconditional kindness of the Kenyan people. I believe it is best if I just begin with my arrival in Nairobi after a long and exhausting journey.

After receiving my visa and collecting my bags I was greeted by two men holding a sign with my name.  On the car ride to the house, Calvin and Gems described Kenyan culture and how children are raised.  By the time a child is 7, they can speak 3 languages: their local dialect, Swahili, and English.  Impressive. Although it was dark, I could nonetheless sense that I was in a different world and surrounded by immense poverty. Gems house, however, was in a nice neighborhood and I was welcomed by his wife, Alice, and children 4 year old girl Gewell and 7 year old boy Gayang. Alice had prepared a big delicious meal for me and they all did their best to make me feel comfortable on my first night in Kenya.  I played a bit with the children, read Jack and the Beanstalk to Gewell, and then retired to my bed. 

The bus ride to Kisumu took about 8 hours and after my sleepless nights, it was extremely draining. Nonetheless, I attempted to remain conscious and was rewarded with the most beautiful scenery (as well as my sighting of zebras along the road!). Silas and Patrick, the chairman of the dispensary, were at the bus station to collect me and took me to the house where I will be staying for the next 6 months.  The first night in the house was very difficult for me. I was exhausted, homesick, and realized how different my life will be in Africa.

Getting a table this week!

After starting my day, however, my emotions drastically improved and I began to become accustomed to this new way of life.  I am living with Francesca and Andrea, both 26 and from Chile. Francesca is here working as a journalist and Andrea is a doctor working in the clinic. The house also belongs to Kenneth and Lily who are natives and are helping me adapt to the Kenyan culture. At 8pm every evening, we all become engrossed in Andrea’s favorite Spanish soap opera. It has terrible English voice-overs and highly exaggerated drama.  It is quite possibly the most horrendous show I have ever seen and I absolutely love it. We laugh hysterically at the actors and constantly strive to mimic their “acting skills.” The house is very big and nice by Kenyan standards but there is no running water and we must collect rain water from the big tank outside to shower.  This is also the water that we use for cooking, washing our hands, drinking, dishes, etc.  We boil the water for 2 minutes to make sure it is safe. No need for exercise in Kenya, lugging in buckets of water every day might possibly use more effort than I’ve exerted in years ;-). We purchase most of our food at the market located around the corner of our house and eat LOTS of cabbage, tomatoes, avocados and Ugali (flour and water mix). Definitely not my favorite.  

Today, Francesca took me to Kisumu to buy some essentials that I needed.  We took a Matatu which is basically a bus crammed with as many people as possible.  They attempted to charge us the “mzungu rate”, but Francesca refused to pay any more than the locals.  I am learning from her how to be stubborn and firm with the people here when it comes to negotiating prices.   It is a very good skill to have.  We strolled through the second largest market in Africa and I experienced the poverty first hand.  Kenyan people also rarely use a trash can so the streets are filled with trash, flies, and dead fish.  On a more positive note, all the people here are extremely kind and I am looking forward to my first day of work tomorrow.

Things are not perfect but I am quickly adapting.  I am on an amazing adventure and have been blessed with this opportunity. There are many obstacles that I must tackle but I have faith I will prevail. I learn from each experience and will become a better and stronger person because of it.  For the meantime, I am a Kenyan and this is my home.

Love, Saskia

 “When we make a change, it’s so easy to interpret our unsettledness as unhappiness, and our unhappiness as a result of having made the wrong decision.  Our mental and emotional states fluctuate madly when we make big changes in our lives, and some days we could tight rope across Manhattan, and other days we are too weary to clean our teeth.  This is normal.  This is natural.  This is change.”

                                                                                                                -Jeanette Winterson

One week 'till blast off!

Well, it is officially one week before I leave for Kenya!  I have so many emotions going in so many different directions that I am physically having trouble keeping up.  The preparations are well under way and I finally made a dent in packing last night (although it is a significantly small dent). Because women are required to wear dresses below their knees in Kenya, most of my wardrobe is void. After a treacherous search for long dresses and skirts that I didn't feel absolutely hideous in, I've decided to just buy most of my clothes when I get to Rota. I want to try and assimilate in the culture as much as possible and starting with my wardrobe seems appropriate. There are a lot of other things that I have had to get ready too.  Preparing for the attack of mosquitoes means buying mosquito nets, LOTS of deet, and taking anti-malaria medication.  I also already received most of my shots when I was in Europe this summer since it was much cheaper.  Just 1 more to go for a total of 6!!  
I've been in close contact with the head of the clinic in Rota, Silas.  He as well as the founder of Humanity for Children, Brad, have really made me excited to go these last few days!  Brad and I discussed a lot of what I will be doing once I get there.  In the clinic itself I will be helping with simple medical procedures, triage, or anything the doctor really needs.  I'll also be going out in the community and presenting educational sessions about washing your hands, boiling water, using a condom, etc. In addition, I found out that I'll be going in to the homes to help with the childbirths for the women who can't make it to the clinic in time.  I think that will definitely be quite the experience!  

This week I've been saying most of my goodbyes so i have of course been emotional.  Although 7 months really isn't that long in the grand scheme of things, it seems like forever!  Thankfully, I'll still have internet in my house and will be able to use it to keep in touch with everyone from back home. I'm going to be living about 7 km from Kisumu which is the 3rd largest city in Kenya.  The town where the clinic is located is Rota and it is literally right off of Lake Victoria 15 km from Kisumu. I'm a little nervous about my travel plans but Silas has been very helpful in making arrangements.  My flight leaves Wednesday afternoon from St. Louis to Detroit.  From Detroit I fly direct to Amsterdam and have a 2 hour layover there. Then I'll have about a 9 hour flight to Nairobi where i'll arrive about 8:30pm.  Silas' friend will pick me up from the airport and I will stay one night in Nairobi.  The next morning I'll get dropped off at the bus station and start my journey to Kisumu.  I've read a number of different time scales but the 160 miles journey is going to take about 7 to 13 hours :P  At least I'll have the night to recover from the flights!  


Love, Saskia
P.S. To Check out more information about the organization go to www.fightforthechildren.org