Sometimes, I wish this wasn't real

So I have really been dreading the idea of writing about this day. My friends and family would say that I am not a crier, and truth is I'm not except for when I am laughing, or really hurt. But there is a part of this world that tears open my heart and lets the tears flow freely. I do not know why, but children who have absolutely nothing, who live way below the poverty line, and have an unexplainable joy....man, that, that gets me.

A little portion of the slum 

On our way into the Kibera slums, we had to pick up 3 police officers to protect us. I had no idea what our team was getting into. Kibera is a 5 mile radius of 1.3 million people living on less than $1 a day.  Most are born in the slums, raised in the slums, married, have children, and then pass away without ever leaving the walls. I just wonder, how can people live like this, when their is so much more to life outside these walls? I know that "this is all they have ever known"... it just does not seem fair to me. Kibera just recently had water brought into the slums that most have to walk some distance to even get access to the water. A standard "house" is at MOST 10ft x 10ft, with no bathroom or running water. Rent is about 2,000KES, which is $23US. I could just keep going on about the living conditions, but I want to tell you about what we actually did there.

Living conditions 

We were greeted by a school filled with children ages 2-8. They had the most biggest smiles in the world, and were so excited to have visitors. They all gathered outside and sang the most beautiful songs (video below). Honestly, that is when I lost it. I have seen poverty, and I have seen slums that are about equal if not worse than these conditions. But the children.... it's their joy, laughter, smiles, excitement! They literally have nothing, maybe shower once a week, wear the same clothes, shoes, and mostly just get fed at school, and they are content! When was the last time I was content with nothing? When was the last time you were? I mean lets be honest, in America, and most developed countries, we always want more. Im sitting here crying right now because I'm that American girl who complains about not knowing what to wear. Or I complain that I need to shower after working out...this is a heart check for me. More of a reality check. I'm not saying I am going to go home and get rid of everything, because I am not. But I can tell you that I am going to be making a better effort at being content and happy with what I have.

Kids in line for the medical camp 

These kids are precious, and so are their families. The people who invest into this school and these kids are amazing people. I again found it hard communicating with the people, but with children sometimes just a smile and some hand gestures is all you need. I saw some very sick children, and I saw lots of healthy ones. The dynamic of each child and each person is so unique, and all of them slowly find their way into my heart. At our break I was able to go out and play with some of the kids. They all begged me to sing them a song, so I sang "I'm a little teapot" which they thought was so funny! I then asked if they knew "head, shoulders, knees, and toes", they did, so I made them sing it with me.

Being in Kibera was difficult for me emotionally, but my memories, and thoughts will forever be in my heart. My time spent with each patient was worth the emotional wave that came on me. And the time playing with each child was priceless. I really have found my calling on life. Serving the people who are forgotten, the children who are abandon, and the communities in way less than good living conditions....they are my future patients. They are the people I want to work with, to help improve their health, and to share the love that Jesus has given me.

After this day I was reminded of a verse in my devotional that I am doing. It's Isaiah 51:3

The Lord will surely comfort [you] and will look with compassion on all [your] ruins; He will make [your] deserts like Eden, [your] wastelands like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found in [you], thanksgiving and the sound of singing.

HIV/AIDS is the new leprosy

My dream finally came true! Since high school I have wanted to work with people infected by this horrible virus, and it finally happened. I was not able to find the cure this time, but maybe one day in the future I will. 

Now, I want to take a moment and explain how HIV is viewed globally, and hopefully change your mind on how you will view someone who might be infected. First off, you will not get HIV by touching, kissing, or playing games an infected person. And secondly, you can live a normal life with treatment, look at Magic Johnson, you just might be hurt emotionally in the process. Out of the 34 million HIV-positive people worldwide, 69 percent live in sub-Saharan Africa (roughly 23.8 million infected persons in all of Africa). Of that 34 million, 1.6 million live in Kenya, with 1.4 million begin people ages 15+. This has left 1 million children orphaned. 

I know these statistics can be shocking, but this happens worldwide, even in America. And the thing is once a person is infected, many loose their families, friends, and sometime their job. What I noticed in Kenya is how secretive people are about their status, and I know this happens in the US as well. When a person comes in for the first time after a positive reading, they are given a box that contains a mosquito net, water purifiers, condoms, and food supplementation. Many people used to only take certain things out of the box because they did not want people to know their status. The unit I worked on saw this happening, and began taking the supplies out of the box, and placing them into a grocery bag. Many more people have been receptive to taking the supply box now. Another thing that people receive is antiretrovirals. They are given a months dose, and then as they build trust with the clinic, they can begin to take more of the medication home. 

My first day on the unit I worked with adult clients. I took their vitals and charted the information. I also got a chance to sit in with the clinical officers to observe how an appointment works. It was the next day were I was really moved. I worked with the children that have been infected either from birth, rape, or a sexual encounter. One patient really stood out to me and I would like to share her story with you. 

At age 3 both of her parents passed away. She was left to live with her aunt, and she became very sick. Her aunt took her to the hospital the she was diagnosed with HIV, stage 3. By the time she was 4 years old she had already been on two different kinds of treatments. She is now 13. Last year she found out by accident that she was HIV positive. Her CD4 levels are around 61, they have been dropping significantly over the years. She is depressed, and is not adhering to her treatment. Doctors have also diagnosed her with TB, and possibly treatment failure. 

Her BMI was 14, and by the look on her face, I would say she would rather be with her parents. Just thinking about her just eats me up. If it was not for the stigma that HIV positive people face, so many more would seek treatment, so many more would be living, and so many more people would be tested.

I do not know about other treatment centers, but the one at the regional hospital is very particular about not disclosing  to children their status. They know that children can not keep secrets, and they want these children to have a normal life. Many children are able to find out they are positive by reading the posters around the office, but most find out during a counseling session at the clinic with their caregiver. Children who do not know their status believe they are taking vitamins everyday, and when they do find out, the clinic does their best to keep the children from adhering to treatment. When a child stops taking their medication, they believe that they are punishing their caregiver, when in reality they are only hurting their self.

Where is the light in all this darkness? Well the light is coming. The Kenya education system is slowly chaining, but not quick enough. There is still so much false information out in the public, and especially out in the villages. Even in the US there is a lot of false information. People who are HIV positive are just like you or me. They just have a virus in their body that is slowly compromising their immune system. If you get a chance, I would love for you to watch this video. It shows a woman who is healthy and normal, but 90 days prior you would not believe it was the same woman. HIV is not something to be afraid of and that was made so clear to me these past two days working with people who live their life in that shadows.

(you can watch it on YouTube for a bigger screen)

The Deaf, the Juvenile, and the Widowed

Talk about a crazy weekend filled with fulfillment, purpose, and a look into Gods heart. Friday we were in the northern part of Kenya in an area called Majengo (just outside of Kisumu). Our team had an amazing opportunity to be apart of a medical camp that served 500 people! Majority of the people were widows and orphans.

As the story continues, the building we used was built by a missionary team, and then donated. A water well was built that will serve clean water to the women and the community. And all the glass for  the windows was donated. Mama Nancy (the widow in the video) wants to take these widows who are rejected from the community, and make them into strong empowering women. She plans to have a bead and breakfast at the house, as well as a shop that will sell jewelry and clothing that the women will make.

That Friday I really felt like I was able to make a difference in the peoples life. Even though I only took their vital signs, I was able to bring Jesus into my small interactions even without being able to speak the language.

The next day we traveled to a boys detention center were we had the opportunity to tour the facility and provide basic medical services. I was able to talk to some of the boys about their lives, and they have some impacting stories. When the boys leave the detention center they leave as a better person. I wish we had better juvenile detention centers in the States. While the boys are here they get an education, trade skills, and a community that supports them. It is crazy to think that 7 years ago WorldComp came in to a slave camp of boys, and with the help of locals have turned it into something amazing. 

That following afternoon my heart was given to a group of 60+ deaf children. I want you to understand how these children are viewed here. This home receives no government assistance, they only receive 5% of the school fees from the 60+ children, and the majority have been brought in off the streets because they are not wanted. We first came on Valentines Day, bringing little heart tattoos, gummy snacks and 200 pounds of beans. To see the excitement on the faces of these children is indescribable.

     

We went back the next day to deliver bread...their excitement over a piece of bread, it was like giving a 5 year old a dollar for a lost tooth. It really just gave me a better perspective over the world. We have so much back home, and most of us are happy. But placing myself here, and seeing the excitement over one slice of bread, I realize I have a lot back home to be happy about. 

 On our drive back on Monday we did the American tourist thing and stopped at the Equator. Our group took lots of photos, and our driver even joined us! Overall it was an amazing weekend, and unfortunately this blog post can not be a good summary of all my feelings. I will say this. if you ever get an opportunity to experience something that might be out of your comfort zone, go do it! There is so much fulfillment and gratitude in serving. And maybe, just maybe, you will find your self wanting to go back again and again. I know for me, Kenya is a place that I will continue to visit throughout my life.

Feeling the Burden of a Broken System

With my first real day on the floor of Kenyatta Hospital I began to feel the culture shock. First off I have never been in a hospital with over 2,000 patient beds, and you know the sad part, 2,000 beds is not enough. Nicole and I were placed on the pediatric unit, which was really exciting, except I was not prepared for what I was going to walk into. To give a little perspective, Seattle Children's has about 345 patent beds, and those are hardly all in use at one time. In Kenyatta, they ideally would have 6 beds per room, which would make 20 patients per unit (80 patients for the whole floor). Well, due to the public hospital standards and not enough affordable hospitals, the unit I worked on had around 59 children (thats about 240 children for the whole floor....almost a full hospital for a single floor!!). Kenyatta Hospital can also not afford to have a lot of nurses, so on this floor one nurse can have up to 40 patients! Talk about overwhelming. Another overwhelming thought is medical bills. In the States our insurance and/or us gets the bill after our stay. At Kenyatta Hospital, patients must pay a deposit to become an inpatient. and in order to leave the hospital they must finish paying their hospital stay bill. The hospital can keep the child for months until the bill is paid! But this story gets more interesting. When a child passes away the family has 2 months to pay off the hospital and morgue bill, if they are not able to follow through the government will have the child buried in a mass grave cemetery.

My heart just really began to ache for these families and these nurses. Even though I am not a parent the thought of having to wait to leave the hospital sounds terrible, and then not being able to have a burial for your deceased child...its devastating. The nurses are so equipped with skills far beyond what I have seen in the states, and they really want to have the best practice possible, but they have to make do with what they have. These nurses have to sacrifice to much so that every child can just receive medication on time. Now, you might be wondering, where is this culture shock you talk about? Well for the first time in my life I actually felt out of place. The nurses that I followed my first part of the shift did not speak much English when with patients, so I had no idea what was going on. Then when we would go to a new patent I would not get filled in on what just happened. I felt out of place, totally unprepared, and incompetent. The nurses would ask me questions about what I would do in the States, and I did not feel like I could answer their questions confidently.

That feeling did not pass until after my lunch break. And after that I really got to see how special and amazing each of these kids are. Children no matter how sick sometimes, just want to play and be normal. They loved to play with our stethoscopes and our hand sanitizer. One of the little boys kept touching my hair saying how soft it was.

Some other things that really stood out today was how truly blessed we are to have the hospitals we have. I did not realize how much we take for granted. To have a single patient room and your own bed is a blessing. To have your own tubing that has never been used is a blessing, and to have a nurse that can be a full care taker is a blessing. Even though this Kenyan hospital was not up to American standards they are able to make do with the best that they have. I am looking forward to a day where I can be a change for a broken system like this!

First week in the Hospital

Yesterday (2/10) we got the awesome opportunity to tour Kenyatta Hospital (http://knh.or.ke). This hospital has 1000 in-patient beds! Pastor Lois and her husband Pastor Peter made the connection to this hospital, through Dr. Sadera. While at the hospital we met with one of the oncology doctors to set up more future connections for Northwest University students. Our group decided on 7 different units that we would all like to work on and those included: surgery, HIV/AIDS (they call it CCU in Africa), cardiac, pediatrics, labor and delivery, ER, ICU/NICU. I am really looking forward to the amazing opportunities that God has been opening up. After the hospital tour, we experienced our first rain shower with thunder and lightning. Our driver got stuck in the traffic so we all had to pile into 2 different cars to get to lunch.

4 girls squeezed in the back + a local nurse hidden by my professor 

Today (2/11) we are going to have our first day on the floor! I am excited to see where God places me. Before we go to the hospital we are getting to see a new ministry at work. Nikki, the host of our team, partnered with a friend to start a high-end fashion company. She is working with 3 local Kenyan women who make all the clothes. This allows the women to make not only a life for themselves, but also provides a life for their families.  Here is a Facebook link to the foundation https://www.facebook.com/James127Foundation and then here is their website http://www.judithandjames.com . To learn more about the actual foundation you can go here http://www.j127foundation.com/#!sewing-project/cvoe. 

Day 2

Today was another relaxin day, but we got to experience some more Kenyan culture. Our professor led two church services today in a very impoverished area. The people are so in love with The Lord, and I love being able to feel Gods presence even when I am on the other side of the world. While on church a little boy came and sat next to me and followed me around all morning. 

In between services we met an amazing man, Pastor Peter. He shared with is how important the medical camps have been in his community, espically in the slums. The medical camps have not only brought more people to the church, but have made the church present within that area. There are so many wonderful  things God has done for this community.

Pastor Peter

Professor Ben speaking  

 After church we were going to meet with hospital staff but it did not work out. Our group went to a different mall on the other side of town. That is what I have most different being in Kenya. You are in a slum area and within 10 min you are at a nice mall with more developed buildings around you.

A view of the road on our drive to the mall 

The rest of our day was spent relaxing and getting to know one another. It was a great day!

Day 1

With our first day in the country our schedule included a very light load. I felt that our day was a great way to see the country and people, especially all the different aspects. 

 The family we are staying with has connections to a local school that is next to a very small slum of 500 people. The land was green, and the people were so happy that it finally rained. We met a man who is training to be a pastor. He gave us a tour of the school. This school is for secondary education and is privately owned, which means that each student that attends must pay for the education.

 There were a few different classroom sizes as well as a computer lab and a science lab. The pastor was very excited to show us all the progress that had been made on the school grounds. A few hundred feet away was the slum. From past trips that I have been on I would say this slum is very well kept. The family we are staying with also helps with some of the local projects in the slum. There latest project is making a septic tank that will be turned into bio fuel so people can fuel their homes. They recently just added electricity for people who could afford it. One of my favorite things about going to areas like this is seeing all the joy in the children. We have so many things back home in the states that we are blessed with and we struggle to find happiness. Watching these children play with nothing, and having so many smiles and laughs is very touching to my heart.

(My friend Allyson with some of the kids)

After our visit in the slum we went to the Village Market, which is kind of like an outdoor mall. From there we went and met with a man named Richard who will be leading our team to a village about 8 hours away this coming up weekend for a medical camp. Our meeting was so encouraging but also really made us face the reality of this world. 

We think about malaria and HIV/AIDS being the biggest problems in all of Africa. Well in Kenya, yes you do have those issues. For instance, due to HIV/AIDS over half of the population is under age 16. But, what really got me, was hearing about how many babies die of diarrheal disease. 1 million babies, each year. Can you even wrap your mind around that? There is such a lack of education about what to do when your child has diarrhea, and the water quality is terrible, but so many forget the most important step, which is to boil it. As much of a downer that is, what turned out to be encouraging was a little story he told us. 

A boy was walking along the beach after a tsunami trying to help the starfish that had been washed to shore. There were millions of starfish that were baking in the sun. So one by one the boy picked them and threw them back into the ocean. An older man came to the boy and asked him why he was wasting his time throwing them back into the sea because there were millions of them. The boy responded as he picked up another starfish "well I made a difference for this one". 

And really that is all that matters. There are so many people here that I want to help. I wish I could find the cure for HIV/AIDS, or solve the worlds water problem, but I can't. However, I can make a difference in one persons life, and that is what I am looking forward to most :)

Made it!!

Hey everyone I made it! After 20+ hours of travel and some crazy Disneyland type ride turbulence we made it. When arriving into Kenya it was pouring down rain. It took about 2 hours to get through coustoms and immigration. Once we got to the house we are staying at the power was out. Now, after about 12 hours the power is finally back on!! Today we are going to go explore Nairobi and then go to a small local slum for a school assignment. I am so overwhelmed to be here once again.

Part of the team waiting for take-off 

12 Hours

12 Hours till my next African adventure begins. I have been waiting so long for this moment and I can not grasp that it is here. There has been some exciting things that have happened this week. One, the Seahawks won the Super Bowl!!! Two, our group packed 400 pounds of medical supplies to bring on our trip!!!! And three, my friend Ashley in my class was healed :) These are all such amazing things, but I am really still in shock that our group of 6 nursing students raised that much. Not only did we get the 400 plus pounds of supplies (we could not pack everything) we also raised close to $1000 for medications once in the country!! God is so SO good.

The team with our supplies for the camps and clinics!