The last two weeks have gone by
quickly, and things are winding down. For five days, we have had clinics every
day, with Wednesday being a half-day in Sabaki.
We are looking forward to an opportunity to go into Malindi, to do a
little shopping and find the holy grail of comfort in Africa -- a cold drink.
This morning was the HIV/AIDS
support group meeting. Marlene assured
us it would be finished by noon, and it was finished by noon African time:
about 1:30. While Marlene, Earline, Cindy,
and I went to Musifini for the meeting, Diane stayed back to sort through
supplies to create twenty wound care kits that we can leave with the Imani
Project volunteers to continue wound and jigger care in our absence. After two weeks of intensive clinic
experience, the volunteers are actually better qualified and trained than the
community health workers (CHW), even though CHWs have to complete training in
Malindi to be certified.
Two years ago, the HIV/AIDS
support group was chaotic and poorly attended, but not this year. 34 people, mostly women, showed up at a
church in Musifini.
HIV/AIDS
support group meeting in Musifini
People from different villages
traveled some distance to be there, including a few people from Sosoni who were
newly diagnosed due to AIDS tests we administered at the clinic. We also tested
three people this morning, and two of them were positive.
Marlene stated the purpose of
the group very well when she told the attendees they are proof that people with
the HIV virus can and do live healthy lives if they take care of themselves.
Working together to support each other helps them all to learn what they need
to know and keep doing what they need to do.
Francis then gave what Marlene
called a "fire and brimstone" speech. There seemed to be two main
themes (of what was translated for us, at least). The first was to always use
condoms to protect themselves and others. Since men are not always responsible
enough to supply the condom, the women should be prepared with their own
supply. The second theme was that nothing will remove the virus from their
blood and not to waste money paying for "healing" from traveling
preachers. Apparently, it is common for preachers to come to the villages and
make a show of laying on hands and shouting a prayer that will cure their HIV/AIDS
infection…for a fee. The more the people pay, the more powerful the healing is
supposed to be. Francis told them that when they give their money to the
preacher, all that happens is that their
family goes to bed hungry and the preacher gets fatter. Only when Jesus himself comes down to give
the blessing, he said, could you be healed.
The Imani Project gives a lot
of support to these people. Each person who attended got a health kit that
Earline put together, six kilo bags of unga (corn flour), three bottles of
WaterGuard (chlorine water purification liquid), and about two dozen condoms.
Handing
out condoms
Everyone got so much, we
wondered how they were going to carry it home. We distributed what boxes and
flour bags we had, but the rest had to make do.
After the meeting was over,
everyone was served bread and hot tea.
They only had seven or eight cups, so they served a few people, washed
the cups, and then served some more.
Marlene hoped that word would
spread of how much everyone received so that others with HIV/AIDS would want to
come and join the group.
On the van ride home, we
finally had a chance to stop at a little valley with four big Baobab trees that
I've wanted to photograph. We drove past it every day on our way to and from
the clinics, but with a van full of people after a day or working, I couldn't
ask everyone to wait while I took photos.
Cindy and Earline I could ask to wait, however.
Since I was riding in the front
seat, I had a chance to chat with James, the van driver. While going through
Sabaki, he pointed out a local witch doctor and the Baobab tree where he treats
people. We asked Rodgers later about it,
and he said it is devil worship. The
witch doctor lives and works at a Baobab tree because those trees are
considered sacred places.
They call on the spirits of the
ancestors to intervene in people's affairs, and use herbal "remedies"
in their spells and for more conventional herbal healing. One example that
Rodgers gave is when a woman in Malindi meets a visiting mzungu (white) man and
wants to bring him back or keep him as a husband, she comes to the witch doctor
in Sabaki. He washes her with a special herbal mixture and call on spirits to
answer her desire. She pays him a fee then, perhaps 5000 shillings (about
$6.50), but if she gets her man, she pays him another fee later, perhaps 20,000
shillings. Apparently sorcery for hire
is alive and well in Kenya.
We did make it into Malindi in
time for a late lunch at I Love Pizza before shopping. Since Malindi gets a lot
of Italian tourists, the Italian food is pretty good. We were surprised to see
that the restaurant had a pizza delivery tuk-tuk, but I don't think they would
deliver to Sabaki.
Then it was off to the tourist
market!
Malindi Tourist Market
Looking for bargains
The
shoppers
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