The Imani Project: Karimboni Clinic, Day 1

September 12, 2012

Waking up in Kenya is an amazing experience. It starts to get light around 5, and the sun rises at about 6 (and sets at the other 6). As soon as the sunlight begins, the birds burst into song. The birdsong is varied and continuous for the next few hours. This would certainly get me out of bed if it wasn't for the eye mask and ear plugs that let me continue sleeping until about 7. One of these days, I need to get up earlier, I promise. Bird photos aren't going to take themselves, you know.

This morning was our first clinic day at the village of Karimboni. Karimboni is one of a series of villages spread out over a 10km area, with 540 households. The local officials said that with an average of 10 people per household, that would make at least 5000 people. Karimboni is much further away than the villages we visited in 2010; it takes over an hour to drive there by bone-jarring, rattling van, speeding down the dirt roads that connect the villages.

The van that jars our bones

Since we had only an hour yesterday to set out the medical supplies for the clinics, it was a bit of a frenzy this morning to get everything ready. We got a late start, however, and arrived at Karimboni an hour late by American time, which is right on time (if not a little early) by African time. Once we arrived, it took a bit more time to get things set up for the clinic. We didn't begin until about 90 minutes later than scheduled. First days are always like that.

The dispensary building at Karimboni where we held clinic

The first part of the day was reserved for classes. We had planned for six classes of 25-40 women to teach about TB, diarrhea, and the health kits, while Marlene taught a class for men on AIDS. These classes would be taught by Earline, Amy, Anya, Cindy, Diane, and me, with a Kenyan volunteer translator teach. Not as many people were there for the morning, however, so Diane continued to set up medications and clinic supplies, and I took my video camera, camera, and extra lens in hand (and pocket) and recorded the teaching and distribution of the health kits. Knowledge is power, and many people were empowered to live healthier lives today.

Cindy teaches a health class

Anya teaches a health class

Marlene and Jonathan teach the men's AIDS class

The clinic began about noon. Marlene and I conducted triage, where we interviewed the patients to record their complaint, a limited history, and their blood pressure and temperature. The patients then queued to be able to see Amy, Diane, or Cindy who evaluated their conditions and decided whether we had medications that would help them and gave advice on how to care for their medical needs. Meanwhile, Earline worked to clean and dress wounds. Everyone who was seen had a triage form filled out. I would like to tell you how many patients were seen today, but some of the triage forms went missing. First days are like that.

Earline treats a wound with the help of Jane

Diane treats a woman with Jackson translating

I learned something about myself today: apparently I am quite frightening to children. The people in Karimboni were more willing to have their pictures taken than other villages I've been in. Even adult women shyly approved me to take their picture. Children are as eager as always, and they love to see their own pictures after. One little boy, about a year old, was toddling around at the edge of Marlene's AIDS class. I crouched down and raised my camera, thinking that he would have no idea of the camera. Surprise! He immediately let out a blood curdling scream. Later, I was showing children their pictures, and some other child saw the back of the camera and started screaming. Am I that scary?

Kenyan children love to see their own photos

That's not a smile; just after this the screaming began

At the end of the day, we are back in Sabaki. Our dinner was served with a surprise:

Tonight Elvina served us in almost royal finery:

We ended the evening by sorting through a few more health kits for quality control and listening to some music courtesy of my iPod and the "Boombox" magic system that turns a plastic storage bin into a speaker. Brilliant! I am finishing writing this while sitting outside, enjoying a pleasant breeze, a star filled sky, and the occasional mosquito trying to bite at my legs. Having exercised my malaria medicine, it is now time to go to bed.