Mutomo: Monday, June 20

Today, one girl from each of the groups that worked in and around Mutomo will write briefly about her group's experiences.

From Kathleen Ferraro, Liz England, Sam Dumler, Olivia Riley, Jay Bruber, Eric Grutzner, Rose McNeeley and Phillip Goldman:
Today after a long, bumpy ride to Athi (a village about 90 minutes from Mutomo), we arrived at the community center. We spent the morning setting up a swingset for the children, preparing to whitewash the entire exterior of the building, and administering medication to AIDS patients. The rest of the day was spent whitewashing the building. While we were working, we were able to learn Swahili from some Kenyans and play with local children. At the end of the day, we had whitewashed the building with almost two coats, putting us way ahead of schedule on that project! It was a great and productive day!

From Jessie Wyatt, Amanda Scheid, Mackenzie Grutzner, Ashley Bruber and Joanne Mullen:
After a quick, 3-km ride, we arrived at Kandae Primary School. We were instantly greeted by children hurtling themselves on top of us -- especially on Ashley as she climbed out of the front seat of the van. After spending time high-fiving the kids as they pulled on Amanda's blond and seemingly unusual hair, we went to the administration room. Unlike Vis in every way, the school was a small room, with a large desk for the School Dean and the other desk for all of the teachers surrounded by not-so-gently used books and yellowing maps and paper. This truly was a reality check at how fortunate we are to go to a school that provides not only textbooks but also paper, pens, and even Smart Boards.

When we went to the classroom, we were yet again shocked. The classroom, holding roughly 25 students, was covered by an aluminum roof, it had holes in the walls, no bookshelves whatsoever, and a painted-on chalkboard. The students had two notebooks to share and roughly five pens that were being passed around. The class we visited with were students of all ages who were learning about self-awareness and HIV/AIDS. Their intelligence was impressive, and their ability to understand and accept was remarkable. We spent parts of the day thoughout the entire day playing with other children from the school and singing and dancing -- hilarious videos of Joanne will follow! It was a wonderful day that helped us realize how fortunate we are and how much we have to be thankful for. These children will remain in our prayers throughout the rest of the trip and we hope to emmulate their energy in our daily lives! ASANTE!

From Meghan Hickey:
Today I stayed in Mutomo with Elizabeth Arnstein and helped out in the hospital. We worked with children who were waiting for appointments in the Comprehensive Care Unit (where the children recieve their HIV medication) and played with them to distract them. Ms. Arnstein showed off some pretty impressive soccer skills, while I was told just to take pictures instead of playing. :-) We also sorted boxes and boxes of old toys and books for the kids that had been in storage for years because no one had time to sort through them or organize them. The job took hours, but Sr. Bridget was so pleased with our efforts. 

Meghan Hickey sorts through toys at the hospital.

One of the long-term patients at the hospital plays while we sort.

A highlight of the day is that in the morning, we were also able to see a baby being born.  It was a boy!

From Elizabeth Arnstein -- with contributions from everyone:
One of the things we have noticed about Kenya is that it is a land of contrasts.  Here are some examples of the contrasts we have seen or experienced thus far:

One of the main streets in Mutomo.

A "parking lot" in Mutomo.

• People here are surrounded by misery in every form (poverty, sickness, death), yet they are some of the happiest, most cheerful people we have ever met.
• Births and deaths take place just feet from each other.
• The scenery -- the cliffs, the hills, the animals -- is beautiful, but up close, you can see the squalor, filth, and garbage all around.
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• The landscapes are lush at a distance, but up close, one can see how the drought has deeply affected the land.
• In the clinics, tens of thousands of dollars' worth of drugs are being dispensed in buildings with no electricty and no water.  The people who run the clinics can't even afford to paint the buildings.
• Everyone here has cell phones, but there is NO water.
• People are beautifully dressed (men in suits, women in gorgeous dresses), but the surroundings are filthy.
• There is an astonishing absence of water, yet people are power-washing their motorbikes.
• Very friendly people -- unless you have AIDS.  Then you are ostracized.
• Additionally, we -- the Vis group -- are very tired, but we are so energized and astounded by our daily experiences.

The daughters of two nurses at the hospital.

A boy waiting for medical treatment plays with the newly sorted toys.

I cannot emphasize this enough:  we are having a great time in Mutomo and its environs.  We are also learning a lot about Kenya, AIDS, the hospital, poverty, and ourselves.  This has truly been life-changing for us.  And we hope it will be life-changing for the people we are meeting.  Indeed, within the last 24 hours, the Sisters' outreach community in Athi has received a swingset, a volleyball court, and a fully-whitewashed building through our efforts.

Thank you for the comments on our blog!  We love reading them.  And thank you for your continued prayers for our safe travels and work.