Day 6: Tuesday, January 17, 2006
This morning started off with a meeting with the deaf children around 8:00 a.m. They were having their morning assembly in which they sang a song and offered a prayer. Then, the VIM team distributed small gift sacks to each child. Each sack contained a hacky sack, bandana, mints, cross necklace, stickers, Christian message postcard, chapstick (which the boys thought was lipstick). The kids were quite intrigued with the gift and their faces were brimming with excitement and smiles; but, they were quite puzzled as to how to open the ziplock bags. It was wonderful to watch the children as they received their small bag of gifts.
This morning, Kellye, John, and Jack attempted to obtain more information on the water line problem for the Home for the Mentally Handicapped Children. This consumed most of the morning as we went to the proposed site for the intake (via a hike down a trail on a muddy mountain) with the head teacher of the school and a couple of folks from our Kenyan team, Wilson (who has had some experience with other intake issues) and Simon (our driver). We then walked the proposed route observing and attempting to check things out.
The stream of good running water is only about 18” – 24” wide in most places. There are already 170+ intakes in place along this stream. The School for the Mentally Handicapped does not feel that it can tap into the intake for the School for the deaf because of different “management”. There is a “bit of trust” that others will not tap into their line (once in place) based on culture and tradition. There is a fall of about 80 meters (about 25’) in height from the intake source to the proposed site. In most places, the lines would be placed 4’ below the surface. However, at the Catholic Retreat Center where there are already 2 large retaining walls in place, the pipe would have to be encased and placed 6’ below the walls. When the pipe reaches the area of the primary school, there is still a bit of question as to exactly the pipe would cross the playground area and/or go to one side of it. In this area, there is a sewage containment area of one kind or another beneath the playground (the cattle and egrets really seem to enjoy the green grass in this area). It is thought this part of the pipe in this area would also have to be 6’ deep. The school has 110 students who are in need of the water today. They range in age from 6 to 30+ (there is one man there who is over 30 but has no place to go; this has become his home).
While these three were out, most of the remainder of the team was at the site beginning to paint – putting the first of two coats of primer on the concrete walls. They had made great progress by the time this small contingent returned.
During the course of the day,
Albert was taken to see a local physician for his cold. He was given some medicine and says he’s doing better. Based on the connections of the Mubichi family, he was able to get in and get out as well as get very speedy processing at the pharmacy. Katie went along for the experience and got to see a little bit too. They had lunch back at the hotel when they finished and before coming back to the site.
Kathy B went to a preschool and observed much about early childhood development here. They did a lot of finger games and were learning the alphabet. There was not an abundance of supplies anywhere around in the classroom. The building had a dirt floor, but the 80 children with 2 instructors were having a good day.
Kathy H was asked to teach algebra class tomorrow.
Gay went to buy a freezer for the Children’s home.
A visual treat this morning for Jack, John, and Kellye was seeing Mt. Kenya while standing on the playground at the primary school. The skies were very clear, and the image of the remote mountain was good. One could tell that there was snow on the mountain, and we were told by the locals with us that seeing Mt. Kenya from Meru was typically not possible.
Another highlight of the day was having lunch with the children. We were served first, but we spaced ourselves throughout the dining hall. Then we were followed by the Kenyan workers and finally the children. The meal was plentiful: cracked maize and beans (as close as they get to rice and beans – but thicker here as the cracked maize is more like lumpy mashed potatoes); mashed potato/banana dish; stew with bits of beef and sliced carrots (and a few other vegetables); cooked shredded cabbage salad; and a whole (small) mango. At each table sat children and workers (both Kenyan and American) – this was great for us, but apparently not traditional! There were some other tables and then there were just benches – they don’t have near enough tables (nor room to put more) for even all of the children at one setting (and they always feed in one setting just by nature of preparing for the food, etc.)
After lunch, the team painted some more, adding another coat in several places and attempting to finish the first coat in some. Jack made us some great roller extensions out of scrap lumber – it was much easier to use the rollers on these extensions than climb the ladders that they’ve built! At the front door, part of the team started chipping away at the cement; they’ve decided to add a step at the entry and they need to rough up the place where the step will be poured in order to have the step bond better.
Cliff started working on some of the windows for installation, and the welders continued to weld some of the frames for the upper windows. (The welders work 12 hour days in Kenya for very little money.)
At afternoon tea time, Kellye and Katie left the site in an attempt to access the internet since we could not yesterday because the service was down at the Mubichi house. We went to an internet café and we learned that the internet service is down in all of Kenya; the hub / network (whatever it is called) is down in Nairobi. The internet café person told us that this was the longest that it had been down – but this was not a lot of comfort for us trying to connect. We left our number of the mobile phone that we have access to in hopes that he would call if/when it comes up.
It rained again late this afternoon – third day in a row and the locals are so happy. They have thanked us for bringing them rain. We’ve assured them that we need rain in our homes and that it was not us that brought it.
Supper tonight was very tasty: chicken masala, beef curry, rice, cream of chicken soup, spicy fried potatoes, and fruit (pineapple and plums).
Decisions to be made:
What to do about water line for the School for the Mentally Handicapped. The ground appears to be dirt, and no rock, all the way. The cost appears to be about double of what it was. The children need water, but this needs to be a separate VIM project – we can’t tack it onto our current project with either the funds we currently have or the time we have to do it. It is just difficult to imagine the children living there without sufficient water. For those who were here last year, it is even more difficult to imagine since they thought that if the pump was purchased, then their problems would be solved . . . and they are no where close to being solved at this point in time!
Submitted by Kellye J
This morning, Kellye, John, and Jack attempted to obtain more information on the water line problem for the Home for the Mentally Handicapped Children. This consumed most of the morning as we went to the proposed site for the intake (via a hike down a trail on a muddy mountain) with the head teacher of the school and a couple of folks from our Kenyan team, Wilson (who has had some experience with other intake issues) and Simon (our driver). We then walked the proposed route observing and attempting to check things out.
The stream of good running water is only about 18” – 24” wide in most places. There are already 170+ intakes in place along this stream. The School for the Mentally Handicapped does not feel that it can tap into the intake for the School for the deaf because of different “management”. There is a “bit of trust” that others will not tap into their line (once in place) based on culture and tradition. There is a fall of about 80 meters (about 25’) in height from the intake source to the proposed site. In most places, the lines would be placed 4’ below the surface. However, at the Catholic Retreat Center where there are already 2 large retaining walls in place, the pipe would have to be encased and placed 6’ below the walls. When the pipe reaches the area of the primary school, there is still a bit of question as to exactly the pipe would cross the playground area and/or go to one side of it. In this area, there is a sewage containment area of one kind or another beneath the playground (the cattle and egrets really seem to enjoy the green grass in this area). It is thought this part of the pipe in this area would also have to be 6’ deep. The school has 110 students who are in need of the water today. They range in age from 6 to 30+ (there is one man there who is over 30 but has no place to go; this has become his home).
While these three were out, most of the remainder of the team was at the site beginning to paint – putting the first of two coats of primer on the concrete walls. They had made great progress by the time this small contingent returned.
During the course of the day,
Albert was taken to see a local physician for his cold. He was given some medicine and says he’s doing better. Based on the connections of the Mubichi family, he was able to get in and get out as well as get very speedy processing at the pharmacy. Katie went along for the experience and got to see a little bit too. They had lunch back at the hotel when they finished and before coming back to the site.
Kathy B went to a preschool and observed much about early childhood development here. They did a lot of finger games and were learning the alphabet. There was not an abundance of supplies anywhere around in the classroom. The building had a dirt floor, but the 80 children with 2 instructors were having a good day.
Kathy H was asked to teach algebra class tomorrow.
Gay went to buy a freezer for the Children’s home.
A visual treat this morning for Jack, John, and Kellye was seeing Mt. Kenya while standing on the playground at the primary school. The skies were very clear, and the image of the remote mountain was good. One could tell that there was snow on the mountain, and we were told by the locals with us that seeing Mt. Kenya from Meru was typically not possible.
Another highlight of the day was having lunch with the children. We were served first, but we spaced ourselves throughout the dining hall. Then we were followed by the Kenyan workers and finally the children. The meal was plentiful: cracked maize and beans (as close as they get to rice and beans – but thicker here as the cracked maize is more like lumpy mashed potatoes); mashed potato/banana dish; stew with bits of beef and sliced carrots (and a few other vegetables); cooked shredded cabbage salad; and a whole (small) mango. At each table sat children and workers (both Kenyan and American) – this was great for us, but apparently not traditional! There were some other tables and then there were just benches – they don’t have near enough tables (nor room to put more) for even all of the children at one setting (and they always feed in one setting just by nature of preparing for the food, etc.)
After lunch, the team painted some more, adding another coat in several places and attempting to finish the first coat in some. Jack made us some great roller extensions out of scrap lumber – it was much easier to use the rollers on these extensions than climb the ladders that they’ve built! At the front door, part of the team started chipping away at the cement; they’ve decided to add a step at the entry and they need to rough up the place where the step will be poured in order to have the step bond better.
Cliff started working on some of the windows for installation, and the welders continued to weld some of the frames for the upper windows. (The welders work 12 hour days in Kenya for very little money.)
At afternoon tea time, Kellye and Katie left the site in an attempt to access the internet since we could not yesterday because the service was down at the Mubichi house. We went to an internet café and we learned that the internet service is down in all of Kenya; the hub / network (whatever it is called) is down in Nairobi. The internet café person told us that this was the longest that it had been down – but this was not a lot of comfort for us trying to connect. We left our number of the mobile phone that we have access to in hopes that he would call if/when it comes up.
It rained again late this afternoon – third day in a row and the locals are so happy. They have thanked us for bringing them rain. We’ve assured them that we need rain in our homes and that it was not us that brought it.
Supper tonight was very tasty: chicken masala, beef curry, rice, cream of chicken soup, spicy fried potatoes, and fruit (pineapple and plums).
Decisions to be made:
What to do about water line for the School for the Mentally Handicapped. The ground appears to be dirt, and no rock, all the way. The cost appears to be about double of what it was. The children need water, but this needs to be a separate VIM project – we can’t tack it onto our current project with either the funds we currently have or the time we have to do it. It is just difficult to imagine the children living there without sufficient water. For those who were here last year, it is even more difficult to imagine since they thought that if the pump was purchased, then their problems would be solved . . . and they are no where close to being solved at this point in time!
Submitted by Kellye J
posted by revjack at 11:50 PM
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