New Projects

So much has happened here its so hard to update because everyday is so eventful. I have been gone for 2 weeks and I feel like its been 2 months. We are getting ready for our big event this Tuesday at the clinic. We are hoping to get 150 people to show up and listen to guest speakers that are HIV positive to encourage people to stay protected and to know their status. Their is so much fear when it comes to being tested for HIV and we are trying to break down the barriers and take the fear away. We hope to get as many people tested and give counseling to everyone. We are providing food for them and I have bought t-shirts to give away as a raffle to all of the brave people that get tested.

The people here have so little and everyone is in need of something. There are so many great projects to help out with and I have been approached by many people looking for donations and help. This is really starting to become difficult because I would love to help everyone but unfortunately I do not have endless money. I have decided to help with a project at the clinic to give them a good water supply. Right now the pipes that bring water to the clinic are so small and shared with so many people that most of the time they have no water at all. There is another volunteer here from the USA and we have decided to fund this project to give the clinic water. This entails buying new bigger pipes and all of the materials needed to complete the project and the labor costs. I am here in Ngong Hill today with the contractors and we are buying the materials and taking them back to the clinic today.

The vision for the project is obviously for the clinic to have water all the time but also we would like for the staff to start a garden at the clinic and grow vegetables to help feed the children at the nearby schools. We will not be here to get the garden project running but we hope to pass this on to the next volunteers to come to help the staff and make this a reality.

There are two schools nearby the clinic and they have recently been cut from the feeding program from the government which means they do not get a lunch. A lot of their families live in poverty so they get no breakfast, no lunch and just a small dinner. The vision for the garden project would be that the children can come and help maintain the garden and in return get food for their lunches.

So I have one week left at the clinic and it will be a busy one with the event on Tuesday and with the pipe project starting on Monday as well. I have planned a safari to Masa Mara National Park for my last weekend and then I will be home. I am feeling like this short trip has been a successful one so far but there are so many needs here that I find myself lying awake at night feeling defeated and wishing I could do more.


Missing you all xoxo

P.S. I can't wait to post my pics when I get home!!! On my way to the clinic yesterday there were giraffs at the side of the road!!!