The GUW bus arrived about 9:15 to the clinic site, a little late. But that didn't matter; everything was running late. We were given the usual happy greeting by the women already there, high pitched cries and lots of hugs.
The tent from yesterday's clinic was still up and available as the place for the activities. Thank goodness for shade. Those who couldn't fit under the tent mostly watched from the shade of the clinic, a little ways distance but better than sitting in the sun. Before anything official began, some of the volunteers played games with the waiting children, and a musician entertained.
There were many activities that happened as part of the dedication. The women prepared food. Wasn't sure I'd like goat meat anyway but hearing the bleat before it became dinner certainly put me off the idea.
While awaiting the beginning of the formalities, we St. John's folk hung the picture we had brought to hang in the clinic and began organizing the tiles we had brought with plans to affix them to the clinic walls.
There were speeches from a few folk and music by a local choir (who were quite good).
There was a demonstration by one representative of the people (one from each of the 7 groups comprising Kayoro) who had been trained to use the grinder, a machine donated by a group in St. Paul seeking low tech solutions to third world problems. Each of the seven became a bona fide expert after 1+ days of training. The GUW trainers were incredibly impressed at how quickly they learned the machine and its operation.
A choir made up of orphan girls sang, and the youngest (and cutest) presented a poem, which talked about the need and desire for education. It was a real tear jerker.
The St. John's representatives brought out the dresses which had been made by St. John's and Holy Apostles' members. They were given first to the orphans and then to others who wanted and needed them. Everyone looked quite adorable.
We visitors were fed first, at a table set up inside the clinic. Since we concentrated mostly on the rice and beans, there was lots of goat and chicken left for the Kayoro residents who ate after we had finished.
After the Dedication Day was over, the GUW volunteers went off with the family to which we'd been assigned for a "Day in the life. . . ". Some of the volunteers planned to spend the night; I had made the decision that I would return to sleep in the hotel room.
My hostess was Rose Agwena; her son Moses Ogola served as a translator. Several of us spending time with residents who lived some distance from the clinic were driven partway on our bus. Rose and I then walked for about 10 minutes at which point we arrived at her home, and Moses joined us. Moses, now in his early 20's, is the oldest of 8 children; he became the "responsible" man when his father died several years ago. The family home is a mud hut with 3 small rooms, one of which is used as a hen house. The second room is primarily a store room meaning that 9 people live and sleep in one small room. The children of the family and a number of neighbor children came in to see the visitor and do some singing and trying out their English.
I was taken around to see the farm. Moses showed me how cassava is crushed and then cooked in the "kitchen," an out building which has no chimney so the cook inhales smoke.
Moses and his brothers are in the process of building a new kitchen building out of bricks. They're also building a separate mud hut to serve as sleeping quarters for the older boys. Once boys turn 14 they're not supposed to sleep in the same home as their mothers -- particularly when there is no father in the home.
The family keeps goats as well as hens, and Moses is also moving to raise ducks and pigeons. He is definitely entrepreneurial.
However, what he would really like is to return to school. He graduated from secondary school and would like to go on for further education, but that's not at all feasible given family responsibilities and income. Definitely a sad situation, which is repeated in many families.
Moses took me to visit his grandmother (father's mother) who lives nearby. Her home had a bed which was off the ground and had mosquito netting. Her mentally-retarded daughter lives with her; I don't know who takes care of whom. The daughter is well-accepted within the community; she is good with the children, actually is kind of a child herself.
We also saw Rose's daughter who recently married and has a baby. She lives nearby.
We had a neighbor take a picture of Rose, Moses, and me just before I left.
Moses and I left at 6:20 to get to the road for the bus which was supposed to pick me up at6:30. Actually arrived at 6:50 and took us back to the hotel. Had soup for supper and then spent some time using the hotel's very slow WiFi to e-mail, especially information about the clinic dedication with pictures to St. John's so there would be some information for the Annual Meeting.
No comments:
Post a Comment