Where has the time gone?
It’s been a while since I’ve blogged! Every single day, I am learning more and more about the Kenyan culture. With only less than 2 more weeks in this country, I have decided that I want to return here again one day to serve and work with the Kenyans. This DukeEngage experience has been such a wonderful one, and even though there have been many challenges, they have helped me grow as a person and helped me with my final project.
My final project consists of the education of proper hand-washing hygiene for the outpatients of Iguhu. These past few weeks, the doctors and I have created brochures and posters in both English and Swahili showing how to properly wash hands with soap in order to prevent various infectious diseases. I’m currently finishing up the construction of concrete hand-washing sinks so that the outpatients will have access to water. The community members have been very supportive and have worked with me in constructing these sinks. We only have a few small things left to complete, which is very exciting. With these sinks, the doctors, staff, nurses, and outpatients can all wash their hands, working together to prevent the spread of disease and diarrhea!
Not only have I been working within my community, but I have also explored the rest of Kenya! Our group took a trip to Naivasha as our midterm retreat. At Naivasha, we all tented in groups of 2, which brought back memories of K-Ville! Joe and I were always the last ones to go to sleep, and people were always listening to our conversations about Apple products and our fear of medical school. (the walls are pretty thin!) The second day, a group of us hiked Mt. Longonot, which is a stratovolcano. We hiked up the mountain and around the crater, which gave us a panoramic view of Lake Naivasha and of the Great Rift Valley. It was such a peaceful and serene experience. Very pristine and beautiful. The following day, our group went on a safari where we interacted with giraffes, zebras, warthogs, and many buffalo! The trip concluded with a hike to Crater Lake, where we ate delicious food and took awesome pictures.
The following weekend, we travelled to Maasai Mara, which is Kenya’s most famous safari. This experience was just like the movies! We were all in safari cars, and it was one of the most awesome places I have ever been in my life so far. We saw zebras, giraffes, lions, warthogs, hyenas, elephants, etc. VERY VERY CLOSE to us! I took several selfies with sleeping lions… definitely risked my life ☺ Our safari car was called Team GAFY, but I won’t tell you what that stands for ;) The stars at night were absolutely stunning. We saw a few shooting stars, and the peacefulness and quietness of Maasai Mara was what we all needed. Never have I seen so many stars in my life.
As I near the end of my internship, I constantly reflect on the previous 2 months. A lot of memories have happened, and I am thankful that many of those are forever ingrained in my heart. I am sad that I am leaving soon, but with the few days I have left, I hope to solidify the relationships with my colleagues who I now call my friends and to make the most out of the rest of my time!
dc
[makhokho, kenya]
{08.05.2014}