Take your American to Work Day

Woke with anticipation to spend the day with Agnes. The plan was that she would “take us around” but we had no idea what that would entail. She was supposed to pick us up at 8am but she arrived at 9am. I'm not sure that Kenyans even have a word for punctuality but we didn't complain as it gave us more time for coffee talk.

We got in the car to find we were driving to Thika. It is a city of about 600,000 located about an hour and a half outside of Nairobi. Because I was unaware of the traveling involved, I didn't pack my motion sickness medicine. I always thought that somewhere on the road to adulthood I would grow out of getting car sick but once again, today proved disappointing. Agnes had dusted herself twelve too many times with her eau de poison and along with stop-and-go traffic, I was stuck in the backseat with a window that didn't work. Agnes was in complete control of all the windows and she kept closing them all. I was convinced I was dying a slow death by suffocation slash nausea. Thank goodness for SB. Agnes would close the window. SB would open it. That continued for about an hour.

We stopped at the Super Micro Venture on the way that Agnes explained as a “self-help group”. What she really meant was that there were a group of people buying and selling land in smaller parcels to raise money for healthcare, education, gender equality, and upward mobility in the community. So really it's more like selves helping others. The organization is only a year old and already they have made huge strides. Most of the contributors are teachers that commit themselves part-time. We got to meet the CEO, Vice Chairman, Accountant, and several other members of the board. Very inspiring. And on the way out we had our first experience with pit latrines. I would rather not have another one but somehow I don't think that's going to be possible.

Next stop, the district hospital in Thika. The hospital provides free healthcare for those that can't afford it and services many patients from the neighboring slum, Kiandutu. The area has been a focal point for Agnes and her work with gender-based violence education due to the extreme levels of poverty. Industry is prominent and wages are low and often forces large families to live in dangerously close quarters. Del Monte actually has a huge plant that employs a significant portion of the population at minimum wage. The results are skyrocketing cases of sexual assault and positive HIV patients. The hospital has their hands full.

Despite the growing demand the hospital faces, it was surprisingly tidy and well managed. We were welcomed by the Chief Nurse in charge of all 240 nurses at the hospital. We spoke to Rosalind about her greatest challenges and ways we can help. She was bright, articulate, and highly receptive to our questions. I was pleased to hear that she dreams of coming to the U.S. for her masters in public health. She would be brilliant. I felt like we accomplished more in a half hour meeting than we have in days.

The last meeting of the day was with Edith, a counselor in the Comprehensive Care Center. It is an outdoor setting with bungalow-like rooms labeled Counselor 1, 2, etc. above the door. Patients come to the CCC for consultation and physical exams after falling victim to rape, assault, and exposure to HIV. Part of her talk with us was to familiarize us with their standards, the legality, and procedural steps to treating patients. And part of the discussion centered around some recent cases.

There was one specific case I won't soon forget. The victim had been admitted two days ago and was still being treated for her injuries. Here's the warning label...the rest of the story is painful. She is just 8 years old and was settling down to say goodnight while her family was hosting her uncle in their home. The uncle was the older brother to the father so naturally, the father told the uncle to sleep in the child's bed (I'm still perplexed by this but reminded of the cultural differences). The next morning, the uncle left early for harvest at Del Monte while the father found his poor daughter raped and immobile. It's been two days and she is still having trouble walking. The father immediately brought her to the CCC and is taking necessary action against his brother but his child will never be the same. Edith spoke without a quiver and reminded us the importance of empathizing with the patient but never to sympathize. Thika is so lucky to have such a woman. She is an angel.

Despite the jolting reality and shock value, we were all thankful to have seen an organization that is facing such challenges yet turning out positive results. In all the years Edith has been counseling, she has only had ONE case that has come back as a second-time victim. Women and children have been educated on what defines gender-based violence and where the center is located. They are willingly coming forward by the hundreds and in some cases, if the patient can't get to the facility, armed hospital representatives will enter the slums to get the victims out. The progress is amazing.

What a day. We're officially exhausted. Must rest now for our new adventure in the village.