And Now the Yellow Brick Road

Friday night arrived, cool and beautiful, but not as magnificent as what was happening inside the Hernandez Center. Harambee kicked off it's second annual dinner dance to benefit the children we serve in Nambale. As the Director of this little operation, and 62 years old (ah now you know MM's Age don't tell) I was totally blown away by what our committee pulled together. Whoever thinks that people in their 20's and 30's don't care about the world, or know how to run a charity event ought to meet the folks that ran Harambee. It was seamless in it's grace and we made several thousand dollars which is good since we need it.

Now I turn my attention to returning to my heart home, Kenya. I so look forward to seeing the friends and sisters who I have come to love over the years. I watch my Kenyan nieces on Facebook and love their spirit and faith. I return to St. John's ACK Church, where my sister E who, began this journey 7 years ago, still preaches. You cannot imagine a church like this, tin roof, wooden benches, people spilling out of the doorways. There are less folks than there were before the elections. E says so many fled in terror or lost their faith. Even E no longer lives at KARI, but now in Nairobi.
I cannot imagine what those long nights of killing must have been like. Frankly I don't want to.

B is coming with me, stalwart Board Member and loyal house mouse. He finally got his shots on Friday and he was feeling it. I am delighted, though, that he is coming. It is only when you can smell the acrid air, feel the moist redness of the clay, hear the crow of a rooster or the song of the children, that it really sears itself into your soul. I know that once you go to where I go, you are never the same. A small piece of your heart remains in Nambale and the sight of the kids waving branches and singing is nothing I can even try and touch.

Now that I turn my attention fully to Kenya I couldn't help but laugh at the note in the Nation of new anti-malarial drugs being tested in Rusinga, Island. See, most of you probably haven't read the "Freenie Shack". I'll probably have to post it again, but Rusinga is where I got malaria as well as a couple other creepy crawlies. We won't be going to Rusinga, but it did tickle me that they are rolling out a new anti-malarial there. See there isn't a mosquito in all of Nyanza province that doesn't carry malaria. But the ones on Rusinga laugh at the thought of a medication that might hinder their spreading of the fevers. And folks here are worried about Swine Flu.Ha, I laugh in your face. I'll match any pig in the U.S. to the mosquitoes in Rusinga to a pandemic competition and I promise you the little guy will definitely win.

I wouldn't change it for the world. I'll be off in less than 2 weeks and I know the stories we shall encounter on the way to Oz shall be life changing.

Keep the faith y'all

Anti-malaria drug trials set to kick off in Kenya
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Posted Sunday, April 19 2009 at 19:02

Trials for a new anti-malaria drug are set to begin at Rusinga Island of Suba District.

Mr James Onchwati, a representative of Artepharm in Kenya, said in Kisumu at a anti-malaria launch dinner that discussions with the ministry of Health were in progress to pave way for trials of Artequick to begin.

The drug is manufactured by Artepharm, a Chinese company.

Mr Onchwati said that the free treatment would be a model study to eradicate malaria in the area, which has a high rate of infection.

He said similar tests had been conducted successfully in the Comoros Islands last year.