One of the phenomenons that one’s body must adjust to is that there is no peeing when you are a woman in the field. One has to be careful just how much fluid she takes, lest the need arise. There is simply no peeing or pooing during the day. There are no public toilets and the school toilets I’ve learned from. One simply does not want to expose her freenie to the elements, the flies, the mosquitoes, or the mud. I am amazed at how quickly my body adjusts to only peeing during the night.
Kwihirle is the smallest and farthest school of the 3. A woman who used to run Manyole heads it. The school is desolate, the children are running to school as we arrive at 10:30A. Despite being told we were coming, things appear to be in disarray. The buildings are sparser than any others; classrooms are divided for 2 classes. The lowest of the classes is taught in a hut made of sticks and cow dung.
The entire team arrives, Asuke, Musee (the driver of the van), Ken, Dan, Carol, Maureen, Monica, Francis and myself. We have come to do business. We want to check on the nutrition and take measurements of the children (Dan and Ken), we want to deworm all the children (Carol and Monica) we want to start the reproductive health program (Maureen) and see how the parents are faring with their microfinance (Asuke). It is no small undertaking KMET and OVAAT have undertaken and we are completely underwhelmed with what is going on.
The children receiving the porridge are receiving it in mugs that are used over and over again without any washing. The 5th grade math teacher is a drunkard and a thief and hangs around me wanting sweets and money. The parents look bewildered when Monica starts talking about our comprehensive program and parent cooperation. Muga (thank God) arrives to talk to the parents since Miriam seems totally overwhelmed. It seems that since she met with KMET in January and signed an MOU she has not met with the parents so they had no idea what the programs were or what we were doing.
My heart sank as I had memories of Mabunge. However the team at KMET is more driven for this school to succeed than I could imagine. They seem to love a challenge and I suspect from seeing all they do, that success shall be snatched out of the jaws of defeat.
And so we head back to Kisumu. The rains surround us after the intense heat and the road become mud, the hail crashes, and the clouds clear. I suspect it is a good analogy for all that I do over here. I often come upon a storm and have no idea how I’m going to get through it, but it always clears up and my hope returns. And God said it was good.
Tomorrow I’m taking the day off. I can pee whenever I want and I’m even having a PB and J with some juice. Ah the luxury.
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