The Fruits of Our Labour

At long last an update from the nutrition team.

We cannot believe that it has almost already been a whole month since we landed in Nairobi. The last four weeks have been a blur of data collection, excel spread sheets, and emails from Jennifer Taylor. This past week, we have finally been able to see our hard work pay off. We conducted our first lunch program feedback session with Kamuketha Primary School and our first family healthy eating seminar with the mothers of Ruuju’s nursery class.
The feedback session went really well. The staff at Kamuketha were very eager to learn and were very receptive of our recommendations. We were able to come up with several concrete goals to help improve the nutritional quality of both the uji and githeri they are serving their students. The children in nursery to standard 4 are really enjoying their uji with milk thanks to Farmers Helping Farmers. We talked to a couple of standard 2 students who were going to be very sad when they have to graduate to standard 5 and no longer have milk in their uji. Although this is one of the newest Farmers Helping Farmers schools, their garden is looking great and is providing vegetables for the githeri and is looking better and better each visit. The staff is very excited and enthused to be using crops from their garden to directly impact the health of their students. They are starting to grow pumpkins for the githeri and since our feedback session will now try to grow sorghum and cow peas to add to the uji flour. Although we got a lot done during our visit we took time to hang out with the children. They tried their very hardest to teach us Swahili but all we were able to mumble (with wrong pronunciation) was “jina langu ni Kaylynne or Christina” (My name is). Once they figured out we were hopeless Swahili speakers, they tried to teach as how to play marbles which was also unsuccessful. Needless to say they spent the whole morning laughing at us. Hopefully they still think our nutrition advice is credible.
We started the day with butterflies in our stomachs about our family healthy eating seminar. We were worried that the group of 30 women would not actively participate and care about what we were telling them. In the end our butterflies were all for nothing as the 100 plus women that ended up attending the session were wonderful. We could not have asked for a better first session. The group was really great at asking many smart questions and really loved to talk (even though we couldn’t understand it). They really listened to what we had to say and seemed to really value our expertise and knowledge. Although we believe they really enjoyed our seminar they seemed to be extremely appreciative and excited about any opportunity to learn how to better their families. It was really great to know that all of our hard work preparing for our session did not go to waste. We really had great time teaching so many women who were eager to learn about nutrition. Although it all ended really well, it was frustrating at times because this was our first Kenyan presentation through a translator. This meant we were not used to saying two short sentences and having a translator take 5 minutes to relay the message to the women. It also took some time to not get flustered by more and more women joining the group every few minutes with crying babies. Slowly, as more and more women trickled in every few minutes, our group of what was supposed to be around 30 women grew to over 100 women plus many many babies and small children. Any frustrations that we may have had went away when we got a standing ovation and a song sung along to us. You also know that you are greatly appreciated when you get a hand written card that says

"Ruuju Primary School Appreciation
Kelynne Parkers
No words can explain the kind of love you have shown to us. You are the people who have enlighted our community at large in many ways. May god bless you and give you long life to see the fruits of your labour. Thank you"

This alone really justifies all the long hours of work we have already put into our projects here and the hours that we will continue to put in over the next few months.

From Kirua to Cornwall

Hello again- Jen here (nutrition team),

I have now been home for just over 48 hours and the jet lag is subsiding. I have been wanting to write something about my experience in Kenya and how it feels to come home. I am finding it hard to know what to write. My two weeks in Kenya seem the equivalent of a month of experience. Or more! I find images flashing through my mind like a slide show- gardens, children’s smiles, donkees and cattles bracing against the weight of the carts and men they pull, boiling pots of githeris, bouncing in the combi, dust, laughing with Colleen, Jennifer M (mama Jen) and the students about fermented uji. And somehow those images don’t capture what my experience was. Not even my over 2000 pictures can capture the sights sounds and smells of my two weeks in Nairobi, Meru and Kirua.
It was so hard to leave last Friday morning and leave my students behind for the summer. Travelling, living together, working together and learning together for 2 weeks and then having to leave was difficult. Tears started to come while I hugged them one last time- managed to keep from crying until I was in the combi. The last thing they needed was a howling professor! I stopped sniffling after Colleen told Steve to put on Kenyan music to cheer me up.
Soon we were rolling along looking at the beautiful scenery for the last time. After driving for 2 hours, we stopped at Karatina Central Farmers Market, the largest produce market in Eastern Africa. Colleen recommended it, and she was right: what an amazing place. (I tell myself that next time I want to spend at least ½ day there!). There is an amazing array of fresh produce- cored pineapples, paw-paws, pumpkins, greens- you name it. All are hawking their wares. I want dried maize and beans to make githeri when I return home and Colleen guides me through the organized chaos. We go to a woman’s display and pick out what we need- she seems a bit surprised to see me asking for these staple Kenyan ingredients. (Colleen told me that she always tries to buy from a woman, and one that seems to need the business the most- I plan to do the same). I gave the woman a tip and get a great picture of us together. We then spy some arrowroot at another booth and I ask permission for a picture. The woman is cranky and roars “you pay”! I am more than willing to, but she is definitely the pushiest and grouchiest person I have seen in Kenya. I found that the vast majority of Kenyans I met to be gentle, soft spoken and very hard working. We smile at each other, and move on with a woman who is telling us to “come to my shop where photos are free”. Truly amazing displays of baskets, purses, jewellery and wooden carved animals. Colleen tries to weave a part of a basket which takes the woman a week to make. I spent most of my remaining shillings and Colleen and I realize we don’t have much cash left and had promised Steve our driver we would treat him to lunch! No Interac here! Thankfully samosas and sausages are very cheap and we all get our bellies full.
We approach Nairobi and soon see cars and graduates coming out of Kenyatta University. Proud families, graduates in their regalia with tinsel around their neck- and, suddenly, the most chaotic huge traffic jam I have ever seen. Combine a graduation where the President of Kenya is speaking and massive highway construction of 9 lanes of traffic, crazy matatus (taxis) and you have an indescribable mess! There are at least 3 (sort of) lines of traffic on our side, a wide ditch area, and 2 or 3 lines of traffic going in the opposite direction. Even our driver looks very concerned. We had lots of time to get our flight (note- always add an extra 2-4 hours!), but Steve is concerned that we could sit for hours in the dust and heat. Hawkers walk between the rows of cars buses and matatus- candy, pop, toys, etc. Crazy matatu drivers cut out and drive sideways along the ditch trying to get ahead. Colleen and I hold our breath when we see a large bus (greyhound size) matatu turn and head down the side of the ditch in an effort to go in the opposite direction and get out of the traffic jam. That it didn’t roll is some sort of miracle. I did see a bunch of men pushing a large red bus back upright that obviously did start to roll. Suddenly the traffic breaks and we start to sail along. We are giddy with relief. I snap a few photos of the hundreds of people walking from graduation. We run into several other slow downs but eventually get to Henry’s office (head of Safari tours). He takes us to his Safari club where Colleen and I have a HOT shower with a WARM towel and a cold beer by the pool. Ahhhhhhh. Colleen teases me that I questioned the need to shower before going to the airport. Boy, was I wrong- we are hot and dusty. We have a great dinner at the Java restaurant (full of hip young Kenyans- what a contrast!) and head to the airport. Several traffic jams later and we are hugging Henry goodbye. I am so thankful that Farmers Helping Farmers has a partnership with this man- seeing his tall frame in the suit and shiny shoes and wide smile just makes you feel safe and well looked after. He even has a gift for us- coffee, tea and macadamia nuts. I am remembering the first night when he shepherded us through the bustling Nairobi airport and took us to our hotel. Seems like forever ago. I was sad to leave him and told him I would be back. And I will.
Everything was at least an hour late leaving on the way home, but we make it. We hug our families and head home. I am driving my little van again but feeling like I have a bad hangover.
Now that I am home with my family I have a strange mix of emotions. I can’t get over the hot water running from my kitchen tap, the many plugs and fast-er internet. We ate very well there, and I got to cook the final week at the sisters, so the only big difference is a larger oven and my dear red Kitchen Aid mixer. My cats are incredibly soft, clean and fluffy... and overfed. Pets were virtually non-existent where I was: most animals were working and working hard. I even saw a few skinny camels. But I am growing impatient with my boys. I made my “Who hash” ( from Dr Seuss of course) with new potatoes, carrots and Farmer’s market sausages. When one son whines a bit that it isn’t their favourite, I start ranting about kids with only one meal a day and gobbling up porridge without complaint. I catch my older (teen) son imitating me to his friend later on, and I chew his ear off. It is hard to go from seeing Kenyan women who work tirelessly without complaint growing food, carrying wood, water and babies, children smiling at me in spite of swollen bellies from protein deficiency, children in school uniforms walking on dusty roads to school at 645 a.m. some of whom get only one meal a day, and then see my children with IPODS, cell phones, fancy clothes and soft beds. But I have luxuries too. And I enjoyed my luxuries while in Kenya- Sweetwater game park, Henry’s Safari club and more. I am realizing that the best thing I can do is try and educate and sensitize my kids, and support my nutrition students Kaylynne and Christina who are still there. They are still over there, working hard. And they will be able to do nutrient analysis of school meals and make recommendations to make the porridge healthier (whole grain rather than polished maize, adding milk and drought resistant crops like finger millet) and make the githeri more nutritious (soaking maize and beans, adding pumpkin and other drought resistant crops). They will be working directly with leaders in the Muchui and Ruuju women’s groups to improve family nutrition and infant feeding. They will work with the children’s orphanage to improve the nutritional quality of the uji and ugali fed to the tiny infants. If anyone can do it, those girls can. I told my Department Chair Kathy Gottschall Pass and our Dietetic Internship Coordinator Linda Smith yesterday how proud I am of our students. By the end of the summer, they will have already made a difference and will have so much to share with us when they return. And I have promised them a celebration!
I already feel very attached to Kenya and see so much opportunity to improve the health of mothers and their children. It is all about women, water and food....I want to raise funds to support more cookhouses and feeding programs for schools, since so many children are affected. Head masters told us that children are more likely to attend school and do well when they have a healthy meal there. The story about the Village Feast fundraiser in the Guardian this week has so much meaning for me now- I have seen the cookhouses and dining halls supported by this initiative and I wonder if the people who organize and attend that event know how profound and lasting their impact is. Wish I had been here to attend- maybe next year. I am also wondering how I can get Colleen Walton to come with me every time (a wealth of knowledge and support for me this trip). Thanks for convincing me to come (“oh persuasive one”) and putting up with me as a roomie and chatterbox, Colleen. And thanks to you, Theresa Ken Winston and all the Farmers Helping Farmers members for all the groundwork they have laid which made it possible for us to do nutrition work. It is quite amazing to be in a developing country and see that PEI is such a major player in improving the lives of Kenyans. And thanks to Kim and Kevin for the support and laughs...shall we meet again in Kenya?

This has been a long blog- I guess I did have something I needed to write! For now, kwaheri ya kuonana, Kenya (good-bye, we will see each other again).

Nutrition and Nursing visit the womens groups

Today both the nutrition and nursing teams met with the Muchui and Ruuju Womens Groups executives. Dr. Kim presented at the continuing education session to St. Teresas staff at 7:45 and afterwards we all headed to Ruuju after a brief stint at the Nakumatt; printing program plans and checking emails on amazingly fast internet!

Ruuju Women were waiting for us and after introducing the members of the partnership network, consisting of Farmers Helping Farmers, Ruuju Women and the University of Prince Edward Island, we settled into discussing the details of dates and times for the work with the women, schools and communities. Everyone had a tour of the amazing Ruuju school garden, and in the final stages of the meeting in the dining hall, had the pleasure of the noisy din of many little voices enjoying their morning uji (porridge).

A similar meeting at the Muchui Business centre was held in the afternoon, with support from Salome and Martin and everyone also enjoying a tour of the bustling green houses. For me, it was the culmination of many hours of investigating, dreaming and planning. Seeing it all come together and everyone feeling great and is just fabulous!

The new Muchui members, all forty of them, were invited to greet us guests. The appear to be a bright and energetic group which can be anticipated to really enhance the group.

Muchui women are expecting TC (tissue culture) banana plants in early August, which they will grow-up for sale in the rains beginning in October. The students have arranged with Salome to join with the women in the labour of transplanting to gain a better understanding of what is involved with growing plants at the nursery and how hard these women work to support the business centre endeavour.

Colleen Walton
June 30,2010

Something new.

I am having a hard time writing about the last few days- not because they were sad and depressing, but because I have so many things I want to talk about and I don’t know where to start. One of our drivers, Safari Steve, told me yesterday, after we watched a bunch of baboons cross the highway: “In Kenya, there is something new every day.” I believe him! I’ll start with yesterday morning. The bunch of us- nurses and nutritionists- piled in the combis with Safari Steve and Driver David- and headed up the hill to Machaka to the children’s home. This was the adventure that most of us were looking forward to and dreading the most. We arrived and were greeted by Alice. Alice is a student, studying to be a sister in Nairobi, but is doing a placement at the children’s home. She is 23-years-old and wise beyond her years. She spoke softly, but with so much confidence and wisdom. And beautiful- she was absolutely gorgeous. She took us on a tour of the facility- they have crops and farm animals for food. We saw some chickens, cows, rabbits and some pigs- one of which scared the crap out of us! All of the pigs were tiny little pink guys that were snorting away at us, and then we looked over the last gate and there was this GIANT black pig face staring back at us. I’m proud to say that I wasn’t the one who screamed the lord’s name in vain in front of a soon-to-be nun! The facility is almost completely self-sufficient. They buy things, like sugar, that they don’t produce themselves, and some vegetables and fruits are donated by community members. As the tour was finishing up, we heard some giggling and looked up and saw two little children peeking out of a door and waving: the moment we had been waiting for. I really think that Alice wanted to continue the tour, but our excitement and the children’s excitement won and the tour was over! I don’t think I can accurately describe how I felt during those hours that we spent with the kids. One of the other students and I wondered if that is what having children feels like. My heart was broken, but at the same time, so full of love. The kids sang for us and we picked them up and high-fived them, and hugged them. As soon as we put one down, there was another pulling at us to pick them up. There are some children that live there, and another 50-some that come everyday for lunch. After lunch, they’d walk home- some of them 2 or 3 kilometers, unsupervised. They are all under 5 years old, by the way. It was an experience that I will never forget.



We left the children’s home and stopped at the Kiirua market to meet Irene who has a reputation of providing the best pedicures on this side of the globe. We will all be seeing her soon. Then Jennifer and I hoped in Safari Steve’s combi to go to another market to find mangoes. Silly white people… mangoes are not in season! We were laughed at. However, we met the cutest little boys and Jenn took their picture. She asked another woman if she could take hers and the lady pulled me in close so I would be in the shot too. We picked out fruits and vegetables and Steve negotiated the price. We bought the biggest avocadoes that I ever did see. Like the size of a cantaloupe! The trip to the market was honestly one of the most joyful moments of my life.
So the road between Kiirua and Meru (which is where the market is) is jungle-y and you have to be on the lookout for crazy animals. The other day, we saw an elephant, and that day, on the way back from the market, we saw baboons. A ton of them!! Steve threw one of the baboons this weird fruit that we bought at the market and we got some great pictures. Steve is supposed to let me know the English name of the fruit is- no one seems to know.
So that brings me to today. We went to the Ruuju school which is close to Micanduri. We had a meeting with the Ruuju Women’s group, and then Allison and I left to do some data collection with Kim and Kevin for a research project that they want to do. They are measuring lung function in women use wood stoves with open flames and without chimneys) for cooking compared to women who use these new, more efficient stoves that contain the flame, produce more heat, and have chimneys. Communication was a challenge. We will be returning to see the group at some point to do a blood pressure clinic. The women spend so much time caring for others that they really appreciate the assessments and attention that we’re giving them.

We went to the Nakumatt for lunch and then headed to see another women’s group (Muchui) and their newest members. We did similar respiratory assessments with 6 of these women, and again, we will be returning to do blood pressure clinics with them. I had to leave the session to take a few pictures. Amazing. Then Martin, who works for the group, took us on a tour of the greenhouses and showed us how they graft different varieties of mangoes, avocados (he says avocando!) He said that they take the bottom of the plant with the best roots and the top of the plant with the best fruit (the fruit is very ju-eecy!) and graft them to produce the best product. Stephanie wondered why we don’t produce humans that way. Martin showed us a tree that they grow that is used in rock quarries. They have strong roots that can penetrate the rock. Millipedes eat the leaves and excrete manure that becomes the soil, and when there is enough soil, other plants are able to thrive. Then we realized that it was getting kind of late and we high-tailed it back to the combi. Martin told us not to worry though- if they left without us, he would drive us back in his gypsy, which I guess is a small car. On the way home (over the bumpiest road that I have ever seen) we picked up a man who works for Mama Jenny. He had a chicken in his hand and was holding it by the feet. Driver David found a Nakumatt bag, he shoved the chicken in and handed it to Kim. And then it started moving!!! So we shared a ride home with a live chicken… incredible! So safari Steve was absolutely right- there is something new in Kenya every day!

Transitions

Blog Four
Today is Sunday, and I am 49 (ulp) years old today. I decided to not go on Safari with the others at 630 because we had been on three yesterday (630 400 and 9 p.m.). I saw two lionesses and their cubs and a tree full of baboons against the full moon. What more could I see? We were concerned about being cold since the night before there was a cold wind. We put on all the layers we had- I was wishing I had jeans and sneakers. John our attendant brought extra hot water bottles and there were blankets in the combi. We were toasty. I fell asleep on the way home watching the spot light sweep the long grass and bushes. I think I was asleep before my head hit the pillow. My dear students and Colleen left balloons on the tent and streamers. How sweet is that?
I am having coffee in the restaurant and have had 4 people wait on me so far...I talked at length to a handsome young man named Steve. When I explained what I was doing here he told me that he was a chef and was trained in hotel/food management. He can’t get a job right now so is working as a waiter. I told him how difficult it was to come here as a (relatively) wealthy white person and wonder whatever can you do. He was encouraging and said “every small change is important”. Ann, another waitress who has served us before, stopped to talk too (finding it hard to write). I told her more details about our work, and that the Kenyan men seemed to be invisible around the farms. She shook her head and said “Some drink and come home late. Women are for running the shamba, cooking, getting water, giving birth and tending to the children.” I told her I wanted to come back every year and bring more students. She said- don’t just do Meru- there are many more tribes that need help. She mentioned the Masai and how they have no food, no water and some women have 10 babies. Africa has many problems, she says. Overwhelming, but it reinforces to me why it is so critical to have women generate an income, have easier access to clean water, and to lessen their crushing physical load and empower them to expect and achieve more than is the norm. The hardest thing about this work is that it is slow. You want to fix things right away and you can’t.
Last night (Saturday) we sat at our usual special round table in the corner and a large table of Americans (maybe Texas?) sat beside us. We think the food is amazing. Lots and lots of East Indian food which surprises me. Chicken Tikka, talipia fillets in coconut sauce, lots of veggies, always a cheese and cracker tray, loads of fruit and desserts. I had curried giblets for breakfast- a bit chewy but very good. An omelette station- Fri night there was a pasta station at dinner. I had goat, which was quite good. They recommended a mint sauce which was delicious. I even had a thin slice of coconut tart and bread pudding with custard sauce. Couldn’t resist!
Today we head home to Kirua and start our second stage staying at St Theresa’s. We have only four days to finish what we need to do to prepare Kaylynne and Christina for their summer’s work. We are going to sit together with the computer and revise the schedule Colleen has prepared. I have gone from worrying how I will ever leave them to admiring the speed with which they have adapted, begun to understand the nutrition and food issues here, and how well they interact with Kenyans.
Later....
We arrived at St Theresa’s around 4 after seeing Kim and the nursing students at the Equator! They were coming from Nairobi and we were coming back from Sweetwaters. It was crazy and wonderful to see them. When we got to St Theresa’s we were warmly welcomed by Sister Naomi and Jacinta. What sweet and kind women- I love them already. We unpack and hang up our things, which everyone is excited about. Little Stacey, Jennifer’s grand niece charms us. She loves Christina and Kaylynne and draws on a notepad and pencil I give her (from you Mom!). She made me a birthday card and said Happy Bithday in a very soft Kenyan lilt. When the nurses arrive and Kim realizes the students are three to a room and 6 girls to one shower, she says she will negotiate that they can get an extra room when we leave on Friday (and she does!). Kim has bought a pile of groceries and a box of Cabernet red wine for me! Woo Hoo! We visit and then head over to the Sister’s building for a welcome dinner. What an affair that was. Huge platter of fresh fruit, pop (always considered a treat for visitors), pizza (the sisters are part of an Italian order), chicken, mukumo (potatoes, maize and spinach), rice and more. The priest, the Deacon, some community members are there, so it is a crowded room with the food at the centre. At the end, I hear some singing and tambourines- the sisters and Jennifer M (from the bed and breakfast fame) and Salomi are singing beautiful welcome songs. And “trilling” with their tongue. They are holding cake, but I didn’t clue in that it was a birthday cake until the third song turned into “happy birthday”. Hoping to get the video uploaded but it is big. They taught me how to make the high pitch trill song and everyone laughed. What fun. Kim made a presentation of funds towards the AIDS outreach program from the PEI School of Nursing. I was wishing I had something, but it is our first time, and I need to figure out how we balance fund raising for Farmers Helping Farmers (precious cookhouses and water tanks for women and their families) and being respectful and grateful for the Sister’s work as well. So much need here...
On Monday, we toured the hospital which was very interesting. I held a baby that was only one day old and the Mom took a picture on her cell phone. I am trying to figure out how to get a copy of that. We saw a man with feet that were in the worst condition I have ever seen- he was still walking around. Lots of opportunities here at the hospital to reach new mothers through their immunization program. That is exciting for us since the students need to do some education around introducing solid foods (what when). We saw a small display of maize flour, sugar salt beans and rice in little bottles that they use for teaching. They are not supposed to be giving beans because of the low digestibility. We have some great materials that they gave us that we can use to develop user friendly resources for the Mom’s. I have great faith that Christina and Kaylynne will rise to the occasion! All six students and Colleen and I then headed to the Nakumatt to get supplies. We bought more food to last the rest of this week (feeding 10 people takes a lot!) and Colleen/Christina went with another driver to get the computer modem situation straightened out. Christina is our local computer whiz, thank heavens! We had a “Canadian” lunch at the Lion’s Den restaurant beside the Nakumatt, and we all enjoyed burgers and club sandwiches. Lugged all the stuff in, and Christina and Colleen arrived back with the new exercise bike and treadmill that was stored at Jennifer’s. The girls are really excited about that! The evenings can be long for them, and this will allow them to exercise safely.
Colleen Christina Kaylynne and I then sit down at the table outside in the sun and plan our week and remaining time for the students. Colleen had done a schedule before we came which was so helpful, but there are many opportunities and changes we need to think about. We agree on a good plan to get all the work done, with the target groups of schools (porridge and lunch program evaluations, some nutrition education with children), women (family nutrition) and new mothers (through the Women’s groups and the hospital immunization program). The nutrition students will also do some staff education here at the hospital regarding infant and family nutrition. They are going to finish the plan on their laptops and we will discuss it today (Tues).
One of the nursing students Jillian and I prepare curried coconut chicken, rice and carrots from the Sister’s garden (they supply us with any fresh vegetables they grow for a very low price). It was so fun to cook, and to eat together for the first time. I was so tired- hit the hay at 930 again. Today we go to Muchaka, the children’s orphanage, which will be a challenge emotionally. Many transitions in the past few days!! More later....Love, Jen

We're here!!

Jambo! (Hello)

I am Jillian. I am one of the 4 nursing students from UPEI. We arrived last evening at St. Theresa's Mission Hospital in Kiirua, Kenya. We had been in Nairobi for two nights at the beautiful Fairview Hotel- the same one that the nutrition students stayed at last week. Gorgeous! Saturday morning, we got up bright and early, and with our driver, Driver David, we went to Nairobi National Park. Pretty amazing. We saw a ton of animals: giraffes, jackals, warthogs, zebras (in the distance), a buffalo (from behind), and these beautiful cranes. They were HUGE. Our talented driver, David, spotted a lion in a patch of lion-colored grass. We saw him flick his tail a few times- the lion, not David. After the park, we went to the Kazuri bead factory. Over 300 women are employed there. They are mostly single mothers who otherwise would not have a job. The women and their families receive free healthcare. An amazing spot. And beautiful work…. We spent a lot of time picking out jewelry to take home. After that, David took us on a long drive through the city, back to the hotel. Lots of traffic, lots of sights, sounds and smells. I was experiencing a bit of sensory overload. I still am. The plantlife is incredible. A few of us were talking about how at home, we struggle to grow these beautiful plants and flowers, and here, they just grow willy-nilly all over the place. Did any of you know that poinsettias can grow to be large trees and not just piddly little plants that only live for a few weeks at Christmas time? Yep... they have those here!
So yesterday, we got up bright and early and piled into the combi (van). Seven people, each with a bunch of luggage, and two boxes of medicine makes for an uncomfortable 6 or more hours. Good thing we like each other! In Kenya, they drive on the “wrong” side of the road- literally. They drive on the left side, as a rule, but I think we spent just as much time on the right side of the road, avoiding people walking, people on bikes, donkeys, pot holes… Terrifying at times. But Driver David got us here safe and sound! David is great, by the way. Absolutely hilarious!
We picked up a few groceries (and a few delicious Kenyan beer!) at the Nakkumat (grocery-type store) and headed to the boarding house. This is when it hit me that I am in Kenya for three months. The four of us had a little moment in the courtyard... we were all kind of crying a little bit, but also laughing at something someone did or said- I can't remember what it was. Anyway, it was a crazy mixture of emotions and I had a hard time controlling myself. Soon, we headed over to meet the sisters. We were welcomed with an incredible greeting- which was so touching that I cried even more. The food was incredible- I can't remember the names of all of the foods, but we had a cabbage dish, a chicken dish, a dish with mashed potatoes, corn spinach and other things. They even made us pizza! Then we had our first Kenyan bananas- and holy moly, they are the best darn bananas I have ever eaten!!
This morning, we were all up bright and early- once again- and walked over to the hospital for a tour with Sister Jacinta. The hospital is incredible. They have a capacity of 86, but this morning they had 66 patients. They are renovating one section and will soon have enough room for 110. There is a men's and women's medical unit, a pediatric unit, the CCC- continuous comprehensive care center- a maternity unit and a surgery unit, also known as the theater. The hospital is made up of several small buildings, and all of them- like most other buildings that I have been in so far- are open to the air. The patients spend a lot of time outside either sitting on benches or even laying in the grass. It is a beautiful environment. Though it is very clean, it doesn't have the sterile feel that we are used to. We met some mom's with their new babies- only a few hours old! You wouldn't believe how beautiful these babies are! Incredible! Sister Jacinta told us that there were 149 babies born there in May. That is like 5 babies per day! We are going to get a lot of experience!! I will tell you more about the hospital as I get more familiar with it.
Jennifer Taylor and I are cooking supper together tonight. Sister Naomi just brought over a ton of carrots and onions picked fresh from the garden. I can seriously smell them from another room!!! I am so excited to eat garden-fresh carrots! I'll let you know if they're as good as the ones from my garden- I'm betting that they're better!!

It's Uji Time!

Uji is the name for Kenyan porridge. Uji is typically made with maize, sometimes mixed with sorghum, finger millet, bulrush millet and amaranthus seeds, ground together into flour. And, unlike our porridge, uji is drunk from a mug. Uji is fed mainly to young children, including kindergarten, and standard 1 and 2 students, and nursing mothers and is part of the complementary feeding and weaning regime for Kenyan babies. Because it is mainly maize (think cornstarch) only a small amount of the ground flour is needed to prepare the thick 'drinking yogurt' consistency and thus the energy content is low. Fermenting the uji flour, similar to a sourdough but using naturally occurring yeast on the grains, may breakdown some of the starch in the mixture and allow more flour to be used to obtain the desired consistency, and consequently increase the energy content of the uji. The yeast may also produce B vitamins to add nutrients to the porridge.

Jennifer M. kindly showed us how fermented uji can be made. She washed the dried maize and finger millet in the evening and, after draining, placed in a plastic bag. In the morning we went to the posho mill and had the grains 'wet milled' adding about 4 parts of water to 1 part of grain. The bottled slurry was held overnight and then a portion boiled in the morning, with more water, to make the uji drink. With a little sugar it made a sweet almost lemony drink that Jennifer's children consider the ultimate comfort food. but is not to the liking of all according to Jennifer M.

Other options in making uji more nutritious include mixing the maize with the other grains which have higher protein and complementary amino acids, using maize which has not been dehulled (thus retaining B vitamins and oil), and adding milk to the uji during cooking. Chritina and Kaylynne will be evauating uji's and recommending to schools and mothers preparations that can benefit the nutrition for the children receiving uji as an important part of the diet during these periods of fast growth.

The school children love their uji and I certainly enjoy it, especially the fermented uji, after many sips over the years. It does seem to be an acquired taste. According to Kaylynne “the only thing worse [tasting] than uji is fermented uji”.

Colleen Walton

June 26, 2010