After my lesson on fish farming and sustainable business, I returned back to the YGC Boys Centre just in time for lunch and my next adventure.
Kelsey and Paula were preparing to visit a school in order to make our presence known in the community and to ask them their medical needs so I tagged along on a hike through the bush. We though that it would be about an hour each way (and since I need my exercise somehow) I felt it would be a great idea to see more of my surroundings.
Atleast, our hospitality lead, was given the privilge of being our guide. Dressed in our knee length skirts and white sneakers, I was reminded of the ultimate tourist, sticking out like a sore thumb. I mean, obviously we are the only white people around, but man oh man, when I looked down at my attire, I couldn’t help but laugh at myself.
Off we went straight into the bush. It was quite the hike to start and don’t forget the sun was beating down at its hottest point of the afternoon. As we left the Centre, we would walk for 10 minutes and run into the occasional goat or donkey, but rarely came across huts or homes.
As we continued into the elevation, it was quite the sight to see. The higher we rose, you realized that through the bush there are many homes spread so far apart. These children that live here travel an hour by foot to get to school each day. It makes my walk to work seem like a joke.
Atleast got us lost a couple of times, but we would just stop and ask for directions at the next house we stumbled upon. There the owner would greet us with welcome. Actually, anytime you pass someone you greet them with a “habari yaku?”, “amosi” or “sasa” greeting. A handshake always follows and then a “assante sana” thank you very much, ends the interaction.
The villagers were fantastic though as they would actually walk the mountain with us until they felt secure in giving us appropriate directions. The children would just stare as we were no doubt the first white people they were to ever see and 3 girls to boot! We must be like aliens to them.
2 hours later we finally arrived at a school. Not the one we intended, but it would do. As we entered the grounds, the children froze. Other schools in town would yell “Nzungu! Nzungu!” as we passed which translates into “white person”, but this school’s inhabitants were so awestruck they giggled as we passed but did not know how to react.
We found the head teacher and he invited us into his office. He was so impressed at our journey and noticed that we were sweaty as all hell. Ha. But really, he was so stunned by the hard feat that we had just accomplished by walking 2 hours, that he beamed with excitement.
He listened to Kelsey as she explained the details involving the clinic that is almost ready to be opened, and he in turn gathered all the staff to listen to our purpose and meet us. Kelsey asked about how far they travel for their current healthcare and about what ailments the community and children most often seek help for. Of course malaria was number 1 and along with ringworm and typhoid the trifecta seemed accurate.
Basically by the end of the meeting, the teachers were all so happy to have us there and were grateful for our visit. The deputy head teacher even tried to marry us off to his staff. Can anyone say Green Card?
After exchanging contact info, we made our departure right back up the mountain. Again we greeted those we passed and even were handed a watermelon as a gift for our journey. Another 2 hours and a few more stops later we had made it home just as the sun began to set.
My time in Mbita will not be doing many community visits, but it was very interesting to tag along and see how excited the people get about the prospect of affordable healthcare.
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