My site is located in the Provence of Nyanza in a tiny Kijiji (village) called Kirongo. You probably won’t be able to find that on a map but the closest town that I found on my map is called Oyugis. Two larger cities are Kisii and Kisumu. I’m about an hour matatu ride away from each of those. Smack dab in the middle. Which is nice because Kisumu has cheeseburgers and a Nakumat (it’s kinda like a target)
My house in on the compound for the community project that I will be working with; called the “Kirongo Christian Community Integrated Project”… try saying the 5 times fast :-). The community I’m working with has a 26% HIV/AIDS positive population. The project helps in advising PLWA’s (People Living with AIDS) on nutrition and with health support. They also help support the orphans and vulnerable children in the area. There is a school on the compound that I live on. I’ll also be trying to help think of IGA’s (Income Generating Activities) for the widows in the area; which there are a lot of due to AIDS.
I don’t even know where to start…
When I arrived at the tiny town near my site I wanted to burst into tears! There are two other volunteers near me and we traveled to our sites together with our Supervisors. Once we got to Oyugis; it’s the nearest sorta big town to me; we all went our separate ways and I think I kinda freaked out cause I hadn’t really been very far from my comfort zone yet and the drive to my site seemed like 20 years.
I got to my site and met a few of the people I’d be working with and then everyone left. I was in this little house in the middle of no where and had no idea what to do. I finally got it together enough to make myself a dinner of chips and real live Heinz ketchup that I found at Nakumat. The first night was pretty terrifying. I have an Askari (guard) named George. He came by on my first night to say hi and let me know that he would be walking around. This was suppose to make me feel better I suppose but for the most part it scared the bageezus out of me. I was convinced that someone was trying to break into my house all night. It was most likely just the lizards running around in my roof but needless to say; it was a sleepless night.
The next day I met the rest of the staff that I’d be working with and met the children at the school. My first introduction was to a classroom full of 3 and 4 year olds. I felt much better shortly thereafter. :-)
The next day I got to meet with a group of community leaders who proceeded to tell me all the different ways they would like me to save their lives; from building an orphanage to building a medical facility nearby to finding sponsors to provide the orphans and other children with an education. It was all I could do not to start hyperventilating. U have sense calmed down but I still have no idea how I’m going to help all of these people.
Here are some photos of where I’ll be living…
My room; already a mess...
The view from my front door
After FSV those of us in the Western part of the country had a “West Is Best” party in Kisumu where we hung out at the Kisumu Peace Corps office, had a BBQ and then went to some bars.
Raven, me and Amy
So, now I ask myself…what have I gotten myself into?!?!!?
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