Final Correspondence from Kenya

How can one email possibly encompass everything I have been doing over the last few weeks. It has only been a little over two weeks since I sent out my last set of news, but each of these days has been action packed.

As I am heading home in two weeks, I am planning to have a photo night, hopefully in early December otherwise, after the mad christmas rush, for all of those who donated funds and/or are interested in what I have been up to.

Until then, I will try not to bore you too much with excessive amounts of detail and will try keep this email as brief as possible while still filling you in on what has been happening.

On the weekend of the 22nd, six friends and myself spent a weekend on the Mombasa coast at Diani Beach after an intense first week of HIV counselling.

Last Friday I finished this placement and consequently my volunteering stint with IVHQ. HIV counselling was a very different experience to working in the orphanage, but quite rewarding. I saw a lot and met a lot of people. We mainly worked doing house and hospital visits to various patients suffering HIV.

The locations we visited to make these house calls were Kibera Slum, the biggest slum in Africa since having taken recently taken over Sowetto in South Africa. I wouldn't say it is the worst thing I have seen in Africa, though in terms of magnitude, it is fairly awful. We also visited Kenyatta Hospital to visit HIV patients. Kenyatta really is a league of it's own. The only public hospital in Nairobi, with little facility, where does the tax payers money go? Children, adults and, wait for it, prisoners, all share one room.

During this week of house visits I found the first child to be involved with the child sponsorship program. Kevin Oloo Muga is 16 years old and lives in Ngando slum. When he finishes school, he aspires to be a pilot and with an A minus average in school, I am more than certain this boy has got what it takes to follow his dreams, providing he has the right resources and guidance.

Currently he lives in a single room house with no water, electricity or toilet. He lives with his five siblings and single mother, who along with the two youngest siblings, is HIV positive.

Kevin is in form 8 at New Franelli School, Ngando Slum, Nairobi. After sitting his final exams this month, he will receive an offering to attend a high school. I have decided it is in his best interests to attend a boarding school, the best venue to foster his skills.

The cost to go to Boarding school is around $700 for the first year and $350 for 3 years following this.

On the Sunday that just passed, I ran the Nairobi 10km run, with all funds going towards children with sight complications. I ran it in 65 minutes, and am very happy considering my lack of preparation. Was a great day out, running alongside Kenya's finest.

Today I returned to Nairobi after being in Naivasha to profile the children from Monica Memorial for sponsorship. There is a total of seven needing immediate educational sponsorship as of the end of the year, a further seven who will need similar attention in 2012, but until then can use general sponsorship for books, clothes etc, and another 30 odd children who still have several years remaining at Monica's but can also use financial assistance for books, clothes and food.

The cost to send one child to government school for a year is approx. 10,000ksh = $120AUD. The cost for general sponsorship can be as little, or as much as you like. Once I am home, I will type up the profiles and upload photos to my blog so you can see the children in need off attention.

This Friday I have my orientation for my journalism placement. I will be working as a reporter for the People daily newspaper for two weeks, spending my birthday in Nairobi on the 19th and flying home the 21st.

I will not be sending any more emails between now and then, but I look forward to hearing from you all and seeing you on my return home. Sorry about the length of this email, I really can blabber when I am on a roll... SOOOO much more I could say, but will save it for when I am home.

Huge amounts of love,

Bek