Another trip to the clinic

Tuesday March 29th 2011
After a rather disturbed night, I was still unable to keep fluids down and was starting to get a bit worried. Pastor decided we should try to walk to the clinic so that I could see the nurse. However, I was rather pleased when I stopped vomiting around 9 am. As the early morning rain and thunderstorms seemed to ease off half an hour later, we started out very slowly. However, Pastor kept looking over to one set of hills, and was very concerned about the weather and my weak condition. Some black clouds swiftly approaching heralded another thunderstorm - so we turned back after only travelling a short distance. I was very disappointed, but Bruce and Pastor decided to set out a bit later, and didn't return until around 4.30, having passed through a fishing village where they had a soda. Bruce was quite shocked at the large number of young women and their behaviour - unfortunately prostitution is a huge problem in the fishing villages or camps, and HIV/AIDS infects the majority of Bumbire’s inhabitants - but it doesn't seem to lessen the promiscuity and immorality. In a few years’ time, the results will be quite devastating.
Mid-afternoon, feeling a little better, I asked if I could wash some underwear – and was a bit shocked to discover the basin I’d been using overnight was the one that also was used to wash clothes in – so had to give it a good clean first. As is usual in Tanzania, you have to hang up underwear indoors, as it’s very offensive to hang it outside in public – but then it takes several days to dry and doesn’t have the benefit of sunshine on it.
Once I’d finished this small chore, Mama asked me if I would like some food, and for the first time in 24 hours I felt like eating a little. After informing her that I might be able to eat a spoonful or two, I was rather flabbergasted to be presented with a huge bowl of rice and another of pork in mchuzi, and to be told that she’d be really happy if I ate it all up! I did manage to eat a couple of spoonfuls of rice and a piece of pork, which actually went down quite well, but that was all. Mama was very disappointed!
We were very glad to see the men again on their return. They had had a good talk with the nurse, who provided a course of antibiotics, some anti-vomiting pills and some 'orange'-flavoured electrolyte sachets, similar to Gastrolyte but tasting even worse! I was glad to be able to keep the tablets down, and they really helped.
For dinner, we were offered vibibi (rice buns) before the main meal of pork, rice and chai - but the kibibi I tried to eat defeated me because it tasted very smoky and was really greasy. I was able to eat a tiny bit of rice and pork, but the tea (chai) also was hard to drink, I only managed half a cup and decided it was much better to keep on drinking as much water as possible. I filled our 600ml bottle alternately with plain water, then electrolyte solution, as I found it so nauseating!

A trip to the clinic

Monday 28th March
It was cool and windy first thing then the rain came for a couple of hours. Once it finished, it soon became quite hot.
Mid-morning we set off to walk to the clinic. We went around the coastal route as pastor thought the hillier route would be too slippery after the rain. On the way, he popped in to briefly visit one or two people, and we were amazed to come across some really tall banana palms, much bigger than usual. We had a soda as Kiiza's, very welcome in the heat. The picture top right is of flowering coffee, it has a lovely scent. The other photo is of young coffee beans.
This photo shows pastor's boat. He's started up a small business buying up goods and selling them on the other islands. He also sells his own surplus produce. The other boat with two ladies in it was going to be used as an ambulance for Fideli's mother. A group of men had left home once the rain stopped, carrying her somehow. That would be a long and slow journey on foot, much easier once she was in the boat. Her condition had deteriorated further, and really, we though there was little chance of her surviving. Pastor was a little concerned that we hadn't met up with the 'stretcher' party on the way, and kept asking people whether they’d seen them or heard of their passing.
At one stage along the path, we heard the sound of deep-voiced singing, and came upon a group of fishermen hauling in a net. Bruce couldn't resist joining in, but I'm not sure he got the rhythm right! A little further on, we came across another group of fishermen, silent this time, hauling in the other end of the net. Bruce said it was very heavy and really hard work. They didn’t think they’d managed to catch many fish.
Once we arrived at the clinic, we sat in the waiting room until the morning session was completed. We'd met the original missionaries, Dale and Chris Hamilton, back in 2007, and had really enjoyed spending a little time with them. Now they have been sent to Nairobi to head up the African division of AIM. Dale is a pilot and leads the floatplane division, and Chris (short for Christine) is a doctor. The new doctor and his wife come from Texas, and have been on Bumbire for two years (Bill and Dorothy).
There was only an opportunity for a short chat, as they were due to leave the island by boat to go to Mwanza to pick up a trainee doctor, but we were given a warm welcome and a glass of cold water, very pleasant in the heat. They were going to have quite a long trip, as they would have to sleep on another island on the way, and then spend a week in Mwanza before returning to Bumbire.
We arrived back at the Mugaruras’ around 2 pm, not having received any news about Fideli’s mother on the way. We had let the doctor know that she was coming, but as he was going to be absent for a week, she would have to see the nurse, who could do some tests and prescribe some medication. I was feeling rather dehydrated by mid-afternoon and my stomach didn't feel too good after our late lunch either. Unfortunately we'd used up all our water, and pastor had forgotten to ask mama the previous evening to boil us some more.
I started vomiting about 5pm, and it became quite persistent, so mama brought me a basin as I didn't have enough warning to be able to get far enough away from the hut. Filipo, an ex-Bible school student of ours, who, like Pastor Mugarura, had attended Harvest Bible School in 2004, turned up and wanted to have a big discussion about some rather controversial subjects. I eventually had to excuse myself as I was feeling too sick, so poor Bruce was left in the small room listening to a lot of (to him) unintelligible talk in Swahili, as I couldn't translate it for him.
I soon ended up with another problem which necessitated running to the choo, unfortunately at a little distance from the house. I also developed a bad headache. Bruce said that I felt feverish, but I didn’t think it was too bad. Once we had some more water, I tried to sip it mixed with Gastrolyte, but it didn't stay down long.

Enkiloriti School, drought problems, an infected leg

Friday 10th July Nice weather today.  We went to Enkiloriti school, first stopping at Saruni’s house as he wanted to meet me.  We had chai + rice and an interesting conversation. 
He's keen to sell his remaining cows to buy a 50 x 100m plot in town, to build a complex of 4 shops in front, + a house behind.  Here it costs 2 million Ksh, & would be rented out for 20,000 KSh/month; in Nairobi the cost would be 5 million to gain 40,000 Ksh/month.  He hasn't decided which town to build in: Ewaso has electricity + water but no good road access; Suswa is on the Narok road, has water but no electricity; Duka Moja is also on the main road – but has no electricity or water!He’d also buy a plot to live on & farm, he still has 20 children to educate!  There are 15 families around him each with 30 acres.  He told us an Mzungu wants to buy a plot on the mountain to build a tourist hotel – getting them to stay out in the wilds could be a problem!
We were told how some of the old men just can’t cope with losing so many cattle.  One had sent his 134 head up into the highlands with a younger relative as he couldn’t take them himself.  When only 25 returned, he asked: “Where are my cows?” When he was told the rest had all died, he fell face down on the ground in a faint, & every time he hears or thinks about his loss, he suffers some kind of fit.  Another old man ran off, others have even considered hanging themselves – unheard of in the Maasai.








When we arrived at the school, we waited in the small makeshift office, partitioned off from one of the three main classrooms, and signed the Visitors’ Book while the students assembled.  We spent a short time with them: they sang us a song of greeting; I sang them one in Kiswahili which they knew so they all joined in, then I shared briefly about NZ then Bruce encouraged them to study hard. 
Some of School Board were there: Ezekiel (treasurer), John Nkalo (chairman), Pastor John ole Punyuk (Harvest Church), Pastor Moses ole Kishau (Festival Harvest Church, he'd been one of the speakers at the seminar). 
Ezekiel shared how the school began in 2001 as a joint project of Festival Harvest Church & CCF Australia, who built the main building + provided some water tanks.  He was the first teacher (untrained), and taught them all he knew of English and maths.  He was very  relieved when a government teacher turned up! 
John Nkalo shared re the school’s problems – out of 220 students, only 120 are still attending - but there were only 70 today.  Some had stayed home knowing the two government teachers weren’t going to turn up!  As there aren't enough S7 pupils to start the higher classes, they go to Ole Sharo or repeat S6!
Rosa, the cook, told us how she started working there to try to earn some money to help her family – but she hasn’t been paid all term.  She wants to help the children but without being paid, her own children suffer.
Some of the students shared how they are being affected: one boy, in his mid to late teens, shared how desperate he is to proceed in his education, & how frustrated he is, repeating S6 for the 3rd time!
Pastor Moses prayed for everyone, then the students went for lunch: a cupful of ugali + beans, provided by the government.  I think they also get some chai.
We walked round the school, talking with Ezekiel and the three Johns.  A couple of Ezekiel’s children came up to greet us and to walk with their father.  Nine of them attend this school, but the eldest goes to Ole Sharo and there are still two at home.  The main building consists of three well-built stone classrooms with concrete floors.  There is a separate iron building with dirt floors and no glass in the windows: it was supposed to be the staff room & student common room, but has to be used as classrooms.  The teachers’ accommodation is a two-room metal shack – about garden shed size – with no kitchen or toilet!  One window has a hole in the mesh large enough for an elephant’s trunk to reach in!  There is no fencing anywhere on the grounds so it is open to wild animals.  We then went to look at the clinic (right), started three years ago, but unfinished due to lack of funds.
Ezekiel listed the school’s problems as follows:
1  Water  The plastic tanks are now split, the stone tank contains just a little green water.  The large reservoir dug by bulldozer in 2005 by the government is used by elephants - the children are too scared to use it.  The broken-down bulldozer is still there, it hasn’t been repaired.
2  Fencing  The school grounds need fencing, any wild animal can enter – the chief danger is from hyenas.
3  Teachers  There aren't enough for all eight Standards, so students who want to go to High School are repeating S6 or have gone to Ole Sharo.  They need at least two more teachers, Maasai dedicated to the community, as well as better housing (outside teachers are unwilling to live there).
4  Classrooms    They don't have enough, & the two dirt-floored ones without glass windows or shutters are bad in windy, wet weather.
5  The clinic  It needs funds to complete the roof and plaster inside so it can be used.
6  The Cook  She's been unpaid for a whole term - fewer fee-paying students means trouble for her as well as the teachers.
Shumbai came up as we were leaving, limping badly, telling me how sore her leg was – so I promised to see her back at the manyatta.  I was really worried thinking about blood poisoning/osteomyelitis etc. + how she’d get home.
We had chai at John Nkalo’s and talked about the food aid: even if someone had only received a cup of flour, they were very thankful.  One old man wanted to give us a goat to bring back home to slaughter but we had to explain it wasn't possible.We had lunch at 4 with Ezekiel & the 3 Johns.  Pastor Punyuk had some interesting questions re the Bible - the significance of Mt Sinai, Christ’s infant dedication & why God was called “the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob”.  Bruce explained their significance, assuring him that Christians don’t have to follow Jewish practices. It’s easy for people to get ‘hung up’ over the Old Testament and to want to follow Jewish ceremonies which are no longer necessary.The pastor told us he’d never before seen any Wazungu ready to go into Maasai houses and eat with them, they just come to look around, then go away again.
We were given a large watermelon by John Nkalo on behalf of the School Board, Ezekiel gave me an ndege (beaded ornament representing the Holy Spirit) and Bruce a belt.  Pic: one of his wives + child, Pr Ponyuk, us, Ezekiel, John Nkalo.
Back at Luka’s, we were invited to Susannah’s hut: she was cooking ugali and gave us a taste - it's very different from other types we’ve had, being quite dry & crumbly, + they add beef fat & sugar!  It's actually very nice and tastes rather like bread!
I eventually found Shumbai just before dark – so had to use a torch to look at the wound.  Unfortunately the skin was getting quite discoloured around the wound, + the lower leg was very painful to move.  Bruce cleaned it out again, rebandaged it, then we prayed for her healing, telling John if it got any worse she needed to see a doctor immediately or go to hospital - not easy in these parts.
We had a lovely time of fellowship after tea, people squeezed into the living room: children on the floor/chair arms, adults standing or on chairs.  There were some touching farewells, I got hugged by most of the mamas too.

Visits to Ezekiel and John Nkalo, Inkoirienito church.

Friday 3rd July A sunny day, but a cool breeze.   Visited in the morning by Frank, in Standard Five aged 13, one of Raheli's sons.  He tried to speak a little English with us: “Will you come to the house of my mother?” 
More men came to visit and tell us their problems, including Ezekiel Nkalo who we’d met in Duka Moja.
Ezekiel had 300 sheep/goats and 200 cattle, he now has 50 sheep/goats + 30 cattle; 2 wives and 12 children (aged up to 12).
John Nkalo, his brother, had similar numbers of livestock, but has fewer cattle left now.  He has 4 wives and 20 children! He's the chairman of Enkiloriti School Board.
Pastor Daudi from Inkoirienito AIC only has 5 cattle left now.
Ezekiel has been saved five years, but already had 2 wives; the first is a Maasai chosen by his family; the second is a Kikuyu married for love!  He'd like to be a pastor but would have to forsake a wife.  Bruce says he can still be an evangelist. 
We walked to Luka's dam for human/stock water - nearly empty, it should be nearly full!  Then we walked to the maize/bean plantation (left). Eland & giraffe








had got over the boma in the night and eaten some of the plants that have survived.  Only a few look any good, they are in a damp spot where water/urine drains from the yard: some half dozen had tassels or silks, the rest were small & stunted.  We were told that maize crops grown near towns/villages are at risk of theft, people bring donkey carts to take the cobs to sell in Nairobi! Then we visited some of the sites where dead livestock (above right) that died near home were taken, but hyenas had pulled some down the hillside.  Most died on the mountains, too weak to cope with the 2+ hours' walk.  We saw no feed suitable for cattle, only a picking for a few sheep/goats.








Pics: feed situation (left); the best feed (right): just a few square metres of 1 cm long grass!
Back at Luka's, they were helping an old man, walking with two sticks, onto a motorbike to take him home.  He’d come the night before, thinking we’d brought relief food with us, very disappointed that there was none. We had chapattis, chai and a wash before walking to Inkoirienito church. 








The large government-built reservoir has been fenced to keep out livestock, they are only allowed in in supervised groups.  The intake area needs altering to prevent erosion and silting, water has been entering below the concreted stone area. It has never had much water in it since it was built in 2007. Pics: left = 2007, Bruce is way down the far end! Right = water remaining 2009.
The church water tank built with funds from NZ shows a little seepage, it's nearly full, being conserved for John’s wedding!  Pic: 2007 after thanksgiving service.
A large area has been cleared near the church to use for a school or kindergarten.


We walked to Ezekiel’s house past more heaps of bones and the remains of his failed watermelon crop. On the way we'd passed close to the River Elina (right).  Steep gorges fill with rushing water from the mountains when it rains.  Many cattle are lost each dry season, falling down the banks trying to get to the grass in the river bed.  There were LOTS of flies there. 
His 4 year old son came to meet us, dancing for us with incredible skill!  He's said to be an excellent mimic & singer, and wants to be a pastor! 
We talked about the problems in the area and the need for sponsors/aid whilst we drank chai and ate rice and potatoes together. 
Enkiloriti Clinic started 3 years near the primary school but is unusable, as it has no roof. Going to Duka Moja for treatment is very expensive.
The Primary School doesn’t have enough teachers; no suitable teachers' houses; the parents can’t pay teachers’ salaries – non-government teachers rely on these, they have only passed Form 4.  To work for the government, you need a College diploma.
After walking round Ezekiel's shamba, we went to his brother's, but only his wives and some children were there.  They have also lost many stock on the mountain, but some died near the huts. 
The men were amused, as we sat on stools outside, by a boy uttering strange cries - I was embarrassed to be told that the first were those of girls before circumcision, the second those of boys! 
Pic: nice view of distant mountains, huts + donkey corral: the poor things only got let out at midday! 
Amusing sight: 2 little girls carrying shoes in lesos on their backs, each holding a jar of VERY dirty water – their ‘babies’ and ‘milk’!
Returning to Luka’s through the bush, one section was so slippery I was given Luka’s stick to help!  There was some kind of monkey in the trees, but I only caught a brief glimpse. 
We were visited by 2 girls in the evening: Shumbai and Dagili, + some women: Mary (just had her first baby), Maria & Susannah.  I was given 2 bracelets, both made by Shumbai: 1) Kenyan flag design from Shumbai; 2) “I love you” given to Bruce by Susannah, but too small - given to me instead!

Off to the Great Rift Valley

Thursday 2nd July Cool & overcast again. We watched the cattle being taken out to find pasture at 8.30, then looked over to the sheep pen, one ewe was rejecting one her new twins. Most are Dorper or Dorper cross. The cattle were very thin, many very weak and likely to die soon, even some yearlings. One old cow was no longer able to stand, so lay outside the house all day. They belong to Nicholas and his brother Moses. Nicholas earns some cash by using his vehicle to deliver meat, and by handling baggage at the airport.
We were shocked to be told our vehicle arrangements now had to be renegotiated, it had been agreed we'd just ensure it was full of petrol when returned! After two hours of frustrating discussions, we decided to use public transport as we didn't have enough money to fulfill the new demands!
It took an hour to reach the internet café, frequent traffic light failures cause long traffic jams; the traffic police control the large roundabouts but are sometimes very slow to let each line of traffic take its turn.
I found that Amex had changed its phone number to a collect one - no good for cell phoned! I wasn't sure if the only public phone we saw, complete with armed security guard, would even connect me to an operator. So I sent an emergency email to mum & dad, asking them to contact Amex on our behalf.
There was only a short 1/2-hour wait on the bus before it left. It took 2 1/2 hours to get to Duka Moj, a small ‘town’ between Mai Mahiu & Narok.
We were impressed by the lush feed near Limuru on way out of Nairobi, but it soon petered out. From Mai Mahiu, everywhere became more and more arid, any grass was short and brown, and the maize crops had failed: surviving plants were small, scattered, withered & dying.
We went to a small cafe for a little food and met a nice Maasai man, Ezekiel, who shared some of the problems in the district with us. John went to find a car to take us to Luka’s manyatta near Inkoirienito church, but we were very upset by the amount he'd negotiated, 3,000 Ksh (NZD 75!!!). We went to buy some food from one of the small stores: 4 kgs rice; 4 kgs maize flour; 2 l oil; some tea; 4 kgs sugar; a sack of potatoes (15 kgs?); total Ksh 1,000.
We stopped 3x on the way: 1) the unfinished clinic (above left) at Ole Sharo, built by church funds, an Australian dental team, NZ friends, + a Narok District Health Board grant. It still needs roofing, a doctor’s house, an incinerator + a toilet.








2) John’s 3-roomed house (left), a similar house for his mother (right) except built with traditional walls, the kitchen/store room (below left), and the “the deepest choo in Maasailand” (36 feet deep!) (below right). John was gifted 3 acres by Inkoirienito church for the work he's been doing for them. The houses' floors were unfinished, the kitchen/store needs mud plaster, the choo needs finishing. 3) Some neighbours: the wife has a bad back, her husband has TB.








The 25 km trip took 2 hours (including stops), so it was dark when we reached Luka’s manyatta. A tall boma (fence of thorn tree branches) surrounds most of the huts, the small failed vegetable patch + the animal enclosures. Small night pens made of twigs/mud with thatched roofs contain the youngest calves, kids & lambs. They are let out in the morning before their mums go out to graze, stay around the manyatta all day, then get another drink in the evening before being shut away again.
There are many huts here: one for each wife and some for others. Those who live here include Luka & his 2 wives (Maria & Joyce), his son Paulo + his family, Pastor Petro + his family, Luka’s father’s widow Raheli + her children – one of whom was widowed last year, and lastly John + his mum.
This time we stayed in Paulo’s hut (Maria’s son): 2 small rooms in a rectangular mud brick building with dirt floor & iron roof. He has 2 wives, Susanna and Yasintha, who is one of John’s 5 sisters.
Pics: our sitting room, bedroom, view from the window of traditional huts.


Traditional huts are oval, built (usually by women!) of woven twigs plastered with cow dung/mud. The narrow doorway leads into a narrow passageway, where young livestock may be kept at night. The main room contains a smoky cooking fire, 1-2 wooden stands for pots, pans and any other belongings, a timber/cowhide bed, + possibly some stools or a bench to sit on. A smaller room contains another bed for children/guests. Windows are a couple of 4-6" holes, often plugged with cloth for privacy! Smoke escapes through these + the space between the top of the walls & the roof.
Lots of people came to greet us when we arrived; we were pleased to see that the children weren’t scared this time! After being taken to our hut, we spent some time with some of the men, who wanted to share with us how the current drought was affecting them. They all had similar stories.
Moses had 30 sheep/goats, + some cattle, now he just has 5 sheep/goats. He has 1 wife and 5 children.
Isaya Kishau had 300 sheep/goats and 30 cattle, he now has 50 sheep & goats, and 13 cattle; 2 wives and 10 children.
Daniel Teeka had 10 sheep/goats and 7 cattle, he now has 3 sheep/goats and one cattle beast; 1 wife and 3 children. He’s John’s full brother.
Luka Kishau had 300 sheep/goats and 30 cattle. He now has 60 sheep/goats and 5 cattle; I'm not sure how many children he has, many are now married. He’s 53 years old, same as Bruce.
Paulo has no livestock of his own, his dad says he’s his ‘errand boy’, but he has two wives, and a number of children. Yasintha was expecting her fourth; I don’t know how many Susanna has.
Some people in the Inkoirienito community have lost all their cattle; all are finding it hard to cope. They say they have avoided malnutrition because everyone has been helping each other. In other places, if you go to your neighbour for help, you’ll be chased away. Between 40-50% are now Christians out of the thousand here.
Even the local leaders are in trouble, despite their small government salaries. One in Ewaso town having lost all his livestock, sold his fence!
The rains that usually arrive in March failed; there was just the odd short shower until mid-June when they got a week’s rain. Attempts to grow maize & beans failed; the cattle started to die from April on, the sheep & goats followed suit, even the donkeys.
John has been to World Vision in Narok but they don’t work in the area. He says there is no aid from the District Health Boards in Suswa or Narok, although an NGO leader told me that they are the ones organising relief food. It’s a long way to Narok, 12-15 kms on foot through the bush to Duka Moja, then another 45 kms to Narok by matatu (minibus taxi).
We were pleased to hear they want to form a Community Based Organisation (CBO) to better use donations and to access government funding. They want to fund projects such as helping people with school fees, loans for micro-enterprises, build water tanks/health clinics etc. Bruce said it could also act as a community bank: in good times they could deposit money from cattle sales & use it later for school fees.
A lesson from this year – heed the early warning signs, sell surplus stock or you lose them + your more valuable breeding stock.
Cattle had been worth 15,000 - 20,000 Ksh ($400), but are now 5,000 Ksh. Hides are worth only 50 Ksh, so dead cattle haven’t been skinned.
We ended up eating at 10! It was good to get to bed, but our sleep was disturbed by cold winds, dogs barking, pounding feet as they chased hyenas past our hut,then the whoops of hyenas in the distance.