well I have delayed... still working here even though I finished quite a few days ago... but I am off to lamu tomorrow. We are going to go beach it and island hop for a while in the indian ocean.
I probably wont have email for a while but hopefull my cell still works!
I will be back in mombasa on wednesday to finish up some kwacha, and scholarship work (of course) and then maybe head out friday to continue travelling.
Hope all is well at home!
Jessie
Karli.......... dont do anything I wouldnt do on my 19th birthday!!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
its been a while
well I know it has been a long time since I wrote. Its funny the internet is lossing its appeal.... i know ur jaws are all open.... jessie who couldnt live without his blackberry and computer... haha anyways its funny though I honestly have lost the ambition to come to the computer and plug away on here.
So aside from that the project is over here... i however am still here haha still doing work... figures... I have started / almost completed setting up a scholarship fund here to send kids to high school and university. Its greatly needed and for 2500 I can send 9 people to school for a year.... so I figure it is a very worth while investment... something i will share the full details of when I have it completely set up.
anyhow, went to wasini island yesterday... swam with dolphins, snorkled and cruised on the dhow... like a sail boat... it was amazingly relaxing and im going to head north up the coast on friday and do a 6 day sailing trip.... it was that nice!
on the trip we met a pod of dolphins out in the open ocean... i asked our tour guy if it was safe to swim with them and he was like.. well ya they wont hurt u.... and i asked if other tourists do this and he was like umm not really... then i asked if there was sharks in the water (he had told us there werent in the shallows earlier) and he was like... well not usually.... haha so i jumped in anyways! hahah emmy our field worker was like... i feel like you should sign some sort of waiver before u do this... haha but it was fine and I got to see them underwater which was pretty cool!
anyways not alot else new... well thats not entirely true but I have now been on the computer far too long so I need to run.
I miss u all very much!
Jessie
PS- happy early birthday to Karli..... i might not be able to email you on ur bday so u get special mention here
PSS- grampa I hope you are home soon and feeling better!!!
So aside from that the project is over here... i however am still here haha still doing work... figures... I have started / almost completed setting up a scholarship fund here to send kids to high school and university. Its greatly needed and for 2500 I can send 9 people to school for a year.... so I figure it is a very worth while investment... something i will share the full details of when I have it completely set up.
anyhow, went to wasini island yesterday... swam with dolphins, snorkled and cruised on the dhow... like a sail boat... it was amazingly relaxing and im going to head north up the coast on friday and do a 6 day sailing trip.... it was that nice!
on the trip we met a pod of dolphins out in the open ocean... i asked our tour guy if it was safe to swim with them and he was like.. well ya they wont hurt u.... and i asked if other tourists do this and he was like umm not really... then i asked if there was sharks in the water (he had told us there werent in the shallows earlier) and he was like... well not usually.... haha so i jumped in anyways! hahah emmy our field worker was like... i feel like you should sign some sort of waiver before u do this... haha but it was fine and I got to see them underwater which was pretty cool!
anyways not alot else new... well thats not entirely true but I have now been on the computer far too long so I need to run.
I miss u all very much!
Jessie
PS- happy early birthday to Karli..... i might not be able to email you on ur bday so u get special mention here
PSS- grampa I hope you are home soon and feeling better!!!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Accepted!!!
Well I got my acceptance letter from the University of Toronto yesterday!!! I was very excited to find out that I will in fact be starting the masters in landscape architecture program in september!
Anyways busy final week here with alot of wrap up of all the clubs we have going and figuring out how to make sure they continue along without us... which I am sure they will!!
Hope all is well at home!
Miss everyone lots
Jessie
Anyways busy final week here with alot of wrap up of all the clubs we have going and figuring out how to make sure they continue along without us... which I am sure they will!!
Hope all is well at home!
Miss everyone lots
Jessie
Friday, March 13, 2009
Orphanage Visit - Thanks Connor and Evan!!
well I have to say today was a hard day. Its funny because I set up the orphanage visit for friday thinking it would be a good end to the work week and a happy start to my weekend. You picture that your going to feel really good knowing you helped the kids out in some way but when it comes down to the fact its hard not to feel somewhat discouraged / crushed.
We arrived at the beach and found out that actually half the school had come.. so not just the 54 orphans but 126 students... so there were alot of kids there and they were all over. So it was hard at first to get them organized to play some games etc. We walked way out on the beach... like over a km cause the tide was out and played in the water... unfortunatly one of the girls stepped on an urchin and had to be packed back to the shores to have all the spines pulled out.... not nice at all!
anyways we got everyone back and played some games and then gave them a snack. However they had come to the beach for the day but couldnt afford to pack a lunch because of space and money.. so the kids were starving and as much as the snack was good it was not enough to fill them up. Anyways I sat with a group of 4-8 year old boys while we ate and the one had sand in his eye so I used the remaining water I had brought with me (the rest I gave to the kids) and flushed out his eye. It helped a bit and he ate his buscuits, but it was pretty obvious that he was still starving.
Once we had finished we loaded the kids into their matatus... 3 for 126 kids and 5 adults (literally the size of like the 12 passenger vans we used with school....) and then got a matatu for us and drove back to kwacha. There we had all the groceries which I had been able to buy thanks to Connor and Evan and Tammy and Devin!! We loaded them / squished them into the matatus and tied some to the roofs and they head master came over and shook my hand. Its funny, when you give gifts here its very uncommon to get a thank you... its just not how hings work, not because they arent polite, but simply it isnt part of their traditions. So anyways he shook my hand and kind of gave me a half smile and put his other hand over our shaking hands... it was pretty obvious he appreciated all the help.
Anyways it was a good day, but at the same time hard to know that those kids really have nothing. They all have pretty obvious signs of malnurishment. Their hair is often falling out, they have bruises all over their legs and they have a kind of white film that covers their heads. Its amazing to hang out with them but it makes you feel pretty helpless.
Regardless it was a great day and its funny cause tons of them recognized me from the last time especially the one boy who clung to me all last visit... he happened to be the one with the sand in his eyes this time. So it was a good day, it just seems to leave me with a bit of a lump in my stumach thinking of the hard road ahead of all of them.
We arrived at the beach and found out that actually half the school had come.. so not just the 54 orphans but 126 students... so there were alot of kids there and they were all over. So it was hard at first to get them organized to play some games etc. We walked way out on the beach... like over a km cause the tide was out and played in the water... unfortunatly one of the girls stepped on an urchin and had to be packed back to the shores to have all the spines pulled out.... not nice at all!
anyways we got everyone back and played some games and then gave them a snack. However they had come to the beach for the day but couldnt afford to pack a lunch because of space and money.. so the kids were starving and as much as the snack was good it was not enough to fill them up. Anyways I sat with a group of 4-8 year old boys while we ate and the one had sand in his eye so I used the remaining water I had brought with me (the rest I gave to the kids) and flushed out his eye. It helped a bit and he ate his buscuits, but it was pretty obvious that he was still starving.
Once we had finished we loaded the kids into their matatus... 3 for 126 kids and 5 adults (literally the size of like the 12 passenger vans we used with school....) and then got a matatu for us and drove back to kwacha. There we had all the groceries which I had been able to buy thanks to Connor and Evan and Tammy and Devin!! We loaded them / squished them into the matatus and tied some to the roofs and they head master came over and shook my hand. Its funny, when you give gifts here its very uncommon to get a thank you... its just not how hings work, not because they arent polite, but simply it isnt part of their traditions. So anyways he shook my hand and kind of gave me a half smile and put his other hand over our shaking hands... it was pretty obvious he appreciated all the help.
Anyways it was a good day, but at the same time hard to know that those kids really have nothing. They all have pretty obvious signs of malnurishment. Their hair is often falling out, they have bruises all over their legs and they have a kind of white film that covers their heads. Its amazing to hang out with them but it makes you feel pretty helpless.
Regardless it was a great day and its funny cause tons of them recognized me from the last time especially the one boy who clung to me all last visit... he happened to be the one with the sand in his eyes this time. So it was a good day, it just seems to leave me with a bit of a lump in my stumach thinking of the hard road ahead of all of them.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Talent show
well the big day was yesterday. And it went amazingly well. It started off an hour late... which by kenyan time might as well be early. I was in charge of equipment and then managing the volunteers to do security etc.. so we met early and got the huge tent (like a wedding tent but 100 times heavier and older) and the chairs set up. The show was an absolute blast it went from 2-7 and we had a ton of singers, 2 dance sets and some celebrity guests from mombasa. All in all it was awsome. We estimate we had around 800-1000 people present and we are still waiting to hear back on how many people got tested for HIV at the event... hopefully over 100.
Anyways today is my first day off in forever so I went to the beach and laid and relaxed. I think I might go to watamu tomorrow but we will see. Hope all is well at home
Jessie
Anyways today is my first day off in forever so I went to the beach and laid and relaxed. I think I might go to watamu tomorrow but we will see. Hope all is well at home
Jessie
Friday, March 6, 2009
Great time!
Well the radio morning show was an absolute blast yesterday. Ester the radio host was so much fun and so high energy. We spent two hours on the morning show with her and about 30 minutes of that was us talking which really made us feel like we were doing alot to promote our event and just healthy living, HIV awareness etc all around. She had alot of tough questions that she asked us live on air but it made it even more fun.
I am so happy I was able to get the chance to be on the radio (twice). Anyways I have to run because we have alot of work to do for the event today but I will check in soon
Jessie
I am so happy I was able to get the chance to be on the radio (twice). Anyways I have to run because we have alot of work to do for the event today but I will check in soon
Jessie
Thursday, March 5, 2009
working hard
well I have been working hard over the past bit and I cannot wait for my well deserved days off on sunday and monday. I had a busy day today of gender training and then a visit to the radio downtown for a meeting. I have to be up at 4:30 am to eat and take a matatu downtown in time for breakfast and then to co-host the morning radio show from 7-9. Should be fun but I think it might be hard to be energetic that early in the day.
Anyways Saturday is our talent show.. so after all this work it better go well! Tomorrow and saturday will be jam packed with meetings and the talent show itself.
However come sunday I think I might head north or south and hit the beach. James.. one of my friends from here is going to come with me and show me some sights so it should be fun.
Other than that not much else to report. Its still hot as usual... i swear the rainy season is never coming... we have no running water as usual and the power continues to be eratic... haha oh life in mombasa!
Anyways Saturday is our talent show.. so after all this work it better go well! Tomorrow and saturday will be jam packed with meetings and the talent show itself.
However come sunday I think I might head north or south and hit the beach. James.. one of my friends from here is going to come with me and show me some sights so it should be fun.
Other than that not much else to report. Its still hot as usual... i swear the rainy season is never coming... we have no running water as usual and the power continues to be eratic... haha oh life in mombasa!
Monday, March 2, 2009
Another day
Well I had a little trip to Aga Khan Hospital yesterday. I had been feeling like crap for a week and decided it was time to see a doctor. Anyways the hospital was much nicer than the one I visited the first week I was here. It was pretty much like being in Canada except the minute you step in the door they take your credit card from you... haha!
Anyways I am alright... i have a bit of a stumach infection but Im on antibiotics and its feeling better already.
Anyways today was my day off.... which I spent doing research and prep for tomorrow and the next day... so really it wasnt a day off at all which sucks cause it was the only one I am scheduled to have for the last 2 weeks straight... ugh. Aside from that I had kind of an up and down day of feeling good and bad. Was sightly home sick.... for random things like normal summer things... like the sound of a lawn mower, birds, or just quiet like back in rossland... the sounds here are so different its odd how, as much as I am used to it now its still not what I grew up with.
Anyways tomorrow I am doing gender training for the boys club. I think I have put together a good schdule.. I am doing a review of basic human rights, then womens rights and then will continue into what masculinity is and how it comes about and differences in cultures. Then I am going to go on to talk about how the ideas of masculinity put men in unsafe situations and risk taking situations regarding general day to day things as well as sex related risk taking. I am then going to go on to talk about drugs and how drugs especially heroin (injecting) drastically increases the risk of HIV.... anyways I even dropped by a local rehab center to ask what services are provided in mombasa... which was depressing in itself. So thats the first half of the training and then I will cover some other topics the next day.... I think I spent about triple the amount of prep time I needed but as usual I like to be prepared.
Ok well I am going to go drink my wonder water.... they love things that disolve down here... I think people have a phobia of pills... so all the meds have to be disolved into my water and it tastes like crap but at least I feel better.. haha
Ok miss u all
Jessie
Anyways I am alright... i have a bit of a stumach infection but Im on antibiotics and its feeling better already.
Anyways today was my day off.... which I spent doing research and prep for tomorrow and the next day... so really it wasnt a day off at all which sucks cause it was the only one I am scheduled to have for the last 2 weeks straight... ugh. Aside from that I had kind of an up and down day of feeling good and bad. Was sightly home sick.... for random things like normal summer things... like the sound of a lawn mower, birds, or just quiet like back in rossland... the sounds here are so different its odd how, as much as I am used to it now its still not what I grew up with.
Anyways tomorrow I am doing gender training for the boys club. I think I have put together a good schdule.. I am doing a review of basic human rights, then womens rights and then will continue into what masculinity is and how it comes about and differences in cultures. Then I am going to go on to talk about how the ideas of masculinity put men in unsafe situations and risk taking situations regarding general day to day things as well as sex related risk taking. I am then going to go on to talk about drugs and how drugs especially heroin (injecting) drastically increases the risk of HIV.... anyways I even dropped by a local rehab center to ask what services are provided in mombasa... which was depressing in itself. So thats the first half of the training and then I will cover some other topics the next day.... I think I spent about triple the amount of prep time I needed but as usual I like to be prepared.
Ok well I am going to go drink my wonder water.... they love things that disolve down here... I think people have a phobia of pills... so all the meds have to be disolved into my water and it tastes like crap but at least I feel better.. haha
Ok miss u all
Jessie
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