Sexuality (and Malaria)

We just spent a week in rural Ugenya, chilling as only villagers know how to chill.
Meg and I were placed in the village of Ukwala (along with Mike, a cool guy from the Netherlands). We were being hosted by Chris ( co-ordinator of the Matibabu Foundation, a partner organization with Community Support Group) and his family.
The Matibabu Foundation is a Kenyan development initiative that tackles everything from mosquito net distribution, to a reigonal HIV treatment facility to a youth centre- with astonishing grace.

The funny thing about blogs, im discovering, is that you cant see peoples expressions in response to them, so i have no idea if im being ridiculously dull or incomprehensible or redundant or whatever. Also, I hope that this blog is construed less as self- promotion and more as 'knowledge' transfer. (minor insecurities)

I'll gloss over some of the hilights from the past week.
Our first day in Ukwala, Meg, Mike and I visited Humwend District High School to observe and paricipate in a day that was to be dedicated to educating youths about sexuality and HIV/AIDS prevention. The co-ordinators of the day were a group of 20-somethings from Kisumu (a nearby city) that run an organisation called 'Straight Talk' that seeks to combat HIV/AIDS through awareness campaigns aimed at youth.

The first event I atended was a session on "Sex and Sexuality". The Luo tribe (which makes up the majority of the population of Ugenya) has a culture that is deeply drenched in sexuality (which is fantastic, but has some obvious concerns with regards to HIV/ AIDS).
Paulina, the host, was brilliant. I think I was supposed to be assisting her, but I was too busy taking notes. She asked some ridiculously tough questions.
"What is the relationship between sex and love?" (what the hell kind of question is that?)
Of all people, Paulina picks me to answer. I had to fake a coughing fit to get out of a reply. It was friggin high school all over again.

Later in the afternoon we got to chat with Francis, the school principal, and Chris Sour (quite a character, and one of the 4 teachers at the school) Most of the kids at this particular school are AIDS orphans (about 60%, seriously) and dont pay school fees. Francis lets it slide (most schools here definitely wouldnt), but this makes it difficult to make ends meet finacially. We discuss a possible SEED partnership.

Another hilight for me, surprisingly enough, was a church service we attended. It was such a connected sense of spirituality, and the music went straight to the soul. The 'church' was a bunch of planks of sheet metal mysteriously (or perhaps divinely?) held together by twigs and twine. I think it was the first church service I have ever attended in which I wasnt praying diligently for God to make the service end.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Tusker (a Kenyan beer) is fantastic.

Ukwala is gorgeous and quaint and peaceful. The night sky is really something else. And showering here is fantastic: as soon as it begins to pour, we run outside with soap. The sounds are overwhelming too- layered, textured sounds of life lead to layered, textured thoughts and ideas.

Funny story. Meg and I were diagnosed with some lovely Malaria on the exact same day. (mum, we are recovered and FINE, yes we were taking our pills properly) Malaria was the ultimate bonding experience: we live together, we work together, we puke together. The "Malaria Experience" was an interesting one. I don't remember most of the first day (it was nasty) -hazy blurs of randomly puking and passing out - however I did get to look at my blood sample with the malaria under a microscope - which made the whole ordeal worthwhile.
The best part was the entire time I was bed- stricken, I had Shakira's 'My Hips Don't Lie' pounding through my head. This is weird- but I actually really like that song now.

Getting malaria really got me thinking about 'the highest form of human potential.' It was an infuriating eye- opener. We were treated extrodrinarily well and drugs were practically shoved down our throats within hours of being diagnosed. Malaria is a leading cause of death in kids the developing world. Fortunately for Meg and I - luck of the draw- we can buy our lives and our health. BUT HOW IS THAT FAIR? We live in a world that values 'rich' people over 'poor' people. But money is such a cultural construction - its ridiculous.
In a sick and twisted way, we confuse monetary wealth with value and worth.
The developed human potential and value that can be seen in endless numbers of 'poor' people far exceeds that of the 'rich'. But their value is lost in economic translation. its just so ridiculous.

And Kenyan Politics- oh boy. (Aside, I have come to a personal conclusion that political complacency is in fact immoral in our time, just seeing the effects of 'structural adjustment/poverty reduction strategies' draining a social sector, I am looking to improve myself in that respect) I could go on for hours about how the Kenyan system is corrupt and DESIGNED to create disparity (why do elected politicians here make so much money/???) If youre interested, look into the Kenyan old/ new constitution fiasco.. From the ground, all I can say is that the administration must be really doing a number to be able to shove a nation so wealthy in human ingenuity and natural resources into such poverty and marginalization.
Oh and Mwai Kibaki's wife (the first lady) telling the nations youth that "Condoms are bad, ban female condoms, practice abstinence??"
(The intention of this was likely to win over the votes of the church in the upcoming election) I cant even begin to imagine how infuriating this must be for Ben, the doctor at the Matibabu Clinic, who estimates that 40% of the youth- adult population in Ukwala is HIV+. What crap. THeres no way of being open- minded about that one.

Frustrations aside, I try to play it down but my general excitement keeps oozing out in this nerdy perma- smile thats seems to be glued to my face. Its atrocious.

I doubt anyone is going to make it this far down in this entry, but nonetheless i must mention yesterday. Back in Nairobi, Meghan and I spent a chunk of the afternoon dancing and sprinting around The University of Nairobi Campus in the pouring rain. We tossed shoes into classrooms and ran to go get them, took some shampoo from a ritzy hotel and gave people samples on the street, practiced our japaneese, and danced to sounds of life. it was lovely.
SEED is going to be exciting, SEED-ers back home - be ready for some fun.
we head to mombassa in the morning and then boat to Zanzibar.

dude... okay my mind has gone blank. ciao. i will stop typing.

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