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Helen in Africa
I finally got out of the city this weekend when 8 of us went camping at Lake Naivasha. It was a beautiful place. We spent our days trekking and on boat trips to see hippos and flamingos and our evenings round the fire in the woods. It was a much needed break from the pollution and filth of the city.
I spent today in a clinic in Kibera. On my way down to the orphanage I saw a health clinic and stuck my head round the door. I started talking to one of the doctors there and he said they were just opening an HIV clinic there. So I have managed to attain a place on their small team and today I drew blood and tested a man for HIV for the first time. I also conducted some TB, Malaria and pregnancy tests (and I analysed poo!). They also have a maternity ward in the clinic and the doctor said I can help with some of the deliveries which will be an amazing experience.
It will be a great environment to carry out my project in. I have also arranged a support group for this week where women with HIV come and share their experiences and challenges. Unfortunately it is more difficult to get men to come to counselling sessions as there is a lot of stigma attached to having HIV.
Our mobile clinic is all set to go and leaves next Friday for the Saiya district. It is thought that HIV prevalence among young people is as high as 45%. We have some great people coming with us to help. Together, hopefully we will make some sort of difference to the rural Kenyan people.
Last night we took one of the volunteers to the airport. The whole family went to see her off as she has been here for 10 weeks. It was all very tearful and made me realise that I too will be very sad to leave this place when the time comes. I'm really enjoying living with my host family. They are some of the nicest people I have ever met and are truly kind and caring and are very funny. The kids are wonderful and very uplifting. I feel like I have a second family here and the most relaxing part of the day for me is having dinner with everyone and sharing stories. I couldn't have asked for a better host family. Viatta cooks the most amazing food, which consists of pancakes for breakfast, Chapati and vegetables for lunch and some kind of stew with rice and salad for dinner. I'm not exactly living it rough at home but that will change when I go to Saiaya and have to eat nothing but Uygali (a kind of tasteless congealed mushy rice) and beans. I have to be honest, I really don't like it.
Anyway, I will go now,
love x
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