Hey guys, if you read the blog below this will make sense. Here are the links to download files about our building project. If you are from the UK download and use the CWK files, if you are from any other part of the world download and use the CHERYLS files.
You can download the files from:
http://www.box.net/shared/a2vdtvtjir
Thanks
K
Monday, 14 December 2009
Friday, 11 December 2009
MEDICINE MAN
WHAT’S UP DOC? – So its been far too long since my last blog entry! Big apologies to all. One of the main reasons and most current issue is that I have been ill for the past couple of weeks. It started first with a lower back ache, which became very painful and I was starting to walk around like a ‘Mzee’ (An old Man). The most frustrating part was that the little ones at cheryls love being picked up and carried and it was hard trying to explain I couldn’t pick them up, in fact I still can’t, I hope they don’t take it personally!!! The good thing is 3 and half year olds have short memories!! The back ache continued, but then last week I started to get a cold, nothing major to begin with, a few sniffles and I was trying not to behave like a man, with man flu, but the cold got progressively worse until at the weekend there was a constant drip from my nose and my eyes... I was flooding everywhere!!! Ok it doesn’t stop there, after a few days I was feeling really down about the whole cold thing, you know they are not bad enough to really take time off, but they disrupt everything!! Everyone was concerned at the home, I was hobbling around with a bad back and sneezing (which causes excruciating pain in your lower back) with tissues coming out of every pocket and sleeve, I was a mess. Then earlier this week I started coughing and felt it move onto my chest. Oh no!!! I had flash backs to childhood memories of chest infections during the winter months, so even though I am in sunny Nairobi in the heat it seems you can still get chest infections before Christmas! ON Wednesday I headed to hospital to see a doc (not so dramatic, as you can go to hospital like going to a GP). I was struggling with my asthma, my back was killing and I felt very alone in the waiting room. With asthma, when its bad you start to panic a bit, which makes it worse, it was not a great time. I saw the doc, she reassured me and gave me some antibiotics which are now working. I also went to see a chiropractor about my back. It was in a random block of flats, a place recommended by a friend. I really wanted a physio, but can;t find one. The chiropractor seemed a little amateur and it was sooooooo painful! All credit to her she has helped my back a bit, but it stills aches. But I don’t think I will be going back. So here I am, its Friday morning, I’ve not been in work all week and its time to update the blog.
ST ANDY – I didn’t bother bringing my Dinner Jacket to Kenya, I mean what are the chances of needing it here while I’m working at a childrens home? So only after 2 months of being here I was invited to the Caledonian ball.. for Scottish people in Kenya... rats I need a dinner jacket. Well i was able to hire one and attended the ball. It was strange being in this big conference centre, surrounded by mostly white people. We had a little bit of haggis as a starter, flown all the way from Scotland courtesy of British Airways and DHL. There were speeches and a ceilidh band (also flown from Scotland) and for a few hours it was like being back at home, I very soon easily forgot I was in Kenya. The speeches were ok, the British High Commissioner did a very funny one about his stag weekend in Scotland, very open and honest I must say! There was a fantastic speech by a Kenyan diplomat who wore a kilt and looked fantastic, he was in fact the funniest of all. Even though for the most part it felt like home there were still reminders of being in Kenya, all the waiters were Kenyan and it was totally disorganised, there were some older white gentlemen with their young Kenyan mistresses and even some british army guys with some ladies of the night as their guests. As strange night, but fun, a touch of home is nice but I think next time I’m back in the UK I’ll be bringing my DJ back to Kenya with me just in case!
CANCER – The biggest and most challenging part of the last few weeks has been Peter. He is 12 years old and one of the orphans. He lost both parents and ended up with his gran who used to beat him. He only has an uncle who is a drunk. He was brought to us a few years ago by a pastor from the same village. Peter has had a lump on his head for the last couple of months, growing more and more. It was tested but inconclusive and then eventually he went for surgery to have it removed. He was in hospital for 3 days, I went to pick him up and bought him a man united shirt as a present (his favourite football team). I told him when kids are in hospital in the UK they get presents. He was soooo chuffed and it was great to see him smile. He held the shirt for a few hours and then as we got ready to leave he placed it carefully back in the packaging to take home, he keeps it for special occasions. The following week the results came in, its seems he has cancer. We were all hit by this, although I was kind of expecting it, it was a big shock. Cheryls has never been in this situation before. Its complicated and too long to explain in the blog, but there are various legal issues we need to deal with and consider how he will get some care. For me I want to make sure he gets the best treatment possible. We are the only people who can make sure Peter gets good care. I am slightly sceptical about some of the local doctors and clinics, they basically diagnose everyone with Malaria even when its clear they don’t have it, that worries me and makes me wonder how competent they are to deal with cancer. We are talking about cancer, its a very big deal, potentially life and death for Peter. I want to see if we can use the more expensive private hospitals, we may need to employ a nurse for him, he will need a special diet. The challenges ahead for us are huge and I am not sure where the money is going to come from but we need to find it for Peter’s sake. The weight of all this at times has been unbearable, there have been tears, a lot of this is now on my shoulders, in fact I am the one who has to tell Peter whats happening, at the moment he doesn’t know, but on Monday morning I am taking him to the hospice for advice, he will need to know by then. We are his family, we are one big family and it hurts to know that one of our family is going to face some very tough times ahead, but we will stand with him.
CHRIMBO – I wasn’t allowed to listen to Christmas music until after thanksgiving, a rule made by my American friend Dre. So I abided by it and on the Friday morning after thanksgiving the tunes came on! There are Christmas decorations up in the shopping malls, and a kind of Christmas tree tree sold by the roads. Sometimes you can even hear Christmas music playing in the supermarket. I have been to a Christmas carol concert and Juliet’s school’s 9 lessons and carols at the cathedral, but to be honest it still doesn’t feel like Christmas, its too hot!!! I have put a Christmas tree in my house, I’ll try and put a picture up on the blog in the next few days, its an usual one, but I have tried to make an African Christmas tree. A friend of mine across the road donated a fake tree and decorations for the kids, so for the first time ever Cheryls has a Christmas tree and decorations. The kids were so excited and it looks fantastic. I know I will be spending Christmas day at the home and I’m really excited about that, it will be strange, but I know we can give these kids a fantastic day. We want to collect as many presents as possible (most of them second hand) and wrap them ready for the big day.
FRIDAY NIGHT IS MOVIE NIGHT – As its now the holidays for the kids we are running activities with the volunteers at Cheryls. So there has been sports, arts, drama (a nativity play) and other things. One great idea Dre had was to have a movie night on Fridays. So I bring in my TV from home, its bigger than the one at cheryls, we put the sound through the PA system, we buy in sodas, popcorn and usually some other treats like icecream and sit down to watch a movie. Each Friday we have also celebrated birthdays too which has been fun. They are great nights and to be honest it only happens because of the volunteers, we all chip in some cash to buy the things we need, so no money is taken from the budget, its all donated by volunteers. The kids love it, and maybe we will just continue it every Friday, even during school time. I just wish we had a video projector or something, even with my TV its hard for 50 people to see properly.
ORGINAL FAKES – So on the theme of movies, I have started to buy some DVD’s. Now you can’t get proper DVD’s here they are all pirated and fakes, even the ones in the official record shops in the malls. Now yes morally perhaps we shouldn;t buy them, but then there is no real alternative and I decided that if the studios were bothered they would supply Africa with the genuine article, but as they don’t then fake ones are all we have. So I’ve joined the rest of Kenya and just gone with the flow. So far I managed to get hold of the latest 24 series, it cost me 80p. The quality is not great, but it works and after a hard day its great to catch up with some good TV. The funniest thing is that some of them are produced by a company called Alibaba and are from Dubai. On the inside of the cover they talk about only buying original DVD’s and they have all these indicators to prove these are original Alibaba DVD’s, yes thats right, to prove they are original fakes, because believe it or not, some people make fake copies of the fake copies. SO I intend to just buy original fakes where possible.
THE BROOKIE – One of my favourite spots in Nairobi and a true taste of home and a real treat is The Java House, a coffee shop that sells really good food. There are a few around the city and its just a nice place to hang out. IN the summer with our youth group visiting Kenya I invented a new type of Sundae. Java house produce a cookie sundae and also a brownie sundae, both are awesome, but i was thinking wouldn;t it be great to have a mix of the 2, and so The Brookie (Brownie cookie) sundae was born. Now since moving here occasionally we ask for one and have to explain to the waiter what we mean and on a number of occasions we have written on comment cards asking them to put it on the menu. Well the news came in this week from one of the volunteers while I was ill, The Brookie Sundae is now officially on the specials menu’s at all the Java houses in Nairobi! Now for all my achievements in life this is one I am quite proud of! So next time you are in Nairobi make sure you order a Brookie Sundae, you will love it!
IT BEGINS – Over the last few weeks we have been progressing with the building project and buying land. We have negotiated a good price with the land owner and each acre is worth £3,500, buying a total of 50 acres. We are looking to build a high school, technical college, farming activities, accommodation for volunteers and a village for the kids. Its a big project and will probably take the next 10 years. The biggest step is buying land. We are getting close to signing an agreement with the owner which means we will need to pay the 10% deposit and hopefully we can agree to pay the rest in 6 months. This doesn’t give us much time and we are under pressure now to raise this money fast. This is the biggest challenge for us, it will affect the next 10 years of work at cheryls, we need to buy this land, its crucial and £180,000 is a lot to raise. We have written a proposal to help people understand what we are doing and why, I will try and put a link to it on here soon. I am hoping that during the Christmas months as people feel very charitable we can start collecting some money, this is a crucial time, I know when January comes it will be harder to raise funds, post Christmas. We have had some pledges in already which is a great start, but we need enough for the deposit and then the balance. We need to do all this as well as find sponsors for the kids and raise money for the general running, its a crazy time and now the heat is on, we have begun to raise money. If you know anyone who would like to help with this, or you would yourself let me know, we only have 6 months to do it, but it will have a massive impact on the work we are doing.
POWER OUT – a common factor is the power going out, its soooo frustrating, and infact its gone out while I am writing this, I’m working off battery power so I need to sign off soon and get this posted before I lose all power. Its a sign of the city growing too big, the demand for electricity is too high, the power company can’t cope and without much water its even worse. Its part of ordinary life here, no power, but I don’t think I will ever get used to it, its soooo frustrating! The worst is when its your day off and you want to get up late, then you find the power is off so not hot water for a shower... still there are worse things in life, and thats the great thing about working at the kids home, when you start to complain and get frustrated you only have to remember the kids, and what they have lost. When I am around a lot of the white community in the rich areas most of the time the talk is complaining at this and that, and its true I join in at times, but I have noticed I don’t get as annoyed as most of them, I wonder if its because I am working with kids who have lost so much, how can we complain.... I’m not perfect, but I am glad I don’t spend my whole time in the rich white lifestyle in Nairobi, its nice to dip in and out and be reminded of home, but where I truly love to spend my time is playing with the kids on a weekend or late in the evening after office time, i feel constantly drawn to be there, it means in a way I am overworking and that may have led to me getting sick, but I am drawn to be there, with those that have so little, just to hang out, just to be together and the kids themselves express so much love. Somone asked me why our kids are so well behaved, how come they show so much love, I had to be honest and said I don’t think I can explain it, but perhaps its because they have a fantastic bunch of staff and teachers who are constantly demonstrating that love to them, they are learning it from the adults around. For me thats what makes Cheryls special, its what makes it different from other places I have been and visited, its why I want to be here.
ST ANDY – I didn’t bother bringing my Dinner Jacket to Kenya, I mean what are the chances of needing it here while I’m working at a childrens home? So only after 2 months of being here I was invited to the Caledonian ball.. for Scottish people in Kenya... rats I need a dinner jacket. Well i was able to hire one and attended the ball. It was strange being in this big conference centre, surrounded by mostly white people. We had a little bit of haggis as a starter, flown all the way from Scotland courtesy of British Airways and DHL. There were speeches and a ceilidh band (also flown from Scotland) and for a few hours it was like being back at home, I very soon easily forgot I was in Kenya. The speeches were ok, the British High Commissioner did a very funny one about his stag weekend in Scotland, very open and honest I must say! There was a fantastic speech by a Kenyan diplomat who wore a kilt and looked fantastic, he was in fact the funniest of all. Even though for the most part it felt like home there were still reminders of being in Kenya, all the waiters were Kenyan and it was totally disorganised, there were some older white gentlemen with their young Kenyan mistresses and even some british army guys with some ladies of the night as their guests. As strange night, but fun, a touch of home is nice but I think next time I’m back in the UK I’ll be bringing my DJ back to Kenya with me just in case!
CANCER – The biggest and most challenging part of the last few weeks has been Peter. He is 12 years old and one of the orphans. He lost both parents and ended up with his gran who used to beat him. He only has an uncle who is a drunk. He was brought to us a few years ago by a pastor from the same village. Peter has had a lump on his head for the last couple of months, growing more and more. It was tested but inconclusive and then eventually he went for surgery to have it removed. He was in hospital for 3 days, I went to pick him up and bought him a man united shirt as a present (his favourite football team). I told him when kids are in hospital in the UK they get presents. He was soooo chuffed and it was great to see him smile. He held the shirt for a few hours and then as we got ready to leave he placed it carefully back in the packaging to take home, he keeps it for special occasions. The following week the results came in, its seems he has cancer. We were all hit by this, although I was kind of expecting it, it was a big shock. Cheryls has never been in this situation before. Its complicated and too long to explain in the blog, but there are various legal issues we need to deal with and consider how he will get some care. For me I want to make sure he gets the best treatment possible. We are the only people who can make sure Peter gets good care. I am slightly sceptical about some of the local doctors and clinics, they basically diagnose everyone with Malaria even when its clear they don’t have it, that worries me and makes me wonder how competent they are to deal with cancer. We are talking about cancer, its a very big deal, potentially life and death for Peter. I want to see if we can use the more expensive private hospitals, we may need to employ a nurse for him, he will need a special diet. The challenges ahead for us are huge and I am not sure where the money is going to come from but we need to find it for Peter’s sake. The weight of all this at times has been unbearable, there have been tears, a lot of this is now on my shoulders, in fact I am the one who has to tell Peter whats happening, at the moment he doesn’t know, but on Monday morning I am taking him to the hospice for advice, he will need to know by then. We are his family, we are one big family and it hurts to know that one of our family is going to face some very tough times ahead, but we will stand with him.
CHRIMBO – I wasn’t allowed to listen to Christmas music until after thanksgiving, a rule made by my American friend Dre. So I abided by it and on the Friday morning after thanksgiving the tunes came on! There are Christmas decorations up in the shopping malls, and a kind of Christmas tree tree sold by the roads. Sometimes you can even hear Christmas music playing in the supermarket. I have been to a Christmas carol concert and Juliet’s school’s 9 lessons and carols at the cathedral, but to be honest it still doesn’t feel like Christmas, its too hot!!! I have put a Christmas tree in my house, I’ll try and put a picture up on the blog in the next few days, its an usual one, but I have tried to make an African Christmas tree. A friend of mine across the road donated a fake tree and decorations for the kids, so for the first time ever Cheryls has a Christmas tree and decorations. The kids were so excited and it looks fantastic. I know I will be spending Christmas day at the home and I’m really excited about that, it will be strange, but I know we can give these kids a fantastic day. We want to collect as many presents as possible (most of them second hand) and wrap them ready for the big day.
FRIDAY NIGHT IS MOVIE NIGHT – As its now the holidays for the kids we are running activities with the volunteers at Cheryls. So there has been sports, arts, drama (a nativity play) and other things. One great idea Dre had was to have a movie night on Fridays. So I bring in my TV from home, its bigger than the one at cheryls, we put the sound through the PA system, we buy in sodas, popcorn and usually some other treats like icecream and sit down to watch a movie. Each Friday we have also celebrated birthdays too which has been fun. They are great nights and to be honest it only happens because of the volunteers, we all chip in some cash to buy the things we need, so no money is taken from the budget, its all donated by volunteers. The kids love it, and maybe we will just continue it every Friday, even during school time. I just wish we had a video projector or something, even with my TV its hard for 50 people to see properly.
ORGINAL FAKES – So on the theme of movies, I have started to buy some DVD’s. Now you can’t get proper DVD’s here they are all pirated and fakes, even the ones in the official record shops in the malls. Now yes morally perhaps we shouldn;t buy them, but then there is no real alternative and I decided that if the studios were bothered they would supply Africa with the genuine article, but as they don’t then fake ones are all we have. So I’ve joined the rest of Kenya and just gone with the flow. So far I managed to get hold of the latest 24 series, it cost me 80p. The quality is not great, but it works and after a hard day its great to catch up with some good TV. The funniest thing is that some of them are produced by a company called Alibaba and are from Dubai. On the inside of the cover they talk about only buying original DVD’s and they have all these indicators to prove these are original Alibaba DVD’s, yes thats right, to prove they are original fakes, because believe it or not, some people make fake copies of the fake copies. SO I intend to just buy original fakes where possible.
THE BROOKIE – One of my favourite spots in Nairobi and a true taste of home and a real treat is The Java House, a coffee shop that sells really good food. There are a few around the city and its just a nice place to hang out. IN the summer with our youth group visiting Kenya I invented a new type of Sundae. Java house produce a cookie sundae and also a brownie sundae, both are awesome, but i was thinking wouldn;t it be great to have a mix of the 2, and so The Brookie (Brownie cookie) sundae was born. Now since moving here occasionally we ask for one and have to explain to the waiter what we mean and on a number of occasions we have written on comment cards asking them to put it on the menu. Well the news came in this week from one of the volunteers while I was ill, The Brookie Sundae is now officially on the specials menu’s at all the Java houses in Nairobi! Now for all my achievements in life this is one I am quite proud of! So next time you are in Nairobi make sure you order a Brookie Sundae, you will love it!
IT BEGINS – Over the last few weeks we have been progressing with the building project and buying land. We have negotiated a good price with the land owner and each acre is worth £3,500, buying a total of 50 acres. We are looking to build a high school, technical college, farming activities, accommodation for volunteers and a village for the kids. Its a big project and will probably take the next 10 years. The biggest step is buying land. We are getting close to signing an agreement with the owner which means we will need to pay the 10% deposit and hopefully we can agree to pay the rest in 6 months. This doesn’t give us much time and we are under pressure now to raise this money fast. This is the biggest challenge for us, it will affect the next 10 years of work at cheryls, we need to buy this land, its crucial and £180,000 is a lot to raise. We have written a proposal to help people understand what we are doing and why, I will try and put a link to it on here soon. I am hoping that during the Christmas months as people feel very charitable we can start collecting some money, this is a crucial time, I know when January comes it will be harder to raise funds, post Christmas. We have had some pledges in already which is a great start, but we need enough for the deposit and then the balance. We need to do all this as well as find sponsors for the kids and raise money for the general running, its a crazy time and now the heat is on, we have begun to raise money. If you know anyone who would like to help with this, or you would yourself let me know, we only have 6 months to do it, but it will have a massive impact on the work we are doing.
POWER OUT – a common factor is the power going out, its soooo frustrating, and infact its gone out while I am writing this, I’m working off battery power so I need to sign off soon and get this posted before I lose all power. Its a sign of the city growing too big, the demand for electricity is too high, the power company can’t cope and without much water its even worse. Its part of ordinary life here, no power, but I don’t think I will ever get used to it, its soooo frustrating! The worst is when its your day off and you want to get up late, then you find the power is off so not hot water for a shower... still there are worse things in life, and thats the great thing about working at the kids home, when you start to complain and get frustrated you only have to remember the kids, and what they have lost. When I am around a lot of the white community in the rich areas most of the time the talk is complaining at this and that, and its true I join in at times, but I have noticed I don’t get as annoyed as most of them, I wonder if its because I am working with kids who have lost so much, how can we complain.... I’m not perfect, but I am glad I don’t spend my whole time in the rich white lifestyle in Nairobi, its nice to dip in and out and be reminded of home, but where I truly love to spend my time is playing with the kids on a weekend or late in the evening after office time, i feel constantly drawn to be there, it means in a way I am overworking and that may have led to me getting sick, but I am drawn to be there, with those that have so little, just to hang out, just to be together and the kids themselves express so much love. Somone asked me why our kids are so well behaved, how come they show so much love, I had to be honest and said I don’t think I can explain it, but perhaps its because they have a fantastic bunch of staff and teachers who are constantly demonstrating that love to them, they are learning it from the adults around. For me thats what makes Cheryls special, its what makes it different from other places I have been and visited, its why I want to be here.
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