Women's conference

First stop this morning was to the OWI Global Cyber Cafe This was started in Jan of this year to help the Orphan Program begin to take care of itself As any new business it is working out the bugs but doing well The cafe has 8 computers 2 printers and soon a scanner Very impressive and promising as it is the only one in the Kiminini Market just across from the OWI base at the church Next stop was the church where the women of the surrounding communities had already arrived drinking tea and having bread and butter sandwiches In Kenya there is always refreshment and a bit of socializing before work When the music started it was like a call to come and many more women filled the church dancing and singing in worship The topic of the seminar was stress an issue in any country for women dealing with family work and life in general Our drs in the group gave helpful ways to reduce stress thru deep breathing which made most laugh but they tried it and agreed that it helped The next dr talked about how to identify tension in the body and how to relax those areas Our dr from Uganda spoke about how you took care of yourself could affect your stress levels along with caring for your body with the proper nutrition Last but not least was the segment on massage This was very interesting to all and almost everyone got to experience how this truly worked by taking turns giving massage to their neighbors For the next portion of the program the guardians of the OP came on stage to welcome us back with song and dancing Kenyans love to dance and sing as you can tell by how many times it is in the programs they put on A testimony from a friend from the US church in Buena Park ended the speakers then the singers gave one last 15 min finish song and dance We don't have to worry about gaining weight here we are always asked to join them up front and they never get tired!! A meal was prepared for the women that attended the conference and they started for home All of a sudden the clouds blew in thunder and lighting started to flash and clap then rain that sounded like it would knock the building down, not that the Kenyans looked worried I thought about the poor women walking home and wondering if they were close enough to some kind of cover to get out of the rain until it stopped Finally we sent the team home and OWI US had a meeting with OWI Kenya It was a long but satisfying day

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Kipsongo and Matisi med clinics

Yesterday and today we have been seriously busy at these two clinics Kipsongo brought over 1500 sick people for our drs and nurses to treat It was an overwhelming sight to see and by the time we were thru we felt the tired thankfulness that we could be used to that extent After a meeting with the team on some of the things we saw and how we could have made it run smoother we jumped into bed only to get up a few hrs later to do it again in Matisi This location was at least an actual medical clinic and it made it easier to set up and we got started rapier We arrived at 730am and already there was along lint of moms with several children each waiting to be seen Our plan was to leave the clinic gates open until 400pm then close them and treat those who had a number but by 230pm we had reached our limit and had to shut the gates early When people hear that a clinic is in the area and hear it is free they spread the word fast bringing even more people than the immediate area Needless to say we saw just as many as the day before if not moreTomorrow there is no clinic but our schedule is none the slower we will be at our women's conference and several of the drs will be speaking at the Kitale District Hospital

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Hospital/school visits

Some have recovered from the jet lag and others are still feeling the effects. Most of the team was up and moving by 6am if not earlier. Our plans for the day was to divide into two groups, one to go visit the district hospital and the other to visit an elementary school. Having already seen the district hospital, I went to the school. We came back together for lunch in Kitale town, sharing our experiences. Of course the team that went to the hospital saw pain and suffering but also faithful Drs. and nurses that cared and did all they could to comfort and heal as best they could. The school team on the other hand saw smiling faces and got lots of "how are you" greetings. But still the standard of the classrooms, amount of kids per class along with the lack of resources.....not to mention the challenges that the teachers faced in trying to teach these precious kids made us wonder how anyone got through it without becoming discouraged. Today eyes were opened to the harsh realities that people face daily here in this country. Today we had three new team members arrive two Drs from Ca and a Dr from Uganda. This evening the team spread out the medicines all over the sitting room and began the job of packaging the pills in individual doses. It was a long night but they got it done. Marjaana and I had the opportunity to meet with the head of the chamber if commerce of the transnzoia area of which Kitale and Kiminini are a part of and the vice mayor of the same area also. Tomorrow the first of our three medical clinics, the first at Kipsongo slum

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Flight and first night in Kenya

Our arrival to the Tom Bradley terminal with 16 travelers and twice as many pieces of luggage could have caused alot of frustration but it went very smoothly! The team breezed thru and we boardedthe airplane for the very long first leg of our trip...15 hrs to Dubai. Then a quick walk to our next flight of 5 hrs to Nairobi. By the time we got thru customs and picked up our bags at 7pm Kenya time, we were ready for a good nights sleep. After breakfast the next morning we headed back to the airport for our final flight to Kitale. As we weaved our way thru the the morning rush hour traffic, the familiar sights and the smell of the cooking fires brought back memories of previous trips. Most of our team has not been to Kenya and it was exciting to see the country from their perspective. Our host for the week has provided a very comfortable place for us and we are looking forward to tomorrow when we will go shopping in Kitale for the medical supplies and other needs so that we can start preparing for the medical clinic that will be on Wednesday.

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Flight out of LA and first night

Our flight began at the Tom Bradley terminal with 16 travelers and double that amount in check in bags! The rest of our team met up with us in Nairobi. The long 15 hr flight to Dubai and then the next considerably shorter one to Nairobi, 5 hrs, went smoothly and the entire team was comfortable. After we collected our bags and boxes the majority of the team headed for the guest house for the night. Marjaana and I along with Gideon our driver and Dr Senessie waited for another traveler from the UK. The jetlag was beginning to hit me and I was glad to finally get to bed at midnight. Breakfast found the team refreshed and ready for the next leg of our trip...to Kitale and our final destination,Kiminini for the week. As we navigated the morning rush hour traffic back to the airport, the familiar sight and smells of the cooking fires welcomed us back. Karibu! Welcome! It's the beginning of lots of good things....to God be the glory!

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First day Nairobi leaving for Kitale

Our arrival to Tom Bradley terminal went smoothly with no mishaps. With 16 flying from LA and double that in check ins, you can imagine how one overweight bag could hold up the team. But that was not the case. The flight to Dubai was a long 15 hrs and then another 5 hrs to Nairobi. Can you believe there was no complaints? Its true, everyone was comfortable, we have a great team and I'm looking forward to the week. Once we got thru customs, the majority of our team went to the guest house while Marjaana and I along with our friend Dr. Senessie from Switzerland waited for our UK team member at the airport. Breakfast this morning told us that all slept well and are ready for the next flight to Kiminini. As we navigate the Nairobi traffic to catch our flight to our final destination, the familiar sights and smells of the cooking fires welcome me back. Today we will go to the church and greet our OWI Kenya counterparts and then settle into our guest house for the week while in Kiminini.

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From the team leader

Here are some more highlights of what we will be doing while in Kenya from our team leader Marjaana:  The annual Women's Conference usually draws 300-400  women, who have been asking about the upcoming conference since February! There will be lots of singing and dancing, laughter and even tears, as we share our life experiences and discuss their requested topic of Coping with Stress - approaching it from the spiritual perspective as well as from the clinical side.
 
The mobile medical clinics have expanded even further. This year we have several doctors and nurses in our team in addition to our partner doctors from Switzerland, U.K., Uganda and from elsewhere in Kenya joining our hosting medical community in Kitale town. It is very exciting to see the collaborative efforts bearing fruit! We will facilitate the clinics in two slums, a church (our orphans and guardians) and a small team will treat a remote village. Many of the people have never seen a doctor before, as they live on less than $2 a day, so there is no money to go seek medical care anywhere. Thousands will be receiving free treatment - and hope in knowing that somebody cares about them. Many have testified that they feel that God has answered their prayer by sending us from the other side of the world to help them.
 
Our doctors will also do a health seminar for the Kenyan health care workers. The social workers will have their own training meetings with their Kenyan counterparts and the teachers will volunteer in a school. I will be meeting with a potential future president of Kenya about the success and expansion of our community development programs, which I am very excited about. Just hoping for his favorable word when our Kenyan chapter is applying for government grants there. At least he is interested enough to discuss it!

OWI upcoming trip

Hi all,
Well this is definitely an exciting time for me and for OWI, as we are busy preparing for the annual trip to Kenya July 23rd.  I have been preparing for so long that I can't believe it's only 2 weeks away!  This year we are traveling with 22!  Its a great team of all sorts of people...doctors, nurses, teachers, and young energetic teens!
As I carefully think through the packing of my bags so as not to exceed the weight limit, I am reminded of how fortunate I am to once again be able to make this trip. God has been gracious to me in allowing me to go once again.

 

As you can see on the itinerary below, we will be doing many things while in Kiminini. There will be a Women's Conference, 2 public medical clinics and one for our orphans along with the Orphan Day especially for them. This is the day that the orphans look forward to all year long and we hope to make it as special as we can. On this day the orphans and their guardian families will come for a fun day of activities, crafts, a healthy lunch and then we will end the day with a huge birthday cake lit with candles to celebrate their birthdays. Birthday gifts of school items, personal items and some treats are given to each orphan along with a personal card from their sponsors.  It's such a sweet sight to see the excitement in their eyes! The orphans themselves have also been planning a special event to present to us, spending lots of hours learning poetry, songs and dances to entertain us. This is a treat we are so looking forward to!

I will be staying a few days after the team leaves with two others from OWI. We will be visiting other organizations around Kenya and looking into how we might be able to join hands with them in helping to support the children in other areas of this precious country.

 

Most of our prayer needs are of course, for safe travel and good health. Also when we are in country, there are many sights and stories that are heart breaking which can make us feel inadequate in how little we can do. By trying to "fix" situations we could cause more harm than good. Please pray that we can be good listeners and act as God would want us to, not how we think we should.

 

I will be blogging as much as I can on what is going on when I can.  Just go to www.ordinarywomen.org and click on the "Visit the OWI Blog" link on the top left side of the site. Become a follower to get updated about the trip.

 

I look forward to sharing with you all.

Debbie

 

 

 

Tentative Itinerary

7/23    Sat              Depart LAX at 9:45AM

7/24    Sun              Arrive in Nairobi at 7:05PM. Overnight at Gracia Guesthouse.

7/25    Mon             Fly to Kitale in AM. Get settled in Guest House.

                             Afternoon/evening visit with hosts and medical team

7/26    Tue              AM - Visit to school  / SW Meeting

PM - Preparation for clinics and OP day

7/27    Wed             Clinic Day at Kipsongo: Health talk + medical, HIV testing

                             SW meeting /Training

7/28    Thu             Clinic Day at Matisi: Health talk + medical, HIV testing

                             SW meeting / Training

7/29    Fri               8 – 10 - Seminar for Health Care workers at Kitale District Hosp.

10 - 4 - Women's Conference : Dealing with Stress

7/30    Sat              AM - Clinic for Orphans / Guardians/ Crafts & Games for kids

                             PM - Orphans' Annual Birthday Party PM

Appreciation Event (evening) for clinic Health Care workers

7/31    Sun              Church

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Debbie
"We are moved by our love for Him!"
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949 280-7987
Ordinary Women, Inc.
Joining Hands for Global Change
26861 Trabuco Rd. Suite E-146
Mission Viejo, Ca  92691-3535
www.ordinarywomen.org

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