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| Residents we had gone to help!! |
It has been ages since I last wrote here. This is because I chose to take time off and concentrate on settling at my new job. Oh, I chose a job I love, and thus,not working a day in my life-Confucius. This experience was born as a result of the new job, and though 3 weeks old, found it healthy to share so that you can understand my love for society...
NB: Lodwar is a small town located in Kenya's Turkana county. It is in the vast dry part of the country, and its main inhabitants are the Turkana people. The Turkana people form of greeting is: 'Ejok'-Hello; 'Ejoka'-Hello to you!!
We had gone there to offer food and medical assistance, having just witnessed a harsh drought that had doubled the misery of the residents of Lodwar.
MY TALE:
23rd October gave birth to the longest road trip I have ever had. A two day journey to the 'hot' lands of Lodwar lay forth, and the atmosphere was buzzing with loud excitement. We were an army of 46, blended gender mix, driven by the sole-purpose of making hearts smile.
The journey was long and tedious, the road was rough and bumpy, and this is what sweetened the adventure. Our bus could not stand the pressure that it had been subjected to, and waved the white flag, in the vast wilderness. This was after we had seen a 12 year old boy, carrying a rifle, as he was guarding his camels. Oh yes, the night was fast approaching, there was no mechanic in sight and terror was taking charge. The closest police post was almost 2 hours away, and though we were a huge number, the only ammunitions at our mercy were our voices and arms-guess I can safely say then, that we were armed!! haha!...thus it was evident that we could not stand against any attack, were we to be subjected to one! Anhu, sadly, we encountered not an attack, thus managed to reach our destination in one peace.
Fatigue was reigning supreme, and all we were yearning for was rest, in readiness of the hot day that lay ahead. Upon arriving at our lodge, fear met fun, and the wild surroundings found their own way of welcoming us. Being almost 36 degrees, it was only logical to take a late night shower before going to bed. Upon reaching the bathroom, one was joined by an army of locusts, whom, for the strangest reasons, were keenly looking forward to join in the shower. This resulted in shouts and name calling in the bathrooms, battles between man and locust, that wholly complicated the showering process. Hehe. It was a major encounter indeed. Try it!!
During our one week stay we managed to interact with the locals, and provide counsel and comfort in what they were going through. I was part of a team that went to visit AIDS victims in the area, and was subjected to shock, dismay and sorrow. It was drawn to our attention that some of the residents of the area prefer to be HIV positive, rather than be negative, in order to get access to food donations, that often come hand-in-hand with the AIDS medication. Yep, you can read that again. This was a bombshell to our esteem also. Gloom took toll, and honestly, though 3 weeks down, I am yet to recover from it.
The flip-side of it all was when we toured the great Lake Turkana, which had its shores dressed in white sand, peacefully guiding the crocodile waters from surpassing their boundary. It was beautiful. Very beautiful. This site, and the one of the orchard we managed to visit, shone hope in our hearts, that all is not lost.
I concentrated on the highlights of my encounter, as a detailed report of the experience would warrant much more space, and I think the blog isn't home to that. ANhu, it was and shall remain, to be one of the best weeks to have defined my 2011 experiences.
Fatigue was reigning supreme, and all we were yearning for was rest, in readiness of the hot day that lay ahead. Upon arriving at our lodge, fear met fun, and the wild surroundings found their own way of welcoming us. Being almost 36 degrees, it was only logical to take a late night shower before going to bed. Upon reaching the bathroom, one was joined by an army of locusts, whom, for the strangest reasons, were keenly looking forward to join in the shower. This resulted in shouts and name calling in the bathrooms, battles between man and locust, that wholly complicated the showering process. Hehe. It was a major encounter indeed. Try it!!
During our one week stay we managed to interact with the locals, and provide counsel and comfort in what they were going through. I was part of a team that went to visit AIDS victims in the area, and was subjected to shock, dismay and sorrow. It was drawn to our attention that some of the residents of the area prefer to be HIV positive, rather than be negative, in order to get access to food donations, that often come hand-in-hand with the AIDS medication. Yep, you can read that again. This was a bombshell to our esteem also. Gloom took toll, and honestly, though 3 weeks down, I am yet to recover from it.
The flip-side of it all was when we toured the great Lake Turkana, which had its shores dressed in white sand, peacefully guiding the crocodile waters from surpassing their boundary. It was beautiful. Very beautiful. This site, and the one of the orchard we managed to visit, shone hope in our hearts, that all is not lost. I concentrated on the highlights of my encounter, as a detailed report of the experience would warrant much more space, and I think the blog isn't home to that. ANhu, it was and shall remain, to be one of the best weeks to have defined my 2011 experiences.
Quote of the year: “Little things are only little things, but to be faithful in little things is a big thing and that is how some people become extraordinary”.
