Last Batch of Photos - Masai Tribe
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Today was our last full day with the WISER girls. The hot day started off with breakfast two doors away. Breakfast at Wiser always reminds us of home with the usual contents of bread, coffee, jelly, peanut butter, and eggs. However, our time in Muhuru Bay never turns out to be a normal New York City day. Today we had the amazing opportunity to have tea and lunch with six Chiefs. Each Chief was in control of a district of no more than eight thousand people. When all of us we arrived on our pikis (motorbikes), a group of women came out and showed us a traditional dance and song. After the greeting and awkward dancing along, we get down to business with the Chiefs.
We sat and listened as they talked about their responsibilities over their districts. It was an information overload. The contrast between Chiefs in Kenya and the role of Mayors in the United States is very different. We had to explain our system with lawyers and courts from the ground up because it is complicated. In Kenya if a man steals from another man they go to the Chief who decides the punishment. In the US a man goes to jail and hires a lawyer. The idea of bail also seemed strange to the Chiefs. Kenyans like to settle disputes without the courts if possible. Going to court costs money and most people do not have the time or money to spend. The most interesting fact I learned was that women could also be Chiefs. It was nice to hear that in this case women are offered the same opportunities as men. I hope that at least one Wiser girl will grow up to be a Chief.
The rest of the day we had to pack our bags and prepare a final goodbye slideshow. Unfortunately the Internet was down and we could not retrieve any photos from emails or Facebook. Each of us stood up in front of the girls and shared some photos if we had them. I talked about my future goals for college and a little about my family. The rest shared information about their different backgrounds such as Brazil, France, China, Canada, and Switzerland. The girls loved hearing about our lives and future plans. At the end of the night there were many tears and sad faces. Our time together has seemed too short but left a powerful impression on all of us.
-Tracy
The day started early in the morning at 9am with a Church Service provided by WISER every Sunday in the cafeteria. The service was full of preaching and singing as the WISER girls’ voices could be heard throughout the entirety of Muhuru Bay. The service lasted about two hours lasting from nine in the morning to about eleven-thirty. Most of the Dwight kids were exhausted by the time the service has ended but some of the WISER girls had told me that services could run a lot longer than two and a half hours.
Our group took a short break and eventually took our first walk-only trip down the main road parallel to the school going down the mountain. We walked as much as three football fields until we arrived at a small fishing area. The area wasn’t too large but was occupied by some older women buying fish and talking among each other. Everyone, including the teachers and our host Margaret, hopped on a very narrow, not so steady, canoe-like boat. Some of the girls had to be carried through the water since the rowers couldn’t get the boat close enough to the shore. As we pulled out of the bay, our main transportation man Baracka used a long branch that was at least fifteen feet long to push the boat in the right direction. Every time he changed direction Baracka would swing half of the branch behind him, right over our heads making me feel as if he would behead all of us before we actually got where we wanted to go.
After being on the boat for twenty to thirty minutes we arrived at last at the fishing village just north west of the WISER school around the bend in the bay. The boat exiting process was the same as the entrance and we quickly made our way to the LALMA Clinic just a few short steps from the boat dock.
Arriving at the clinic, we were greeted at the gate by one of the clinic’s employees and sat in a small area beneath trees as we waited for two of the clinic’s nurses to come talk to us about the clinic, how it works, and what they do. From just the first look at the clinic, it was clear and very evident that this facility was in no way equal or close to being remotely equal to an American health facility. The two nurses who talked to us of the facility told us it was opened by an American couple who had looked to create a sufficient and well-operated and equipped facility for people and families living in Muhuru Bay. The facility had two ambulances and wasn’t open to the public on weekends unless they were actually sick or injured.
While in the middle of Dwight’s walking tour of the clinic, I noticed a small sheet on the door of the reception room stating all of the prices for various types of treatment. Most of the treatments cost around thirty to forty dollars after conversion and were treatments that dealt with cases of Malaria and Typhoid. Even treatment for a rabies infested dog bite was only sixty dollars. Though that is expensive for people living in Muhuru Bay, it only made me think of the difference in pricing between the LALMA Clinic and Hospitals or Clinics in the states.
Our group finished the tour and asked the nurses questions. The most interesting question asked regarded which emergency the clinic was contacted of the most. Not surprisingly, Malaria related sickness and infections were most common for the Clinic but luckily one nurse said that the clinic’s treatment was very effective and worked on most of their Malaria related patients.
Dwight took a short walk back to where we docked our boat and took another thirty-minute ride back to the fishing village just at the bottom of the mountain where WISER was. We hiked back up and finally arrived tired and hungry. Our next plan was to start our presentations, which we have to present to the WISER girls, and Ms. Ingraham recorded Dwight students’ personal reflections of the trip.
As for this blog post, it was supposed to be posted on Saturday but wasn’t due to some Internet problems at WISER.
My trip to Africa was one that I will never forget for as long as I live, mainly because it was the first day I took myself to a place that was the complete opposite of my everyday life. The customs, rituals, and rules of the societies I visited vaguely resembled the society I am used to in New York. That lesson and experience in itself showed me the reality of the rest of the world and that the problems I see in my life shouldn’t be compared to the problems with life in a society like Muhuru Bay. The girls at WISER changed my view on what the definition of hard work really is. They wake up at five in the morning and don’t finish their school days until nine-thirty at night.
Throughout the trip, I took a good look at what these girls had to themselves and realized they had close to nothing compared to kids in America and better yet they still smiled every minute of the day and looked like they couldn’t be happier with the three meals a day, the clothes on their backs and a safe campus they could call home. I made good friends with a couple of the girls from the school and will miss speaking and interacting with each of them until the day I return to WISER, which will hopefully be March of next year.
-Evan
Photos - Dwight Students in the completed WISER library, Simen practicing the art of balancing things on his head, WISER girls making balancing look easy
24 March 2012
Only today have I realized how much time flies when you’re having fun – especially here with the girls. They have really touched my heart and welcomed me into a new home; I am so incredibly grateful to be here, I cannot even say so in words.
I have learned so much, not only about a new culture and a new way of life, but how to live my life to the fullest: Friendship, Happiness, Expression and Emotion, and Love are so incredible dear to me, and I am sure I can speak for all of us, including those who are reading this at the moment!
Today, after waking up, eating breakfast, and continuing our Library Project, we had our usual teatime at ten o’ clock. Although we always sit at the table in the dining hall, today we sat outside on the benches, sipping our tea side by side. I have met countless phenomenal girls… One whose name is Sophie, similar to my sister’s name, Sofia. We have countless connections, including some names, favorite subjects, and personalities.
Their smiles are so beautiful, and they are so curious about our way of life in New York City. I always encourage them to ask questions and tell me what they imagine about New York. Several of the girls here have had, what we ladies like to call “Girl Talk”. In these cases, we have talked about everything from relationships with men in society as well as simply having a boyfriend, the concept of love, and even safe sex. Many of these girls are not aware of the “power of the condom” and how the spread of HIV/ AIDS can be so harmful to our bodies. They were all so surprised, but it made me feel fantastic – the fact that I was educating these girls for the better of their futures!
After teatime chatting, the group went for motorcycle rides to a couple locations; we went to two beaches and even did a bit of rock climbing. The motorcycles were great, especially having everyone partner up and have three per bike! The roads are so bumpy and rough in the car/ vans, however the bikes just rode right through the rocks and gaps… Personally, it was much more comfortable than any regular car ride – or any NYC taxi ride if anything!
After coming home for lunch, we had to do the garden chores. The girls were balancing the water buckets on their heads with both hands, one hand, and even no hands! We all succeeded in at least placing the water buckets on the top of our heads, filled to the rim.
Soon enough, the garden chores were complete, and there was a Church event taking place that the eleven of us went to. It is a tradition to greet everyone by either shaking hands or waving to them. After waving to all the children in the church, a little girl came and sat on my lap J. I felt so loved! I even taught her how to snap her fingers and how to count using her hands!
Well, here I am now, typing up my reflection. Later tonight, we will be watching The Incredibles, the Pixar Movie, and then get ready for bed, which is always extremely hilarious! We laugh together, play card games together, and simply talk to each other about anything! I love being here with the girls in Africa, I hope I can come back here some time soon, perhaps bring my family and friends and help the WISER girls in any possible way! This is an experience that has really changed my life that I have most definitely learned from and will cherish every day.
LOVE
JULIA
Photos are from the visit to the beaches on March 23 and the choir practice today.
23 March 2012
Today is our 4th day at the Wiser school. We are starting to pick up more about how the school works and also and more importantly starting to feel a real friendship and connection with the girls. We know their names and more about themselves and their personalities. I would like to call this day “a day of leadership and bonding” because when I look back at the activities we have done, I realize they were all exercises that helped bond with each other and know more about the group we are sharing this experience with and also ourselves. We started the day with breakfast and an early assembly with prayers and some singing from the wiser girls. We then headed to a fisher man neighborhood were we were divided into groups and paired up with fisherman that talked to us about their jobs and the fishing business in Muhuru Bay. This allowed us to know more about the fishing industry, which is one of the biggest in the village. After this we then headed to another fishing area where we had a boat ride of the island where we saw some locals fish. Moreover we had lunch in the town and had a learning conversation about HIV and aids with three local women who were touched by those diseases. They talked to us about their story and how HIV affects their daily lives. We then headed to a cave where we attended a presentation of one of the elderlies of the town who talked to us about the spiritual meaning of the cave and how prayers were answered when sacrificing something, most commonly an animal such as a chicken. After the presentation, we had the chance to walk around the cave and to help each other as a group to climb big rocks, to explore and see animals such as monkeys and a dead python. We also saw a beautiful landscape of the bay. At around three o’clock we headed back to Wiser for a relaxing afternoon where some of us took naps or played soccer with the girls. In the evening we had a bonding activity with Kisha, the Country Director of Wiser, where we learned to know each other much better and see different sides to every single one of us. This was a very emotional activity and some tears were shed but in the long run it taught us how to be more grateful for every thing we have and to not judge something or someone before knowing the story behind it. We talked about things that we value the most and why we do so. This activity allowed us to know ourselves much better.
- Marine Chapdelaine
You have the dogs, we have the cows. You have the buildings, we have the trees and the blue sky with hot weather. You have the New Yorkers in the morning; we have the prettiest smile of the WISER girls every day at every time. As a result, a point of view is made by comparisons and today we had the chance to make a lot.
This morning, we start by waking up like everybody else and continue our project on the library. Followed by a game of netball by the WISER girls against others school, and WISER won with their hands in their pocket. After the lunch we went to a HIV clinic.
In the clinic, we learn about the African tradition and culture. The HIV is one of the biggest issues in Muhuru Bay. More than 30% of the population has AIDS. So if you want to know more about, maybe one day you should come visit.
The major comparison that we made today is how WISER girls are incredibly good in soccer! At the end of our game against them, we were more drenched than after our showers.
We are in the country with the most beautiful landscape, the biggest predator and the nicest people, but we are missing something. This something is you.
-Théo Klein
