Don't Pack in the Poop!!

Misawa Uru!
Greeetings from the world's worst internet cafe! It has now been 2 weeks since we left from the states - and everything is going well.. a lot of big things have happened but I don't even know where to begin. How about a funny?
The other night for dinner we had a chicken. Katie, education committee extraordinair and dartmouth alum and (now former vegetarian), Was mustering the strength to have her first bites of meat in the past 4 years. We eat dinner mostly from the light of a single, dim, oil lamp, so it's not so easy to see what you are doing. Katie, however, very methodically selected her own piece of meat from the bowl... and set to work on her carniverous adventure. A few minutes later, Omundi looked over and innocently commented, "oh, so you like the head?" Katie looked down, caught a glimpse of beak and eyes, shreiked and nearly jumped into Omundi's lap in sheer fear. Bare in mind, katie grew up with chickens and is fluent in chicken calls. It has been a source of laughter ever since.
Ok, so since the last time I wrote, we have made some progress, but are still moving at the beloved African Time pace. The last two days have been pretty big for my project. I was originally going to test only the Lwala Primary school for worms - about 450 children. Just recently, however, a new school with about 100 pupils heard of our deworming program and has pleaded that we include them. So yesterday we set out to initiate communications with each school - and it looks like I'll be analysing about 600 samples. EVERYONE wants to be tested! Even the teachers. People are very concerned about their children's health - and especially with the idea of worm infections and getting rid of them - everyone is very excited about the idea of a regular deworming campaign - and actually seem almost relieved that we will be starting this up. In just a day here, you can see that children are so pricelessly important to this community. They all attend primary school all day, return home to cook lunch, and then later dinner, water the cows, work in the fields, and then study by candle light. They often seem like a backbone to the community. It's remarkable - we can get the medicine to deworm 1000 children for 300 kenyan shillings (about 50 us Dollars)... it's so simple and cheap - but unfortunately, intestinal worm infections will continue until we can improve water sources and sanitation. The regular dewormings (scheduled to take place at school - every three months) will help to keep the "worm burden" low, however, and that will serve to ameliorate the children's symptoms.
I have made friends with a near by pharmacist who has helped us get a discount on supplies and is going to help me practice my technique - when he heard about how excited everyone one was to be tested for worms, he said you must be careful! You will ask for a small - toothpick size sample and people will pack your entire vile full of poop! They will be so proud of the amount they give you! So, lesson of the day, folks, when giving your stool samples, don't pack in the poop!
There are a lot of other elements to consider. For example, we are pretty sure that one of our friend's baby has a round worm infection - but deworming children under 1 is not commonly done. Also, people hear of my study - and they want the Msungu (the white person) to treat them and their children for everything! It's tricky because the fact is, while we do have some cursory information under our belts - we are not doctors, and we cannot treat people. One man came to the clinic the other day and asked to be treated by the Msungus and the msungus only. We all wish we could do more. Thankfully Dr. Young will be here in a week - and he will undoubtedly be a a huge asset. Hopefully, we will also be able to make an impact with our worms and malaria research.
the clinic is doing incredibly well - just yesterday, they saw 80 patients. Word is spreading about the clinic and their kind nurse and responsible staff, and more and more people are seeking treatment which is wonderful. Everywhere we go, people are interested and impressed with the clinic's work and are trying to help. Just today, the supermarket we were shopping at gave us a juice donation and said they would like to help us more in the future. The ochieng's are doing a truly wonderful thing.
Other than that, our days have been filled with reading, studying, laughing, and exploring. We saw the boys play soccer. we have been reading college essays and helping other people in the village study for SAT's. A lot of people are interested in applying to colleges like middlebury, bates, and dartmouth, so we have been trying to help them with those applications as well. Our language skills are still coming along, slowly, but surely. As soon as we leave Lwala, however, we're lost - because Kenya has 44 different languages! Yawatho! but as they say in dholuo, onge wach (no worries).
Ok, i think that is all for now - hopefully i will have more clinical news to write next time. All i have for now is a fear of packed poop, an excitement about a project, and a sighting of some pretty severe elephantitis. In my future days at the clinic with poop project 07, i think i will be able to help out Rose, the nurse-wonder, and i will have more to share. I will keep you posted.
Love and miss you all so much...
sorry for the scattered entry...
Jobaby