Counseling and Celebrations

This week marked my first complete month here in Eldoret. In a month, I have become accustomed to Eldoret living, including driving like a Kenyan. My deputy coordinator was seated in the front seat, when I was driving through Eldoret. A car in front of us had decided at the last moment to turn left, thus blocking our proceeding route, I noticed a break in oncoming traffic and swerved around the left-turning car, all the while, meek Judy exclaimed "You are CRAZY" as she was holding her breathe. So, it seems like I have become accustomed to following the crazy rules of driving, doing anything you can to keep along your route and avoid at all costs hitting anything or anyone, even at the discomforts of your passengers.

On Friday, I led an all day counseling meeting. Each of our counselors from our intervention clinics (Webuye, Burnt Forest, Mosoriot, and MTRH) traveled to our HADITHI office in Eldoret. We began the day catching up on progress of individual counseling sessions. Each counselor shared some of their challenges and successes of counseling adolescents and parents of our participants about the disclosure process. It was nice to have the opportunity to get a sense of the issues our counselors face in the clinics; however, it was also a frustrating process for some of the personal issues. When discussing some of the issues, one counselor brought up a case of an 18 year old girl who stays in a children's home. The girl reported to the counselor that she has been sexually assaulted by the manager of the children's home, including sharing accounts of the man exposing himself to the girl, peeping in the showers while she is bathing, touching her breasts, etc. The girl struggled to even report such issues to the counselor, in fear of the man kicking her out of the home with even a whiff of social workers or counselors helping this girl, thus potentially causing her to lose her school fees and lose the "stability" of having a roof over her head. It is frustrating to hear such an issue, not only for the accounts of abuse, but that there is no established government-based institutions available to help this girl, and I am sure several other girls with similar silent accounts of such abuse. In Kenya, there are supposedly departments of children's well-being, but it seems that a lot of the victims are lost throughout the prolonged trials.  It also seems that the patriarchal society in Kenya also does not side with female victims, but mostly the system functions as a bribery system, allowing for perpetrators to pass through trials with flying colors or flying paper shillings. So, in situations such as this, where the man has financial power and underlying patriarchal power over the children's home, if a counselor jumps on the gun too soon and reports issues to social workers, it is more likely that the man will utilize his power and take matters into his own hands, potentially increasing the severity of abuse.

To help our counselors with issues such as sexual abuse, we are going to create a general SOP of reporting such issues to social workers and clinical officers. We must protect the children's rights, both the children in the study and out of the study, so right now the best thing to do is report the accounts to social workers, and see if the extended line of judicial and social worker telephone manages to subside any abuse as it creeps through the system. I just hope that some organizations can work to improve such systems for social rights of children. One can hope....one can only hope...

(a picture that Dr. Rachel uses to describe HIV to kiddos) 

(some of the counselors listening to Dr. Rachel's explanation)

On Saturday night, we had a block party in hilltop to celebrate Colin and Deb Klein. They both have been involved in AMPATH for over 2 years, both working as research field coordinators for studies. Colin has been a huge asset to the HADITHI team and definitely has helped me in my transition in Eldoret, and for my quest of the best food in Eldoret. I surely will miss our long car rides to clinics, laughing practically the whole way, and stopping for random lunches throughout Eldoret in search of the best fried chicken. The party was complete with cornhole bags, a wonderful spread of food including quinoa salad (oh, how I miss quinoa!!!!), baked mac and cheese, quiches, and Indian samosas. Many of us stayed out until about 10PM (considered a late night here), drinking wine by candlelight and laughing about shared stories of Kenya life struggles.

(a pic of Colin and Deb opening a present from Amy and me...a baby onesie with a map of Africa for their unborn child)

Today, is another celebration, for a 2 year old's birthday party. The location of the party is called Naiberi, which has a swimming pool. Although it is considered summer time, it is a bit breezy in Eldoret, so a chilling swimming pool does not sound appealing.


I have been going to the gym almost every day since I have joined. Apparently one of my housemates, Anubha, had asked the trainers at the gym if she was their favorite client. The trainer responded, "no, my favorite client is the white woman who is always sweaty with a red face...she works so hard." So, it seems that I have managed, even in Kenya, to be the sweatiest person at the gym. I just hope that being a regular means that I will have fewer gym staff staring at me while I work out and trying to interrupt my weight lifting by motioning improper techniques. I flat out told a trainer yesterday who was motioning a lat pull down with a strange technique, "no, that is not how I am going to do a lat pull down," so he eventually walked away and didn't bother me again.  The other trainers stare at my kettle swings, and remark on the amount of weight I am using. It is sometimes exhausting to know they are intently watching your every sweaty move. I will keep on keepin on and keep the sweat pouring out!