Well, this is it.  It's bittersweet really.  We are tired.  We miss our families.  We look forward to heading home to Canada.  But, every one of us will miss Africa.  It's amazing how adaptable we are as human beings.  The squatty toilets that made us wrinkle our face and plug are noses are now second nature.  Steamed vegetables every night are no big deal (though I do look forward to a juicy hamburger).  And the crowds!  Wow, the crowds of people.  It is so difficult to take a photo that will convey the sheer mass of humanity on the streets and markets!  Suffice it to say, I think we will all leave a little part of us in Kenya.  We will also take a lot home.  Gratitude.  Appreciation.  A little less sense of entitlement.  It will be difficult re-adapting to a consumer based culture.  So please be patient with us.  Look at our photos (even if you aren't interested), listen to our stories (even if they kind of bore you), bear with us as we might even seem different, or frustrated with our world of plenty.  I hope I've changed.  I know we have changed the world.  Not hugely.  But for each individual that comes to the…

Welcome to Homunoywa clinic.  Yes, I had to write that name approximately 500 times.  I'm finally starting to get used to writing consonants and vowels together in unusual combinations.  I made a lot of mistakes in the beginning because my brain just wouldn't process it and sent weird signals to my writing hand!   Today we saw the composting toilets that CNFA financed and then partnered with TEMBO Kenya, the builders.  They are quite impressive. In order to get the full experience we, of course, had to use them!  They are still a squatting toilet, but there is absolutely no odour!  Imagine that!  Believe me, they smelled better than some of our gas station bathrooms back home, in Canada!  You know, the ones you quickly take your kids out of and then find them a bush instead!    We also saw a protected spring.  It is an underground spring at the bottom of a hill and pipes protrude to provide water.  The kids walk a long way to get that water!  Several times a day.  I know this because I watched them as I worked at the registration desk.  Out the driveway, down the road, down a VERY LONG path, down a steep hill.  Of course, what goes…

Welcome to Kedoli! We set up clinic beside a school, where Lynn taught her class.  Jerry and Nina also went through the school, class by class, and treated ringworm.  I understand that they treated A LOT!  The government has a deworming program in place now, but ringworm is, at this stage, not a part of that program. As for the rest of us, clinic was so busy that we had to pause it twice in order to let the various team areas catch up.  Altogether we had 531 patients; this doesn't count those who came through only for glasses, which of course, we didn't have enough of again! We had 4 patients go to the hospital, including a little boy with a fractured wrist. One exciting note!  in 2014, CNFA partnered with TEMPO Kenya in providing a well for the Kedoli school that is available for the entire community to use.  If possible, I will upload a video of Gail demonstrating its use, but at the very least, you can see pictures.  Clean water is a HUGE issue here.  It is not readily available, and is collected from rusty roof runoffs, and rivers, which are FILTHY.  CNFA has provided repair to a few of the wells…

Today in Viyalo, there were 653 people treated at the clinic.  Approximately six wounds and 20 jigger treatments as well as home follow up visits.  During clinic, a woman appeared to be in distress so was pushed to the head of the queue.  After an examination she was taken immediately to hospital.  We are still awaiting word. Gail has had a child named after her!  A lovely two year old arrived, registering as "Geil", and her mother and grandmother stated that she was named for our CNFA president. After Gail touched base with the headmaster at the school, Lynn, Trish and the Kenyan nurse, Sarah, began sexual health class.  The teacher says the class was only half attendance as after being on holidays the month of April, it takes a few days for kids to all start attending again.  The reusable sanitary pads are also distributed at these classes.  Thank you so much to all those who participated in making those!!  They are so appreciated by the girls! Not tons of news today, everyone is starting to feel tired; busy clinics, noisy nights, interesting meals.  It makes it worthwhile when each day we hear how people are learning how to be healthy, are appearing to be…

All in all, there were 589 people attending clinic today.  This does not include glasses.  We NEVER have enough reading glasses for our clinics.  Please consider picking up a few pair of inexpensive reading glasses and donating them to our next trip! I had a tremendous experience today. The lovely Nina took my place at registration and I went on a jiggers house visit with Johnstone! We walked quite a ways with the family's children running from yard to yard yelling something about the Mzungu. I Asked if they were asking the other children to come see the white person.  Johnstone was impressed I knew the language. Lol. I don't, but I DO know children!  We had several children following along; skipping and chanting "Mzungu! Mzungu!"  I felt like the pied piper.  We carried everything out of the house and I watched Johnstone and his helper treat the floor by dusting and spraying with insecticide and then, essentially washing a bucket of cow manure in disinfectant and scraping a thin layer over the floor. There are some pictures to come. It dries hard. Like cement. It really does!  It doesn't sound rational, I know, and it certainly stank as it was applied, but entire houses are built with…

Today, one of our student nurses shared a tragic story. Last June in Kenya, malaria was very prevalent.  So many kids were needing treatment that the malaria testing couldn't be done fast enough. 150 kids. 4 to a bed.  Mothers there also. Imagine the chaos.    2 nurses for the entire ward.  Essentially, the nurses would give meds to all the children, get to the end, and then turn and repeat. Tragically, between 7am and 1pm 10 children died.  I can't even begin to imagine what that was like.  Can you?  We are so, so blessed here in Canada with our health care system. Private health care can be purchased in Kenya but it is approx 20,000 Kenyan shillings per year. Our visit to the Kakamega regional hospital today had to be postponed.  Hopefully, we will go later this week.  I don't know if you are seeing the Nairobi news in Canada.  More tragedy due to heavy rains. Tomorrow's clinic was announced at a funeral yesterday so large numbers are expected!

Today, one of my helpers was an 18 year old girl who is in her last year of high school. She is hoping to attend university next year and to one day become a doctor!  It is exciting to hear the plans of those who have hope for their future.  Adults keep saying to me that they work hard for their children's future.  If there were no children, there would be no hope for a future. One of the 'higher ups' visited in his police vehicle today.  I was told to take my picture of him "quickly"! It was a very busy clinic today. We registered 377 by 11am.  665 in total. Some presenting complaints included 'face tumour', a 'gangrenous finger',  some breast issues and a 'stomach pain' (protruding hernia). Did you know that CNFA sponsors a nursing student named Victor?  He and a classmate also participated in clinic today, and we were grateful to have the extra staff. Priscilla did a visit to the home of a 50 year old lady who was disabled and unable to attend clinic.  Her left arm appeared to have been paralyzed and twisted backwards and her right foot is twisted also.. She uses both a cane and a wheelchair and…

I had the opportunity to be invited to a young mother's home. She and her one son were treated for jiggers at our clinic but that is just the first step. The home needs to receive treatment as well. We drive her and her son back to their hut as they had walked quite a distance this morning. Along the way we picked up another man with jiggers along the side of the road. She told me it was not her hut but she was able to stay there at this time. We walked to her hut bringing all the treatments with us. I was overwhelmed by the compassion this young mother had for others. She assisted Johnstone , Jeff and myself to treat her other son, an orphan she cares for and this man from the roadside. She applied the Vaseline to this stranger's infected feet and the orphan's infected body. She helped and kept smiling and was so thankful for the treatments. She then quickly grabbed some branches and swept her floor before inviting us in to her home. She had one room with a partial partition, dirt floors, mud and stick walls, a few blankets and one table with a few bowls on it.…

          The last two days, before the clinic begins, all the Kenyans gather with the CNFA team, and two or three people share how CNFA has affected their lives and that o their families.  They are so, so grateful that the nurses come year after year.  Today, at clinic, 418 people passed through the doors. There were a couple of brief hiccups today. One, when our vehicle broke down on the highway.  I wondered if we would all have to hire tiki tikis ( motorbikes) to ride to Wangulu.  Would be quite a sight!  We stood on the side of the road for a while and Jerry flagged down a Matatsu. Two, the clinical officers showed up a couple of hours late today.  We had to pause registration after the first 80 or so people, and the Kenyans expressed some concern that they wouldn't receive care but it got sorted out in the end.  During the lull, I took a skipping rope out to skip with the girls...or I should say, they skipped...I tripped. Pricilla, in her lovely fuscia gown, was able to attend a home visit to treat the floor of a family who were treated for jiggers.  Take a good look at the…

A day of adventure. Due to the all night downpour, the van got stuck on the way to the village. We ALL had to get out and push, Pricilla diving right in there with loads of energy! I took some video so go to the Facebook page and see if it uploaded. The wifi here is limiting regarding photos on the blog but will keep trying and will keep facebooking! Today, at clinic, 462 people came through registration. They were very, very grateful to have CNFA come and it is always an eye opener as to how far SICK people WALK in order to attend. We Canadians are so very soft! Johnstone treated 18 people for jiggers today. If you aren't familiar with jiggers, please look at the project tab to learn more about jiggers and its effects. It's quite remarkable how it is treated. I had the privilege of rubbing Vaseline on post treated feet. The skin is incredibly hard, both from the jiggers, as well as the treatment. An 8 or 9 year old girl rode to clinic on the back of her mother; both legs very badly burned from porridge three days ago. She was in so much pain she couldn't even…

Today, 481 people attended the clinic at Budaywa.  Fewer people needing care means that the programs of education and treatment are EFFECTIVE! Six wounds required attention, including that of the young man from yesterday who went for xrays as a result of a motorcycle accident.  Helmets were a surprise to see, though not everyone uses them and definitely not the women and children who ride behind. I watched Lynn teach a sexual health class today outside the small church building that we used.  I also received an education.  Women condoms….who knew! Poverty is, of course, very evident.  Three boys, ages 12, 11 and 10, were brought to clinic by their grandfather.  They have no parents, and with their grandfather being mentally ill, the boys live alone.  They receive lunch when school is in session but, no school equals no meals.  It is so heartbreaking to see and to know this is not an isolated case.  The four of them were treated for jiggers.  They also receive a special home visit in order to treat the house floor (such as it is).  Over 400 people have been treated since 2012/13 when the jiggers program began.  Today Johnstone treated four people!  Jiggers is slowly being eradicated in…

Intro - I'm Michelle, Gail's niece, and I have the privilege of managing the blog this year. Quick update... We picked up the medication today from the chemist in Kisumo.  If you 'like' our Canadian Nurses for Africa facebook page you can see the picture of the van, PACKED FULL of just boxes, no humans except for the driver.  Everything was sorted and organized this afternoon/evening, and after a good (hopefully) night's sleep, we will head to our first villege - Itegero - Basali East. FYI - Priscilla's room rocks.  She has a swuite and this is finding herself inundated with requests to use her kettle to make me coffee.  Or sit at her table.  And sit in her comfy chair. Lynn and Trish are hiking up and down a veritable mountain of stairs. Monica's room leaks like a sieve but she is a great sport about it. I shower in the dark.  When I asked about a lightbulb for my bathroom, I go a look like,  'what? You have a bathroom?' LOL... Excited for tomorrow!  Thank you to everyone who makes this mission possible!

T minus 3 days till takeoff! We are so excited to be on our way! This is a blogging test run to make sure we have the system down pat before we head out on Thursday. Stay tuned for updates! Let us know if the blog is being read so that we know if word is getting out! A simple "yes" or "no" will do in the comments. Thanks!