It is now Wednesday afternoon. In just a matter of hours, I will be landing in Kenya. Our flight itinerary consists of an exhilarating 4 hour layover in Atlanta, followed by a truly unique stop in Dubai, Saudi Arabia. After nearly 24 hours of non-stop traveling, we will make a bee-line to get our tourist visas, then we will be on our way to the home-stay.
Our home-stay is called the "Kiamumbi Estate" and it is located approximately 25 kilometers outside of Nairobi; it is also very close to our volunteering facilities. We have been told different things about our home-stay. In one email it was a hostel, in another it was a family's house. As long as it isn't a lion's den, I think I'll be happy.
Every weekday morning, I will commute to the Kahawa Health Centre, where I will spend 8 hours in and out of an HIV clinic, a maternity ward, and wherever else they can best utilize my skills. I have been reading a lot about African hospitals as of late, and I am prepared to expect very challenging circumstances surrounding that environment. Yesterday there was an article in the Chicago Tribune that compared Kenyan hospitals to "prisons." If you can't pay for their services, they will literally keep you there until you can. I am interested to find out if my hospital will be a prison too.
I will hold off saying anything else about my trip until it happens, other than to say that I am extremely eager and excited to visit Kenya. My thoughts, pictures, and experiences will be shared with you as often as possible once I am there. Thank you all for reading. I'll keep you posted.
P.S. I am going to Kenya with my friend Kevin, who will be teaching English in a school. If you are interested in keeping tabs on him, his blog is....
www.kevininkenya.blogspot.com
