WOW!

I aptly entitled this entry "WOW" because so many things here are starting to shock me. Allow me to share some of these experiences with you.
Yesterday a woman was denied treatment because she did not have 20 shillings to pay for it. Twenty shillings is equal to one American quarter. She came back today to pay for it. She had scrounged up 25 cents. It shocked me that such a small amount of money was so unaffordable for somebody. Wow.
Yesterday I glanced at a sheet of prices in my hospital to learn that a pregnancy costs 2,000 shillings. This amount of money is equivalent to buying a cell phone here or in the states, or about 25 dollars. Despite being only 15 dollars, many women can simply not afford this charge. Some stay home and die during childbirth, or their children die, while others get lucky and survive despite never seeking treatment. Wow.
My hospital too, is very poor. Our doctors are poor, our nurses are poor, and every social worker, pastor or maintenance worker is poor too. Our staff has one staff toilet. It is utterly filthy and without toilet paper. Number 1 is your only option.
My coworker drinks water out of a plastic bag. A water bottle is rarely seen in this town. Unless you can afford jugs or bottles of it at the supermarket, you will likely use a bag. Yes, another, "wow" moment.
I had a wonderful time at work today. I helped register patients through our system, which involved manual entries of their names and numbers on the backside of already used scrap paper. I then stamped the time and date on each paper, then handed this paper to the patient who would then wait in an endless line for treatment. I felt very productive. I felt very useful.
At lunch time me and Janet (my friendly Kenyan coworker who works the desk with me) went a few feet outside to grab some lunch. Now, when I say "lunch" do not envision a Subway or a Corner Bakery. We stopped by a woman who had a pan on the dirt road and was using a fire to cook up a fresh lunch. She peeled potatoes, threw them into the pan and made french fries. She then used these fries to top a dish of beans and tomatoes that she made a few minutes earlier. We then bought a fresh avacado to slice over the dish. It tasted absolutely wonderful. Janet goes there every day. I will too now.
One golden rule I am constantly disobeying here is the "don't buy meals on the side of the road" rule. These meals are too good and too authentic to pass down. Plus I got my vaccinations. Polio? Bring it on. Hepatitis A? Hmph. Please. Typhoid? I'll crush your soul. Cholera? Well...let's just hope people are washing their hands after going number 2.
I spoke with Janet about trying to arrange a way I can help the health center once I get back to the states. Seeing people turned down for treatment for so little money is just so unnecessary and frustrating. There is no need for them to be turned down. Countless amount of Americans would hand out a quarter if they knew it could treat a fellow human being, or even save their life. I haven't quite figured out how I am going to help, but I arranged a special meeting with the head of the hospital to work out a way I can. We meet Monday, so I will be sure to update you all on how that goes.
There are several other WOW moments about this place. It has happened many times now, that I feel a small hand grab my arm and look to see a small Kenyan girl beaming with joy and exclaiming "hello" to me. In fact, today a large group of them gathered around me and stared, only to laugh and jump when I smiled and said hello. They are so adorable. Creepy too, but adorable.
The animals around here never cease to amaze me. I have seen goats fighting two days in a row now. They both jump up in the air and land on the ground to butt heads. My coworker said they were just joking around. I didn't know goats had the capacity to joke. Another sighting made me snicker. I was casually looking around the town stores when I saw a chicken wander into a butchery. I had never felt so bad for the fact that chickens are illiterate.
My last "wow" moment involves how candid people here are about race. My coworker today took me to a lunch stand and said "this is for me and Muzungu." (MOO-ZOON-GOO) This means, "this is for me and the white man." In fact, I am constantly referred to as Muzungu. I am not Tommy here. Nope. Not at all. I am "the white man."
Thanks for reading! I'll keep you all posted!