GROW Intern Update: Week 3

Monday: School Visits

On Monday we visited two schools in the Mumias area. At the first school, we discussed education and discipline with a group of 11-14 year students. We then met with a class of 5-6-year-olds to do some crafting. The second school we went to was in a much more rural area. We Boda Bodad through 45 minutes of cornfields before arriving at a single standalone building. Various instructional materials, like the ABCs, decorated the walls. The teacher had previously taught in Mumias town but wasn't able to make the journey to town after the loss of her husband. She noticed that many kids in the area were not receiving any primary education and decided to start the school. Students between kindergarten and third grade attend. She started the school with only seven students and she now has 19. Following third grade, they continue education at primary schools, while avoiding some of the expensive school fees for the first few years of learning. After introductions, the kids showed us some of the songs and rhymes they knew; we then went outside and painted chairs to be used by the students in the classroom. 

Tuesday: Exploring Various Healthcare Departments

Pediatric Department

We spend part of the day in the pediatric unit, where we learned about the immunization schedule for infants and young children and also witnessed a few babies receiving their immunization. It was very interesting to compare required vaccination between Kenya and the United States. 

Burn care unit

Next stop was the burn care unit, were we assisted in treating a patient who had fallen off a motorbike. We helped clean the burn wound, apply ointment, dress it and provide follow up instructions. 

Laboratory

In the lab, Leah, Leila & Trevor worked under Paul where they learned how to test a patient for malaria. They learned the two methods of identifying a case of malaria, one being through rapid tests and the other being observing through a microscope. They also ran tests using stool and urine samples to identify infections. 

Thursday: Kitchen Garden

On Thursday, GROW interns had the opportunity to get their hands dirty supporting operations at the Kitchen Garden. Interns gained a deeper understanding of the regenerative and sustainable agriculture that the garden is centered on. Interns learned about the creation and use of fertilizer before planting a new bed of vegetables. This was a valuable experience putting regenerative agricultural theory into practice. Interns will continue nurturing these plants, ensuring that beneficiaries enjoy nutritious vegetables in a few months. 

Friday: Lake Victoria

This Friday, we drove roughly 3 hours to Lake Victoria to see a local fish farm. We learned about the various sizes of the cages and the number of fish in each cage (roughly 5,000!). Most of the cages held tilapia, but some held leafy greens. We went out on the lake in a boat and got to feed some of the fish in the cages. It was amazing to see how much work and expertise go into fish farming, considering it is an expensive business and dealing with natural issues such as algae blooms that can kill all the fish and wildlife in the lake. 

Sunday: Church

On Sunday Trevor, Leah and Leila had the pleasure to attend church with Mama Phassy. The church was a short walk from Mama Phassy’s home A.K.A. the original kitchen garden. These three interns had an early morning waking up at 6 A.M. to attend the first service of the day starting at 6:45 A.M. They walked into a lively church with live music. Two hours later the church session ended and the interns hopped on to the microphone to introduce themselves to the whole church then got to meet and talk to the pastor after!