GROW Intern Update: Week 5

Monday: Jiggers Campaign

On Monday the interns got to work with the Community Health Providers (CHP’s) to help people with jiggers. They started by doing a house visit to an elderly man who was unable to walk due to the severity of the jiggers in his feet. After treating this man, observing how to treat him, the interns walked back to the police station where there was a group of kids that had jiggers. They spent some time helping the CHP’s remove the jiggers from the kids feet. 

Tuesday: Teaching Math in Saint Teressa Itete

Brittany and Fatima spent the morning teaching math to a grade 9 class. They taught them about longitude and latitude and how to calculate time difference between two regions in the world. The class was structured in a way that allowed the students to work together on problems and then report their answers at the end. They also had students come up to the board to work through problems and teach the class. At the end of the lesson, they had a Q&A session where students & faculty got to ask questions about America and being a foreigner. 

Wednesday: Speech at Ichinga Muslim Secondary School

On Wednesday, we spent the afternoon talking to boys & girls from the Ichinga Muslim Secondary School. We discussed the importance of education, discipline, The 7 Principles of the Eagle, stress and teen pregnancy. We ended the session with the students asking questions. 

Thursday: Farm Day

On Thursday, the team spent the morning at the farm where we learned how to plant mushrooms in preparation for the Annual General Meeting. We learned that to successfully grow mushrooms, you need corn and sugar cane remains mixed with molasses in a plastic bag as a base. Then you will add mushroom seeds and then cover the top with banana tree leaves and then store the bag in a dark place. The growth cycle can take up to 4-6 months and you can harvest daily depending on how many you grow. At the end of our farm session, we picked out a few black spider flies before having a meeting with Edwin. 

Friday: Moonlight Activity

The Moonlight Activity was held at a local club called Diblos and was a free pop-up HIV testing and safe sex counseling geared towards FSW (female sex workers) and MSM (men who have sex with men). The interns were walked through the counseling process and got the chance to test a few of the patients themselves. The HIV test was a rapid antigen test done with blood from a finger and gave quick results. Free condoms were provided as well to promote safe sex amongst FSW and MSM. There weren’t as many patients as expectly sadly, due to a sudden downpouring of rain during the event. However, we were grateful nonetheless to see the process of a pop-up HIV testing clinic and speak to a few patients. 

Saturday: Annual General Meeting

After weeks of working towards the AGM, we were finally able to host it this past Saturday. The day started with the interns putting out chairs and welcoming the support group leaders, partners, crew directors and Ambassadors of Hope. After they all arrived, we had an education session at the farm. Fatima focused on teaching how to farm mushrooms, Ben & Trevor gave a session on Black Soldier Flies, while Leah, Brittany & Leila helped in the Kitchen. Edwin gave them a walk through and showed them different projects on the farm. We then all had breakfast together before starting the meeting and having speeches. At the end the members voted on the upcoming year's senior management committee, before having lunch and adjourning. 

Sunday: Day at the Kakamega Rainforest

On Sunday, interns had a chance to relax and explore the Kakamega Forest National Reserve. After an hour's drive packed like sardines in a van, we arrived in a rainforest paradise. Interns hiked to a tree over 400 years old, a waterfall, and explored vistas and valleys across the forest floor. While walking, interns spotted a bushbuck, black-and-white colobus monkeys swinging in the trees, beautiful butterflies, and many birds of prey. It was a perfect day to relax and experience Kenya as a tourist.