Time flies when you having fun!

Habari dear readers!

Tomorrow i’m living here for 3 weeks already, in Mumias Kenya! Time flies when you having fun right :). Means it’s really time for a new blog to update you about the situation here!

The last few weeks have been amazing! So many interesting people, stories and places has passed by as we did a lot of field visits. For interviewing and spreading information about disabilities, Occupational therapy and the Educational assessment and resource centre, into the communities. Each day starts with a complete new adventure and impressive stories about children with all kinds of disabilities. Some parents are real artists in providing toy’s needed to improve functional training for their child, using anything they can find. Others telling impressive stories about their child and what they have done before they were referred to Occupational therapy, or other kind of rehabilitation services. Sometimes it takes years though they just live on the other side of town.

We visited most health care services and hospitals in and around Mumias, which was a very interesting experience. We met a lot of helpful health care professionals who mentioned to be aware of the issue. “It’s good something will be done now to improve the situation” some of them mentioned.

This also highlights a bit what we have found out so far in our survey. There seems to be a lack in communication between primary care givers and parents when it comes to the developmental issues of their child. Interesting is to figure out, how can this happen? This week we will finish our interviews and survey which we will analyze next week to decide on which point to focus during the second month of our fieldwork.

During the weekends we spent our time so far with visiting our supervisor and family at home :D Seeing their community, land and family was a wonderful experience. Besides that we decided to go to church last Sunday! Also an interesting (and long) experience which wasn’t that much different from going to church in Holland, though they sing and DANCE a lot more ;). During the Sunday afternoon one of the sisters here took us to the border with Uganda (which we crossed by foot!!!) to buy fresh fruits, vegetables and some delicious fish!

We also try to learn some basic Kiswahilli which is of great valuable during interviews with parents, who most of the time do not speak English that well.

Tomorrow we will go to Kisumu, which is the third biggest city in Kenya, to visit the hospital (in manner of fieldwork! We are o.k. ;) ) and see a bit of town as well.

During the last few day's my love for africa has returned (such as by the time i visited Ghana in 2013) , as i enjoy seeing everyone doing their thing, in their way! The music makes me happy as well as the smiles and wonderful nature in this area!

Asante sana to you all and Kwaheri! Until the next post :)