day one hundred and thirteen

If one hundred and thirteen days have passed then I only have two hundred and fifty two days left until I have to have all this work completed... I thought I stopped the whole stressful deadline thing after the thesis was finished?! 

As I’ve mentioned before, I am building an app which will allow the Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) to report electronically using their mobile phones, and considering the size of the MOH513 Household Register, I think they will be very glad to stop lugging that gigantic book (about 3 A4 pages wide, has about 250 pages) and just record using a basic smartphone. My brain is full of potential errors and faults and skip logic and calculations and what other indicators could be included… for example cases of fever with rash and coryza could possibly be measles or rubella, so trying to include a question that could capture such events.

Speaking of measles and rubella, did you know that they only immunise for measles here in Kenya? The MMR vaccine has only recently been introduced to the vaccination schedule. I’m learning all about this because Nicole broke out in a rash with coryza, fever, cough, red eyes… all the classic symptoms. However instead of notifying the county Public Health Officers of a suspected case, the daktari did nothing, because technically by performing a house call he was operating illegally and so did not want to get in trouble. What he should have done is refer the case to the local health centre which would have set off a chain reaction of public health action. But what’s done is done, and now I am going to be doing active case tracing this weekend to see if there are any more cases in my village. I have to admit am slightly excited but secretly hoping there’s nothing.

Am planning a trip to Addis Ababa in late August in order to be able to renew my visa, but if anyone would like to join me you’d be more than welcome. How the visa system works is that you obtain your three month tourist visa on arrival, and then after those three months you attend your local immigration office and obtain an extension for a further three months. However after those six months in order to get another visa you have to leave the East Africa region (that is Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi) for a few days, thus my quick jaunt north to Ethiopia, which is basically my only option, as the other surrounding nations (Sudan, South Sudan and Somalia) are no go zones and I am poor. Which is why I need to ask you, my lovely readers, for a HUGE favour. See, when I had budgeted for this year abroad without income, I based everything upon the sale of my car… which as of today, the 19^th of June 2015 has not sold yet. Seriously, there is nothing wrong with my car, and for only $4,999 it’s a great little buzzbox, roadworthy, Victorian registered… but that’s not what I’m writing to you about. I’m asking that if any of you out there can possibly donate to me some cash for this trip, I would be immensely grateful, and I would send you something from Addis Ababa. I am asking for $500 AUD, which breaks down as $350 for return flights Nairobi to Addis Ababa, $100 for three nights’ accommodation and $50 for an Ethiopian visa. As for spending money I came with some USD in cash, so I’ll exchange that for Ethiopian Birr on arrival. You can donate through paypal (theanita1 at gmail dot com) or email me at that address for my Australian bank account details.

Enough of the yucky stuff and back onto the fun stuff… have been making local Kenyan friends who don’t work with me at the hospital. Yes, it’s only taken about 3.5 months to achieve this immense feat but I don’t mind. You see, it’s really hard to make friends because it seems as though the guys only talk to you because they want to have sex with you and the girls are wary of you because they think you’ll steal their man. So when I met these guys out one night and they didn’t try to hit on me, I knew I was on to something good. The other day I was invited for chama which I don’t exactly understand but how they explained it’s like when you go out and buy rounds, everyone takes a turn paying. We had ugali, sukumawiki and roasted nyama whilst sitting outside under a mango tree, the sun was shining and it was perfectly chilled. I was then handed a cup of what I thought was tea however it turned out to be a local brew… yeah I spat that out straight away! Despite this, it was a great Sunday sesh, and will be hanging with the guys again this weekend.

Other than that it’s life as normal, we have electricity and water so all is well. Say hi to your Mum for me!