Water Flows

Back at work at Memorial Hospital in Gulfport, turning on a faucet I get all the water I want. A visitor can amble up to the water fountain and quench his thirst. I wash my hands before touching each patient. A nurse can go to the ice machine and press a lever to receive a quart of freshly created potable cubes. Now, the faucets in Keumbu Hospital provide water too!

In our society we take the availability of water for granted. We consider drinkable water a societal right, along with housing, and cleanliness. These basic rights are not available in much of the third world. We know there are homeless people in our society, but even those can find a public toilet at a fast food restaurant, or perhaps a service station. In Kenya, people use the bushes. They drink out of the creeks. They throw their litter on the ground.

I'll be returning to Kenya in about seven months to follow up on the project. In the next few months I plan to send money to buy three purifiers for the hospital. By my return I hope to have found a resource for $9000 to put in a "bore hole," what we in America call a well. I'm only one person, with the understanding that I can't change the world. But I do make a difference in one small part of it. Those of you who have supported my efforts have made that difference possible!

Reflections on leaving Kenya

Well-wishers commonly advise me to "Be Safe." While I'm not eager to take unnecessary risks, if safety was my primary issue, I'd have stayed home. When traveling in foreign lands, one follows some simple rules; keep your money safe, be friendly, and try not to break cultural taboos. In Kenya I can't help but stand out. After all, I'm nearly the only white face in all of Kisii. (There's a very small minority of Indians). They call white skinned folks "Mazungos." I've walked through downtown Kisii so many times with Angela that I'm known as "Angela's Mazungo." People smile and wave and shake my hand. Everyone here shakes hands -- even four-year-olds will rush up to me and say "How are you?" and shake my hand. Every now and then someone doesn't like white men and will lecture Angela in rapid Swahili to be careful about me. She snubs them.

Safety here is a minor issue. Not everyone is honest, that is, they will quote me a price for something that is twice or three times what they'd charge a native, but they are trustworthy. That is, they will not rob or steal. Not EVERYONE is that trustworthy. There was an article in the paper yesterday about someone who left his laptop on the bus when it stopped for lunch and someone ran off with it, but it was in the paper because thievery is so uncommon. In fact, if the community suspects a person of being a thief they'll come to their house in the night, rouse them out and murder them, leaving their heads on the roadway.

Not that life is that safe in general. Walking down the roads (which everyone does) is likely to get you hit by a wild driving taxi driver, matatu (bus), or motorcycle. Cost per transport for these three run, respectively, $2, 40 cents, and 10 cents. That is, for a dime you can get on the back of a motorcycle and they'll take you anywhere in town you want to go. I prefer walking.

In America people used to be identified by nationality; Irish, German, Spanish, etc., though now with the "melting pot" this is less common. In Kenya everyone belongs to a tribe. Kisii town is the center of the Kisii tribe. Most Africans can tell what tribe a person is from just by looking at them. Kisii's are known for their industriousness. The streets are lined with vendors selling everything imaginable; oranges, rice, corn, wallets, shoes, and people walking around selling magazines and peanuts and locks, and tailors on the sidewalk with their old Singer machines, and little hole-in-the-wall shops with specialties of all types. The sidewalk vendors group by type, so sitting on one wall there are 20 orange sellers, while at their feet on the sidewalk sit a dozen onion saleswomen. Bananas are 5 cents each. Newspapers 40 cents. They're all laughing and talking with each other and passerbys. Nobody's fat, as they're underfed and tend to walk everywhere.

Angela and I spent last weekend in Masai Mara preserve and the one before in Nakuru Lake reserve. All poaching, that is, killing of all wild animals, was outlawed in 1976. The exception is when the lions leave the reserve and start killing chickens or cows of the Masai (the tribe around the Masai Mara area), in which case they are allowed to kill the lion, but not with a gun. It used to be custom for a Masai boy to prove his manhood by going out to kill a lion. They ran a pretty even ratio, that is, one lion killed for every boy killed, but the government forbids that now. The Masai, unlike the Kisiis, are not industrious. They're herders, counting their fortunes by the size of their herds. Masai Mara preserve is 1,600 sq km, so the area is quite large. This visit wasn't as photogenic as last trip, though I have many pictures of elephants, zebras, and giraffes to show. I'll post when I get back.

I'm looking forward to my return to the states. Last year when I returned one of the most striking difference was driving on the roads. In Kenya there are no streetlights, the roads have no speed limits, there are speed bumps to keep people down, most of the roads are unpaved, people walk on the sides of the roads all hours and in all weather, there are no lane markings, vehicles swerve all over the roads and pass slower moving vehicles even on curves and hills, and small villages with their marketplaces pop up every few kilometers. There are no wild animals on the sides of the road, even at night.

But what I'm looking forward to most is food. I haven't lost weight this trip, I think. It's hard to tell because there are no scales around. Well, you can pay 10 Ksh and get weighed by a vendor on the sidewalk, yes, he sits there all day next to his scale collecting money to weigh people. But I haven't done that. Mostly I'm looking forward to a menu variety. I'm tired of chicken and fish. It's a healthy diet. We eat a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables; bananas, carrots, tomatoes, avocados, mango, and papaya are frequent. No chocolate, Mexican, seafood (other than baked whole fish), or lettuce.

Today was my last day at the hospital. I paid $35 and had people bring up two crates of soft drinks, a box of milk cartons, and 30 loaves of bread. That's a party in Keumbu! Thirty people or so gathered on the lawn and we had speeches and took photographs. I'll miss the good friends I've made, but most of all Angela. As head physician at the hospital she's educated, beautiful, spunky, and all-over amazing! Last year when I left I thought I could bring her for a visit to America to show western culture, and perhaps get some educational opportunities. Twice she went to the American Embassy to apply for a visa, but she was rejected each time. Even though the second time I had Senator Wicker's office write a letter of personal appeal. Apparently the bureaucrats don't care. They won't grant a single Kenya woman a visa.

I'm leaving with a great sense of accomplishment. The project is not finished. When I get back I'll send about $1500 by Western Union for replacement of the gutters. With that, water will flow! With another $250 I'll be purchasing one large purifier and three small ones so the water will be drinkable. People might wonder why I spent $10,000 of my money on traveling to Kenya and on the water project. To me, I can't think of a better way to spend my money than saving the lives of thousands.

Thanks for following my blog. I'll be continuing it for a bit once I return.

Philip

The last few days in Africa

Today is Sunday, August 7th. Tomorrow is my last day in the hospital. Tuesday I take a bus for the 6 hour trip to Nairobi and board the plane that evening. After nearly 24 hours of flying and layovers, I'll be back in Gulfport Wednesday night.

The water project has been a qualified success. Hampered by my inability to access money I left in my bank accounts in the states, we still accomplished almost everything. We cleaned the 10,000 liter cistern which will collect rain water. We installed the pump to move that water to an elevated water tank, on a concrete tower we built. We paid for an electrician to hook up power to the pump. We reworked all the plumbing from the tank to the wards, the lab, the pharmacy, the doctors offices, the dentist office, the kitchen, the laundry, the out-patient department, maternity, family planning clinic, and the wards. We replaced the tanks on 5 toilets and all the plumbing associated with twelve sinks. From the cistern on, the project is basically completed and running. The only part of the project not completed is one of the most important, the gutters to collect the rain water. Keumbu is one of the rainiest areas in Kenya (not to worry, those of you who had heard there was a drought in famine in parts of Kenya, that part of the country is far away). The gutters that had been in place since the hospital was built 12 years ago were basically rusted away. We're going to replace these with PVC pipes. This part of the project will be completed when I return to the states from which I'll transfer $1500 by Western Union. So, I'm proud for what we've done.

I say "We" repeatedly above, for, of course, a project like this is a group effort. Local electricians, water engineers, plumbers, hospital officers, and workmen did the work. Mississippi (and one Colorado) benefactors gave money to make this possible, especially the Edgewater Rotarians. Thank you!

Traveling to a foreign country is always a broadening experience, and to Africa a dramatically awakening perspective. Though Swahili is the official language, Kenya was a British colony for the first half of the 20th century, and with English being so important in International business, all but the uneducated speak adequate English, albeit with a strong African accent. The soft "I" in Swahili is pronounced "EE", that is, like a strong E. So "It is good," sounds like "Eet ees guut."
They can't distinguish between "r" and "l" sounds, and the hard "G" and hard "C" sound like K. "Th" is soft, so when I ask about clothes they think I'm asking about gloves. Still, communication is good, though my Swahili remains quite weak. I can make do in a store or a restaurant, but not casual conversation. "Ne me sheba," means "I am full."

Speaking of restaurants, there aren't many. Kisii Town has a population of 200,000 people, about the population of Biloxi, Gulfport, Long Beach, and Pass Christian combined, and, of course, many, many more in the surrounding countryside. However, there are no fast food places, no chain restaurants, and hardly any choices. Restaurants that exist typically have a three or four page menu, with offerings in Indian, Pizza, Chinese, and typical African dishes, including selections in Beef, Goat, Chicken, and Fish. However, no matter what you order, they always only have chicken or fish. Fish can be ordered stewed, boiled, steamed, or fried, but no matter how you order it, it always comes out the same, baked. It's eaten with the fingers, carefully pulling the meat off the bones, of which there are many, as the fish is always tapilia. It's served with stewed greens (Mississippians would love it) and coleslaw, plus your choice of ugali (a maize meal mix), French fries (known as chips), roast or mashed potatoes, though they never have the roast or mashed potatoes. The typical cost is about $4.00, though drinks are extra, a bottle of water 50 cents, coca-cola 80 cents, and Tusker beer (the 16 oz) $1.40. At night you won't be able to talk because of blasting beat music (mostly American songs, with some Swahili songs intermittent) and International Soccer games showing on various screens. Africans love to dance; alone, in a couple of same or mixed sex, or in groups. They'll eat a bit, stand up and dance, and sit down to eat and drink some more. Alcohol is lightly consumed, and service is VERY slow. You can give the waiter a 500 Ksh note for your 350 bill, and maybe an hour later he'll bring the change. He won't forget, he just doesn't think there's a hurry. And one almost never tips unless the service was extremely good, then a 100 Ksh ($1) is generous.

Besides the hospital work, I also had three vacations this trip. I spent the first few days on the beach in Mombasa, took a weekend trip to Nakuru Park, with all the flamingos, and this weekend to the national wildlife sanctuary Masai Mara. I thought I'd report more on these trips on this blog, but this will have to wait until I have been email access. So once I'm back in the states I'll get the photos together and post on Facebook and send more detailed blogs. Let it suffice to say it's amazing to be in a tiny van a few meters away from giraffes, water buffalo, and lions. The wildebeest are on their annual migration from Tanzania, two million crossing the Serengeti!

This will be my final post from Africa. More when I'm home! Thanks for following.

Philip

Water!

The water project is nearing completion and I'm delighted to say it's been a huge success. Zachery, the water engineer, fixed the plumbing and tapped into the pipes and we now have water running from the faucets in the hospital. Since none of them have been used since the hospital was built 12 years ago, some need repair, but most are already working and the nurses, staff, and administration are delighted! This is clean rain water, not drinkable, but good for washing hands and most other needs. The new plan for purifiers is to buy 3 or 4 small ones like you would put on your sinks at home. They're relatively inexpensive and easy to maintain.

We have a working toilet too! Until now everyone has used outhouses. I knew the hospital had been installed with toilets, but what I didn't know, but the engineer discovered, is that the hospital has a septic system too. It's never been used, but it's fully functional, built to drain underground over a large field down the hill from the hospital. For a mere $2500 we've changed the health care of the thousands who count on this hospital for medical care. It's not all the hospital needs, of course not, but it's a huge step! There's plenty of water. Rain comes frequently and we have three full 5000 liter water tanks we'll be using and a 60,000 liter underground cistern that will eventually be filled with rainwater run off as well.

I still owe them about $500 and would like to come up with an additional $1000 to replace the rusty gutters so rain collection will be more efficient. If any of my readers would like to help, please purchase my beautiful safari book at www.ndovutheelephant.com for $20 plus postage. 100% of all sales will go to this project. As I mentioned in my last blog, finances are difficult here. I brought $5000 cash and it's almost all gone now. No one will take my credit card, even Barclays bank, the only International bank. They tried to run the card for $500 cash advance and it was refused. I called my credit card people and they said they have no record of the cash advance request being made from them and if they had received it they certainly would have authorized it. My ATM debit card which I've used successfully here last year and in several other countries around the world, even Mozambique 3 years ago, also does not work at these ATMs. No idea why. So I'm using cash on hand. Fortunately it's been enough and,

HURRAY! WE HAVE WATER!

The Project Begins

In Africa, people wait. I know, I know, in America we wait too. You stand in line at a restaurant or the post office for fifteen minutes and you feel you're wasting your time. But in Africa people sit or stand waiting for hours. Women settle onto the ground by the road with their baskets of avocados, or charcoal, or oranges, or bananas, or bottles of water, or whatever else they've gathered for sale, and wait all day hoping to sell three or four so they can afford to feed their family. Men on motorcycles gather at the corner waiting for hours hoping someone will give them 50 cents for a ride across town. Young men and women sit by the road under a tree all day just staring ... for they have nothing else to do.

At Keumbu Hospital the people coming to talk to the doctor start filing in after sunrise, say sevenish, and continue accumulating on the benches in front of our out-patient clinic until we finally start seeing them after morning rounds, so usually about noon. Those who are admitted sit in bed all day for a few minutes of our exam and almost no explanation of what we're doing to them or how long they'll be here. Well ... I suppose it's not that different from America after all.

I asked my friend, Pastor, how was the Kenyan economy? He said "In the ICU. Unemployment is sky high, inflation is worse, and the future is bleak." When I arrived my dollar bought 84 Kenyan Shillings, (Ksh). Today, ten days later, it's getting 88.3. There are banks everywhere, but lines of credit are extremely difficult, a point I bring out because of my building problems.

I brought $5000 cash with me. $2000 of that was for the project and the rest for travel expenses. I had planned on spending $5000 on the project, $2500 I raised as donations, and $2500 of my own money, but I didn't feel comfortable carrying $8000 in cash around -- I was nervous even with the $5000, but I've had no problems. In any case, Zachery, the water engineer here in Keumbu, priced out the project for me. The first $1000 went to the necessities; cleaning the storage tank, equipment for the pump and basic plumbing, and labor (which is incredibly cheap). The next $3000 was going to replacing the existing leaky and rusty gutter system which is to be our source of water into the cistern (rain water coming off the roofs of the hospital). Before went to the supply house, I asked Zachery if I'd be able to use my credit card and he assured me I could. When I arrived at the plumbing supply store I asked if I could use my credit card and he also said I could. So we spent about two hours developing our order and everything fell into place, falling within the budget at $3500. I handed him my Mastercard and he wrote up the order and handed it to me, telling me he was worried about the dollar/shilling conversion and requested I take it to his bank and they'd make it a direct deposit. So off Zachery and I went to the bank. The bank couldn't take it. I called my Mastercard people and they assured me it would be no problem for the merchant to run the card, so back we went to the hardware store. I had the Mastercard people on the phone, long distance from Kenya to America, and handed him the phone, and they assured him it would be no problem, all he had to do was run the card and he'd get his 311,000 shillings. But no. It turned out he had never run a credit card purchase in his life, and never could and never would. By the end of the afternoon there were three other banks involved and still no money. I converted all the cash I could spare into shillings and paid off what I could. We'll have the water project finished, but it won't be as extensive as planned. Few new gutters. But, still, we WILL have running water into the hospital for the first time in its twelve year existence, and that will be an accomplishment.

Next blog: Nakuru Lake, the flamingo capital of the world!

Return to Keumbu Hospital

It's been eleven months since last I arrived at the Level III regional hospital here in Keumubu Kenya. It's always wonderful to see friends again, and meet new faces. In this place, in particular, where the needs are so great, my presence and presents brought many smiles. For the wards I brought eight basic stethoscopes, and a nicer one for the head doctor. The Matron, in charge of maternity, received seven handmade caps to give to the babies she delivers (Thank you Jan Bold). I photographed one placed on the scalp of a baby delivered shortly after my arrival. For the pharmacist I brought a bottle of acetaminophen (Tylenol), a drug not available here. I brought two blood pressure machines; the staff delighted in testing out the digital one. Also I gave an electronic thermometer.

They took me on a tour of the hospital changes. Primarily they've two projects, an x-ray room and refurbishing the surgical theatre. On my last visit they had no x-ray capability, so anyone with lung problems with concern for TB or pneumonia or cancer, or those with possible broken bones, had to be sent to the level V hospital in Kisii if an x-ray was needed. Now they finally have a machine (not sure who donated it, or even if it works), and they're currently constructing a building around the machine to house it. They decided to build at the entrance to the parking lot hallway, which will give good access, but blocked off the ambulance that parks in that hallway. When I pointed this out, that now the ambulance would be a permanent fixture in the hallway they said not to worry, it didn't run anyway. The surgical theatre was getting a makeover with fresh paint. The hospital administrator and all the other officials posed in the one room empty surgical suite for me to take photos (I'll send photos when I have better email access, or failing this, when I return to USA). They are very hopeful of having a surgeon someday soon, whatever that means.

As you know, my main goal on this trip is the water project. The hospital has no water, relying on carrying buckets into the hospital for the occasional use (such as cooking for the inpatients and laundry) from collected rainwater. The hospital was built with plumbing, but no source of water. So the project now has several aspects. First off is refurbishing the thousand liter holding tank. It's a giant cistern which initially had all the rain water that ran off the roofs into the gutters into the tanks. However, since they had no way to get the water out of the cistern, they rerouted the gutters to large water collecting tanks on the surface, which is where they currently get what little they have. Since the tank has never been used it will need to be refurbished, cleaned, the cracks cemented, etc. The next step is to reroute the gutters into the cistern, a minor issue. Third is to build the pump/motor/plumbing system to bring the water from the cistern to the existing plumbing structure. Fourth will be to route electricity to the pump/motor. This is not a minor problem, since electricity is variable and sometimes must run off an inadequate generator. Fifth is to refurbish the plumbing in the hospital as needed. Sixth is to supply a purifier in the system so the water can be consumed (it is useable for washing hands and laundry without one). Step seven is to fix the gutter system, which is old and leaks badly. Eighth will be to dig a well for when the rain isn't sufficient. I have $3000 in donations to work with initially, and am willing to put a couple of thousand of my own money into the system. This morning I met with the water engineer, a capable man who teaches engineering at the university. We went over the needs and he will develop an itemized budget to present to me tomorrow. So next blog should report how many of these steps we can afford.

I was supposed to have a purifier sent from USA. I had a contract and paid $2600 for the machine from Aqua Sun, with the understanding that it would be delivered to UPS at the Nairobi airport by the 26th July. When I went to that office, they searched but could find no record of it having been shipped. That evening I called the Aqua Sun office and found out it had never been shipped, that they had been out of stock of the UV lights, but were ready to ship it now. I told them to cancel, I couldn't arrange for the transfer to Kesumu if I wasn't there and this seemed too unreliable. So, the water engineer here will have to search for a local purifier, which probably is what I should have done in the first place.

Laundry is currently done by hand. They have a small washing machine in the laundry room, but it is broken. They bring rain water into a big tub and hand wash the sheets and hang them on the outside lines to dry.

I went on rounds at the hospital this morning. Only three children in the pediatric ward today, all with malaria. The youngest, about 18 months, presented yesterday with fever, vomiting, bronchospasm, and convulsions. She's much improved after 24 hours of IV Quinine therapy. In the woman's ward I examined a case of submandibular abscess requiring emergency drainage, a couple of cases typhoid fever, and a woman with vaginal bleeding whose uterus was tender and enlarged to 10 week size. In the men's ward there was a fellow recovering from malaria, another man dying of metastatic esophageal cancer, and a fellow who had been under treatment for 2 weeks, had been discharged the day before, but couldn't afford to pay his hospital bill so was kept prisoner in the ward until he could come up with the money (at a rate of $1.75 US a day). I asked the head doctor how long they would keep him if he never came up with the money and she said most patients wandered off after a couple of weeks. Another man was admitted with stomach pains the day before. I questioned him and examined him and determined he had a classic case of PUD, peptic ulcer disease. He mostly had pain after he ate, and his tenderness was well localized to the pit of his stomach area. I suggested they treat him with Pepcid, and stop the Rocephin and Flagyl they'd been using. They agreed to stop the Rocephin, and to add the Pepcid, but would continue the antibiotic Flagyl, which they consider appropriate treatment for ulcers. This is probably based on prior misdiagnosis in the past, so ... it's a practice that will continue.

This weekend Angela and I plan to head for Lake Nakuru, the national park famous for being home of 10,000 flamingos. This is the height of tourist season, it turns out, so there are no accommodations. Fortunately, Angela has friends (and cousins) everywhere and promises we'll find a place.

Back to Nairobi

This Kenyan missionary trip was planned for three stages. The first four days were vacation, lovely days on the beach. They've been fabulous, with camel rides, a tour of a fifteenth century Portuguese fort, a tromp through a natural wildlife park where we fed the giraffes and fended off large tribes of monkeys, jet skis, and a colorful glass bottom boat tour out to the coral reefs which included snorkeling. I've snorkeled in the Red Sea, the Caribbean, Hawaii, Isla Mujeres (Mexico) and now the Indian Ocean.

We returned to Nairobi with plans to pick up the Purifier being shipped from Nevada. However, the fellow who was responsible for shipping it never sent the tracking number, even with email request reminders. UPS here searched all their records and could find no indication it was ever shipped (was supposed to be shipped on the 18th). Next I'll call him long distance (!!!) and see if I can find out what happened. Meanwhile, we're spending an extra unplanned night in Nairobi.

At lunch at Pizza Hut (really!) today I sat with a group of Canadian college students. As part of their education they are taking an extended program here doing missionary work. There were four of them, two of each gender, aged 20 or so. Very delighted and inspired by the volunteer work they've done here. One was a physical therapist in training who has been working with disabled children in an orphanage. They're all doing fascinating work. I asked how long they'd been here ... so far three months. THREE MONTHS! They're finishing up their assignments now and will be traveling to other parts of Africa on tour, from here to Rwanda. Last year while here I met many young (and some older) American volunteers. They travel without fear and are learning so much and giving of themselves, helping so many. It's truly a blessing, or, as we say in Hebrew, a mitzvah.

I've taken a bout 250 photos thus far. I put together six of them with an article about Fort Jesus and sent it to my Sun Herald contact, Anita Lee, though I don't know if she'll want to publish it. I've done a tiny bit of writing on my novel, keeping a diary, and written a bit of other fiction. Already running low on money and clean laundry.

Traveling across the globe gives perspective on both the immensity of our planet, and man's success at conquering the difficulties of traversing such distances. I left Gulfport at noon, a quick jump to Atlanta, on to Rome, and then to Nairobi. Each stop had a 2 hour planned wait, and each time the plane was an hour and a half leaving, so the transitions worked out fine. I was met at the airport by Angela, my escort for the trip. Angela, My Angel, is the head physician at my hospital in the small town of Keumbu. She took a three week leave to accompany on this trip.

All large cities are dangerous; by the very nature of bringing masses of people together, many must live in poverty and survive using desperate measures. The larger the city (and the poorer the host country), the more dangers there are in the wrong areas. As such, in a city such as Nairobi it's important to stay in a "safe" hotel, in my case, the Nairobi Intercontinental. Angela's cousin is the chief Consier at the hotel, another cousin is in charge of the outdoor bar, and a third manages the hotel parking. As such, we had excellent service. It's expensive to stay in these big city hotels, $400 a night, with the breakfast buffet at $20, but, you know, it's part of travel. Once I get to Keumbu living expense will be considerably cheaper.

In the morning we traveled to Mombasa, the resort city on Kenya's North Beach. The North Beach sits on a lagoon, very shallow waters out to a coral reef, where we took a glass bottom boat tour and enjoyed an afternoon of snorkeling. We also have enjoyed the other amenities of the beach town, including camel rides on the beach and fabulous meals. Later today we'll tour a national forest.

Tuesday we return to Nairobi to pick up the Purifier being sent from Nevada, arrange for its transport to Keumbu, and on to the hospital there to undertake the water project (and to consult on the patient care). I know the water will be very helpful. My medical expertise, on the other hand, might not be. They have a system that works, running the masses through the clinics, using the medications and techniques they're used to. I have a suitcase jammed with medical equipment and medication to donate, and those will be appreciated.

Leaving for Africa

Tomorrow I return to Africa; Gulfport to Atlanta to Rome to Nairobi. At the UPS center at the airport in Nairobi I’ll pick up the purifier being sent from Nevada by Aqua-Sun. The purifier is the key element to my water project, purchased with funds from the Rotary Club and other volunteer donations. I’ll somehow arrange to get the eighty-pound purifier and my own luggage on a bus for the six-hour trip to Keumbu. If you want to find Keumbu on Google … well, good luck. I actually did find Google World photos of the village by tracing back along the road from Kisii, a 45 minute bus ride away.

I’ll be at the Keumbu hospital for ten days overseeing the water project. Last year if we wanted water in the hospital we had to bring it over by bucket from the rain-collecting storage tanks. Very little hand washing occurred. The project is to install a pump to bring the water from the storage tanks, through the purifier, and to the hospital’s plumbing. Yes, the hospital has plumbing. It was installed when built, but never supplied with water. I understand the personnel and plans are ready to go when I arrive in Keumbu. Everyone’s just waiting on me to arrive with the purifier and the money for the materials.

Besides the water project, I’ll be helping out in the hospital. Last year I diagnosed a slew of tropical diseases, including leprosy and Typhus, and studied the scourge of Malaria. I heard the government finally assigned an actual doctor to the hospital, so I’m eager to meet him. It’ll be good to see my many friends there, including the pharmacist for whom I’m bringing a box of valued Tylenol. My suitcase includes donated and purchased medical items; including two blood pressure machines and about a dozen stethoscopes, equipment unavailable there last year. They worked with so little, it amazed me to see how many they helped.

While I’m in Keumbu I’ll have the opportunity to visit the boy I’m sponsoring for prep school. His father, the Pastor, welcomed me as an honored guest during my stay last year. Once back in the states, I wired them money to have electricity connected to the Pastor’s mud house, and extended to the dorm where he houses the nine orphan girls he’s adopted. It’ll be interesting to see what uses he’s found for electricity. Will we still have to pump our own water? Will there be refrigeration, or will we still take our milk and our eggs straight from the animals? Will the old computer he had found somewhere actually function?

The trip won’t be all work. When I first arrive I’ll spend four days with my lady friend at one of Kenya’s famed North Beach Resorts. We’ve been writing each other all year, so this will be quite the joyful reunion. On the tail end of the trip I’m taking safari again. It’s an experience well worth repeating; seeing the animals up close in their natural habitat can’t help but inspire another book.

When I tell people I’m going to Africa they often inquire about the heat. Kenya is on the equator, my hospital in the mountains. Its weather is like Hawaii’s; always temperate. So while you’re huddling in air conditioning, I’ll be sunning on the Indian Ocean beach with Angela. See you in August!

Ndovu the Elephant finds his way home

When you arrive at a restaurant and ask how long the wait will be, they always exaggerate. "Thirty minutes, Dear. You want to wait?" So you saddle up to the bar and you're hardly halfway through your wine when your disco call box vibrates, giving you a little thrill if you stuck it in your pants. Checking your watch, you see it's only been twenty minutes, and "Wow, isn't that great? Sooner than they said!"

So I'm having the same deal with my book publisher. The first box of 60 books arrived via air shipment. They're lovely! But what about the other couple of thousand plus? The Korean shipper claims they'll arrive on the eighth, in plenty of time for the August 20th book signing (3-6pm Negrotto's in Biloxi). But the local agent is my maitre d', and SHE says the 17th ... cutting it a little too close. So I forked up another $500+ for another 200 by air, "just in case."

Well, it does go to show I'll have books for the signing, so y'all come. Ndovu is a cutie!

Ndovu the Elephant - Lost in Korea.

I’ve put together another children’s photo book based on safari photos taken last year in Kenya. It’s called “Ndovu the Elephant – an African Tale.” 36 photos of animals in their natural habitat with a cute story about a baby elephant lost on the Serengeti looking for his family. I contracted with a company in Korea to do the printing and planned a big book debut for August 20. I kept asking my agent since March “Are you CERTAIN this will be ready on time,” and she assured me there would be no problem.

So I planned the big debut including sending out 1500 postcard invitations. The agent said the books would be in my hand by the end of July which meant they would arrive in Gulfport while I was in Africa. What could possibly go wrong with this plan? Even when the date was pushed back to August 6^th I was sure everything would be okay.

On July 8th she wrote me saying there were further delays and probably wouldn’t be able to deliver the books until August 17^th. OMG! I’m going to have three or four hundred people coming to a book signing and not have any books! What a disaster! For $700 more I can have them air ship me 250 copies. What choice do I have? Thank God I don’t make my living this way.

"Ndovu the Elephant -- An African Tale" www.NdovutheElephant.com

$20 + $5 shipping, personalized autograph.