Spousal Violence Against Men Causes Jiggers . . . Wait, What?

When reading Kenyan newspapers, you will sometimes come across articles that really make you laugh.  Case and point, the May 2nd issue of the "Daily Nation", one of the more reputable newspapers in Kenya, published an article entitled "Study ties jigger menace to battery."

Jiggers in the feet of one of the Agape boys.

 
Now, jiggers are definitely a menace in Kenya.  I wrote a blog post back in July of last year (http://theagapepages.blogspot.com/2012/07/jiggers-warning-this-is-gross.html) detailing the nasty business of jiggers, small fleas that lay eggs under the skin.  But do men whose wives beat them run a greater risk of getting jiggers?  You decide:

(Click the photo to enlarge the article.)

My conclusion:  A single Kenyan man (or a man whose wife has abandoned him) has a greater chance of getting jiggers because most Kenyan men will not involve themselves in domestic cleaning.  People get jiggers because they don't sweep the floors of their homes regularly. 

Ahadi Kenya, "The Anti-Jigger Campaign," gave the above-pictured victim of jiggers and spousal abuse a chain saw as a symbolic gesture of empowering men to overcome domestic violence and jiggers.  I hope he puts that chainsaw to good use in sweeping his home.

An Agape Funeral - Brian's Story

Our family had been living in Kenya for about four months when Brian first showed up from the street at Agape in December of 2011.  From the outset you could tell that Brian was a little different both physically and mentally from the other Agape boys.  While Brian always had a big smile on his face, he really didn't make many friends on campus.  Quirky would be the best way to describe Brian when he first arrived.  We took the Agape boys to a local pool during that school break, and Brian's stomach was obviously swollen and distended, which led us to seek medical help to find out what was causing his swollen abdomen.  Early on we learned that Brian suffered from chronic malaria and his spleen was severely swollen as a result.

Brian, during his first week at Agape in December 2011.

We put Brian on medication to treat his swollen spleen but over the next two months Brian ran back to the streets twice.  From February through October, Brian managed to settle down and only ran away to the streets for a 2-week period during that timeframe.  He even successfully stayed with his aunt in Kisumu during one of the school breaks for a 4-week period. 

Then, Brian got really sick.  One day at Agape, he developed a serious fever and lost consciousness.  We rushed him to the best hospital in Kisumu where he stayed for a week and was treated for another relapse of malaria.  Upon his release from the hospital, though, Brian's quirkiness escalated to semi-dementia.  One minute he would be laughing, the next crying.  He became somewhat violent towards the other Agape boys.  In the US, we probably would have taken him for mental evaluation, but in Kenya such medical care does not exist.

Over the next few weeks, Brian went through a few cycles of jumping, then returning back to Agape.  At one point we attempted to reintegrate him back home with his family with the hope that this would help him, but he stayed at home less than a day and returned to the streets.  The police eventually arrested him and placed him in Remand (Juvenile Hall).  While in Remand, Brian had another relapse of malaria, and Remand chose to take him to "Russia" Hospital, the local government hospital.  After a number of weeks in the hospital, Brian died last Sunday night of complications associated with his chronic malaria.

We don't know whether Brian knew Jesus as his Savior or not, because of his lack of lucidity in the last few months of his life.  We do know that Brian heard the Gospel message constantly while at Agape and pray that he came to a saving faith in Jesus Christ.  I had the opportunity to share Brian's story with the Agape boys on campus, many of whom knew Brian well.  The dangers of the street are so real.  Please pray that Brian's death may serve as an example for our Agape boys on the realities of life and death and their status as sinners in need of a Savior.

I had the privilege to attend Brian's funeral at his rural home south of Bondo, about 1 1/2 hours outside of Kisumu, and I was able to bring a few of Brian's friends from Agape with me.

 Isaiah, Kerry, Geoffrey, Brian, and Jason line up to go to the funeral.

 Brian's home near Nyanza - his casket is displayed at the front of the house prior to the funeral.

 Brian's family graciously served our Agape boys a big meal.

A short video of Brian's casket being carried forward for the funeral service.

 Brian's family is Catholict, and the four ladies and one man above conducted half of the service . . .

. . . and Solomon, a Pentecostal minister from Kisumu conducted the other half.

A short clip of a few ladies leading everyone in a song during the funeral program.  (Sorry, it starts out sideways!)

 Some of the friends and family members at the funeral.

A short video of Pastor Solomon preaching in Luo - a great example of Kenyan preaching! (sorry another sideways starter!)

The lady in white, Brian's Catholict Sunday School teacher, conducted the burial service.

 

A short video of singing prior to Brian's burial.

 Four men quickly buried Brian's body while the congregation sang a few songs.



Pastor Solomon led the group in songs as the grave was filled.  This is a great example of what Kenyan worship sounds like.

Please pray for our Agape boys and girls!!!!

Reuniting Street Boys With Their Families

On Wednesday, I helped Olgah, one of Agape's social workers, take three of our boys for home visits in Eldoret.  It was a tough day!

Random Photo:  The Transition Boys lining up for class.

 Using public transportation, the trip to Eldoret can take as long as 4 hours, but using my truck we were able to make the trip in about 2 hours.

 Olgah stands with Nicholas, Steven, and Hesborn, the three boys we took for home visits.

 Sabatia is one of my favorite villages to drive through, because of the huge trees that line the road.

 

 Standing Room Only!

 

 We found Steven's stepfather who works as a piki driver (motorcycle taxi), but sadly he was unwilling for Steven to stay with him.  Steven's mother left the stepfather back in 2009 and hasn't been seen since.  The stepfather felt that he would be a big joke if he took Steven back into his home after the mother had left him.  He was able to provide us with Steven's mother's phone number, and she has agreed to come and get Steven.  Please continue praying for Steven; his mother is a hairdresser in Nairobi and is very unreliable.  She wants Steven to stay with her family in rural Kenya, and Steven would rather be on the streets than stay in the rural home.

 

 Downtown Eldoret

 

 Hesborn with his little sister, Beatrice.

 

 Hesborn's mother, Hesborn, and Olgah (holding baby Beatrice).  Hesborn was reintegrated last year but somehow found his way back to Kisumu.  He happily returned back home to his mother.  Please pray that he will stay home this time!

 

 Children playing in an Eldoret slum near Nicholas's home.

 

 Nicholas' story is a sad one.  Olgah took him to where his mother had been staying but the door was locked.  They were able to find Nicholas' aunt nearby who shared that Nicholas' mother had moved to another area.  Olgah and Nicholas were walking to meet with Nicholas' grandparents at their home when he decided to run away.  He sprinted off into a cornfield, leaving Olgah yelling after him.  Please pray that Nicholas will decide to go back home or will come back to Agape.

 

 Hey!  No fair!  Eldoret has a Starbucks!

 On our return trip we came across a nasty accident in the mountains outside of Kisumu where a large cargo truck hit a motorcycle and bicycle.  The motorcycle driver was badly hurt but refused to leave his motorcycle.  The second man was unconscious and bleeding badly, so we laid him in the backseat of my truck and took him to the hospital in Kisumu.  Please pray for this young man; there is a strong possibility that he will not survive his injuries.

Back at Agape!

After three months in the US, it was awesome to be back at Agape this week, spending time with both my staff and the Agape Boys.  Here's a few photos from the week:

 The boys in the Transition Class sing a song.  These are our newest boys from the streets of Kisumu.

Having a blast on the tire swing after school.

Joshua & Geoffrey hanging out.

 Kelvin giving his silliest face.

 The transition class doing a team building exercise.

 A group of fundis (builders) chip rocks to the proper shapes to be used in a retaining wall.

 Joshua Odhiambo

Collins Oduor

 Benta, Jectone, George, Richard, Paul, & Peter

 Boys goofing around playing hopscotch.

 A toy truck made by one of the Agape boys.

 One of the new Agape boys finishes mopping the classroom after class.

 Crazy Boys!

 Kisumu'ed at Standard Chartered Bank attempting to pay school fees for a boy (I wasn't successful).

 In Kondele, meeting two younger street boys with Pastor Joel.  They said that they would come to Agape later in the day, but they haven't shown up, yet.

A few older street boys in Kondele; by the time they reach this age (16 and older), it is very difficult to get them off of the street.

Checkers after class!

Hangover Hotel & the Mystery Dish

Earlier today, my managers decided to go out for lunch, and they decided to take me to more of a "local" restaurant than I am accustomed to . . . Hangover Hotel, here we come!

 Now, I had previously assumed that Hangover Hotel was some type of bar, but I learned that the restaurant started out as a place people went for soup after a night of drinking (the Kenyan equivalent of Denny's, I guess), and the food was so good that they expanded to serve food at all hours.

 One of the cool things about the Hangover Hotel is that the kitchen is open to the dining area.  You can see the sides of beef and goat ready for the grill!  Yummy!!!

 The restaurant was packed when we arrived at 1:00 PM.  Most Kenyans eat lunch much later than Americans, because they usually take tea at 10:00 AM.  Check out the tree growing through the middle of the room.

Five of my six managers: Ted (Home Dept), Winfred (Supply & Program Mgt), Johnstone (Head Teacher), Njeri (Office, Kitchen & Accounting), and Lebaus (Government & Graduate Relations).  John Mwalo (Reintegration) was sitting next to me and didn't make the picture.

Lunch was delicious!  The main course was nyama choma (beef barbecue), ugali (ground corn meal), kachumbari (tomatoes, onions, & cilantro).  When ordering the beef, John told me to make sure to ask for "anti-theft."  Otherwise, the kitchen will keep some of your beef to sell at the local butchery.

Last, but not least, the soup-looking dish in the upper left-hand corner was a new one called "ojuri."  My managers told me to try it, but that they wanted to wait for two more days before they divulged its contents.  They encouraged me to try it, saying that it was very good for my digestion!  So, I was a good sport, and ate some ojuri.  It had a very sharp taste and tasted somewhat fermented.  I encouraged my managers to share ojuri's contents after I had eaten my portion:  onions and tomatoes cooked in . . . . COW'S BILE!!!

After thinking about it some more, I realized that ojuri tastes just like . . . bile mixed with tomatoes and onions.  Not sure, but I don't think I'll order ojuri next time!

Getting Kisumu'ed and Other Randomness

When we moved to Kenya back in 2011, I quickly found that no task was ever completed in the time that I originally planned.  Let's say I had a list of five things that I needed to accomplish in Kisumu in an afternoon.  I would drive from one side of town to the other, from shop to shop, and before I knew it, the clock would read 5 PM, and only two of my tasks would have been completed!  Hence, the term "Getting Kisumu'ed" was coined.  Things just take a whole lot longer to complete in Kenya; there is no other way to explain it!  The best way to approach errand running in Kisumu, though, is to expect things to take a long time, then if they go really quickly, you are pleasantly surprised!

Kisumu'ed at Kenya Power:  In Kisumu, you have to prepay for your electricity, meaning that you go to Kenya Power, pay for your electricity up front, and they give you a code to punch into a box at your house.  That code provides you with a certain number of kilowatt hours of electricity.   Well, our power ran out at about 4 AM yesterday morning, so I went to Kenya Power to purchase more electricity.  I waited in line for about 15 minutes to pre-pay for electricity at our house (not a bad wait for Kenya Power).  When I arrived at the window, they informed me that the one computer that operated pre-pay electricity was broken and asked that I have a seat while they fixed the computer.  After sitting for another 15 minutes, a young man walked by with the broken CPU and returned about 10 minutes later.  After 20 minutes of rehooking and rebooting, the computer was finally operational again, and I was able to purchase electricity.  So, in the Kenya Power example, a 15-minute visit turned into an hour visit - Classic Kisumu'ing!

 Kisumu'ed at Safaricom:  When I was back in the US, I purchased a phone from my dad, but I've had a little trouble getting it to work correctly in Kenya.  So, I went by the local Safaricom offices to see if they could help.  Safaricom is Kenya's leading cell phone service provider, and overall they are a pretty good company.  But, they have some long lines!  I was prepared, though, for the Safaricom Kisumu'ing, and had purchased a newspaper ahead of time.  Unfortunately, though, the newspaper only lasted for half of the full hour it took to work my way through the queue (yes, I said queue; we are very British here). 

 Randomness #1:  I thought this mama did a great job of presenting her produce.  Check out the cool way she stacked her oranges.  I asked her if I could take the photo, then she insisted that I buy 100 Kenyan Shillings worth (about $1.25).  The picture was worth it!

 Randomness #2:  Hungry, but on the run?  No problem!  There are people all over town like this man selling food.  You can purchase hot dogs, sausages, samosas . . . . the list could go on!  I've never had one of the hot dogs before, but I'll have to try one (if I get hungry enough).

Randomness #3:  This is Oginga Odinga Street, the equivalent of Main Street, Kisumu.  This is where most of the banks reside in town, as well as a number of supermarkets, hardware stores, and electronic stores.  They keep the road pretty clean, and tuk-tuk's, bicycles, and motorcycle taxis are not allowed to keep traffic flowing (even though there is a tuk-tuk on the right side of the photo).  It's a fun road to walk down and to check out the shops and hawkers wares who work in the area.