Wiki Kumi na Tatu

Ruben and I began the week at the community kitchen in Mabatini as we continued to conduct interviews with People Living with HIV/AIDS who are consuming probiotic yogurt for free. We saw many more men and children this time around, a different population then we interacted with last week. The problems they have are different, but the struggles are the same. We ask one question to try to learn more about individual energy levels. After asking about work status, we probe to find out how many days a week one feels they are able to work. For children, we slightly manipulate the question to find out how many days a week they feel they are able to play. When an eight year old boy claims he can only play less than half of the week, you learn what a robber this virus may be.

Mama’s Sabina, Leah, me, Ruben and Mama Hawa at the kitchen

After conducting our interviews for the day, one of the participants from last week came to meet me at the kitchen. As we spoke last week, she explained to meet that she was responsible for working with street kids in the Mabatini area, and asked me to visit the site with her. She brought me to her office and to the facility where the children meet on a weekly basis. Every Saturday, they have a special day in which they meet to do activities to stimulate learning, cooperation and to harvest a sense of belonging within the community. She showed me their resource center, inappropriately named “resource”. I had the opportunity to meet some of her staff members. They all seem to be amazing people big hearts. They were planning an event for this weekend with the children. I must say, they are the most imaginative, creative people that I have met.

Mabatini

On Tuesday, Ruben and I spent the morning trying to figure out Microsoft Access so that we can begin data entry. We are both the stubborn type A personality with the “I can do it myself” mentality. I clicked around trying to figure out the program for what felt like hours, until I caved and asked the paperclip in the top right hand corner for help. We set up a program then made a few final adjustments to our interview package. In the afternoon, I travelled to Sekuo-Toure hospital to meet with Mama Coroko, the RN assisting Ruben with translations for his study. She is a specialist in STI’s, including HIV/AIDS, and thus she is extremely helpful and knowledgeable. We spent a few hours translating the interview and consent forms.
On Wednesday we spent the day at the kitchen conducting interviews again. In the evening, Ruben, Tara and I were lucky enough to host dinner for the Nurse Mama Coroko and Nurse Mama Flora, both of whom partner with Ruben and assist him with his clinical trial.

Tara, Ruben, Mama’s Coroko and Flora

On Thursday morning, I was finally able to get a hold of the City Planner at City Council. It takes a lot of effort to get a hold of this man. Scheduling meetings seems to be a senseless task as he is a very busy man and is regularly out of the office. Mama Paskwalina and I travelled to his office in order to finally pick up our offer for the land that we bought in mid-February. Again, we were turned away. Until we have the offer in our hands, it is very difficult to begin planning. We need to know the stipulations of the agreement before we are able to build or manipulate the land in anyway. The problem this time around had to do with our stamp. Yes, another stamp problem. The stamp of the Yogurt Mama’s says “Tukwamuane Group”, while their NGO certificate says “Tukwamuane Women’s Group”. Clearly the name was shortened so that it actually could fit on a stamp- but you can imagine the problem this small detail caused. So Mama Paskwalina set out on our way to buy a new stamp.

On Friday morning, we were able to return to pick up our offer. We eagerly waited in line outside of the Planners office for a few hours, than happily picked up the offer. In the afternoon, Mama Paskwalina and I set off to NIMR. Many people at NIMR and in the area of Isamilo are keen on buying probiotic yogurt, as this is an item not found anywhere else in the city. There is a group of women who prepare lunch for the workers in a community kitchen in the backyard of NIMR. They have a fridge in the back for refreshments and it has plenty of space inside. Mama Paskwalina and I have proposed to them that we compensate the women for fridge space and sales and hope to bring yogurt to NIMR twice a week for sale. We are waiting on the nod from the Big Mama in charge, and will know more in the week to come. This is another excellent opportunity for the women to increase their sales and revenue.

In the afternoon I travelled to Forever Angels to deliver yogurt and spend some time with the little sweethearts.