So....here I am again, this time heading somewhere east over the Atlantic, back to my beloved Watoto World Center and Kenya. This trip is going to be fast and furious, with an agenda I have sent ahead to Tony and Everline that is not likely to come to fruition, given the response I received yesterday from Tony: "We have a busy week of meetings, I don't know if we can fit this all in", he replied. "We will try and we will succeed" was and is my response. I pushed this trip up, so that I can ensure all ducks are in a row, all i's and t's dotted and crossed. I know far too well how Kenyans love to finish everything at the very last second, which always makes my heart palpitate and cringe. (Any Kenyan will tell you the same thing, with a huge grin while doing so). Not this time, there is too much at stake.
After visiting LionsSightFirst Hospital in Nairobi, and requesting a partnership to conduct clinics at WWC, I arrived home to the response: "We would love to collaborate. Pick your date of preference." Jumping in with both feet, I called Everline, who took the ball and ran with it. In the next two days, Everline and Peter, the Marketing Director at Lions SightFirst, sent me this poster, which they put together. Sensing this could get huge if we expand our interests past our own community, Everline and I agreed to stick with Oloirien, our village and vast community. Over the past 7 weeks, Everline has been working tirelessly on connecting with tribal chiefs and elders, and cementing their commitment to this clinic, which will be held on March 14th at WWC.
This has been no small feat for Everline and Tony, who have been traipsing all over our county to attend meetings ad nauseam and mobilize the powers that be, to get on board. Everline has the commitments and support from The Ministry of Health, City Council, Sub County Commissioner, Children's Office, Churches, Schools and finally, the Chief of our village. I fully expect to return tomorrow to see this poster plastered all over every venue near and dear to us. Any beyond!
We have all been in close contact consistently - Tony and I talk at least three hours each week over this clinic and other matters at WWC. Everline updates me regularly, so much that she has learned to predict each of my successive questions and concerns. For my part, I have secured bullhorns, banners, and importantly, disposable protective eye wear for adults and children. Two weeks ago, I contacted Rollens, a premier manufacturer and distributor of disposable tinted eye wear, located in Colorado. Having eye issues myself, and being subjected to eye dilation regularly, I expressed deep concern about children and adults experiencing what can be a very uncomfortable experience: walking out into bright sun with dilated eyes. A lovely woman named Vicki listened to my rapid fire desire to purchase hundreds of Rollens eye wear "at a deep discount" laughing as I talked. "I can tell you we support what you are doing, and will donate 300 pair." 24 hours later, FedEx dropped off not 300, but 400 pair of these glasses.
In my bags are also 4 bullhorns - one donated, the other three purchased. The budget for this event got brutally slashed by me after looking at proposed expenditures that reeked of chief's and tribal leaders wanting to get a potential piece of this significant action that is about to take place. "What is this 'mobilization expense?' "Travel WHERE?" "NEMA? Why?" "Chief's expenditures for WHAT?" "What are "Sensitization Meetings??" Poor Everline - this is her first experience with me and a budget. "Bottom line, WatotoWorld is gifting the Community with a free Vision and Diabetes Screening Clinic. WW will pick up the the highly subsidized cost of eye drops and ointments of 100KSH ($1USD) and eyeglasses (300KSH). There must be recognition of this gift to the Community and compromise on personal and mobilization costs. We must be the agents of change here. I know it's a tough pill to swallow, but it is a necessity. Nothing in this world is free. AND, get the food out of the budget. I leave it to you both to find donations of water, sodas and biscuits."
Everline got it done.
Meanwhile, I am anxious to get back to WWC to see Purity and all our co-workers. This woman is an absolute hoot, a force to reckon with.
As I directed Tony one week ago to have the compound free of all 'shaggy' areas, I thought of Kanini, below. Kids are so funny....here she is after David and Vestas slashed our compound in January, after my barking about long grasses. After all, snakes are no joke in Kenya...they love high grasses, and I don't do snakes. I simply won't have it.
Kanini picked up a piece of rubber and went to town on the grass:
Something feels really good and very, very promising tonight. WatotoWorld is about to expand our horizons deeply into the community and...beyond. Nothing like this has happened in our area before. Children and adults are going to get their first vision and diabetes screenings, ever. Any referrals for cataracts and further treatments will be taken care of by Lions. A piece of my vision is about to come alive and I couldn't be more excited about these events. On top of it, a photojournalist from the UK will be shadowing me for a couple of days, before he heads up north to hike Mt. Kenya. Somewhere in here, there is going to be a story told.
From somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean, I am beyond excited to get back to my home away from home, and hit the ground running. So much optimism is in the air, I can barely contain myself. None of this would be possible without each of you reading tonight, and for those that aren't. I am deeply indebted to every single one of you. Thank you for being along on this journey, and for sticking by me in this work, my passion.
Usiku mwema,
Simmie and Josie
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