As much as I loved being at Mildmay and seeing good friends and a wonderful project in Kampala, I am very happy to be in Mombasa. This feels like coming home. When I got my luggage at the airport and walked outside, Janice and Matt were there to greet me! Our time together in Mombasa, would only overlap for one evening. They were leaving for India the next morning. I was greeted warmly by Varinder and Chhani, and we just picked up where we left off.
Channi had a dinner party that evening. Her inlaws and Varinder’s brother and sister in law came, as well as Heena Vaghela and her mother. Heena stayed with me when she was on her GSE trip to San Diego with Kenneth. Channi made a wonderful Indian dinner wFith delicious barbecued chicken. I don’t think I could duplicate the marinade and spices, though I would love to!
Friday morning I went to Varinder’s clinic with him. He wanted to finalize the wording for the plaque that was being made for the Tumaini Children’s Home lab. He kept asking me to pronounce La Jolla for him because the spelling and pronunciation don’t match! Then Varinder’s driver, Mwechairo, picked me up and we went to get Chhani at her office. She took me to a fabric store that has pre-packed material for salwars and tunics! We went to her tailor who took my measurements and we gave her the dressier one to make. The other one I took over to Heena’s mother later, as she does the same thing. My new attire will fit right in with San Diego fashion!
I then went to Tuimaini with Varinder. We arranged the lab equipment, treatment rooms and consultation room. It was such a thrill to see all the equipment in place and know that our club and our district played such a big role in making this happen. I met the lab technician and staff. I walked around the facility and gathered children along the way. They were all trying to hold my hand, and I had kids clinging to every part of me! The youngest is 1 ½ and the oldest is 18. They are not all HIV+, but most are. The dorms are very nice and the kitchen and dining room are spacious. The school is right across the street. The kids were all neat and clean and well cared for.
Saturday I went to Varinder’s clinic and provided him with my resume to which I added all my Rotary activities. I was to be considered the guest of honor at Tumaini for the opening, and Varinder wanted to make sure he introduced me properly. Yasmin, Varinder’s secretary, took me on a walking tour of Old Town. She lives in that area, so I saw things that I never would have seen otherwise. We wound through all the dirt roads and alleys through ancient buildings. We stopped to meet her father, and then two of her sisters. They were all very welcoming. Old Town is mostly Arab, but those Arabs are really Swahilis. That means they are Arabs who married those who were indigenous to the area. Mostly Muslim, there are many women who are covered head to toe in black with only their eyes uncovered. Others are more modern and do not cover their whole face. Yasmin wears Indian attire, but she is also part of the Muslim culture. Walking those streets and visiting the shops was a wonderful experience. It is not something tourists would normally do. They would get lost in the maze of the dirt roads and alleys! There is also a main street with larger shops, such as the one Chhani took me to the day before.
Two more house guests arrived. Two young men, one from New Jersey and one from the Netherlands. Chris, from New Jersey, is working in Kalifi as an intern. He wants to go into epidemiology, and his friend, Tommy, is there working with him. Nice young men, and they were invited for the opening of the lab at Tumaini. They are not connected to Rotary. We all went over to Tumaini at 3:30. Heena was with us as well. The children welcomed us with songs which I hope recorded on my video camera. Since I was so involved in all the processes, one of the boys had my camera, and Heena had my video camera. We all gathered together and Varinder gave a long introduction. He talked about my previous trip to Mombasa and some of the experiences we shared together. He talked about my professional accomplishments and my Rotary involvement. He introduced Joanne, a woman from the UK who founded Tumaini. She has been living in Kenya for some time and is a remarkable woman, close to 80. I was asked to say a few words as well. Varinder had already said so much, so I kept it brief and sent greetings from our district and our club. I told them how this project came to me through Varinder, and how thrilled we all are to see it come to completion. We then went down to the lab, where there was a big ribbon on the door. I officially cut the ribbon to open the lab. We then went in and Varinder and I unveiled the plaque (covered in Chhani’s Rotary scarf). The plaque has our district, our club and my name and Varinder’s, along with his district and club information. What a thrill to see that! A couple of hours later, there was a Foundation dinner in an outdoor area with all kinds of barbecue, samosas and some other Indian food. Varinder made some presentations. He had me come up and again pronounce “La Jolla”! Of course, Steve Brown’s name was mentioned, as being responsible for connecting our two districts. A certificate was presented to me, as well as one for our club and another for our district. I was also given one for Janice who allocated $1000.00 of District Simplified Grant money to Tumaini when she was here on her GSE trip. It was a wonderful evening. I felt very fulfilled, proud of our club and our district. We are really providing a wonderful service. Not only will this lab serve the children at Tumaini, but also the larger community.
Today we are lying low, and I may go to the beach later with Heena. More soon. Link to photos sent in seperate email.
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