Audrey the Pharmacist: 9-21

Today I had some fresh mango juice with breakfast. We rolled out in the 7:00 range at like 7:55. Leann drove us to work and the kids to school. On the way we got a sweet flat tire. Many people driving by offered to help. Wallace called someone to come and change the tire and a woman came and took the kids to school. It was a fun adventure.

We got to Pongani around 9:30 and talked to Maggie about which department each of us wanted to work in. Leann and I will be in CHE and Julie will be in Education and Social Work. Leann and I wanted to go to Kosovo to meet up with FAME while they were doing a clinic. One of the security guards at Pongani walked us to Kosovo.

I think I have a false sense of security in the slum. Everyone is very friendly and all the kids love us, always running up and grabbing our hands. However, it really wouldn’t ever be safe for us to just stroll around. As we were walking there was a man clearly drunk, holding a bottle of alcohol (probably changaa), who staggered by us. I was glad we had a man with us just in case something happened. However, I have been feeling more comfortable in the slum areas. I think I have gotten over the initial shock of the extreme poverty.

In Kosovo we were greeted by Rebecca (the pregnant social worker). She welcomed us to some Chi. Naturally, we accepted (instead of immediately getting to work in the clinic). I think I’m getting into the Kenyan time groove.

There was a huge line all the way to the outside of the Kosovo complex. Leann and I went into the clinic and talked to Timothy. He had us make a rough version of medical charts. We cut up pink pieces of paper and wrote up a template. We cut and hand-copied around 250. While working, I loved to greet people as they came in. I shook almost every kid’s hand. They totally loved it – they couldn’t help but grin.

Next, we organized all the active charts into alphabetical order (around 400). It was intense. We tallied up the number of patients FAME met with yesterday. The number was around 160. Finally our lunch break hit at 1:30. We ate with the CHE staff in the clinic while FAME at delicious guest food in a separate room. We are trying to be Kenyan and not guests. I had ugali, greens, and stew. I was able to eat it a lot easier – I think I’m becoming more Kenyan. But, I found a small black creepy bug in my ugali. Extra protein! (I didn’t eat it, but it didn’t deter me from finishing all my food.)

After lunch we helped out in the pharmacy. It was also intense. There are like 20 names the nurses and doctors could use for the same drug. Leann and I knew one of those names, maybe. It was a major crash course in pharmaceuticals. It was pretty fun none the less.

We weren’t sure how we were going to get back to Pongani to meet up with Julie again. We ended up hitching a ride with FAME back to the Kamau’s house and Julie hitched a ride with White River Christian Church. Both groups joined us for dinner. We had an amazing dinner. I think my favorite food here is the green beans and carrots. The interns finished off the night dancing with David. We rocked out to Father Abraham.