Monday June 17, 2013

Into Bungoma town, through the ever crowded streets, then into yet another skinny red dirt road, but this time just a few minutes, until we reached Peter’s house and the community group of disabled persons who make up our HIV/AIDS class this week.

Some of the folks present have polio and some shriveled legs from birth and others wounded feet, an array of physical challenges that seem to make an already hard life in Kenya that much more difficult.

But, you wouldn’t know it from the smiles, the laughter, the participation and just plain joy as we sat under yet another tree and engaged folks who started out as strangers and ended up as friends.

The discussion about sexuality, blood transfers, men’s and women’s sexual secretions and talking with our youngsters as well about such things was lively and funny at times, then turning quite serious indeed.

AIDS kills here, and there wasn’t a person present who hadn’t lost several family members or friends to the disease.

This is a four-day seminar, with the hope that each of the 20 folks present will take what they learn to 5 more, as the word is slowly spreading about how to effectively prevent and/or treat this disease.

AIDS/HIV education is the first project started by Bishop Ruben in the late 1990s, when he began by pushing a wheelbarrow with TV, VCR and generator to villages for this education.

Remarkably, (or sadly, maybe not such a surprise), his superiors in the Anglican Church forbade him from continuing with these classes, reasoning that immorality caused AIDS so those who get it shall suffer the consequences...

Not terribly different from the attitude in the US during the 1980s, eh?

And Jesus weeps.

The night came with a torrent of rain – it felt like living on the inside of a Rock ‘n Roll drum for several hours last night as the skies seemed to be sliced open and water like a monsoon crashed to earth.

Fortunately I did my laundry and hung it on the line to dry -- it should be well rinsed!

Pictures to follow soon!