There are two airlines that service Kisumu with two flights to Nairobi in the morning and two flights in the evening. A couple weeks ago one of them decided the runway was no longer safe and stop service to Kisumu. Turns out there has been money earmarked for renovations at the Kisumu airport for quite some time but nothing has been done. They say the airline is trying to bring bigger planes in so they want to pressure the government to get going. Some say it’s because of the huge problem of tribalism that nothing has been done yet. Meaning that the ruling party is mostly made up of one tribe and most folks living around here are of a different and opposing tribe. Same reason the roads aren’t repaired around here…they say. Anyway, tonight, the only other airline has decided to stop service as well. No planes are flying in or out of here now. And it’s the eve of our safari with Kayla’s parents and we are scheduled to fly to Nairobi to meet them and then drive to the two game parks and then fly them back to Kisumu and then they all fly home. Now, in order to get a flight out we have to drive 2+ hours to Eldoret airport.
No one knows how long this will go on. It’s going to severely disrupt business travel. CDC does a lot of traveling between the Nairobi office and Kisumu too.
More as it unfolds….
25 November 2006
24 November 2006
Happy Thanksgiving
17 November 2006
End Of Term Assembly (or Esther is a big show off)
13 November 2006
Our House Viewed From Space
0° 6'43.87"S, 34°44'50.65"E are the coordinates. If you know about Google Earth just type these numbers in and you can have a look around our town! Otherwise click the image below to get a large view.
10 November 2006
The Childrens' Club
We visited the Children's Club again last weekend.
It's becoming almost a regular monthly thing for us.
It's becoming almost a regular monthly thing for us.
The Amazing Group
Kayla has been traveling…a lot, shades of our old life in Atlanta. Going on our second week apart, she was here, for two days, and now in Atlanta for a conference (I’m envious) for almost 10 days. She returns two days before the Max/Kayla birthday. Although we really really miss her here it is far easier when she travels for so long as there is plenty of help for me here.
I have sort of stumbled into an extrodinary opportunity. There was this study the CDC did here. About pregnant women who are HIV positive and breastfeeding and their meds and they gave birth to HIV negative babies. I don’t know the whole story yet but it is amazing. Turns out a group of women in the study got together and formed a support group, they have been together now for two years. They named the group appropriately the Amazing Group. I have been asked to do a documentary film on them! What do I know about making documentaries? I’m flying by the seat of my pants here.
I went to one of their sessions to talk about the project and get their permission to film them. They were so into it! They are willing to go so totally public about their HIV status in order to help other women like themselves who don’t know that they should be getting tested and put on this regiment for the best possible outcome for their unborn baby. They want me to film them at their homes even! They want people to see how they live. I’ve done two interviews so far and to find their homes I’ve had to go into some of the deepest slums, where people stare at me as if I’m a Martian (not too many white people ever get this far in). It's a little un-nerving but it's worth it because their stories are so…moving and inspiring. I hope I do a good job with this. I told them that they would be the first ones to see it. If they don’t like it, I won’t show it to anyone else. Anybody have any advice on making a documentary??
I have sort of stumbled into an extrodinary opportunity. There was this study the CDC did here. About pregnant women who are HIV positive and breastfeeding and their meds and they gave birth to HIV negative babies. I don’t know the whole story yet but it is amazing. Turns out a group of women in the study got together and formed a support group, they have been together now for two years. They named the group appropriately the Amazing Group. I have been asked to do a documentary film on them! What do I know about making documentaries? I’m flying by the seat of my pants here.
I went to one of their sessions to talk about the project and get their permission to film them. They were so into it! They are willing to go so totally public about their HIV status in order to help other women like themselves who don’t know that they should be getting tested and put on this regiment for the best possible outcome for their unborn baby. They want me to film them at their homes even! They want people to see how they live. I’ve done two interviews so far and to find their homes I’ve had to go into some of the deepest slums, where people stare at me as if I’m a Martian (not too many white people ever get this far in). It's a little un-nerving but it's worth it because their stories are so…moving and inspiring. I hope I do a good job with this. I told them that they would be the first ones to see it. If they don’t like it, I won’t show it to anyone else. Anybody have any advice on making a documentary??
02 November 2006
I Never Conceived That This Was A Problem
Ok...so, to all of you who almost had a coronary when I used the words "Kayla" and "conceived" too closely together I would like to say sorry sorry sorry!
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