Nakapenda

"Mungu akubariki!" "Karibou!" Although these Swahili words were foreign to my ears they were well-known to my heart. The welcoming embrace by two of my PFC brothers, Sammy and George, broke language barriers. Even before I knew the translations of these phrases, I could feel the affirmations of "God bless you" and "Welcome" that rolled so easily off of their Kenyan tongues. Such feelings continued during  my drive throughout the dirt-brown countryside amidst a night sky sprinkled with stars that the blazing lights of the US have long hidden from me. After arriving to my home for the next few weeks, joyfully meeting with other members of our house, and unloading the bags of myself, Mfon, and Samantha, my stomach was welcomed with delicious food that was indeed made by the God-gifted hands of Moses, our housekeeper. Blissful from the effects of a food coma, I sleepily ascended the stairs to my bedroom. My tiredness not only desired to be alleviated by rest from such a long trip but also from my goal to awaken refreshed and renewed so that I could work to provide "karamas" (blessings) to the efforts of the  PFC team on our first visit to the center.

God's merciful decision to wake me up the next day proved his never-ending faithfulness. Samantha, Mfon, and I had a chance to meet with all of the PFC members who diligently work with both their bodies and hearts to mobilize and change the Marururi community. The meeting foreshadowed many of the  "karamas" that would happen that day. After walking through a plethora of makeshift businesses crafted by residents with a strong work ethic and intent to survive, Samantha, Mfon, and I visited the clinic. It was there that we had a chance to talk with the head physician, Dr. Vincent. We had a long discussion about many of the common diseases that plague the Marururi residents, such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, malnutrition, and respiratory and gastrointestinal problems (all of which are illnesses responsible for claiming the lives of 473 Kenyan children everyday). We also talked about his likes and dislikes of the Sana program. The use of mHealth technology has some challenges in this community, but we hope to be able to help mitigate the negative aspects of the program so that Dr. Vincent can better care for his patients.

From the clinic, we visited the information technology school, a program designed to equip Marururi residents of all ages with the skills to use many common computer and internet programs, such as Microsoft Word and Facebook, skills I often take for granted. This program complimented well with our last stop (a stop that included giant roosters!) to the Second Chance school. This educational outlet serves as a place where adults, who were unable to complete their basic school requirements (for reasons such as a lack of steady financial resources), can do so in a safe, convenient, and nurturing environment. We look forward to also supporting our brothers in both the IT and school programs.

At the end of day, we hesitantly left the center for the business district of Nairobi. This area that boasted a 24-hour supercenter (that could put Wal-Mart to shame)  was a stark contrast to the wooden and scrap metal stores displayed near the PFC center. As I guiltily purchased tea, purple-orange nail polish, and safari postcards to send to my family, I thought much about the words "mungu akubariki" and "karibou." What can I really offer to my PFC brothers"? It was at that moment that Franco, another PFC staff member, graced my ears with another Swahili phrase; "Nakapenda," meaning "I love you." And the fact that of the matter is that I do love my PFC brothers; and that is what I will give to them during my time here.

~Petrina

P.S. In case you may not have noticed, we are like 7 hours ahead of eastern standard time. So, we'll update this blog during our nighttime!