Camel Diary - Day 7

We try to leave camp early, but no luck. It gets light about 6:30am but folk are so cold and everyone moves slowly. LeKuyieya tries to motivate us. I enjoy the easy talking and joking as people get up. Chai always first, today 2 eggs for breakfast. Wow. The boys are so up for it, the packing, no laziness (not like in Aus).

We walk for about 4 hours, flat, easy. I enjoy the iPod and chatting. We have to cross a bit of water, easy. I have lots of energy when we arrive, but Mercy is beat and dying for more sugar! We camp at a school, it is holiday time. The keys do not arrive, so the boys sleep on the verandah. We girls do clothes & body washing at Susan’s house (Safina’s sister-in-law), she is so stylish and beautiful. She is the mother of those smart kids I have been spending the afternoon playing with. Initially they run immediately when I approach to shake hands, finally I have them crawling all over me. They like ‘round-and-round-the-garden’, getting picked up, winked at, a band aid on the finger and we do hand clapping. Apparently of a ‘naughty’ tune, so the boys explain. I call Lucy/Shanni this morning to discuss staying another week.  

 
 






























I love walking next to the camels, they are so well trained. No grumpiness, they are untied during the day, and surprisingly don’t go too far, they are focused on food. They gently gather at the camp in the evening and the boys tie their forelegs together and they spend the night sitting next to the tents, regurgitating their food. Very patient, they are often not let up until late in the morning. Walking alongside them, they sometimes get distracted by food and need encouragement to keep going. The boys carry sticks to hit them. The camels sometimes protest and get up when it is not appropriate or spit and grumble when the boys are fiddling around putting the load on.

Interesting HIV story: While we are walking along with the camels, Safina tells me a story of a woman she tested positive for HIV yesterday. The woman presented alone for something else but decided to take a HIV test too (this can be a subtle way for them to do this). Safina explains the virus, the ways it can be contracted, and what the ramifications are when you have it. After it was determined that she is HIV positive the woman decided it was because she had an argument with her husband this morning. She believes that ‘God struck her down’ for this. Safina explains that there is a waiting period ie you cannot have an argument in the morning and then catch the virus in the afternoon!  Safina tries to explain how sex with more than one person can increase the risk. The woman’s husband is not with her and should be tested too. Men in Samburu culture are permitted several wives and many sexual partners. Safina also explains that it may not even be the husband as other factors such as communal sharing of razor blades for shaving the head could be the cause too. Luckily in this day and age, anti-retroviral drugs are available at all the government health centers, Safina makes a referral and explains to the woman that she will be taking drugs for the rest of her life. The woman assured her that she will go to the health centre at Kisima with her husband, so he can be tested and so she can start anti-retroviral treatment. Safina felt confident that follow up action would be taken. CHAT’s role is very much the first line of communication for these people. 

Interesting to me was the matter-of-factness about this, in the western world, this news would be devastating.

Interesting condom story: A group of young boys arrive at our campsite in the evening, about 15 or 20 of them; they are aged from 7 to 27. One chap who has English and confidence approaches me and wants to ask a question.. “Can we have the soccer ball?” I brought one from town for a bit of fun. They hang around curious and inquisitive, then it starts to pour with rain (again!) really heavy, so I usher them into one end of the boy’s shelter. They crowd in, among the corn cobs, leaves, bags of maize, and careful not to stand on or drip on the mattresses. They then ask for some condoms, unfortunately we don’t have many left. Ester pulls some from her tent, just a few and they fight over them. Then the 27 year old ask me how to use them, I thought he was joking and I was embarrassed, saying “I am not a doctor”. The rain continues, and I move over to the middle of the shelter where Koperi, LeKuyieya, LePris, Abdi are sitting. The boys ask again how to use the condoms, so with much hilarity, yet total seriousness, LeKuyieya and Koperi explain. Tips such as checking the expiry date, holes and using it only once where much discussed. Only having a few condoms, they really, really wanted to put them aside after using and save it for the next time! It was such a funny, funny scenario and so unusual to be part of... so enjoyable. But I am amazed that they really didn’t know how to use a condom, these strong masculine, strapping young men.