How it all started...

March 7, 2008



We're just days away from our departure for Kenya where we'll be working for a year in a rural medical clinic. Paul and I have talked about working in Africa for years but it suddenly was clear that there would never be a better time for us to go then now. Almost as soon as we made that decision we began to question our timing. Kenya held an election on December 27, 2007 that was widely reported to have been flawed. The opponent, Raila Odinga had a large early lead but as the results rolled in, President Kibaki declared himself the winner and held a hasty inauguration for himself.



This was followed by weeks of rioting and killings along tribal lines. At the date of this entry, more than 1000 people are reported to have been killed. On the very day in February that we booked our flights, the Peace Corps made the decision to pull out the remainder of their volunteers in Kenya. Our families shared our concerns even as they continued to offer their unwavering support.



But the arrival of Kofi Annan brought an air of hope and after a month of contenious negotiations, an agreement was announced. Kibaki and Odinga signed a pact agreeing to work together to form a coaltion government. Kibaki will continue in the role of president while Odinga will take on the role of Prime Minister.

So, the trip is on. We'll leave for Nairobi via Amsterdam on March 10th and arrive in Matoso on the afternoon of the 13th. It will be the beginning of the rainy season but the temperatures are said not to vary much throughout the year.


We'll be working at Lalmba's Matoso Clinic which is located on Lake Victoria about 9 km north of the Tanzania border. (To find out more about Lalmba, go to their website: http://www.lalmba.org/)

We hope to be able to keep in touch by the internet and this blog. So stay tuned.