Putting Faces with Names

The three CARE for AIDS interns - Chris, Kyle, and Preston - who visited last week provided a unique look into what CFA is doing here in Kenya. These guys have spent the last two months or so working in Atlanta on all sorts of CFA business: writing grants, putting together newsletters, planning speaking engagements, making phone calls, and brainstorming on all sorts of topics. Through this, they each developed a detailed understanding of what CFA does in theory - they could all explain the mission and vision, the process and model. Not until last week, though, could they actually see what was happening with their own eyes and decide for themselves if it was working.

The guys got into Nairobi at 6:30am on Saturday (ouch!), and after a few luggage issues, made it up to the office at around 10, right in the meeting of our bi-weekly staff meeting. They each got to meet all 16 staff from the Limuru region, and I think they were a little overwhelmed by all of the talking, hugging, singing, and laughing right off the bat! After the meeting we all shared a big lunch of ugali and beef stew (plus a little Tabasco for the Americans), so they were properly introduced to Kenyan food and "swallowship."

The next day we spent the morning, and some of the afternoon, attending church at Banana Hill Baptist, where one of the CFA centers is located. The guys got to experience a true Kenyan church - all four hours of it - and even share some tea with the pastoral team as honored guests. We also had dinner at the home of one of our admin staff, Kevin, who was thrilled to have 4 "wazungu" guys hanging out in his house.

Monday and Tuesday saw the guys really getting into the nitty-gritty of CFA. We drove down to the newest CFA center at Gachie Monday morning and spent three hours walking through the town and slum areas visiting clients in their homes. The interns got a taste of the attention that white people garner around here, with constant yells of "mzungu," "how are you," and even, when people saw Kyle, "Johnny Bravo!" We visited 5 or 6 clients in their homes, hearing their stories, encouraging them, and praying with them, and then drove back to Limuru for lunch in a little local restaurant. The afternoon was spent doing more home visits around the Kamirithu area, and then we ended up in the home of a client named Rahab around 6:00. For the next few hours, we helped Rahab and the center workers peel and smash potatoes, cut up vegetables, and prepare a typical Kenyan meal in their home. It was a fantastic experience for all of the guys to share the meal with Rahab and her children by lantern-light in their humble wooden home, and by the end of the day we all had a much better idea of what it is like to live here with AIDS.

On Tuesday we got to see the other side of the CFA model by sitting in on a center day at both the Banana Hill and Imani centers. The guys got to hear from Rosemary, the original CFA Physical Counselor, about the challenges that clients face and the creative methods that she uses to help and educate them. They were able to talk, laugh, and pray with clients, helping to hand out food and offering an encouraging smile to everyone they sat down with.

That evening we got to have a great conversation about what the interns had taken from their experience. I asked them whether the things they had seen here in Kenya matched up with all that they had talked and written about over the summer, and they agreed that everything is really happening in just the way it is being presented back in America. They talked about how impressed they were with the job the center workers are doing - they had no idea what difficult and unique situations each client presents, and they were amazed at the way the center workers tirelessly invested in each and every person. We are so blessed to have such high-quality, hard-working people who truly love our clients, and all of the interns agreed that they really are the lifeblood of CARE for AIDS. After seeing what they have been working so hard to promote, I am so thankful that Chris, Kyle, and Preston all agreed that it was worth it. They were able to see that lives are truly being transformed, and I don't think any of them regret their summer's labor in the slightest!