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Kenya By Vidu Athyal (Class of 2003)
Professor Karplus joined us on Friday and spent the day at Mosoriot. We saw varying degrees of protected and unprotected water sources, visited a home in a village, and peeked into a rural dispensary. We had a tree planted in our honor just before we left. This last weekend we embarked on yet another journey. After hours of driving and a flat tire, we arrived at Lake Naivasha. We toured the grounds of the Lake Naivasha Country Club where Elizabeth sighted tall giraffes in the distance. At the break of dawn, we departed on boats for Crescent Island where we were met by a game warden who showed us around. We walked around the small island chasing after giraffes, zebras, gazelles, wildebeest, dung beetles, hippos, and much more. They had nowhere to run from us! Next we made our way to the Hells Gate National Park where we added baboons, antelopes and warthogs to our animal checklist. After being harassed by a Masai warrior, chased by baboons and layered with dust, we decided it was time to head home for a hot shower. This week we begin the wards. Darren, Elizabeth & Vidu begin with Internal Medicine. Anh & Raza start Pediatrics. Kwaheri from Eldoret, Kenya! |
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Darren (who is from Ontario) visited two elementary schools and surveyed the children for tinea capitis, atopic dermatitis, and science knowledge. Canada was accompanied by the Kenyan national anthem as the children welcomed the research team to their schools. Anh (who is originally from Vietnam) spent some time in the records departments, trying to assess the prevalence of typhoid. Practicing her Swahili kept her and the staff amused. Elizabeth (who is from upstate New York) spent time with a nutritionist attempting to determine the number of women who delivered their babies at home versus at the health center. Vidu, (Indian-born and raised in California) with the help of the Kenyan students, interviewed some 95 health center patients, to assess knowledge, attitudes and practices towards malaria. Twenty-five other respondents were interviewed at a local village. Now we all have piles of questionnaires to analyze. Any epidemiologists in the house?