Entry 4 of 11 from www.travelpod.com/members/muratcan

An Idealist Gone Rogue
Nakuru, Kenya
Apr 11, 2009  11:25 ( local time )


Did not wake up the boys today. I am no longer a volunteer here, but an idealist gone rogue. There are too many things that are wrong... The local government told us that they would pay us a visit right after Easter to shut down the place because it did not meet government requirements. They were absolutely right. You will understand once you read the orphanage comparison below. However, they were thinking about sending all of the kids back to Pokot, one of the least-developed districts of Kenya where our kids are from. This would be even worse than maintaining the status-quo. With some staff members and the 2 other volunteers, I decided to get our kids relocated to better homes in and around Nakuru. I was fighting on 3 fronts. The local government, the top management of our Center and our older kids who would definitely not support my initiative.

Called Ian to see if we could visit his orphanage in the nearby town of Njoro. He gave us the matatu (Kenyan minibus) directions and told us that he would be waiting for us with his van at wherever the matatu would drop us off. The matatu ride took more than half an hour. It was Naomi, Milena (a new volunteer from Serbia) and I in a jamm-packed vehicle. When we finally stepped off, we saw a new van with Ian's name written over it.

Ian: over 60; thin; medium height. He has been living in Kenya for 7 years. Initially came here as a medical missionary, but he is not a doctor. Opened his own center 6 years ago. This man has been through a lot to keep his orphanage open. He has been mugged at knife-point multiple times; some Australians have tried to take the orphanage away from him; this is the best one, his host family at the previous orphanage location made him open an orphanage; then, sued him with corruption with hopes that they would retain the land. Ian specializes in disabled kids and HIV-positive ones. He mixes conventional drugs with herbal remedies and religion. On the main gate there was a verse from the Bible. Therefore, I initially got the impression that this place was going to be intensely missionary, but it wasn't. Ian uses religion just like he uses herbal remedies. Holding on to a belief has psychological and hence physiological benefits, I suppose. He was first Catholic. Then, he divorced; parted ways with religion, but felt that something was missing. He returned to Christ in the shape of a missionary. One of his sons died due to a drug over-dose. The others live in Australia and help him out with fund-raising. Ian has put a lot into his center and it certainly has a special vibe.

The facilities were decent; nature a beautiful, lush green; kids well-dressed and well-fed; they are so at peace that you don't even notice some of them until they cling on to your hand as you are passing by them.

Dorms were clean and well-organized; there were proper toilets with flushes; the fencing met government standards; they served fresh fruit, as Ian though that this was essential for the severely sick. All in contrast to the situation at our center...

There were disabled kids of all sorts, but one of them was quite unique. There was a 7-year-old who was raised by baboons! She couldn't speak; had jerky head movements, and hit his palms on the ground, once in a while. I had read of such instances in various publications but to actually meet a specimen...

Ian offered us a delicious meal with beans, rice, tomatoes, onions, pears, bananas and pineapple. Although it was completely vegetarian and mostly raw, I loved it.

He has been screwed over by a major organization that promised that they would raise money for him via charity concerts, but then pulled back, claiming that the center was too dirty!

When I told Ian about our problems, he said that he could take over 3 disabled/HIV-positive kids, if the Children's Department agreed. He also gave us the contact info for 2 other reputable institutions lead by fellow Australians.

When we boarded a 14-seater matatu that had 25 passengers on it, I was thinking that I had dreamt of volunteering at a home like Ian's. Suddenly, the matatu stopped; I lost my train of thought. The man and the woman who were standing were slapped around and pulled out of the vehicle. The fat policeman wielding an automatic rifle was furious at the driver for overloading the matatu. I thought that our turn for being slapped would come. It never did...

I met my friend from college, Henry at the Midland Hotel where we sat in a spacious terrace, drinking our local Tusker beers. He had put on a bit of weight. After graduation, he had roamed around the East Coast, worked on a web design project from a friend's apartment in New Haven and then returned to Kenya. He was presenting his web project to the client, when he received an interview appointment from Nairobi. Not having been able to see his doctor father who works in Tanzania, Henry returned to Kenya for the asset management interview. That is what he has been doing for the past months. He works from 6am till 9pm. Although he likes the job, he complains a bit about the pay. Business school seems to be the next step for him. He is determined to spend his life in Kenya. However, reverse-adjustment after returning from the States has not been easy.

He agreed with me that the political tension in the country was on the rise. When I asked what my exit cue should be "A phone call from me..." he answered.

He supported my efforts to force the Center towards change.

When Henry dropped me off at the Center in his stick-shift Toyota Corolla and I saw the gates of the orphanage, I realized how good it had been to see a familiar face. Hoping to see more of him in the next few days...

NOTE: For more blog entries you can check out http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/muratcan/3/1239713940/tpod.html.