Off into the bush again!

Dear all
So the last 4 days have been spent in beautiful Mbita. We have spent most of our time here at the Suba district hospital that is a 10 minute walk from ICIPE. Our Health and Nutrition Module has been all about HIV/AIDS and malaria, and also some about tsetse fly and sleeping sickness. Kenya's HIV prevalence of HIV/AIDS is 7.4%, which is an assumed underestimation due to the stigma attached to the disease and also due to the lack of access to testing.
The kenyan government now provides ARVs (Antiretrovirals) free of charge, as well as treatment and prevention of malaria. Vaccinations and deworming of children are also done for free. Mosquito nets and condoms are also handed out for free. Consultations with a doctor at any level of medical institutues are free, but most medications (apart from those already mentioned) are to be bought from the clinic/hospital at which they are prescribed. Thus, barring the success of such a program is accessibility: for the people, reaching the clinics/hospitals is either impossible due to poor roads, or due to distance; and the trucks that bring the drugs and supplies for these places often cannot reach them. Supplies are brought once a month, but may only last 2 weeks.
While this has painted a dire picture for Kenya, the places themselves are inspiring and really remarkable. There are outreach groups for PLWH (People Living With HIV/AIDS) and volunteers are trained by the government to work within communities at the household level-- they are required to visit 20 households a month to been track of the needs of the community and gather information on the numbers of children who are immunized etc etc. This system is effective and is working. The doctors and nurses we spoke to are very educated, at least 3 or 4 years of post secondary education, and are very open to our questions.
The town of Suba is small and crowded. We were given full reign of the area, walking in group of 3 or 4 from ICIPE into town at least once a day during our free time. for 350 USh (around 4 US dollars) I had a skirt made that is longer than those that I brought, in anticipation of the Muslim community in Zanzibar. The people of the local town are very friendly and many speak exceptional english and love talking to us.
There are 3 courses in the 2nd module of this program (we wrote our final exams on Sunday for the previous module) and I'm taking Ornithology with Dr Dave Bird-- this is not a joke. None of the other 2 classes are started yet, as the Archaeology prof from UBC has yet to arrive. But my class started yesterday morning with a 7am bird walk, followed by a lecture. There is lots of work for this class, but the projects are going to be interesting and I'm definately going to know my birds by the end of it! Mum, let Grandpa know he has competition coming up! This morning we had another morning bird walk (will probably have one every day until the course ends on March4th) and tomorrow we leave at 6am for Bird Island for 3 hours, followed by another few lectures. This is proof that we are by no means on vacation!
On sunday, we leave very early on our 8-10 hours bus ride through Kenya towards the Mara. We hope to see Lions and cheetahs there. Not sure when I will have internet next, but probably in Laikipe sometime at the end of February.
I wrote to Riders for Health, looking for a volunteer position. But they employ locals which, having learned much about community sustainability, I understand completely, and they also could not recommend many people I could contact as an alternative. So I still have no set plans for my time here after the program, although I have a friend who wants to travel with me to Rwanda to stay with some friends and to see gorillas, and another wants to go to Malawi with me. So there are lots of options, depending on the amount of money I would like to spend. There is time yet
HOWEVER!! I cannot believe that today was day 27. This trip is racing by.
I hope my posts have been rewarding to my followers. Riss and Donna and Dad, thanks for your emails regarding my posts! Its really nice to get emails, but to those who havent written do not worry because the internet here is so deadly slow that I rarely check my email... the best place to write back is as a comment on my blog.

Lots of love to home, not sure if I'll get another chance to write again before we leave Mbita. Tonight is movie night, and tomorrow is our PA, Monica,'s birthday/ pre-trip party night so we are sure to be sleeping a little on the busses on Sunday.

xoxoxox
Marion
PS: false alarm on Malaria-student. We all knew that wasnt what it was, he just really liked the drama created by saying it. He has had tests, and does not have malaria or typhoid. We are all well and healthy and happy.
PPS: Dad, the story I was given for the meaning behind "Abwooli" is that it is a nickname for a young person, or young looking person, or young boy. Though, your definition as a young person being seperated from his/her money is also very accurate in my case!