Out of Africa: Part 8 (Continued - B) – Final Full Day

On my recent trip to Africa, I disciplined myself to keep a daily journal of what transpired and how I felt about it. These entries are from that journal.

Monday, October 24, 2005
Experience #2 – First Game Ride and More Discussions

This afternoon we took short game ride. It would be the first of three we would take in the next three days. I learned a ton about animals and HWC (Human Wildlife Conflict). I was taught a lot about the hippopotamus, elephant, wildebeest, and even the cow! I spent considerable time talking to Simon Ole Masi as we rode the Masai Mara and watched the animals. He is an amazingly intelligent man. I will give a lot of the information I gathered here in entries to follow over the next couple of days.

After the game ride, I had my first hot shower since last Friday morning. Hot water was available, but by the time I got to the shower each day it was gone, so there was only cold water for me. Because of that, I kept showers very short and most days skipped the shave altogether. After this long hot shower, I feel like a new man. A shave and shower just does something for you that cannot be achieved any other way.

We sat around after dinner and talked with Phiona (pronounced F­­éona) about the HIV pandemic and its affect in this area. She is Masai herself and has come back with World Vision to serve her people here. I was greatly impressed by her servant spirit, knowledge and ability. She shared many stories that revealed once again that HIV’s chief weapon here is stigma. I also learned that this is yet another reason the women want a maternity clinic. Since blood is one of the four primary bodily fluids to pass on HIV, (the four are: blood, semen, vaginal fluids and breast milk) children here are at risk, because Masai women bleed a lot during childbirth. A clinic could serve to protect the unborn children. It also has another positive protection for children. If women learn they are HIV positive, they can be taught to refrain from breast feeding and thereby passing on HIV to the infant child.

HIV and its devastation simply cannot be escaped here!