Sunday, November 8, 2015

Update on Pokot Woman & A Little of This and That

I've been busy with a little of this and that over the past few days and still fighting a bit of cold symptoms. I've been taking my daily Emergen-C (packets of Vitamin C & B which I mix with water before drinking) and it seems to help keep my energy levels up and the sniffles at bay.


I was glad to have finished writing a few letters and post cards to my sponsored boys in Kenya and Ethiopia which I put in the post today.  I am prepared for Christmas for them. Though I didn't send funds for Christmas gifts for the children, I opted to send  family gifts so that the boy's families could have a nice Christmas without financial stresses.  Christmas is the time in Kenya where the families like to try and get a new set of clothing and also have a meal that includes meat or fish rather than just starch and veggies.  I hope that they will be able to also get a few other food stuffs they need since inflation is rampant in Kenya right now.  I am not quite sure what the situation is in Ethiopia but I know the people are very poor so they will be able to benefit from a family gift.  I was also able to get some post cards and note cards in the mail to other friends. I don't prepare much snail mail anymore and so it felt good to get these off in the post.

When I checked my post box at the post office today I had a wonderful surprise. A dear friend from Colorado sent me a cheque because she read my post here about the woman in Kenya who had fistula due to female genital mutilation (FGM).  She has to be rushed to hospital to deliver her child and after that rushed to a larger city center for proper medical treatment. It's been a challenging time to get the funds together to take care of the hospital bills for this woman.  Somehow through prayers and the grace of God we've managed to pay the medical bill so the woman, her baby and the lady missionary are now all on their way home.  Initially, the plan was to send them to stay with friends in Kericho (which is even farther south from the mom's home) because we felt the young mom needed to rebuild her strength and recover from surgery.   We were a bit concerned that she wasn't quite ready to go home due to blood in the breast milk. Though the hospital was prepared to release her we knew it wouldn't be  easy to get her back to a major hospital again if it turned out that she needed more help.

In the end, the new mom stayed in hospital for several days longer due to inability to cover the medical fees. That meant she was a little stronger and we felt she could travel by the time I was able to get the funds together.  The mother, her child and missionary were finally on their way home two days ago.  They were planning to rest for one or two days at a relative's house in a small town called Kapenguria (near the Kenya-Uganda border). They would make the final leg the journey to Itibet (not on the map) over a rough road after their rest.  You might remember that the woman just had surgery not even two weeks ago to repair fistula damage and is recovering from child birth too.  So the travel is not easy. Thank goodness she has relatives along the way that can house her for a bit of rest.

If you look to the west on the map, you can find Eldoret.  This is the larger city center where mom was in hospital for surgery. It is not the city where people from her area are supposed to go.  They are supposed to be taken by ambulance to Kitale.  But the young missionary woman that escorted her and the baby, had the foresight to tell the ambulance drivers to take her to Eldoret where the medical hospital is much better.  Of course this added to the cost.  But when you think that someone can lose a life or go to a better place and be sure to get good medical help then you must do what you can to get the best medical help.

From Eldoret, you travel north to Kapenguria.  This is a much smaller town and where the travel party stayed with relatives for a night or two before journeying home. Their ultimate destination is not on the map but is very near the border of Uganda. In Kenya distances can be short but travel time is much longer than in Canada or the USA due to weather and road conditions.




The donation I received today and another recent donation from a blogging friend in England, really made us feel supported and helped alleviate some financial stress.  It will be put to good use in helping the impoverished woman to purchase baby formula and pampers.  Cloth diapers might be more cost effective and  environmentally friendly but very impractical.  It is a dry and dusty land where they live.  There is little water for drinking let alone to have a regular bath and do laundry.  That makes cloth diapers out of the question.  We would like to provide this mom with assistance to buy formula and pampers until the baby is past the milk and pamper stage.  If anyone would like to help with this need please feel free to get in touch.

Now on to a few other things.

In a recent post I shared with you that I was going to attend a book launch and a ballet performance. These occurred on Wednesday and Thursday and both were fantastic.  This was very frugal entertainment for me because the book launch was free.  The ballet performance I attended only cost me one dollar (Canadian). I got in on a deal with a group I belong to and that is why the cost was so minuscule.  A regular ticket would have been $81.50 plus service charges.

I didn't get photos of the ballet performance as photos are not permitted for performances of any kind at most of the venues in the city.  I think it is like that all over North America and Europe.  In the ballet, the first half of the performance was set to the live choral music of Chor Leoni, a local men's choral group. The music added  a lot of depth, power and beauty to  the performance. I'm very glad I had a chance to experience it. The book launch was also a unique experience and I did get a few photos there too but wasn't permitted to take audience photos (more on the launch in another post).

I like to join in with hostess, Eileen at Saturday's Critters whenever I have time to shoot a new bird or other critter photos. This week I managed to get a few bird photos on 2 different days. The first one is a sea gull flying around the high towers of the city. The other bird is a black crow.  We seem to have plenty of both in this city.

This was the dark sky on the night of the book launch.

This bird was high up in the tree. I wouldn't have found him but for the zoom lens.

I captured this black bird on a beautiful sunny day.

I also used one beautiful, sunny day to go out and get more photos of fall foliage. It seems one can never get enough of those.

Lovely red maple leafs against the green grass.

I spotted this human critter across the street from where the bird was perched.






Some of you read about the movies I was watching in my recent post here.  I've been enjoying watching movies on DVD so much that I borrowed 3 more DVDs from the library:
  • Gravity with Sandra Bullock and George Clooney
  • Frost-Nixon with Frank Langella (as President Richard Nixon) and Michael Sheen (as David Frost)
  • Heaven is for Real with Greg Kinnear.

My favourite movie out of the three is  Heaven is For Real.  Greg Kinnear played pastor and father to 4 year son, Colton Burpo, played by Connor Corum. These two actors gave outstanding performances and the entire supporting cast were terrific.  In case you are unfamiliar with the film, it is about a small-town father (played by Greg Kinnear) who must find the courage and conviction to share with the world his son's life-changing experience of going to Heaven.  Understandably it was not so easy for the father to believe that his 4 year old could have gone to Heaven.  But a few things the young boy saw and experienced there and later relayed to his family, ultimately led the father to believe his young son.  The story is about what happens as a result of the young boy's experience.

Of course all these DVDs were free to borrow from the library so it has been very frugal entertainment. My local library seems to be expanding it's DVD offerings.  I will gladly make use of this service again in 2016. I've discovered that even though DVD loans are only for 1 week rather than 3 weeks like books, you can renew the DVDs even if someone has it on hold. Renewing books that are on hold doesn't work in my library system but it does work for DVDs. I'm not sure why but it works for me!

Playing in theaters right now is another great film if you are into spy films., the latest 007 movie "Spectre". I won't give anything away but I did see the film on Friday.  It is a quintessential James Bond movie with thrills from beginning to end.  The only thing I did not enjoy was the steep price of the movie ticket ($12.55 Canadian).  My friend and I went to the matinee thinking we would get a cheaper entrance that way only to discover the theater is newly renovated.  It now has a bar and lounge area and let's movie goers select their own seats prior to paying.  For these benefits you pay a premium price whether you use the bar or not. It is just one way that movie theaters are now trying to attract or compete with restaurants and bar and other forms of entertainment.

Are you still with me? If you've hung in there all the way to this point in the post, I thank you. I wonder how many of you have heard of Movember? It is a global charitable cause set up to raise funds for prostate cancer, testicular cancer and men's mental health. The idea is that men grow mustaches in the month of November and also try to raise funds for the fight against these men's diseases.  If you have ever had prostate cancer, testicular cancer or mental issues yourself, or, you have a loved one who has, you may be touched by these efforts. My friends in the Kenyan Boys Choir  have been moved to grow mustaches and do their part to  raise funds for the cause.They have set a modest goal of $500 and need your help to make the goal a reality.  Please contribute here if you are able. You can also make anonymous contributions if you prefer. (I believe this beautiful photo below was taken by professional photographer for the Kenyan Boys Choir).

 The members of the Kenyan Boys Choir who are touring in 2015. Only half of them are touring.  The others are in Kenya.

This week I will be busy preparing things for a soon visit to my mom.  As always I will be sewing a few things for her and getting all her food and medicines together and that requires time. I'm also looking forward to a visit from an out of town friend who is making an impromptu trip to the city.  It will be nice to have some time to catch up on all the news. I might also have yet another movie to see in theaters. This one is a Christmas comedy with Diane Keaton, John Goodman and Olivia Wilde. It is an advance screening and I will get double passes for free.

I hope your week is an enjoyable one. Thank you for stopping by. As always I try to make a return visit to you too!

Joining in with Saturday's Critters a little late this week

and

Our World Tuesday


43 comments:

Bob Bushell said...

Beautiful images of the leaves, nicely tanned.

Jan said...

I just posted a really long comment but clicked sign out instead of publish! Saying yes I liked the photo of the maple leaf and I wished I could help with pampers and milk. Please remind me again about this in the future as I can't help right now due to still in a bit of a mess financially due to that period of unemployment. Also I wished you a speedy recovery from your cold. Xxx

Joyful said...

Thank you Bob!

eileeninmd said...

Hello, wonderful post and images. The fall leaves are gorgeous. Your bird maybe be a blackbird, I am not sure. I like the last shot of the Kenyan Boys Choir. Happy Sunday, enjoy your new week ahead!

Joyful said...

I'm sorry you had that problem with the comment Jan. I've had it happen to me once or twice :-( I appreciate your kind comments on the photos and your offer of help. I don't know when you feel you might be able to help but I will likely be posting about this and/or other needs in future.

Joyful said...

Thank you Eileen. I don't know the difference between a blackbird, a crow and raven though I think the only difference between the latter two is size. The bird was rather high up and I didn't get a good enough shot of it. I will look up the details for a black bird. thank you for the good wishes and compliments on the leaves though the photo of the boys choir is taken by a pro, not by me. Have a great weekend. x

Nancy Chan said...

The fall leaves are simply beautiful! I love the maple leaves. Have a beautiful new week!

Hannah said...

Your bird capture in the tree is great. I never seem to be able to focus in on them. The leaves are really bright on the trees there, not so much color where I live. I have read that primitive people do not need diapers because diapers actually teach the baby to ignore body messages about elimination, without diapers (and probably living on dirt floors) the mother and baby learn to look for signs of impending elimination and take care of them. After the baby is trained by diapers to ignore the signs and just relieve themselves at any time, they have to be trained again later to use a potty. I don't know how that translates to the woman with the baby at this point, just something I have thought about. I was born to missionaries in a small village and probably the people there did function without diapers.

Saucy Siciliana said...

Your pictures are always beautiful, it gives us an insight into a far away country which I have never visited. You are doing admirable work Joyful. When I was born we were very poor here in Sicily and my mother used cloth diapers and washed them each time, for me and my brother. I understand what it's like. Do take vitamin C, it's good for immunity. For energy try wheat germ, eat it with oatmeal or cereals. You can put it anywhere actually. Hugs, Joyful, have a nice Sunday!

Linda said...

Your photos are gorgeous! As for colds, I have a suggestion for you, and this is something that works very well for me. Fresh ginger, which I purchase, then peel and grate, and make a tea with it, adding a couple of drops of lemon juice and some honey. Hope you are feeling better soon. :)

KB said...

Love the photos. Hope you feel better soon.

Stephanie said...

Wonderful images! I use those Emergen C's as well.

Ohmydearests said...

the human critter is fabulous! love the maple leaves!

Jeanie said...

What a thoughtful and beautiful post, filled with good news about your Kenyan "family" and such lovely photos. It's a beautiful way to start my day!

mick said...

Great post and lovely photos. The autumn colors over your way are especially beautiful.

NCSue said...

You've caught some great shots.
Hope you'll come link up at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2015/11/basilica-shrine-of-saint-mary.html

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

Did not know about Movember, though we have personal experience in our family with that cancer. Interesting. I am always glad to read about your entertainment and see the beauty of your area because it makes you seem more human! You do so much amazing work and make so many sacrifices for your dear friends in Africa ... I think I would be afraid to comment on your blog if you didn't tell about other parts of your life as well!

Denise said...

such lovely pictures.

Al said...

What a lovely series of tree photos - it's definitely that season!

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

Gorgeous autumn photos! I hope you feel better soon.

Pietro Brosio said...

Very beautiful and informative post.
Many greetings!

Rajesh said...

Wonderful set of images.

Kenneth Cole Schneider said...

So much beauty in autumn images and your words. Your compassion for the disfigured woman and the family is so heartening.

John's Island said...

One of the male nurses at the hospital today had a new beard. I did not know about the November project. I'll bet that's what it was. Always learning something new on Snap That. I enjoyed your fall photos.

Joyful said...

Thank you, Nancy. We share the love of maple leaves :-)

Joyful said...

Thank you for the comment Hannah. I don't take photos of birds high up on trees very often so I was glad to be able to capture some. The trees here are very bright oranges and reds where ever there are some nice maple trees.growing. I also love the golden yellow colours. I guess long ago everyone was primitive. These days there are very few primitive people in the world as I think basically a primitive person is a tribe of people before contact and most peoples have had various forms of outside contact. Now of course many people still live in rural places but are exposed to the things in the developed world. The babies in the area where I am talking about do wear diapers if the funds are available. Though you are right. At one time all people functioned without diapers. I know that a few generations ago, the Aboriginal people here used moss and made moss bags of animal hide to contain the baby and the moss. I'm not sure what the early settlers did.

Joyful said...

Thank you Francesca. I appreciate you sharing about your upbringing. I think many of us did grow up poor though a few were more fortunate to have all the comforts and necessities at all times. It seems those who had more often have a difficult time understanding the needs of those that have less. Not always but often. The Vitamin C I am taking also has B vitamins for the energy so I added that to my post. I do use wheat germ from time to time but since I already use ground flax seeds on my cereal it makes it a tad inconvenient to also add wheat germ. Have a great week!

Joyful said...

Thank you, Linda for the kind words about my photos. I appreciate your suggestion about the ginger tea. Problem is I seldom have ginger available. I buy it but it does tend to shrivel up within a few days so I don't have any on hand when I might want tea. I often do make lemon and honey in hot water though. It is also good for colds.

Joyful said...

Thank you, KB. Late Fall and early Winter months are always hard on me.

Joyful said...

Thank you Stephanie for your kind words. I'm glad to "meet" a fellow fan of Emergen C. I love the fizz.

Joyful said...

Hi jandi! I'm so glad you liked the human critter. I did too and I'm surprised no one else mentioned it, lol. Glad you like the maple leaves which are some of my favs.

Joyful said...

Hi Jeanie, what a nice comment. I'm so glad I made your day. You made mine too :-)

Joyful said...

Mick, your photos are always so lovely that your kind words mean a lot.

Joyful said...

Hi Sue, thank you for dropping by. Sorry I don't link up with your more often. I have good intentions :-)

Joyful said...

Salli I'm glad you learned about Movember. I hope you get a chance to check out the Kenyan Boys Choir page. I'm sorry to heard you are afraid to comment on my blog. Please don't be afraid. Come by any time. We are all human. xx

Joyful said...

Thank you, dear heart ♥

Joyful said...

Thank you for the kind words, Al. It most definitely is that season!

Joyful said...

Thank you for the compliment Pat and thank you for the well wishes for my health!

Joyful said...

Greetings to you too Pietro and Cynthia. I could see some similarities in your Fall foliage and mine.

Joyful said...

Thank you, Rajesh. Have a wonderful week!

Joyful said...

Thank you Kenneth. Your kind words really meant a lot and touched me deeply. ♥

Joyful said...

Hi John's Island, I'm so glad you learn new things when you visit. I'm glad you enjoyed the Fall foliage too.

jabbott said...

Hi Penny, sorry I have missed some of your posts. Im sorry to hear you are not well hope you pick up soon. I enjoyed reading this post and like I always say you do take excellent photos xx

Welcome to My Awesome Day

I took a walk along the waterfront on Wednesday this week.  It was one the best weather days so far since winter began.  Wednesday was the f...