hello from Mombasa!!!

I hope everyone had a lovely easter...mine was spent puking my brains out (amoung other things that shall not be mentioned) in to a bucket. I'm still feeling a little queazy a couple days later, but no worries, all is well. I've started working now and couldn't be more excited about the opportunities. For most internships in the states students get stuck doing the "b**** work" for the office. Here i am getting hands on experience with two different amazing organizations. I went to Likoni Health Clinic on South Coast today to go to my other internship with SOAN (SOciety for Orphans and AIDS Network). I saw the secondary school and farm they are in the process of creating. The helath clinic itself sees over 300 patients a day but is extremely rudimentary. It is also a VCT center (Voluntary Counseling and testing for HIV/AIDS) that works with families who need to be tested or counseled on how to lead productive lives after becoming HIV positive. I met a man, Jacob, who has been HIV positive for 14 years. He now works at the center to educate HIV positive pregnant women on to prevent mother to child transmition. He was truly inspirational. I also met David and volunteer with SOAN. He is an artist and is going to help me work with my other group Hope Maintainers to create artwork out of the garbage they are collection in order to make more funds for their community outreach programs. We are also going to try and compile information about both organizations so we can make them websites in order to get donors and raise more awareness about their causes. I couldn't be happier. I know that the next few weeks are definitly going to be filled with frustrating times, but i really feel like I can make some sort of difference with these organizations. My brain is filled with good ideas, getting them done in 5 weeks is what will be tricky/impossible....I guess I will have to come back!

anywho...gotta head out and do some research for trash crafts.