visit of the first project
Having spent about 1 1 / 2 weeks in the 'Base', me a little basic knowledge of general and international politics, the legal system Africa as well as specialized background knowledge of the different programs and projects of ICROSS had acquired, I visited for a few days the project in Kisii.
We entered on 22/08/2007 early in the morning to drive our trip to Kisii. The trip took about 6 hours - on roads littered with potholes. The enormous traffic, the bumpy ride on rough roads, the made jerky driving and yet sometimes very aggressive driving style of some motorists me at first quite a bit nervous and I was hoping that I am not too ill or uncomfortable would become mute, but after a while I was finally used to it and saw the whole trip much more relaxed ... :-)
Just before our destination, the Kisii town, but unfortunately we had a flat tire. Since this is due to the poor and de Infrarstruktur
n inadequately maintained roads in Kenya is not unusual, therefore, each driver will fortunately always a spare tire with it, so we stopped at the roadside, to switch immediately to 
the tire. Surprisingly, immediately rushed some helpful residents of the area and helped bring us to change the tire. It is questionable whether we would have found this helpfulness in a car accident in another country also ... The first thing Ed, a ICROSS staff and drivers, our provided with a breakdown cars, with a broad grin on his face told us that after the flat tire a few moments had seen were only the words: "Welcome to Kenya !
met after this little incident, we, though a little later than planned, but still intact, in Kisii one ...
achieved against 17 we clock our first goal in Kisii, the Office of ICROSS , which directly adjacent to the hospital in Kisii - between ICROSS and the clinic is close cooperation on the basis of continuous cooperation and permanent dialogue.
The office in Kisii is one of the sites of ICROSS, which is only two years old and therefore still relatively "young". The small Geba
building consists of an office with three desks and two computers and a side room ("Drugstore"), in which all drugs, vaccines, nutritional supplements and other utensils are kept and stored safely. is in the actual office space sic
h a billboard with countless photos. Each photo and the people have the photos to tell their own story and are associated with ICROSS as an organization itself, its projects or different from ICROSS planned and implemented programs and activities. The programs and activities in Kisii are numerous and cover a very wide remit, so we will only provide a brief overview of the main areas and major tasks be given:
- HIV / AIDS prevention and HIV reduction
- performing tests (health care)
- voluntary counseling and provision of information on different disease areas, but also to strengthen the position of women and children
- support and help for AIDS orphans and vulnerable children "through various programs and services in the areas of education, awareness training, promotion , reintegration, as well as providing food and psychological care
- Home care and support
- TB and malaria prevention
- TB and malaria control
- developing strategies and implementing projects to combat TB and malaria
- prevention and control the range of other infectious diseases, such as sexually transmitted diseases
- implementation of vaccination
- provision of drugs
- assistance for patients in clinic visits
- Special health care for mother and child
- programs to strengthen the role of women, women's rights and child rights
- family planning programs and consulting
- nutrition counseling, and provision of food, dietary supplements and construction preparations
- creation and promotion of "support groups "," women groups and training of "Community Health Workers"
This list could be supplemented with many points and each of the categories were expanded again by several sub-points, but the list is here only a rough overview of the activities and would give, listed exhaustively, rich at this point too far. It should be noted, however, even that ICROSS in various areas of responsibility with the Global Fund works and promoted by him and supported so as a result, individual tasks are carried out in the first place.
The put the main characters of the team in Kissi is composed of:
- Habeseeba - it is the project manager, director and bookkeeper in Kisii, the top of the image in the "drugstore" to see
- Malloy - he is the "field coordinator, "that is, above all, he coordinates the home visits of patients and takes care of all their needs and Issues in close cooperation with the CHWs (Community Health Workers), whose work is described in more detail later
- Nicolas - full-time volunteers and volunteers
regularly hold, the three team members consult and advise each other in all areas, the patients provide the best possible way and make the programs more successful. They are also working closely with the CHWs, the "women groups" and "support groups" together. The essential meaning of these methods is proved by elementary already achieved, and particularly demonstrable successes in all areas of responsibility: the lives of countless people has been through all Projects and activities improved enormously.
Nevertheless, there nevertheless some problems and challenges concerning the project in Kisii, and which make it difficult to work partially:
First, not enough money available for programs and projects. This fact complicates the successful work and the programs do not reach nearly as many people as it would be possible with more extensive financial resources. Moreover, the needs of patients are numerous, the available resources are often limited, however, so that the suffering of people often can not be met adequately. Especially in cases in which patients suffer from a weak immune system due to illness, are the needs and requirements of many and the proportion of those who will not meet many.
General problems in meeting the costs exist especially in the management and transport costs. These must regrettably be covered by too much money that could be used alternatively for the projects. As a result, the cost of the administrative area is now reduced and also strictly differentiated from the means for the projects and programs in order to open up additional funds for the actual tasks, and make a clear separation of accounts and be able to demonstrate.
Secondly, represents the next financial problems, the communication between the office in Kisii and the main office of ICROSS near Nairobi, an additional and fundamental difficulty, but allow you to maintain a constant coordination and cooperation, must be overcome. This deficit could be setting up an Internet connection or a landline phone in the office in Kisii drastically reduced in the future and to facilitate cooperation with the main office much, but what first must return additional funds to be applied.
Furthermore, the motivation to train as a "Community Health Worker (CHW) to work and very low, due to the fact that the work is done free of charge or the salary is minimal and not sufficient to live. Thus, the successor to the much-needed CHW is in acute danger.
These difficulties and challenges of ICROSS addressed continuously, to secure the lasting success of ICROSS projects and improve. Unfortunately, this is more due to the above described already scarce resources are often lengthy and it takes time until significant progress is visible. But even small improvements can be partly reflected as a great success, to get the projects maintain or expand so that more people helped can be.
within all activities and programs ICROSS the team on a very close cooperation with the various communities is reliant in order to ensure a successful implementation. Most projects therefore be supported by individual members of the community and many local staff from the respective communities themselves, this is to create particularly important for reconnaissance work to create public awareness and to strengthen continuing leader or to identify problems and vulnerable families identify support as quickly as possible and to be able to.
is therefore precisely the work of the community Health Workers "as important and indispensable. They work mostly volunteers and received special training from ICROSS in several areas in order to fulfill this challenging work responsibly can. Its main tasks are in addition to the previously mentioned areas, as well as care and home visits of patients , the transmitting of medications and nutritional supplements, but also advice, information campaigns and support warranty on all fields. They accompany patients also for hospital visits and help them in filling out paperwork or they bridge transportation difficulties.
Theresa is one of the CHW, I have met by chance during my visit to Kisii. I especially admired the way she treats patients and how quickly it manages the trust of individual patients to gain for themselves. This to me is another important object of the CHWs led in mind: since the CHWs usually come from the same communities from which originate the patients, they form an important bridge between both organizations and patients and between doctors and patients. Because patients trust them and can therefore entrust them much better than strangers. It is not easy to build trust in people when you are ill and every day with so many problems to has suffered, as some of the patients ICROSS.
After Theresa chance to visit on our way several patients had taken, they immediately offered to accompany us in order to establish familiarity with the patients and the visits to make much easier for us. We went then out together on the land and into the small remote villages to visit some patients being cared for by ICROSS under different projects and programs:
Carren
Carren Nyanjara Ratemo is 31 years old and has two lovely and lively children, Jared and Nomanyi to which she is very proud. She lives with her two children with her grandparents after her husband has separated from her in 2006. Her husband visited even today neither the family nor does he any support for them and he also knew that he himself was ill, but never shared it Carren. In June 2006, after the little Nomanyi was born in the hospital, Carren discovered that she is HIV positive, and in July this year, she was told that she is also suffering from TB. 
your life changed then, not only in terms of separation from her husband, but also in their further living with the diseases.
The parallel disease of HIV and TB, Carren is suffering from many symptoms. She often feels tired, ill and depressed, which is associated with constant cough and fever, partial seizures. It has also lost a "lot of weight." However, it may be mentioned positively, that all symptoms have reduced and the health and well-being of Carren improved considerably since she is looked after by ICROSS and supplied with drugs, multivitamin solutions and dietary supplements. She has gained weight again and the fever attacks have decreased markedly. Also constant cough decreased. She will also visit with the support of ICROSS and Theresa end of August 2007, the next time a clinic in Ibacho able to undertake further studies that will hopefully lead to new more promising results.
Still plagued Carren other everyday concerns and needs of which they told us: Because of their illness is often weak and not able to earn enough money to all the needs of both 
children, such as adequate food, clothing, school fees and school uniforms to meet. They usually sell bananas, tomatoes and avocados on roadsides or in markets, but currently lacks the means to, they can shop at the time no fruit and vegetables to make it profitable then to sell. Separated from their husband does not receive any support from the grandparents and also, regrettably, very little, for as the family itself anyway scarce resources available, they can provide them not much to help his children and grandchildren ..
The grandmother, Jaya Nyanchera Ratemo is 57 years old and himself suffering from TB. But they will be stopped the medication has to take after the symptoms had improved. At present, the symptoms worsened, however, again, and it is now no more money available to buy new drugs.
The grandfather, Zebedeo Onyisi Ratemo has a drinking problem under the Carren and their children often suffer because of some aggressive behavior have. In his case, the first signs of TB can see how constant cough, fever, seizures and persistent sweating.
After ICROSS team members finally, the grandparents have detailed advice, they decided the grandparents as support for further investigations in the clinic in Ibacho and thus for the whole family care.
It is vital the whole family of individual patients in the briefings and discussions with involved and monitor its health as well, to immediately as a result of the first signs of specific diseases using to be able to afford. Additionally, all family members know to deal with diseases of the patients and to provide best possible help, support and, where appropriate care may reduce the risk of infection and disease.
ICROSS The team was able to help improve their health Carren significantly and regain strength and energy to provide for their children and enjoy their lives more can. The small Nomanyi has now also been tested for HIV twice and both results were negative, giving the family new hope, a lot of strength and hope.
to leave us laughing Carren wholeheartedly invited us to her again to visit and gave Abbie and me an avocado - then I missed actually, the words and I had both of these gestures, and by this warmth and joy of life which, in spite of all problems has under which they suffer broadcast, completely overwhelmed! 
(from left to right: Abbie, Chris, Carren, Theresa, grandmother, grandfather)
Carren, is one of the people who influenced my thinking and attitudes of many everyday things and habits long term and changed ... !
We all times should ask in what kind of society we live in ...
- the 6 richest people in the world earn more than 600 million poor people.
- the 300 richest people in the world deserve more of the total wealth of the earth than half of humanity together.
- live more than 800 million people around the world in constant hunger.
- was thrown away over 1 million tons of food last year in Europe.
Then you meet such wonderful people as Carren and her charming children, who are among those under these injustices that prevail on our earth and in our society, have suffered most. They are the people who inspire you the most and touch your heart, but you run the same reality in mind ...!
We in Europe and in the "western world" we should perhaps even the often worry about what is really important in life to be happy and what really counts in life! We get to live in a society that pretends we can never have enough and always produces new needs, the gratification we all too happy to investigate.
What is really important to be happy? What are the things that we can not do without and what is really essential? They are our family, our friends and many little things that are dear to our hearts and in contrast this, it is certainly not the latest DVD player or the recently released flat screen in the high-tech version ...!
This is me a another quote from one of the books by Dr. Michael Meegan: "Perhaps we need to think more about what we do not need, or as Mother Teresa said, learn the meaning of 'enough'!"
The support groups
addition to the individual patient, the IRCOSS care, promotes and supports ICROSS include also the so-called "support groups" (self-help groups). I got the chance one of the "support groups" that are created by using ICROSS was able to get to know in Kisii. This "support group" consists of a group of several women. All these women are suffering from HIV / AIDS and are looked after as patients ICROSS. Within this group, they have found a way to help each other to support and keep together. They try a hand in community work to earn some money to the other, they offer next to any discussions that promote awareness and try to create public awareness for various issues within various areas in which ICROSS also is active with programs and projects to create.
The group of women, I take the was allowed and that I could spend some time was wonderful! They were cheerful, open-hearted and laughed and sang together during the entire time. They were sitting outside the office with her sewing machine and sewed ICROSS various things, like skirts, pillows or curtains to sell to them then. When some of them tragic and distressing to me, however, their stories told, I admired her zest for life still a lot more than before ...
All these women are suffering not only from HIV, but many of them also have their husbands, children and families separated, have barely enough money to buy sufficient food, and often suffer from the symptoms of their illness including permanent in some cases very severe pain. However, you realize none of these women, their suffering especially, yet complains that one of them about their lives or their fate! On the contrary - they enjoy their lives and the time you have left now ... 
One of the women said to me. "You know, the pain is only there when one thinks it If one imagines they do not exist, then they are not as thou must, not only in the. let your head! "
On this day I have again learned a lot about the attitude toward life and the meaning of life!
Straight in Germany, many people complain over and over again about their suffering "bleat" and this and that are also known to me some of these people ... I think you should lead or other just how good it really is and the what appears ordinary for us, in other countries may be a luxury. I for one would, I think in the future, whether it really makes sense to stay in order to complain about things that are not klagenswert and it might not bring much more joy in trying the positive from even the most hopeless situation extract and replaced by vitality and energy. And that, I think we should all do together and I hope that this small extract from my experience illustrates the reality and has one or two to think about moving ...
