First days at Pipeline

When choosing my volunteer programs before coming to Kenya, I chose IPD because I wanted to do something helpful, but also because I thought it would be a break from the depressing side of the HIV/AIDS program, upon arriving in Kenya, all I heard was the opposite, that IDP is the hardest program, because the people have nothing and you have nothing to work with. The IDPs in Kenya were forced from their homes during the post election violence in 2007/2008, many have suffered the loss of loved ones, and most lost everything bar the clothes on their backs.

We arrived in Pipeline IDP camp near Nakuru on a Saturday, and as it was weekend, there wasn’t as much going on, we got a tour of the camp and met some of the key people from camp, as it turns out, while the people from the camp have very little, they do have lots of people, and those people have formed a series of committees which help oversee the running of the camp and create some form of order. I was impressed to see that thre is a structured leadership in the camp, it has also been very helpful to know these people to help get things done.

The enormity of a camp with 4000+ people living in tents was intimidating at first, I was thinking to myself, how can I really help these people. So after meeting with the other volunteers and some of the committee folk, I set about writing a list of projects, or areas which needed attention. Here’s some of what I came up with. HIV Seminar, Children’s Playground, Signs for Water Tanks and Toilets, Camp Communication, Condom Distribution, Emptying the pit toilets, Battery Return program, Tool Hire Program. It’s a lot to work on, but I’m here for a month.

I’m staying in a cute little brick house about a 15 minute walk from the camp, so not very convenient if you forget something, which I do, or if I want to use the bathroom since even know it’s a pit toilet at the house, the smell wafting from the ones in camp is so off putting, I dare not open the door. The house has no running water but I’m happy I have power. There are two cute kids here called Ian and Rayel (Rachel), they are happy and make me smile.