Thursday 02 June, 2009

Today marked the first day of the dental camp at Illeret. After unloading the crates early in the morning, the team setup the camp by 10:30 am where they saw 40 patients, which included 21 extractions and 16 restorations.

Thursday 01 July, 2009

The dental team is now able to uncross it's fingers as the truck arrives in the late evening today with the crates of supplies. Other than basic dental equipment and supplies, the team has also borught with them toothbrushes, toothpaste and other items to distribute to the local community. Early to bed tonight as everyone saves their energy for an early rise tomorrow to unpack.

Tuesday 30 June, 2009

Early morning the team of dentists and students from Kenya, the US, and Canada arrived at the TBI camp. The day was spent strategizing and charting the way forward on how to run the camp and maximize the services to be provided to the community. Jetlagged and tired, the team recoups to save their energy for setting up camp tomorrow.

Before the team arrived, we were honored to host Marsabit MP, Chachu Ganya, and Councillors from Illeret, Maikona, and North Horr. The group were given a tour of the camp and heard about the research and community work carried out at TBI.

Christopher Kiarie (far left) and Louise Leakey (far right) showing the guests the TBI fossil laboratory

Monday 29 June, 2009

TBI staff and community volunteers went to the local clinic to set up tents and clear up the compund in preparation for the dental team coming from Stony Brook University, in collaboration with the University of Nairobi. More word is spreading slowly about the camp as the community excitedly waits for treatment to begin. The team will consits

This week has been one of learning trial and wonder of the challenges involved in the fight for security, not from the normal raids in Turkana,not from disease but from hunger. As the droughts get worse and the animals we derive our pride from wither away with the drought. We have to put our heads together to discuss the way out of this state of food insecurity, when people lack sustainable physical or economic access to enough safe, nutritious, and socially acceptable food for a healthy and productive life.

Relief food is a form of slavery that does not do much to get any food security, The traditional pastoralists are looking at a new livelihood, we are now looking into the agricultural technologies using little water and especially vegetables that grow fast. The soils are good, some areas little salty but we are working towards some form of solution. Partners in development have tried agriculture with the technologies and have suceeded especially with the vegetables. We want to try that too, though the hard economic times need us to seek some support from all willing partners.

There is some hope to get some food security from traditional pastoralists who have the urge to get a way out of the struggle to feed their families through a means of wait and hope to a means of lets put our heads together, learn to farm and then wait and hope. This time we are not hoping that the relief agencies will remember us, we hope that we can get partners willing to come teach us, learn with us and try with us in this new way of life we want to try. Through support to set up the shallow wells, solar panels and purchase of farm equipments, we will be the agents against a form of slavery, agents against relief. Agents to emancipate us from this slavery that has been and will always be retrogressive.

Monday 22 June, 2009

We just received news today that the Ministry of Education has approved Telesgaye Primary School. This means that the Ministry will henceforth be responsible for provided needed textbooks, supplies, a teacher, food, and other necessary materials. However, the community still has to independently raise funds for the infrastructure of the school such as constructing more classrooms, water tanks, latrines, and teachers quarters.

Meanwhile, the mobile team continued to provide needed immunizations. Twenty six children were immunized. The nurse and CHW also continued to provide needed community education, and antenatal care.

Sunday 21 June, 2009

Through the support of individual donors, Victor Ciardelli and Phillip Sylvester, TBI will carry out a project for distributing long lasting insecticide-treated mosquito nets (LLINs) to  pregnant mothers and children under five in July. Unlike conventional treated nets, LLINs do not require re-treatment and have a longer average lifespan of 3-5 years. Malaria being a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Illeret, we are very grateful for the generosity of the donors and assistance provided by Radbone-Clark, the supplier of the nets.

Saturday 20 June, 2009

We were delighted this afternoon to receive more doses of vaccinations from the Ministry of Health. Unfortunately the vaccines came in in the late afternoon after closing the clinic in Ilgele where almost 20 children were not given immunizations. Ilgele was very busy today as the team camped near the local well where many were easily able to congregate. We returned to the area after many locals were absent last week having gone to seek relief food.

Friday 19 June, 2009

Neither. Illeret residents continue to dig garbage pits to obtain footballs and get registered for the community-wide football tournament. Policemen and Officers from the General Service Unit (pictured below) played their part today and are due to compete as the St. Michael's Team. The footballs are part of the supplies donated by Edie Brickell late last year that have been used as incentives for various community projects geared towards youth.

St. Michael's Team proudly showing off their well-earned ball (above)

A student team at Illeret Primary School gleam over their new ball

Illeret was not only abuzz from footballs. TBI was finally able to fit shelving at the Illeret Sub-Health Centre to build its capacity of storing drugs. The nurse at the centre has been assisting Beatrice with provision of some missing supplies and drugs for the TBI mobile clinic. This project marks a step towards more collaboration with the facility in the future.

Thursday 17 June, 2009

Led by games teacher, Joshua Laur, local students at Illeret Primary school worked enthusiastically to dig pits and collect garbage around Illeret town following Sunday’s announcement on the second phase of the clean-up campaign. This phase of the campaign has group, rather than individual, incentives. It includes team building activities where teams play football matches against each other while carrying out clean-ups throughout the tournament period.

Games teacher, Joshua Laur, handing out gloves for clean-up

A team of students (the Surge Unbwoggables) collecting garbage to fill their respective pit