A Strong Team of Women
I’m incredibly blessed by the amount of strong ass women in my life. We are a force that is much greater than any one of us alone. This week has been a tough one and without my dream team I wouldn’t know how I could handle another day.
In Dar es Salaam, Adella did a Usability Study of the microscope at Kairuki Hospital and it worked beautifully. All is well in the design process, but to get these tools to mamas in village we need more funds for additional out of Dar testing.
On the downside, a tenant moved out of the Volunteer House and took much of the Trust’s property with her. We had to spend two days scrambling to replace even the basics on our kitchen. Our new guests have been most kind given the unexpected circumstances. Our trustee, wise woman Sally has been a stronghold of strength and guidance on how cope with the situation in the best possible way.
Here in Mombasa, its been one thing after another. Sabenza has powered through taking care of the house and we are starting sprouting seeds for a garden. A single mother of 6, Sabenza cooks over firewood so we had her son, and a friend gather all the wood from the yard today.
The boys also helped to rebuild and sort out all the trash into a new recycling system. Now that all plastic bags have been outlawed including trash bags we have had to get creative. Here there are no garbage trucks so its 100% self process.
All recyclable plastics become seed trays, planters, pots, and rooting cups. Sabenza and I take cuttings and keep scraps of food to replant. Strong women think about food security.
Opportunity knocks, but trouble just walks in and sits down. That’s precisely what happened Tuesday night when a little kitten with a bad anal prolapse walked into the house. I couldn’t stand to see it die, but couldn’t afford in our budget to help it. Another strong woman named Revi stepped to the plate to help and her furry adorable namesake is alive and well after its operation.
Our wonder women in the US have been working to sell houses, raise bushels of children, and still somehow have time to help with marketing and fundraising.
One of the issues of fundraising is that big organizations give little ones like ours a bad name. I’m thankful for the women who keep me and our work afloat and rowing.
Speaking of wow women, I am so thrilled I was able to help my mother in law get a visit visa to the US to see my brother in law. She has carried so much for so long she deserves a vacation. I mean don’t we all?
As for my work I’ve been learning how to do clinical trials, and preparing a team, to be lead by an unstoppable Canadian woman, so can submit a grant to “gold standard” our tools and make way for FDA standard approvals.
Next week I’m excited that I’ll be able to help teach 3D printing here in Mombasa with a Maker Queen. No matter how topsy turvey the world may be, us strong women stand together. Who knows maybe one a group of softly gray haired women could take over the world. For now, one day at a time.
To learn more about Voices of Africa Foundation or make a donation, visit our website www.voicesofafrica.org.
