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I have been so very busy and just don't get enough time to get to the Cyber Cafe to write to you but I am thinking of you all. The work days can be quite long here and its not wise to stay out after dark alone.

The Aids Seminar I was telling you about was very interesting - it was attended by around 30 of the HIV positive clients who attend our clinic - they all came to learn about "Developing a positive attitude to their disease." The seminar was held in a circus like tent at a Retreat Centre about a 3/4 of an hour's drive out of Nairobi. I myself learnt a lot about the difficulties these people face with the fear and stigma that surrounds their illness. They told their personal stories and many talked about how their families see them as a burden (because they are unclean or cursed or whatever!) and they are an embarrassment to them - many suffer not only verbal abuse from their family but also violence as well.

I continue to love the work here and have extended my stay a little. The four people that conduct the clinics we attend are just wonderful and caring people to work with and we have a lot of laughs and adventures and it seems that no two days are the same.

The visits in the field to the client's homes are so interesting and sometimes very sad. What they call their home we would call an old tin shed with a dirt floor that we would probably house some of our chickens or other animals, but they do their best and try to keep them clean but this is an almost impossible task for most of them. These encounters warm my heart as these people, some of them so sick, greet us with outstretched hands and smiles. Just visited an old woman who stopped taking her medication (she had very bad mouth thrush as well) because she thought she would fall down on the ground - some have a real fear of taking drugs. She was such a dear old thing. Along the way in Sr. Veronica's community car, I witnessed so many people standing in lines in the hot sun with their empty 20 litre water cans, waiting to buy water. They would walk a long way in the morning to where the water is pumped, stand in the hot sun for a good part of the day to fill their cans, then walk home again with the water strapped to their backs!!!!!!!

I will give you a case history of a typical client that this clinic has been taking care of (the Clinic has funding for 3 years and this is their second year). "Stella" a 32 year old with l daughter (who lives with her sister in a rural area). I first met Stella on Tuesday morning 23rd May when we went to her home to ssess her condition. We found her curled up in filthy conditions, with flies and insects buzzing around her. She weighed around 20 kgs "dripping wet" - i have never seen a body so wasted like this before! George, our senior nurse assessed her (we don't have a doctor) and a plan was put together for her continuing care - she is a woman the clinic have been treating since last year who was on ARVs but stopped taking the drugs. She had also developed TB for a second time. The following day I went with Sophine the counselor, armed with long rubber gloves, plastic sheet for her bed and lots of cleaning items for her, and her clothes. It seemed that even her thigh might snap and break in your hands. Stella became close to my heart during these visits, we tried our best to get her to eat and drink but to no avail. She died on Thursday evening 1st June, and I was given this news the following morning when we arrived at the clinic ready for our morning visit to her.

There have been many many cases like this - some Sr. Veronica hears of too late and she goes to the home to take the patient to the hospital, and they die in her car on the way, so instead it then becomes a journey to the Mortuary. She had three patients die in her car in as many days.

The work these people do is so admirable - they go where others dare to tread, and give these dying people some hope, a safe environment, and so much love and care. There is also quite a strong support group of women who have been living well with their own illness for years who go around and help bath and feed these very sick clients.

On a much lighter note I have been fortunate enough to see a lot of Kenya on my weekends off - we visited Mt Kenya where we stayed overnight - very lovely rainforest here! Another weekend I went on a 4 day Safari with 14 other volunteers - we left on the Friday morning and came back late Monday. It was soooooooo good!! I would love to go again :) We travelled through the Masai Mara land to see the big "5" - elephants, buffalo, lion, hippos). The leopard was the elusive one that we didn't get to see as they are mostly nocturnal and is usually found in the tops of the trees (very hard to see) - we saw so many more different animals in the wild including cougars, giraffes, gazelles, and many beautiful birds. So exciting the whole trip!!

There was a major drama on the Saturday night when one of our tents was attacked by a thief who came with a knife and slashed the back of the tent and stole one of the girl's handbags. She basically awoke as it was happening and started screaming - the whole camp erupted of course, everyone was out of their tents in a flash, the local police were called - we were all wide awake for a few hours until things started to calm down and we were packed off to our beds again (with guards standing by!). We were a bit bleary eyed a few hours later when we had to arise for a 6.30am start to see the lions and the hippos. Another part of this adventure was visiting Lake Nekru where there is over a million pink flamingoes on the lake - it is the most stunning spectacle I have ever witnessed!! - we travelled to a high lookout point where the view was breathtaking!!

Whilst we travelled the very bumpy roads of Kenya during these 4 days, I was amazed to see small children 5 and 6 years old tending to the herds of goats etc, and also carrying water containers on their little backs. Some of them are lucky enough to go to school Mon-Fri, but then on the weekends they are expected to help with the chores of the land, often with very little food.

No need to worry about the money we fundraised going to a worthy place - just about everyone is hungry here. I have chatted to Irene our supervisor with GVN and also Sr Veronica as to where the money can be best spent. There are so many projects - a water tank to help with water shortage, food and beds for an orphanage where little ones have no food, and there is 12 of them to a single bed - more food to hand out at our clinics to clients who have not eaten for 3 days, and so on, the list is long and the money is well received.

Back to some of the lighter stuff, some of these African men are very deeeeeeeeeelicious!! Have fallen in love around 25 times - I had 2 marriage proposals in the first 10 days or so (Not bad heh!). One wants me to stay here in Kenya with him, the other wants to come back to Australia with me!! And Kimmie, your mum will be pleased as I have a couple of marriage prospects for you - hope she doesn't mind that they are African and not Vietnamese hehehehe!! One is Charlie, 31 yrs old, very cute, lovely smile - and then there is Lincoln, 27 yrs, and possibly even cuter smile!!

Anyway dear friends back home, have to go as its getting dark and don't want to spook myself on the way home. Thank you so much for keeping in touch - it's so nice to hear from you.

Love and Hugs

A day in the life of Annie in Kenya (26th June 2006)

Hi everyone,

Time for some more news whilst I have a little spare time - Hope you are all well and things are going well back there.

I will give you an account of "a day in the life of Annie in Kenya" where I had the pleasure of of seeing how a public hospital ward functions here - this was at the Mbgathi District Hospital. I was helping a young woman care for her very ill elder sister (Rose) at home, when Sr Veronica decided that she should be taken to hospital. I went alone with Sister and Francis (the brother who arrived just in time to help us on his day off) I sat in the front as Sr drove like a woman possessed (i am sure that she feared that this would be another patient who might die in her car). When we arrived there was much time wasted as Sr tried to "negotiate" Rose's admission. We drove back and forth around the campus as she was directed here, there and everywhere - meanwhile Rose lay moaning on her brother's lap in the back seat of the vehicle. Finally, we were allowed to bring Rose into the "Casualty" section, which seemed to be only 3 or 4 very small rooms. Francis and I between us carried her from the car into a tiny room (no barouche, no orderlies). As we placed her on the bed, it appeared that she had stopped breathing, but fortunately, this was not the case!! She was given some treatment there and then which included extracting urine straight from the bladder with syringes as she was screaming in pain - one of the staff went to find a catheter, but nothing appropriate could be found. We were finally given the OK for her to go to the Ward which of course meant that Francis and I were called upon to get her there. I couldn't believe it when a wheelchair appeared and we were expected to place her in it and take her to the Ward. There was no alternative - this poor dying woman who couldn't sit up was placed in this wheelchair- we were as careful as we could possibly be (i supported her head all the way) and of course the ward was on the other side of the hospital wasn't it, and we had to journey along some very bumpy pathways full of rocks! I was sure that she would die in this chair - A NIGHTMARE!!

We arrived at the ward (for HIV and TB patients) and wheeled her to the bed - as I was pondering how they would transfer her to the bed, a man appeared (heavily disguised as an orderly) and yanked her by the feet out of the chair while her brother desperately clung to her upper body (believe me I am not exaggerating any of this). I think I screamed as I dived across the bed and tried to cushion her fall as this (maybe he was the gardener??!!) orderly?? person tossed her onto the bed like a sack of potatoes. I was horrified!! As poor Rose lay gasping for what i was positive would be her last breath, a doctor appeared and shoved an injection into her arm. I can't begin to describe the conditions of the ward, but picture cold, stone wards with windows and door open wide (also at night so the patients got very cold) - rusty, dirty iron beds (no mechanics of course), with dirty and bloody bed linen, no partitioning of any kind - later in the evening, a woman just popped out of bed and urinated into a plastic dish next to her bed. There was dirt and blood everywhere on the floor. I could see that the patient's families washed them - this must have been a "private" ward (haha) as each patient had their own bed. There is often 2 to a bed and 3 when needed.

There seemed to be only one nurse who covered many wards - she disappeared and I was left to assist the doctor to insert an IV line into Rose's hand- this was very difficult as she was tossing about (God only knows where she got the strength).

As Rose grew weaker the following day, she was given oxygen from what appeared to be a faulty unit - she died that evening around 10.00pm - i'm sure a blessing to her!!

Although daily life here continues to amaze, appall and humble me all at once, I have really and truly settled in and it almost feels like I have a new home. But I have to return to Australia this week and so will be seeing you all the following week - this seems very weird at the moment! You will probably have to "feed" ME when I return as I will be broke as i keep giving my money away - I can't bear to see the small children go hungry and listen to the mother's tales as they tell that they have been out since 7.00 am in the morning (and its now 1.00 pm) walking the streets to look for work so that they might have food on the table when the children come home from school for lunch - so often these small ones walk such long distances (and I mean LONG) in the hot sun, only to find there is no food, and they have to return to school with empty stomachs - so sad.

On a lighter note, Belinda had her birthday this week - thought I would spoil her as I think she was a little homesick for her family. Bought her flowers and ordered a birthday cake - Nothing is simple here! I just wanted to pick her cake up before work and then go on to the Clinic, thought this would take only an extra half hour, but it took 2 and half hours!! There is never any hurry here! It will be hard to fit back into the fast pace of life back there in Australia!! Also bought her a book on the Masaai people whom she has a great interest in - I haven't had as much time to spend with this tribe as she has of course, but they are really fascinating! Anyway, we really had a great day and the people in the Clinic really enjoyed it!!

I continue to meet people who inspire me and generally there is a positive energy in the community at large - one of the volunteer's has been doing an amateur documentary, and one of the questions he asked of the locals has been - If you could have one thing in the whole world, what would it be?? The general response has been - a job - work - or a LOAN to have a better business (those who are lucky enough to already have some income). They generally don't like to sit around doing nothing, so instead they will try and get some bananas from the market and then go sell them on the street, or whatever little thing they can do to contribute.

I have to sign off now and I look forward to seeing you all again soon, although I am going to be so sad in a few days when it is time to leave this wonderful place - I now know why people come here and fall in love with this beautiful country and decide to stay.

Stay well and happy
Love and hugs
Annie XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Second time round in Kenya!! (October 13th 2006)

Jambo everyone!

How are you all? and how are things back home?

Sorry I haven't written sooner, but its been very busy here and I have hardly been near a Cyber Cafe (even though I have one close to home). Kenya is absolutely wonderful second time around and I love being back in the slums of Dagoretti - amongst the open sewerage, the rubbish dumps and tiny broken down "shops" that align the pathways, the beautiful children, the songs, the dancing, the smells, the colour and of course the people, the amazingly strong African people. There is so much suffering that I encounter here on a daily basis - the struggle of the people who are constantly fighting for survival amongst the general corruption of the Kenyan government and their lack of interest in the people in the community brings tears to my eyes at times - but the people of Kenya are so courageous and strong and truly inspirational!!

I arrived on the Sunday 2-1/2 weeks ago and went straight to work at the clinics of AMKA Project on the Monday - I received a beautiful "homecoming" from everyone - they were so happy to see me and there were tears of joy!! I have so many warm friends here now and they all joke that I am now a Kenyan myself - and am mostly called the "African/Australian" woman.

I am staying with the same host Alice who is continuing her studies for an accounting degree. She has moved house since my last trip just around the corner - it's a lot smaller but very comfortable. The shower is dodgy (have had several cold ones!) but at least we have a shower and running water. Alice has also come up in the world - she has purchased a bar fridge since my last trip, and also a toaster, so I am in a really modern home now :) Alice is a treasure to live with - very warm and so selfless. On a couple of occasions recently, we have had 6 volunteers in our 2 bedroom house and Alice has slept on the floor to accommodate everyone!! Virginia (our house help) sleeps on the lounge every night.

It's a privilege to be working with the people of AMKA project once again and its the work within the community that I really love - and still no two days are alike!! - there have been many sick clients who have not made it, but there are also many who because they have found these caring people at the clinics, are now gaining strength and finding a new health and happiness. Of course there are times where help cannot be given (or taken) to some of these HIV sufferers because of ignorance or discrimination and fear.

Recently we had a patient "Rose" who had been very ill and we received news that she had gone totally blind during the weekend. Of course our clinic wanted to intervene and get her to hospital, but the family came from the country and took her home. The reality here is that she will probably die alone in pain and dirt - so sad, but unfortunately this happens a lot and the workers in the clinic are powerless to help in these situations.

On my second day back (Tuesday) we received news of a very sick young (18 year old) woman, Matrin, who after being assessed by the clinic had to be rushed to the hospital. We carried her to the car Matrin was struggling to breathe as she half sat, half laid in the back seat - As we were about to drive off, I was handed a small grubby bundle which turned out to be her 3 month old girl - this tiny baby who looked like a newborn, lay lifeless in my arms all the way. We arrived at the hospital which was "overflowing" and although we had a seriously ill patient we still had to queue and pay 100 kshs to get a "pink card". Then we had to jostle with others to get thru a door to see the doctor - all this took quite some time as Matrin sat in the chair struggling to breath!! She was given a chest x-ray that confirmed TB, and the doctor commented that she had been sick for a long time. The baby was diagnosed with "severe failure to thrive". We left the brother-in-law with Matrin to wait for medication and to be admitted to the ward whilst we drove her sister and the tiny infant home. It was disappointing and sad to say the least, when we returned the following day to find she was sharing the bed with a very dirty woman who lay curled in the foetal position. Most of the beds in this ward had two patients in each!! These wards seem to me to be worse than last time I was here but its probably because I am able to take more notice - the resources are non existent! The beds are so filthy and bloody in places and the sheets are just bits of rag on a lot of them!! Anyway, we have taken this tiny baby, Constance, under our wing and of course I have fallen in love with her - she's so beautiful!! Happy to report that she is getting stronger each day (have used some of our fundraising money for Formula milk as advised by the doctor and nutritionist at the hospital).

On my third day here, the matatu (small bus) I was travelling to work in with another volunteer, was involved in an accident where a young man on a bicycle collided with the front of our vehicle!! He hit the windscreen with such a thud I thought we had killed him!! Fortunately this was not the case and he was actually able to stand. Lillian and I jumped out and tried to help him as a big crowd started gathering around - the driver of our car started to hassle him to pay for the broken windscreen (do you believe it?!!) - and whilst all this was going on, someone stole Lillian's mobile phone out of her bag! This place is not called "Nairobbery" for the fun of it!!!

We visited a lady this particular day also who had been seriously hurt when a vehicle hit her and she spent some months in the hospital - on her return to her home which was a tiny tin shed, she found that all of her possessions had been stolen by her "friend". George, our nurse, found her lying on the dirt (the clinic immediately bought her a mattress to lie on) - this woman has a severe leg trauma and cannot walk, but she still managed the most amazing smile when we visited her.

Oops the time has slipped away, and I have to go to work now but will continue this email later in the weekend. Hope you are all well and happy - please keep in touch as I would love to hear what's happening back there.

Love and hugs to all,

Annie XXXXXXXXX

2nd installment from Kenya (October 15th 2006)

Hi everyone,

Continuing on from Friday's email - hope you are all having a lovely weekend. How's the weather there? It's been mostly sunny (mid 20s) here, but last week we did have a couple of cooler days where I actually had to wear a jacket! - the sun during the day though has quite a bite and I try to remember to take my hat as one day the top of my head got quite "pink"!

This weekend I'm relaxing in town and catching up on some chores, spending time with a friend etc. My first weekend I spent with Irene (VICDA Coordinator). She and I have become very close and I love spending time with her (she is Alice's sister). We journeyed to Kiserian which is about an hour's drive south of Nairobi through the Ngong Hills - we visited (and stayed overnight) at "Olooloitikoshi Orphanage" which is a relatively new project where Irene places volunteers. She had told me earlier about this place and what a great job they were doing with the kids - she had also related a tragic story about a little 8 year old who had been badly treated by his mother and is unable to walk.

We stopped along the way to buy food for them, rice, flour, sugar, maize. Lauro tell your mum I used the money she gave me :) :) The cost was just over $50 Australian dollars and Irene tells me will last the kids for around 3 weeks!! Great heh!! The orphanage is owned and run by a very beautiful, warm, generous and incredibly kind local woman "Agnes" who greeted me with the biggest hug ever (like I'd known her all my life!). Her husband died at the beginning of the year, and she now funds this small establishment (only 13 children at the moment, most of whom have lost both their parents to Aids). The orphanage is on her own land (separate from the house) and is for Maasai children - she hopes to build the number of orphaned children to 50 over the coming months. All of the children are beautiful and came in a line with their heads bowed to me to be greeted - the Maasai custom is to touch the top of the head with your hand, rather than a handshake. As I sat having a "chai" with Agnes and her Maasai Coordinator, Philip, I was told the sad story of "Jenga", the eight year old and his 2 brothers who have now been living at the orphanage for 1 year. Jenga was beaten (the mother is an alcoholic and drug addict) and tied up in a sack and thrown down a hill - the other two boys were just left alone in the house it is thought for about a week. Neighbours alerted the police and the boys were rescued and brought to the orphanage - Jenga was in a terrible state - ants had bitten his body and his head was badly infected. He cannot walk (can stand for a short time if supported) and only speaks a few words. I so fell in love with this little boy - he is absolutely delightful and it is a credit to Agnes and her staff that they have loved these little boys back to life and have created such a peaceful sanctuary for them all! Jenga's two little brothers are Kanini (4 yrs) and Maturi is 2 yrs. Irene wants to "kidnap" little Maturi as he too is a delight!!! :) :)

We had a lovely evening listening to the children's singing - next morning I rose early and went to explore outside hoping to come across a giraffe or two - Maasai natives live right next door to Alice's (they seem to be part of her establishment as well) - too early for giraffes, but as I walked around the corner of the house I was just in time to see one of the warriors pick up a goat from a herd of many and slit it's throat!! "Oh Thanks guys!- and a good morning to you, now I really feel like breakfast!" NOT!!!

I spent my second weekend with a friend staying overnight at Lake Naivasha, which is a tranquil and beautiful lake nearly 2 hours drive south of Nairobi - it is full of beautiful birds and wildlife including hippos!!

The work at the clinics Monday - Friday can be very confronting and tiring, and so I am very grateful for these little escapades on the weekends - they are a welcome interlude!!

Anyway, will have to stop here - will send more news later in the week.

Love and blessings to you all - please keep safe, well and happy,

Annie xxxxxx

3rd Instalment from Kenya (8th November 2006)

Hey everyone!

I hope you are all well and happy - I know I'm way overdue with an update from Kenya but as usual it's been very hectic here - I'm still enjoying the work very much and have again had to add some extra time to finish an assignment so will not be returning until the 14th Nov. The diversity of daily events continues so the question of the day is what to share first! The story of the "blue baby" who was basically delivered by the cleaner in Ushirika Clinic but later saved by a nurse from Australia and a Cardiologist doctor from UK; our young trainee social worker being held up at gunpoint on the way to the clinic at 8.30 am; being caught up in the city riots of Nairobi; dead bodies galore on the way to work! - one was found dead lying on the railway track, another was a tramp lying on the side of the footpath whom was thought to be sleeping but on closer examination was found to have been bashed to death, or the young "thief" whose body we came across a few days ago - he was bashed to death by the owner of the house he was trying to enter, etc. etc.

I'll start with the "blue" baby - this happened on Wednesday 25th October. I, and a few other volunteer friends, gathered after work at one of the few coffee houses around to "debrief". We find these sharing sessions are very useful and this day's particularly so as we had all experienced one of our more "challenging" days at work in the slums of Kenya. Emma (nurse from Australia) and Caroline (cardiology medico from the UK) both working at Ushirika Clinic in Kibera, told us their distressing tale where a doctor had asked Emma to check on a woman who had been left unattended on the "birthing table" for quite some time. She entered the room to find the cleaner holding the baby which she was told just "shot out" and was turning blue.

Emma called for Caroline as she started to try and resuscitate the baby with absolutely no resources at all! They don't even have oxygen at this Clinic/Maternity Hosp, and there are many babies delivered at this clinic! - the girls managed to somehow revive the baby, but realised that she was in real trouble and they made a decision to take her to hospital - they phoned a taxi which rushed them to Kenyatta Public hospital (they were continuing resuscitation all the way). On arrival they were desperately trying to find urgent medical attention in the "emergency" department when a woman tried to get out of her bed to urinate - she fell and broke her leg as she was having some kind of fit!! The one and only doctor around rushed to her aid, but Emma and Caroline were screaming "Hello! we have a "blue" baby here - can you help her first?" They were told to go to the "Neo-natal" Department which was up 3 flights of stairs which they had to bound with the baby in their arms and screaming for people to get out of the way! The baby was finally settled in this department - again barely any resources but they did have oxygen!! Emma related to us that although this unfolding drama was very traumatic, she wouldn't have missed it for anything and to be of use in a situation like this was the reason she was in Africa!!- the reality is that without the quick thinking and actions of two "volunteers" from abroad this baby would have surely died - I am reminded on a daily basis of how blessed we are back home to live in a country that has such good medical care! And free!!

This time around I am experiencing a lot of the violence of Nairobi which seemed to have escaped me earlier in the year. Millicent, our young trainee social worker came to Gatina Clinic recently all shaken up as the matatu she had travelled in to work at 8.30 am was hijacked by three thugs, at least one of whom had a pistol. My housemate Tessa from UK who is also working in an orphanage in Kibera came to work one morning to find a large group of locals had gathered - no less than 3 bodies were found murdered not too far from her orphanage. The tramp that was supposedly sleeping, but had his head bashed in was discovered along our road where we live in Jamhuri, and where we walk every day. Just last Wednesday at our Ngando Clinic, we set out for a house visit to one of our extremely sick clients and found another huge gathering of people around the body of a young thief who had been killed by the owner of the house he had tried to enter.

One day after work at around 6.00 pm, I had to travel to the inner city to buy some goods (an extremely overcrowded part of the city that I had not been to before). This was at a time when there were riots in the city because police were trying to move out the "hawkers" (locals who come to the city to sell various kinds of food and other wares). My friend and I turned around to see truck loads of heavily armed police arrive and we had to be locked in a shop with a load of other people. We managed to get away before the violence erupted, but unfortunately my friend George who was in the area an hour later coming from college, was arrested with some of his friends - fortunately they were released after about 3 hours without too much trauma (except sore eyes from the tear gas!) Well I guess a lot of this seems kinda crazy and out of control and on some levels it is, but this is Africa and it is what it is!! - Amongst all this madness, I try to stay connected to the fact that there are so many good and kind people here doing the best they can with so little!

Back to the events of Wednesday 25th October, and it was on this afternoon I went with Sr Veronica and George on a house visit to assess 4 young children who were living in a very bad situation - they were virtually living on the street during the day with their great grandfather looking out for them whilst the great grandmother worked in the hot sun all day trying to sell small buckets of charcoal that are used for the household cooking pots (the mother of these children had abandoned them to the care of the great grandparents). These children were so sick looking, wearing filthy dirty clothes on malnourished bodies - they had such sad eyes...and there was no food or drink for them. The tiny 2 year old, Charles, was wearing just a top and was sitting in a corner of the street. As Sr and George were talking in Swahili to the grandfather to gain as much information as they could, I went with a neighbour to a food stall nearby and bought the children bananas and hot beans for their dinner. As Sr and George had finished their talk I asked them to wait for me whilst I made sure the children got the food.

Occasionally there are times when I go into an overload of emotion and today was one of them - we can feel sometimes that we're not doing enough because there is so much suffering and so many people here who have no food or water. As i gave each of these small children a banana, I cried inside as I watched their "dead" eyes slowly come alive with a silent thankyou - as I walked away I realised that it just gets that basic at times, and that we really are doing a lot when we can be there to give a starving child a banana - "the small drop in a big ocean" - and being given the opportunity to look after these four little ones in whatever way we can on a daily basis, has been one of the highlights of working here this time round (they are now under the watchful loving care of the staff at AMKA Project!!

This Sunday just gone, four of our volunteers were caught in a really horrific situation when they were attacked in the Ngong Hills by two bandits yielding machetes. We are warned of the dangers around, but this day there was a party of 16 volunteers and friends who went on a 6 hour hike - they had stopped at an office at the entrance that provides guards, but it was unattended - they didnt think there would be any dangers in such a large group. After a few hours, 4 of the hikers wanted to turn back as they were tired in the hot sun, three girls, one boy. They sat down to have their lunch and were set upon by these robbers. These bandits lived up to their reputation of being ruthless and violent!! I won't put the full details here except to say these poor young people were really set upon viciously and thought they were about to die.

Fortunately, they are all ok (as ok as one can be after such an ordeal) - one of the girls just wants to go home, but cannot immediately as her passport was stolen. We have certainly all learnt that any future walks in this area have to be with a guard, but none of us are really keen to walk there again. These dangers are certainly out there in a country where there is so much corruption and suffering, but generally as volunteers we are very well protected and looked after by Global Volunteering Network and the local office of VICDA. They truly have our interest at heart and will always do their best to ensure that we are given correct information and kept in safe areas.

Anyway, all is well and I'm coming home soon, somewhat reluctantly but reality calls for "paying the bills"!! Please take care and I have appreciated so much you keeping in touch - it has meant a lot to me!!

Love and hugs

Annie