The road to the Wana Duma house leads through a gated community and is like driving over a series of speed bumps. Pulling through the main gate, a good-natured dog, Bahati (meaning "lucky" in Sawahili) comes to say hello. Wana Duma is housed is a townhouse-style abode split into two rentals. Susan, the co-manager of the Wana Duma project, welcomes my dad and I with the Swahili greeting, "karibu-sana."
Inside, Susan introduces us to Mercy, a young teenage girl suffering in the latter stages of HIV/AIDS, who slowly rises from the couch to extend her hand in greeting. Mercy is incredibly thin and is having difficulty with her appetite, but still has a bright spark in her eyes matched by, as Suzanne forewarned, an incredibly sharp wit. Susan also introduces us to Doula, a young Samburu man from northern Kenya on school break and currently staying at Wana Duma. The home interior is modest and clean, arranged in a welcoming and warm fashion, with handmade wooden furniture and textiles, a small library, and silk screen artwork hung from the walls. Making our way to the back of the house, my Dad and I get settled in our room and begin to get unpacked, bringing the bag of supplements to the upstairs treatment room and setting up a small natural pharmacy overlooking the courtyard.
Already there are patients to see. Miriam, a comely young women from town, arrives with her two young sisters, Lucy and Sarah. Miriam is involved in the Wana Duma project, and works around the house on most days. Because Miriam's mother has passed away from AIDS and her grandmother has also passed, Miriam has assumed responsibility for her younger sisters. Although Lucy contracted HIV in the womb, Sarah is fortunately HIV negative. Dr. Steve goes through a series of health and lifestyle questions with Miriam and her sisters, taking notes at the desk, and checks the sound of Lucy's lungs with his stethascope. A physical exam reveals that both girls are in wonderful health, with bright, cheerful dispositions and strong levels of energy. After Miriam and her sisters leave, Dr. Steve takes a look at four more patients, selecting different immunity supplements and discussing lifestyle and nutrition concerns. Despite the various infectious diseases that the children are dealing with, such as tuberculosis and HIV, most have a strong constitution and appear to be in good health.
After seeing patients, Suzanne, Susan, Dr. Steve, and I enjoy a simple meal of mashed plantains, yams, and stewed arugula, and then head off to bed early.
