Asumbi

This morning, Isaiah made us pancakes for breakfast as a treat! Then, we were on our way to Asumbi Treatment Centre (http://www.asumbi-tcentre.org/), a substance abuse rehabilitation center right down the road from the compound. When we first arrived, we were a little freaked out because we were told to leave everything in the car and to be careful because the men are especially manipulative. However, we were warmly welcomed by the staff and patients and it was actually one of the best experiences so far. After being served Chai (customary as a welcoming gesture) and being introduced to the program's goals, we all (us and the patients) split up into groups and went outside for a "circle session". I have to say, I wasn't expecting much from it, which I think was a result of a fairly sheltered existence and exposure to excessive stereotyping with regards to rehab patients. However, I was very pleasantly surprised. As we sat down, Wairimu (our professor) asked someone to be a group leader and one younger man, about 25 or so, volunteered and then proceeded to organize the whole session off the cuff. He asked us to introduce ourselves (Wairumu, Anna, and I) and then said they would go around the circles introducing themselves and telling us about why they were there. For obvious reasons, I cannot disclose specific information, but I can say that each and every one of them was just as normal as anyone else without an addiction problem. And not only that, but they were very open to sharing their stories with us and so genuinely full of hope for a better future. I felt like it was a privilege to have been able to sit with them and listen to their personal struggles throughout their lives and to realize how ready they were for a new start. They all recognized where things went wrong and even if they didn't respond right away, they each had one life changing experience or another that forced them to reach out for help. Some had support systems in the form of family/good friends, and some, sadly, did not. At any rate, they all found themselves, realizing that there was too much to live for, too much left for them to do. I got teary eyed at one point thinking how amazing it was that these poor people, who at one point or another felt that their lives were so meaningless that they needed to resort to drugs and alcohol, could hit rock bottom and come back with a new, burning desire to live a good life. It was really an inspiration. After sharing their stories, the same guy who volunteered at the beginning asked us what it was like in the states, in terms of substance abuse. Anna and I explained our hometown situations and I felt like they were so grateful to know that people, even in better social/economic situations in developed countries had the same problems as they did. They asked us what life was like for us, how we ended up in University, what our families were like, etc. After our meeting, we went back in for a closing session in which I was hit on excessively, given a rose, and asked for one of my bracelets as "something to remember me by" HAHAHA!
After we left the center, we met with Dr. Frank Njenga (a renowned psychiatrist in Kenya) at a Chinese restaurant. I was happy that he spoke to one of the most significant observations I've made in the week I've been here; everyone seems to be generally pretty happy. Even as we drive through the slums, people with literally nothing seem to be happy for what they've got. I think we're going to see more of that first hand tomorrow when we go to Kibera, the largest slum in Nairobi and the second largest urban slum in Africa. Until then!