WIIITY FR.EE -PItSS,ý WEDNESDAY, MAY 24,1989, PAGE 23 GrntHo g g: DIARY 0F AN EXPERI.ENCE IN, KENYA The following articlle,,isby Whitby's Grant Ho'gg, Who recently returned to Canada after particiating in the national yuhvolunteer pro- iect. Has anyone ever been away on a great trip, came back to good ol' Canada, and thought, is this it? After having been away for eight xnonths, I arn currently going through the ' after-trip blues. thought I would have been immune. For therapy I have often found myseif reading the journal which I recorded while I was away. This ailows me to really appreciate my trip froni a different perspective. I would flot trade my experiences for anything. If anyone is considering a nice trip, also seriously consider -keeping a journal or diary. From mY diary. November 7 1988: Olt was 6:30 a.m. Thie sun had been up for only 30 minutes and it was already hot inside my tent. The sounds of birds singing, roosters screaming, cow bel/a clinking and rustling maise swaying in a gentle breeze wiere eveiywhere. I clso heard child.ren expectantly shuffling, whispering aznd giggling: they couldn't have been any More t/ian three metres away. I poked My head out of the tent, their big brown eyes widenec4 their smiling white teeth contrasted their dark skin - they watched me ha-il myseif out of my tent. I exaggerated a stretch and a loud yawn, they laughecL Then I tripped over a hidden tent string andi caught myseif before falling completely - they really laugheci I wanted to do more physical gags just to hear them laugh again. The laughter t was addictive. As I prepared t/w morning fire, they walked away, time for schooi I feit lke aT. V. " In a strange, but very real way, I did represent a TV to theni. There were no tolevisions sets here (thank goodness), not even electricity. Myself and six others from Britain and New Zealand were over here to help build a small mecical dispensary. We were in a rural Kenyan hilîside village called Saghaighu. It is an incredible place, se green, se nxuch life, so much beauty. 7t was My turn to get t/w breakfast startecL We started a rotation so on/y one out of t/e seven of us had to get up early. This rotation wasn't act ual/y necessary as I heard zippers, grunts as socks went on, bones cracking and friendly 'Gocod mornings.' Eueryone would be around t/w fire in a minute or so, no one wanted to miss too much of a Kenyan day. " We were ail together a part of an international volunteer programn called Operation Rtaleigh. It's sert of an international Outward Bound, niixed with Katimavik. Ites basic purpoee is te develop the qualities and abilitiae f its partifpa0tskb Whitby's.downtown. AUl jobs are posted, s0 centre staff recommend that students check at least once or twice a week. The centre also helps students who desire part-tune work throughout the year. Employers wishing to place job orders cari cal 668-5233. involving theni in culturally broadening community projecta a.nd worthwhile conservational activities. By the tume we reached Saghaighu, our small group had been in Kenya for about one month and had already worked on two project sites. Rather than stay at just one site and one part of Kenya, we were 'able to niove around and work on a variety of projects ail over Kenya. There were five other similar-sized groups involved with Operation Raleigh in Kenya. After about two weeks at one project, we wou.ld move to another, one of the other five groups would replace us and we would be at a site at which another group had been. Out two previous projects were building a water catchment tank in a nearby village and then we hacked out a nature trail in a very dense forest - we expected te meet up with Stanley Livingston. "Joshua Otieno, the fundii (Swauhili for builer) for t/w Saghaighu project, told us what he wanted done. 'Today we work like donkeysl' It was flot an easy day. T/w plans called for t/w hospital-to be 14 1,2 cinder blocks high. Not 14, 15, but 14 1,2! Since no blocks corne in haîf sizes, Billy (from S&otland) and I uwere assigned the task of chopping them in'haîf Chopping is a good term. We used pangas or mac/wtes and hacked away at these bricks until there was left only half of one. T/w impact fit like I was swinging an aluminum' bat into a brick wall - my elbowbs were not happy." I applied to Operation Raleigh about one year after graduating from Trent University. I wanted te travel, I wanted to use my biology degree,*I wanted te do a lot of things except the job I was in. After raising the necessary $2,500 required - I was sponsored in part by niany WVhitby companies - I headed for Kenya. It was an incredible trip. I travelled, did a lot of those things I wanted to do, and I used my biology degree; I got a job on a fish farm working with Tilapia in tropical Mombasa. If you are interested in having these types of experiences, apply now te the international progranis that are around. You won't regret it. Don't forget te keep a journal. 'We're a far cry from Canada - no cranes, no safety helmets, no steel-toed boots, no electricity, Cua the basics. Euerything is dne by hancl, good physical work. It>s the, type of work w/wre once the day is finis/wd and your muscles are tired, you feel copeeysatisfiecL We couki see t/=rges of the walls each day Note: if any group or organization ie interested in leamning about my experiences through a slide show I'd be» happy to make arrangements. Contact 725-1359. Canda os Copoato "WE ARE VERY PLEASED WITH THE SERVICE HERE."9 Margaret Rickert, Area Councillor, Aima, Ontario Aima Area Councillor, Margaret Rickert, is one of a growing number of municipal leaders to endorse Retail Postal Outets. Over ninety percent of our customers say service at Retail Postal Outlets is as good as or better than the former post office. In many rural communities across Canada, where postal services have been converted to a local business, conlmunity leaders appreciate the benefits the town receives from increased access to postal-products and services. Overaîl the change from a corporately-operated post office to a Retail Postal Outlet run by local business means: Longer hours of service, often including weekends and evenings. More outiets. Over the next few years the number of outlets will grow from 5,000 to 7,000 across rural Canada. More business. Retail outiets, operated as part of a local business, help strengthen the business base of the community. Canada Post Corporation is delivering on its promise. We're in rural Canada to stay. MAI L.ýPOSTE Caad PstCopai on oi ét cnaienn Ide pote Our commitment: better service for you.