World Aids Day 1

Today at 2am, I came across one of our locals who was dazed and confused and bleeding profusely from his head, having had his "head kicked in" as he said. I bandaged his head, trying to keep the plaster on my cut thumb from slipping and listened as he told me why he didn't want and ambulance - they would involve the police and he couldn't tell who had beaten him up and he was worried about not being able to get his methadone in the morning. He was convinced otherwise and as he talked of wanting to return to his homeland Ireland and going straight and as the police asked him questions and the ambulance finally arrived and took him away I wondered what was to become of him.

Could he ever be able to deal with his addictions?
Would he ever get back to Ireland?
How was he going to survive?
Would the drugs or violence or neglect or disease kill him?

Before I had realised that he had been hurt I asked him if he wanted some food...he said no thanks that I had already given him some.....that had been nearly two weeks before.


Hand woven Kenyan Aids badge

First Aid

Another session of First Aid...this time, though to be able to peer-educate in Kenya.

Amongst other things the young people will be able to teach the recovery position, CPR and bandaging for bleeds and other injuries.

The young people will be taking a portable resuscitation unit (Annie or Andy) to Nairobi and will be able to teach the older young people of the Children's home we are volunteering at, so that those young people in turn will be able to teach the younger ones.

First Aid

A weekend residential where Josh S, Josh L, Thomas (AKA Gertie), Keeley, Jim & Craig trained to be Peer Educators in First Aid...

Amongst other things they...

• met new strange and wonderful other young people and bandaged them
• ran a session on the subject 'The Amazingness of Craig'
• devised and performed the Unicorn Play with its infamous 'Unicorn Dance'
• met the Crystal Maze Master and tried to win crystals for tasks that challenged the intellect and in a final X Factor tested the ability to sing YMCA and scrounge, blag and plead for more crystals, culminating in a timed rummage in Wendy's (not Stanbury)drawers for goodies.
• put the role-playing unconscious or anyone asleep in the recovery position
• played games including 'spin the remote' and Jim's favourite game - charades
• Sang, on more than one occasion, Awima wey, Awima wey...In the jungle, the mighty jungle the lion sleeps to night...etc etc
• ate cheesecake
• oh and learned some stuff about snails and yoghurt that wasn't true so they shouldn't remember it.
• phoned their imaginary boyfriends called Paul
• entertained the other young people with their fun, games, comedy, drama and winning personalities...sorry that was someone else
• some were Happy Hens and showed this in their clucking while others were non-conformists...or (a) couldn't be bothered, (b) were too lazy or (c) had some deep thoughts that occupied their minds when the call for the Happy Hens sounded.
• kept me going on cups of coffee and were generally a great bunch to be away with on residential - but don't tell them I said so
• and probably loads of other stuff I will probably be reminded of ...

Cold Water on Fresh Blood

Cold water, it seems is what to use to remove fresh blood. I checked it on the internet, as one does. If my hoodie hadn't been a very light shade of grey perhaps I wouldn't have bothered, or if it hadn't been new and the recent Christmas present from my brother and also my favouritist hoodie-de-jour.

Of course if the boy, who's shoulder's I put it round, had friends who would have given him one of their jackets (jackets which were all darker than mine) then perhaps I needn't have had to go to this trouble.

And if I hadn't walked home the way I went.
And if I hadn't stopped.
And if I hadn't asked, after bandaging his head, if he was cold...worried about him being in shock.

Actually it would have been a lot easier if I had never gone on a First Aid Course at all...(especially not the most recent one last week) ... I woudn't have felt half as confident with heading into the situation and my hoodie would still be in mint condition.

If you want to keep your hoodie clean, don't do First Aid.

(PS. I will keep you updated as to the condition of my hoodie - I know we are all concerned)