Copper Youth, Jake Ham, Volunteers in Africa

24 year old Jake Ham recently returned from Kenya, Africa after a 6 week visit volunteering his medical expertise.

While Jake scoffs at the term medical expertise, he did indeed head to the small town of Kangundu (East of Nairobi) with his newly acquired kinesiology degree in hand. Not sure if he wanted to attend grad school, yet wanting to put his skills to use, Jake found an short term alternative. Working through a Canadian volunteer group Jake had to come up with his own money for passage and lodging, while the Canadian group found him a host family and a hospital with which to volunteer.

To many of the tribe Jake was the first white man they had seen, to others, those educated and traveled, Jake was nothing new but still referred to as a mzungu – white. Jake was welcomed almost immediately and quickly picked up some Swahili words to communicate loosely. All around him people would chant in Swahili. He began to be comforted by the sound.

With only one paved road and the rest consisting of packed dirt, travel was difficult. For the tribes living far beyond the reaches of the hospital, Jake found himself doing ‘house calls’ out into the vast lands of Kenya. He found club feet to be the prevalent ailment with which he was treating. “Unfortunately there is no ‘treatment’ for this at such late stages” said Jake, pointing out that in the US club foot would have been dealt with at a young age and curable, however, he was charged with helping these people any way he could even without a cure. He also saw a large number of facial palsy victims as well as broken bones mending incorrectly.

Jake would view surgery in the small wooden hospital on Tuesdays and Thursdays and work in the physiotherapy department MWF.

When asked if famine had reached the village of Kagundu, Jake was confident that though the people  of the village were aware of the suffering in neighboring countries, famine and war, the people of this area were healthy and ate well.  “Living conditions were severe and there are no supermarkets where we were. They grew or killed what they needed to eat.” Jake then told of the day he slaughtered a goat for dinner.

On one day off Jake was able to go on safari and enjoy the beauty of the land, finding the area to be far from the arid land he had always thought it would be. Instead finding mountains, valleys, and rock out croppings so high he could see for miles. On one such trip he was surrounded by a group of school children wanting a picture with the mzungu. He happily obliged.

Feeling as if he made friends, especially with a young doctor Edwin Baraza, he would like to go back next year; though he will need financial help. “My church, parents, friends and grandparents helped this time” said Jake, but he hopes to not bare the financial burden if he decides to go again.

 “I felt rich when I came home.” Said Jake of the experience in Kenya. When asked how his parents felt about the adventure he said with a smile.”My dad was happy I made it home safely. My mom…she was cool with it.”