Pictured here is a bio-sand filter (BSF) installed by one of the Tenwek Community Health teams. This filter uses chemically-enhanced layers of various sands to filter contaminated water to 100% purity. It has revolutionized the livelihoods of the rural Kenyan people, who suffer from diseases Americans have only read about, including cholera, typhoid, dysentery, diarrhea, and parasites.
As in other foreign countries I've visited, the Kenyan people welcome white people (muzungu) and often put them in a spotlight. My experience was no exception. One of the chaplains told a story about a white man he had invited to his church to preach. Apparently, the man was unaware that he was supposed to preach a whole sermon. The church anxiously awaited to be inspired by the muzungu. The man got to the pulpit, introduced himself, said an encouraging word, and sat down less than 5 minutes later. This left the pastor feeling embarrassed and having to make up the remaining 30 minutes! After that, I was afraid I would someday experience the same fate! However, on this particular day, Crystal "On Demand" Rommen was prepared!
As in other foreign countries I've visited, the Kenyan people welcome white people (muzungu) and often put them in a spotlight. My experience was no exception. One of the chaplains told a story about a white man he had invited to his church to preach. Apparently, the man was unaware that he was supposed to preach a whole sermon. The church anxiously awaited to be inspired by the muzungu. The man got to the pulpit, introduced himself, said an encouraging word, and sat down less than 5 minutes later. This left the pastor feeling embarrassed and having to make up the remaining 30 minutes! After that, I was afraid I would someday experience the same fate! However, on this particular day, Crystal "On Demand" Rommen was prepared!
I went out with the Tenwek Community Health BSF team for what I thought would be an everyday, run-of-the-mill installation of BSFs in various schools. The process includes layering sand, running water through the filter, and instructing the recipients of the filter on its use. Easy, right? However, I didn't know what I was getting myself into when the principal of Soch Kobor Primary School asked me to stand in front of 466 children and introduce myself. Then he opened the floor to the children to ask me questions. At first, I received the expected questions: How old are you? Are you married? How many children do you have? And then one voice rang out: "Sing!" which was followed by a chorus of other children "Sing! Sing!" Ok......sure. At first I completely blanked what songs do I know? I think God gave me the perfect song. I sung "Jesus loves the little children," which I realized it was quite fitting as I was singing it. But it doesn't stop there because I guess installing BSFs requires more manpower than womanpower. While my male teammates were installing the BSFs, I was asked to go around to 3 different classrooms and give a 20-minute lecture to each class of roughly 40-50 students. Again, God was with me, and I was able to present 3 different application-based lessons about missionaries and water sanitation/hygiene. I also spent more time teaching them the song. Afterwards, one of the teachers said "you are the best teacher of any of our guest missionaries! Are you a professional?" I couldn't believe my ears. I didn't think I did anything too special. I told him I was not a professional teacher, but "social workers do a lot of different jobs, including teaching people how to live healthy lives." The principal escorted me for the obligatory tea time, and invited me to come back to his school before I left for the USA. When I came out of the principal's office, I was nearly mobbed by 466 children who wanted to shake my hand. So as to avoid chaos, I told the children to line up and shake my hand one-by-one as they went home for the day. Back at home, I am not particularly special or acclaimed, so it felt strange to be the "token muzungu" with an assumed breadth and depth of wisdom and knowledge to bring to these children. I think back to that day and laugh. It will be an experience I never forget.