Kalendarium

Arrived on Sunday 17th September 2006, at Copenhagen airport at 11.30a.m. Where our host Mrs. Ulla Herbert, who was accompanied by her beloved husband Barry Herbert, met us. With me we were Mrs Jemima Akeyo Juma and Mrs Susan Okal Amino
Both our host and ourselves met in very high spirit hugging each other endlessly. Jemima’s box did not arrive with others but this was a short-lived misfortune as the box was delivered at Ulla & Barry’s’ resident the following day. This explained the efficiency of Swedish Airport Authority workers, may they keep it up.
SUNDAY 17/9/06
The next short tour of Malmo to see the town on Election Day. I was NOT happy at the election venue, seeing children picking election papers saying words, which looked unpleasant, though I could not understand the actual words since they were speaking in Swedish language, which I did not understand. The mature people conducting the election process were orderly and pleasant but the conduct of the children could have led the candidate in their support to be disqualified if it was in our country Kenya.
MONDAY 18/9/06
OUR FIRST VISITING DAY STUDY.
At a Swedish school, where our host, Ulla had been teaching, was our first place we started our study tour in.
Entering in the first class of the school the children ran wild, hugging Ulla shouting Ulla, Ulla, Ulla, some children jumped over others to even touch Ulla’s hair. It was heart touching, to strangers to witness the love the children have for Ulla and how much they miss Ulla. The children greeted us in turn, having coming in term of welcoming Ulla with great Joy.
We entered the staffroom, where we met the teachers who were in there; all happily welcomed us. The headmistress Humlemadskolan, welcomed us in her staffroom office, with thick Tea & coffee, cakes but as we had taken a heavy breakfast, we just took little bites.
In the school, we saw different categories of class teaching. Including the slow learners with down syndrome, the computer teaching and normal bright class of English Grammar lesson, which we observed from the beginning and I loved very much having been my subject which I taught in school when I was still a blackboard teacher.
Later on that afternoon we visited the town hall and met a deputy mayor. She told us a lot about Malmö and how the town was run. We were given a book about Malmö.
TUESDAY 19/9/06
We visited the NGO working with H.I.V and H.I.V. victims. We learnt a lot how these people could lead a normal life taking the drugs having proper nutrition, but first having been tested, they have to be tested to prove positive. They have to accept the reality of the disease. We learnt that an H.I.V. Aids is not a pandemic as it is in our country Kenya. It is under control to some extent. The NGO in Sweden is given a biblical name Noah’s ARK. Carrying sick people safely to life. We gained, skills to handle H.I.V victims.
We visited the local IKF. We learnt the study circles as a continuation of a study for life after normal learning of youthful school days, the skills of organizing such group. It was very educative and enlightening, which we are determining to put into our community. We took part in one of their lessons. The women asked us a lot of questions.
We talked to the staff and saw a group of ladies who were learning computer skills. We saw the premises , which were spacious and of a high standard.
WEDNESDAY 20/9/06
Trip to Stockholm leaving Malmo by car 12.10 arriving 13.12 at Stockholm airport. This is the most exiting conference I had. The boat trip CINDERLLA. Inviting women from difference parts of the world doing different work, some immigrants being able to join IKF organization in Sweden, we discovered hidden skills, which we can practice, with our own women.21/9/06. We were thought about CEDAW and we discussed the situation for women in Sweden and in Kenya. We were given the report our government has made on the situation for women to UN. The women told us about their different organizations and we told them about Kamuga women´s group. We spoke about our political life in Kenya and locally and they told us about the work they did before the election.
THURSDAY 21/9/06
The conference continued until we arrived in Stockholm. A boardmember of IKF had arranged a meeting for us at the Swedish UN organization. We had a talk with an officer of the United Nation $ Association for African, In Stockholm Sweden office Mr. NIKOLAS JERKEDAL about the AMREF in Kenya which supports women groups and H.I.V Victim groups in Kenya, who agreed to meet with me in the AMREF office in Kisumu to look into the proposals of the shauri yako H.I.V. Victims of Homa Bay.
FRIDAY 22/9/06
Visit Forum Syd, we did not see them as they rang our host to say they would not see us.
We went to the Museum of the people to see an exihibiton about hiv positive people from all over the world. We also saw other exhibitions. We went for a walk in the old town and saw a lot of small roads and old buildings.
SATURDAY 23/9/06
Trip Gothenburg to visit book fair we enjoyed the literature. We spent most of the time on the International section and saw many different NGOs working all over the world. In the evening, we met IKF members from Gothenburg, where we learnt a lot about working together as a group.
SUNDAY 24/9/06
Visit to the Botanical gardens and a park called the garden were we saw different plants some of which we have at home. We, we got experience of different plants in green houses, which we can practice at home. Then we went to the Museum of world cultures together with members of IKF. We saw a film about trafficking of females for prostitution trade. It was heart breaking. I watched it keenly to learn what is going on among my fellow Females for my general knowledge, to gather this information, to advise young people back home. In the evening, we met IKF members where we learnt a lot about working together as a group. There was a large exhibition about Africa.

25/9/06 MONDAY
Leaving for Stockholm by plane mid morning.Then we got to the train for Sundsvall 14.30, arriving Sundsvall 17.49 IKF members Vivian met as taking us to her residence Vivian and her husband Kenneth gave us a first class welcome. It was a great joy to meet such a humble and friendly family, who gave us tea and coffee with jam on bread, the jam, which she made herself and explained to us the process of making that jam. We ate a lot of food and slept like logs. We learnt how to make jam out of fruits which we have at home.
TUESDAY 26/9/06
We took a comfortable large car for our study tour. We went to a lady who had an exhibition on how to colour wool with natural colours. She used mushrooms and other things which we have in Kenya too. That was a great experience. We also went to some greenhouses where they had a school for florists. They had lots of tomatoes growing and we bought some to take home and produce seeds from. We visited a school which organized a place to look after children whose parents work .The children learn everything the same boys do the knitting as well as girls do. We learnt how children can be looked after, after school hours. In the evening we met many members from IKF. They had brought food from many different countries which we ate together. They told us about the work they do locally and we told them about Kamuga. They run a secondhand shop in order to pay for their rents, they rent their meeting place from the local council in a house of organizations.
WEDNESDAY 27.09.06
We took another very comfortable bus to Örnskoldsvik. We had a meeting with the local IKF. The chairperson is from Kenya and she runs a physiotherapy clinic of advance level.
She told us about running your own business in Sweden. She employs a young lady from Uganda. They have to pay heavy taxes. We had lunch with IKFmembers, amongst them were my daughter, who had come from IKF in Umeå to join the visit.
Trip by bus to Lulea We arrived 20.20 on the dot it was late and cold but we had warm clothes which our host provided to us 3. Since we ate well at ornskoldsvik, we went to sleep straight. The Hotel was very pleasant, with T.V in attendance

THURSDAY 28.09.06
We visited Esperanza during Thursday morning .We met IKF members from different countries who had made National dresses of their own respective countries. From Kenya we found a Masai red gown at least I was happy to see a Kenyan design.
The members gave us a lot of clothes for children & for grownups .One lady from Latin America gave us ten brown boys shorts, which we are going to give ten of our complete orphans . We had a long conversation with one of their younger mambers and a journalist.
We crowned our Esperanza with delicious lunch, which we ate with great relish. They told us about their work in Luleå. They had a seminar from the local government when we were there. We informed them about the situation in our home village and about they way we work.
We took flight to Stockholm at 14.20 arriving at 15.35, then connected another flight from Stockholm to Malmo city at 17.00 arriving 18.10.
Friday the 29.09.06
Conference at IKF Malmo city. We had a marathon lecture from a very experience teacher. This teacher taught us how best to start and run a project to its goal. Although it was in Swedish language but our host Ulla helped us to translate in English and there were some papers written in English, which helped us to understand the lesson well.
Visited old age home at 14:30
Blombuketten 14:30 seeing how aged people are looked after the rooms, the whole home, I am gravely sorry for our own senior Citizens (Old aged people in Kenya).
We found some people with their wives in this home and are all happy and healthy. They have medical nursing wing with a doctor and Nurses and well trained personnel assistants to the aged. We learnt how we can start the aged home in our community, first in a simple way and with a few people in and around us.
One man who was warship sailor singled me out pointing at me saying “ I love you”. The man gave me a book he had been given in 1942 during the 2nd World War. It is a spiritual book and I remember him in my daily prayers.

30TH SEPT SATURDAY
Parking at Ulla’s house where we talked about all that had happened and how we could use our experiences when we come home. We had very many books and papers with information, we had to decide what we were taking back.

1ST of October SUNDAY
We went to visit Lund, an important University town. We visited a Museum seeing old Swedish Church and houses which was the same type. The type our host told us that is the same as the one for her parents in which she was brought up. We also saw an old house of a European rich man
We also saw a very old Swedish cathedral which may have been built before the split of Catholic Church

MONDAY 2ND
Our last study tour was at the group of foreigners learning Swedish language. We learnt that it is important to know a common language when one immigrate to a different country.
We met a women who thought us about the study circle method and how we can use it at home.
In the evening we visited ABF which had a group of circle study group preparing to visit Kenya in January 2007. They were keen to hear more about Kenya. We learnt first hand how a study circle worked. We encouraged them to come to see our lovely country
We ended by visiting a sports complex which is my area of long time interest, we found a west African man training boxing to young and middle age boxes working very hard. We and He worked in Rosengård, an area with many youngsters that are not Swedish. When he heard about all our orphans he wanted to send us sports clothes. I hope it can be arranged.
We try to engage our children is sports activities, as I am a qualified sportinstructor.
TUESDAY 3RD
At 3:30 Our host Ulla and her husband drove us to Copenhagen Airport to travel back to Nairobi. We traveled safely back to Nairobi arriving at 7pm East African standard Time
On arrival to Nairobi, Peter my son collected us in his big vehicle to his house where we rested for two days.Wednesday Morning I left town at 7a.m
WEDNESDAY 4TH OCT 2006
We all had our bus fare to Homa Bay as we all had agreed Susan Ksh 800 Jemima 800/= Bernadette 800/= . Susan left us two in Peter’s house and she went to see her daughters and her three sons working in Nairobi. All buses going to up country were fully booked. So I and Jemima stayed another day in Peter’s house.
Jemima and I left for our homes to gather but Susan stayed with her children in Nairobi for 2 weeks before returning to her home in Homa bay.
IN CONCLUSION
Sweden is a green country in the sun, rich in Technology and hardworking people both men and women. I love Sweden and her people
I sincerely thank Barry Herbert for his dedication to drive us every single day, long live together Ulla and Barry Herbert.
I am very grateful to Ulla Hebert who worked around the clock to make our study tour reality.
I thank IFK organization for being able to arrange sponsoring us for this historic visit by three of us. I pray God to bless members to keep up the same spirit and let our visit be of help to cooperation between our two organizations. God bless IKF abundantly.
MAY GOD BLESS SWEDEN AND HER PEOPLE
SINCERELY YOURS
MRS BERNADETTE BRIDGITHA OUMA.