Drug detox in Kenya

1. May 12-17 2008Real Medicine Foundation conducts a training in the NADA auricular acupuncture protocol for The Omari Project on the coast of Kenya. The Omari Project has residential, outpatient, and outreach services all along the coast for treatment and prevention of heroin addiction, and for prevention of HIV transmission. Drug detox in Kenya

2. Beth Cole, Director of Real Medicine Foundation’s Whole Health Team&Megan Yarberry, RMF’s Whole Health Team Project Coordinator

5. Dragging in from an all night, death-defying bus ride from Uganda, we serendipitously catch the day’s only flight to Malindi

7. Megan met Mohamed Shosi, Coordinator for The Omari Project, when touring coastal Kenya in December. Shosi has since become RMF’s local coordinator for the project. He organized trainees, the worksites, and transportation for the trainers.

8. Trainees Lion, Grace, Hamid & Shosi

9. Trainees Nassir, Omar, Linet & Athman

10. Trainees Hanifa, Edison & Maina

11. Trainees Ahmed, Mohamed & Abu

12. The trainees were mostly male, and – as is true of much of coastal Kenya – mostly Muslim. 5 of the trainees are ex-addicts who have successfully completed Omari Project’s detox program.

13. Our first meetings are beneath the cashew trees at the residential facility outside Malindi

14. A demonstration is worth a thousand words

16. Trainees experience the treatment

18. Lion shares results from his first acupuncture experience

20. Class time

21. Trainees practice treatments (on each other)

22. Mohamed demonstrates how to set up a clean field

23. Nassir demonstrates needling

24. Checking point location

25. Everybody has a try

27. Everyone gets that groovy acupuncture vibe

29. Lunch

32. Client treatments

33. The trainees introduce acupuncture to the clients

35. The clients agree to give it a try

39. Reactions to treatment

49. Clients discuss their experiences

50. Some people just head for naps