it was time to leave the beloved moshi,,,so sad. but i think i have learned a lot on this volunteer travelling adventure and i finally feel like i made a dent in the community developement of the street kids. while at the street childrens center i decided to start incoporating art projects to sell to volunteers and the community of moshi. i went to Arusha where i purchased beading supplies for maasai style jewelry. taking the project to the kids i thought id help them design peices that looked nice and help them learn how to make the goods...but what i discovered was that it was not only too difficult to control 20+ street kids of all ages running round there was no need to direct them. they took off creating masterpeices from their beautifully unique talents. some took random colors and strung them beautifully while others actually taught me how to create some designs with the string. i realized that since these kids have spent time on the streets watching older youth attempting to sell goods like this, they had a keen eye for the beauty that is needed to catch someones eye. i really appreciated learning from them and i also recognized that my compulsion for control could have really hindered them from creating from their heart and i now understand a bit more about personal freedoms that we unkowingly sometimes disable.
i took the kids art back to our hostel and showed it off with the pride of their amazing talent and they were a hit. in two weeks we managed to sell at least half of all items made and the money was all brought in without a price but rather a donation only policy. we made a total of over 200,000tsh in 2 weeks, around 140USD. this could feed all 30 kids for a week with a fully rounded diet. amazing! i passed the torch on and can only hope it will continue when i leave.
near the end of my adventure i decided to check out a warm ocean for the first time so i jumped over to the eastern shore for the pangani island experience. i can barely describe the beauty i got while there. i stayed in a grass thatch hut with mearly a ben and no electricity literally 20 ft from shore. the white noise waved me to sleep each night. the eating area hosted a large raised deck which allowed me to peer out over the shores each morning as i silently did yoga watching naked fisherman dive into the crystal water setting up nets. seeing sale boats was actually a memorable and unforgettable joy as i really got to see natures breath take these fisherman on ther journeys each day.
while there i was met by a youth name Rahim who was utterly funny and fascinating. he took hold of my interest and returned the gesture by taking me around to communities in the local villages. i was able to step into the local muslim communities who are the majority on the island. they were so kind and friendly and i loved to get insight into how they lived. they were just like any other community i have found in africa, very welcoming, kind, full of laughter, and most of all harworking. uniquely what i have found about the muslim communities is that they are most dedicated to their religion beyond any other i have met before. where i am usually against the institution of religion, i will say that if one is going to be involved in such a practice, it must be done full heartedly or not at all. i take the muslim community as a strong representation of this type of dedication. they pray 5times a day and their practice with their daily lives dont skip a beat as everything they do from wearing certain clothes, fashioning their homes, or daily routines keep to their lifestyle. they continually shock and amaze and what i was about to experience this weekend with them was the epitomy of the best learning experience i have had so far.
i know from the outside especially westerners can see that a woman having to cover her head and heed to the mans needs seem so entrapping. while the constant praying and chanting to allah are very far from our comfort. but when i was invited into the home of Rahim's family for the 3day wedding ritual, i really learned a lot. he took me to the bride in a private room while the youth chanted outside her window...shewas completely cover except her head in a very sacred manner as they blessed her audibly. outside a large carpeted flat was created with boys in the front and girls in the back, nearly 100youth from the family and community. 2 teen boys sang songs in the mic while 4others banged on drums and bells as the children around flung their bodys in convulsive looking tranced-out sways to their tune. they chanted and sang in utterly beautiful synchronization that i can barely describe as i write now....i was speechless and captivated and i even fell into a trance as i watched the young girls completely covered in bright african print as their bodies created beautiful sways like a tidal wave to the music. they were so into their music i think it was the first time i wasnt even noticed even though i was the only mzungu around. these wonderful people were really helping me come to terms with the mysteries of arabic culture. if id had any preconcieved notions about their livestyle before, i was completely stripped of them this night and the following days to come.
over the next few days i was invited into homes for sodas, while Rahim's grandmothers prepared me delicious vegitarian meals. as more family filtered in from towns and villages across the country, i often heard loud wailing screams of excitement as the family expressed their gratitude for being together again...ive never seen such a grateful showing of emotion in america. one day i walked upon them eating lunch and found 50 small groups, elder men, elder women, young girls, young boys all classified into small families where they shared a large plate as they circled around on the floor. they continually scooped large portions of ugali and beans in their mouth in between laughs of joy...of course when i arrived there was a constant question to Rahim about if i was the wife-to-be along with laughter...but overall it was the best learning opportunity i have had yet in africa.
my last adventure was a motorbike ride though the bush on the middle of the island. no path just brushing past spike accacia trees and neck high grasslands until we finally came upon 2 elder and 2 youth men maasais. the youth played a game on a wooden board like our version of mancala only with large jack fruit sees. the mzees (grandfathers) sat around creating art and lounging under the large tree. we treked on, me equipped with a large back of sweets, and kids running to me in all directions. we visited nearly 10homes while i served about 52 kids a treat they hadnt seen maybe ever. i was highly welcomed by the large dangling earlobed mamas holding their beaded belly babies nearly naked under the small roof of the poop made home. this was truly beautiful. at one point i gave 2 mamas some money to take a photo and 1 ducked in her home i though upset by my request, i found she loved the idea and had gotten dressed in her fully traditional gems and cloths for me. she wanted a photo specifically representing our unity and held my hand in front of her home. i was truly blessed at this experience and i can see why the exotic nature has brought some many mzungus to the maasai lands where often they escape the western world. at last leaving i laughed to see 3 young boys draped in maasai cloth with a belt tying them securely. on one boys belt the face of Obama beamed and again the pride of Baraka surfaced on african soil.
we headed back to the motorbike (pika pika) and i found the elders now playing a game together with large ebony sticks...an idea popped in my head and requested to buy 2 of the sticks....they laughed and gave me a price waaaay to expensive. i realized they were joking and handed them about 50cents equivalent and i now have a lovely pair of chopsticks made from the maasai carved pangani island ebony! beautiful.
now i have endured a long ride travelling nearly 25-30hours in 2 days on bumpy roads and i have joined my kids here at Kin in Kampala again. just 2 days after spain wooped hollands arse! boo ya! i absolutely loved watching this event this year and am blessed to have been surrouded by africans during it....but i am in kampala where unfortunely sunday night the AL SHABOB bombers killed over 70+ people during a showing of the event. while i was relaxing watching fireworks explode for joy of spains win,,,,people were dying at the hands of the terrorists in kampala town. its a good reminder that while bliss may be happing here,,,,the greatest of evils are balancing on the other side of the earth...
for now it is peaceful times with my kin family as i am incorporating my beading project here and will be bringing goods back for donation to their feeding program here. also with the help of a newly graduated artist friend in america...i recieved funds which we have already started to get supplies for preventing mosquito bites and malaria to spread. thank you to our donors....
in two weeks i head back to Nairobi where i finalize my last project with the congolese refugees who will recieve some of the donation so they can construct woven baskets. i will also bring these back to america and am lookin for markets where these can be sold. let me know if you have suggestions.
i thank you for reading and may you be blessed by mother natures kind hand of grace each day!
sister kena achieng
