A Kiwi in Kenya

Reflections

marciechiwi — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 00:38:00 GMT

It has been one week since I arrived back in Sydney and each day I miss Kenya more. I see the children’s faces in my mind all the time and wish I could be back with them. The other night I couldn’t sleep – jetlag has hit quite hard this way around the globe – and spent my awake hours figuring out how soon I can go back.

It was tough to say goodbye to the family on Saturday. Francis drove me to the airport and Anna, Wambui and Kennedy came along too. More tears. As I hugged him goodbye Francis said, “promise me you’ll come back” and I did. Have to keep my promise don’t I? It was a long flight (or 3) home with spontaneous crying episodes all the way through. Could we please just turn the plane around? Thank you very much.

It is strange being back, particularly at this time of year when consumerism is at an all time high. There is something comforting about familiarity so coming back to Ebony’s (my best friend) was wonderful as was seeing Owen and the children but it feels different from when I left, I’m different I suppose. Strangest of all was the guilt I felt on Christmas Day while eating lunch. There was so much food; incredibly delicious food that I could keep going back to until I just couldn’t physically fit in anymore and all I could think was “imagine how many people this could feed”. “How can I be enjoying all of this when so many are starving?”

I look around the city and imagine what a difference it would make if all these people would donate just a little money and wonder how I can let them all know about the amazing work Lucy does. I want to buy lottery tickets, which I have probably done only three times in my life, so there is a tiny chance to win money that could help.

I went to see Les Miserables at the movies today (brilliant by the way) and could only think of little Moses and Brian and Joseph and Bobo etc when Jean Val Jean takes Cosette away to live a better life.

This experience has changed my perspective on, well, everything. Life is really all about love, connections and relationships. That’s what matters; taking care of and giving to others; sharing laughter, tears, joy and experiences with new and old friends and family. I know I need to find work, earn some money, find a place to live and make a life here but I’m never going to stop wanting to go back to those people who have made such an impact on me. In the meantime, I am going to do all I can to spread the word about Gathiga and Kihara orphanages and encourage people to give anything they can to give these children the best chance in life. In case you want to start now ;-) you can donate via PayPal at https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=qBXXJFmcE-dPDJ3TCxvleL1sS8za54klMpql0PlroUuyXgwZrs6a1QORCZW&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f8e263663d3faee8d0b7e678a25d883d0fa72c947f193f8fd

Ok, so now what happens? I have two articles/pieces, whatever they are going to be, to write which I hope you read (you can send me a comment to let me know you’d like to receive it when it’s done – actually you can post a comment anyway just to say hi if you like :-), one about the IDP Camp and one about Lucy and the orphanages, I find a fantastic job, I write to my new friends and family in Kenya at least every week and I save furiously to head back to where pieces of my heart now reside.

Thank you all so much for reading my Kenya diary. It has been a thrill to log in and see that people have actually viewed my posts! Thanks! May your 2013 be filled with love because ultimately, that’s all you really need.

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.” – Charles Dickens

Asante Kenya

marciechiwi — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 01:18:00 GMT

It is my last night in Kenya. Tomorrow I go back to Australia and back to what I knew before I left on this big adventure but I like to think I’m not going back as the same person. Ok, maybe I’m still the crazy Kiwi who loves to sing and dance and adores her friends and family but I’m now also the Kiwi who has been changed by this incredible experience. The people I have met will stay in my heart and my life forever. I couldn’t have hoped for a better adventure.

As some will know, I planned my time so I could celebrate my 40^th birthday here in Kenya. Wednesday night (19^th) came and Anna and Agnes insisted we stay up till midnight so we could see in my 41^st year. We sat in their room watching a movie. I kind of knew they had something planned but no idea what. At about 5 to 12 they both feigned having to go to the toilet or something then minutes later came in with a heart-shaped cake with candles singing Happy Birthday :-) They are super gorgeous! It was just so beautiful! I’m so lucky to be sharing my time here with them. They are both 19 but both say I act just like them so seem like their age – heh, I wish! We watched the end of the movie munching on a little bit of cake then I headed to bed. Turning 40 in Kenya is pretty fantastic.

The next day we decided to buy the kids a whole heap of fruit as my present to them on my birthday. It was Thursday so market day in Wangige. We bought 30 mangos, 30 oranges and 40 bananas for 500 shillings! That’s only about $6! When we got to the orphanage I had the best welcome. Little Moses was walking along, saw me, broke into a huge smile, said “Marcella!” and promptly took my hand. When Joseph saw me he literally ran and threw himself at me. Now he is 10 so not exactly small! Bobo wanted a cuddle and to be picked up so I had a group of little angels with me from the moment I got there. The kids had all just had lunch so the timing of giving out the fruit was perfect. We all went into the classroom and one of the mamas explained that I had brought them fruit, as it was my birthday. They all clapped and cheered then sang me Happy Birthday. We handed it all out so they had 3 pieces each. I was asked to say a few words so just told them that they had filled my heart with love and joy, that I would never forget them and thanked them for being so wonderful. And yes, I may have cried a little, but you know, it’s emotional!! I went and sat with them and had a little crowd of kiddies with me all enjoying their fruit. They don’t get it very much at all as it is expensive and they can’t afford it.

We had decided the day before that we would go to the Massai Market at Junction that afternoon as a few of us wanted to get some more souvenirs. The other two volunteers were planning to come with us but through a series of timing issues and indecisions they didn’t end up coming and the three of us got there quite late, hmm. Anyway, it was enough time to bargain and pick up some nice things before heading to Planet Yoghurt. When we got there, a group of people, mostly Americans, was singing Happy Birthday to someone in their group. When they walked past us I asked whose birthday it was and told them it was my birthday too so they proceeded to sing me Happy Birthday as well! Heh.

We then went off to Nakumatt (love that store!) to pick up some not-so-essentials and caught a taxi home. It was a quiet evening chatting and then to bed. What a wonderful day.

Friday

The family had arrived home from Mombassa early in the morning so were in the house when we got up. Agnes’ family was arriving in Nairobi that day so she didn’t come with us to the orphanage. The other two volunteers (Hope and Lureen) were off into Nairobi to stay the night there before their safari so Anna and I went with Dorkus, Ann, Lucy and Moses to the orphanage. As usual it was a fantastic day. I had bought balloons the day before so we gave those out to the kiddies and they seemed to enjoy them. I went out to help prepare the rice and sang with Dorkus cuddled kiddies, chatted with Lucy and the mamas and generally had a beautiful time. It was past lunchtime by now and I was feeling like I was avoiding the inevitable – saying goodbye. So I bit the bullet and started the farewells. Oh good Lord it was tough. I was such a crybaby; I just didn’t want to leave them. I hugged the children so much I’m surprised they didn’t fight to get away! The mamas told me I had to come back as did Dorkus and Ann. I think I’m going to have to. I stood at the gate for a bit and the kiddies came down to wave goodbye. Little Moses kept giving me kisses. Anna got a great photo on camera for me. I’m never going to forget everyone there. They have enriched my life so much, it has been one of the best experiences I have ever had and I’m so very grateful.

Anna and I caught the matatu home and chilled out for a bit. Agnes and her family came to the house; it was lovely to meet them. Mum, dad and 4 sisters! I was upstairs for a bit and Kennedy and Moses came up to say Happy Birthday for yesterday. Kennedy gave me a gorgeous necklace, which I absolutely love. They said they would sing me Happy Birthday but downstairs. When I came down there were all these balloons on the table and a beautiful cake that had “Happy 40^th Birthday” on it with candles! I was so touched! The family had felt bad that they were away for my birthday and wanted to celebrate with me. I tried not to cry, can’t remember if I actually managed not to. What a wonderful last night. Agnes and her family headed back to their hotel, I interviewed Lucy some more then it was time for bed.

I can’t even explain how much this time has meant to me. Not only because of the amazing people I have met but also because of the confidence I have gained on my travels. I was quite nervous about it all at the beginning as I would be far away from my support system and would be so far out of my comfort zone but my fears were unwarranted and I have gained so much. I don’t think I want to stop travelling now that I know I can do it. Where to next?

Goodbye Kenya, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Nakupenda– I love you.

The End is Nigh

marciechiwi — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 23:53:00 GMT

3 sleeps to go. That sux. It has mostly been a beautiful week. I say mostly because I got sick on Friday night (my stomach decided to evacuate all contents by all means possible and it was not pretty!) so I missed the wedding on Saturday although I did attempt to go. Got dressed up, went in the van, got there, felt like pants and came all the way back again. Spent Saturday and most of Sunday in bed but had good company. Agnes and Anna watched movies with me on Sunday and the family kept checking in to make sure I was ok. Awww, love them.

The days at the orphanage have been so special. I’m becoming increasingly aware of how close it is to my leaving this beautiful country and my new friends. We were all in the classroom/building today greeting some visitors and little Moses was sitting on my knee as he did for most of the day. With no warning whatsoever my eyes filled with tears and I felt so sad and empty. I couldn’t imagine letting this little one go after all his smiles and hugs and laughter. And Bobo and Brian and Joseph and Teresiah and Dorkus; the list continues. I think I hid it but I certainly felt it. How could all these children, volunteers and the family have become so important to me so quickly? I guess love and affection is international isn’t it? Look at what can happen when you open your heart without reservation. I have apparently been here to volunteer but I feel (despite how sickly sweet this may sound) that I have received so much more than I have given.

Lucy’s eldest daughter Mary and her husband Julian arrived from Germany on Monday as did two new volunteers (Hope and Lureen). Wambui, Moses, Mary, Julian and Elizabeth all went to Mombassa on the night bus on Monday night and Lucy, Duncan, Ndegwa and Njeri went on the plane on Tuesday morning so we have been in the house with Ann, Dorkus, Francis, Kennedy and Dan. Seeing as I’m the eldest I should be the one in charge but considering I’m also one of the most immature that hasn’t happened! It has been really fun, watching movies, sitting on the balcony chatting – well, that only lasted until a gigantic mother of a spider started crawling down the wall. Sure it wasn’t comparable to Aussie monsters but big enough to have us all moving in the opposite direction. Francis came up and checked it out. Oh, it’s poisonous? Right, well, good that we moved away then! Squished spider on the bottom of Wambui’s shoe. We’ll tell her later.

We paid a visit to Planet Yoghurt this afternoon. Heaven, ‘nuff said.

You know, I’m even going to miss this cat. She may be terribly skinny and may try to steal any food in our rooms but she’s friendly and cuddly and gives me my feline fix. They just call her ‘Puss’, we renamed her Marcella :-)

Because the family is in Mombassa and only back late Thursday night we are going to have a party on Friday night to celebrate Ann’s, Mary’s and my birthday. There will be dancing, oh yes there will, and the singing of the Happy Birthday and probably tears. Francis said to me on Monday night that I shouldn’t be mad if he doesn’t come and say goodbye to me. ??? Ah why? He then said he can’t say goodbye to people he has become attached to. *Sniff*

You know what, I don’t actually have that much to report except to say my time here has been extraordinary and I know it is going to be heartbreaking to say goodbye. I was feeling somewhat lost before I came to Kenya, always worried about what I didn’t have and what was going to happen in the future. Now I really feel calm and peaceful and extremely grateful. Asante sana Kenya xxxx

Week 6

marciechiwi — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 19:35:00 GMT

I can’t believe I have only 8 days left here :-( I have really gotten used to it all, even travelling in matatus, which is something I never thought I would say. I love where I’m staying, I have made wonderful friends, I have met phenomenal people who have inspired me and I have formed relationships with beautiful children. How am I supposed to say goodbye? I guess I’ll just have to come back :-)

So I have a whole lot to tell you about haven’t I? I have been rather slack. Apologies.

Tuesday

Another wonderful day at the orphanage with the children. One of the boys had to be taken to the ‘hospital’ as he had a problem with his foot. I put it in inverted commas as I heard it was just two rooms with less than sanitary conditions and very basic medical equipment. Anyway, it seems he was a bit better after the visit so that’s a good thing. I spent practically all day in the classroom with the children, chatting and laughing and cuddling. Loved it. We decided to go to the mall after lunch to see if there was something the girls could buy to go to Cleo’s wedding on Saturday. We got to Wangige (the village closest to us that has a bit of a bus terminal) and decided to go to The Junction instead as we thought it might have a better selection. We asked which bus would take us to Junction, were directed to one and got on it. After a while we realized it wasn’t going where we thought it should. I have been there a few times and wasn’t recognizing anything along the way. Uh right, so we weren’t going anywhere near there as it turns out. Ok, let’s just catch the bus back to Westgate; we actually know how to get there. After that there was a series of unfortunate events that were just annoying but everything was forgiven and forgotten once we went to Planet Yoghurt. Yum, just yum – 12 different flavours of frozen yoghurt and loads of extras like strawberries, raspberries, melon, pineapple, passion fruit, brownie pieces, cheesecake pieces, wafer, MnMs, chocolate hail, gummy bears, chocolate sauce, coconut flakes, caramelized cashews and so much more. You put as much of everything you want in a pottle, have it weighed, pay and slip into heaven. Once the eating starts conversation is non-existent as we savour every mouthful of the yoghurty goodness. After that things got better. We didn’t find anything for the girls to wear but had fun looking around. I decided I was going to shout us all a taxi home so we didn’t have to rush home before dark. Later at home we had dinner, I gave Lucy mum’s donation (there’s just something about seeing it all in cold hard cash) and Agnes, Ana and I watched Eat Pray Love in my room. It’s a long movie that one so we only watched it part way through and I went to bed. Up early tomorrow. IDP camp day.

Wednesday

Up at 5:45am, showered and ready to go. Francis was downstairs when I came down and said “Luann, Karen and Lilly are going home today”. I thought he had made a mistake and said “no, no, on Sunday”. “No” he said, “they are leaving today. Lilly is not well”. They had gone on safari and had enjoyed most of it but Lilly was feeling sick, lethargic and generally under the weather so they only did 3 out of the 4 days of safari. They took Lilly for tests then decided together that it would just be best to go back to the U.S early. I was so gutted as I wouldn’t get to see them and say goodbye. Luann and I chatted on the phone and promised to stay in touch. Damn, that sux.

Moses, Wambui and I picked Kush up and headed to the camp. Once there we met with teacher Joyce who was going to help me with interpreting. She was really lovely and happy to see us. I interviewed her first and heard all about how she ended up at the camp, how she and her family lost everything and how the government had basically forgotten them. It was just heartbreaking. Everyone at Vumilia IDP camp is a victim of the post election violence and lost their homes and everything else because of the anger of those against the in-coming president. Over 1000 people died and about 100 000 were displaced. I heard how some had seen people from their village cut down as they tried to escape, had seen churches burnt down with woman and children inside and others had come back to their houses only to see victims’ heads littered outside. One gentleman didn’t want to be interviewed when asked as he didn’t want to remember what happened. Joyce later said he had lost two brothers in the violence.

Unfortunately my video camera batteries ran out super quick (grrrrr) so I only ended up with 6 interviews. All of them mentioned the same struggles and all wanted the same thing; a place they could call their own. The land they are on belongs to someone who is going to have to take it back next March. He has been extremely generous for five years now and understandably needs it. The people in the camp have no idea where they are going to go. They desperately want a small piece of land where they can build a permanent structure to live in rather than the ripped tents they have now and grow crops. One acre costs about 350000ksh (around $4000US) and 3 families could share it. That would mean about 6 000 000ksh ($70 000US) for 17 families which isn’t ridiculous but they have no way of getting any of it. Oh how I wish I could win the lottery! I’m going to write up all the interviews, include background info and put it into some sort of order. Hopefully it will end up as some sort of legible, interesting profile, article or e-book. I’ll let you know.

One of the women I interviewed was called Lucy. She was in her 60s and just lovely. She spoke in Kiswahili and Joyce interpreted but there was a lot I picked up as she was so animated. We got on so well. She asked how old I was then proclaimed that I was now her daughter :-) When it was time to go she didn’t want me to leave. So cute.

While Wambui and I were there interviewing, Kush and Moses went to Gilgil, the nearby town, and bought supplies for the camp with donated money I had. After the interviews we gave out flour and the clothes Lucy had donated; the rest was going to be distributed later. They were all so happy and sang a thank you song. Again many of them stayed to dance and I joined in. When it was time to go one of the women asked Kush if he could please leave me with them as she hugged me. So special.

I promised them all I would do my best to write their stories and that I would tell everyone I knew about what they were going through. We left waving furiously to everyone.

It was about 6 by the time we got near Nairobi so had some dinner, which was lovely as we could just sit and chat. I was so tired when we got home that I just zoned out until bedtime. Each day I see and hear things that make me so very grateful for my life; I am exceptionally thankful today.

Thursday

Braids day! After consulting with Wambui’s hairdresser who was going to put my braids in, we went to the supermarket to buy some hair as you do! Three packets came to a whopping $4. It’s so funny to me that they sell it everywhere; it’s as common as milk and eggs. There are many different shades so we chose one that was closest to my natural colour and headed back to start the process. Emily was fantastic, she worked like a machine. She took some ‘hair’ and plaited it with small lots of my hair then continued with the fake hair until the end. She was so quick, it was really impressive to watch. Despite her speed, the whole thing took about four hours. It was ok though as I was sorting out the hair for her and watching every step. At the end I had a head full of braids…and a sore scalp! She pulled it back into a style and I finally saw what it should look like and really liked it. I have long hair again after about 12 years! So very cool. I bought some spray to keep the braids in and a few hair ties then headed home with Moses who had come to pick me up. Agnes, Ana and Wambui loved it and all said I look so much younger. Excellent! I really didn’t think I would get braids when I was first here as I thought my hair was too short to put them in. So glad I got it done. I want them to last forever!

We had a quiet evening finishing Eat Pray Love and watching another movie downstairs. Bedtime and sleeping on braids. Should be interesting.

Lala Salama.

Friday

Back to the orphanage today which was so good as I was really missing the kids. The whole day was just spent cuddling and playing; best volunteering gig ever! There were some guests there today who had brought some donations as well as some treats for the kids. Everyone was in the classroom building as the guests chatted to everyone then gave out juice, biscuits and lollies as the kids sang. For some reason, little Moses ended up crying (no doubt on the receiving end of a whack) so I called him over for a cuddle. He came over and just snuggled up. He stayed on my lap for ages. Brain was sitting on the floor down beside the bench I was on and at one stage just reached up to me and held my hand for a while. I really love that little boy, I really do. I just want him to have everything, to be happy and healthy and, well, mine. As soon as I find a job back home I am going to sponsor him. And then there is little Moses, and Bobo and Muema and Joseph and Teresiah and Mary…and the list goes on. Again, I need to win the lottery! I guess buying a ticket would help, heh. I was a little emotional today sitting with them all in the class. The guests would talk and sing with them but I felt as if I really know the kids, am not just a one time guest, and they know me. They asked me to help with opening their biscuit packets and wanted me to sit with them. I’m so so lucky to have been able to experience this. Pure love.

I needed to get a few things so Ana, Agnes and I went to Westgate. We were all craving Planet Yoghurt so indulged again. I thought about how wonderful it would be to take the kids there, how much they would love it. We picked up a few things then headed home. We may or may not have bought a bottle of Amarula and I may or may not have had a few drinks and maybe gotten a little tipsy…but you know, nothing can be confirmed at this stage *ahem*. There are 4 volunteers arriving tonight and they’re staying for a couple of nights before heading off to their placements. They are getting here quite late so I’m staying up to say hi. Ana and Agnes have gone with Wambui to her aunt’s place to see if they can borrow something to wear to the wedding tomorrow.

I’m just so content. I’m safe and happy and just enjoying being in the now. I’ve had trouble with that in the past, worrying about what is coming, what has been and how everything is going to turn out but Kenya is teaching me that life right now is precious and shouldn’t be wasted on worrying about what may never be. If you ever feel overwhelmed by all-consuming worries, find some children to spend time with and watch as they fully immerse themselves in the now and enjoy every second of colouring in, pouring water, watching a butterfly. Go back to what you used to know; now is all we have.

Donations Shopping and Mandazi

marciechiwi — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 16:58:00 GMT

It turns out my mother is an angel. She has been reading my blog and has listened to me talk about the orphanages and wants to help so has made quite a big donation. I told Lucy tonight and she cried, and so did I.

I have read a profile on Children’s Hope Home that Francis (a young man who helps out with the accounts and other admin) wrote. At the end he lists the running costs of the orphanage and it is a lot. Most of the time they don’t make it so they go without. That usually means without food or electricity or late wages for the workers who only accept it because they love Lucy and the children so much. The homes rely on donations and help from people who know about the amazing work being done. There have been a few times that both orphanages have come close to closing because there just wasn’t enough money but somehow they have continued to make it through. I know there are a million and one charities to donate to but from now on this will be one I support as much as I can. I know what a difference even a little amount makes and where the money goes. And now of course I have a little plea. Even if you have only a couple of dollars to spare and want to donate to something worthwhile, I urge you to go to Paypal http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.paypal.com%2Fcgi-bin%2Fwebscr%3Fcmd%3D_s-xclick%26hosted_button_id%3DFVC2MKZJ2TT9Q&h=tAQHh41lBAQGLoBgBrjsJm_e3VNBQaZDt8NPoitXFixzDTQ- and donate whatever you can. Find out more about this beautiful, wonderful, caring, happy orphanage at:http://hopehome.or.ke/index.php

Thank you all in advance :-)

Back to updating you all on the happenings here in Kenya. Saturday was shopping day. Wambui (Lucy’s daughter), Agnes, Ana and I took a matatu into Nairobi, met Josh and went to the Masai Market. Josh was there to help me out a bit and make sure I didn’t get ripped off. I think all in all I did rather well actually. I was happy with my purchases and my bargaining skills and didn’t come out at all scathed. To say thank you I shouted Josh pizza at Pizza Inn where we all went for lunch. Unfortunately it was time to say goodbye to Josh after that as he left Kenya today (Monday). He is one of the many fantastic people I have met on this incredible journey. Bye Josh :-(

We headed home with our purchases and chilled out for the rest of the evening chatting and laughing with Lucy around the brazier they have in the kitchen. Lovely day.

Lala Salama

Sunday

Sunday was an extremely lazy day although it was not supposed to be. Ana and I had agreed to go to church but Ana was not at all well and I managed to pull a muscle in my back making it difficult to move around. So, it became a day of reading, chatting, eating and movies. Rather nice as it turns out.

Now I think I may have mentioned before that one sound that irks me beyond belief is barking dogs, especially the yappy ones that kind of howl and bark at the same time. I think perhaps I may be being punished for something as I come here and there are at least 100 dogs around the place (including the 4 that live here) that feed off each other – not literally of course! Although that would stop the barking I guess – and bark constantly for hours at a time. A lot of the time I manage to distract myself and ignore it but last night it drove me mental so up to my room I went and listened to music. All I can say is thank God for earphones and volume control! Such a silly thing to get worked up over but there you go, we all have our oddities and that is one of mine; one of many I am sure.

Monday

Lucy’s car broke down last night about 2 hours out of Nairobi so Moses and Duncan were out trying to get it fixed. Ana still wasn’t completely well so Agnes and I headed off to catch matatus to the orphanage. As usual we got a lovely reception from the staff and kiddies. Little Moses Kibaki and Bobo immediately held one of my hands each as we wandered around. I went to chat to Francis about mum’s donation and to see if there was anything I could do admin-wise that could help him out. Moses sat on my lap the whole time just relaxing and playing with my glasses. Those times are just so precious. They are so innocent and sweet and happily show you exactly how they feel which is wonderful when they just want to cuddle and be near you. I thought Moses had been left on the steps of the orphanage when he was a baby but apparently he was actually left in a tea field to die when he was less than a year old. He was found and taken to the police and ended up at the orphanage. They saved his life. He is such a smart little boy and will no doubt do really well in school when he goes. He is only about 4 at the moment although they are not exactly sure as he came with no details, not even a name.

The whole day was mainly spent hanging out with the kids doing puzzles, throwing a ball around and also helping out with preparing beans. Unexpectedly, some staff from NVS came to the orphanage to see how I was going. It was so nice to see Christabel, Moses and George. They stayed for a while and chatted then took Agnes and I home. One of the staff from NVS, Cleopus, is getting married on Saturday and everyone is invited and I mean everyone. Basically it is an open invitation. Apparently you never really know how many people are going to show up to a Kenyan wedding. Invitations go out and those people are assured if they say they are coming but others are randomly invited and just show up! Lucy and Wambui are invited so I will go with them. Really looking forward to it. What will I wear!

I’m going to the IDP camp on Wednesday (just for the day now) and will be able to, with mum’s help, buy food for the families there. When we came home today there was a pile of clothes on the table and Lucy told me they were for me to take to the IDP camp as donations! How amazing is she?? She gives everywhere she can! I called her over and told her about the donation from mum and my friends. It was one of the most precious moments of my life. She was genuinely shocked then just grabbed me and hugged me so tight. I know the money will make a huge difference. Thank you to everyone again, you are wonderful!!

After dinner we learnt how to make mandazi – the sweet Kenyan donuts. Well, Lucy made them and we watched and oooed and ahhhed in the right places. They are deep fried (which is why they taste so good) in a triangle shape but Ana and Agnes decided to try different shapes so we ended up with a Christmas tree, the letter M for me, a star, a hand, a snowman (??), a heart and various other odd concoctions. No matter what they looked like they tasted delicious! After consuming quite a few, must make sure they are up to standard you see, it was time for bed. What a heartwarming day.

Lala Salama.

All You Need Is Love

marciechiwi — Sun, 9 Dec 2012 20:45:00 GMT

You know, I really feel like I’m doing what I hoped when I first decided to come to Kenya. Although it was great at the school there didn’t seem to be as much opportunity to create relationships with children or adults as classes were only 35 minutes long, we had different ones each day and the teachers were always busy although would always come and say hello to us. At the orphanage we spend everyday with the same people and although it has only been 5 days it feels like we are part of their lives already. The women who work there are always happy to see us, Dorkus (I think I called her Doka in the last few posts, oops), one of the older girls greets us with a huge hug and the children always run to us in the morning, happy to see us again. It is so special. It has been one week and I would be sad if I had to leave now. I don’t know how I’m going to feel on December 21 when I have to say goodbye to them all. Hmm, best not think about that right now.

Wednesday morning we met Agnes and Chung, other volunteers who have been staying here, who arrived back from their stay in Mombasa. They had travelled on the over night bus which is apparently not the most comfortable way to travel so they were both exhausted. Karen and Lilly were going to spend the day with friends who had recently moved to Nairobi so it was just Ana, Luann and I going to the orphanage. Each day is more relaxed than the previous one. We help preparing beans for lunch and dinner, play games with the children and generally spend time with them. It is so lovely.

Today was so uplifting for me as I gave donation money to Lucy to buy food for the orphanage. Thank you so much to everyone at home who donated cash. Believe me, you have helped more than you know. It was such good timing as all they had left in the food store was beans and it was getting a bit desperate. I gave Lucy the equivalent of $110 US (and more is coming), which she spent on two gigantic bags of rice, washing powder for clothes and soap for the children. She was so very grateful and the children were able to eat rice for lunch for the first time in ages. It felt amazing! One of the women who works there came over and sang me a song, which basically says thank you and God bless you. Rice never tasted so good!

While preparing the beans for lunch, Dorkus (who is 19 and 13 days younger than Ana) taught me a song she sings in church. She has such a beautiful voice; it is wonderful to hear her. I managed to get it mostly and sang along with her. We’re going to sing it to Lucy when we perfect it.

After lunch we started walking home with David, one of the older boys, accompanying us so we knew where we were going. As the four of us walked along the dirt road side-by-side, it was noted that representatives from four continents were walking together, Africa, Europe, North American and Oceania. Kinda cool. International relations at their best.

We met Moses coming the other way in the car, he had come to pick us up so we got in and headed off. We had a relaxing evening chatting and hearing all about Karen and Lilly’s day. They had gone to the Elephant Orphanage, Giraffe Centre and to market day at The Junction. Josh had gone with them to help them trade and shop. They had heaps of fun but it was pretty full on. They showed us what they had bought/traded. It was all so beautiful. I am going on Saturday again with Wambui (Lucy’s daughter), Ana, Agnes and Josh and may even attempt the trade thing. We shall see if I’m game enough.

I headed to my room around 10:30 but ended up listening to music, writing my blog, looking through all the photos Luann and I had downloaded onto my computer (there are two I am going to submit to the IVHQ photo competition) and basically chilling out. It was getting pretty late which is the time my mind starts wandering. I started imagining what it would like to take Brian, Joseph and Bobo back with me and raise them. How they would adjust, what it would be like to be a mother to them. The thing is there are about 3 or 4 others I would want to take with me too! I could almost see them in school uniforms, playing with their new friends, falling asleep in my arms. It is completely unfeasible but the idea was so wonderful nonetheless. I figured I ought to go to sleep before I started planning how it was practically all going to work.

Lala Salama.

Friday

Lilly woke up feeling quite ill so she and Karen stayed at home today while the rest of us went to the orphanage. There were more hugs and happy greetings when we arrived. I’ll never get sick of mornings at Gathiga. The little ones were particularly close to us today. Luann and little Mary have become really close and she admits the thought of adopting her has crossed Luann’s mind. I’m not the only one! Bobo came and sat on my legs (I was on the ground helping out with some jigsaw puzzles), as did little Muema and Mary – who needs to be able to walk when you have these wee angels with you. They may be small but are rather heavy altogether! Bobo was fascinated with my sunglasses and kept sliding them down off my face so she could see my eyes then putting them back up again. She would come really close, noses almost touching looking into the glasses then at my eyes. She would put her little hand on my face; too too cute. It is especially sweet watching them chatting to each other or singing in their adorable wee voices. We finally all got up but Bobo wanted more cuddles so we wandered around with her in my arms. I could get used to this. At some point she got down and Muema (he’s about 3 years old) wanted to come up. We wandered past Francis who said, “You look like you belong together”. “I wish but I don’t even have a job! We would end up starving together” I joked. “But you would have love” he replied. How true. I guess it’s all you really need.

Dorkus and some of the others were putting braids in one of the girl’s (Rachel) hair. It was so cool to watch. You buy the extensions then plait them from the scalp with the real hair and continue with the fake hair until the end. If done properly, and it was, I think it looks really good. I was quite tempted, actually I still am. Hmm, you know what, I think I might give it a go. Apparently my hair isn’t too short although it is softer and more slippery than African hair so the braids wouldn’t stay in too long but so what. There is a salon nearby that does them really well. Now don’t hold me to that decision but I may end up going back to Australia with braided hair! I dream I have long hair all the time and always wake up disappointed. Many of my dreams have come true since I’ve been here so why not that one?! Watch this space.

We said goodbye to everyone then headed off to the matatu stop with Francis. It was a much nicer experience than basically every other matatu I have been on. It wasn’t crowded, there wasn’t loud music going and the conductor wasn’t shouting for customers whenever we stopped. We stopped at Wangige market (near where we live), went to the post office and to the supermarket for supplies – read soft drinks and chips! Another matatu, a bit of a wander and we were home. Luann, Karen and Lilly are off on safari tomorrow (I would go again in a heartbeat if I could afford it) so they had an early night and the rest of us watched a DVD. It really feels like home here. Happy Marcella.

Lala Salama

Children's Trials

marciechiwi — Fri, 7 Dec 2012 09:13:00 GMT

It has been an amazing, sad and inspiring couple of days. We were up and raring to go on Tuesday morning, looking forward to seeing the beautiful children of Hope Home once again. We brought more supplies with us today donated by friends of Karen’s and Luann’s. This time it was beanie babies of all shapes and sizes and the kids loved them, even the older ones were happy to get a soft toy. We had paper and coloured pencils with us so the kids spent lots of time drawing pictures. At one stage we were sitting in the nursery room preparing beans and little Moses (Kibaki) started crying. I think he had been hit on the head so I picked him up and cuddled him while he cried. I sang to him and he quieted down a little. So precious. He stayed in my arms until lunch was called…there are priorities you know :-)

Lucy explained to us later that some of the children had some bacterial sores on their hands that were being contracted by the other children so she had to get someone in to spray the orphanage to prevent it spreading. After that was done we said goodbye to Gathiga and drove with the spray guy – that’s his official name of course ;-) to the other orphanage Lucy runs.

A lot of the children at this orphanage are HIV positive and although they are usually no risk to anyone, all the children play a lot, fall down, cut themselves etc so the risk of infection is a little higher; not much but enough so that Lucy thinks it best to have most of them together. Some there do not have the virus but because they have brothers and sisters there they are kept together. We met one such family. Brian, his brother Joseph and sister Bobo, were introduced to us. Their single mother had died of AIDS and they were left alone. As Brian was the oldest at age 7 or 8 he assumed the role of father and would go out and have to beg to bring in money for his brother and sister to eat. I’m not sure for how long this went on but Lucy heard about them and brought them back to the orphanage. Brian is now 11 years old and, through his mother, is HIV positive although his siblings aren’t. He has drugs to keep him as healthy as possible and doesn’t show any signs of illness. He is shy and quiet and has a smile that could melt the stoniest heart. For I don’t know how long he had the weight of the world on his tiny shoulders trying to keep his family together and alive and now he can just be a little boy and be looked after, such is the amazing work that Lucy and the others do. Although Brian was quite shy, he still laughed and smiled when his beanie baby ‘jumped’ on his head and bounced around him. He smiled even more when I ran around the courtyard chasing him. He was way too fast for me though. All the children are so incredibly special but he is one little boy that has touched my heart.

One of the older residents gave us a tour around the little orphanage and we found out that he, Julius, was one of the original 6 children who didn’t want to leave Lucy’s house all those years ago and therefore, one of the inspirations for the orphanages. He is doing incredibly well and is so grateful to Lucy for everything she has done. It was so fantastic to meet him.

After the spraying at this orphanage was done and we had finished giving out some of the clothes Karen and Luann brought we were off home. The children lined the fence to wave and say goodbye.

We had been asked earlier in the day if we would like to do a street kids outreach that Lucy runs. We would go early in the morning to give out bread and tea to some street kids in Nairobi. Most of us were keen so it was organized for the next morning. We put money together and headed to market to buy supplies. One of the guys that came with us, Dan, was also one of the original 6. He has such an amazing attitude to life, so positive and forward-looking. It was wonderful to be around. Later that evening, after dinner, we buttered and jammed (doesn’t sound quite right but you know what I mean) the bread to get ready for the next morning. I wasn’t sure what to expect but was looking forward to being part of it.

Time for bed.

Lala Salama.

Wednesday

Did my alarm really just go off at 4:20am? Yep, it did. Ok, up I get. Luann, Ana and I got dressed and headed downstairs to help prepare the tea. Actually we just watched as chai was made (in one of the enormous pots that is used at the orphanage) over wood and coals in the backyard. When it was boiled, a lot of the burning wood was pulled out from under the pot to stop it boiling over – you can’t just turn down the stove on this thing! The whole lot of it then had to be strained bit by bit and then poured into huge plastic containers ready to take to Nairobi. We headed into the city with Duncan (Lucy’s husband), Calvin, Francis and another guy whose name I don’t remember to the area where a lot of the street kids they know sleep. Not long after Duncan and Calvin went to let them know we were there, a lot of children and some adults came and stood with us by the van.

It was heartbreaking to see young children around 8 years old come by themselves or in a group of others just as young. Everyone’s clothes were filthy, some had shoes, others had only one and still others walked in bare feet. Although some smiled others’ faces showed the strain life on the street had taken on them. They stared blankly into the crowd, waiting for our meager offering. The poverty was palpable. We opened the van and started giving them tea. There was a sea of hands, jostling for prime position, straining to get some hot tea in cups we had supplied. I tried to look up and smile at them all but there were so many and they kept coming thick and fast. I remember one boy, maybe around 12, who was shaking so badly when he came up with his cup that I had to steady his hand with mine. Although I managed to keep it together while I was there, writing this has brought me to tears. The bread was then distributed. There just wasn’t enough although it seemed like most people got at least one slice. They all began returning the cups when we had gone through everything; no fuss, no trying to keep them. One image keeps running through my head: a little boy, no older than about 2 or 3 walking slowly towards me with his cup. One of our guys was going to take it but he moved to avoid him and kept walking to me. I bent down and he handed me the cup then shuffled away again. We all know there is poverty, desperate poverty, all over the world but to see it, feel it, touch it is quite different. The orphanages are full and Lucy can’t take any more children but she is still doing what she can to help them.

When we prepared to leave we noticed that a little girl who, to us, looked about 3 years old but was actually closer to 6, was put in the van. We were to take her with us. She was meant to be at the orphanage or with her aunt out of Nairobi for the break. Somehow she had ended up back with her mother and was on the street again. Lucy had said that if the guys found any orphanage children there to bring them back, as it is unsafe on the street. The little girl (Mary) sat on my knee all the way back to the house, smiling and giggling, pointing and waving at everything and anything. It turns out she wasn’t just overly happy and excited she was high. Her mother had given her glue to sniff! What the …. ?? Hard to fathom.

After breakfast and a rest we all headed into the orphanage. I was happy to see Brian and his brother and sister along with the other children from Kihara (the other orphanage) at Gathiga. They had been moved over because of the spraying yesterday. It was a really fun day playing games – a couple of drama games, jump rope, hand clapping games and more. It seemed like the kiddies really enjoyed themselves, we definitely did. Just spending time with these gorgeous little people really fills my heart with joy. Simply holding their hands or watching them play is so special. There’s also something wonderful about sharing lunch with them, sitting with them while we all enjoy the same meal. It still hits me sometimes that I’m actually here in Africa, privileged enough to spend time with these incredible people, people who have endured so much, people who have dedicated their lives to helping others, people who have so little but give so much. I’m really very lucky.

I’m not going to be able to simply go home and put it all down to a great holiday. I will make sure as many people as possible know about what life is like for some in Kenya and that we, regardless of how little we may have, can help. $20, even $10 can help. That’s wood for the fire for the children’s meals. That’s fuel to transport a child to hospital. That’s bread to feed the street kids. And amazingly, to sponsor a child at these orphanages is only ksh4500 a month – about $50 – which pays for their schooling, clothes, food and so much more. A group of 3 could sponsor a child and change their life for about 55 cents a day and the money goes directly to the orphanage, not to any administrators. Goodness, I sound like a TV ad, sorry. I guess I’m just amazed at how little it takes to make such a difference. Anyway, food for thought.

Josh, an IVHQ volunteer who has been here three months, came out to visit as he was at Gathiga for a few weeks early on in his stay. The kids were really excited to see him. After more playing, hugs and high fives we headed back to the house. We had organized to go out to dinner at Artcaffe (great restaurant) as it was both Luann’s and Josh’s birthday the next day. Lilly’s had been on 2 December and mine is the 20^th so we celebrated all the December birthdays. Tania and Nadia, other volunteers joined us there. It was such good night. Great food and company. Although I really enjoyed it, part of me felt a bit guilty splashing out like that after what we had seen that day.

Three days here and I have seen and felt so much already! What will the next couple of weeks be like??
I have organized to go back to Vumilia IDP camp next Monday and Tuesday with Kush from NVS. I know I am going to hear heartbreaking stories but it is important to me to collect them and share them with you and anyone else who wants to know more. I’m ready.

Gathiga Children's Hope Home

marciechiwi — Wed, 5 Dec 2012 17:41:00 GMT

Lucy is an amazing woman. I have incredible respect for her, for what she has done and for what she continues to do. Children’s lives have been changed for the better because of her. Many would have died if she had not taken them in and to the orphanage.

Let’s go back to Sunday before I tell you about the home. Ana and I met Tania and Jackie (other IVHQ volunteers) at Junction Mall, had some delicious frozen yoghurt and went to the movies. All very civilized. We were going to catch a taxi home but heard that the other three volunteers had arrived, had had their orientation and were about to be taken out to the homestay so we arranged to catch a ride with them and the boys from NVS. We met Luann, Karen and Lilly. Luann and Karen are sisters and Lily is Karen’s 12-year-old daughter. They are all from California and are here in Kenya for two weeks. Because of flight delays they missed their connecting flight to Nairobi and had to stay a night in Amsterdam, hence their late arrival. Anyhow, we all headed back to Lucy’s place and they settled in. Karen and Lilly were in the room with me and Luann shared with Ana. The power had gone out that morning about 9am and wasn’t back yet when we returned so it was torches until about 8pm when the house flooded with light again. Much better. Quick, charge everything…again!

As I’ve said, Lucy’s house is two-story but did I mention the stairs are a death trap? They spiral slightly up to the second floor with no railing at the side or at the top so the second floor landing basically drops off at the side of the stairs straight to the bottom. You could certainly do some damage should you fall! We have to make sure we walk around the ‘stairwell to hell’ to get to the top of the stairs. Karen was concerned that Lilly might need to go to the bathroom in the night and not see where to walk in the dark and fall so they have moved to a different room today (closer to the top of the stairs) which leaves me with my own room. Nice but strange to have no one else in here. I’m sure I’ll manage :-)

This morning we woke up to the sounds of renovation and loads of voices. More people. No idea who they are but hi! Because of the rain, the water tank water, and therefore all the water in the taps, toilet and shower is very dirty. No shower today but by tomorrow I’m sure I will be dirtier than the water so I will definitely have one. We had breakfast and headed off with Francis (he lives here but I’m not entirely sure if he is related or what. Lucy said she helps at the orphanage) driving the van. The roads were completely muddy and filled with bright red dirt and water because of the heavy rain the past couple of days. It was quite an adventure getting to the orphanage that’s for sure. A couple of times we nearly got stuck; other times the back end of the van would slide out to the side and other times the entire van would slip to the left or right. Fun! Well, in hindsight it is, at the time I just hoped we would avoid slipping into the ditches at the side. Anyway, we made it and were introduced to Gathiga Children’s Hope Home.

What a wonderful place. A lot of the children have gone away for some of the holiday to extended family or friends in and around Nairobi or further afield. Lucy feels it is important that they keep in touch with where they come from and with people they are connected to. There are usually about 97 children (ranging from 3 – 23) at the home but at the moment there are about 25. We met some of the older children who were all doing chores, cleaning, preparing beans etc. We were introduced to Doka who is 19. She said she used to live on the streets but that Lucy took her in 4 years ago and she is much happier and safer. She is finishing high school and wants to study to be a nurse or chef. She took us around the orphanage to show us the ‘dorms’. The boys and girls are separate and the children sleep in rooms according age, well size really as the smaller ones sleep 4 to one bed, the slightly older/bigger ones 2 to a bed and the oldest/biggest get a bed to themselves, basically because there is no room for anyone else! They top and tail. Doka giggled when I asked if she steals the covers. “No” she said “but there is a lot of pushing.”

There are about 3 makeshift prefabs split into two areas with bunk beds for all the children. The beds were all perfectly made and any clothes they have were neatly folded and put away. They really take care of what they have. There is a classroom that is for the nursery age children. There are a few benches for the children to sit. The walls are beautifully painted with pictures. There is a tree painted with the children’s handprints as the leaves, all recently done by volunteers. There are a few other areas for the kitchen, dining area and office. The buildings are solid enough but very very basic. Despite this, the children seem really happy and the whole orphanage has a wonderful feel to it.

We sat down with Lucy and she told us the story of how it all started:

She used to go into Nairobi very early and see the street kids sleeping on the ground covered by whatever they could find to keep them warm. She would see the same children later on in the day sniffing glue or loitering in groups, as they had nothing to do and nowhere to go. She said she heard a call from God telling her that something needed to be done and it was her calling to do it. She wasn’t sure what she could do as she had her own children and little money. What she did have to spare (which usually meant the family went without) went towards buying some bread and cheese for the groups of children she came across. By doing this and co-opting some other women she knew to do the same, she got to know a lot of the children and heard their stories. Some had parents who had died from HIV, others had been abandoned and others had to run away. After some time, Lucy invited some of the children back to her house to meet her family and to have a home-cooked meal. At the end of the evening, many left but 6 (I have since met three) of them begged her to let them stay. She said she didn’t have enough mattresses etc for them but all they wanted was a piece of floor and a roof and that’s how it all began.

To begin with, the children and Lucy’s family all lived in the same tiny house (which is now one of the dormitories) until extended family members and other donations enabled them to build other ‘buildings’ for the children and it just grew. Now Lucy and her family live in their own home away from the orphanage, built for them by some relatives, and there are more constructed areas for the kids on the original site. Many times Lucy questioned what she was doing and wondered if she was doing harm to her own children by making them share everything with the street kids but Mary, Wambo and Moses are all grown now, are happy and healthy and admire what their mother does.

We met two beautiful little boys when we arrived. One was found abandoned at the gates of the orphanage when he was a baby. As they didn’t know where he came from or what his name was they called him Moses (after the bible story) Kibaki (after the president of Kenya). He must be about 3 now and is a total sweetheart, so gentle and cute. We walked around holding hands for a little while today. Another little boy was given to Lucy on the street by a mother who couldn’t (or wouldn’t) care for him. Lucy has managed to keep in touch with her although she is difficult to find at times and is often drunk when she is found. At least the boy will know who his mother is. Others have known who their mother is but sometimes they disappear or will die on the streets. Despite these tragic circumstances, the children are safe, happy and have a future thanks to Lucy and her incredible efforts.

She showed us the food store, which is quite depleted. There were some sacks of beans but they had run out of everything else. I guess I know what I’m buying them! There is no government funding. They simply survive on money donated by volunteers and others and Lucy gives what she can. I so wish I could just go out and buy everything they need. More blankets, sacks of rice, flour and cooking fat, pots to cook in, money for wood for the fire, and the hundred of other little things they need for the children to be healthy and happy. Luann, Karen and Lilly brought over about 4 suitcases of donated toys and clothes so they took one today full of clothes. It was so wonderful to see the delight in the eyes of the kiddies as they tried on their new clothes.

The clothes that I brought over donated by my incredible friends have all been given to the IDP Camp I visited on Outreach and will be going to again next week. Some of the books have gone to Mlolongo Primary School, others to the little slum school I visited and others will go here. I can’t wait to read them to the children this week!

We spent our time with the kids singing, preparing beans for lunch/dinner and chatting with the children. One boy, Joel, showed me all his exercise books from school and his tests and results. He really likes science and drawing and is great at both. He was so proud when I told him how good his pictures were.

We had lunch there (rice and beans) then were brought back home about 2:30. What a humbling, uplifting, inspiring day. I told Lucy she was incredible and that it was an honour to know her. It is really hard for her at times, she has so many worries, but she knows she is changing children’s lives and they are all grateful to her.

Francis took us to a mall so we could pick up some supplies and buy a few things for the orphanage tomorrow. Chuppa Chups it is! We went to Nakumatt to get a couple of things but Francis told us that a supermarket closer to home was cheaper so we went there. It was market day so there were loads of makeshift stalls in amongst the shops and mud. It was buzzing and so much fun! We picked up some supplies and wandered along looking at all the wares. We definitely want to go back there again!

Finally we went home and stayed home. We played some cards (Last Card again) and had dinner, spaghetti with incredible tomato sauce! Yum!! And now I am sitting up in my room about to fall asleep and looking forward to spending tomorrow with incredible, beautiful children. I am blessed.

Lala Salama.

New Beginnings

marciechiwi — Tue, 4 Dec 2012 02:45:00 GMT

I guess things are always sad at the end and so it was saying goodbye to my Mlolongo family and to Caitlyn.

Friday afternoon, Caitlyn, Ann and I went into Nairobi to take Geraldine and Joseph to lunch. We went to Pizza Inn as both Caitlyn and I were dying to have some, yum! Craving fulfilled. It was really good! We chatted for ages then Caitlyn was off to stay in the city with the Boys and I headed home with the others. Cue teary goodbye :-( “Quick, put your sunglasses on” she says as she dons hers to hide leaky eyes. I do as instructed then cling to her for a little bit longer until she has to go. Pants. That sucks. See you in Australia my friend. Miss you and lard fives already.

Inevitably the traffic was horrendous, so we just chatted all the way back. It was a quiet afternoon, especially as I lay down for a little bit, just to rest my eyes you understand. 2 hours later I woke up. Oops. Ann came in shortly afterwards and said, “We make chapatti”. Yes!

Flour and water and oil, mix, roll, cut into strips, roll up into rounds, flatten and roll again, put in frying pan. Done. Yum! So proud, my first chapatti but not the last I can assure you.

Geraldine and Joseph came home late as usual, but still had to go out and pick up a friend who was staying the night. They work so very hard and are such good people. I am lucky to know them.

My last night in Mlolongo, sad.

Lala Salama

This morning Joseph had to take their friend into the city and Ann went with them so she could go home for the weekend. It was hard saying goodbye to them too but we promised to see each other before I leave Kenya. We will ‘do lunch’. Lots of hugs were shared and bottom lips protruded – actually that was just me, but anyway… I finally got myself packed and chatted with Geraldine until I left. Wow they have had a lot things happen in their lives as I suppose we all have, but they have had their fair share of tragedy. She told me about the home invasion in detail and other things about the past, which I do not feel are my stories to tell but I will say they have certainly had to endure some difficulties. I felt really privileged that she felt comfortable sharing with me and I felt even closer to her and, consequently, even more sad to leave.

I was picked up by one of the NVS staff and gave Geraldine a huge hug as she said, “I love you”. I told her I loved them all too as I choked up. It has been only 4 weeks yet I have bonded with this incredible Kenyan family who I didn’t know existed one short month ago. The world is a wonderful crazy place isn’t it?

Off we went to orientation with three other girls who had just come in from another placement and were about to go out to Massailand. I had a chance to catch up with a few other volunteers I know, Amber, Kylie, Jim and Josh. So nice to see them. It was also great to see the NVS staff who were all really interested in how I was and how I had enjoyed my time so far. I chatted to Kush (who took us all on Outreach) about going back to the IDP camp. I want to go back for a couple of days so I can interview some of the families. I’m going to video it all so I can then write an article or something to share their stories with anyone who cares to read them. I hope I can do their past and present justice. I really just want to raise awareness of what has happened, what is happening and what people can do to help. I hope I can count on you dear reader to look at it once it is done? Can I? I will take your silence as a yes ;-)

I am supposed to be here at Lucy’s with three other volunteers who are just starting their time here in Kenya but their plane was delayed, or cancelled or they missed it or something. Anyway, they’re not here but will hopefully be arriving tomorrow or Monday. In the meantime, there is another volunteer here from Germany, Ana, who came directly through contact with Lucy. She will be coming to the orphanage too. She is only 19 but has done so much travelling already. Oh I feel so unaccomplished! Better rectify that I think. Perhaps Europe will be next.

I was brought here by Moses, Lucy’s son who apparently is an excellent taxi service. He is already going to take Ana and me to Junction tomorrow to meet Tania and her housemate for lunch and a movie (how very civilized). When I arrived, I met Lucy, Wambo her daughter, Ann one of the girls from the orphanage and Lucy’s two grandchildren. I still haven’t gotten my tongue around their names but I will let you know once I do. The little boy is five and his sister is about 10 months old. Said little boy was extraordinarily enthusiastic, showing me my room and his bike and taking me down to watch ‘cartoons’ which turned out to be The Lion King, how very apt. After the power went out which brought a rather abrupt end to the movie, I sat up in my room trying to connect to the net. Not so easy as it turns out. The area is not always great at receiving coverage so you have to stand in just the right place with your tongue out to the left and your right foot in the air…or you can just go and sit on the balcony. That usually does it.

To tell the truth I was feeling a little unsure of everything, probably because I was the only volunteer here at the time. It is a new environment and I was alone and naturally I wanted something familiar. I really just wanted to go back to Geraldine, Joseph and Ann. I know it is just temporary and I will get used to it but initially I thought, “Why didn’t I just stay there??” I finally got my head together, realized this feeling was just temporary and thought about where I am, in Kenya! Ana soon arrived and that helped immeasurably.

Lucy’s place is in Gathiga, which is north west of the city centre. Her house is two stories and kind of resembles a villa. It has concrete floors, lots of rooms, two bathrooms, a hot shower(!), a lounge area and decent-sized kitchen. It is down the end of a dirt road with a few similar homes around, very different from Valley View. My room has two bunk beds in it and that’s it. I have way too much luggage (which is not surprising) and if the other three girls bring the same amount, I’m really not sure how we are going to fit everything in here! Ah well, we’ll figure it out I’m sure. The room next door is also a volunteer room. Both rooms open out onto a shared balcony, which is pretty damn cool actually.

We had dinner, watched The Lion King again as the power was back on then headed to bed where I am now. Ana is exhausted so has pretty much passed out, poor wee thing.

I have earplugs in at the moment and I’ll tell you why. People have different sounds that irk them more than others, just get on their nerves and make it difficult for them to concentrate on anything else. For me it is barking dogs. Drives me batty, especially the high-pitched yappy barking. There are four dogs here hence the earplugs. They work very well, can’t hear a thing. Oh and there is a cat too. I love cats. We are friends already. He comes and sits on my lap and purrs. My bliss.

Time for sleep.

Lala Salama

Changes and Presents

marciechiwi — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 04:48:00 GMT

I’ve been here for 4 weeks already! Seriously, it has been 4 weeks and I only have 3 weeks left. How did that happen; I’m only just getting settled in! School has finished for the year so I’m off to another placement, which means I’m leaving Mlolongo and my new Kenyan family, Joseph, Geraldine and Ann :-( I’m going to Gathiga Children’s Hope Home, which is closer to the city. I’m going to be staying with a woman named Lucy and her family (husband, daughter, son, daughter-in-law and 2 grandchildren). She runs two orphanages; Gathiga is the bigger of the two I think. I will be able to update you properly once I’m there. I leave here on Saturday and will be taken to orientation where I will meet the new volunteers who will be coming to Lucy’s too (3 of them apparently). I’m excited but nervous too. I really love it at this home stay so it’s going to have to be pretty good to be worthy! No pressure ;-)

Caitlyn and I went to the Massai Market on Saturday. We went to the arcade at the Hilton first – there are two souvenir shops with a good range of nik naks for reasonable prices. It saves you having to barter and basically having to negotiate your way around the market and its ‘enthusiastic’ sellers. We went there to get an idea of what things should cost then went to the market. Caitlyn had been there before so had an idea where to go for certain things. I was really expecting to be accosted by every market seller and was trying desperately to remember any self-defense moves I had been taught lest I had to use them to save myself. Thankfully it wasn’t nearly as bad as I anticipated. Sure most of the sellers called to you (“Sister, come and see what I have for you”) but a quick “no thank you” usually did the trick. To those who got in our way I looked at them apologetically and said “Lo siento, no hablo Inglis” – Spanish for “I’m sorry, I don’t speak English”. If anything, it left some of them a bit perplexed and we could get past. Heh. I ended up with a few nice things for me and for family and friends (no, I’m not telling, Christmas presents should be surprises) and was quite happy with my small haul. I will attempt another trip closer to when I go home. I went back to the Arcade for a few little things and Caitlyn headed off to a BBQ in Karen with the boys. I called our loyal, not-going-to-rip-me-off taxi driver, Jacob and headed back to Mlolongo. Shicko (Joseph and Geraldine’s daughter) and Mercy (her cousin) were at home so we chatted for a bit and watched a couple of movies, well, as best we could anyway. Now the there is a TV at home but the satellite is not working so they can only watch DVDs. Problem with that is the DVD player doesn’t like to behave properly very often and will usually get stuck several times along the way or just decide to stop altogether in which case one ends up going back to the beginning. Most frustrating when you’re near the end of the movie! Anyway, it was a nice quiet evening and the first night that I’ve been here that I’ve had a room to myself so I read for a bit then drifted off to the land of nod.

Lala Salama

Sunday

Most of the family was gone by the time I got up but Mercy was still here as she was going to be picked up by her father early afternoon. Ann headed off to church so Mercy and I hung out for a while. We were watching something on DVD when the power went out. It has done that before for only for a couple of hours so I was expecting it to come back on fairly soon. Hmm, no. We played Go Fish and I tried to teach Mercy to play Last Card (see previous blog for more details on how that went!). 1 o’clock, the time for her to be picked up came and went. I went to have a shower, read a bit and still no father to pick her up. Ah, ok, want to watch a movie on my computer? Yes, please. The Princess Bride it is, you can’t go wrong with that. About 3:00 I was a bit concerned that something may have happened so she phoned him to see where he was. On his way, he would be here in about half an hour. Cool, good, thanks. The battery was running out on the laptop and the power still wasn’t back. Grrrr. An hour later she phoned him again on my phone that had about 10% left. Yep, on his way. I guess this what happens in Africa, ‘ish’ time. Caitlyn came home about 5 and Mercy was still here waiting for her dad. The battery had finally run out so she missed the end of the movie. She fell asleep on the couch while I read. Finally her dad arrived. 5:30pm. Only 4.5 hours late, no worries. And still no power. Might as well go to Connections then :-) Two of the Boys, Caitlyn and I went to have some dinner and drinks as it was Bryce’s last day in Kenya. It was really busy as Sunday is Family Day there. While sitting at a table by the pool a crowd of people accumulated on the other side. One seemed to writing the conversation down and another had a gun on him. Police. A local guy told us that an 11-year old boy had drowned in the pool earlier in the day :-( and the police were taking statements. So sad. We had to vacate the area so went inside and played some pool. Sometimes I’m really excellent at it, that night I wasn’t.

The time came to go home as Bryce had to pack and head off to the airport, bye Bryce :-( We caught motorbikes (quite like those now) home and had a quiet evening. The power had come back on by the time we got home. Phew, quick, charge EVERYTHING!

Lala Salama

Monday/Tuesday

Monday Caitlyn spent the day with Jordan doing various clinic things and stayed at Mary’s (the Boys’ home stay) that night so I had a very quiet day, which I don’t mind at all. I remembered I had brought my hard drive along so watched a few movies into the night. Lala Salama

The next morning I was up early so I could go to the school in the Mukuru kwa Njenga slum that Joseph and Geraldine are involved with. The slum is about 20 minutes drive from our place in Valley View. It is one of the largest slums in Kenya with over 100 000 residents. A railway line runs through it. Ann came with us so she and I could go into the city afterwards. We drove part of the way but the ‘road’ into the slum is not great and we ended up with a puncture. Lovely day for a walk I think. We got to the school, which is in a tin shed room and doubles as a church. The kiddies were just adorable! There were about 25 of them, all around 3-5 years old and they were so excited to have visitors. Everyone but Ann and I left to preach in another church nearby so I read some books I had brought along. After about 4 books, we sat back while they sang songs. So cute!! The classroom had some benches for the children to sit at, a small blackboard hung up, a couple of posters and all the kids had exercise books and pencils so they could do some work. It’s so little but they seemed happy. There was a possibility that I was going to go there for the rest of my time in Kenya but I’m moving to the orphanage. It was lunchtime then so the kiddies headed out or grabbed the food they had brought with them. There were a few little ones who wanted to stay in and hang out with us. As usual, they were intrigued with my white skin and different hair. One little girl in particular stood close by me and we tried to talk. She had some of her lunch and decided I should have some too so she fed me. Beans and rice; it was good actually. Lunchtime is 2 hours and then the kids have a half hour sleep so Ann and I said our goodbyes and were taken to the matatu stop to catch a bus into town. As usual it was a crazy drive. Wildly entertaining.

We got to our stop, wandered through a big market (I was most tempted to do a little shopping but resisted. There were some really nice shirts and…no, must not shop) and got into the city. I recognized the Nakumatt I had been to before so we went there. I said to Ann I was looking for DVD players but she didn’t click. We went upstairs, found the DVD players and I told her I was buying them a new one. She was very shocked and so excited! We found one on special that was sure to work far better than the temperamental one they had at home. The look on her face was so wonderful. She gave me a huge hug as we left with the new purchase.

I shouted her lunch then we went to a supermarket to buy a few things – rice, bread, eggs, chocolate, chips; you know, the essentials. She was just so grateful. We headed home with heavy bags and happy hearts.

We plugged everything in and marveled at how it all worked. No skipping, no stopping, no spitting the dummy of any sort. Excellent. She tried all the DVDs that hadn’t worked before. It was a wonderful thing to see her so happy. Joseph and Geraldine were really grateful too. I felt so good. Santa must totally love his job!!

Lala Salama

Bits 'n' Pieces

marciechiwi — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 22:11:00 GMT

There are some interesting (well, in my opinion anyway) features about my life in Kenya that might interest you too.

1. We go to Connections a lot from you may have gathered, it’s our local and I pretty much always order Fanta, except for the odd time when I treat myself to an Amarula, it’s oh so good. When one orders a soda of any kind, you have to specify that you want it cold (baridi) or they may just bring you a warm (room temperature) one. Sometimes they ask if you want it warm or cold; why would anyone want a warm one I ask myself? It’s well, ick. On a hot day, as most days are in Kenya, you want a cold refreshing beverage, surely that is an internationally known thing is it not? Not so in Kenya. After my first Fanta I now make sure I always state baridi asante – cold please. The same thing goes for beer, which my Tusker-loving friends imbibe frequently. So, if you ever decide to come to Kenya, and you should, it’s wonderful, be sure to ask for cold soda/beer. The alternative is, well, tepid, yuck!

2. Matatu drivers are crazy, seriously certifiable. You have to be to drive a little van that should have a maximum of 14 passengers around the city of Nairobi. Luckily I have not been a part of any sort of traffic altercation (touch wood) but believe me there are many. It is quite an amusing thing being onboard a matatu going into Nairobi. As has previously been mentioned, it is crazy mad driving in the central city; cars everywhere, not obeying road rules, if in fact there are any; pushing into a non-existent space between a truck and some difficult-to-distinguish vehicle; travelling at the speed of turtle in a traffic jam. Matatus though seem to be a law unto themselves. Driving the wrong way down a one-way street is just a quicker way of getting to your stop. Mounting the curb or driving along the footpath to skirt around the other cars is just plain logic. Banging on another matatu or car that is close by so you can be let in is the way it is done. It constantly surprises me, although it shouldn’t by now, how ingenious the methods of getting to the final destination are. No need to go to the Giraffe Centre or Elephant Orphanage just catch a matatu into the city for hair-raising entertainment!

3. When one goes to the bathroom in public places, one would expect a toilet seat to sit on, wouldn’t one? Perhaps not. It seems they are either removed by management or have been stolen although for what purpose I don’t know. If you are lucky there will be toilet paper and the lavatory will actually flush but don’t expect to sit on anything comfortable like a seat. Even our beloved Connections is devoid of toilet seats. It is rather exciting when a water closet with a seat is found; usually this will be at an adequate hotel or in a nice home. You need to relax and take your time to make the most of this rare find. Most fortunately, my home stay has a flushing toilet, toilet paper and seat! Phew!

4. I’m starting to feel as though I might be sleeping on a hammock. This is simply because my mattress has developed a dip in the middle where I usually sleep, particularly in the buttocks area. I have tried sleeping to the hard right or left some nights in an attempt to balance out the dip but more often that not I simply roll back into the middle again. Yes, it is true, I bought a new mattress as the one I was sleeping on had developed such a hollow that I could feel the boards beneath but alas, the same thing is happening with the new purchase. Perhaps I should have splashed out for the $50 mattress and not the $35 one I actually got. Ah well, never mind. I still manage to sleep well each night despite my hammock-like surroundings.

5. There are only so many times you can play Go Fish before you need a change and want to play something else. Ok, let’s try Last Card. However, teaching an 11 year-old how to play Last Card when Swahili is their first language and they don’t know what the suits are called in English makes things rather tricky. Nonetheless we continued and eventually we played some decent hands even if she would still randomly place the jack of clubs on a four of diamonds. Cute.

6. Homosexuality is sadly illegal in Kenya. Prison sentences can range anywhere from 5 to 14 years! This is specifically for men; women are not included in the law. Knowing this was the case I was surprised to see two adult men, both in their 30s/40s wandering along beside the pool at Connections holding hands. Huh? What? “Um, I thought it was illegal or at least very frowned upon” I said to one of The Boys. “Oh no” he replied. “It is common practice for men to walk around holding hands and it means nothing more than friendship and male bonding. It’s also a kind of responsibility thing and looking after your friend.” I guess it’s just the having of the sex with another man that’s illegal; sharing affection in that way is clearly commonplace. Righto then. As you were.

Safari Part II

marciechiwi — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 06:24:00 GMT

Day 3

The mosquitos got me! Well at least I think they’re mosquito bites. Itchy as hell and driving me batty, oh well, no malaria or dengue fever yet so that’s a good sign.

We were all up early for a cup of tea at 6am then off for our early morning drive at 6:30am. I was fairly certain nothing would beat yesterday so was just looking forward to seeing all the animals again. Well, knock me over with a feather we did see something just as good. A mama lion with her cubs!! They wandered down to a stream for a drink. The babies must have been no older than about 4-6 months, still really little. We didn’t stay there long as we weren’t really meant to be off the set path, oops. Still managed to get a couple of good pics and video.

We were off with a purpose to where about 3 or 4 other safari vans were…looking up in a tree…leopard! This is the one animal I really really wanted to see. After seeing everything else I figured we would be just too lucky to see a leopard as well as they are notoriously hard to find but there he was, completely nonplussed to have all these people staring up at him and taking pictures. We drove around to get a good angle and see his face. I could have stayed there looking at him all day. What a fantastic, majestic looking cat. Square jaw, circular black rosettes on his tawny coloured coat, lean body, long tail. Just incredible. I loved every second of watching him. This safari just shot up to a 10 out of 10. Happy Marcella.

So with that we headed back to camp seeing herds of elephants and a few shy giraffe along the way. This must be what heaven is like.

We had breakfast (pancakes again. Yes!), packed up and headed off for Lake Nakuru for the last leg of our tour. We had lunch at a different spot today where they had a gift shop. These women were far more reasonable and I managed to get two items that I wanted for only 900 ksh (about $10), yay. We said goodbye to Tushar and Jadeep and hello to Emily from England and a couple from India who were joining us for the last part of the safari. Emily works for Oxfam and had been in Nairobi for work then added the safari on the end. We chatted all the way to the hotel we were staying at and the three of us (Emily, Katie and I) shared a room. It was a relaxing evening of dinner and reading then early to bed.

Lala Salama

Day 4

Up for breakfast at 7am so had an early shower and washed my hair…ah, that’s right, I remember what it’s like to have clean hair. Everywhere we go there is so much dust and dirt that even if you wash your hair in the morning it is filthy again in the afternoon.

7:30am and we were off to Lake Nakuru National Park. It was lush and leafy, very different to Masai Mara. This is a bird-watcher’s paradise. We drove along the lake and saw loads of pelicans…mine, mine, mine…quite a few pink flamingos and many other birds I couldn’t name. We went further into the park and came across a whole lot of baboons on the side of the road. Opany stopped and said we could get out if we wanted. We thought he was joking until he got out, walked around the opened the door for us. Ok then, let’s get out and stand with the baboons. As with many other animals, they weren’t bothered by our presence. We took loads of photos, jumped back in the van and drove up to Baboon Point Cliff (I think that’s what it was called anyway). The view was truly gorgeous, just spectacular. We then went to see a beautiful waterfall, wandered down to where it fell and walked back to the van accompanied by loads of baboons. So strange to turn around and see a male baboon just casually strolling past followed by a female with her baby clinging to her underbelly. Very amusingly we saw one baboon running along with a younger baboon sitting on its back riding it like a horse. So funny!

Opany took us to where he had seen rhino in the past but they were very far away, too far for us to see properly with the naked eye. I tried to zoom in but still, the two of them looked like big white rocks. Later we were on the other side and I managed to get a photo where at least they look a little like rhinos. Despite not seeing them up close it still counts. Big 5 – tick!

Driving through a savannah-type area we came across a large pride of female lions. There must have been about 12 of them and best of all, there was one female with four cubs and far closer this time. They were about the same age as the ones we saw yesterday. As a group they all slowly made their way to the other side of the road/track as there were some buffalo on their side. Opany said they didn’t want to be too close, possibly because of the cubs so they all moved. A couple at a time they wandered past the van into the long grass on the other side. The cubs travelled in a line, one after the other behind mum. Too cute. They all headed towards a tree with lots of shade and in that tree was another female lion lying across a branch on her tummy, two legs on either side. I guess it isn’t just leopards that climb trees :-)

We drove out of the park and on to Lake Naivasha as we had all opted to go for a one-hour boat safari. We stopped for lunch at a hotel first, said goodbye to Kadoka, then to the lake. It was beautiful, a wonderful way to end the 4 days. It was so peaceful. We were in a long motorized boat expertly driven by our guide, Joe. Again we saw loads of birds but best of all we saw hippos. They stayed in the water (too shy to flaunt themselves I guess) but came up for air regularly. There were so many of them! One of them came up and gave a huge big yawn. Of course I focused the camera all wrong and missed it but still, looked pretty cool. Back on shore we collected our things, said goodbye to the others on our tour, gave Opany a big hug and tip, and got into the car sent by the safari office. We convinced the guys to take us to our respective homes for a little extra payment; little did we know how long it would take. The traffic in Nairobi was beyond belief, bumper-to-bumper. The guys tried to get around it but just came across other jams no matter which way they went. It was supposed to take about two hours from Naivasha to Nairobi, that’s fine but a 40-minute ride to Mlolongo took another two hours! Oh well, I had fantastic memories to go through in my mind to pass the time.

These past 4 days have been simply incredible, an experience of a lifetime. Thank you Kenya for making my dream come true.

Safari!!

marciechiwi — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 00:33:00 GMT

Best four days ever! Loved practically every second of the trip. Ok, from the beginning.

Up stupid early again (5:20am), taken into Nairobi by Joseph (saint of a man), met Katie at Java for early morning coffee and danish then picked up by rep from safari company we were going with. We headed into Right Choice Safaris’ office (http://rightchoicesafaris.net/index.html), left our bags, went to the supermarket for supplies/snacks and back to the office where we met our safari guide Opany. Now, just as a quick aside, Opany is THE MAN! Best safari guide in the world. Ok sure, I don’t have any others to compare him to but he was super fantastic. One of my favourite Kenyans for sure.

We headed down to the safari van and met the others on our tour, Moon and Aruje from Pakistan/England, Tushar from Kenya/Canada and Jadeep from India/Kenya (everyone was from somewhere and living somewhere else) and Kadoka our chef.

We stopped off at the gift shops, toilets, coffee shops overlooking the Rift Valley for a bit and had a look at some souvenirs. Now to say the sales people can be pushy is an understatement. They tell you everything is a very good price, practically free then when you ask how much for a couple of items they try to rip you off completely. 9500 ksh (about $100 AU) for two small items?! You’ve got to be kidding me! I tried to go down to 2000 ksh for both. No, he wasn’t having that. 3000 for the bead bracelet. Seriously?? What planet are you living on? He kept pushing even when I said I didn’t have that much on me and told me to ask my friend for money. Eventually I had to tell him to just stop. Needless to say I left without buying anything!

On we went through the Rift Valley (the birth place of human life). It was so relaxing in the van I may have fallen asleep but I can neither confirm nor deny.

We stopped for lunch then on to the Masai Mara. In total it took us about 5 hours to get there but it went quite quickly. We were met at the Enchoro Wildlife Camp (http://www.enchorowildlifecamp.com/) by a Maasai man named Daniel who explained the ins and outs of the camp then we were taken to our tents. Now these weren’t ordinary tents; they each had their own deck and an ensuite at the back with flushing toilet, sink and hot water shower. Very nice indeed! Ours had a double bed and a single bed in it with a little table and room for our things. Luxury.

We had a cuppa then were off for our first game drive. Cue excitement! As soon as we entered the reserve we saw zebras, buffalos, impala, mongoose (Mongeese? Mongooses?) and wildebeest. It was as if they had been placed there as a welcoming committee. Man wildebeest are weird looking creatures. Their heads just seem too big for their bodies like those cartoon animals you get on those bizarre greeting cards. Anyhoo… it was awesome to see so many animals straight away. Then came the giraffe, beautiful slender graceful creatures that they are. In the distance we heard the trumpeting of elephants so went off to find them. There were a couple of teenage boy ellies playing in the trees and some more mature female (isn’t that always the way?) ones further along with a couple of baby elephants. Super cute!

Opany headed purposefully in the opposite direction to where another safari van had stopped. I wonder what is there…wait…oooo…really??...LIONS! I was beyond excited, lions on our first day there! We drove right up to them, literally right beside them as they lounged in the sun, totally disinterested in all the humans and their little clicking contraptions. They occasionally looked up at us but really didn’t care. There were about 5 females and two males. One was the dominant and the other boy his brother who didn’t really have any privileges according to our guide. One of the females headed over to said brother and tried to ‘tempt’ him. He thought about it, got up, walked over to her, stretched and changed his mind. Yeah, nah. Clearly too much effort. I was completely flabbergasted at how close we were able to get and how unconcerned the lions were. They just got out of the way of the vans if necessary but mainly hung out in their group, rolling on their backs like regular kitties, yawned, stretched their paws out and lay their heads on them. If only they could be cuddled like house cats! Then again, I like my limbs so stayed in the van.

After copious photo and video taking we headed back to camp. Dinner time. Our chef – that sounds so good – made us a delicious dinner of spaghetti Bolognese and veges with fruit for dessert. We all sat around the bonfire for the rest of the evening, chatting away then it was time for bed before the generator was turned off at 10pm.

Lala Salama.

Day 2

With pancakes for breakfast you know it’s going to be a good day. We set off for our all-day game drive armed with our cameras, videos, snacks and sense of adventure. Oh wait, did I say camera? Hmm, don’t those need properly charged batteries? Ah yeah. Crap. Ah well, everyone else took mountains of pics; I’ll just ‘borrow’ those.

We saw loads of ellies and buffalo and giraffe and zebra. Even though I have now seen lots of them I just don’t get sick of it.

The Masai Mara Reserve is a huge expanse of land, 1612km²to be precise. It is mainly all savannahs with some bushes and trees scattered around. It crosses the boarder with Tanzania and merges into the Serengeti. Absolutely beautiful and serene. We came across another pride of lions relaxing in the sun; now that will NEVER get old!

Opany looked off into the distance and said ‘cheetah’. Really? Where? They were so far away but, before the video died, I was able to zoom in on them and take a couple of pics. No need to zoom as it turns out. Lets just drive right up to them, yeah, ok, why not. It was a mama cheetah with her grown cub. Perfect specimens they were. Sleek, healthy and mind-blowingly beautiful.

Ok, off again, bye puss-cats.

There was a huge group of birds on the ground pecking away at something. Yep, they were vultures eating the scraps of a dead buffalo. Glad it wasn’t lunchtime, smelt revolting! There was also a couple of jackal that had feasted then wandered off to find some water.

Hey look, there’s an ostrich. Cool.

Opany saw another couple of lions resting in the shade of some bushes so we went to say hi. They were near a huge group of buffalo that kept their distance but didn’t seem too worried. Buffalo are rather large, too big for one lion. Even if a lion or two did attack, the rest of the herd would come to its rescue and defend against the lions. Clearly this is known by all lion-kind as they just sat watching. Opany had an inkling so we drove around to the other side and felt like we were watching Animal Planet and here’s why:

We saw a young buffalo wandering off on its own. The mama buffalo trotted up to it trying to get it to come back and join the herd. Did baby buffalo listen? No sir. Mum tried, she really did but I guess buffalo are stubborn. She went back to the group and baby wandered further away. We could see what was going to happen, the lions just needed to notice now…

He saw it and so did his brother. They came out of the bushes, stealthily, crouched low and practically crawling in the grass. Baby buffalo was nonchalantly munching away and was only distracted by us when we drove closer (ok, so maybe we feel a little guilty). The boys (no, not the Canadians, the lion brothers) crept closer and closer and were eventually right on the other side of the bushes to baby buffalo who must have had a cold as he didn’t seem to smell them at all. The wait was excruciating! Come on, pounce, do it!! They were like statues, waiting for I don’t know what.

Suddenly they attacked. Baby buffalo hardly moved, clearly taken completely by surprise. Lead brother lion took it by the throat and other brother leapt on its hindquarters.

****Parental advisory…it may get a little gory now so if you wish to skip this next bit, miss the next paragraph ****

Lions are killing machines and instinctively knew what to do. Lead lion kept crushing the buffalo’s throat as the other one lay on it so it couldn’t struggle out of the grip. It was a bit sad but at the time we were all so amazed by what was happening right in front of us that we couldn’t help watching it all. Buffalo did try to get away but there was no chance. Another two brother lions noticed what was happening and made their way over from the bushes, purposely trotting along to the kill site. They were clearly quite high on the hierarchy (first born down apparently) so were allowed to get in and start eating. Opany said they really like the intestines, as they are soft so that’s what we saw next. Ewww. One more brother lion came over but wasn’t allowed to get in amongst the group so licked the blood off the face of another lion instead. They didn’t care that we were right there, about 6 metres away; they had food and weren’t going to let any humans stop them. Baby buffalo was well and truly gone by then.

Moral of the story: listen to your mother!!

We left them to feast and drove off in stunned silence. We had actually seen a kill in the wild! A couple of the guys had said they would love to see one but no one really thought it would happen. Unbelievable. Hearts still racing we drove to the Mara River for lunch. Yep we could still get the food down.

One of the rangers took us on a short walk around the river after lunch. The smell was not great. The river was littered with the carcasses of wildebeest that had not made it across the then raging river during migration. There were literally hundreds of carnivorous birds (not vultures, secretary birds I think) pecking away. Gross. The ranger pointed down to river, sorry, what’s that? Oh! You mean that giant prehistoric-looking crocodile? Oh right. It was huge!! We were much higher up, nowhere near it so not in any danger (just thought I’d add that for mum:-). And what are those little things poking out of the water? Hippo ears? Well of course they are. The hippos didn’t feel like getting out of the river so we made do with seeing the tops of their heads and their tiny wee ears. Kinda cute really.

Moon asked the ranger how far away from the boarder we were. Not far at all, let’s go there. So, off we went to Tanzania! All that marked the boarder was an upturned slab of concrete with K/T on it to signify the two countries. We all had the obligatory pictures on the other side of the boarder, did a few little jumps either side; “Kenya, Tanzania, Kenya, Tanzania”, then wandered back to Opany and the van. Time to go back to camp.

I had a little snooze in our tent, charged everything up in the dining hall – properly this time – and it was time for dinner. Once again we were in bed by 10pm ready for our 6am start tomorrow. Wow, what a day!

Lala Salama

The Week That Was

marciechiwi — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 05:33:00 GMT

Wow, I’m really getting behind aren’t I? Ok, time to catch you all up on what happened last week.

Monday was a crazy busy day with 6 classes. Caitlyn and I had 3 classes together and 3 on our own. I had been given a PE class (gasp from all those who know me) so freaked out a little about that but ended up just answering their many many questions about me and my life. The other classes were creative art and life skills as usual, in fact that is all we took for the rest of the week! It was ok though as the kiddies are cute and seem really excited when we come to their class; they almost don’t care what we teach them. I think they just want to be able to go home and tell their parents/caregivers “the mzungus taught us today!”

I took my video camera to school on Wednesday to capture some of the ‘moments’ with the kids and take a bit of a snapshot of the school. We took some books and bubbles to our baby class, which went down exceptionally well. I read them a Spot book and a Richard Scary Golden Book and left them there for the class. It was so much fun reading to them; they were all so attentive and excited. They even laughed when I tried to be funny! The bubbles were a total hit. Every time we blew some they screamed and yelled and tried to catch them. Super cute!

We had three PE classes outside on Wednesday and it was hot, very hot. What did bright spark Marcella NOT do…put on sunscreen or drink enough water. Consequently I was feeling pretty poorly by the time we walked home. My arms were really sunburnt and I felt like I had been hit by a truck! Might take an IQ test to make sure I actually register on the scale at all. I slept for most of the afternoon, played a very bad game of Catan with Caitlyn but didn’t indulge in our daily popcorn – clearly I wasn’t feeling well. I went to bed early after many applications of Aftersun kindly supplied by the non-sunburnt one of the two of us.

Thursday morning came and I felt a little better, just hit by a regular 4-door today. I didn’t end up going to school, I just wanted to sleep some more and keep out of the sun. Caitlyn still went though and I stayed chilling out at home with Ann. It was just what I needed and I was back to my ‘normal’ self that evening.

The boys (the Canadians we know who live around the corner and run the clinic I have told you about will henceforth be known only as ‘the boys’) agreed to dinner and drinks at our local – can you believe I have a local in Kenya?? We met Ken and another dude who work with the boys at their clinic. It was a rather civil evening of chatting and me being teased for drinking Fanta while everyone else was drinking beer. When the evening came to an end we decided to catch a boda home. A boda is a motorbike with a driver for hire. The boys take them all the time so we decided to give it a go. I went with Josh (one of the aforementioned ‘boys’) so I would feel safer and Caitlyn went with Bryce and Jordan sped off on his own. It started off fine although I did have the thought that if I came off, it would hurt quite considerably seeing as:

no one had a helmet on (it simply wasn’t an option)
I was wearing a skirt so no material to shield my legs
the roads are quite awful so I would be landing on rocky ground

As the journey continued I started to enjoy it. Wind in my hair, racing around traffic, bumping all over the place – but it really was safe, honestly mum!

We arrived home only to discover I didn’t have my wallet on me! I had left it at Connections! Now losing something here almost guarantees it will be gone but as we know a couple of the staff now I crossed my fingers that one of them had picked it up and Caitlyn and I raced back to the hotel. No, it wasn’t an excuse to go on the boda again, it was honestly gone. I ran back to where we had been sitting, found Ken ‘our’ waiter and told him I had lost my wallet. He had it! Phew! I didn’t have a whole lot of money in there, I was more worried about my card but it was all there. Bless the boy, I gave him 500 ksh to say thank you. Feeling particularly lucky we headed back again. By this stage I was kind of loving the boda, think I’ll have to do that again soon.

Friday was effectively our last day at school as everyone has exams next week so we will just be supervising and marking. We caught a matatu as usual. I said to the conductor “20 shillings. For two,” and gave him 40 shillings. He turned to me and said “30”. “No” I said “20. It was 20 yesterday, it is 20 everyday, so it is 20 today!” and gave put the money in his hands. By this stage, the woman behind me and the one beside Caitlyn were laughing their heads off. There was no way he was going to charge us more just because we were white! 20 shillings and that is that! He had no choice but to accept really. 30 shillings my butt!

We had one PE class and Caitlyn had convinced Bryce (Canadian number 2) to come and take the class with her. The kiddies were excited to have 3 mzungus taking them! The rest of the classes that day were all creative art. Caitlyn and I had a piece of coloured card for each student and asked them to draw a picture they would like us to take back to Australia with us. We had felts (textas, markers, whatever you want to call them), crayons and pencils for them to use as well as stickers. It was all very exciting! A lot of the pictures were of Kenya; the flag, a map of the country, even drawings of the president! We got a lot of messages too which just made our day – Hello to Australia from Kenya; thank you Caitlyn and Marcella, we love you; thank you for coming to Kenya, we will miss you. Awww, so gorgeous. We had such a lovely time going through them all.

It was the last class of the day and so, according to Caitlyn, beer o’clock, off to Connections again! The boys were there as they were doing some interviewing and work for the clinic so joined us soon after we got there, after Caitlyn’s first beer and after my Amarula…mmm, African Baileys. It was a very relaxing afternoon by the pool especially considering I had a couple more Amarulas. Heh. We left about 5:30 and walked home with Canadian number 2 (the other boys took bodas). It was getting dark so Bryce suggested we all walk a little faster as it would be safer if we could get home before light. No pressure! Into the estate we walked as twilight hit. All good, we’re alive.

Bryce headed back to his place and Caitlyn and I played Catan and ate popcorn – what a surprise. It’s not like we do that everyday or anything. I was starting to get excited about safari the next day, packed (under supervision as I did very badly last time we went away. Forgot my PJs, bank card, contact lenses!) and headed to bed. Bring on the Maasi Mara Reserve!

Lala Salama

Musings and Observations

marciechiwi — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 23:16:00 GMT

It occurs to me that I have done a lot of writing about what I have done but not a lot about what I have seen or felt. So here we go:

Safety and Keeping Well

I read that Nairobi – ‘fondly’ know as Nairobbery – is a dangerous place and one should be careful with all possessions, not wear any sort of jewelry, only wear handbags if absolutely necessary and be very weary at all times. I’m sure this is true but I haven’t experienced it yet. I’ve been in Nairobi a couple of times now and I haven’t felt unsafe. I have gone with a group though so that no doubt made a difference. I went in with a backpack last weekend and just to be careful, I carried it on my front. No one else did and was perfectly fine. I have bought a little shoulder bag to carry my money and phone, chapstick and the like and never have I felt in danger of having it stolen. There are quite a few police around the place and some of them are armed. Wouldn’t want to get on their wrong side! I don’t want to jinx it all by saying it has all gone well so far but actually, it has all gone well so far.

In Mlolongo it is initially disconcerting with all the broken down buildings, rubbish everywhere, homeless people etc but I have never felt unsafe here either. I guess walking around at night would be a different story but I’m not about to do that any time soon. We receive a lot of attention though being white and many people (men or children mainly) say hello to us and sometimes try to engage us in conversation but it isn’t too intrusive and generally we are just looked at. I had my video camera in the backpack yesterday and Caitlyn had her camera slung around her neck all the way home and neither or us were uneasy about it.

Health wise the only problem I have had, and it is entirely my own fault, has been getting sunburnt and a bit of heat exhaustion. Both of which could have been avoided with sunscreen and lots of water. I haven’t eaten a lot of raw food but have had tomatoes and other bits and pieces like that with no adverse effects. I still brush my teeth with bottled water but did accidentally rinse my mouth out with tap water one day and there was no problem. Caitlyn doesn’t bother with bottled water for that anymore and she is totally fine. She has been in Africa for two months now so perhaps she is a little more used to it. She doesn’t drink tap water but everything else seems totally fine.

I haven’t had to use my mosquito net yet. We bought fly spray and douse our room every night before bed. Seems to do the trick. I’m not even using much insect repellent anymore. Caitlyn seems to be a very competent mozzie killer, it’s good to have her around.

I know that travellers need to be told about worst-case scenarios but luckily, two weeks in and I haven’t come across any causes for concern.

Mlolongo

Mlolongo is about 30km out of Nairobi, near the airport and is one of the brothel capitals of the country. We live in Valley View Estate, which, as I have mentioned before is a safe, tidy, clean community of closely, built houses with steel gates at the front. There are little footpaths, cobbled roads and security at the entrances. Outside of our community it is a little different. The Mombassa highway runs through Mlolongo so it is very busy traffic-wise, particularly with trucks, this being a truck-weigh town. The school is about 2.7km away from where we live so we usually take a matatu in the mornings and walk home. We pass all sorts on the way there and back. Just beside the school there are a lot of what seem to be homeless people lying in the grass sleeping or talking with others. Caitlyn has been asked for cigarettes on a number of occasions and we have been asked for money but not too often.

Mlolongo is quite derelict by western standards with many run-down buildings, dirt roads covered in potholes and rubbish everywhere. We frequently pass groups of cows wandering along, or a family of goats or Jerusalem donkeys munching at the side of the road. There are a number of carts being pulled by said donkeys or people; looks like hard work. Unemployment is very high here so those with jobs are very thankful.

Everyday on the way home, we stop at ‘our’ supermarket, Jaharis. There are two reasons this is good: 1 we usually get a drink, popcorn and other essentials so we get to shop each day. 2 it means we are nearly home! I’m sure the staff knows us now; there don’t seem to be many Mzungus (English-speakers, commonly thought to mean white people) wandering around Mlolongo so we’re pretty distinct.

One of the saddest things I’ve seen is an older woman picking through garbage on the side of the street looking for food. I feel really guilty at these times. Despite the fact that I’m not rich I can afford to look after myself, nourish, clothe and house myself. I am very lucky.

Food

Although Kenyan cooking is generally all about survival, it is pretty good. We are taken care of very well by the housekeeper, Ann who does all the cooking (and cleaning for that matter). Generally we have cooked cabbage, with carrots, salad consisting of grated beetroot, carrot and avocado or just avocado on its own, rice, beans, potatoes and a spinach type thing that is boiled too. The avocado is to die for, so so good, creamy and delish! We often have chapati too – unleavened flatbread – which is really good, love it. It’s just like roti. Yummiest thing though has to be fresh mandazi. They are little sweet donuts-type things and I love them. I could eat them for days! They sell them at the supermarket but they’re not fresh so are a bit hard, still I have been known to purchase a packet or two to snack on anyway *ahem*. Ann has bought those 2-minute noodles and made those just for us a few times, such a honey. We eat very little meat although we did have chicken one night and some beef pieces in a pilau.

In Nairobi they have all manner of fast food; pizza, KFC, a place called Galitos which has chicken meals, bakeries and loads of little restaurants. No lack of fatty foods there that’s for sure. Strangely enough there is no McDonalds. I think I can do without quite happily with everything else on offer.

I have to admit that I do miss V a bit. Yes, I know it’s bad for me, yes, it’s good that I’m not drinking it but there have been a couple of times where a can would have gone down very nicely. For any of you non-Australian/NZers, V is an energy drink of the Red Bull ilk. Full of sugar, just the way I like it.

Then there is ugali. How can I describe ugali to you? It is basically maize flour and water mixed to a porridge-type consistency then left to go hard like bread. It is, ah, an acquired taste I’m sure. It is ok with stews where you can soak up juices with it but on it’s own it’s not exactly Michelin Star cuisine. It is a staple in Kenya so we’ve had it a few times.

Ann makes the best pancakes, real pancakes, not these green pepper-filled things they make at Connections. We had them for breakfast on Tuesday morning; best start to the day ever! Smothered with honey, they were just perfect. She made them for us again this morning. She really is a total sweetheart.

Mlolongo Primary School

It is lucky we are at the school actually. The only reason it is open is because there was a 3-week strike at the beginning of term and they have to make up for it now. The first week we were there they had students on teaching practice who were being visited by their supervisors so we didn’t have a lot to do. We did take a couple of English classes which I really enjoyed and we took a PE class. We were only there for three days as we had outreach.

The school is a mixture of brick buildings with dirt/concrete floors and tin/iron buildings with stony floors. A lot of the classrooms have windows but they mostly broken or completely devoid of glass. Each classroom has a blackboard, some in better states than others. Most have holes in them which makes it a bit tough to use but we’ve gotten good at working around the holes. Class sizes range from 36 (babies) to about 70 so it can be a bit tricky coming up with exercises for the whole class. Almost all of the children have exercise books and pencils although there are usually a few in each class that don’t have anything to write with. The kids sit on a bench attached to a table, probably meant for two but up to four sit there all squished up. One class we taught didn’t have enough tables so a group of girls sat on the floor at the back of the classroom on cardboard. There are usually posters on the wall, all handrawn on A2 paper. They are maps of the world and Kenya, math equations, body parts, English conventions and the like. As the doors don’t lock (or don’t exist), anything can be taken so nothing of value is kept there.

The school is moving down the road, closer to the secondary school where they will have electricity and running water. This is likely to happen in January, ready for a new year. The toilets will hopefully be more sanitary too. Josephine, the deputy-head teacher we have been dealing with, told us that she and many of the other teachers go home to use the bathroom, as the toilets there were quite gross and have caused infections and illnesses. Not good. Caitlyn and I wander down to Connections. We know a lot of the staff there by name now!

The Head Teacher is a man by the name of Patrick Muthee. He seems to be a force to be reckoned with and rules with an iron fist. We were in a staff meeting the other day where he was telling the staff off and singling teachers out to tell them he wasn’t happy with them.

He told the teachers to use us as we were teachers (Caitlyn isn’t officially a teacher but close enough) and mentioned we could take some year 8 classes. They are the final year before high school and have exams coming up. He said to us we could take them and he could come and supervise us. I immediately did the sign of the cross, which was clearly very amusing to the staff and at least made him smile. Heh.

Because the curriculum has been finished for the year there really isn’t a lot to teach the children except revision. I would be more than happy to do this in English or Math or Social Studies but we have only been given Creative Art, Life Skills and PE classes to take. Creative Art and Life Skills, as I have said before, are on the curriculum but the teachers haven’t been trained in it so they teach what they like in these classes. Although it has been fantastic working with the kids, it is tricky trying to come up with classes each day to keep them entertained. We have been trying to get them to do comic strips telling stories or drawing pictures of what their lives will be like in 10 years. They don’t all understand so there have been a few that haven’t done a lot. I have tried to teach one class how to write an application letter in life skills and would have done interview skills but I’ve run out of time. Tomorrow (Friday 16 November) is the last actual teaching day and next week is all exams then it is the end of school. Shame really. If I come again, I will try to make it at a time where I can actually teach a unit or something.

We aren’t supervised at all when teaching so can do anything we like. I’m trying to devise actual lessons but am not really doing the best there. With no resources, textbooks etc, we are reliant on writing everything on the board. Sometimes it works. We also have different classes almost everyday so there isn’t really any chance to continue with previous work. In all honesty, we are just being given dregs to do. I don’t think we are needed at all but the kids have enjoyed having us there and we have enjoyed getting to know them.

The staff seems fairly dedicated. One thing about the women is that they are all very well dressed. For some it is like they are going out to dinner or a party. Pretty gorgeous really. They are all really friendly and always make a point to come and say hello every morning.

There are two staff rooms, both of them as sparse as the classrooms. They have long tables and chairs to sit at and plan and mark. No shelves or anything else. Of course there are no computers but they hoping they will be able to get some when they move. Fingers crossed.

General stuff

I am extremely fortunate with my homestay and with my fellow volunteer Caitlyn who is great. She is 22 and although she lives in Melbourne she is also a Kiwi. She has been travelling through Africa on an organized tour and will be going to South East Asia after leaving Kenya. Quite an adventurous young lady actually. We often, at the same time, get to the point we are both so tired that everything is hilarious. We think we’re incredibly funny; I’m not so sure others would think the same. We figure we should record some of ramblings and listen back to them to see if in fact we are as entertaining as we think we are. We already have some routines, Connections for lunch, Catan and popcorn after school, lard fives (like a normal high five only slippery) and often seem to read each other’s minds. It’s going to suck when she leaves. She is here until December 1.

Joseph and Geraldine are the cutest couple. Surprisingly they are both 47, which came as a shock as they look so much younger. They clearly love each other so much and seem to be the best of friends. Joseph has done everything you can think of; he has been a music teacher, taxi driver, interpreter, an athlete and is now a pastor. They are both so kind and easy-going and have made it clear that we should think of their house as ours and that we always have a home here. They are usually out so late as they go into Nairobi to work everyday so we don’t get to spend as much time with them as we would like. Joseph has the best stories and tells them so well!

Their friends Susan (Kenyan) and Chris (American) have been staying for a while. Chris is to be ordained as a pastor here in Kenya this Sunday. Apparently it is becoming a bit of a trend for American ministers to do that. Susan told us the other day that as her mother is illiterate, she and all but one of her brothers and sisters don’t know when their birthdays are so they all just chose a day to celebrate. They don’t know their precise ages either. She chose March 5 although she knows it wasn’t then because of the season she was born but she liked the idea of March so the 5th her day!

So far it has been a great trip. I think when school is finished I will look into another placement, perhaps an orphanage or something. I know it is difficult to actually make a real difference while here for such a short time but it would be good to go somewhere where help is clearly needed. I plan on going back to visit the Vumilia IDP camp and donating some things to the school and families there. That place and the people really touched my soul. Of course we are all aware of the poverty that exists in our world and the pain it can cause but to be shown it so plainly and unaltered is quite an experience. If everyone just gave a little bit the affect would be phenomenal. Can you forgo one daily coffee to support some great causes?

Party party party!

marciechiwi — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 19:34:00 GMT

Short post time...

The weekend of Caitlyn’s birthday arrived! The boys collected us from our homestay early Saturday afternoon (they live literally around the corner) and we were off into the city on a matatu – mini van that serves as a bus. Into the city we went then headed for the monkey park. We bought peanuts along the way to bribe the monkeys in coming to see us. I thought it was a park with admission but it’s just a park like any other except with resident monkeys. My peanuts were stolen more often than not – they’re not shy that’s for sure but I finally learnt to keep hold of them. Monkeys were climbing on our shoulders to get better access to the peanuts (they were pretty yummy actually. I devoured a packet myself, the peanuts that is, not the monkeys) so there were lots of photo ops. Not entirely sure how/why but I ended up being scratched on the face by one monkey. It’s ok mum, it didn’t break through the skin, no rabies alert here! Still I was a little unimpressed. He didn’t get any peanuts from me from then on!

After that we headed to Josh’s friend’s place. Anena is a Canadian who visited Kenya to volunteer about 3 years ago and she hasn’t yet left! She works in Nairobi and has adopted two Kenyan children. One is Beauty who is now 19 and Jemma who is only 6 months old. Both just gorgeous! We chilled out there for a while, chatted to the volunteers we know who are staying next door (small world) and arranged ourselves to head into the restaurant we had booked at for Caitlyn’s birthday dinner. Arthouse was wonderful! Delicious food, great service, great atmosphere. After that we headed to a club/bar called Black Diamond for drinks and dancing. We then relocated to another place for more drinks and dancing and stayed there for the rest of the night, or should I say morning! We didn’t get back to Anena’s till about 5am!! Too late for this aging chick. Ah well, it was pretty fun.

Lala Salama, or should I say habari za asubuhi (good morning)

Sunday

We got up about 11 and headed off to find some food in Nairobi, bumped into some other volunteers we knew then caught a matatu back to Mlolongo. The plan was to head to Connections and lie by the pool for the day but the young ones (that means everyone but me!) were all pretty tired and perhaps somewhat hungover so it was a very quiet day. Today was officially Caitlyn’s birthday so we had a nice dinner with Joseph, Geraldine and Ann. We sung happy birthday and she was given a gorgeous bracelet as a gift :-)

Weekend done.

Lala Salama

Outreach

marciechiwi — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 04:30:00 GMT

I don’t think I was entirely prepared for what these next two days would hold when I got up stupid early on Thursday morning.

Caitlyn and I were taken by Joseph into Junction (a mall in the city) to meet the NVS crew who were taking us on outreach and the other volunteers who were joining us.

After a quick stop at Java to caffeine-up we were all bundled into a couple of vans and off we went. Our first stop was a look out point where we stopped to, well, admire the view and it was pretty gorgeous. There were some shops selling souvenirs, a coffee shop and flushing toilets! Yes!

Back into the vans and off to KCC slum. We were greeted by lots of smiling, happy children, waving and running beside the vans. We stopped at the school that had been set up for the children and were met by Marcus, the Kiwi who started the program. Also there were our Olympic rowers, Juliet Haigh and Rebecca Scown and ex-All Black, Norm Maxwell who were volunteering there. Marcus gave us the run down of how everything had been set up, what the slum was like and who lived there and introduced the team who worked with him. We were then split into two groups, one to stay with the kids and the other to walk down to the slum for a ‘tour’ with Marcus.

Walking down to the slum we met some kiddies and one little boy (must have been about 5 years old) took my hand and walked all the way there and back with me. He was just so sweet. He was very quiet and calm and simply wanted to walk with me. So precious.

Marcus told us we could take photos but not of the adults, just the ‘streets’ and kids. In we went. It was like a little town with tin/corrugated iron rooms for families to live in. They were set up so that there were little paths or streets in between. Of course they had all dirt floors, dark, no water or power and were tiny but they seemed to have a good system going. We were taken to one room where one of the women from the woman’s group that had been set up, showed us the jewelry they sell and how they make it. It is made out of paper from magazines, posters etc. They cut it on an angle to make a long triangle then roll it tightly from the thicker end right down until it is at the skinny end and looks like a tiered bead. The colours depend on the paper and quite a few of the same sort are made from the same paper. They are varnished then strung together with other tiny beads or just the paper ones to make bracelets, short and long necklaces and earrings. They were gorgeous. I bought a blue bracelet and a pair of black/white earrings for something like $4.

My little buddy was with me the whole time of course. I found out his name was James. He helped me choose my jewelry J

We walked around a little more and were shown where about 5 houses were completely lost due to a fire that got out of control.

Although it was a slum, it was well set up and the people seemed content enough. Some have jobs at the local factory or do washing and cleaning and of course, sell their jewelry. It was sad to think that people had to live in those conditions though but at least some were sending their children to school to have a better chance in their lives. Others prefer to keep their children at home to help with the chores so it is a case of convincing the parents that in the long run, the children will be better off getting an education.

We walked back to the school where James let go of my hand and was about to run off when I called him back, bent and gave him a huge hug. He seemed a little hesitant at first but then returned my cuddle. Bless.

While the other group went to the slum we stayed with the kiddies and outside sat with them helping them do whatever they were doing; some were reading, others were drawing on individual chalk boards, and still others were reciting words from a book. There was a film crew interviewing Rebecca, Juliet and Norm so they filmed as all the children gathered around them and Rebecca read them Hairy McClary then The Wheels on the Bus. She said “oh, it’s a singing book” and kind of looked around for help so I said I would help (of course I would!). The kids loved it and asked her to do it again so they could learn some of it. When that was done I wandered over to the film crew and asked what they were filming for. They said it was for an NZ current affairs program, Close Up. I told them I was Kiwi too and was really excited when I knew Rebecca and Juliet were coming to Kenya as I was hoping to meet them. Then I was asked if they could interview me too. Well, gee, ok, if you insist, heh. It is going to be on TV in NZ the week of the 19^th November, I’m going to be famous! Well, by association anyway. Afterwards we got a photo with all the Kiwis and then I wandered over to say hi to Norm. Typical.

It was time to go and we all piled into the vans again. After furiously waving at all the gorgeous little ones and saying goodbye to those working there we went to lunch at a small bunch of shops. Hot dog for me thank you.

And now off to Hell’s Gate! Don’t worry, it wasn’t some sort of sacrificial site or anything, it is a National Park of mostly savannah and a large gorge. Wildlife is conserved and managed in the huge 68km²park. We were told we might see buffalo, gazelle, warthogs, zebra, baboons and giraffe and a host of different birds so I was quite excited. The idea was to ride on bikes to the gorge from the entrance gate but I always knew that just wasn’t going to happen and had already chosen to ride in the van. Caitlyn was feeling a little ill so came in the van too. Turns out it was the best decision. It wasn’t long until people started realizing that the bikes weren’t exactly state of the art and were quite difficult (and painful!) to ride. Many were very sore by the time the cycling was over. In the meantime, I lazily took photos from the van of buffalo, zebras and warthogs. I was hoping I would see a giraffe in the wild; that would be fantastic.

The van stopped, “why?” I wondered until I saw it. Pride Rock!! The rock that is depicted in Disney’s Lion King was right there. Awesome! A whole bunch of volunteers decided to climb to the top (crazy people) and recreate lifting Simba into the air. Unfortunately it had to be a rock or some other substitute as no lion cubs were available just then. I was content to stand in front of it for a photo op. After yelling at everyone that it was time to go, those who were riding (basically everyone but me, Caitlyn and now Amber) headed off again.

At the end people rested and those who wanted to went on the walk through the gorge. I stayed to keep Caitlyn company and wandered around to see if could spy any baboons. Unfortunately they evaded me but I did managed to see a couple of velvet monkeys slinking around. Smile monkeys!

Everyone came back and they had to ‘get on ya bike’ and head back to the entrance while I, once again, stood up in the van that had a pop-up roof and readied my camera for any exciting wildlife that needed to be captured on film. Oh my God! A giraffe!! The van stopped so we could admire him gracefully strolling along. He started walking towards us then stopped when he noticed this large while animal on four wheels up ahead. He turned and walked to his right while we all gushed and took photos and videos. He was so elegant the way he glided along. So happy. Giraffe in the wild; tick!

We got back to the entrance of Hell’s Gate, collected the weary and headed off to our accommodation for the night.

We finally arrived at the guesthouse that many had said was a former prison. Just as a horror movie would dictate, the sky opened up and it started to rain, complete with thunder and lightening. What a way to arrive! We were all allocated our rooms – it was strange that Caitlyn wasn’t going to be there with me, I’ve gotten used to having her in the same room. I told her I’d miss her as she headed off to her “cell”.

It was decent enough with a double bed, mosquito net and a flushing toilet in the same room as the shower. Yep, that’ll do nicely thank you.

We went to dinner where there was a buffet of rice, stew, chapatti, vegetables and delicious potatoes.

By the time we got back to the ‘prison’ everyone was stuffed and lights were out very soon. It was all very comfortable; little did I know how uncomfortable I would be the next day…

Lala Salama

Friday

Up early and off to breakfast. Fried chips in the morning? ok, sure, as long as I can have tomato sauce with mine, tea with jam and bread (there’s a song in that) and a very spicy samosa. Some others weren’t particularly impressed with the meal and lamented the fact that there was no juice. Me, happy to get what I’m given thank you very much.

We headed back to our accommodation to bag flour and lard to give to the families at the slums we were about to visit.

And we’re off again, this time to one of the many IDP camps – Internally Displaced People.

A very brief overview: During the violence of the 2007 elections thousands of people were killed and about 600 000 people were left homeless and lost everything they had. They only had the clothes on their backs and hopefully their families. Many camps were set up as little communities for those who were in this situation. We were told that the government doesn’t acknowledge these people at all although I don’t know enough yet to comment intelligently on that.

Our guide (Kush from NVS) told us there were 51 families in this particular camp and they face a daily struggle with getting food, with disease and trying to generate any sort of income. They live on land that belongs to others so they can not erect any permanent structures and are living in hovels that are put together with plastic, sticks, material, anything they can find. One woman invited us in to her ‘home’. It was, of course, dark and dirty but stood up well. Her mother-in-law was lying in a bed but still greeted us. She was very sick and struggling to get better. The rest of the abode had a dirty old couch and some other random pieces. When it rains they struggle even more as the water drips or runs through and soaks anything they have. They do have a supply of running water from a large tank, which is wonderful. Of course they have no running water or electricity in their tent homes. Many are battling to stay well or find some food to eat. We were taken to where they have some goats and Kush started to explain how that works for them but by then the floodgates had opened and my heart broke. I cried for the pain and suffering these people are going through, for what they have lost, for the seemingly impossible situation they find themselves in every morning when they wake up. I cried for the children who have never known anything different and who now have a limited future. I cried for the thousands of people in this beautiful country who suffer in the same way.

We wandered back to the vans and went to see the makeshift school that has been set up for the children. There were two classrooms where children were learning various things from the two teachers there. Women were trying to sell us things but I only had 5 shillings on me so couldn’t buy anything. We went back to the vans where the teacher who had taken half of us on a tour called out people’s names off a list as they came up and received a bag of flour and one of lard from us. It was so sad to see these proud people coming to take our meager offerings. The mood quickly lightened though with the appreciation of many of the woman who, when we had finished distributing what we had for them, sang us a thank you song and danced. I of course had to join in and soon woman were dancing with me, putting their arms around me and thanking me. Others joined in and it felt like a party. I gave lots of the women hugs and we talked as best we could. It was time to go but I didn’t want to. As the others got in the van I stayed as long as I could with a group of women, dancing and talking. By the time I got into the van I was blowing them kisses and getting them back. They stayed waving until we were out of sight. It was the most heart-breaking and heart-warming experience I’ve ever had.

Our next stop was to be the garbage slum and that is exactly what it was, a slum set up on a garbage dumpsite. It was almost impossible to fathom. We met an Irish volunteer, Ross, who was working with the people there as best he could, trying to get sponsorship for the children to go to boarding school, helping with medical supplies and generally trying to get them through life as best they can.

He took us to one ‘home’ and it was really tough. Flies assaulted us as we went through the make-shift door, rotten food was dumped on the ground, an elderly couple stood to greet us outside their room which had a piece of material for a door. Ross explained that they often went without anything to eat, that the father was losing his sight and now couldn’t work and that the mother was sick too. It was hard to process.

We heard that on garbage days, the residents of the slum will jump on the back of the truck and try to fossick through what they can see before it is dumped so they get the best of what is there. When it is all dumped, families will go through everything to see what there is to eat or use and take it back to their little space. It is very dangerous for girls in the slum and there are lots of rapes and assaults. As there is no security, men can just walk into any space.

I asked Ross quietly why the families continued to have children if they knew they wouldn’t be able to properly care for them. He replied that unfortunately it is sometimes a result of rape or of prostitution or simply because they are bored. They hope to introduce some family planning and sex education to the slums as soon as they can. To keep the young girls safe, many of them are sponsored to go to boarding school where they stay during the term. A big sponsor has recently pulled out so they only have funding for a number of the children until the end of the year when, if they can’t secure money for school fees, the kids will have to leave school and come back to live in the slum.

I will definitely be sponsoring at least one of the children as soon as I get back to Australia. If you are interested in doing the same (approximately $700 AU a year, paid in 4 installments), I can put you in touch with Ross.

Again we handed out flour and lard to families whose names were being called out by a very bossy, matriarch. This time however, there wasn’t any joy, simply resignation and a dull acceptance. It was incredibly sobering.

This is not living, it is barely surviving. I vow to never complain about what I don’t have, only to be thankful for the incredible good fortune that I was born into a situation that allows me to prosper and make something of my life. I don’t know why the dice rolled in my favour and not in theirs or why I am able to simply able to walk away from these confronting scenes but I will forever be grateful.

It was a quiet ride to lunch. We ate then started on the long journey back to Nairobi and our homestays.

These two days have been incredibly eye-opening. I have seen poverty before when travelling to Chile and Venezuela but have never walked through it or met its victims. It is cruel and unforgiving. Be thankful for your blessings everyone. We are the lucky ones.

English, pancakes and dancing

marciechiwi — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 07:35:00 GMT

Wednesday was to be our last day at school for the week as we were going on an outreach program on Thursday and Friday. We walked out of the compound and up the rocky path when Caitlyn said “It’s already 10 past 8, shall we just get a matatu (bus)?” I knew I liked that girl for a reason.

We arrived before school had started so got to see the kiddies before they went to class. We checked in on what we would be doing that day and found out we would be taking Teacher Hellen’s English class as she wasn’t there that day. Lucky I prepared something earlier! We sat in the staffroom and marked some more English then visited our babies class and gave them the pencils we had bought the day before. We marked their books and helped them with some other work. There were lots of cuddles and smiles. That will never get old I tell you.

We were then off to English to take a properly structured class. Yep, I was just a little nervous. No need as it turns out, the kids were great. Caitlyn, my beautiful assistant, wrote up all the work and I took the class. We had a past/present table, a couple of paragraphs with choices of words to use throughout, then a long paragraph (part of what I could remember from the beginning of Alice in Wonderland) with loads of mistakes the kids had to correct. They were fantastic, just a few little slip ups but generally they got almost all of them right. Clever kiddies. Class was over and they went to PE after telling us to come back again.

Caitlyn was feeling a little worse for wear so we went to Connections for lunch and then home. This time I ordered the pancakes hoping they came out resembling something close to what I am used to. No such luck. Crepe type thingies with capsicum cooked into them. Sigh. Oh well, at least I’m figuring out what not to order from the menu.

We went home via our supermarket as we do, bought the family a cake just ‘cause then wandered home. Caitlyn took to bed for a while and I read. The Canadian boys were back from their jaunt in Mombassa so we planned to have dinner and drinks with them. Their (and probably now our) faithful taxi driver Elias picked us all up and took us to Connections (twice in one day, oh dear). We sat in ‘our spot’ out by the pool and chatted away. We found out more about the amazing work Josh and the volunteers do at their clinic. Their main work is with prostitutes from the local brothels. The clinic receives funding to distribute condoms, do HIV testing, provide counseling and run education programs when they can afford it. They have also been doing some mobile testing. It really is incredible how they have been able to help. They are working on a marketing campaign so the truck drivers and any others who visit the brothels know about the clinic and can go in to get tested or get some condoms. The clinic is applying for more funding as it runs out each year. They are through to the second round of an MTV grant, which would keep them going for another year. Crossing my fingers for you boys.

After eating outside, they wanted to go in and play some pool so in we went. Although it was quite quiet, they had a DJ who was playing some music. It didn’t take long until I was boogying away with Josh, Caitlyn, a couple of the waitresses and a couple of patrons. Fun fun fun! African music rocks. I must have danced for a good hour and a half as my sore abs will attest to. It was getting late quickly so Caitlyn and I caught a taxi home again. Joseph and Geraldine had gone to pick up their friends from the airport so we waited until they arrived, said, hi, nice to meet you all and were off to bed. Up very early for the outreach program tomorrow.

Lala Salama

School Days

marciechiwi — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 06:29:00 GMT

Monday morning and time for school. We were told there was an assembly at 8am so we aimed to get there then; packed our lunch, took whatever we thought we’d need and we were off about 7:50am. I know we went there on Friday but I really don’t think I paid enough attention to how long it took to get there or back – I certainly noticed this morning. At orientation we were told it was 5 minutes walk to the school from where we were staying. 5 minutes my chubby white ass! We finally got there just before 20 past 8. Now I know I walk slow but still, 25 minutes is a far cry from 5! We were greeted by the stickiest mud ever! It was basically black gluey clay. We really needed gumboots which we didn’t have so it was it was an effort, and apparently quite funny for everyone else, to make it through the sludge. This is clearly quite a common occurrence as no one else seemed to be struggling and all just wandered around with rubber-soled shoes that didn’t seem to stick as badly. We managed to get to the office and met the Principal who they call Head Teacher and had a bit of a chat. When we said we were from New Zealand he said “ah yes, the rugby, the Blacks”. Woo hoo, the All Blacks are even famous here!

We went to Josephine’s ‘office’ (AKA tin shed with a table, chair, wooden bench and broken book shelf) and she suggested a couple of classes we could go to. As usual we were swamped by kiddies when they came out after break, all wanting to high five and touch us. The standard greeting is “hi” and “how are you?” to which you have to reply “fine” or they will ask you again.

We were taken to meet the babies’ class (they must have been about 5 years old) and their teacher. Oh my God they are the cutest things IN THE WORLD! They all had smiles ear to ear and waved like crazy. We were given seats – I only just fit in one of their little chairs – and helped mark their work. Books came at us left right and centre, all of them wanted us to look at their work. Drawing a smiley face on their pages was a source of great amusement for them all, such simply pleasures J It was funny seeing their reactions actually. Many of them just wanted to touch our hair or our clothes. Those who were slightly more game would come stand right up to us and kind of lean in so they were touching us. One little girl, Maureen, is such a gorgeous, cheeky little thing. She wanted to snuggle up and stay there and would push any other kid trying to get in away. Heh. Their classroom was fairly well resourced with wall hangings (flour sacks) of letters, numbers, different types of clothes, animals and various other things, all in English. They would copy the pictures and words for English practice. There was also number work, adding, subtracting and writing numbers in full words. Some of the kids tried to get me to mark their Swahili work too, yeah, um, no, I don’t understand, sorry. We stood at the front of the class afterwards as were asked to sing a song. We serenaded them with Baa Baa Black Sheep and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, both of which they knew as they sang them both back to us. We then did ‘Incy Wincy Spider’ which no one had heard of so we taught them the first few lines. We wrote it on the board, went through the words and taught them the moves too. It took them a bit to get it but they tried really hard and were all still doing it after we waved goodbye and left. The babies are at school from 8:20 to lunch time each day then they head home to their families.

We went to the staffroom and had the noodles we had brought for lunch but we felt like we needed something else so we went to Connections (the place we went last time with the boys) to have a drink and use the flushing toilet. Ah, nice.

Now the year 4 – 8 classes (9-13 years old) at Mlolongo Primary School are only 35 minutes long and they have 8 of them during the day. Two then a 20 minute break, another two then 20 minutes, two more then lunch, two more then games until 4pm. They structure their classes by year and a colour so there is 4/5/6/7/8 Blue, Red, Green and Yellow and each class has about 65-70 kids in it!! All of the classrooms are small tin/iron-walled rooms with dirt floors and wooden benches for tables and chairs. There are usually 3-4 kids at each bench so they are pretty squished in there. There is a blackboard in each classroom but many of them are looking quite worse for wear. All the children have exercise books which is great but no texts books. Most have a pencil or pen. One thing just about all of them have in common is they are happy.

We were asked to take a couple of creative arts classes in the afternoon. Turns out that creative arts is on the curriculum but is not something any of the teachers have been trained in so any teacher who has one of those classes basically teaches what they like, the same with Life Skills. So, we had to think quickly (there was no other teacher in the classroom) to come up with something to do. We had 7 Red (11-12 year olds) draw a picture that represents what their life is like now; family, friends, their home, pets, hobbies, etc then had a few of them come up and present to the class. Some were so funny! We then went to 7 Blue and taught the same thing only we had them draw an additional picture that showed them in 10 years time. This class was particularly good at it. One of the boys, Victor, came up and began by saying “as you can see, this is where I am now.” He had drawn his family, house etc. The next picture showed him in his permanent house with his “beautiful beautiful wife and children”. Whitney came up and showed the picture of her future children but she added “but I have no husband as I want to be a single parent”! Much laughing ensued.

After a few more presentations it was time to go. We waved goodbye and started the long walk home. By God I was tired but have no idea why. Perhaps the new ‘job’, the walk, being mobbed by beautiful kiddies, who knows. We wandered home past ‘our’ supermarket and stopped in to buy some essentials including some chalk for the school then trekked home. I was seriously dragging my feet and just fell on the bed when we got back. Absolutely stuffed!

Finally, after hauling my butt off the bed, Caitlyn and I played Catan, a card version of a board game that I have. It’s pretty complicated but super fun so we played for a while and ate popcorn.

Geraldine’s cousin had come to stay the night but we didn’t meet her that evening. She was apparently really tired and slept most of the evening.

As usual, Ann made us a lovely dinner and we waited up to see Geraldine and Joseph. 8 o’clock, 9 o’clock, finally they got home about 10 o’clock after being out to see some friends. It was a short conversation as bed was calling. Before going to sleep we checked on Google maps how long the walk actually is as 5 minutes just wasn’t right. 2.7kms, 35 minute walk. Right. Well there you go. Lights out.

Lala Salama

Tuesday

We met Lillian this morning at breakfast. Today’s breakfast was bread, bananas (as usual) and kumara! Kumara for breakfast. Interesting. It was cold too. Ah well, it’s yummy. Ann packed us some lunch (including the cold sweet potato) and we were gearing ourselves up for the long walk when Joseph said they would take us in Lillian’s car. Thank God! We went to the staffroom when we got there (the mud had dried well since yesterday so we were unhampered) and finished marking some comprehension we had started the day before. Oh my goodness some of their similes were just too funny:

- “We were very confused like a pregnant mosquito.” Well of course, why wouldn’t a pregnant mosquito be confused?

- “A handsome tall man walked in with green eyes like chewed bubblegum”.

- She took her cold chilling shower which left her as a trembling chameleon watching a football match”.

The teacher, teacher Hellen, whose English class we were marking comprehension for, invited us to come to her class period 4, we had PE period 5, then creative art again for periods 7 and 8. Excellent. We were set. First though, we had to go and see our babies class again and see how they were going with ‘Incy Wincy’. They had practiced it! The words had been left on the board and the whole class recited them to us. Success! More marking, cuddles and laughter and then we were off to 7 Red for English.

Teacher Hellen told the class we were to take them (we were?!) and that they were to behave well. Another quick lesson was invented and we gave them their instructions - on a piece of paper, start a story with “When the two New Zealanders came to teach us…”, write for 2 minutes then fold the paper so only the last line can be seen. Pass it to your neighbour who will use your last words to continue writing the story. Don’t look at what they wrote. When finished, pass it back to the original owner and see what sort of story has been written. As the class was only 35 minutes long, only a few of them had time to come up and read their stories but they were great. We heard that we were dressed well and funny and that they want us to go back again. Woo Hoo!

PE time with 7 Green. We had come up with a kind of relay for them to do in teams so took them out to the field. 7 teams of…10!! Ok, this will take a while. We had them hopping, running backwards, doing wheelbarrows with each other and various other relay thingies. The instructions didn’t quite get through but it was fun and they were knackered. We thought the class finished at 12:05 but the bell (a hand bell rung by a student) hadn’t gone so we took them back to class. They wanted to know about us so we told them about living in Australia and New Zealand, explained that we only have a Prime Minister because we have a queen and answered all their questions. Of course when I said my hobbies were dancing and singing I was asked to demonstrate. I begged off the dancing but didn’t get away completely and ended up singing to the whole class! I was a hit! We asked them to sing a song to us and they sang us a welcome song as well as another couple. It was fantastic! We also had a couple of kiddies come up and dance. What groovers they were! Somehow we ended up having the class till 12:40pm. Who knows what they missed because of us but no other teacher came so we assumed it was ok.

After that it was lunch time and off to Connections again (this is going to become a habit). We sat out by the pool and ordered drinks and food. Ooo, they have French Toast, yes please. Ah, not so much. It came out looking like eggy bread but with slices of capsicum cooked into it. Right. Ok, well I’ll give it a go. It wasn’t exactly what I’m used to but it filled a gap. Is this Kenyan French Toast or was the chef not sure what it was and cooked what he thought was close enough? Ah well, never mind. Back to school.

We had planned a game of Pictionary for the two classes but ended going to the second one first and spent two periods with them, oops. 7 Red again. This time they were a little less well behaved but considering there were about 65 all playing a game they were pretty awesome. A lot of shouting ensued near the end of the game when points were being disputed. Most amusing. Finally team Caitlyn won and the room exploded! Most fun :-)

After that it was home time for us so we wandered home. It didn’t seem as long today, perhaps because we had a ride in the morning. We got home (via the supermarket where we had to pick up some popcorn), played Catan and made our way through the huge bag. Yum!

It was a reasonably quiet evening. I planned a language lesson for English the next day (7 Red again) and stumbled off to bed. Fell asleep before Caitlyn had turned out the light.

Lala Salama

Photos: Kenya

marciechiwi — Wed, 7 Nov 2012 02:11:00 GMT

Adventures volunteering in Kenya