Back in Canada

That is where I am, back in Canada. It has been fabulous reconnecting with my parents, family, friends... catching up on local news, family ups and downs, and really just catching up. I am currently supply teaching in my old school board, until I return to Kenya after Christmas.

This past weekend was great, I am actually still recovering from Thanksgiving overload... turkey, stuffing, squash, asparagus, potatoes... and of course pumpkin pie. I had a great time, and the food was delicious, but I really can't help but think of those that I know in Kenya.

As I have mentioned before, and you may have heard on the news, Kenya (and most of Sub-Saharan Africa) is dealing with drought... serious drought. Now drought in this case doesn't mean that it is not raining at all, it rained from time to time throughout the typical rainy season. However, the rains were not even comparable to what is necessary to grow enough crops to sustain a family, let alone yield enough to sell and create income for a household.

This situation is reaching a very critical point. Because of this, the cost of food has skyrocketed making it nearly impossible for most families to meet nutritional requirements. Cows, goats, and sheep are not getting enough to eat, they cannot be sold, so the farmers cannot generate income for their families. Mamas and young girls are forced to walk further and further in search of dirty rivers and hopeful springs... without much luck.

So you can understand why it is hard to be in Canada. A place where we turn the tap, and water is there. Where I open the fridge and ponder what I should eat next. A place where I know I will not go to bed hungry.

Just as I was leaving Kenya, the organization I work for had begun to drill bore holes (deeeeeep wells) to serve the communities where we work. They had successfully hit water at two sites by that time and were continuing the projects while we are away... This is a HUGE step towards proper sanitation and health while the drought runs its course.

Anyway, when I hear how those wells are going, I will let you know.

Just a bit of insight into what being back in Canada is like.

until next time :)

Countdown

i can't believe how fast time is going.

It has been soo long since i have been on to write. Seems that being in the mara with no internet makes it a bit challenging... anyway. I am back. I only have one adult trip and one youth trip left before I board the plane to go back to Canada.

Because the time is coming soo quickly, i can't help but think about the things that I will miss when I go... the things that make Kenya such a special place to me. I have never felt more comfortable with myself than i do here. The children at the schools, the mamas in the villages... they don't care what type of clothes you are wearing, or how much you have spent on your outfit. They look right past that to your intentions... your values, and how respected you are depends entirely on how you treat people... just the way it should be.

The word i have heard the most here... by far, is Karibu. Karibu means welcome. The people i have met, and the places I have gone... I have felt more welcome than anywhere else (aside from my own parent's home). I love it...

All I can think of is how I want my family to come and see everything that we do here, and everyone who has made my stay sooo powerful and meaningful.

Anyway, until next time... i will try to write before I go again.

Visit to Kibera

Kibera is Sub Saharan Africa's largest slum. It is estimated that there are between 800,000 and 1.2 million people living there. It has no plumbing or sanitation. It has no system of garbage removal. All those people are living in one square mile. On one side of the square mile of tin roofs and garbage piles there is a golf course... where Nairobi's most wealthy swoon their clients. The other side is a row of beautiful new condos.

Kibera has become its own city inside of Nairobi. It has its own set of rules, its own business sector, and it operates on its own.

I had the opportunity to tour Kibera with an organization called KCYP (Kibera Community Youth Programme). The organization works to inspire youth in Kibera through their talents. There are projects for visual arts, audio recording, drama, and education.

We started by overlooking the community by standing on the railroad tracks to get a birds eye view. It really was startling. I couldn't believe the number of people crammed into such a small space without many of the things we call "necessities". The garbage lined the tracks as we walked further into the slum.

I was overwhelmed by the smell; burning garbage, rotting garbage, and human waste... quite a combination. I was also surprised by the children that were around... not in school. although there are many schools within the slum... they still require uniforms, books, and examination costs that many families just can afford.

As we walked through children yelled "MZUNGU!" (kiswahili for foreigner) at the top of the lungs to alert everyone that we were there. If you want a good idea of what it is like, watch the Constant Gardener movie... the representation of Kibera's youth is quite accurate.

There are many reasons why people end up in a place like Kibera, many of which I don't know if i will ever understand. Many come from the rural areas... they are farmers who are deeply affected by drought. They are no longer able to make a living in the dry rural areas and so they come to Kibera looking for opportunity. What they find is something quite different.

Although they are living in conditions that are far below what Canadians might deem as sanitary, safe, and acceptable, i was surprised that at the end of our tour, I was left with an overwhelming sense of hope. The people I met were working hard to spread their messages of love, community, safe sex... and many others through their music, artwork, and dramatic presentations.

Although the Kenyan government shows some concern for the conditions and growth of Kibera (there is no more land allotment... even though it is getting bigger in population), it does not seem to be a high priority. There are over 200 NGO's presently operating in Kibera...

i unfortunately have no answers for this community, but please feel free to visit the website of KCYP, or research on your own. www.kcyp.net

round one with daisy

WOW. time is FLYING in Kenya.

It has been a looooong time since i have written... a lot has happened as well.

One of the places we visit with guests from Canada is called the giraffe centre. It is a place where they are attempting to repopulate the Rothschild giraffe... it was very close to extinction in the 1970s... the numbers had reached around only 100 left in the wild. Since its opening, the numbers of Rothschild giraffes have increased to almost 500.

The centre serves as educational resource for local schools, and a place to come play, feed, and pet the giraffes.

So i went to the centre with my last group... we were having a great time, and I was just trying to snap a sweet pic of "Flat Stanley" with Daisy, the big MAMA giraffe... the guide there warned me to only get close to Daisy if i had pellets to feed him. I was stubborn, and thought that nothing would happen to me... but.. just as my friend Cameron tried to snap the pic, Daisy swung her head furiously towards mine.

Although i have cat like reflexes (hehe), i didn't react in enough time, and she drilled me right in the forehead with hers... I didn't pass out, but for a second i thought i might... my group had just met me, and didn't really know how to react, my eyes were watering like crazy, and all i could do was laugh... so really I think it was a good ice breaker for us.

I had a gooseegg, the biggest one i have ever had right over my right eye.

funny. I will go back to even the score this week, i will tell you how it goes.

talk to you soon.

Oloosiyoi Community

WOW! back again from another stint in the Mara. This time I was accompanying a group of high school students from Lakefield C.S. They were building and living in a Maasai community called Oloosiyoi.

Oloosiyoi is a special community because, unlike many other schools where we are working, this was only the third group to travel and build there. The school is fairly small, with 250 students, but very lively.

When the students arrived at the build site, there was nothing but a rocky, uneven piece of land with a rectangle drawn in coloured dirt... a 10 foot by 16 foot rectangle... big. We build with traditional tools, and resources that would be locally available, so no backhoe. They began digging with pickaxes and jembes... and they dug... and dug, and dug... and DUG some more. 6 days to be precise, until that traced rectangle was a trench 5 feet deep!!!

From there, the mixing of cement and making a re bar made up the foundation... and then the beginnings of the walls.

All throughout the building process, we had quite an audience. The students were in school during the time we were there, and on their breaks children all the way from the nursery school to standard 8 would come and watch... we actually had to ask them not to help, in fears that they may hurt themselves.

At the end of Lakefield's time at Oloosiyoi, they had not only been beaten in numerous football games, played the biggest game of duck duck goose in history, but they had laid the foundation for a new classroom, and the community was ecstatic!

To show their thanks to the Lakefield guests, the students organized a wonderfully colourful celebration of traditional Maasai songs and dances.

Upon leaving, I received a note from a standard seven boy from Oloosiyoi. His kind words will always resonate with me, but one part in particular struck me...

I will never forget about you. Remember that life is what you make it, so
make it the BEST!

Enelerai High School

It has been sooo long since my last post... I know... We have had a great month of building and practice teaching for a group of teacher candidates from Nipissing University. Sadly, they left this morning for Canada...

They were doing their teaching at Enelerai Primary, and the last day I was there with them I had a chance to visit Enelerai High School. Although Primary education became free and compulsory in 2004, students still need to pay to attend high school. In this particular school, which is government run, there was a full classroom of form 1 students (grade 9 equivalent)... with over half that were GIRLS (10 years ago, there were barely any girls in the education system at all). Form 2 was about half the size, with fewer girls... form 3 the same... form 4 was a tiny class of about 20... with only 3 girls.

This is a bit alarming to me. With the amount of girls decreasing soo much from form 1 to form 2... it could mean a variety of different things. Maybe it has just taken a while for the girls that started compulsory and free primary education to filter up into the secondary schools... maybe as time goes on the girls, and boys, are forced to leave their education to pursue income generating activities to support their families?... I don't know the answers for sure... but I do know that the need for universal/free high school is very real.

I was touched greatly by the students of Enelerai high school... each one with high hopes of becoming professionals, and desperately wanting to attend university.... but looking at the form 4 class was a bit of a wakeup call. How many of them will even be able to afford to finish high school, let alone attend university?


I am off to the Mara again tomorrow. I will be building with a group from Peterborough, Ontario at a Maasai community called Oloosiyoi. I will be posting upon my return.

In the meantime, please visit www.freethechildren.com and see ways that you can raise your own awareness of education in developing countries. :)

RAIN!!

In Canada when it rains, people get grouchy, complain, and run for cover... not here. Rain here is a blessing.

I arrived in Kenya on December 28th, until today I had not seen any significant rainfall.

The area where we are working has been facing a very serious drought... and had not received a good rain for quite some time. We arrived at the build site (Emori Joi), with a looming black cloud hovering over in the distance. Our guides began making bets on how long it would be before the rain came... it was around 5 minutes before we started getting pelted.

Although our building was cut short, I was so happy for the famers and families in the area. Freshly planted crops were given the boost that they needed today, and the dusty earth was temporarily replaced with puddles and mud.

Excellent.

lala salama.

Best Safari EVER!

SAFARI TODAY!! what a blast. I only have a minute to write, but we saw some incredible things. Here is a point form list:

• gazelles
• elephants (about 25)
• 2 lions
• hippos
• dik diks
• giraffes
• ostriches
• buffalo
• impalas
• zebras galore
• and a tonne of other animals

this is just one of a bunch of the elephants we saw.

beautiful giraffe walking in the distance

Buffaloes are very social, and enjoy relaxing with one another in the midday heat

Two of our guides, Sam and Felix... they taught me how to brush my teeth the natural way. I felt minty fresh for the rest of the day!

More to come... I was just so excited to get this part written... have a great day!

Diani Beach... Mombasa

Heat. Unlike any other heat I have ever experienced. I don't think I stopped sweating from the beginning of the trip until the last minute... I really should not complain because I know most of you reading this are looking out your windows and seeing snow, lots of snow.

To wrap up our 6 weeks of training (I can't believe I have already been here for that long), we took a trip to Diani Beach (South beach from Mombasa). The five of us shared a wicked cottage, from a place called kijiji (not the classified site, it is the actual name of the "resort").

Aside from swimming in the warmest natural water ever, dining feet from the rising tide, and seeing camels walk by, my favorite part was an excursion we took to Wasini island. We boarded a small wooden "ship" (looked like a pirate ship), and headed out on the Indian ocean to a nearby marine park. On the way there, we ate mangoes and oranges, and watched for dolphins. We saw about 10 dolphins playing and following the boats, and headed for the reef.

The reef was totally cool. I have been snorkelling before, and have seen some really cool creatures... but here, there were SOOO MANY fish. Not many were big, nothing too shocking... but i was constantly surrounded, I felt like I was one of the fish in the school. VERY VERY VERY cool. The reef went on for about a kilometre, and we didn't even have enough time to go all the way. INCREDIBLE!

Once we finished scoping the reef, we swam back to the ship and took turns cannonballing and back diving off the side. Jumping into water is one of my all time favorite things, so this was a definite highlight for me.

We sailed back to Wasini Island (population of about 800, almost fully Muslim) for lunch at a restaurant with a beautiful view >. They served us crab... so fresh... and white snapper. I enjoyed it so much I spilled most of the sauce on my white tank top (kind of an aside). We toured the island, and saw many other tourists handing out sweets and toys to the local children. This is something that always leaves a bit of a weird feeling with me. In our work in the Mara, we are quite strict about gift giving... because our work is not about hand outs... it is about empowerment and sustainability. To give a child sweets may make you feel a sense of instant gratification, and may make that child hold your hand for a while... but wouldn't you rather build a relationship based on friendship and caring, instead of one sided giving? Just something I have been thinking of since being there.

We sailed back into shore, and drove home exhausted and sun burnt. What an awesome day.

Here are some other random shots from in and around Diani beach...

Emily and I... after having been proposed to by a warrior on the beach.

One night Emily and I raced the tide back to our cottage...

Home Sweet Home

I just realized that I still haven't spoken about, or shown pictures of where I am living. Since it is sooo beautiful, and right now, we are spending sooo much time here, I figure I need to give it the attention it deserves.

The house where I am living is in Nairobi, in a subdivision called Gigiri, in an area called Roslyn. It is a beautiful neighbourhood surrounded by lush vegetation. Downtown Nairobi itself can be quite a dangerous city at night, but where we live is very safe. Our compound is surrounded by electric fencing and has security guards on duty 24 hours a day. We actually share one fence with the Canadian High Commissioner, so if we ever had any trouble, that is where we would need to be anyway. It is a beautiful home that can sleep up to about 40 guests at one time.

The home itself was purchased from an Indian business man that had been going through a rough divorce and wanted to get rid of it fast! So Leaders Today (now Me to We) bought it to make the transition from Nairobi to the Mara easier for their participants.

So here are some pictures... in a months time we will only have a few days every month here, most of our time will be spent in the mara working on development projects.

The kitchen... where all our wonderful meals are made

chai table... mmm.. One of the bedrooms

The dining room table... right now it is our "office", and this is the view from our "office"

my computer is fussy right now... so i will post more pics of my home later

tutaonana :)

snapshots from Emori Joi

Good monday... just on here to post some beautiful pics from a community that we work with... Emori Joi. I can't take credit for the photos though, they were taken by a staff member from Toronto.

Public Transport

A big part of being in Nairobi without a car (not that I would ever be crazy enough to drive downtown Nairobi...) is being able to navigate public transit. The only difference here, is that there really isn't a controlled public mode of transit... the system here is private, either matatu or taxi. Taxi fare is relatively affordable in comparison to Toronto, but the matatu's are very inexpensive. For a 10 minute trip, we pay about 10 Kenyan Shillings, which is under 20 cents... pretty sweet.... however, each matatu ride is quite the adventure. Each one is smaller than the average North American mini van, and by law they are allowed up to 13 passengers at a time.

On poorly monitored roads, they will often cram up to 18 or 20 people into one. Aside from being loaded with people, they often come equipped with a video screen and pounding music... I have heard everything from reggae, popular rap, boys to men, and Mariah Carey, but it is all LOUD. Some have fluorescent lights inside and most are themed, with the inside walls plastered in posters and fabric.

The matatu business is also one of the most exploited in the country of Kenya, police officers will often pull over matatus and charge the driver a "tax" based upon the number of people using the service.

Here is the inside of a busy matatu...

O'Bama Inauguration night

What a night. I feel like yesterday was one of those times that I will look back and tell my children about... Barack O'Bama's father was born in a small village in Kenya and the people here really take pride in him as the new president.

We went to a large bar/restaurant where they had about 10 large screen tvs set up, and two more two storey high screens to show the inauguration and speech. I usually find moments of empowerment and significance last night emotional... but last night was definitely more emotional than usual for me. Every time Kenya was mentioned everyone cheered... and there were people of ALL ages and walks of life.

Anyway, the energy of the night was an overwhelming feeling of hope... we will see how it goes.

goodnight :)

Kiswahili 101 with Walter

As part of our training, we are having daily Kiswahili lessons with a local teacher, Walter. We have 2.5 weeks to get to the point where we are conversational and ready for action. So far Walter has been extremely patient and helpful with us… we are quite hyperactive at times and have trouble with some of the trickier pronunciation.

Just like you might be following my trip, I thought maybe you might want to know some Kiswahili as well

Some basic greetings:

Jambo! – Hi! General greeting that can be used at any time throughout the day.
Habari Gani? - what is the news? General greeting that can be asked any time.
Habari yako? – what is your news? More specific to be asked to one person.

To answer:

Nzuri - good – will always do, even if you aren’t very good
Njema – fine
Salama- peaceful
Hakuna matata- no worries, just like the Jungle Book

And if you really want to emphasize any of these… just add Sana… it means really really!

Hope this gives you a good start!

Tutaonana! (see you later)

Mulot Market and return to the Mara

This weekend we returned to the mara for some extra training. When participants come, the trip is made in old military lorries… very cool and big but verrrry slow. Last time it took us about 9 hours to get to the centre. Today, because there were only 8 of us, we took a land cruiser and cut our time in half… 4.5 hours.

We traveled first to tenwek hospital to check it out. This is the hospital that we would go to if we, or any of our participants have trouble. It was quite a long drive, but the hospital itself is the best one around. Although it doesn’t look like the hospitals in Canada, it is equipped with all of the same equipment and capabilities, and many professional people from abroad strive to obtain positions there.
On the way home from Tenwek we stopped at Mulot market. This is a sustainance market that is held for all surrounding communities on Saturdays and Wednesdays. We saw many people from the communities we work with, and they had walked anywhere up to 45 km to get to the market… to sell and to buy. incredible. What a sight. Total sensory overload, and I am pretty sure not many tall blonde mzungus (Kiswahili for foreigner) go there because we definitely surprised some people. Unlike the market in Nairobi, this is not for tourists, this one is for food, every day supplies and livestock trading. The sights and smells were a tad overwhelming, and I mostly looked down so as not to trip over anything or anyone.

We are heading back to the city tomorrow, and then back to Kiswahili classes Monday morning.

The 20th is O’bama’s inauguration, and everywhere is Kenya is gearing up for big parties… so that should be fun… remember to watch for the Kenyan Boys choir if you watch it on t.v.

Lala salama

First trip to the Mara

I really could not have thought of a better way to start 2009 than being in the beautiful savannah with all the amazing Free the Children and me to we staff from Toronto. We started the night with a feast of lamb, goat, chicken and all kinds of vegetables. A dj was hired and we danced and danced.

The highlight of my night came when the Kenyan boys choir performed for us right at our new home. They were amazing singers, dancers and just all around performers. The only instruments they used were a set of homemade drums and their voices. The final song in their set was O Canada, which made me a tad emotional for the first time ever. I m not sure whether it was the beauty of the moment or just knowing that I won’t be back in Canada for a long time… anyway… it was great.

Of the whole staff trip, all the animals we saw, and people we met, I learned the most from the mommas of Emori Joi community. They met us at the school (one of the nearby FTC built schools), and took us to their houses to show how the community members live. Their huts are made mostly of cow dung, dirt, mud and sticks. There is little ventilation and many families share their small and smoky accommodations with goats and chickens. One woman we met is part of a womans group formed in partnership with the alternative income projects through the adopt a village program (more to follow). Because of her involvement, and micro loans that her group members put together, she has been able to build a family structure out of brick, which lasts much longer than the traditional structure, and allows her and her family to live separate from the fire and cooking, which can help prevent respiratory illness.

After the tour of the homes, the mamas invited us to make a very familiar walk with them, down to their water source, the mara river. This is a trip that is about 2 km each way, and on an average day, they might make that trip anywhere from 5-7 times (not too mention one direction each time with an extremely heavy jerry can strapped to their head). The water that we saw was not a pleasing sight. Right next to where they are taking their water, there are children bathing, women doing laundry, donkeys deficating… it really is a dire situation. The need for proper sanitation and clean water is incredible. As my new friend Lois strapped a filled jerry can to my head, I was overwhelmed by the daily activities of these excellent women. I walked it back to one of their homes, dripping sweat and losing feeling all throughout my neck and back… I can’t believe that they or their daughters do this so often. I will never again take the water that pours free from my taps at home for granted.

Back In Nairobi... first trip to the Mara done!

Ok, so I am in Kenya!!! and I have spent the last week and a half in the Mara region with all the wonderful people that work for FTC in Toronto. What an amazing trip.

Photos will be posted when I have all the proper hookups and internet connection... but for now here are some of the highlights;
- Played with orphaned baby elephants
- saw a women's cooperative bead factory... Kazuri beads... www. kazuri.com
- returned to Enelerei for a community gathering
- school building at Salebwek
- Tree planting at the nursery and Emori Joi
- walking with the mamas and carrying water
- new years with the Kenyan Boys choir
- hanging out with Craig and Marc K.
Anyway, that list will be my reminder when I actually have some good time to dedicate to sharing the first leg of this adventure.

:) Jodie