Miss Collins' Adventures in Kenya

Back to the Mara

2010-05-28T10:11:00.007+03:00

It has been a long time since i have been out. I mean, i have gone to check out what is happening, for meetings, and short visits... but not for a full trip. I just got back from 3 weeks in SIkirar :) a community which we have just begun working with this year.

This community is predominately Masai, with sprinklings of Kipsigis and Kisii. The school was started only a few years ago, so the primary school only goes to class three. The nursery A has 99 students, and nursery B has about 60. classes 1-3 have about 120 students combined... and they are all working within two buildings.

upon arrival, we were greeted with hundreds of screaming, laughing, and smiling children... small children, with no upper classes, i feel like quite a giant amongst the little ones.

The group worked on two new classrooms, one getting close to completion, the other walls are just beginning... and along the way they fell in love with the students of Sikirar.

I also fell in love... not the type of love that i have for my significant other, but a different kind.... one particular student grabbed my attention on our first days with the community. He was very small, class 1, and calm. While the other students were screaming with excitement, chasing soccer balls, and reaching for whatever hands they could grab, this boy was just sitting quietly. My friend and I went up to talk to him, and we were well received. He began to play with us, counting rocks, making drawings in the dirt, etc. Before long, he was sitting on our laps, snuggling, speaking KiMasaai (which neither of us understood). From that day, every time we saw him, he would come quietly, hold my hand, whisper words i didn't understand... and just be with me. Each day i would head to the school to see this boy... i have a deep love and caring for all of the children i meet in Kenya, but there was just something special about this boy... anyway, here he is...

So the story goes on... on our last day in the community, we had a surprise visit by some members of the Kenya Boys Choir and the Canadian rockers Hedley!! They dropped by in their hunt for a goat, and played a few songs for us. So the school was madness! everyone dancing, singing along, hugging... and i lost track of my favorite boy. I didn't get to see him before we headed out. I was a bit sad... everyone was saying goodbye to those students that they had become close to, and i couldn't find him...

The good news is... i am heading back to SIkirar at the beginning of July, I will find my friend when i get there. Until then, i will keep him in my thoughts, and picture him learning in the new classrooms we have helped to build.

Mount Kenya!

2010-03-16T17:24:00.002+03:00

Last week i did something I never thought I would EVER do. I climbed Mount Kenya. Now, it wasn't something i set out to plan, organize and do... and it isn't even something that i have ever thought of before...

Virgin Atlantic has been doing a HEAP of fundraising for our projects in rural Kenya, and they are fabulous. As one of their fundraising efforts, they got a crew of 60 together to climb the mountain (crazy... yes, but awesome). they raised over 34,000 pounds for a village called sikirar.

Anyway, they needed someone to climb with them from my organization, so i said sure! i had no idea what a mountain climb was about... i didn't have the right clothes (even though sitting in my closet in Canada was a perfect climbing ensemble), or the proper mentality (or training) heading in. Please don't think i am making excuses... i am just being realistic.

So we set off with the crew from Virgin to a beautiful camp in Sagana. some bungee jumped, rafted, napped, a really beautiful place :) the next morning we set off by car to the Sirimon gate, where we would be climbing from.

The first day was nice, perfect temperature, leisurely climb, got to know some great people... about 5 hours later, we were at the camp. We laughed and sang the night away... unaware at what was to come (haha... sounds like a horror movie).

we woke up around 7 am to head out for a long days climb... more like a hike. Through valleys, over hills, and through an infamous vertical BOG. What is a vertical bog you ask? just like it sounds... have you ever watched Most Extreme elimination challenge? well, there is one game called sinkers or floaters... that is what it was like. We walked through deep mud, trying to find pods of grass that would keep us on top... then once in a while, there might be one that doesnt hold up and you find yourself up to your knee in MUD. anyway... we climbed and climbed...and then we finally reached the point where we could see Lenana (the peak we were climbing). it was beautiful and snow covered. By this point, it started to be cold... but i thought, i am canadian... i can handle it :)

We walked for about 9-10 hours that day to our next camp, got settled in for a chilly and short sleep (if you can even call it that). they woke us up at 2 am to summit. It was pitch black, and COLD. We started climbing, each one with their own headlamp. it didn't take long for us to warm up, as we were climbing almost straight up! in the pitch black it was a bit strange because you couldnt see what was ahead or even side to side. about two hours into climbing...sooo, 4 am about... it started to snow, hail, and rain all at once. It also got cold. we kept going. another hour later, and i couldn't feel my hands, and i was walking on what felt like gravel. One step up and you would slip down a half step... very frustrating. I am slow... so people took off ahead...my headlamp was dying a slow death... and i was slipping backwards more than i felt i was moving up. So i yelled to my friends ahead that i didn't think i could do it... being great friends they encouraged me and told me they would wait however long it took... really nice and great.... but i wasn't convinced. I stood on that mountain and really felt as though my legs couldn't move, and my hands would never make it.

Just as i seriously thought about turning around and going back... i heard footsteps coming from beside me... then a warm hand grabbed mine, tucked it under his arm, and began to walk me up the mountain. His name was Martin. From that point on, he didn't let go. He whispered words of broken english encouragement in my hear and step by step... he stayed with me. he was kind, understanding, gentle... and small... and he stayed with me. slowly by slowly he brough me up the mountain. we caught my friends, and we all walked together.

The conditions were terrible, and we couldn't even see anything when we got to the top... but I was soo thankful for Martin for bringing me up. If it weren't for him, i would have never gone up!

The sun came up, the snow kept blowing, and then we headed down. it is a good thing you summit in the dark... because if i had seen where we were climbing on the way up... not even Martin could have helped me... it was crazy!

we walked 16 hours that summit day... and getting back to camp was amazing... it snowed most of the way back... but then 3 hours before camp, the sun came out!! i have never been soo happy for sun. We dried out (reasonably) and drank warm soup and tea until bed :)

the next day we walked back to that very same gate, but this time it was far more beautiful :)

it is now 5 days later... it is still hard to sit.... my big toe is numb... my face is peeling... but I feel great!

Virgin Atlantic proved to be the most inspiring group of people i have met. None of them have even seen the village for whilch they are fundraising... and they did all of that. If a few more companies could show this same responsibility and passion, wow, things would change fast!

Kenya again

2010-01-14T22:14:00.001+03:00

I really can’t believe I am back.

4 months in Canada flew by. I had such great times reconnecting with all of my family and friends, and the holidays were a blast. Leaving, as always, gave me a strange feeling of sadness combined with excitement for what was to come. I had a tearful experience at the security gate at the airport, and during my first flight it felt as though my head and heart were still in Canada.

Waiting for my connecting flight in Amsterdam, I began to remember all of the things I really loved from my previous stint in Kenya. I thought about the students I would see, taller and more mature than the year before. I remembered the mamas that make the villages thrive even in tough times. I thought of the once dry fields that have recently been pelted with rain… and I began to get excited. From the moment stepping onto my second flight, the mood changed. I realized I would always miss my family, my friends… but this is where I am meant to be.

Stepping off the plane, I felt the warmth of the Kenyan air… different from the 30 below that was at pearson airport. I felt at home.

I left the next day to head out to the Mara… for the first time by plane J The drive is usually anywhere from 4-8 hours, so you can imagine how great it was to get there in 45 minutes… and to see the sights from high above. Very cool.

I wrote last season about the drought that has been taking its toll on the people in the rural communities where we work. It has been a number of years where there have not been adequate rains to sustain even one full harvest, leaving most people in very challenging times. Starting a few weeks ago, the rains began. Although it is not typically a planting season, the locals have taken full advantage and most people can be found rotating from field to field hoping to reap the benefits.

Driving in this time, the usual yellow, dry fields… were green. Plants were flowering where I have never seen them before, and the children seemed a bit thicker… what life the rain can bring.

Anyway… I am back. It feels great.

Kenya again

2010-01-14T22:14:00.000+03:00

I really can’t believe I am back.

Stepping off the plane, I felt the warmth of the Kenyan air… different from the 30 below that was at pearson airport. I felt at home.

Driving in this time, the usual yellow, dry fields… were green. Plants were flowering where I have never seen them before, and the children seemed a bit thicker… what life the rain can bring.

Anyway… I am back. It feels great.

Back in Canada

2009-10-14T01:38:00.003+03:00

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

2009-07-16T15:41:00.002+03:00

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

2009-05-23T18:57:00.004+03:00

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

2009-05-04T21:22:00.002+03:00

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

2009-03-28T21:24:00.001+03:00

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

2009-03-07T10:51:00.002+03:00

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!!

2009-02-24T22:36:00.003+03:00

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!

2009-02-22T21:52:00.002+03:00

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

2009-02-15T20:42:00.008+03:00

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

2009-01-30T11:24:00.003+03:00

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

2009-01-26T14:40:00.006+03:00

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

2009-01-25T15:23:00.006+03:00

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

2009-01-21T21:13:00.003+03:00

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

2009-01-18T22:54:00.000+03:00

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

2009-01-18T22:53:00.000+03:00

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

2009-01-11T17:24:00.005+03:00

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!

2009-01-07T14:29:00.002+03:00

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

3 days...

2008-12-24T07:45:00.002+03:00

Here I am... back from Mexico and ready for Kenya. My flight is on boxing day, probably the busiest day of the year at the airport... but I am excited.

I have spent the last week and a half preparing, emotionally (saying goodbye to friends, family, loved ones), and physically (getting vaccinations, getting malaria pills, buying products... and packing!!).

My family and I celebrated Christmas a week early to accommodate my flight, so my Christmas excitement is over... now just the last minute preparations and I will be off...

some cool things in Kenya... we will be there for New Years and O'Bama's inaugauration, which will be quite the event I am guessing...

next time i post i will be there :) wish me luck on the looooooong flight.

talk to you soon,
Jodie

2008-10-30T19:01:00.002+03:00

On my last visit, I couldn't believe the state of the classrooms, if you can even call them that. In that broken down and dusty room, about 60 students would gather... with 3 or 4 to each desk. I can't imagine teaching in something like that... and to think, I have complained about it being too hot or cold in my classrooms.

The other picture is me with some of the sweetest students from the school. We would sing and laugh for hours. This is one of my favorite pictures.

2008-10-29T20:40:00.003+03:00

Those are just some pictures from my last trip... Pretty cool how this all works.

New Post

2008-10-29T20:39:00.001+03:00

This is just a test :)

Like I said, just sorting some stuff out.

T- minus two months

2008-10-28T21:41:00.002+03:00

So here is my first blog attempt. Thanks for joining me, although I don't leave for another 2 months, I wanted to be sure I had a good grasp on this whole thing before I go halfway across the world.

I want to welcome those of you from Alexandra, Central, and any other schools around the Lindsay area who are going to follow me through this adventure.

I am travelling with Free the Children as a facilitator for groups that have fundraised and committed to school building and water projects throughout rural Kenya. I am not 100% certain of how often I will be able to write... or blog (I guess thats what you call it)... but I am hoping to keep on it as much as I can.

soooo... here we go...

peace out.