Back Home

Well, after a layover in Amsterdam (complete with a visit to the Anne Frank House) Matt and I made it back to the USA safely yesterday afternoon. We had an amazing vacation. We went on safari to Amboseli (park in front of Mount Kilimanjaro), Ngorongoro Crater (Tanzania) and Lake Manyara. We saw tons of zebras, baboons, wildebeast and elephants; lions mating; and 5 rhinos (very rare)! I'll try to post some pictures on Facebook tomorrow. We then spent a few days in Ngong before coming home. Matt was able to spend a few days with the kids and my host family, which was great.

Leaving Kenya was really hard. It's strange being back. It's so calm and organized here, and I sort of miss the chaos. I'm definitely having some reverse culture shock, but mainly I just miss the kids (so much!!). It's been a little rough, but I think it may be worse once it all really sinks in. I'll write a final post in a couple of days, but I wanted to let everyone know that we made it home okay.

Gumboots and Back to School

It's been raining more lately, and it is MUDDY! I wore gumboots (rainboots) all day yesterday and still needed them up at Sidai today. It's been impossible to keep the floors at the children's home clean, and my socks are completely red from the mud. Also, the stairs leading up to Sidai are so muddy that it's practically like a slip and slide. Luckily, I've managed to avoid wiping out on the mud so far.

I visited the school where I'm enrolling Frances today. I wanted to put him in the best school I could realistically afford to commit to paying the tuition for. I ended up enrolling him in the 3rd best school in the area, so I'm really happy and excited. He starts on Tuesday. Matt and I will be on safari on Tuesday, which will be amazing, but I'm a little sad that I won't be able to take him to his first day of school. Yes, I feel like I'm his mom!

I leave Kenya two weeks from today. Although I miss all of you, I'm starting to get really sad about leaving. Frances has been waking up in the middle of the night calling my name. Another girl didn't leave my side for 2 days after I got back from Uganda/Rwanda, and the oldest boy surprised me by saying that he's going to cry when I leave. I know that they have volunteers come in and out, and also know that they bounce back really quickly after volunteers leave, but I still feel terrible about it. Plus, I simply don't want to leave them! I feel like I grow closer and more attached to them each passing week. Hopefully, I come to terms with leaving in the next couple of weeks.

One bit of sad news - the boy that Austin and I met outside Sidai (who was living on the streets b/c his mother is a drunk who beat him) is no longer at the home. While I was in Rwanda, his mother showed up (drunk) with his younger sisters and took him home. Apparently, she was beating him and the boy (Daniel Joro) was crying b/c he didn't want to go. If he comes back to Sidai, Lucy is going to take him to another children's home in Kibiko where hopefully his mother can't find him. Since the mother has legal rights to Daniel, there is unfortuately little else we can do for him right now.

News from Kenya

Since I heard this hit CNN, I thought I'd update about the latest Mungiki news.

As I've written about before, Mungiki is an extremist/terrorist group that is part of the Kikuyu tribe. The mainstream Kikuyus, however, are very against what the Mungiki stand for. This week, a group of Kikuyus decided the police/gov't weren't doing enough to stop the Mungiki and attacked a number of suspected Mungiki members in Karatina (abt 2 hrs from Nairobi; where I was originally supposed to be placed, actually). The Mungiki then retaliated...and you can see where this is heading.

A news crew went into the area and found a suspected supporter of Mungiki, a woman, close to death on the grass outside her home. They asked their police escort to call an ambulance, but the police refused saying it was too dangerous. They watched the woman die.

All of this is extremely sad, obviously. The people aren't happy with the police response to Mungiki. Taking the law into their hands, however, is scary. Their acts of revenge are most likely going to spur additional acts of revenge from Mungiki...and so on.

It's very frustrating to see this on the news every night. Tension b/tw Mungiki and the Kikuyus (which my family and many of the kids at Sidai are part of), not to mention the rest of the country, is getting worse and worse. Combine this with the political tension here (people of certain tribes will never vote for people from other certain tribes; people are extremely unhappy with gov't; etc.), and I'm really concerned for the future of Kenya. I would not be in the country during the next election (if they even make it that long w/o major upheavals or violence). You can see how there is the possibility of tension and violence continuing to expand.

I'm not trying to worry anyone (sorry, Mom). I feel completely safe here. My concern is more for what is to come in the upcoming years. I really hope the government can come up with a way to dissipate some of the tension, but my confidence is the government is definitely lacking.

Here are a couple of news articles if anyone is interested:

http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/590848/-/u64bc3/-/

http://www.eastandard.net/InsidePage.php?id=1144012430&cid=4

Back home in Kenya

After the worst bus ride EVER, I'm back in Kenya. I'm in Nairobi checking email b/c 1) it's faster here and 2) to avoid getting back on a bus for a little longer. It was only 12 hours (short compared to the 24 hrs to Kigali) but was definitely a worse experience. We were on a crappy bus, and we know just enough Kiswahili to know people kept talking about us. Now the roads in Kenya are terrible - sometimes they don't even really exist and you have to drive on the shoulder. However, if the driver had not felt the need to drive like a total maniac, I probably would not be sore all over from all the bumps! Oh well, despite having no seatbelts, we made it safely back to Kenya.

ANYWAY, besides the bus ride home, our trip was amazing. After Rwanda, we went to Uganda. We spent the last couple of days in Jinja. We rode kayaks in Lake Victoria and up part of the Nile. I also went swimming at the source of the Nile. I skipped the Class 5 rapid trip (I place blame on a certain float trip in Tahoe where I almost died), but it was absolutely beautiful. A year ago, I never would have imagined that I would have been hanging out around the Nile River!

I still need to post on Rwanda, but I need some sleep to deal with that one! More soon...

Safe in Rwanda

We survived the 24 hour bus ride and arrived in Kigali, Rwanda on Thursday afternoon. Rwanda is AMAZING! I hadn't even realized how stressful Kenya was until I came here. People don't harass us nearly as much, and I'm also much less scared of getting hit by a car here. :)

We've been to a number of genocide memorial sites (it's the 15 anniversary). I have so much to write about all of this, but I'm going to wait and write a longer post when I get back to Kenya. It's amazing how Rwanda has been able to completely turn itself around in just 15 years. I can't describe how meaningful this trip has been so far and how impressed I am with this country.

We are leaving Rwanda early tomorrow for Kampala, Uganda. Happy weekend!

Off to Rwanda and Uganda!

Yesterday morning, Dannie and I took a motorbike to visit Letoya and Moses (2 boys who are being sponsored to go to private school) in Maasailand on the other side of the Ngong Hills. Although we primarily just played keepaway w/ Letoya's shoes, we had a lot of fun. On the way home, we saw giraffees and baboons. Even though I've seen both here before, it's still really cool to see them so close to where I've been living.

Jen, Chris and I leave for Rwanda and Uganda this afternoon. We're on a 24 hr bus ride to Kigali, Rwanda today. We don't have any other definite plans for our trip but will be stopping in Kampala, Uganda on the way back to Kenya. We'll go to some other places in Rwanda and Uganda as well, but we're just playing it by ear for now.

I accidentally knocked the camera off a table yesterday and now won't turn on :( I'm really bummed but will make Jen and Chris take lots of pics for me.

I'll try to update while I'm in Rwanda/Uganda but will definitely update when I get back in 7-10 days.

Miss you all!

Who has the right of way in Kenya?

Pedestrian or vehicle?
Answer: Vehicle

Pedestrian or cow?
Answer: Cow

Cow or vehicle?
Answer: It's a toss-up.


Well, I'm in Nairobi. A bunch of volunteers are staying at the volunteer house, and I'm having a really nice weekend. It was a tough week. Not only was there the bad news re Angelina's test results, but there is also some drama about where two boys from Sidai who are starting boarding school next term (which itself is amazing) will be staying during school holidays. Currently, they are with their family who did not treat them right, which is why they were at Sidai in the first place. I had to say goodbye to a boy who was crying when he walked away from me, so things have been tough. Anyway, it's nice to get away for a couple of days and just relax.

HAPPY EASTER!!

Very Sad Day

So...a few weeks ago, I was talking to Lucy's daughter about Ruth (the little girl who was HIV+ when we took her to get tested), and she mentioned that Angelina (7 yrs) was positive but then took medication and her next test was negative. This made absolutely no sense to me until I reasoned that she must have had a positive test when she was <18 months old. Babies can have HIV+ test results that are actually just due to their mothers' antibodies and later test negative.

The other day, however, someone again mentioned how Angelina had been positive when she came to Sidai. This was making me nervous, so today I took her to get tested again. Unfortunately, her test was positive. I can't describe how disappointed I felt when I saw the test results. It was terrible when Ruth tested positive, but I was relatively new in Kenya and hadn't had the chance to get to know her well yet. Angelina, on the other hand, is one of my favorites at Sidai. Plus, I had thought she was perfectly healthy. She is hilarious and so full of life. I have no idea how she had a negative test a couple of years ago, and I am so sad and frustrated that she hasn't been on medication. At least we now know, and she started her meds today.

Anyway, sad day for me. On a sidenote - the nurse asked me if the kids shared everything, such as food, toilets, etc. I said yes, like a family. The nurse then told me that the kids with HIV shouldn't be sharing. When I said that you can't get HIV by sharing a toilet, she said "sometimes kids scratch when they use towels, and that could spread the disease." Okay, HIV is not spread like that, but I just told her that the kids don't share towels (ha - they don't even have towels!!). Lucy later was worried about the kids w/ HIV sharing toothbrushes. Now, I've given the kids several lectures about not sharing toothbrushes, and I really don't want Ruth and Angelina sharing w/ the other kids b/c I don't want them exposed to more germs than necessary since they have weaker immune systems. However, this again is not how HIV is spread. It's amazing how despite the fact that 20% of the Kenyan population has HIV/AIDS, people still are completely clueless about the virus (apparently even nurses).

Anyway, I'm heading to Nairobi for the weekend. I need a little break. HAPPY EASTER!!!

Mungiki

I think I have mentioned the terrorist group Mungiki before. Antony, Dannie and I were supposed to go to Nairobi this morning. I wanted to buy medical supplies in bulk for Sidai and Dannie was going to get some more school supplies. When I got to Ngong, however, I found out that Mungiki is making threats again, so it's too dangerous to go to the city. Also, the matatus are on are strike because it is really dangerous for them to run now too. Even if we still wanted to go to the city, it would cost a ridiculous amount of money because only a few buses are willing to run. Needless to say, we will try again later this week.

I'm pretty sure I'm going with Chris and Jen (two other volunteers) to Rwanda and Uganda next week. We still haven't bought bus tickets (24 hr bus ride to Kigali - yay) or made any arrangements, but hopefully it works out!

Random - I was reading the newspaper this weekend and happened to look at the "Soulmates" section (basically classifieds section for relationships). SO MANY of them had things like "HIV positive man seeking HIV positive woman" and "HIV test a must." It's just crazy (and incredibly sad) that HIV is such a part of daily life that it has to be mentioned even in want ads.

Dentist

Dental checkups don't really exist here. As a result, dental problems are really bad, and people only visit the dentist when they have a major problem. Two of the kids at Sidai, Simon and Esther Wamboi, were having problems, so Danny and I took them to the dentist in a nearby town yesterday. We waited over 3.5 hrs to see the dentist, so the kids were already unhappy by the time it was our turn. I assumed the dentist would do some kind of dental checkup/cleaning but nope. He just looked at the problems and decided that each of them needed a tooth pulled.

What a nightmare!! Simon was really brave up until the point when the dentist pulled the tooth - then he started crying and screaming. They gave him an injection first, but it still really hurt him. He's only 7 - so sad! Wamboi (8 yrs) was next and completely freaked out. She tried leaning against the wall to avoid the dentist, so I had to pick her up and physically sit her on the chair. She was crying and saying "no, Sara, no, Sara!!!" I felt absolutely terrible. At least it's over. Afterwards, we took them out to lunch to try to make up for it. They never eat anywhere besides Sidai and church, so they were pretty happy.

It's sad but dental health just isn't a priority here. So many adults have missing teeth. Many people I've asked don't even know what floss is! I made the kids promise me that they would brush their teeth at least 2x a day. Otherwise, I threatened to never bring in treats again! :)

I'm going to dinner with some other volunteers tonight, which should be a lot of fun. It'll be nice to do something different - and not eat beans and cabbage! Hope everyone is having a great weekend.

Daniel

Yesterday, my friend Austin (another volunteer) came to visit Sidai. Since he didn't know where to go, I took one of the little girls and met him along the main road. On the way back up to the children's home, we met a boy who was probably 10-12 years old. I didn't recognize him and asked him where he lived. Luckily, his English was fairly good, so we were able to talk to him. He told me that his parents were dead and that he lived on the streets in Ngong town. As he told us this, tears welled up in his eyes. I didn't know what to do, so I told him (Daniel) to come back to Sidai with us. He clearly wanted help and even offered Austin a pair of sunglasses as a gift (Austin didn't accept).

Back at Sidai, he told Lucy the same story. He said that his mom kicked him out and and then his mom's friend came and told him that his mom was dead. Lucy took Daniel to Ngong to verify his story (and make sure he didn't just run away) and talk to the chief (a government official). As it turns out, his mom is alive but is a drunk living in a village about 15 min from Ngong. She used to beat Daniel all the time and forced him to collect plastic, which would be sold for bar money. When he was very young, she made him go to the bar with her and would make him drink alcohol. Apparently, Daniel has 2 younger sisters that the mom also does not support. The neighbors even told Lucy that Daniel's mom told everyone that Daniel was dead in an attempt to get money from them! So sad!!! Lucy wasn't able to find the mom anywhere, but she assumes that she was drunk somewhere (according to neighbors, at least).

Daniel has been living on the streets of Ngong for awhile now. I can't even imagine, especially since it was raining earlier this week, and the slum was SO MUDDY. Since Daniel says he wants to go back to school, Lucy said he could stay at Sidai. He stayed there last night, but some things have to be worked out w/ the chief before it can be a permanent arrangement. I really hope it works out! He seems like a really nice boy, and I'm so happy that Austin and I ran into him yesterday. It's definitely a sad reminder of the problem Kenya has with respect to street children. I will definitely keep you all updated on what happens with him.

Rainy Season

So the rainy season is here. Well, it's starting at least. It's been raining quite a bit the last few days. When I asked my host mom this morning whether it was time for me to get out the gumboots (rain boots) I bought this weekend, she just laughed and said "not yet." Things are already getting pretty muddy, so I'm a little nervous about how muddy things will actually get. Jane (past volunteer who moved here) told me yesterday that she fell in the mud last year - except it wasn't actually mud. Umm....yeah, the sewage systems aren't the best here. She proceeded to wash 4 times and dump a bottle of antibacterial gel over herself.

For the most part, however, the arrival of the rainy season is a very good thing. The drought has caused so many problems here - maize scandal, people are still starving, etc. Plus, hopefully food prices will begin to drop! I really hope so, b/c currently Sidai is low on funds, and we need cheap food! :)

Yesterday, after a meeting about putting some of the boys in school (will discuss in another post - good news!), Lucy, Antony, Jane and I met about Sidai and what needed to be done. I never expected to be part of "management" here, but it's great to be so involved. Last week, I even met w/ the househelp to help clarify expectations, etc. At first, I felt a little weird about taking on the position of "boss" with the women. However, as Antony reminded me, I've been at Sidai longer than they have! We're currently doing a lot of work to fix stuff up around Sidai so we can hopefully pass a health inspection and HOPEFULLY get registered as a charity someday. More about all of that later, but at least we're making progress!!

My Week

First the good news - the kids are doing great. I've had a lot of fun with them this week. Since we have power again, we've watched Shrek about 3 times! I've realized that since they don't understand most of the words, they don't get sick of movies like I do. We've also played on the new swingset and tonight I'm bringing them cookies!

This week was, however, a little frustrating for me due to exams (we are ending a term). Sidai just bought the exams from a vendor in Ngong. The exams are HORRIBLE! Misspelled words, incorrect subject/verb agreement, improper grammar, etc. I was really frustrated when I saw the exams. How are we supposed to teach the kids proper English when their tests are incredibly sloppy? Unfortunately, there was little we could do about it. Danny and I read most of the exams outloud to Class 2 so that we could correct/explain the mistakes.

The content of the exams was also frustrating. I didn't even understand what the exams were asking on several questions. Also, little of the exams corresponded to the level the kids are at. The math was too easy, the English was too difficult, etc. It was pretty frustrating, and the kids didn't do all that well. What makes more sense is to teach the kids the next logical thing for each unit and then test accordingly (which is what Rachel and I informally did each Friday).

Education here is very "sink or swim." If a kid is smart enough, they will figure things out. However, if a kid isn't as bright or has any kind of learning disability, the chances of them doing well in school are extremely slim. There is little personal attention, and teachers basically just have the kids parrot what they are saying and copy what is on the chalkboard.

I'm pretty sure Matt and I are going to sponsor Frances, the boy I'm in love with. The private schools here aren't great, but at least they are better than the school at Sidai or government schools, which are incredibly overcrowded. Rachel is also working on finding sponsors for several of the Masai boys in Canada, which is awesome.

So...all the problems with education have been tough for me to deal with this week, but things are going well otherwise. Ha - except for the deworming issue!

Power Failures

Sorry for the delay in postings. Power has been out in Ngong a lot lately, so I haven't been able to use the internet.

Unfortunately, this one will have to be short, because I still have to go buy water before walking home. Hopefully, I'll be able to post tomorrow.

One bit of news - I got de-wormed today. No joke! I took some kids to the hospital w/ stomach issues, and the hospital thinks they probably have worms. There's a decent chance I have them too - so gross! Anyway, I just had to a chew a pill, so at least the treatment isn't bad. It's just so disgusting to think about - even though I know it's not a big deal to people here at all. I think I'm going to buy a big container of de-worming meds for the kids. They are supposed to take them every 3 months, but they ran out about 4 months ago. (Note to Rachel - might want to check in w/ your dr!)

More soon! Happy Thursday!

POWER!

Sidai FINALLY has power again! It's crazy how long things take here. You can't just make a phone call and have someone come out and fix your service. It takes several trips to Kenya Power, gathering various docs, etc. The good thing is that it is finally back on. No more nights sitting around the kerosene lamp. Well...the power did go off again last night. However, it was the entire neighborhood and only lasted about 20 min.

The school term is almost over. I only have to teach this week and then the kids have exams next week. They are then on break for a month. Teaching got a lot better. The hardest part is trying to explain things to the kids in English when English is their 2nd or even 3rd language. I'm not sure how well I've done, but hopefully the kids I've been teaching are at least a little better off! If nothing else, I know the kids' English has improved, which is great.

My weekend was good. Friday was sad b/c we dropped Rachel off at the airport. I miss her already! I went to Nyeri on Saturday morning to visit a couple of other volunteers. We didn't do much - mainly hung out, chatted, etc. It was nice to get away for a little bit and see them though. I had planned to stay in Nyeri until this morning, but I missed the kids so decided to come back yesterday.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Rachel's Last Day

So...Rachel leaves today :( I'm going to miss her!

The party yesterday was really fun. We had a swingset built for the kids, and they were able to try it out yesterday. They loved it! We also made a couple of cakes and had soda for the kids. Rachel also had goodbye gifts for them. They were so excited - very cute!

Since Rachel is leaving, I wanted to list some of the cool things we've accomplished since coming to Sidai Children's Home a little more than two months ago:

- put in WATER!!
- had bookshelves and shoeracks built
- helped two boys get into school (bought uniforms, built a desk for a "donation" to get them into school, etc.)
- built a divider for the Class 1 and Nursery classes
- bought a bunch of books for the kids
- swingset for the kids - 3 swings!
- stocked school supplies
- sending another boy to boarding school in May and hopefully sending two more to public school
- bought a bunch of food for the kids
- gave the kids tons of shoes

I'm here in Ngong for awhile longer, but I wanted to list some of the things we've done since it's been an amazing two months!

I'm going with our family (our host mom's sister has a car, and Rachel is paying her family to drive) to drop Rachel off at the airport tonight. I'm leaving to visit two other volunteers in Nyeri (near Mt. Kenya) tomorrow morning. I'll update again early next week.

Happy Friday!

Developments

Rachel and I (along with former volunteer Jane and Lucy's son Antony) had a meeting with Lucy today. It actually went REALLY well. We discussed the progress we've made and long-term goals for Sidai. We expressed our concerns that Sidai wasn't really working for the older kids, b/c they end up running away. We explained that we want Sidai to produce successful, productive and educated citizens - and not to be a good place for younger children. Although Lucy was reluctant to move away from her ways (beating the kids for bad behavior), she agreed to give our methods a shot. I'm so excited! It might take some time, but I feel a lot better about the children's home now.

In other news, the new volunteer, Danny, made a few comments about how dirty the kids are. The funny thing is, I'm just used to at this point. I realize that everything I wear will be covered in red dirt by the end of day...and then I'll wear it a few more times before doing laundry :)

Rachel's last day is Friday, so we're having a party for the kids tomorrow. Rachel bought a bunch of soda, and we're baking cakes at Grace's sister's house (we don't have a working oven at home) tomorrow afternoon. Okay, I'll probably hang out more than bake. The kitchen isn't really my thing, but it should be a really fun day.

One sad note - the former househelp and mom of Grace and Frances (the kid I'm in LOVE with) still hasn't been back to see the kids. It's been around a month, and no one has heard from her since the first week. I hope everything is okay, but I have no idea how to find out where she is.

Anyway, I'll report back soon with details from the party!

Magadi/Masailand

We made it back!

We left for Madagi on Saturday morning via matatu. What a temperature difference! It was 110 degrees in the SHADE there. I have no clue how hot in the sun (and probably am better off not knowing). We saw a bunch of flamingos on Lake Madadi when we first arrived, which was very cool. Since it was so hot, we sat outside a hoteli for a few hours waiting for it to cool a little. It was still super hot when we started walking, but at least the sun was less strong.

We stopped to take a break under a tree (literally out in the middle of nowhere) and met some Masai men. All weekend, everyone was really curious about why two white girls were walking out in the bush. Everyone kept asking Mushila (Lucy's son) where our car was. The men we met were dressed in traditional Masai clothing. In Ngong, some women use traditional dress, but it's really unusual to see men doing so. We also saw some zebras in the distance while talking to the Masai men.

We made it to the Masai huts where we were spending the night shortly after dark. Unlike the Masai homes close to Ngong (which are a little more modern), the Masai out there live in traditional huts. These are short, small buildings made of branches and cow dung. Since it was so hot, however, we did not sleep in the huts. Instead, everyone (us and the family) slept outside on cow hides. The stars were amazing! I wouldn't say I was exactly comfortable, but it was great to sleep under the stars. Plus, the moon was so bright that when you woke up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, you didn't even need a flashlight to walk out into the bush :)

I might have mentioned this before, but the famine problems are extremely bad in the Magadi region. The family we stayed with had NO food. Luckily, we were able to give them some vegetables. Also, Rachel and I only ate half of our noodles and gave two of the little boys the rest.
We woke up early on Sunday to walk to the hot springs. Rachel and I put our feet in, but that was as far as we went. It was around 10:00 when we got there, and it was already getting pretty hot. The hot springs were at least as warm as a hot tub and didn't exactly feel refreshing in the hot sun! After the hot springs, we walked to a cluster of trees where we sat the rest of the afternoon. We also saw two dead giraffes who had been torn apart by lions - kind of gross but definitely interesting.

We stayed with another Masai family on Sunday night. The man had two wives, and each wife had a side of the compound. Their huts were simply made of sticks, and there was barely enough room in them to cook. The goats stay in an area in the middle of the compound w/in a fence also made of sticks. The man left to get food for his family, but he never returned. Unfortunately, Mushila told us this was fairly common. We gave the family the rest of our bread, some fruit and the rest of our noodles. I wish we had more to give them. Once again, we slept outside on a cow hide.

Yesterday, we woke up at 3 a.m. to catch a truck into Magadi. Since Monday is market day in Kiserian, many Masai were taking goats into town to sell. We sat on a makeshift seat on TOP of a cab of a large truck (more like an overland truck than a pickup). It was definitely not the safest transportation, but we made it to Magadi fine. It was actually pretty fun, but I would not have wanted to ride up there on a busier road.

Anyway, it was an amazing weekend, but I'm glad to be back with the kids - and back in a place where you can walk outside in the afternoon w/o overheating!

Hope everyone is doing well!

P.S. I have posted a few photos from the weekend on Facebook.

The Key Incident

So...on Tuesday when we were in Maasailand, our host mom contacted Rachel and me b/c she could not find the key to the house. The spare has been lost, so we hid the key under the door. Rachel knew she put the key under the door, so we couldn't figure out what happened.

As it turns out, a girl from Sidai, Esther Wamboi, stole the key (the kids can see our house from up the hill, so she knew where we hid the key), broke into the house, ate some of my snacks and hid the key in the yard when she left. Wamboi at first denied it, but Lucy suspected her b/c the househelp had seen Wamboi coming from the direction of our house. Lucy and Grace promised Wamboi cake if she told them where the key was, so Wamboi confessed.

Of course, Wamboi got into big trouble. I'm pretty sure she got beat. Even more upsetting for me, however, has been that everyone has given up on this girl. Lucy calls her a bad girl all the time. Grace told me Lucy had called Wamboi bad before but Grace did not believe it until now. Even Grace now seems to think this is a bad child.

The thing is, Wamboi is EIGHT. Yes, she did something very wrong. However, telling her that she's bad all the time and beating her for what she does wrong just causes her behavior to become worse. I've been really upset b/c it basically seems that everyone has already given up on this girl - but she's only 8 years old. I don't think she's malicious. I honestly think she steals, etc. for attention. She's been at Sidai for years. Lucy doesn't really interact with the kids, and Wamboi has never had a consistent parental figure in her life.

This seems to be the theme at Sidai. As much as I've complained about Lucy, I don't think she's a bad person. She is, however, uneducated and does not understand how to interact with and discipline children. When the kids get older, she seems to lose patience with them. They start rebelling (probably for attention). In return, they get punished more frequently and then begin running away. Eventually, they get kicked out of Sidai for "bad behavior."

It's just very sad to see this happening already with respect to a little girl who is 8 years old. If Lucy, neighbors, etc. all call her "bad" and expect her to be bad, is it really any surprise that she acts out?

What Wamboi (and many of the other kids) really needs is positive reinforcement. Someone to tell her they believe in her and that she can be a great person. I'm going to try to talk to Wamboi. We were fairly close until the key incident. Since then, she whispered "pole" (sorry) to me but is primarily avoiding me. I'm upset with her, yes. Mainly, though, I'm worried about her future. I'm only here for 2 more months. I'm going to try to help her, but she really needs a consistent, positive parental figure. It doesn't seem like that's going to happen.

Sorry for the rambling post. This has been on my mind the last couple of days, and I needed to vent.

Rachel and I are off to Lake Magadi for the weekend. We are hiking and spending Saturday and Sunday nights at Maasai homes. It should be interesting. It's also supposed to be one of the hottest places in Kenya, and we have to hike with our clothes, food, gear, etc. I'm sure I'll have stories and will update early next week. :)

Have a great weekend!

Pictures

I managed to post a few more pics on my Facebook page, if you're interested.

Short Trips, etc.

Sorry the delay again. I meant to post on Tuesday, but power was out in all of Ngong. Yesterday, I was sick and in bed the whole day. I'm not great today, but at least I'm functioning somewhat. Anyway, I'm now a vegetarian for as long as I'm in Africa.

Last Sunday, Rachel and I went to visit one of Lucy's son's family in Limuru - about 2 hours away. We hung out at his house with his wife and kids (and I once again had the opportunity to use a squat toilet) before going to visit...Lucy's mom!! She lives in a shack up in the hills (beautiful countryside!) and doesn't know English. She was so happy we came to visit. It was really cute!

We wanted to get home by dark, but that definitely didn't happen. Rachel and I quickly walked from one side of Nairobi to the other (we had to switch from a matatu to a bus). We made it fine, but then our bus got a flat tire on the way home! We had to stand along the side of the road, but, luckily, we were able to squeeze into a matatu fairly quickly.

On Tuesday, Rachel and I went to visit another volunteer, Austin, who is doing the Maasailand project. He is working with this woman from Iowa, Linda, who has been coming to Kenya for 11 yrs. She is involved in some really amazing projects. For example, she helps rescue young Maasai girls (11-12 yrs old, usually) whose fathers are forcing them to get married to collect the dowries. If they get a certain score on a test, she sponsors them to go to school. She also does some food relief projects, school projects, etc. The land in the valley is VERY dry, and many people are going hungry. It was really interesting to talk to her. Unfortunately, I spent the night in Austin's homestay being sick, but I won't go into that part :)

Sidai STILL has no power. We need to get a letter from the landlord showing that Sidai is the proper occupant. Hopefully, this will get taken care of soon!

I had to purchase materials for Lucy's son to build a desk for Jacob and Joseph today. Otherwise, they were going to get kicked out of public school. Many school require a "donation" of a desk for new kids to be enrolled. Yes, public schools. Oh well, as long as they stay in school!

Rachel and I are taking a trip with another of Lucy's sons this weekend. We are going to Lake Magadi and camping in the hot springs. The next day, we spend the night with a Maasai family. It should be interesting... I'll post about it early next week.

Once again, sorry for the delay! I'll try to add another short post tomorrow.

Miss you all!

Things I Miss

I'm not ready to come back home, but I'm definitely missing some things from the U.S. This list does not include people, who of course I miss more than anything else.

- clean feet
- hot water
- drivers who wait for pedestrians
- window screens
- bathroom sink
- eating at a table
- doors with handles
- safe water from faucets
- cheese
- washing machines
- lack of cat hair in my home
- wine nights
- mexican food
- predictable electricity (we were w/o power again last night at home)
- showers

Finally posting again

Sorry for the delay, but it's been a busy week.

Sidai (the orphanage) has been without power for 4 days. Apparently there was a problem with the bill when they moved into the current location from the slum in November. We've now found out that the former occupants had not paid the bill since last July, so it's a big mess and they cut the power off. Hopefully, it'll get worked out quickly. Until then, we'll continue sitting around a lantern at night. :)

One of the girls in my class, Winnie, ran away from Sidai a few weeks ago. She showed back up this week to pick up her exercise books. She also came to the field where we play with the kids yesterday to visit. She is 12 and was carrying around her 9 mo brother. Her mother is apparently a drunk, which is partially why Winnie came to Sidai in the first place. The story is that Winnie's mother had her to work for as a househelp for a family that beat Winnie, and that is how she ended at Sidai. I'm worried about Winnie living with her mom again and also worried that she is now stuck taking care of her brother 24/7. She says she's happy and is starting school again next week, but we'll see. We gave her some food, clothes and a little money. She's such a sweet girl, and I really hope things work out for her.

Things in Kenya as a whole ("countrywide" might be a better way of saying it) are still pretty bad. The famine continues. It's so horrible to see starving people on the news every night. Also, there were fears of riots in Nairobi (and other cities) due to threats from a sect yesterday. Public transportation was halted in many areas, and many people were stranded. I'm so GLAD Rachel and I went to Nairobi on Wednesday afternoon instead of yesterday. That would have been a nightmare.

In other news, I FINALLY went running yesterday. Well, sort of. I haven't ran since I got here and have been eating chips, chocolate bars and soda every afternoon, so there was a lot of walking involved. It was nice to run again though. I never thought I'd miss it so much! Due to the shower situation, daily running isn't realistic, but I'm going to try to go a couple times a week, at least until the rainy season starts next month. I definitely got a lot of stares, and a bunch of kids ran along with me at one point, but, all in all, I'm glad I did it. The problem is finding a route that isn't on the main road (too much attention/comments/etc) but isn't too remote (unsafe).

Rachel and I are going hiking with one of Lucy's sons next weekend. He does tours (small time), and we're hiking and camping in the Ngong Hills the first night and staying in a Maasai village the second night. I'll definitely post an update.

Hope everyone had a great week!

School and the Masai

So...Jacob and Joseph did not go back to their home (their mom doesn't have enough money to take care of them). BUT they started school today!!! Since Antony has been MIA, I took them into town this morning, bought them uniforms, shoes, etc. and took them to school. They looked so cute!!! I'm getting them bookbags and lunchboxes later today. I got a disapproving look from a teacher at the school, because I let them pick out cookies and soda for their lunch. Oh well...it's their first day, and they rarely get treats!!! Someone in the school's office said we needed to donate a desk for them to be in school. Who knows. I need to talk to Antony about it. It's always something here....:) The main point is the boys are FINALLY in school! They have to walk almost an hour to get there, but it's better than nothing. I'm so excited!!!



Yesterday, Rachel and I went into Masailand in the Rift Valley. The Masai are one of the biggest (actually, I think they are the biggest) tribe in Kenya. We went there with someone (James) Rachel met while with our host mom several weeks ago. We took motorbikes down to the valley. Rachel and I shared one with our driver. Not exactly safe, but we made it and it's a good story.



We then went to a church service where we didn't understand a word. It was in Masai language and translated into Swahili. The men at the church we went to no longer wear traditional attire, but several of the women still do. They look amazing - bright colors, beautiful beads, etc. James told us that in the interior, about 20-25k (12-15 mi) away, both men and women still live in the traditional huts and wear traditional attire.



After church, we went on a walk in the Rift Valley. The land is VERY dry. James told us that when times get really bad, the Masai men take the animals away to look for green fields and water. The women and children are left behind - and often suffer. As much as I'm dreading the rainy season personally, I know how badly people here need the rain to come. While walking, James asked a man who passed us on a bike how close we were to giraffes. As it turns out, there were a bunch of giraffes just past a plateau we could see in the distance. Unfortunately, we needed to go back, so were unable to walk to see them. All in all, a great day.

Miss you all!

water and pics

WE HAVE WATER!! Of course, there are a million pipes that have leaks, the toilets aren't working, we don't have toilet seats b/c the bathrooms have never been used, there are no shower heads, etc...but no more hauling water! I'm really excited. This has already made life so much easier. Ha. I might actually go to the bathroom at Sidai now :)

Due to several requests, I tried uploading pictures today. I was able to get a few up on Facebook, but my connection keeps cutting out. I'll try again soon, but who knows.

Food - Maize Crisis

Several people have asked me why the orphanage has no money food, what the kids would eat if we weren't here, etc. The first reason we have had to buy food is that the bank put a hold on the donations coming in from the UK, so no one has been able to touch the money. It was supposed to be a 6 week hold, but the money is still not available. Also, charities are providing less food than before to orphanages, so this puts the orphanage at a deficit.

The most significant reason, however, is the maize crisis in Kenya. I'm not sure how much (if at all) the U.S. media is covering the crisis, but it's the main topic in the news here every single night. People are literally starving to death throughout the country. People are eating bark, insects, etc. just to survive.

Due to a drought, there is a large shortage of maize (corn) in Kenya. There is supposed to be a supply of maize set aside for just such a crisis, but the minister of agriculture (allegedly) sold the supply to other countries for a personal profit. There have also been allegations that members of government have been selling maize at high prices in order to make a commission in Kenya. It's been a HUGE scandal that has really brought to light the extreme corruption in the Kenyan government (for me, at least). The Kenyan people I've talked to about it are outraged. Everyone is tired of the constant corruption in their government. The scandal has caused many charities to threaten to withhold money until they can be sure that the funds are being spent properly. This obviously affects many Kenyan people who unfortunately have to rely on donations to survive.

Besides the fact the people are starving, the crisis has caused food prices to skyrocket. Food is roughly DOUBLE was it was even months ago. For example, cabbage used to cost 20 ksh but now costs 50 ksh. For the many people barely scraping by in this country, the crisis has been devastating. Anyway, since food costs 2x what it used to, the money the orphanage has for food simply does not last as long as it used to.

I've attached a short article in case anyone is interested: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5huZb4e_0i0FsKmZs8pIw9_G_rQtw

Mzungu!!

Mzungu means "white person," and I am called mzungu EVERWHERE I go. Seriously, walking down the street, it's "mzungu, mzungu, mzungu." I have never had so much attention directed at me in my life. People just stare at us, and everyone always wants to talk to us. Sometimes it can be cool and I've met some interesting people. After awhile, however, it can wear on you. It's getting better in Ngong b/c people are used to us being here.

Kids always want to talk to us too. Here's what happens:

Kids: "How are you? How are you?"

Me: "Good. How are you?"

Kids: (hysterical laughter)

It's pretty funny. I've definitely never stuck out this much in my life. Even if I want to, I can't blend in - and people let you know it!

Update

Two of my favorite kids are leaving!!!! :( Jacob-11 and Joseph-12 (brothers) came to Sidai right before I got here. There hasn't been room in the local schools for them. I was going to buy them uniforms, etc. if we could find them a school. I found out this morning, however, that they are going back home so they can go to school. Their mother brought them to the orphanage b/c she's a single mom and didn't have enough money to support them. I REALLY hope they are going to be okay. I'm worried about how things are going to turn out, but, unfortunately, there's nothing I can do. I'm pretty sad and will miss them both a lot.

Good news - it looks like we'll have running water at some point this week!!! We'll still have to haul water from the water hole the boys dug to the garden, but it'll be amazing to not have to carry water up the hill to the orphanage for cooking, bathing, etc. (Thanks NG for your help with the water project!)

We're going to try to hire househelp this week. I think I've written about this before, but the former househelp, Margaret, worked for free in return for staying at Sidai. She got a job as househelp in a home last week, so she's gone. Her kids, Gracee-18 mo and Frances-3 (I'm in LOVE with him) stay at the orphanage, and Margaret comes to visit on Sundays. Anyway, we need to get new help, because I hate seeing the 6-7 year olds using sharp knives to cut veggies, which is what is currently happening. Plus, everything is so disorganized now. They aren't eating dinner until around 9:30. We just need to get new help.

We also need to hire a teacher to teach Class 2 after Rachel and I leave. Lucy is dragging her feet on this one, but hopefully we'll interview some people in the next month.

I'll update again soon!

WATER

We're out of water AGAIN! Last night, Rachel and I helped the kids haul water back and forth from the water stand up the hill to the orphanage. Seriously, it is HARD work! Rachel and I carry the biggest one, but it's crazy that these kids have to haul water multiple times a day. I don't see how they manage to carry the big one in the mornings before we get there. It's exhausting.

I think I've mentioned this before, but we're trying to get 24/hr water at the orphanage. We paid the deposit for the water today. We need to buy pipes to carry the water from the main line. Rachel's card, however, isn't working, so she hasn't been able to get money out. I paid for the deposit but couldn't get enough out for materials. Hopefully, it'll all work out tomorrow.

It will be SO NICE to not have to go back and forth carrying water barrels!

Otherwise, things are going well. Thanks for all the support, emails, etc! Miss you guys!

Wedding, Valentine's Day and Matatus

WEDDING: I went to the neighbors' wedding on Saturday. It was supposed to start at 10, but the person who was hired to decorate the church showed up late. The priest then moved it to 11. I went over to see people sing to the bride as she was leaving her house around 10:30 - the songs were amazing. We then went to the church. I went inside the church around 11:30, but the ceremony didn't end up starting until 12. It then lasted over 2 hours - in Swahili! Luckily, the music was beautiful. We then went to the reception, where we had traditional Kenyan food and cake. The cake was made 4 weeks ago! I'm not kidding. Rachel and I thought it was dry and not very sweet, but, then again, we eat a lot more sugar than people do here. Our "brother" (host mom's son), who is 19, drove us home afterwards. Let's just say it was an adventure. People had to push the van we were in several times, and we came very close to hitting a few people, but we're alive!

VALENTINE'S DAY: After the wedding, we went to the orphanage to see the kids. We brought games and candy, so they were excited. I have so much fun with them! I think they had too much sugar though :) Lucy sent two of the kids I really like away for "bad behavior." Mary is 13 and I think Moses is 12 or 13. Lucy said they run away and encourage the other kids to run away as well. Apparently, they were sent back to their grandma. However, I know they originally came to Sidai b/c their grandma is too old to work and can't afford to take care of them. Lucy got mad at me for asking about them, but that's fairly normal at this point. Otherwise, things at the orphanage are great. We took 5 more kids to get HIV tests today - all negative!!!

MATATUS: Some people have asked how I get around. Going back and forth b/tw Ngong and Nairobi, I generally take buses. On shorter trips, however, you have to take matatus. Matatus follow routes like buses, but are 14 passenger vans that drive very fast. Well, they are supposed to sit 14. In reality, they force as many people in there as possible. The guidebooks recommend against taking them, but, unless you want to pay a lot of money for taxis, you really have no choice. At least I haven't been in an accident yet! (Mom, don't freak out.) A view of us were talking the other day about how different our experience is here than the experiences of people who come to the country for a week or two to go on safari or sit on the beach. I doubt many of them have squeezed into the back of a matatu!

Rough Day

So...Rachel and I took 5 of the newer kids at the orphanage to get tested for HIV today. One of the girls is positive. The nurse told us before she tested the kids what a positive result would look like. Rachel and I were sitting there with the kids and saw the line go through the strip. We just looked at each other. It was horrible.

When we got back to the orphanage, Lucy gave me my change from the money I gave her to buy materials for the divider for the school (of course she spent extra money, but at least it was for water and a tool for the garden). She then asked us who was going to pay for the labor for the project. Her SON is the one building the divider, and he did not include labor in his quote. I almost lost it when she asked me who was going to pay, and she knew I was mad. I told her I'd talk to her other son, Antony (who I actually really like and the kids do as well). We met him leaving the orphanage, and he thought his brother was donating his time to build the divider as well. Luckily, he offered to talk to his mom (Lucy) and his brother for us.

The thing that actually made me the most upset was not the money, per se. It was the fact that she was concerned about her son getting paid but did not even bother to ASK about the test results. It was just so crazy coming from a situation where I had to sit in an office and talk to a nurse about bring a 7-yr-old girl back to the clinic in the morning so she could get on HIV meds to having Lucy, who is supposed to be the mother figure to these kidss, not even bother to ask us how the testing went. We have to bring 5 more kids in for testing tomorrow, and hopefully the results will be better.

Back from the coast

So much to write, but I'll try to limit myself...

I'm back from the coast - amazing time!! Four of us girls took an overnight bus on Thursday night to Mombasa. We then had to take three matatus (I'll explain these another time) and a ferry to get to Diani Beach. Our place was right on the beach, which was awesome.

There are monkeys all over, so, of course, there were signs around our cottage saying "please do not feed the monkeys." We, however, were not as careful as we should have been. Our first afternoon in Diani, Lora went into the cottage and came out yelling my name and laughing. Monkeys had broken in cottage, stolen our peanut butter and thrown around our bread. We found the peanut butter jar outside w/ monkey prints in it. Later on, we saw a monkey take the PB jar and climb up a tree to eat it. It was hilarious. Unfortunately, that wasn't the only time monkeys broke in. On Sunday morning, Julia woke Lora and me up saying that monkeys had been coming in thru the bars in the door we left open in our room. Lora said she actually heard what she thought was a monkey run past her bed, but she was too sunburnt to turn over. Speaking of sunburns, I have a pretty nasty one. We're really close to the equator and did not think abt the fact that our malaria meds make our skin significantly more sensitive to the sunlight until way too late. Oh well.

Other than laugh at monkey antics, we had a really good time. We laid out, hung out on our patio near the beach, went snorkelling and spent a lot of time at a beach cafe. They had (fairly) Western food, so it was nice to take a break from lentils and cabbage. Snorkelling was really cool. We saw some starfish and a number of beautiful fish by the reef.

I guess the bus rides also had some interesting elements. On the way to Mombasa, our bus had to slow down b/c a giraffe was crossing the highway. No joke. We also sat for TWO HOURS in one place due to construction. I almost felt like I was back in LA. :) There were a number of spots where the road was just dirt b/c they were working on it, which definitely made things interesting. Also, on the way back, I guess there was an elephant along the side of the rode. I didn't see it, but Lora asked the driver, and he confirmed it was there. So crazy.

After another overnight bus ride last night (it's abt 8 hrs to the coast from Nairobi and another hour home), I'm back in Ngong - exhausted but excited to be around the kids again. Of course, things are somewhat of a mess. Lucy (orphanage owner/director) fired Margaret ("auntie" who cooks and cleans). Margaret works for the orphanage for free in return for room and board for herself and her two little kids. It was apparently for stupid reasons and seems to be fairly dramatic, but, ultimately, I guess it's for the best. Since Margaret was not making any extra money here, she didn't really have the chance to move forward with her life. I'm sad b/c I really like her (and LOVE her kids), but it looks like she'll be able to stay until she finds a new job and her kids will still come to the orphanage during the days. Hopefully, the end result will be good.

The orphanage is out of food again. There is some $ coming in from UK donations, but the waiting period is still in effect on the checks. Rachel bought some food for them today. They also need to build some kind of wall/partition in the outdoor classroom so the little kids do not have to go to school in the slum. I'm planning on paying for the wall, so hopefully that will turn out okay. One of Lucy's son's is in construction and gave me a fairly reasonable quote.

The orphanage is also out of water. Luckily, buying barrels of water is cheap, but the kids have to help carry heavy containers of water to the home. Currently, we're trying to figure out how to get the orphanage hooked up to a water pipe, so there is water all the time (well, as often as possible). It looks like it'll be fairly expensive (ha what else is new), but having enough water means that the home has a better chance of passing its health inspection, which means a better chance of getting a charity ID certificate, which means that businesses will be more likely to donate (since there will be a charity ID number). It's really rare for orphanages to get certified, but a past volunteer knows some companies in the UK that will donate if there is a tax ID number.

Other than that, we're starting to plan the Valentine's Day party. We're buying supplies to make cards tomorrow. The kids don't know yet about the party, so hopefully they are really excited.

Hope everyone is having a great week!

stuff

So Lucy left (FINALLY) this morning with Ridia to go to the hospital. Rachel and I gave her money to go last night, so hopefully everything will be fine now. When we left the orphanage, they weren't back yet. I'm going back later tonight, so I should find out what happened then.

The orphanage is low on $ to buy food, so yesterday Rachel and I bought food for dinner. We are going to the market again today and buying food, firewood, soap, etc. Luckily, "Brother Brian" (from our host family), is going to borrow a vehicle to help us get everything to the orphanage.

A few people have asked me about contributing money for food, books, supplies, etc., which is awesome. If you would like to do so, I think the best thing would be to send the money to Matt (Matt Henning; 1423 Euclid St. #5; Santa Monica, CA 90404). I'll have him keep track of how much comes in, and I'll withdraw the same amount here with the ATM. When I get home, I can just replace the money I used for the supplies, etc. I should have thought about all of this before I left, but oh well.

Also, a former volunteer (who actually now lives here) has a bunch of donors in the UK that help keep the orphanage running. The orphanage used to be in the slums and there was not money for school, etc. They are now renting a house and paying two teachers, which is supported by donations in the UK. I'm planning on contributing when I get home and will pass along info (once I know it) if anyone else is interested as well.

Alternatively, one of the boys (actually the smartest in the class I'm teaching) apparently can't get into school b/c there are no open spots in his grade. Hopefully, we'll figure out something before I leave. If not, I'm going to look into how much it would cost to sponsor him in private school If I end up sponsoring him, it will be thru high school, and it would be great if other people wanted to help out if and when they could. I'll update when I know more.

Anyway, NO PRESSURE AT ALL. I just have been asked abt donations, so I wanted to pass along the info.

I leave for the coast on an overnight bus tomorrow night. Currently, I live at a fairly high elevation, and the temps have only been in the 70s/80s. The coast, however, is going to be HOT! I'll update when I return next week.

I think we're going to have a Valentine's Day party for the kids next weekend, which should be a lot of fun. We brought cookies for two boys' birthdays last night, and the kids were so excited. They literally jump all over us when we walk in the door. They are so cute!!!

FRUSTRATING morning

So...one of the little girls fell on the stairs and hurt her mouth on Friday. Rachel took her to a hospital, but was told the girl needed to come back later when the dentist was there. She was still bleeding later that night, so we decided to take her back to the hospital. This time, Rachel and Lucy (director of orphanage) went. I was going to go as well, but then Grace (our host mom) decided to go since she works at a hospital. The hospital packed her wounds said she still needed to come back to see the dentist.

Just to be safe, they also took the little girl (Ridia) to the hospital where Grace works. She's friends w/ a surgeon who agreed to look at Ridia. The surgeon said Ridia also needed to have an x-ray b/c she could have a cracked jaw. He suggested taking her to Kenyatta hospital the next day. (Unlike at home, you can't get many services here after working hours). Lucy, who did not even know the girl's name (which is crazy b/c the little girl LIVES with her), agreed to take her the next day.

Yesterday, we found out that Lucy instead took her to Saint Mary's in Kibera, b/c apparently there is a doctor there who gives a cheaper rate for orphans. I guess the x-ray tech was not there, and Lucy was told to take her back today (Monday). Lucy said she would do so. Well, we arrived at the orphanage today, and Ridia was there but not Lucy. One of Lucy's sons (who doesn't really work at the orphanage), told us that Lucy went to a meeting. Ugh.

We all tried to figure out what to do and finally got ahold of Lucy. Lucy told us that she does not have the money to take Ridia to see the doctor. This makes no sense b/c, first of all, her son gave her money to take Ridia to the hospital on Saturday. Since the doctor was not there, Lucy did not have to spend the money and should still have it. Also, Jane (a past volunteer that does a lot of work w/ the orphanage) told us there is a special fund set aside for the kids' medical expenses. Lucy basically wants us to give her money to take Ridia to the hospital. I would absolutely give the $ for Ridia to see a doctor, however, our concern is that Lucy already has the money (from her son and from the fund), so what will our money really be used for? Meanwhile, Ridia is walking around with a swollen face and in a lot of pain. Lucy has not been on contact with us for several hours now. I wish we could just take her to the hospital, but we do not know where Saint Mary's is and do not have any documentation that Ridia is an orphan.

Total mess. The other teacher and Lucy's son realize that we understand what Lucy is up to and are really mad. Hopefully, they pass the word along to her. If it doesn't get solved at some point today, I assume that Rachel and I will just take Ridia to some hospital tomorrow morning and hope for the best.

ALSO, the teacher's strike is over, so a number of the kids should be back in school. We were surprised when several of the kids in public school were at the orphanage this morning and asked the other teacher what was going on. Lucy was supposed to enroll the kids in school, but she has not done so. Hopefully, there are still spots in public school, b/c there obviously is not any money to send them to private school.

We sent Lucy a text telling her we wanted to talk tonight. This should be interesting.

Anyway, sorry about the rant. Hope everyone is doing well!!

random

Additional info on Kibera - some of you may have seen Kibera b/c it's featured in the movie The Constant Gardener. Also, a lot of the post-election violence happened in Kibera, and there are "keep peace" signs throughout the slum. Actually, the husband of the host mom at the volunteer house here in Nairobi was killed in Kibera during the violence.

Food - I forgot to mention that we also drink a lot of chai tea. Oh and apparently Kenyans don't drink water. Seriously. Most people I've met have tea in the morning and another tea at night and that's basically it. I think I'm going to be over chai and cabbage by the time I come home.

Nakumatt - you may have seen news re the fire at the Nakumatt supermarket in Nairobi. I've been in that market before, and I'm currently in Nairobi and just walked by where the Nakumatt used to be. So many people are still missing. The whole thing is such a tragedy. The fire engines ran out of water, and there are questions regarding the number of fire exits in the store and whether the doors were open. It's been all over the news. Absolutely terrible. It makes you appreciate the safety precautions we have at home - even though they can often be annoying. http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/02/01/kenya.explosion/index.html

Today - I met two other volunteers, Lora and Martha, in Nairobi. We went to the Masai market, bought overnight bus tickets to the coast for next weekend, had lunch at Hooter's (nothing like the one at home but decent fries) and are now running a few errands before heading back to our various placements. OH and I met a Kenyan runner on the bus into town. He suggested a running book for me, so I'm going to have to check it out when I get back home :)

Kibera, Ngong Hills and FOOD

Kibera - a few days ago, I did a walking tour of Kibera, which is just outside of Nairobi. I've heard conflicting reports, but it's either the largest or second largest slum in Africa. The place is just insane. Approximately 1 million people live in a bunch of tiny shacks/shanties all right next to e/o. Everything is covered in dirt, and there is trash and raw sewage everywhere. It's so sad to see all the kids who grow up there and probably will never leave. It really makes you realize how much we all take for granted. (Side note - definitely not the best place to wear my flip flops.)

After getting back from Kibera, I started feeling sick a few hours later. I was up a lot of the night with chills and cold sweats, and yesterday both Rachel and I spent a lot of time sleeping (she's sick too). Some of the kids have been sick, so I'm sure we picked it up from them. There isn't a lot of hand washing around the orphanage and germs are everywhere, so it was bound to happen.

Ngong Hills - I had made plans to go hiking this morning in the Ngong Hills with some other volunteers. I wasn't sure if I would be able to make it since I've been sick, but I decided to give it a shot. I met Martha, Chris, Lora and one of Lora's roomates in Ngong this morning. We walked up to Kenya Wildlife to hire an armed guard. (Yes, you are supposed to hire an armed guard to go hiking up there, but I felt pretty safe all day.) At first, we didn't think we were going to be able to find a guard that was available. We met up with 3 people from Canada and shared their guard though, so it all worked out.

Had I known that it would be harder than simply strolling up some hills, I might have thought twice about hiking while still sick. The hike was actually pretty hard (steep) but was amazing. We had absolutely beautiful views of rolling hills and of the Rift Valley. We hiked a little over 10 miles, and I am SO tired right now. The kids think I'm coming by today though, so I need to stop by the orphanage before I go home.

Food - a lot of people have been asking me about food. Well, I basically eat beans, carrots, peas, cabbage (so much cabbage) and either rice or noodles every night for dinner. No, I have not lost weight b/c I eat PB&J for both breakfast and lunch (Rachel and I make our own breakfast and lunch). After so much peanut butter and then tons of starches/carbs for dinner, I have not lost 10 lbs (contrary to some of your opinions :) ).

I am meeting some friends in Nairobi tomorrow and am hoping to have a latte and maybe even some pizza. I am SO excited!!!!!! We (volunteers) talk abt food all the time here. You have no idea how much I miss the melted cheese and red wine!!

Miss you all!

quick update

the power went out yesterday afternoon, and it still hasn't turned back on. i have to use my headlamp to go to the bathroom b/c there are no windows. oh and i really need a bucket bath. i'm covered in red dirt, but that will have to wait until we have power!

rachel and i are heading to a town closer to nairobi now to try to buy a cd player for the kids. we also are picking up some other supplies and treats.

one of the kids had a horrible toothache yesterday and today. his cheek is so swollen. i feel absolutely terrible for him. the director's son said he was taking him to the doctor, but we haven't been able to get ahold of him all day. we talked to the other son, who promised to take him. if he doesn't take him today, rachel and i will take him tomorrow.

more later. miss you all!

one last thing

i had no idea how much traveling i would be able to do during my 3 month placement. as i mentioned previously, i went on safari last weekend, have a trip to the coast planned for the weekend after next and am trying to plan a trip to zanzibar in march. since my travel month is during the rainy season and i will have already done most of what i wanted to do in kenya before then, i thought abt going to south africa. flights are looking really really expensive though. it's possible that i may cut my travel month a little short due to the combo of rainy season, having already traveled in kenya and not being able to travel alone. i'll keep you all updated.

miss you!

back in ngong

i'm back in ngong now. the kids were so excited yesterday afternoon when i walked in the door, which was great. i almost got knocked over by the hugs.

today has been a little draining. instead of spending the whole day at the orphanage, rachel and i decided to leave in the afternoon for a few hours since the other teacher is doing a swahili lesson. when we left at 1:30, however, the director's son still had not come back with the firewood, which means the kids had not had lunch yet. walking back to the homestay, we saw a few of the older kids walking back from town with firewood. it's really sad. these kids have been forced to grow up so quickly. we have 8-12 yr olds in our class, and not a one was complaining that they were hungry. it's so different from home.

other than that, things are good but i'm definitely craving some normalcy. handwashing my clothes in buckets in the yard, spitting in the toilet after brushing my teeth b/c there is no sink and having a scratchy throat due to the cats is kind of taking a toll today. all in all, i'm really glad i'm here and excited abt the rest of my time here. today has just been a little rough. i'm sure tomorrow will be better.

i'll check in later.

(sorry for the all lower case - the shift button is in a different place on this keyboard.)

back from masai mara

well i'm back from my safari and it was amazing! we saw so many animals - a number of lions, giraffes, elephants, zebras, hippos, etc. i have a pretty cool video of some lions walking right up to our van. i went w/ abt 14 other volunteers and had a blast. i think a few of us are taking a trip to the coast in a couple of weeks, so i'll report on that as well. i'm actually thinking abt going to capetown, south africa for a wk in april but we'll see how much the flights are. i have a new friend from there, so i have a free place to stay. im also trying to plan a trip to zanzibar in march. i'm going to be completely broke when i get home. oh well.

other than that, things are still good. i'm starting to get used to things a little more. i'm in nairobi right now but am going to catch a bus back to ngong to go to the orphanage this afternoon. teaching has been going a little better. it's just hard b/c you really want to teach the kids so much, but it's a challenge b/c they don't have a full grasp of english. we do a lot of drawing pictures and writing both the english and swahili words on the small whiteboard we used. i'm really glad that i have the chance to do some teaching. not sure what i'll do when the teacher's strike ends, but hopefully rachel and i can still do a little teaching. i might end up staying in ngong longer than i had originally planned, but i guess we'll see how things turn out.

i'll hopefully update again later this week.

ngong

well im actually in ngong, kenya, but i might be here a month and then in nyeri my last two months.

things are going well. it was a little hard to adjust at first, and i kind of freaked out abt how long i'm going to be here. things are going better now, and i'm getting used to everything being dirty and smelly. i took my first bucket bath since ive been here last night. :)

the kids are absolutely amazing. they have nothing. none of their clothes fit, they are full of holes and many don't have shoes, but they are so affectionate and happy. im teaching some of the older kids with another volunteer for part of the day. mom, i should have asked you for advice before i left! it's hard b/c they are all at such different levels. once the teacher's strike is over, some of them will be back in school, so i'll probably do more w the younger ones. in the afternoons, we have been taking them to a field (literally a field where people bring their cattle to graze) to play. it's definitely my favorite part of the day. we play games, sing songs, etc. yesterday, we tried teaching them the hokie pokie and gymnastics.

i'm going on a safari in the masai mara this weekend, so im heading into nairobi tomorrow. this keyboard is sticking, so im going to go. i plan on updating again next week.

hope everything is going well. congrats lucy and matt! miss you all!

love,
sara

made it!!

Well...I'm here :)

Currently, I'm in Nairobi. We've just had orientation stuff so far. We went to an animal orphanage today, where I got attacked while trying to hold a baby cheetah. No joke. Well, "attacked" might be a bit dramatic, but I do have some scratches on my arm. :)

I leave Nairobi for my 3 month placement in Karatina/Nyeri later today. Hopefully, I'll have internet access there. I'm trying to plan a trip to the coast and for a safari, which should be really fun.

Hope everyone is doing well. Miss you guys!

Almost time to go!

I'm not sure how often I'll have internet access in Kenya, but I'll try to update this as often as I can.

I leave in three days!