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!!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
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!
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!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
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!
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!
Monday, March 23, 2009
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!
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!
Friday, March 20, 2009
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!
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!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
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!
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!
Monday, March 16, 2009
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.
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.
Friday, March 13, 2009
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!
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!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
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!
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!
Friday, March 6, 2009
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
- 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!
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!
Monday, March 2, 2009
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!
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!
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