Back in Kenya

I LOVE being back in Kenya. I arrived on Thursday (7 May), late afternoon, caught up with a few other volunteers, who of course had missed me terribly, then, early on Friday a bunch of us (newbies and oldies) went back to the IDP (Internally Displaced People) Camp to visit and feed the families.

I have such a great time visiting the camps, each time I love it more and more. It doesn’t however, get any easier. I had hoped it would. It’s not as shocking as the first visit, but each time I see something more that is gut wrenching. Like this weekend it was the first time in a month that we had been able to make it out to feed the families. One woman from the second camp was so starving hungry she hugged and kissed me with repeated thanks for our help. I openly wept with her, I honestly couldn’t’ stop myself – they are getting to know my face now and she came straight up to me. These beautiful gracious people have so very little and no way to provide for themselves, a little fat, maze and rice barely seem sufficient. This is the community I have decided to help. Of anyone one group of people I have seen, they are the ones in grave need and ones I want to help – they have never asked me for anything, just looks and words of thanks for our presents and help.

When we visit we spend a lot of time playing with the children. This trip I also spent half an hour digging a 3cm thorn from this little girl’s foot – I wouldn’t have noticed if she wasn’t playing with the dead skin sticking out from her heel. It had been there so long that the skin had grown over several layers; I ended up digging deeper than I would have liked and she didn’t even flinch! They are such strong kids and my heart leaps every time I hug their tiny bodies and feel the bones protruding through their torn filthy clothes. For so many nights I have gone to sleep and woken up with ideas on how to help make their lives a little easier. I am in the process of putting a detailed proposal together for those of you who would like to help. There are 2 separate projects I have decided to support; the IDP Camps and Fremo’s Medical Clinic. Both ventures I have been working closely with for more than 2 months now.

While visiting IDP, we also spent a day working on the school. We almost finished the floors ready for the new tables and chairs we are hoping to pick up this week. Providing all goes well, the school should be ready for its first enrolments of students in less than 2 weeks. Woohoo!

During the week, Jane (another volunteer) and I visited a town in the Maasai called Kajiado where we were introduced to this very sweet Maasai lady. She does not speak English and when she learned I was to return, she offered to make me a traditional Maasai outfit and then took a beautiful blue necklace from her own neck and put it on mine as a sign of respect. Oh boy how cool! She did the same with Jane. We spent time in her little Manyatta (traditional cow dung home & pictured) which was very cosy and homely.

We then went to this local restaurant where we were treated to this massive beef carcase that was hacked in front of us, boiled spuds, ugali and spinach. Super damn tasty – another reason to head back to this delightful place. Just what my carb belly needs….. it’s growing rather large now – very unwelcomed. :-)

On Saturday night while eating dinner, I received a phone call from Moffatt (administrator at Fremo’s) who said a lady had just been admitted to have a baby – I grabbed Jane (who was just as much fun to watch) shot straight over and saw my second baby being born, this time a little girl. I was the very first person who's finger she held – again an amazing experience!

It is the rainy season here and when it absolutely buckets down it causes terrible chaos and accidents. The draining, as you can see, is not in shape to keep up with the down pours. Being winter, it has been a little chilly of late. Think I’m going to have to buy a second jumper!

It occurred to me walking home the other night when I saw a young chap pushing a overloaded bicycle up the hill that I don’t’ think I have (or can) effectively described the mindboggling living conditions and daily routine of the people in the slum I have been living for the past 2 months. I take for granted every day that what I see is the ‘norm’ but would literally have you gasping in amazement. There are dozens of goats roaming the many mountains of filthy stinky rubbish laying everywhere, the men who are on the verge of collapsing from pulling and pushing things literally 20 times their weight up massive hills and over numerous speed humps where they literally have to get a run up. The young girls (as young as 5 or 6) carrying their baby siblings on their backs like their mothers. Even the oversised trucks spewing massive clouds of black exhaust packed to the rafters with men going to and coming from work or the children playing in the gutters filled with rotten sewerage. What does surprise me though is that there are not many beggars – most of the population at least try to do something to make money, which is commendable.

Tonight I am finally heading to the Maasai Mara. I visited the family I will be staying with last week and very excited to be moving in with them and have my outfit fitted. :-)

I am due to leave Kenya Wednesday the 26th of May, merely 9 days from now. :-(