It takes a VILLAGE

I received some more info on life in the Nyumbani Village - 3 hours from Nairobi. Some of the friends I met when I visited Nairobi put together a manual of things one should know before coming to Kitui. Here is a sample:

"The variety of work that needs to be done is endless. There is a lot of manual labour which is performed by the volunteers. Activities in the past have included building chicken coops, beekeeping, dairy farming, picking maize, etc. There is help needed in the school which houses children in standards one to four and with organizing and supervising children's activities. Because of the growing nature of the village it is impossible to predict what each volunteer's specified duties will be, therefore flexibility is needed. Past volunteers have found working in the village to be very rewarding.

There is no electricity and limited running water in the Village. Volunteers typically work from 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday with weekends off.

Accommodations - houses located on the Village property. Each house contains 3-4 rooms, each volunteer has their own room (provided space is available) with a twin bed. Each room has a bathroom with a pit toilet. When running water is available there is a tap located outside of the house which can be used for bathing, washing clothes, etc (but not drinking).

Meals are prepared for the staff and volunteers in the area next to the kitchen. There is limited opportunity to purchase food at local vendors as transportation is very limited and the nearest town is about a three hour walk from the Village. There are also no cooking facilities located in the volunteer cottages. Volunteers must also purchase drinking water before heading up to the Village as there is no suitable drinking water. Volunteers will have the opportunity to purchase any food, water, or supplies in Karen (where Nyumbani Children's Home is located) before they are transported to the Village.

Laundry -hand-wash clothes over the designated washing stations. Volunteers will need to purchase their own laundry detergent before arriving at the Village.

Transport to and from any of the towns near the Village is very limited. Volunteers may ride along with drivers who are running errands but this would need to be arranged with Nicholas Makau, the village manager.

Medical Care - Volunteers are provided with the medical care available here at Nyumbani Village. If you are feeling ill, need a blood sample, or just need to speak to a nurse one can be found at the sick room.

Malaria - is a major concern when working at the Village so all precautions must be taken. You should consult with your doctor about which malaria medication is best suited for you. You must bring a mosquito net and repellent in order to minimize your chances of contracting malaria. If all precautions are taken, contracting malaria should not be a major issue. However, malaria is a serious disease and if you are experiencing symptoms see a nurse and get a blood test performed immediately.

Communications - There is no access to computers or email at the Village and the best way to stay in touch with others is to purchase a cell phone. You can mail letters at the post office but it is very expensive to mail or receive packages. "

So there you have it - things are getting more serious and I couldn't be more excited about getting started. I am trusting that things will move along with the sale of my condo soon. I pray daily for this and ask for your prayers as well.