emc~journey

BLOG MOVES TO NEW WEBSITE!

2009-08-16T09:11:00.001-04:00

A new website and periodic newsletter have been created and are available at www.edcolinafoundation.org Please take a minute to view the website. Also on that website you’ll see a box to easily sign up for the monthly E-newsletter. You can register to receive new blog entries about daily life in Africa. The blog which many of you have followed for the last years, will move to the new website.

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THANKS!

Back in the USA

2009-06-24T08:48:00.001-04:00

I have been home from Kenya for over a couple of weeks now. I got in to CVG after a good flight from London. It is great to be home although I am missing the Masai folks big time. I called a couple friends in Kenya to see how things were going. Fred, the Masai, has malaria. He’ll be ok but said he was pretty sick and missed some school. Tall Benson is good, still looking for work - like so many people in Kenya!

I have my work cut out for me during my time here in the states. The account of the mission fund is low and I need to find some way to make some money for my next trip to Nairobi. Any help would be appreciated and can be given through the Immaculate Heart of Mary Mission Fund – Africa Project. We are working to create a new foundation, JOURNEY:The Ed Colina Foundation, which can accept donations as a tax-exempt entity. I have a terrific board that is working hard to create something great!

Since being home I have been able to see some friends, spend time with Chris, Diane and family. I have also been able to see Kathy and Karen and bore them all with my videos. Joe and Becky, Fred and others! As always, I have been able to have some quiet times, mostly later in the evenings and revisit some of my reading, writing and thoughts about this great journey we are on. Sunday, the readings at church were helpful to pull me back into a more spiritual space – nothing drastic or earth shattering, but just to remind me what I am doing and why. There were scripture passages about blood sacrifices and the Eucharist. I couldn’t help think of the Masai and their practice of drinking blood. Blood is life. As I’ve written many times, I have a simple Theology of following Jesus, giving my life away, piece by piece and allowing myself to be filled (or refilled). It somehow works for me. Jesus is being broken, shared and given away. I try to follow.
This trip to Kenya has been different. In the past, I made an effort to structure my life, my prayer, etc. as much as I could. I think part of that was a head-trip – trying to be a little monk – but I guess it was necessary. I learned from it. This trip I am more connected to people in a holistic way. I have more time to be alone but the quality is different somehow. It is not forced. One reason this trip is different is that those I am in most contact with are adults, be they young adults – instead of the kids. I can ask, share, learn and pray with/over. Benson (Tall Ben), the Turkana ex-seminarian I have written about, struggles with the church much more than I. I thought at one time that he was leaning towards Muslim religion for its “love of what is true” and he sees what he considers the hypocrisy of his old religious order. Of course he does, he’s young and with that youth comes some immaturity! Everyone usually can and will disappoint you if you are looking for perfect people. Ben even went to a Seventh Day service. Hated it. But he is on the journey. It is fun to get excited about it with him and encourage him. “The best argument against the bad is the doing of the good.” I told him – “just do things better and don’t worry about the hypocrisy of others, etc.” Benson prays four or five times throughout the day and night. I find him sitting alone sometimes or he disappears for twenty minutes or so throughout the day. I learn from that and am drawn into his schedule. He is still living in Kibera slum, looking for money, looking for food and a chance.

Fred, the young Masai man from the manyatta near me has listened to me talk about life, what I wanted and what I didn’t want. He’s heard me talk of how I want to live the second half of my life. We are “passing” each other – he coming from nothing to “build his life” and me trying to simplify. My Kamba friend Mwololo believes that the rains aren’t coming because people like me aren’t going to church. He’s Catholic. So . . .I am having a great time and trying to become even closer to God because I have the sense He wants to be closer to me. . . . maybe as close as being my food for the journey.

Sometimes I just sit and smile. (not always - but sometimes!) This life is big and I have lived longer than my best friend John, who I remember especially each Holy Thursday. That is something – a gift I have been given, not only to live these many years after he suddenly died, but to be able to live it so fully here in Africa! I can’t believe it. I tried to explain that to Masai Fred and Mwololo – why this time of living with them is so holy and such a gift. The project is doing a lot but . . . I am the one benefiting! I can never be thankful enough.

The Kamba culture (from the Village where I used to work) is simple, basic, and beautiful. But the spirituality, although I would like to think that the simplicity of lifestyle would be a help, I actually find the religion immature in a way. It works for them but does not satisfy me. In the case of the village, I blame the church for keeping the people fear-based and somewhat ignorant. At the same time though, there is the simple trust in God, faith that it will rain, believing in God for miracles etc. It is a blind faith I don’t have. But the people will stay at that place with the priest calling the shots and telling them how to live. Anyway, I guess they have a right to whatever faith life they choose. They are a simple, uneducated people. We, on the other hand, should know better and can think for ourselves. We fear everything and protect ourselves and our stuff and our way of life. It is the opposite of faith.

The Masai seem to be even more connected to the earth. The Turkana - who I traveled to visit – even more. A lot of times I get caught up in the work and the stuff to do here in Kenya. You are faced daily with some weather events that lead you to think seriously about God and what God is doing with the weather here – no rain. So the elements make you reflect on God some but I get caught up in the work. I don’t take the time I need but am doing ok feeling connected.

So what is expected of me now? I don’t know. To know would make it easier and why I think people are so easily attracted to a church of “do this, don’t do that”. You know what is expected, at least from the church. But Jesus asks me to follow him. And that leaves the door open to interpretation. I don’t think it is about doing (again that would be easier eh?) I think it is more about “being” and being here, now. And that is work! to not be living in the future or in the past but here, in this moment. That’s where prayer comes in for me – it helps me to be “here – now”. That is the only time I can know the presence of God. I can read about Him in the past and pray to him about the future but can only experience him now – here (wherever) It doesn’t need to be Africa. It can be at home or at school or wherever I can get out of my head.

Everything teaches me (the good and the bad). Everything matters but nothing matters. Everything is serious but you can’t take anything serious. What looks wrong can be right and what looks so holy and right can be so wrong. That’s why we really can’t judge. You just try to stay connected and in the Flow.

What do you want to be when you grow up, little boy?

2009-05-26T12:08:00.003-04:00

I did some laundry, washed the floor, answered some mail and listened to some music. I didn’t go to the school today. I met with Mwololo and we discussed the cost and dimensions of a closet for the classrooms to store the supplies sent by IHM. A “fundy” or day laborer will build it for about 10,000 shillings ($125) It costs more since there is no soft wood in the town and will have to be made using better grade lumber. I feel like I am spending a lot of money these days and the funds are low. But the money does no one any good sitting in a bank. More will come, I pray. Tomorrow I head to Nairobi for school supplies and to pick up MS OFFICE from a friend. Mwololo’s computer got a nasty virus. All the letters of every page of anything are strange symbols or wingdings. I had to reinstall Windows and we lost OFFICE. So anyway, today I had some time to think. It also rained hard, which helps me think and adds to my melancholy. It always comes down to my thinking about what I am learning. As these three quick months have now passed, what has God been trying to teach me? There have been times when things were more obvious. I am still convinced that God realizes I am not that smart and things need to be made simple for me to “get”. I find consolation in Jesus’ choices of apostles, not the “sharpest tools in the shed” I am guessing, The disciples would get His point and then loose it, see what Jesus was doing and teaching and then ask questions that proved they missed the point. I can be like that. So what did I learn? One thing I learned is that there are degrees of poverty. When you feel you’ve met some truly poor people, there are those who are poorer. I thought initially that the children with AIDS in the Children’s Home in Karen were the poorest of the poor, Then I went to the Village in Kitui and thought these children who were brought from nothing were worse off. I spent time in Kibera and saw the mud and muck and wondered how people could live like this. Then I met the Masai in Athi, with their houses made of cow dung, their hygiene deplorable and water undrinkable, Then I traveled to the north – to Turkana, where people are naked and starving silently and no one knows or seems to cares. There are places I have never seen in Kenya, places in other countries like Sudan and Somalia where there is no doubt more sickness, and more violence and paralizing fear. I know these places are there. In Africa I have been able to go deeper and deeper into the pain of the world. But even in these places of pain and fear, there is somehow life and there is love. I have gotten accustomed to not having the THINGS, those nice things that make life easier. But with or without them, life is about more than the stuff. Like we already knew, life is about the relationships. Life is about Mary and Naomi, Rachel, Benerd, Daniel, Chris and Fred, Jonah, Benson, Diane and Gladys, Judy and Zach and Lomori, Joseph 1,2 and 3. It is about Erin, Mickie, Spence, my mom, Mwololo, George, Paul and Pascal, Moses, Moris, Eunice, Mwendwa, Pastor, Kathy, Karen and John and Ngumbu. It is about all the people I know and love and have let just pass by. That is what I learned and what I know and what I live on each day. These relationships are important - like food. I need them to survive and without them, I am not alive. Without them I am not human. I took/take them for granted. If you do also – stop it. And so I come to the end of another segment of my African adventure. There is sadness in leaving these people again, but yet a sense that I will return and that these relationships, that have been such a gift to me, will live on and on. My family increases, not bound by age, language, nationalities or class. They are a part of me now and when they are in pain, I am in pain. Maybe it is called the Body of Christ.

I have learned more about death. There seemed more deaths this year – at home and around me in Kenya. It happens and will happen to me – sooner than later. I better be about living these days and let go of anything that sucks the life from me.

“What do you want to be when you grow up, little boy?”

“Alive.”

8 Days and Counting Sadly

2009-05-25T10:39:00.003-04:00

With so few days left in Kenya, I am trying to get things settled and taken care of before I go. We hired another teacher to act as model for the two already in the ECDE Centre. I am trying to leave their pay along with money for other upcoming expenses with Mwololo. I want to avoid wiring the money later from the states. On Saturday night, Fred and I walked to the manyatta, about an hour or so on foot if you go off the dirt road and use short cuts. We spent time surveying the cattle, goats and sheep. We took some good video I hope and got Fred on tape talking about the July trip the men take. We also visited the hole where the women and children dig for drinking water although it is muddy and salty. I felt more at home this time in the manyatta. The women and children knew me but this visit, the men had seen me and talked with me me at the funeral and they were more talkative this trip – welcoming me to their houses. They invited me to the July meat-a-thon. I was also able to talk to the father of the child burned by hot milk and visit a newborn baby, recently born in the manyatta, Sadly, another mother miscarried two days ago, probably from poor nutrition and lack of prenatal care. This happens often and the baby is buried in the center of the cattle pen – a Masai tradition, although no one can tell me the reasoning. On this particular night, Fred’s father was visiting at Fred’s mother’s house (one of the three or four wives) and therefore Fred (and I) cannot stay at his house. We “slept” at the home of someone I never met but the house was identical to Fred’s. They are all the same. Inside the house, the woman living here built a large fire for milk and evening porridge. Within the hour my head was throbbing from the smoke and the headache lasted through the next day. Not much sleep. The mosquitoes were worse than last time, although we put up a net over the “bed” and the hyenas were louder and closer than before. At about 5:30 a.m. as the woman began stoking the fire for morning tea, I went outside with a blanket on and sat, like an old man, against the house and breathed freely as the sun rose. I had planned to stay for church but Fred and I decided to call a motorbike for me and I headed home to sleep. Fred is a good guy – and we joke that he may be married off by the time I get back to Kenya – if his father’s arrangements work out! The rest of Sunday I slept and ate little, since there was little in the house – some oatmeal and some tomatoes. I also washed my masai blanket, mosquito net and backpack since they all smelled so strongly of smoke.

Today, Monday I finished my laundry and met with Mwololo and Pastor. We took a trip into Athi River to buy some food and some supplies for the classrooms – chalk, a clock and a bell! The rest of the time I tried to organize my pictures on the laptop and backup my videos on DVDs. I also began organizing my things to go home. Many of my shoes and clothes I have already given away so my load should be lighter going home. My returning to this particular house (room) is not clear so I will need to leave only the most important and heaviest items: bed, coffee table, shelf and gas cylinder. I’ll also leave some pots and pans and other cooking supplies in hopes of using them again when I return.

Death and Life

2009-05-23T04:37:00.002-04:00

Tuesday May 19, 2009

As I might have mentioned earlier, the Pastor (a Masai preacher who lives in the manyatta close to me) has become a good friend. Although his English is worse than most, we have been able to communicate fairly well. He is a “pastor” and holds church services each Sunday, but he is also a boda boda, a motorbike taxi driver. I call him quite often for a ride here or there. Pastor’s father was killed recently. 88 years old, he was struck by a car on Thicka Road while moving his cattle across. He was taken to Kenyatta Hospital (hell hole) and died some days later. One of the interesting realities here in Kenya is that the hospital will not release the dead body until the bill is paid. This goes for the mortuary fees as well. For some, this means the body is never released. For Pastor, they collected money from friends and relatives for 11 days before the funeral. The bill was 80,000ksh or about $1,000. Then the body could be picked up (by pick up truck) from the mortuary located conveniently next to the hospital. So on Tuesday I was invited to attend the funeral in the rural home of pastor’s father. At about 10 a.m. a pickup truck came to the nearby manyatta. I joined 21 other Masai in the back of the truck and we started the long journey to Kiserian and beyond. The women sang and chanted along the way. The men talked endlessly to me about life, the states and explaining what Masai do. Some were relatives of Fred. They all took good care of me. I was warned not to drink any water and not to eat the food which will always be served at funerals. When we reached Kiserian town, the truck with the body of Pastor’s father was waiting on the side of the road. We joined a small convoy and traveled deeper into Ngong Hills, a beautiful area of Kenya known for wild animals in the high hills – lions, leopards, cheetah and big elephants. We passed only zebra and assorted antelope. Once at the home of Pastor’s family, the coffin was taken to the elders, the top opened and each son from the oldest to the youngest was given the difficult task of rubbing milk and oil into the body. I’ll spare you the details. Then the 8 sons carried the coffin to the top of a hill where the service began. Preaching, singing and the reading of a eulogy. As was read to us in Kimaasai, pastor’s father was born in 1920, circumcised in 1945. (Interesting that fact is included in the eulogy). He married the first wife in 1954, the second wife in 1966 and the third in 1977. His youngest child looked to be around three years old! After the formal funeral rites and the body being lowered into the ground, Fred and I sat on a beautiful hillside eating cookies and water I had brought. The food was cooked and served. Men served men. Women served women. Meat, chapatti, potatoes and rice. I ate chapatti. We then crammed back into the back of the truck and headed to Nairobi, via Kiserian town. But, as often happens, we had a puncture. The tire was changed and we repaired it in Kiserian. The ride was long, dusty and cold. We huddled together in the back of the truck, wearing the colorful clothes around our heads to keep warm and avoid the dust. Fred was to be dropped off where he stay when attending school near Nairobi but because it was dark and too dangerous to be out alone, he spent the night at my place and headed to school early the next morning. Come to find out, there was another stabbing that night – a student was stabbed, robbed of 20,000ksh school fees and sent to Kenyatta Hospital (hell hole). The trip with the crew to the funeral was good in a number of ways. I learned so much about the culture, gender issues, funeral rites but I also made an impact on the males of the manyatta. It was the most time I have been able to spend with the adult males, who are usually looking after the herds. I think they are more comfortable with me around the manyatta and I feel closer to them all after spending a long day and evening with them.

The next morning Fred headed for school and I headed to the Village in Kitui to meet little Benerd, my friend who was to be operated on at Kitui Hospital. He has had a growth of some sort behind his ear and finally there was enough concern to have it removed. I went to the hospital and waited. Eventually Ben called a few times but the last call was saying that he was not coming and the surgery was delayed. He wanted me to come to the village where he had cleaned and prepared his room for me to spend the night. I did. It worked out fine. Although Ben’s surgery was postponed, I was able to tell him goodbye and spend some quality time with him and his grandmother and extended family.

On Thursday morning I took a motorbike to the main road and headed for Kitengela to see my friend George and his cousin Paul. I have not been able to spend as much time with George as I had hoped this trip so we shared a couple beers and some food and were able to say goodbye. I’ll call him later from the airport on June 2nd. George is always my last call when heading back to states.

On Friday we met with the teachers at the ECDE (preschool) and discussed a new HIV/AIDS curriculum. Mwololo developed it and it is basically good moral values that should be modeled and taught to the kids. In turn, this is a beginning step to understanding and combating HIV and AIDS. For example, one of the values and related activities is “patience”. Standing in line for porridge and to use the latrine shows patience and is a trait that will be needed in the future to postpone sexual activity. We start learning patience at a young age. There are other values to be taught, twenty of them so far. Each one, in the long term will help with AIDS related issues. Respect, love, discipline etc. all will pay off in the future.

Fred came home from school and spent the night at my place again. He is majoring in social work. Tonight I am planning on sleeping in the manyatta and saying my goodbyes to the Masai who I will miss while I am in the states. We talked last night about going out with the men in July. I’ll miss this big Masai event but it goes like this. 11 men go into the bush country where there are lions, cheetah and leopards. They will spend one month there doing nothing but eating meat. They will eat 11 animals, a mix of goats and cows. They will get very big. July is a cold month and they need the weight to stay warm and it will take the next 11 months to loose it as they begin the hard life again. July is a month of rest for the Masai men. It is not so much of a rest for the women. The men move out to the bush so as not to have to share the meet with the women or their children. There are parts of the cow designated to feed women, parts for children, parts for girls. It they go out into the bush country, they need not share it. Strange eh? Anyway, Fred was hoping I could go out with them for a while but the timing is wrong.

There have been a series of deaths and injuries lately. In Kajaido, the rural home of these Masai, a young boy was killed with a javelin while preparing for some games. A fourteen year old threw it and it pierced another young man killing him. Another young girl from our ECDE Center is in the hospital after being burned by boiled milk. There is death and hardship everywhere. It is a part of life here.

Kibera After Turkana

2009-05-18T12:30:00.001-04:00

You would think that all poverty is one. Poverty is poverty but there is a difference, at least emotionally. The week in the dry lands of Turkana vs. the cold, wet, muddy urban poverty of Kibera – I am not sure if one is worse than the other – but they are not the same. Ben stays in Kibera. All in all, the place isn’t that bad or not as bad as other parts of Kibera. We got off the bus at Olympic, the center/business area of Kibera with its little kiosks, blaring stereos and wet sewage smells. We walked through the muddy streets passed multitudes of people coming home from work or somewhere. We head done the street to the place where Ben stays. We have to climb down a muddy, broken up ladder to a group of houses and a latrine. There are metal roofs everywhere and houses made of beat up metal drums. The train tracks are about 50 yards from the place. We will hear the trains later in the night. We enter the house, arrange our gear and get undressed to wade outside through the mud to a pit latrine/shower. Ben heated some water for us with an electric coil. The rain makes everything worse, instead of making everything fresh. We “bucket shower” in the darkness, laugh hysterically and head back into the rain to the house and off to bed. Don’t drink the water. There is no food. The rain pounds the tin roof. I feel like I am in a camp or fort I built as a boy. The train wakes me throughout the night, shaking everything. It sounds like it is coming through the door. In the morning I clean up inside the house using a bucket, not wanting to call attention to my white self. Last night I had the cover of darkness but not in the morning. We get cleaned up, pack up and head for Karen and the Children’s Orphanage of Nyumbani. We are packing up some sale items to send home. The profit will help both the slum program of Nyumbani and our Masai Project in Athi. The box we are sending weights 23KGs and will cost about $170 to send home by regular mail. After packing the box and dropping it at the Post Office in Karen (They made me put the 13,640ksh worth of stamps on the box. The stamps covered the whole side.) we traveled with Pascal to Kenyatta Hospital and then on to town for some food. We say goodbye to Pascal and head by Matatu back to Athi River. Ben will spend the weekend with me, glad to be away from Kibera, glad to be home from Turkana. It was a good trip.

Turkana Trip - In Reverse

2009-05-18T11:38:00.000-04:00

Turkana Part 4

2009-05-18T11:34:00.001-04:00

We walked through Lodwar town, looking for the bus station to book for the long ride to Nairobi the next day. We looked for the Guest House that had been recommended. We looked for food. But we also stopped by a bank where one of Benson’s old friends worked. We greeted him and agreed he would stop by the lodge after work. We then walked to the Bus Station, bought two tickets for the next day and headed for the lodge. It was a nice place, owned by Ethiopians. We got one room for 1300 ksh. That’s about $16.00 which was splurging for us but it was to include breakfast. (Later we found out it included breakfast for only one of us!) But the room had a shower, toilet and a ceiling fan. I bargained with the manager to allow us to stay in the room the next day until 4pm. Our bus was to leave around 7pm (TIA 8pm) and we would have had to find a place to stay/sit with our bags if we couldn't’t stay in our room. It cost us an additional 500 shillings but worth it. We met Ben’s friend for dinner. We had asked the cook to buy chicken and chips for us to eat. You order food and they go and buy and cook. It was a nice visit. The local vendors of Turkana memorabilia also visited us. It was annoying but interesting that this little town was trying to promote Turkana traditions and items. I bought a wooden pot covered with goatskin and I was given as a gift, a large chin “plug” used to adorn Turkana women’s mouths. We slept well under the ceiling fan and net. We slept in late, got our one free breakfast and went back to sleep. Ben prays periodically throughout the day. He just takes ten-twenty minutes of silent time three or four times throughout the day and evening. I ended up doing the same. I asked him what he prays for and how he prays. He says he mainly recounts the day, what he is grateful for and how he could have been more compassionate and kind. He also says some rote prayers at times, makes some up. At night as we lay in bed, he prays out loud, grateful for the day.

Our bus arrived late and we began the long journey home around 8:30pm. It was a slow but non-eventful journey home. I dozed sometimes, although it is difficult to get comfortable. We traveled with Somalis who had unbelievable loud voices. Their conversations sounded as if they were shouting. At times we were stopped for hours at a time for road construction (use term loosely) We arrived in Nairobi at around 4:00pm the next day. We looked for a bank for cash and for some food. We went to my favorite African-style restaurant, Ronalos. You order things like fried meat, ugali, chapatti etc. All eaten without utensils. After eating we looked for a bus to Kibera, the slum where I would spend the night with Benson. There was a transportation problem. There were no buses to Kibera coming so we headed toward Yaya and took a matatu to the slum. It had been dark for an hour or so – not a good thing for this white guy. It was also raining and muddy, making Kibera even worse.

Turkana Part 3

2009-05-18T08:04:00.002-04:00

The next morning we inquired about a ride back to Lodwar. Our hope was to go to Lodwar, catch a matatu to Kalokol a town on Lake Turkana. After some discussion and bargaining we found a ride to Lodwar in an old matatu. We left town about 10:30 a.m. arriving in Lodwar by 1:00 p.m. From Lodwar we did some asking around and found a ride on a jammed matatu and headed for Kalokol. It was a long journey. We found a place in Lodwar serving chips (fries) and soda. We have been eating very little or eating junk for days now. At Kalokol we found a little Guesthouse and rested, talking to the manager. The costs of these places vary but average around 600-700ksh per night for one room for Ben and me. That is about $7.50 per night. The proprietor discouraged us from eating in town. The town had no electricity and therefore clean storage of food was a problem. Instead, he offered to cook for us if we paid for the food. We gave him some money and he prepared green grams (lentils), rice and beans. It was very good and there was plenty. He also purchased 4 liters of clean drinking water for me. We walked around the town and then settled in for the night. The next morning we were to make the long walk to Lake Turkana – about 6 km from the town. So we walked and walked, finally meeting an old man who walked with us giving us the lowdown on the local scams. The lake was unimpressive but we passed some interesting Turkana villages. Passing one homestead, similar to Ben’s home, we saw a frail old woman seated on the ground, facing the door to a tiny hut. Ben’s face fell. He said she was seated there waiting to die. She was starving, unable to eat or unable to find food. There was nothing the family could do. It reminded him of his own grandmother’s agonizing death. She knew she was dying. The family knew she was dying. There was nothing to be done but to wait. After death, the body is simply placed in a hole in the ground by the hut. Nothing more. Turkana fear death and dead bodies. This is what was done with the child who died next door to Ben’s moms hut. Anyway, back to the old woman. Ben took some little money and went to the hut of the old woman’s family. He gave her some money for the old woman, who he discovered was blind. We walked away and for some distance in silence.

We continued to the lake, which was unimpressive, but for the fact that it was water in a barren land. In the states we are used to beautiful, picturesque lakes for recreation and sport. This place was for fishing and was dying, receding at a fast rate due to drought. The old man took us back to town by a shorter route, through small village after village. Once back in town we got a soda with some locals and booked a matatu to Lodwar. It was to pick us at the Guesthouse. Three hours later, it came, jammed with people. You open the sliding door and look in, doubting if another body can be jammed into the van. But, as they say, “A matatu is never full.” So we jammed in, not to be the last ones entering though.. We picked up others. At one point we picked up a high school boy who flagged us down. There was really no more room and he climbed on the roof. After ten minutes we pulled into a secondary school, picked up a mattress and a metal box filled with his belongings. All were loaded onto the roof, with the boy. We took off down this horrible road at speeds that scared me. At one point, we were passed by a group of soldiers in a truck. They made us stop, told the boy to get inside the matatu. He climbed in the back window (which was missing the glass.)

After about an hour of traveling we came near the town of Lodwar. We had watched dark clouds and lightning in the distant hills but had not gotten any rain ourselves. We came upon a small cement section/bridge of road that crossed the Turkwel River. It was flooded and water was waste deep as people struggled to get across on foot. The water was powerful and I prayed the matatu would not try to drive across. I had watched those videos of cars and people being swept away in rushing currents because they did not know the depth or did not have respect for the power of the water. The matatu would not cross – thank God. But we were stuck. If we did not cross into Lodwar, we would have to sleep on the ground along the river. Groups of people banded together and walked across through the rushing water. A pregnant woman needing to get to the hospital was escorted through the water by a group of teenage men. One young girl, a small infant strapped to her back and another 3 or 4-year-old boy in hand tried to make it across. I couldn’t watch. Their footing was weak. Thankfully a young man came from the other side of the river, hoisted the young boy on his shoulders and led the young girl and baby to safety. But we were still stuck. Benson fears the water and cannot swim. He won’t walk across. Finally the truck filled with soldiers we had come across earlier, decided to actually do something and were going to try to drive across the flooded river. As they began to move, we ran to them and asked to jump in the back. They motioned to move quickly and we jumped in the back and sat on their automatic rifles and pop bottles. I pulled out the video camera to capture whatever was to come. We entered the water at full speed and you could feel the water pull the truck from right to left. A man on the other side was motioning the driver to steer towards the right. We made it across to the cheers of the crown and to our relief. I didn’t like these soldiers. They sat while the pregnant woman crossed. They sat while the young girls and babies crossed. But I liked them a little more when we were traveling across the river with them and even more when they did not ask for some “appreciation” when we were safely on the other side.

Turkana Part 2

2009-05-18T06:53:00.006-04:00

From the village of Benson’s mom we headed to the sites of a number of refugee camps. These sites, monitored and assisted by many NGOs and the United Nations High Commission on Refugees, were homes to Sudanese, Somali, Ethiopian and Congolese refugees. They have been here for many years and I am told the inhabitants numbered around 95,000 people. The site was slum like, not the rows of white tents I had imagined. Ben took me past a very wide dry river, where Turkana women were digging in the sand to find water. In some places, young boys were skinny-dipping in the 2 x 2 hole they had dug. Some animals were drinking from the holes and you could also see men using some of the holes as a latrine. We climbed to the top of a high hill that overlooked the refugee camps. Even some of the various nations were subdivided because of tribal differences. We walked through the narrow streets but I got really dehydrated and we headed back to town, quite a distance.

We met various acquaintances of Ben, one a young boy who called Ben days earlier. He had been sent home from school because he did not have shoes. He had called to see if Ben could give him his black school shoes. His name, which I forget, means “wind.” We gave him 1000 shillings, $12.00 and he was off to buy shoes for school – so happy. He also used the cold shower outside the guesthouse, a luxury.

The night was uneventful but hot. We slept under a net, a little hungry since food was scarce in the town. The management was also having difficulties in the place where we were staying and money to buy food for the restaurant was not flowing. We ate some spaghetti noodles for lunch/dinner. The place did have an outdoor latrine and shower. Noise echoed throughout the night, coming from the bar adjacent to our room. The generator broke around 10pm gratefully and things quieted down. We did manage a walk around the outskirts of the town. Lighted only by the moon, the land was quiet and dark but for some campfires. My white body must have been somewhat visible in the night because I would hear the call to me “mazungu”!

The next morning we headed back to the village. This time, Ben’s brother was there. His name is Lomori (Lomo for short). Ben did not greet him or acknowledge his brother or anyone else but headed to the little hut where we sat waiting to be welcomed. Eventually his brother came in and talked non-stop for quite some time. Ben just listened. I know it was a story of how difficult life had been in the village and wishing Ben had not gone away. Later, Ben;s mom came in and there was a discussion on what to give me upon my departure. Lomo lamented their situation, embarrassed that they had no food to give me or goat to slaughter, as was their tradition. When we had visited for quite some time, we decided to leave and walk to a far mountain for a view of the camps and the town. We took some video and family pictures, said farewell to mom and headed off. Lomo and Ben’s sister accompanied us on the walk. His sister left us to fetch water at the river and we continued on but decided I looked unable to make the trip up the mountain and we headed for the town. My old boot sole came apart and we looked for someone to mend it. It made a sound like a flat tire as I walked through town, calling even more attention to myself. We found a group of men seated, all watching the shoemaker work. They made me sit down, removed my shoes, gave me flip-flops to wear and began mending my shoe. I was the center of attention and a small crowd gathered. Men tried to hook me up with local women, one tried to argue the employment situation with me, another asked me to speak to him in French as he warned me this was a dangerous group to be around. He insisted that we finish our business and get back to the guesthouse. We did, once the boot was not only glued but stitched.

(Click to enlarge. This is a picture of Ben's brother. Scarring and branding is common among the Turkana. It is a sign of beauty. These hundreds of scars were made with a fish hook pulling the skin up and then slicing with a razor blade. Ben has scars a well - dots in symmetrical shaped made from burning holes in the skin with reeds or hard grass.)
We met up with Ben’s brother again at the guesthouse where he had a gift for me. The Turkana men carry a stool around with them. It is small with a handle attached to carry. He had made it from one solid piece of log and was happy if I would accept it as a gift from the family. We ate a simple lunch (still a food shortage) of spaghetti noodles and Coke. Later that night we walked around the town, visited some friends before settling in for the night.

Turkana Trip - Part 1

2009-05-18T03:44:00.003-04:00

Well I was expecting a long journey to the land of the Turkana. It was. Benson Lotiang’a is a friend I met in the kitui village a year or so ago and we had always planned to head to his homeland in the north at some point. His mother has been sick from a number of ailments, the major one, epilepsy. It is difficult to get medications and control the problem here in Kenya. Of course, as you might expect, the tribe often thought of her as possessed or carrying a demon because of the condition and her convulsions, etc. And so Ben and I decided on some dates and mode of transportation. To fly would cost the two of us about $750 total. And so we opted for the long bus ride from Nairobi to Kakoma at a cost of about $100 total. The bus was scheduled to leave at 7 am on Thursday morning (we know that actually means 9am) and so we decided to stay the night near the bus “station” in Eastleigh. We stayed in the Somali section of town in a Somali Guest House. It reminded me of movies I’d seen of Istanbul. Long cement hallways, dark figures passing silently, and the room was simple but with a toilet and hole in the floor for a shower. There was an electric heater attached to the showerhead but it sparked when Benson turned it on. We took cold showers, not wanting to be electrocuted. We boarded the bus in the morning and departed at about 9:00 a.m. It was a long journey over good roads until Eldorett. We passed IDP camps of people who were burned out of their homes during the post-election violence and were still stranded in white tents off the main roads. We made periodic stops through the night and bought cookies and soda etc. I was afraid to eat most foods although I took a mandazi and some tea at some places.

We finally reached Lodwar, in the north of Kenya, a large town in comparison. We were to head to Kakoma from there but word was out there had been violence there overnight and we should not travel at night. We stayed on the bus in Lodwar until daybreak and at about 8:30am, we headed to Kakoma. We had been traveling in a convoy of three buses for safety. There were marauders and thieves along the way. We were not too far from the borders of Ethiopia, Uganda and Sudan. Gunrunners and bandits often stopped buses and travelers at night in the lonely hills and mountainous areas. And so we left at daylight. We were told that the soldiers in Kakoma had shot and killed two protesters the night before and people were angry in the streets. The people were protesting jobs given out to outsiders from Nairobi etc instead of to locals. The demonstration had gotten violent and shots were fired. There are no warning shots; the soldiers aim to kill. And so they did. When our bus arrived, we were greeted by large crowds pounding on the side of our bus and yelling at us. I hid my white face. The UN people and those NGOs who hired out of towners were white and I didn’t want to be mistaken for a UN manager. The bus picked up pace and headed to the police station where we were taken off the bus. We got a bicycle ride to a guesthouse on the other side of town and tried to get the full story of the security in the area. Eventually we heard that things calmed, protest activities delayed until an MP came to speak to the crowds and until the funerals amped up the crowd again. We would be gone by then, thankfully. Still, I was warned to do any business in town quickly and get back to the lodge so as not to be mistaken for UN. I had people approach me in the streets to argue about hiring issues. I realized they thought I was from an NGO or the UN.

The next morning we began our walk to the Turkana village of Ben’s mom, brother and sister. Already the heat was oppressive. Along the way Ben was greeted by old friends. We passed bare-chested women carrying branches or water jugs on their heads. We passed Turkana warriors wearing only a blanket around their shoulders and carrying a carved walking stick and small stool to sit on. All were friendly enough and nodded or spoke a Turkana greeting “Ajuka”. Clothes are optional in the village. Traditionally the women and the men were uncovered and the tradition continued. One becomes used to it. When we arrived at the small plot where Ben’s mom lived, there were no adults around. We stuck our heads in the four small huts in the area. Ben’s sister appeared and finally his mother. We greeted her quickly and then went to be seated in one of the other huts to be welcomed by her. There was no affection or emotion shown. It was like we were salesmen coming to present our products. Ben’s mom was sick. She has been sick for most of Ben’s life and she was bitter and wanted to die. “Why should I live this way?” Her face was badly burned from falling into the fire during an epileptic fit. She was unaware that her face was being burned as well as her hands and legs. She suffered too from malaria and some other diseases. She was thin and week and looked to be close to death in both appearance and emotions. As Ben talked to her about her health etc. we heard wailing and screaming in the hut next to Ben’s moms. The neighbor woman’s child had just died and the woman was hysterical at the death. It was not uncommon. People die in this area from diseases and from starvation. Ben had watched his grandmother starve to death. He also, as a child himself, found a boy by the river who had died of starvation. He told me stories of people eating grass like cattle and boiling water to have something in their stomachs. There are no latrines and human feces can be seen and smelled everywhere. The drought had taken its toll on both humans and animals.

Back to our visit. I was greeted by Ben’s mom but I knew she was unhappy. Eventually Ben translated that his mom was upset. The tradition of the Turkana is such that when a special guest comes, like a white man, it is a blessing. In good days they would have slaughtered a goat or given me a goat, something to show that I was welcomed. But they had nothing to give me, nothing to share. I tried to make Ben see and translate that this experience, their welcoming me into their house was the gift and that in America, it was the visitor that brought a housewarming gift. I had brought nothing. Eventually she asked if I could take tea. Ben had told her I could take anything like water or rice for fear of typhoid or other diseases. I had brought a bottle of water. I told her I would be grateful for tea so it was made with powdered milk they found. The visit continued and I took some photos and we left to walk to the refugee camps along the river. We promised to return the next morning, hoping to see Ben’s brother.

Some background – Ben’s father died when Ben was young. His mom could do little to care for him because of her illness. The uncle and other relatives were abusive and Ben left for the streets at an early age. He was convinced that he could do better on his own, even running guns or selling drugs. Thankfully he was taken into an orphanage by some Irish sisters and lived there, begging for food and school fees. He also lived in a home for street boys as he got older and it was there that his academic education began. His mom never knew that he went to school. She never bought him anything like a pencil or trousers. She could not care for him and he remembers that fact. So he sits, sad at her lack of mothering. She sits, sad at the departure of a son that should be caring for a dying mother. They are both caught, both correct. We left for the refugee camps, talking to his sister on how we could help out both his sister and his dying mother. (More to come but here is some history, etc.)

Some Turkana History

So recapping, a 26 hour trek to the land of the Turkana in northern Kenya. Here is a some background on the history of the area and the tribe. Around 2 million–3 million years ago, the lake was larger and the area more fertile, making it a centre for early hominins. Richard Leakey has led numerous anthropological digs in the area which have led to many important discoveries of hominin remains. The two-million-year-old Skull 1470 was found in 1972. It was originally thought to be Homo habilis, but the scientific name Homo rudolfensis derived from the old name of the Lake Rudolf, was proposed in 1986 by V. P. Alexeev. In 1984, the Turkana Boy, a nearly complete skeleton of a Homo erectus boy was discovered by Kamoya Kimeu. More recently, Meave Leakey discovered a 3,500,000-year-old skull there, named Kenyanthropus platyops, which means "The Flat-Faced Man of Kenya".

The population of the Turkana tribe ranges around 350,000, and they are a part of the larger Nilotic group of tribes (along with the Samburu and the Masai). They are a very traditional tribe; with most of their people still living rural lives as they have for generations. You can find the Turkana territory near the shores of Lake Turkana in the very dry regions of northwest Kenya. They rely heavily on the rainy seasons and the 2 rivers that run through their land for water. Water can be very scarce. The harsh environment creates a great deal of tension between tribes, making the Turkana tribe a very fierce and aggressive people. Their language is called Turkana, and has a separate dialect for the northern and southern regions of their territory.

Turkana History.

Around 400 years ago, the Turkana tribes migrated into Kenya from north-eastern Uganda. During the colonial period and even after Kenyan independence, the Turkana have mostly been left alone. They are largely untouched by the influence of missionaries or other aspects of western civilization. And so their history is not marked by many modern events, and they are still the same as they have always been.

Turkana Culture and Family

Livestock are the center of Turkana economics, representing both a food supply and wealth. Camels, cows and goats are the favored animals, along with some donkeys and sheep.
As a nomadic people, the social structure is very loose and flexible. This is necessary, given the constant movement of families as they search for better grazing land and water. Each family is a self-contained social unit, with 4 or 5 families sometimes grazing together. Families can get quite large as married sons (and their wives and children) will stay with their father's family. Initiation into adulthood is a somewhat subdued affair with minor rituals marking the event for boys every 4 years. Girls are considered adults once they are married. Unlike most other tribes, there is no circumcision among the Turkana. Age sets exist but are not particularly important.
Turkana men can take as many wives as they have cattle to buy them with. A woman can cost dozens of cows, goats, camels or sheep. Men without enough livestock sometimes resort to "stealing" a bride, though it’s mainly symbolic with both sides agreeing to the theft. A marriage is only considered to be finalized after the first child has begun to walk, usually around 3 years after the initial ceremony.

Turkana Religion

Most of Kenya's native people have had their religious ways pushed aside by Christianity. The Turkana tribe is an exception, with most people still keeping to their traditional beliefs. Their god is called Akuj, who is prayed to directly or through the spirits of ancestors. He is not part of everyday life for the Turkana and is usually only turned to when rain is needed. Animal sacrifices are common during drought periods, to please Akuj.

Turkana Tribe of Kenya

Turkana tribe is the second largest pastoral community in Kenya. This nomadic community moved to Kenya from Karamojong in eastern Uganda. The Turkana tribe occupies the semi Desert Turkana District in the Rift valley province of Kenya. Like the Maasai and tribes, Turkana people keeps herds of cattle, goats and Camel. Livestock is a very important part of the Turkana people. Their animals are the main source of income and food. However, recurring drought in Turkana district adversely affect the nomadic livelihood.

Like the Maasai and Samburu, the Turkana people are very colorful. Turkana people adorn themselves with colorful necklace and bracelets. Their decorations are made of red, yellow and brown colored beads. Cattle's rustling is common in Turkana district and round its border with Uganda, Sudan and Ethiopia. Tribes inhabiting this area are often involved in tribal fights for livestock and water. Cattle's rustling has been a common phenomenon for many decades and appears to be a sort of cultural game for the nomadic communities living in parts of the Rift valley and its surroundings. With the proliferation of small arms, cattle's rustling has become more dangerous and the Kenyan government has intervened in solving the problem.

More to come regarding Ed and Ben's adventure.

A Long Walk

2009-05-03T12:58:00.002-04:00

Sunday May 3, 2009 - Some interesting Masai cultural items came clear to me these past days. I spent some quality time with Mwololo and Fred, the Masai. We walked from 9 a.m. Saturday morning until about 4 p.m. We went up and down hills and rocky terrain, climbing to the top of some rocks called “the tooth” in Kimasai language. My legs are dead! But again, the time spent in conversations, learning about the culture was well worth it.

We began by Fred talking to me about coming to stay in the manyatta once again. We had a great time a week ago, because of or despite the torrential rains that fell while I was there. Fred says that if I stayed there tonight, we can’t sleep in the same house. His father (age - mid to late 80s) is staying at his house now. You need the full picture to understand this aspect of Masai culture. Fred’s dad has 4 wives. One of the wives is Fred’s mother. His father’s wives were “booked” by Fred’s grandfather. In other words, the marriages (Fred’s mother included) were arranged and timed for an additional wife every couple of years. The wives live in adjacent houses and the husband visits one of the four each night or for a period of nights. Now when Fred’s father visits the house of Fred’s mother, Fred sleeps with his brother Jackson at his house. Jackson is married but his wife is pregnant and when she is pregnant, she sleeps with her mother. Jackson sleeps with Fred. It’s musical beds almost every night. They are so used to it. So last night, Fred slept at my house. He laughed, a Masai sleeping in a house of luxury. Well, the electricity was out and the water has not run in five days. Not much luxury except for my iPod, which he loves. And so again, as it did the last time I slept at Fred’s – it rained hippos and elephants all night long. In fact the motorbikes weren’t running to take him home this morning. He had to walk a long way.

We talked about the possibility of Fred’s marriage being “arranged”. It is possible. Fred’s father has not yet “booked” Fred’s marriage(s) because Fred wants to finish school. If Fred’s father dies (a possibility) before the marriage has been arranged, it will not happen and Fred will choose his own mate. If Fred’s father arranges the marriage, Fred will abide by the decision, as did Fred’s many brothers. Fred estimates that he has about 18 brothers and sisters (many of them step)

We walked and talked some more and came upon a herd of giraffe, about a dozen zebra, some wildebeest and antelopes. It always amazes me to see these animals roaming free.

This is Fred’s fourth day of walking. Last Thursday he was summoned to an area called Thicka to help drive 300 head of family cattle back to Athi River, now that the rains have begun. That means he stays with the cattle all day and night, sleeping under the stars. Fred said that they woke up at about 5:30a.m. to see two leopards about 20 yards away, watching the cows. No cows died. In other news, when Fred was out with the cattle, he got a call from the Athi River manyatta to tell him that his cow was killed last night by a hyena. We had just heard the hyenas a few nights before. They waited until the men had gone for the cattle and then attacked. The hyenas do not fear women. The animals got some of the intestines but some of the folks from the manyatta were able to salvage some of the remaining parts to eat.

Some other bad news. The father of the pastor (preacher) who sometimes drives me on his motorbike was hit by a vehicle while crossing the road with cattle. He is in a coma and has some broken bones. He is in Kenyatta Hospital in Nairobi, not the best place in the world. (No lie – sometimes you are not alone in your hospital bed at Kenyatta. They double up there too!)

Tomorrow I hope to book a bus ticket to Turkana with “tall” Ben. I’ll let you know when I am going. Go ahead and Google “Turkana”. It may be the origin of our species. I can’t wait.

Away in a Manyatta

2009-04-28T16:55:00.003-04:00

Smokey bed in Masai house. Click to enlarge photos.

I had a great visit at the manyatta on Sunday. I had requested to stay at least one night in the traditional Masai house. The Masai pastor (of what church I have never known) picked me up by his motorbike and we made the 20 minute ride to the manyatta and home of my friend Fred. We got there in early evening - so after saying my hellos to his mother and dad (dad is about 85 years old and cannot see unless you are up very close) we walked to a distant manyatta to greet the children there and see some of the other houses. I had never been to that manyatta before. At dusk we went into the house that was newly constructed by Fred’s mother. She is one of four wives of Fred’s dad and has been living in Kajiado – the home of many of these Masai. She is an older woman, thin and tall yet so much stronger than me. You can tell her strength by what she accomplished in building this house of logs, limbs and cow dung. Some communities use mud and cow dung. This particular Masai group leaves out the mud. The house is typical size and layout. Fred says some houses, such as one he lived in, have as many as twelve inhabitants, though some of the children are “farmed out” to other houses with a smaller number. These “farmed out” children eat and sleep in the neighbors’ or relative’s house as if they were a member. This particular house is new and not yet fully finished so it has only Fred, his mom and another girl. There are basically three rooms. The center area, with three stones forming a fire pit in the middle and there are always two “bedrooms” or shelves built into the walls on either side of the cooking area. One bedroom is for the mother and the other for the children (in this case, me and Fred.) Fred’s dad’s other wives have houses next door. All the women raise the children communally. Fred has many stepbrothers and sisters varying in age. As near as we can tell, Fred was conceived when his father was 67 and he has other children younger than Fred. As you may know, the Masai women are almost always pregnant each and every year.

So . . . once darkness fell, we went into the house and tea was prepared. We ate some of the bread and margarine I brought with me, as well as some bananas and a few oranges I put in my bag. Last time I drank water from this manyatta and ate their food I got Typhoid. Fred understood and knew I would bring some food for us to share. I also brought my mosquito net but we didn’t use it. We had visitors all through the evening. Many of the children came by to greet me as did many of the women. They didn’t stay long, just long enough to say welcome me and then they moved on. Jackson, a young friend of Fred’s stayed a little bit to listen to the iPod I brought. They sang so loud it was hysterical. There were some Lucky Dube (reggae) songs they recognized. At about 9pm Fred said it was time to sleep. The rain had begun to fall and there was a pleasant breeze coming through the little 6 inch hole in the wall. This was the only ventilation in the house that is used for cooking on an open wood fire. The smoke was almost unbearable but I got used to it and eventually stopped crying. But even Fred teared up at the smoke too. We laid on the bed/shelf and talked like a boy scout campout. We talked about culture, tradition, his parents. I used a Masai blanket I had from my house and we tried to fall asleep. It was no use. The rain pounded the roof so hard that we laughed all night. You couldn’t hear the other talk. Later that evening we heard hyenas very close and the dogs barked at them all night long. At about three we snuck out of the house for a “short call” or bathroom break. In the pouring rain, dogs barking, mud everywhere, peeing with the wind. You had to laugh. I didn’t sleep much that night but it was one of the best nights I have had in Kenya. We woke at daybreak but lay in the bed for hours since there was nothing to do in this torrential rainfall. At one time, men came yelling for us to come help lift a cow that was stuck in the mud and wouldn’t wake up. All of the cows were taken to the abandoned chicken warehouse when the rains began because they knew they were too weak to stand the mud and would die in the cold and wet. This particular cow could not be moved last night so they covered it with a piece of plastic and waited until morning to try to get it to stand. It took four tries throughout the day but it finally got its strength and was able to stand on four legs.

I’ve never seen it rain so long and hard in Kenya. It was a blessing (Many felt that I brought the blessing with my visit.) Fred’s mother gave me the flywhisk she had completed. It is a tail from a wildebeest with a beaded handle for swatting away flies. It is beautiful. I asked Fred if I could give her something for her work. He said the tradition is sometimes a grateful person gives a kilo of sugar as appreciation. That is about 100 shillings or $1.30 I love this place.

When we thought it would never stop raining, we decided I would probably stay another night since the dirt roads were impassible. We walked to a nearby little town for chapatti and some bread for me. Later, it did stop raining and the roads, although treacherous, were passable and I went home as scheduled Monday afternoon. On the way home from the store we passed a man obviously limping and in pain. He had been cutting grass for the cattle and cut his big toe badly with a scythe and was walking in a plastic flip-flop filled with blood. But he was a Masai and would show no emotion.

I can share more and talk about the goodness of the people, or the laugh the women got when I came home covered with mud from falling in the water. I told them we met up with a lion. I also met a man who said he was my age. He said he was fifty-nine. He looked seventy! But he was, I am told, the last of that manyatta to have had the experience of killing lions. He killed three in his youth. Fred’s father has a chunk taken from his side from a lion. There are still many lions in Kajiado, their ancestral home. But, I’ll share other stories later. But know it was a great night, a great time. I want to go back and have been invited to live there. Not sure about that but it is tempting and I know I could do it except for the food I would need to eat and the water I would need to drink. How happy am I!

Youth Activity Day

2009-04-25T07:57:00.000-04:00

April 25, 2009 Today was a great day. As we rode the motorbike to the manyatta and site of the Youth Activity Day, it was so great to see kids walking from the distant manyattas. There were close to 150 children in attendance after all arrived. We held the activities in an abandoned chicken house, a hige warehouse with a cement floor and no real walls. We began with a prayer, then time for treats (candy, cookies, cheese puffs!) The children waited in line for them patiently. After the little sweet snacks, the children formed a square around a space for dancing, poems and songs. Groups had prepared songs and traditional dances, wearing some of the traditional beads. One poem was about treatment of the girlchild in an inferior way to the boys. It also talked about circumcision or female genital mutilation – something outlawed but that continues to be done. The boys did a skit about home life and how the mother is treated and the point was that the boys did not have time to read or study because of their work and herding of the cows and goats each day.

After the presentations, the groups split into three. There were about 30 children around the ages of 2-4. The sat most of the time and ate. Each group did some athletic games using worn out soccer balls. During this time, some of the women prepared juice and we served about 150 chapatis Mwololo had made in town. Then it came time to cut the cake that was brought from Nairobi. It was actually very good! “Thanks, Ed Colina and Company!” Some of the Masai men were around. The women had gone with the herd so that the children could stay and enjoy the day. Fred had made that request that the children be freed for the day. Therefor the women went out – not the men. We saw a group of men slink into the woods to kill a cow and eat the meat, never thinking to bring any back for their wives or children. We met some of them cleaning the blood from their knives. When the cake was cut, Mwololo made sure it was two young ones, a boy and a girl who cut the cake together. Then he put pairs together of a boy and a girl and made each one feed the other some cake. He even made one of the Masai men feed a piece of cake to one of the women. It was a sign of more equality in gender roles. At the end of the day there was another prayer and we rode off on a bike – the day complete and good. At one point in the day, Fred and I walked to his mother’s new house that she just completed. Tomorrow night, Sunday, I will stay in that house with Fred and his mother, sleeping like a Masai. I promised Mwololo to bring my own food (bread and butter) and some clean water. I promised Fred I’d bring a blanket and my iPod. I can’t wait. We asked Fred’s mother if I could bring her something small as a gift. She couldn’t think of anything but Fred suggested bubble gum – she loves it. I am so excited about staying in the manyatta. When we talked to Fred’s mom, she was completing a gift for me – a zebra tail with a beaded handle for swishing away the flies. It is beautiful and thoughtful “for my only American friend” as Fred says.

157 Pounds

2009-04-24T12:28:00.004-04:00

Click on picture to enlarge. Preschool Classrooms, Ben admiring walls.

Today is Friday April 24, 2009. We have done many things despite the fact that the children are on break from school. We went to the two preschool classrooms the other day and put up some of the materials (posters, ABCs, etc.) that were sent from IHM School. We also put up some of the signs we made warning about HIV and AIDS translated into Kimasai. Saturday I went into town for a haircut and met Ben from Kibera. We did some food shopping before coming back to the house.

We decided to hike the hills around my place the next day and traveled out from the apartment early in the morning. We passed by the manyattas and greeted the Masai. About 30 yards from their mud houses we came upon two more dead cows, decaying and food for the vultures. It is a sad sign of the times here in this part of Kenya. The drought continues. Today as I was on a motorbike, we past another dead cow, this one dead from no food and exhaustion. Many cows find a drinking hole, perhaps a shallow hole dug in a dry riverbed by the people. Then, I am told, after the cow drinks, it cannot move and is stuck in the mud or dirt with no strength to free itslef. Fred the Masai told me that he had spent four hours last week trying to free some of his cows. The cows have absolutely no strength and many cannot stand. Anyway, we past the dead cows and looking back from that scene to my nice apartment, it was a striking juxtaposition of lifestyles. We hiked into the kills past antelope and other animals. We came upon herds of goats and cattle, taking pictures of some of the young herdsmen.

Mwololo’s laptop brought from the States has a virus. When you start it up, ever word, every label and icon is scripted with dingbats (crazy symbols) that make it look like another language. Every file you open, ever command you give . . . .dingbats. So I called my friend Pascal, the IT guy at Nyumbani in Karen for some assistance. We decide to meet on Thursday and at the same time I would accompany Ben back home. Ben was delighted to stay another night. He does help so much and has been instrumental with acclimating me to life in Athi River – teaching me to cook with African foods, clean as is needed in this part of the world, etc. For example, I have to wipe the floor several times a day, the window sills and anything left out, because of the dust. He has taught me how to prepare foods in a way that I will remain healthy. Also on Thursday we investigated transportation possibilities for traveling to Ben’s home area, Turkana. It is located in the north near the border of Sudan, Ethiopia and Uganda. It would probably be my most remote trek. We went to Wilson Airport, a little place for small commuter planes and also relief efforts. I would compare it to a rundown Lunken. We went to two mission oriented air carriers but found that, although there are many planes headed to the area doing relief work, they only carry members of NGOs (Non-Government Organizations). The carrier who would agree to fly us there would cost about $350 for each of us. It is too much. A bus will take us for about $20.00 but will also take us about 20 hours and maybe not the safest means. There are marauders and thieves as you near the borders. Gun runners and drug dealers are found in these areas. But . .. I really want to go and see an even more primitive lifestyle. The Turkana tribe is related to the Masai and Samburu. Even Ben’s skin is scarred in a traditional decoration. So we will see if the trip materializes.

Today Mwololo and I went to Machakos to interview three teachers. We are thinking that the ECDE Center needs some experience to help the two that are teaching now. We hope to hire someone for one term (3 months) so that they can mentor the other two. So we interviewed three that were finishing up there program in Early Childhood. After that I was able to meet with a couple members of the Machakos Rotary Club. We are searching for a host club to work with the Florent Rotary in funding the Masai projects. Mwololo go back to Machakos on Thursday to meet with the president and attend a meeting. There is some hope.

Tomorrow (Saturday) we head to the project for a Youth Activity day of games, talks and food. Mwololo had a cake made in Nairobi. He picked it up by matatu and we carry it on the back of a motorbike tomorrow. The cake is decorated and inscribed “Thanks Ed Colina and Company!” Mwololo says it is a fruitcake but somehow it doesn’t look like the traditional Christmas fruitcake. Thank God.

Oh, I weigh 157 pounds. I came with 167. That's not too bad. I lost 30 last time.

From Easter Sunday

2009-04-16T04:44:00.002-04:00

Easter Sunday - I talked to Mwololo. He called and was in Nairobi. He purchased me a seat on an express matatu to go to his hometown of Kilongu, (not really Machakos as I had thought). It is in Machakos District but a distance from Machakos town. We traveled for about two hours and two buses to get to his home. The geography is beautiful, terraced hills, plateaus like the southwest or what you would picture in Central America. But there has been no rain so there is only a little remaining green. I was happy to spend the night at Mwololo’s, cooking, talking about his home, Kamba life etc. We had stopped at the butchery and bought some meat and the market for some vegetables. We were all set for a couple meals. We also took a walk and met some of the local children digging arrowroot. We took one home with us to boil and for me to try. I can’t say that I am a fan. Not a lot of taste really paste-like. The next day we traveled by matatu back to Athi River.

Things go well in Athi River. I met Monday with the organizers of TOT training sessions. These are sessions that will run from 10am - 2pm for approximately eleven Masai who are expected to then train others in the manyatta. Tomorrow’s subjects are: Dynamic Culture and Child Rights. We will spend the day discussing Masai cultural practices that are unhealthy and detrimental, especially to kids. Those I planned with today are Kamba and Masai. We will discuss women’s roles in society, educational opportunity disparities, female genital mutilation practices, healthcare herbs and tonics vs. modern medicine and some other hot topics. It will be interesting (if we escape alive!). Past sessions dealt with building teamwork and the attributes of a good teacher as well as HIV/AIDS awareness. During tomorrow’s sessions we will also discuss plans for the Youth Activity Day coming up during this school break. We sponsored a Youth Activity day in December and got over 120 kids attending!

As you know, we were offered use of some land in Kajiado, the rural home of many of the Athi River Masai. I traveled there with Mwololo a few weeks ago to see the land and visit with some of the Masai there. The land is barren and the conditions are made worse by the drought and famine. There has been no rain for over one year. MWEP Director Mwololo returned to Kajiado on April 6th with an research assistant and an interpreter to see if there were enough children to warrant the opening of two preschool classrooms on the land offered MWEP. The simple answer is “yes” there is a need. The question is only the expense and whether MWEP can handle the additional investment of money and personnel. It is not a lot of money but knowing our current financial situation and possibilities for additional income – I question whether we can consider this?

The other survey site (Kangundo) is more complicated. It involves a possible start of a Children’s Home, street kids, orphans, social workers, etc, etc. Of the two sites, the need is probably greater for a Children’s Home in Kangundo but there are many issues to be resolved before we can even consider. The 2 preschool classrooms in Kajiado seem more doable if we think we can fund them.

The TOT training session went well. We began with an activity/drama which locked out anyone who was not a Masai man. The point was to begin discussions of the various groups and people who were locked out of discussions and participation in tribal life because they are women or children. The day went well discussing education, family, pregnancy, FGM – (Female Genital Mutilation), politics and finances. These are all areas that the Masai woman has basically no say. We also discussed Child Rights (eating, education, child labor, etc.) These were difficult discussions but the group is willing to be that 20% of the community willing to look at changes in these particular aspects of Masai culture.

Today is Thursday – a day to catch up on laundry, the blog and transferring pics and videos from my cameras. Benson should be coming to visit from Nairobi on Friday. He has been taking classes on VCT (AIDS/HIV Volunteer Counseling and Testing). Fred the Masai lead part of the TOT training yesterday and tells me that his mothers home is almost completed, which means I can stay overnight sometime in the manyatta. Can’t wait. Women build the houses in the Masai culture, another discussion point from yesterday.

Back to The Village in Kitui

2009-04-11T08:14:00.002-04:00

Couple of the boys clowning around, feeding each other

I had a great time at the village. A neighbor saw me walking toward the matatu stage and picked me up and took me almost downtown. I was able to catch a bus to the city center and get in a matatu going to Kitui. It is always fun to ride from Nairobi to Kitui since all the passengers are usually Kamba and are freaked out when I speak Kamba to them and the driver. We made it in about three hours to KwaVonza, the little town before Kitui where I jumped out. I called one of the motorbike drivers when I was on the matatu to tell him I was on my way and to get a ride to the village – 14 km from where I jumped. Musyoka took me to the guesthouse where I was warmly greeted by friends and co-workers from the past. Then I took the walk to Cluster 4 to find Benerd and Mwendwa (who are like other sons to me). These are two of the kids I came to see especially. They were home from secondary school. We talked about life and school and the village. Ben’s 17-year-old brother Charles Darwin is asleep and that is not like him to sleep in the middle of the day. I wake him and he looks up at me “Ed, is it really you or are you a dream?” Charles has an eye infection and his only relief from the pain is sleep.

Picture of Benerd above.
I went with Ben to the clinic. Ben wouldn’t want me to share this but doubtful if he’ll read this blog – Ben has a cyst of some sort on the back of his ear. I’ve been concerned about it since I met him in ‘07. It is growing in size and he went to the clinic to get a letter from the nurse. The letter is to be taken back to his school on Monday (about four hours away!) asking that he be released from “tution” (which is like tutoring over the break.) All 2nd, 3rd and 4th year students don’t get their full break but come to school to study. Anyway the letter asks that Ben not be made to attend so he can go to Kitui Hospital to have his ear checked. If agreeable with the school, he gets back on a bus and comes back to the village. I asked – “why cant the village call the school and save the long trip and expense?” Ben’s response “I am not aware.” So anyway, Ben will call me when he finds out what is happening. My hope is that he will come to Nairobi to have it removed and I can be with him. Ben is 16. After waiting for a couple hours for the letter, we got cleaned up for Holy Thursday church. It is to start at 3pm (said one of the Brothers of St. Joseph who are stationed nearby the Village.) Ben and I get there after 4pm and we are early. TIA. The mass lasts until dark, washing feet and such. Then we head to Ben’s home to hang out with friends. The grandmother of the house has gone to her rural home so there is no adult authority in the house. Nevertheless, dinner is cooked. Clothes are washed. Water is hauled and firewood cut. Everything goes on as usual by the kids. I am given my “big chair” out of respect and a huge plate of rice and beans is served with three spoons. One spoon for me, one for Benerd and one for Mwendwa who dropped in from next door. We make plans to meet the next morning to go looking for monkeys.
At 6:30am I meet Benerd and Mutuo to look for monkeys in the main farm and woods. We almost never see monkeys. That’s not the reason we go looking for monkeys – It is to talk and walk and share stories. This time we did all that and still saw some baboons and monkeys. Later that day we met up with the rest of the village for The Way of the Cross. It was to start at 2pm outside at the main gate to the village. I got there at 3:30 thinking we’d be to the seventh station but . . .it hadn’t started yet. We finally began after Fr. Julius made me remove my cap. I kept pointing to the sun, which would burn my balding head, but he persisted. It was Good Friday. I could suffer a little sunburn. The Way of the Cross led into mass, the reading of the Passion and darkness. That afternoon I was able to talk with Mwendwa. Mwendwa is 17 and a “freshman in high school.” Since he was from the same area as Benerd, I asked him about Ben’s parents. He remembered them both, when Ben’s dad died, when Ben’s mom died, when his own father, mother and brother died. It was all so sad yet he spoke resolved to the fact that death is so much a part of life in Africa. If Mwendwa returned to his rural home (which he does sometimes) he would find it empty, even his bed is gone. It was a good talk and I promised to come visit him at school on parent visiting day. He is so smart! He missed four years of school providing for his brother and sisters when his mom and dad were so sick and after they died. But he is now always at the top of his class. He says he will be either a lawyer or an accountant, depending on how his test scores progress.

This morning I met with the kids in cluster 4, shoved some shillings to Benerd for a computer book he needed for school and took off home for Athi River on a motorbike, knowing I wont have the opportunity of seeing the village kids again this trip to Kenya. Even if I visit the village, they’ll be away at school. I’ll miss them.

Here at home I cleaned the floor AGAIN and did some laundry, trying to get out the Kitui dirt from my jeans and socks. Tomorrow I meet up with Mwololo in Machakos for Easter Sunday. Alleluia.

Herding Cattle and more

2009-04-08T04:43:00.006-04:00

Remember to click on pictures to enlarge.

There have been many things happening these past few days. As I reported earlier, we have three Baseline Surveys or needs assessments going on almost simultaneously. There are needs in three parts of the area – in Athi River, in Kijiado and in Kangundo.

First of all, here in Athi River we are asking the question: Does your family have need of a Children’s Home where your child can get adequate care and food? This is a difficult question because although there is an obvious need for assistance, if a child goes to a boarding situation, then there is a loss of a worker to care for goats, cows, etc. So my guess is that there will only be a few.

In Kangundo, we went looking for orphans or those who, although they have one or two parents, are not cared for or fed. This is the town where we have been given use of a house for a Children’s Home. There were more children than we anticipated. There are many children whose fathers are dead or gone, some who are double orphans living with relatives or on the streets. We have collected forms on over fifty and have a list of twenty more who are extremely needy.

In Kijiado, word got out that there may be a preschool and food program for early childhood education. Over 60 adults and 70 children showed up at a make-shift church waiting for those who were coming to do the survey! Hundreds came in hopes of a new preschool!

These are all Maasai and walked from long distances to get to the top of the hill where the church was located and on which ground we would start the ECDE Center. We were surprised at the interest knowing that education has traditionally not been a priority for the Maasai. The pictures are heart-warming but the high expectations are daunting.

We now look to input the data and make some decisions that always center on finances.

On Tuesday I took the long-awaited journey with the herds and the Maasai. I went with my young friend Fred. The point was to have the experience of herding but mostly to get a full day to ask questions of Fred and the other Maasai with us. We walked from 7:30am until around noon. At that time Fred and I left the herd and headed back home via a tall hill and through some barren landscape. As we walked and talked we came upon a large herd of wildebeest. There may have been a hundred. Then we came to some zebras grazing under some trees and some antelope. Finally we traveled towards about a dozen giraffe we spotted in the distance. I felt like I was on a movie set or in the Garden of Eden. It was a wonderful experience, although my legs ache terribly this morning. We walked for almost a solid 8 hours – stopping only to drink water and eat chapatti we had brought with us. We talked about religion, politics, Maasai culture, initiation rites of passage, and circumcision. Polygamy, education, tribal wars were also discussed. Of course there were plenty of questions about life in the USA as well. Fred is a good guy, wise beyond his 18-20 years. He doesn’t know when he was born. He has older siblings and many “step” brothers and sisters. We are “lending” him a small amount of money for college classes in social work and project organizing. He is to repay us when the rains come and the cattle are saleable. Now my only other wish yet to be fulfilled is to stay in the Maasai manyatta. Fred says his mother is almost finished building a new house. Houses are made of sticks, mud and cow dung and need to be rebuilt quite often. Anyway, her house is almost complete and I am invited to stay there, if I promise to bring my iPod. It has been a great few days for which I am grateful. Alleluia.

I go to Nyumbani Village to see the children tomorrow. I can’t wait and have talked to some of the children by phone already. They are back from high school for the Easter break. The matatus hike up the prices on holidays and I was told I would probably be stranded in Machakos if I board a matatu from Athi River to Machakos and then on to the Village. A better solution is to go all the way into Nairobi and then board an “express” matatu to Kitui and the village. At Christmas I paid 600 shillings for a ride that usually costs 400. I assume the same for Easter. I’ll stay in the Village for a few nights and play it by ear as far as when to return to Athi. Mwololo is going to Machakos, his rural home. I may link up with him over the weekend and stay there for Easter. I am just not sure. Peace.

Kajiado Famine - It's Everywhere

2009-04-01T11:22:00.001-04:00

Below is an article about Kajiado, the town where we would lke to do some programming. We traveled there a week ago towards Namanga. The drought has worsened an already difficult life. Many children are not going to school and are instead looking for food and money to buy food. Here is this morning's article entitled "Land of the Dying". We are sending a social worker and a masai interpreter to initiate a baseline survey to see what services we can offer, if any.
By DAVE OPIYO April 1 2009 at 21:17

The stench of cattle carcasses left to rot in the bushes is unbearable. Flies buzz around the carcasses, occasionally landing and feasting on the remains as dogs watch from a distance. They have seemingly refused to fill their stomachs with the free food. It is midday and the sun is quite hot. Just a few metres away, a young Maasai moran is driving a herd of about 50 emaciated cows home from the watering hole, oblivious of the foul smell. The day has not been good for him. Despite waking up very early in the morning, his animals have not had enough water to drink and food to eat. This is now a normal happening.
But even as we struggled hard to stifle the awful stench by covering our noses with andkerchiefs, Mr Mutungi Lesingo, a resident of the Kajiado Central constituency, Rift Valley province, who is in our company, looks disturbed. We are about 160 kilometres from Nairobi on the road to Namanga, the town on the Kenya-Tanzania border. The area is represented in Parliament by Defence assistant minister Joseph Nkaiserry.
Mr Lesingo is sadly witnessing the collapse of his “huge empire” of cattle, which took him years to amass, in a matter of days and there is nothing much he can do to save it. The carcasses strewn all over the area were once part of his large herd of cattle. Today, they belong to flies and scavengers. Mr Lesingo, who has four wives and 12 children, was by last December the proud owner of more than 300 head of cattle – a rich man by any standards. But now, the number of animals in his boma (compound) is less than 150. The drought has taken its toll, not only in Kajiado, but also in the rest of the country.
In the past month alone, Mr Lesingo has lost more than 40 animals. He is not alone. The same story is replicated in other areas. Surprisingly, goats and sheep in the area have not been much affected by the drought as they feed on the shrubs that dot the area. According to Mr Lesingo’s Maasai culture, an individual’s riches are determined by the number of cattle he owns. The more you have, the richer you are.
Mr Lesingo says the failure of the rains has spelt doom for his cattle, which now face the twin problem of lack of pasture and water to drink. “We are in many instances faced with a dilemma – deciding whether to feed ourselves or feed our cattle. I tell you, it’s a situation that many of Kenyans would not like to be in,” he says. It is for this reason that the pastoralist decided to sell some of his livestock hoping to replenish the number in future.
But this has further worsened his problems. No one wants to purchase cattle on the verge of death. And like Mr Lesingo, many pastoralists facing the same predicament have brought their emaciated livestock for sale. Unfortunately, very few people are interested. A cow that normally goes for Sh30,000 ($375.00) is currently being sold at as low as Sh300 ($3.75). And even with this low price, the businessmen still don’t attract buyers. The pastoralist says that despite their predicaments, neither the government nor relief organisations had come to their aid, forcing several of the pastoralist communities to flee to the neighbouring Tanzania in search of pasture for their animals andThey are now appealing to the government to come to their aid, failure of which many will continue suffering from famine.
The weatherman has already sounded a warning that the long rains are bound to delay in some
area, further spelling doom for the residents. In its latest weather outlook for the month of April, Mr Peter Ambenje, an official from the Meteorological department says pasture for livestock will continue to diminish in the pastoral areas due to the expected poor rainfall performance. And he advises the pastoralists to destock and only remain with “strategic stock”.
Further he urges the government to rehabilitate watering points to avoid conflicts and civil insecurity that is likely to emanate from water scarcity. Says Mr Ambenje: “In these areas, there have been a few cases of animals dying following the prolonged dry spell and poor and limited pasture conditions.” He adds: “Some perennial rivers have even dried up due to the huge rainfall deficits for consecutive months".

Weekend

2009-03-28T12:22:00.000-04:00

It is Saturday March 28, 2009. Yesterday I met with the two Early Childhood teachers to go over the curriculum and create some lesson plans fo rthe coming week. Next week is the close of school. The children, even the preschoolers have an exam. The exam was handwritten. My job was to type it, create the pictures, etc. It took me all night but it looks professional, like a phonics book for first grade! These kids are not your usual age for preschool. Some are quite old so a test, although not optimal, is not so far fetched. Today I took a matatu to Kitengela to print the exams and make some copies. Tomorrow I’ll head to church at St. Jude’s, the Catholic Church in Athi River town. Apparently it is because of people not going to church that it has failed to rain for a year! So says Mwololo. So, I’ll go to church to make sure it rains. (By the way, it did shower a little today.) Religion around here is interesting. There is quite a mix of African Christian churches, Muslim mosques and some tribal religions of the masai. Then there is St. Jude Catholic church. As I write, there is a man outside my window, praying the sun down at 7:00pm. The Islamic influence in this area is definitely present. There are Islamic schools, mosques etc. And this young man, on his knees in the driveway, has stopped to complete this Saturday with prayer.

Tomorrow, George is coming to pick me up after church. We’ll spend the afternoon in Kitengela, catching up on things. I called the village in Kitui to ask permission to visit the kids when they are on school break. I’ll probably go next weekend some time. I keep getting “flashed” in the wee hours of the night. Flashing is when someone calls you, lets it ring once and hangs up because they have no money on their phone – no airtime. So they flash you expecting you to call them back on your dime. I am sure it was some of the Village boys who heard I was in town. I didn’t call back. It was too late to start that stuff!

Next Wednesday Mwololo and I should head to Tanzania to visit another program similar to ours. They too are working with the Masai in early childhood and HIV/AIDS awareness. I am not sure where we are going, only that it is across the border. We are also putting together questions to form a baseline survey or assessment of needs at the two locations Kangundo and Kijiado. Mwololo and one Masai will go to each place and begin asking questions and compile some data for possible future programming there. That will probably take place Thursday and Friday. Things are happening quickly but we want to get things going while I am still in Kenya. Once we have a baseline, then we can see if there is a need and any way to find money to do the additional programming.

We awaken . . .

2009-03-26T11:19:00.000-04:00

“We awaken in Christ’s body,
As Christ awakens our bodies
There I look down and my poor hand is Christ.
He enters my foot and is infinitely me.
I move my hand and wonderfully
My hand becomes Christ,
Becomes all of Him.
I move my foot and at once
He appears in a flash of lightning.
Do my words seem blasphemous to you?
Then - open your heart to Him
And let yourself receive the one
Who is opening to you so deeply.
For if we genuinely love Him
We wake up inside Christ’s body
Where all our body all over,
Every most hidden part of it,
Is realized in joy as Him,
And He makes us utterly real.
And everything that is hurt, everything
That seemed to us dark, harsh, shameful,
Maimed, ugly, irreparably damaged
Is in Him transformed.
And in Him, recognized as whole, as lovely,
And radiant in His light,
We awaken as the beloved
In every last part of our body.”

Saint Symeon

The words are consoling and humbling. I read it quite often and smile and try to be open, awake, transformed. I try to be His new creation and allow His love to enter me.

Kids from the Classroom!

2009-03-25T10:26:00.001-04:00

PROJECT UPDATE

2009-03-25T06:07:00.002-04:00

Today is Wednesday March 25, 2009. I went with Mwololo to the ECD Center to check on the cook for the porridge. We hired a woman to cook the porridge for the next two weeks to make sure it was done and done correctly. There is a cholera outbreak in Athi River and we need to make sure things are prepared correctly. Here is a report from the Project Director with information on the porridge/feeding program at the preschool.
The 10:00 a.m. porridge at the Early Childhood Center is always enriched and usually a meal in itself. It is enriched with such cereal flour as maize, millet, finger millet, sorghum, soya, green grams, groundnuts, pumpkin seeds and powdered milk.

In one day, the cook uses 1.5 kg if the total number of children present is between 40-45. Sometimes the number shoots to over 50 children and the cook uses 2kg of the mix for porridge preparation. This means that between 8-10kg is used within a week. Though the prices of flour change, the following are average prices.

Maize Flour 210
Millet 195
Finger Millet 235
Sorghum 215
Soya 275
Green grams 235
Ground nuts 315
Pumpkin seeds 600
Milk 580

TOTAL SHILLINGS 2860
X4
MONTHLY 11,440 or $143.00 per month

Sometimes the Director sympathizes with the drought situation and purchases sugar to sweeten the porridge, though not always.

Submitted by Mwololo Kilonzo, Project Director
Note from Ed: Milk and water for the porridge is brought from the Masai houses. Today we witnessed the water being boiled first. The milk is boiled separately at the houses of the children. This precaution is due to a cholera outbreak in Athi River.

I put together a handbook for the teachers with information on the national curriculum and syllabus. It is difficult to understand and often more complicated than it needs to be. Objectives, themes, activities will all be discussed at a meeting tomorrow afternoon. The preschool teachers are not yet trained. That comes soon now, after a probationary period. So as far as training, MWEP is sponsoring training for the Preschool teacher, a young Masai man going to school in social work and an adult education class of maasai of 17. Here is what is going on in other parts of the project, some needs and goals:

Masai projects on site here that need continued or new funding

1.) Continuation of providing school fees, uniforms, books to Masai children. Students attend school off-site. (These are not children attending our Early Childhood Center but who attend 9 local schools.) Their fees are due three times a year and we provide uniforms for 176 students, school fees for 63 students and textbooks for 55 students. These are the most needy of the Masai.
2.) School Feeding Program for approximately 50 preschool students at the Esarunoto (Refuge) Early Childhood Education Center – a Preschool which we have begun and staff with two teachers and a cook. We purchase a healthy porridge mixture and it is prepared for the children by 10 a.m. each day. For some, it is their only meal and a reason to come to school.
3.) Medical Van Visits – This would be a new venture. A medical van and two nurses would visit the manyatta at least once a month, preferably twice a month. The cost is for the van, transport and two nurses from Athi River town.
4.) Adult Education Classes – We did a pilot program for four weeks – three days per week and attracted 17 adults. More adults would be available but because of the extreme drought, many adults are gone with the herds to find green pasture. Costs are for a retired teacher and her transport here – three days per week. The classes would run an additional 5 months with an exam following the course. Classes provide instruction for learning English, Swahili, agriculture and Mathematics.
5.) Youth Activity Days – when school is not in session, we provide organized activities that are fun but also teach about important topics such as HIV/AIDS.
6.) Preschool Uniforms – At first glance I didn’t see need for preschool uniforms but after seeing the lack of clothes in general, the uniforms for our Esarunoto Preschool students will be necessary.
7.) Self Help Activities – Not yet initiated but we need to find sources of revenue from beadwork to help make our initiative sustainable. We would provide start-up materials for beadwork and find venues at which to sell the work.
8.) Purchase water for holding tanks - The school needs water for the feeding program (nutrient filled porridge daily). The best option for us is purchasing two large plastic tanks and having fresh water trucked in monthly. The tanks would be secured at the school.

There are also additional needs such as teacher training, HIV/AIDS sessions for youth and women, personnel costs, and emergency food relief (which cost us almost $4,000 due to the continued drought).

We have also looked at two sites for additional projects – although these are in the initial stages of study. Let me tell you about what we know so far about these two possibilities.

Kangundo – a town about 90 minutes from Nairobi. The area is remote, dry, and predominately Kamba tribe. There is no electricity or decent water. A piece of land with a house on it has been offered to the Program Director for use as a Children’s Home. There is also some land adjacent to be farmed – if it would rain! The needs discussed are two: 1.) A place for Masai children from here at Athi River (that we see daily), ages infant – ten years, who are not being cared for by parents or have no parent. There has been discussion by these parents that they cannot provide for these children and therefore, the children suffer. The house would need to be furnished, food provided, social workers to staff, an educational outlet sought - off site or create something there. 2.) There are also homeless children living on the streets in the nearby town of Tala. These children have either lost their parents or have been abandoned. The tribal affiliation would be Kamba. The specific numbers and needs are not yet known.

Kajiado – a town about two hours from Athi River. Kajiado is the ancestral home of many of the Masai we work with here in Athi River. It has not rained there since last March. It is a dry and barren land. Hence the Masai moved on to Athi, River hoping for better grazing. No luck. Anyway, we traveled to Kajiado with a Masai man who has land there that he would like us to use for programming or for needy children in that area. Perhaps an early childhood center, a feeding program etc. similar to what we have in Athi. We are unsure of numbers and needs until some assessment is completed.

So, that is what’s up in Athi River and other places about now! I go to Nairobi tomorrow to print and copy some materials and make some purchases. I also need to do some food shopping. I think I am paying about $15 per week for food and water. Not too bad

Poverty

2009-03-25T06:05:00.000-04:00

Ben came over to visit this weekend. Like many Kenyans, Ben is looking for a job. He has done many things and led an interesting young life. There is a good chance Ben will move to Kibera on Thursday. He has been staying with someone who has found employment in another part of Kenya and Ben can’t stay in that place. So Kibera slum is the place. He has dropped a lot of weight, eats poorly – when he eats. The drought, famine, joblessness is killing Kenyans. I can look at friends I’ve known since the beginning of my time here. They are thin, malnourished and some are homeless now. There are no safety nets like what I would have at home. Relatives are no help since they are in the same shape. When there are rains, there is food – somehow. But there has been no rain – some places for a year or more – no rain. The cattle we saw today at the Masai manyatta were lying down, emaciated. No water, no grass. We met today with the Chairman of the Education Committee we set up to help with school issues. He was waiting for our meeting and then taking his goats to the airport where there is some green grass. The airport is at least an hour away by car. It will take him forever to get to the airport but if he doesn’t do this, his animals will die.

Friday in Kijiado

2009-03-20T08:29:00.002-04:00

This morning we left very early for Kijiado. I took a motorbike to Athi River town and met Mwololo. Then it was a matatu to Kitengela. From there, another matatu and about two hours and we were to the town of Kijiado a town you would pass if you were headed for Tanzania or a safari. The roads weren’t as bad as others but tons of construction and dust. Once at Kijiado we met James, a Masai who once lived at the Athi River manyatta but moved his family back to Kijiado, the home of his father. He owns some land he wants to allow us to use for children. Jame’s cattle are now at Tala, a town we were close to yesterday. James, like most Masai men, has three wives and many children. So we met James in town and found a car that would take us to his manyatta. The roads were terrible and the land seemed to get drier and drier as we got to the remote areas. It was about 20 KM from the main town. The land, although dry and dusty, was beautiful. I walked with James up the steep hill of his property, a vantage point where you could see the beautiful landscape. On one hill they built a church of metal sheets and benches. The place was silent but for the winds. From there, far off in the distance, you could see Mt Kilimanjaro, snow covered and majestic. We were nearing the Tanzanian border. At the top of the biggest hill, James apparently said he would lease me the hilltop to build a house. For a second I thought about that! But what we really want to consider is building another ECD Center (Early Childhood Development) Like most of these far out places, if the kids go to school at all, they begin Nursery School at ten years, since it is too far to walk when they are little. To have a preschool of sorts nearby would give these kids a head start or at least a more equal start. But there is much to talk about. It was a good day, although I was frustrated by the language and felt that I left James awkwardly, not know what to say but knowing he wanted some response from me as to whether the land could be of use to us. I don’t know. We drank tea with his brother and sons and headed back. The ride home was long and hard. I am happy to have the dust off me now and a little nap!

Kangundo, Kijiado and Cholera – oh my.

2009-03-19T11:02:00.002-04:00

Mwololo and I took a long trip to Kangundo. I wish I could tell you where it was but I was so turned around I couldn’t tell where I was. I thought we were going west from downtown Nairobi but Mwololo thought toward Machakos. I don’t think he is right. Anyway, it took hours. The lands are dry and reminded me of Kitui and areas around Nyumbani Village. The tribes there are mostly Kamba but there is probably a mix. A man whom Mwololo has worked with before has told us we can have the house and the land for a children’s home but we don’t exactly know what that means – for how long? What is the catch? Anyway, a meeting is scheduled with the man who lives in Machakos. He owns 100 acres. His brother and uncle live in small houses on the property as well. There is a chicken operation close by, owned by the Japanese. The area is poor and near the town of Tala. You get off the matatu before entering Kangundo and walk about 4 kilometers to the property. There is nothing there but some little kiosks. In the town of Tala there are street kids, abandoned, living homeless on the streets. Either their parents are dead or they have left the children to fend for themselves. Hence our interest. The house could also be a place for some of our Masai kids who are not being cared for in the manyatta in Athi. I think the house could handle about 6 kids. Mwololo thinks 50. The house itself isn’t too bad. A few bedrooms, cook shed outside, latrine. There is no electricity in area and no good water. I noticed where the power lines stopped. We would need a borehole and the water would be undrinkable for me. We have a lot of talking to do. And it is worth the talking but I am not sure we can do this. What we would do on the land depends on whether there is a decent school nearby. If not, we go into the preschool business. If we could get water, the soil is fertile. Our age group for the kids would probably be babies to ten years. I have no idea what to think but we will just keep an open mind and see what comes. There are so many questions.

Tomorrow we go to Kijiado with a Masai man who wants us to consider doing some work there. Kajado is the ancestral home of the Masai we are working with in Athi River. I hear it is a long journey (much longer than today) and we leave again tomorrow at dawn. I am so tired.

And . . . it made the news on the radio this morning. There are confirmed cases of cholera in Athi River – my home sweet home. I’ll just be careful to only eat the food I prepare. All else goes well. I’ll see Benjamin, the ex-seminarian this weekend and see what news he might have about his job prospects.

Athi

2009-03-18T23:05:00.000-04:00

Today is Wednesday, a day off and a day I might have dreaded months ago. There is nothing to do today! Mwololo has gone to Machakos and I am fearing venturing too far away from my house alone. It is an odd day in that there is no noise here, unlike most weekdays when there are construction noises throughout the place and trucks in the distance. The housekeeper in the main “condo” is gone for classes, in sewing I think. So, I am left to my own. The day began with Benson, the Masai, dropping off my daily portion of milk (or as Ben says “mil-ik”. His accent makes it a two-syllable word.) Anyway, the milk arrived at 7:15a.m. I did my ritual boiling and made oatmeal. I took all of my clothes, dishes, book, etc. off the shelves and cleaned. I reorganized, having purchased yet another piece of furniture – a table that arrived by motorbike yesterday. A man made it for me in Athi River town for 1200ksh or about $14.00. It is much like an ordinary coffee table but with a shelf to keep raw vegetables, rice, pots and pans, etc. It will get a lot of use. So I cleaned and reorganized, scrubbed the floor that needs to be done at least twice daily. There is so much dust and dirt in the air, it all settles. I listened to the morning news and was finished with all my tasks by 9:00 a.m.! The news of the day: Rioting at Kenyatta University on Thicka Road. The students were refusing to pay fees levied whenever you sit for (take) an exam. It has always been done this way and will continue regardless of how many cars are stoned by students! I turned off the news, read some of my book and tried to pray some. No words, just be and let God be present. He was/is.

By 11:00 I was needing to do something so I washed what few clothes were dirty and hung them on the line to dry. Two peanut butter sandwiches for lunch and I took a nap. I checked my email! I purchased a modem from Safaricom, the local phone provider. I can cen the Internet now on a cell signal through a USB port on my laptop. The modem was on sale for half the price, about $73 USD. It will save going into town for Internet and paying for airtime. You still have to prepay minutes but it will be worth it. I fear I am doing something wrong though. I seem to be using MBs quickly, more quickly than lead to believe by friends who have the same modem. I can leave the modem behind for Mwololo when I come back to the states. It is slow but reliable. Back at the Village, I can remember taking a motorbike down to the main road, taking a matatu from there 30 minutes to Kitui, only to find out the entire town is without power and therefore no Internet. What a waste. So maybe I can check mail in the morning and evening and not pay too much. I was hoping to use Skype or a webcam but I don’t think it can handle it. We shall see.

Here is a quote I have come to like and will continue to meditate upon:

“What is this awesome mystery
that is taking place within me?
I can find no words to express it;
my poor hand is unable to capture it
in describing the praise and glory that belong
to the one who is above all praise,
and who transcends every word . . .
My intellect sees what has happened,
but it cannot explain it.
It can see, and wishes to explain,
but can find no word that will suffice;
for what it sees is invisible and entirely formless,
simple, completely uncompounded,
unbounded in its awesome greatness.
What I have seen is the totality recapitulated as one,
received not in essence but by participation.
Just as if you lit a flame from a flame,
it is the whole flame you receive.”

St. Symeon the New Theologian (949-1022)

But wait, there’s more . . . . but not yet. Read it again and some day later, I’ll share the rest.

Tomorrow Mwololo and I head for another part of the district to see a house he has been given access to. He wants to create a children’s home for those who are not getting the care needed by the Masai – the poorest of the poor Masai. He still insists that the mothers are all for this and desire it very much. I have doubts. I should know more after Thursday and hopefully can get some pictures. The area into which we are traveling is predominately Kamba.

Made some spaghetti noodles for dinner – with butter and tomatoes. I think that is enough for today. I also had an egg sandwich earlier. When there is not much to do, I eat when there is food in the place.

Reflecting

2009-03-17T02:51:00.003-04:00

I went to Kenya in September 2007, searching for God in the faces of the poor. What I am now seeing is that as I am also discovering myself. As I know myself, I seem to know, little by little, the face of the creator as well. To be created in the image and likeness of God is quite difficult to accept. It is much easier to see a spark of the Divine in others, in my family and friends, those with whom I work and serve every day. It is easy to see God in my children, in the teachers at school in Chris. To see God in them is quite easy, I think. It is more difficult for us to see ourselves as having DNA that is Divine. As I learned last trip, I don’t need to travel far to find God. A trip across the globe is not a necessary prerequisite for being able to know or experience God. God is not “out there.” God is within and knows me better than I know myself. And that is my salvation. He knows why I do the things I do. He knows the motivations and the ego involved in everything I try to do. That is quite a relief. I just need to stay out of the way. God is in the "now"- in the present and not only "to come." In fact, if He is not here, right now, I am doubting if He is. I have the luxury of time to spend with God. I have time to Be, to pray, to laugh and relax.

My place is too nice for me. In the Village at Kitui, I struggled with finding water, finding power to charge my phone, light to see in the middle of the night, cooking on an open fire. I also had occurrences to struggle with relationships. Living in close quarters with those of other cultures and personalities was difficult at times. In Athi, at least in my house, I have water, even a cold shower. I have electric and a tile floor. I have a propane tank for cooking and I don’t need to build a fire to cook or boil water. I can take a motorbike to a grocery store. It is a much easier life. Even among the Masai, I am embarrassed to point to where I live. When they ask "where are you staying?" I have to point to the palaces on the hill. The homes are so out of place in this desert-like area. My only prerequisite for housing was that I feel secure. Maybe that was a mistake but I have to remain in this nice place now for at least three months. And maybe staying in the nice place is more of a concession for those at home who worry about me, more than I worry about myself. I am definitely secure and have Masai men guarding the place night and day. I am not sure what that means for me. I guess I have to just enjoy it, since it was chosen for me. I should just see it as a gift for this time. But . . . . I miss the Village. There was a sort of community there that I do not have here with the Masai. I remain the outsider to most, the white guy who has brought them things. I miss the playfulness of the Village. I was one of them and haven't quite found that ease in my new situation. Perhaps it will come.

Adult Classes

2009-03-17T02:41:00.004-04:00

Now it is Monday and I am headed to the Masai for an Adult Education class on HIV and AIDS. This should be interesting. I am wondering who will show up. Mwololo is stopping at the store to find flipchart paper and markers and a loaf of bread for me. He’ll stop by to pick me up. I tried the Masai milk again. It is difficult to digest but tastes good with the oatmeal! I read some and cleaned really well today. I woke up with something going on with my big toe and bottom of my foot. There are about 50 bumps. I am guessing it is mosquitoes that snuck in last night and feasted on my toes while I slept. It is not painful but I can feel it when I walk. It looks nasty, similar to what I had on my shoulder last trip when my arm must have gotten outside the net at George’s place. So anyway, I moved everything from under the bed, scrubbed the tile floor well and flipped my foam rubber mattress!
Returned from the Masai Adult Education class. The adult classes are held in the preschool. The fire was still hot in the cook shed, telling me that there was porridge cooked for the children today. There were six adults in attendance at the class. We had Fred (a young Masai we have hopes for as a community organizer) lead the sessions. We discussed HIV/AIDS and came up with phrases related to HIV. The phrases will be made into signs when I get into NRB tomorrow. I’ll print them from the Internet café and we will post them so that all who enter the classrooms will see them, even the churchgoers, since church is in the classroom too. The phrases were translated from English to Kimaasai. Some examples:

 AIDS IS KILLING US. KEEISHO BITTIA
 AIDS IS FATAL. EITORROMO BIITIA
 AIDS HAS NO CURE. MEETA BITTIA OLCHANI
 AIDS & DEATH ARE BROTHERS. ILALASHARA BIITIA OKEEYA
 KEEP OFF AIDS & IT WILL KEEP OFF YOU. TANYA BIITIA NEKIANY SII NINYE.
 DON’T TOUCH HUMAN BLOOD. MIMBUNG OSARGE LENKAE KERAI.
 YES TO PIERCING, NO TO SHARING THORNS. ENTUUD ENKLYIA, KAKE MENGARE ELKIKU.
 SHARING? ONE RAZOR, ONE HEAD. TABARNIE EYEMPE NABO ELUNKUNYA NABO.
 AIDS IS DEATH. KEEYA BIITIA
 NO TO AIDS, YES TO LIFE. MAYIOI BIITIA, KAYIU BIOTIISHO.

Interesting the words they use to describe AIDS. I like the “No sharing thorns.” Piercing is big among the Masai, especially the older ones. They use a thorn to pierce and often a knife to enlarge the piercing.
At the same time we were having our little AIDS class, another Adult Education class was going on, teaching English. We hired a retired teacher to come in and do the class. MWEP pays for the teacher and her transport. I am proud of what we have done. Baby steps, but steps nonetheless. Tomorrow it is back to NROB. I have to print the “posters” and an agreement that I typed for on of the students.

My “landlady” sent a want ad to my friend Benson, the ex seminarian. The job is with The World Council of Churches and the United Nations Refugee Office documenting Somali refugees in Northern Kenya. He is excited about the possibility of the work and can certainly handle the task. He has done that type of work before. I hope he gets it. Then I can visit the north!

Sunday Morning at Temple

2009-03-17T02:39:00.000-04:00

Today is Sunday, March15 another day with no formal church services. Fred and Francis were to pick me up to take me to the Masai church but after an hour waiting for them, I figured they weren’t coming. Fred text messaged me that there was a problem and Francis could not get me with his bike. Maybe next week. There is also the Athi River Catholic church I would like to visit sometime, since that is my tradition! Instead I took a long walk around the Masai houses, causing quite a stir. Children yelled, women came up to me and everyone looked. I was quite a sight and quite white in my t-shirt and shorts. I didn’t stay out long, not wanting to upset anyone, especially any men wondering who this white guy thought he was, causing such a disturbance. But it is fun to see the kids. They often call me “father” and run to present their head to me to be touched. It’s a nice greeting. When I got home, I did some laundry, which always takes a while and cleaned the room pretty good. I cooked some rice with a tomato/onion sauce and some spice mix. Earlier I had fried two eggs and made a sandwich, hoping to keep on some weight this time. I am rereading Richard Rohr’s book “Things Hidden: Scripture as Spirituality”. I find myself rereading parts over and over, especially the parts that I like. Some Hindus told Richard regarding the Temple:

“You come here not to gaze at God, but to let God gaze at you.”

And so I have spent my day in my own Temple, offering myself to God, letting Him gaze at me. It was a good day and tonight I’ll call home and say hello to mom and Rachel.

This trip to Kenya is different from the others. At the Village I was constantly busy, working, relating, tutoring and worrying about the other volunteers and staff. There was always some drama going on, either caused by me or by others. Here, there is a relaxed atmosphere and a solitude I didn’t have in the Village. Here at Athi, I see myself as the funding agent for these projects and my time here is to see, first hand, what the needs are and making sure the money is being used correctly. It is not as hands-on as in the Village and the interactions are not the same or as enjoyable with the kids. I’ll always love the Village for that. Those relationships may come in time but now, things are more reserved, distant and the women and the men who remain here are probably cautious of me and what I am doing here, although they seem to know me and know that what I bring and what I represent is a good thing. Maybe this time of peace and quiet and not a lot of activity is for me. Maybe it is why I came to Kenya this time, to process things, to be alone, and be quiet. I longed for some of that in the states and perhaps I am given that time now, to write and reflect and just be.

To NRB

2009-03-17T02:37:00.000-04:00

Today is Saturday, March 14. I got a motorbike to take me to the junction and then I went into Nairobi to FedEx some DVDs to the Rotary and school. It’s not cheap to FedEx CDs – 3680ksh or about $45.00! After mailing the DVDs I headed to Karen to get a haircut from my Kamba barber/friend and meet some friends at Nyumbani Children’s Home. It was good to see Pascal, Sr. Julie and some others. Finishing there I met Benson downtown for a meal and headed back to Athi River. The matatu driver took a short cut that I believed was blocked by the police so we had to avoid the roadblock by continuing through fields and places vehicles should never have traveled. When we got back on the main road, it was past my familiar stop. When I finally got out of the matatu, I looked for a motorbike to take me home. The cast of bike characters was strange and unfamiliar. One man wanted 200 shillings to take me home. I told him to forget it. I’d sooner walk than be cheated. The ride should cost only 50 shillings. It’s not the amount as much as people trying to squeeze money from mazungus. Just as I was arguing, a large man with a sock cap came up from behind me and put his hand in my pocket. Laughing, it was Patrick, a motorbike driver whom I had stopped calling for rides because I felt he overcharged me. He said he’d take me home for free. I took the ride, relieved to see a familiar face.

Porridge

2009-03-17T02:31:00.002-04:00

On Friday we went to the preschool and found that no porridge was being made. So, Mwololo and I, with the help of the two teachers got a fire going, cooked some uji and served it to about 40 kids. There is to be a meeting on Saturday to find out why the Masai are not consistent in making the porridge for the students. After classes we had a meeting with Fred to make sure he was comfortable leading the adult education class on Monday afternoon. Fred is a young man who hopes to complete courses to teach adult education. This session on Monday will be devoted to AIDS awareness.

More News

2009-03-12T09:29:00.000-04:00

Today is Tuesday March 10, 2009. This morning I caught motorbike ride to Athi Town and met Mwololo to head to Nairobi. Not too bad a ride this time and the jams were minimal. Mwololo had business in the Land Ministry Office so I headed to the Internet Café and caught up on the blog and emails. When he completed his work we met up again and headed to the bookstores to find some material for the school. We then took a matatu ride to the Ministry of Education and purchased the Preschool Curriculum Books and some posters. Then back to the bookstore to buy the subject books: 1. Math and Environmental Activities, 2. Management and Language Activities and 3. Play and Creative Activities. Everything is laid out well and I feel more comfortable about the methodologies. They describe Learning Centers, sand play, water play and things that are developmentally appropriate for preschoolers. What the Masai teachers are doing now isn’t so creative. They need to be sent for training.

After we purchased the things we needed, we headed for food but on our way, there were signs of a problem ahead. Hundreds of people gathered – having caught a thief. Once it was known there were thieves in the area, metal doors started slamming shut and stores closed. We took off in another direction and headed for restaurant and good water! I got a burger. They were out of cheese.

This was also a day of protest at the University of Nairobi, near where we were shopping downtown. It was to be peaceful protests but Mwololo says they never are. Listen to this. The students were protesting one of their own students being killed by the police. He was a young man in his third year. But he was also a Director of a group formed to fight against police torture. The police killed him! Now the organization he headed is being closed down because the group has been falsely rumored (by the police) to be funded by the Mungiki. Who knows – but the violence doesn’t stop, even perpetuated by the police and Kenyan government, in the capital city. These are issues and problems I never dealt with in the remote village of Kitui.

So I am back home now, looking over the books we bought, knowing it is too much for the “teachers” at the Child Center. They need help and training. It will come.

I am still trying to give up something for Lent. I used to give up sarcasm at school. Everyone knew it and it lasted for about 3 hours. I am a sarcastic person. Sometimes the folks in Kenya don’t get me. Too bad, I am hilarious. I am told that sarcasm is the lowest form of humor. So Lent – a time of atonement, repentance, preparation. It’s my call to continue to give my life away, in Kenya and really anywhere. A call to give it away and trust that God will replenish me, raise me up, sustain me. God has certainly chosen this place for me. If my desire is to give it all away, Kenya definitely is the place. Everyone wants a piece of you. When I look at the people I have met here, I become so grateful. They struggle so much, day to day. Everyone I meet is looking for a job it seems. Many at the Village are now struggling to find work and food. In a split second they are homeless and without food. Some of these people I have written about in the past. But it is a way of life and has always been that way. Even in my slimming down of my lifestyle, I am basically secure and know I have a net to catch me – friends and family. With my Kenyan brothers and sisters, their families and family are in worse shape than they are. No wonder they look to old white guys for help – and it doesn’t take much to help. But there are so many. Too many. And so this Lent, I pray for them.

Wednesday March 11, 2009. Today was meant to be a free day for me, a meeting later in the afternoon with the committee of Masai overseeing the preschool feeding program. The cook was also to join us. Of course in Africa, nothing works as planned. The Chairman was ready but the cook was out with the cattle. Mwololo went to meet with the chairman without me in case the meeting failed to materialize and then he was headed on to Machakos. The meeting was called because sometimes the porridge was not prepared or prepared very late. This is one of the agreements with the masai – they prepare porridge for their children – not us. We provide the food. They make it.

Mwololo stopped by for some computer lessons and to take some files home to look over and practice with. So I relaxed part of the morning and worked on a video for the Rotary. At about one o’clock, George called from Mallolongo - a town about 25 minutes from here, wondering if I could join him to meet some visitors who were interested in volunteering for the Masai program. I had told them there was no place for volunteers as yet but wanted to meet them all the same. I figured out how to call a motorbike taxi and biked to the Namanga Road junction. Then I took a matatu on some bad road to the little town to meet George and friends. We had a good meeting, again good to see my old friend and get out on my own away from the manyatta and Athi River. The visitor and her aunt gave us a donation! I am glad I went. Today I cooked oatmeal with Masai milk. I hope my stomach can tolerate it because it was very good. I strained the milk, boiled it, and added water and boiled it again before adding oats and boiling it again! Sounds like it should kill just about anything in there. I ate leftover rice from the night before and PB and J for dinner (and an orange). Not too bad. I’ll cook something more substantial tomorrow.

We wrote to a Masai program in Tanzania, requesting to visit them. We are hoping to hear from them soon and be given the ok to travel to see their preschool and HIV/AIDS program. Road Trip!

Today is Thursday, March 12, 2009. Mwololo is returning from Machakos and we get together this afternoon for a meeting and try to finalize some plans. I worked in my “home office” although there was no electricity today. We also got word, through the newspaper, that water will be rationed throughout Nairobi. That means that on some days, certain estates (neighborhoods) will be without water. There continues to be drought conditions all around, especially where I am living.

Some other pics

2009-03-10T03:40:00.003-04:00

The children are learning about the latrine.

The blocks are the only learning materials we have so far.
There are some ABC posters made by the teachers

2009-03-10T03:33:00.002-04:00

Above are the interiors of the "Baby Class" and "Nursery Class" rooms. They look bright and colorful, but trust me, that is becasue of the flash. They are dark and there are only little cement vents, not windows. The Masai made the benches and there is canvas on the floor for the yiny ones.

Today is Monday, my first work day at Athi River. We went to the Masai to meet with the owner letting us use the gutters on a structure on the property. Overnight he came up with additional requirements, stipulations, fees etc. This is a typical change after they see a white man is involved – the price goes up. But more serious during our conversations, I felt he was disrespectful to the two Masai I brought with me. He said things like “You Masai, I know how you are. Go back and tell your people that they . . . . blah blah blah” He lectured them. It was like someone saying “You Black people . . . “ So we will not be using this man’s property after all. We will find another way to get water for the school.

I also learned that a small piece of property was given to the Masai by a protestant bishop to construct a church. Then the bishop said there was a requirement that the Masai need to pay to have that area fenced – not in a typical Masai fencing style – thorn bushes, but using barbed wire. Then the bishop made it known that he would be farming most of the land he was giving to the Masai and also the deal is for only two years. So . . .this means that the Bishop gets his garden fenced for free. He is a crook. Everyone wants a bribe. Everyone wants money to do a job for which they are already getting a salary, like the Chief of Athi River, the Health Department Medical Van, the school inspectors, and on and on. It seems like everyone is “on the take.” These people are so poor, hungry and it is getting worse with the food crisis, the drought, bad economy and joblessness.

After we spent time ironing out issues at the Masai Manyatta, Mwololo took me to the grocery to purchase more food. Vegetables, some fruit, more water etc. Today at five o’clock, some of the Masai delivered to me, a wooden set of shelves made in Athi River. I’ll use it to place some of my clothes, foodstuffs and extra crap I am accumulating. Cost for the 6x2 foot handmade wooden shelves - $21.00. You can’t beat that.

Flies and mosquitoes are everywhere around my new place. They are many, stubborn and they annoying the heck out of me. I have to get into my netting at dark if I want to be safe from bites. There were fewer at the village. I didn’t even need a net!

I cooked by myself tonight. I found peanut butter and bread at the store that I had for late lunch but I actually cooked tonight. I boiled some potatoes, some carrots, a little onion and then added some tomatoes and a spice mix that is common around here. It tasted like a potato stew or soup. It was good. That and some water with a little orange syrup used to make flavored drinks. I am still full. I bought a bag of oatmeal-like cereal and hope to make use of the cup of Masai milk that is delivered each morning. Some oatmeal might be a good start each day – if the milk doesn’t kill me. I can boil the milk and then make oatmeal.

The Masai have invited me to their “church” this coming Sunday. Actually one of them came to pick me up this past Sunday to go to church but I couldn’t figure out why he was here or what he wanted. It is difficult to communicate and there have been many misunderstandings. The church services have been moved to the preschool “classroom”. Friends have cautioned me that the Masai will probably cook something for me. The friends said, “Be careful”. I said, “Do you mean I shouldn’t eat it?” They said, “Oh no, you have to eat it.” So I am a little confused on how to be sanitary and respectful. Stay tuned.

To the Masai Manyatta

2009-03-10T03:25:00.004-04:00

On Thursday we did some shopping at a store in Athi River town. I had forgotten I needed to set up a “kitchen” at my house. A pot, pan, fork, spoon, glass, plastic basin for washing dishes as well as the food, water and supplies. We had to rent another motorbike taxi to haul some of our purchases. On Friday we headed to see the Masai. I was so pleased to see two early childhood classrooms in operation. Pictured below is one classroom. The building was a left over water building from the chicken warehouses. The Early Childhood Center is called Esarunoto (Refuge). The rooms are small, cement, crude and extremely dark but there are close to 50 preschool students registered and going to school everyday! Porridge is served to them daily and when something happens that the porridge is not available, the little kids cry from hunger. Above are children waiting at the cook shed for porridge to be cooked for the morning meal.

Two Masai young women serve as teachers. There are no learning materials but you can hear the children counting, going over the alphabet and taking all the students to the new latrine. The kids need to be taught how to use the latrine. There are no latrines in the Manyatta. They also begin teaching the children about HIV/AIDS. It is with the young that we are hoping to have some impact on HIV/AIDS reduction. The adults are resistant to discussing the subject.

We visited the mother of a young mentally challenged girl in the village who died two weeks ago in a fire in their mud and stick house. She had been left alone and tried to cook something. The fire quickly consumed the small dwelling. When the mother saw Mwololo and me today, she began weeping once again. She said that when she saw me – she remembered her daughter. I had taken video of mother and daughter a few months ago. So sad.

We saw yet another dead cow. The drought continues and cattle are dying. Interestingly, passing through the manyatta was a herd of over 60 camels! What a sight! It looked like Egypt! There is a Manyatta of camel herders over the ridge. They are from Somalia and there is a camel butchery about 30 minutes away. (That is 30 minutes by car, not by camel,)

We paid a visit to a house built near the Masai Manyatta. The owner has agreed to allow us (the Dayvare Center) to harvest rainwater from the roofs of a structure on his property. Monday morning, a fundy (casual laborer/carpenter) will remodel the gutter system, install a huge polyethylene tank and we will wait for the rains. When they come, the water will be used at the school and around the manyatta.

We ran into Fred, the young Masai who will take me out for some days and nights with the herds. He remembered his promise.

Inside the Place

2009-03-10T03:17:00.004-04:00

Here is the inside of the place. Nice eh? Ben cooked some.

Today is Sunday and it is the first time I am alone in my room. Benjamin stayed for 3 nights to make sure I could handle my own cooking and housekeeping. Ben is 28 years old and says it is against his culture (He is Trukana tribe.) to see an elder working if there are young ones around. So Ben cooked, cleaned, mopped, did my laundry – all that stuff, out of respect for my old age. He is a great guy but I am looking forward to living alone and beginning my time in solitude at night. Ben, like very many in Kenya is looking for a job. I think he was auditioning for houseboy. There’s just no room. Ben is an interesting young man who literally bears the scars of his youth from severe caning and various curative rituals when he was a boy. He was an orphan for much of his life and now he struggles to find food to eat each night and is staying in a friend’s room in Nairobi. I met him about a year ago at the Village when he was doing work with the religious order he has since left.

Cooking will be my biggest struggle. The nearest store is a motorbike ride away and with no refrigerator, you need to shop often. So far, Ben and I cooked rice and tomatoes, cabbage and tomatoes, and I made pasta and tomatoes. Ben ate rice – no pasta. We also made peanut butter and jam sandwiches. I will always need to buy water since it was in this part of Athi River that I got typhoid last visit. I am fine now.

Coming In From London

2009-03-10T03:05:00.003-04:00

Mwololo has a meeting in Nairobi today so I am accompanying him to town. That is how I came to be able to paste all of these journal entries in the blog today – at an Internet “café”.

Nairobi. I know a pilot for BA that can leave notes for whatever aircraft crew hauls me to Nairobi. British Air and the Nairobi-bound flight crews are connected to Nyumbani Children’s Home and these British crews do volunteers work on their layovers at Nyumbani. Anyway, a note was left for the pilot and I got a great seat, food and some sleep on the way to Nairobi. I got into Nairobi at about 9:30pm, not optimal time to arrive in Kenya. Needless to say, it is dangerous after dark. I had gotten an email from Benjamin, a young friend and nowI arrived safely in Nairobi Wednesday night. After the problems leaving New York’s weather, the visit in the new Heathrow Terminal 5 went smoothly, as did the meet-ups with my sons. I enjoyed seeing the boys in London; if only for a short time. The boys got safely back to JFK and home in good time. I was grateful to be bumped up to Business Class on British Airways to ex-seminarian I had met in the village in days past. He said he was arranging to have me picked up and would escort me to a hotel that he chose. He did indeed meet me at the airport, had a safari van waiting for me and we headed for downtown Nairobi. It was close to eleven and the city was alive, at least near where the hotel was. I got inside the old downtown hotel as quickly as possible. The Diplomat Hotel had seen better days. The place was old, in need of repair, a good cleaning and some rewiring and plumbing. There were screams, screeches, chanting and such all night long from the streets four floors down. The place actually was quieter with the morning rush hour traffic. I could go on describing my fears of the place but what’s the point? It was a little scary but Ben stayed with me. It cost about $20 and included a breakfast in the greasy spoon next door.

My best Kenyan friend George called me at the hotel. He wanted to welcome me back and to warn me not to use public transportation when traveling today and avoid Kitengela, a small town near Athi River. Kitengela is actually where George lives and I have been there many times. Apparently the Mungiki, a well organized, armed, violent, extortionist gang had made threats strong enough to stop all pubic transportation in and out of Kitengela and Athi River. This group was thought to be responsible for many hundreds of murders last year during the post-election violence. If violence erupts again in Kenya, they will have something to do with it. The best comparison to the Mungiki would be the Mafia.

So the next morning, after breakfast, Ben and I hired a cab to take us to Athi River from the Diplomat Hotel. You often see a police presence in Nairobi but, at Athi River, we saw more soldiers and police to deal with the gangs of thugs who threatened to make problems this day. We met Mwololo, the MWEP (Masai Women Empowerment Project) director at a main turn-off and drove to my new home for the next three months. I’ll try to get some pics posted but you should know the place is beautiful. From a distance it looks like a condo complex from the states, glistening among the rough Athi River cement factory warehouses and dump trucks whizzing by in a cloud of white dust. These new buildings are actually attached homes, two story, well landscaped and maintained. Of the 100 or so units, only three have been occupied! I am living in the servant quarters of one of them. Apparently, houses (and even condo-types like these) are sold with a side building for the servant of the house. Half of these condos have (or will have when occupied) a servant. A Kenyan man working in the US owns the “big house” where I stay. His wife is a teacher in Nairobi (I think) and they have two young kids, Victor and Victoria. The kids are great and the mom and her housekeeper are very open and friendly. They are Kamba but speak English. The pics above are of the complex I am staying. I have one room in the little building in front of the apartment. Click to enlarge pics. My place is a one-room structure with a simple bathroom and running water – although it is undrinkable. It has a shower, although there is no hot water. I am use to that. I am just glad to be free from the bucket shower. The complex is walled, monitored by watchman day and night and very close to 5 of the Masai manyattas. The actual project site where I am involved is a good distance away and would take hours to walk to it. A Masai man stopped by to tell me that he would be bringing me a cup of fresh cow’s milk each morning at no charge – just to be nice to the white guy. I can boil it on my little propane tank and maybe make oatmeal or hot cereal each morning.

(Note: My friend Mwololo cautioned me about taking the milk. Boiling takes care of some things but he says the way it is milked, the containers etc. are not sanitary. So, if I complain later of stomach issues – refer to this note!)

London

2009-03-03T06:05:00.003-05:00

I always enjoy London. It has been my initial destination whenever I would travel to Europe. I always felt comfortable in London and traveling around the city. There is a feeling of intensity, similar to what I have recently found in NYC. It is busy, often cold and rainy but has an excitement of a major city. There is also the reminder of security issues. Even this morning, after an attack on a sports team in another part of the world, the city of London has increased security. You can feel it on the Underground. More police, more dogs, more announcements. Today I am free to travel around London and spend time relaxing and looking at stuff, probably museums, the river, the regular tourist sites. The weather is cool but not as frigid as New York a few days ago. There are signs of another big movie premier tonight. Last night Jennifer Aniston was here for a big movie premier. Interesting, pop culture versus heading for the Masai village! Two worlds - two planets.

I found an article in the Saturday NY Times about recurring violence in Kenya. Check out this link if you can. LINK HERE

Everything else goes well. I leave tomorrow morning and get to Nairobi about 10pm on the 4th of March. Then the adventure begins anew. I get that excitement back when I get close to returning to Kenya. It is difficult to explain but I am happy, smiling, confident and grateful for this experuience. There is no fear, no anxiety (now that someone is picking me at the airport!) It will all be fine and I am hoping we can do some good work for the Masai women and children. www.mwep.blogspot.com

NYC and London

2009-03-02T15:13:00.003-05:00

Saturday and Sunday I had a great visit in Brooklyn with members of Grace Church, Brooklyn Heights. What a wonderful group of people and eager to help with the Masai project. I flew (through the snow storm) to London and arrived today to meet my two sons at Trafalgar Square. They are in London to see two professional soccer (football) games. They leave tomorrow morning and I leave for Nairobi on Wednesday morning. I arrive in Nairobi at 10pm, not a great time to get to the city. Hoping there will be a friend to accompany me to Athi River or at least to the city. Nairobi at night is not good. Hoping to write more soon from Kenya. Thanks!!

Final Check

2009-02-24T11:20:00.000-05:00

I think I have finished my little shopping trips to gather final items needed to take to Kenya. I stocked up on razorblades, Tylenol and other things that are more difficult to get in Kenya. I also found a new pair of sandals. I always seem to end up giving them away when I am leaving Africa. My friend George broke his leg and needed some slip on shoes. The other sandals were given to some of the boys in the village. Anyway, I have purchased another cheap pair. Also, Chris bought me a new backpack for the trip. My old one has been through the war – literally. It went with George to Nairobi during the post-election violence, accompanied us to Uganda, went on safari and made numerous beer runs on the back of a motorbike. My record is carrying 16 bottles of beer in the old backpack up to the village – no broken bottles! The old one is filled with rips and holes.

I received some budget figures for funding a water project from Mwololo in Kenya. We are hoping to get some assistance to fund a clean water project among the Masai but there are three options for us: drill a borehole, have water piped in from Athi River, or have water delivered by truck to large tanks. All three options are expensive and have their good and bad points.

Today I had breakfast with the three kids. It is rare that all three get free form work at the same time. I’ll be with the boys in London. That should be cool. I wish they could all three come to Kenya for a while. It is difficult due to their jobs. But I am glad they have jobs!

I downloaded to an IPod, some talks and presentations that I can use as meditations and things to think about when I have some time to myself. I am not sure but am thinking I will have a lot of time to myself – at least many nights will be spent with little if anything to do. Athi River is not the kind of place where you can move around freely at night. I kind of stick out, as most white guys do, and would be considered someone who has money. You can easily become a target of robbery and pick pockets. Where I will be staying is off the main road, a distance from the town of Athi River along a dirt road. You don’t want to be caught away from home on that dirt road at night. Not to worry, I have friends in Athi River town and Kitengela if I do happened to get stuck away from home. I know the towns pretty well, where to go and where not to go!

It is becoming easier to travel back and forth to Kenya. I know what to take, what to leave at home. It will be even easier if I can leave stuff in my room in Athi River and not have to lug a big suitcase through two or three airports.

Masai Food Relief Video

2009-02-20T08:45:00.002-05:00

MASAI PROJECT WEBSITE

2009-02-20T08:08:00.003-05:00

www.mwep.blogspot.com

For information on our work at Athi River

Another Tragic Death

2009-02-20T08:02:00.002-05:00

I received an email from my friend Mwololo at the Athi River Masai project. He informed me that another child died last night, this time because of a fire. A twelve-year-old girl with mental challenges apparently tried to cook in the house and a tragic fire started. All cooking is done within the Masai houses made of branches and mud. She died in the fire and the funeral is today. So sad. This is the fourth death in the Masai village since I have been involved with them… Two children died from eating poisoned meat. One other drowned. It reinforces the fragility of life in Kenya. These are not the only deaths I have been close to in Kenya. You’ll remember that two boys drowned at the Village last year. I also came upon a man dead in the streets of Nairobi. And then there were the thousands who died in the post-election violence – some of whom were family members of Kenyan friends. A couple of the day workers died of malaria in the Village as well. Life is short. Love hard.

As my time to leave for Kenya nears (I will fly Friday, Feb 28) I am very excited about my new living situation. I will have my own place, one room, cloister-like I assume. I want that. My friend Mwololo is buying me a bed and a tank of propane gas and cooking burner. That’s about all I need to start out. Everything else I will need I can gradually gather. I look forward to a more monastic lifestyle. That will take some work since my contemplative side needs some help! My room is close enough to the manyatta that I can yell to the Masai houses and can walk to the site. I was promised by a couple of the Masai men that they would take me out with them and the herds as they search for grazing land. Sleeping under the stars, keeping a lookout for wild animals, eating meat as a white Masai . . . who could ask for a greater experience? They said I could go for 28 days. I’ll take two or three! The tribe has also promised that I could live with them in the Manyatta as a Masai. I look forward to the experience of living in a traditional mud house . . . at least for a few days.

I have packed, unpacked and packed several times. I am convinced I can get all of my belongings into my one big suitcase. I also want to take a sheet, towel, computer printer, laptop, etc. I’ll keep packing.

I am trying to make email contact with a Nairobi Rotary Club. Together with the Florence Kentucky Rotary, we are trying to get some partnering to fund the Masai project. I will be talking with parishioners at a Brooklyn parish as I travel through NYC to London, to Nairobi. I love New York.

All else goes well. Thank you - thank you!

Back to Kenya Soon

2009-02-15T08:42:00.000-05:00

I arrived back in the States from Kenya right before Christmas. My return was a compromise I worked out with my mom. I have had a great time in the states. I have visited with my children, my mom and wonderful friends. I have spoken to some groups and come classes. I visited with my friends at the Rotary in Florence and was able to tell my story on Christian radio with Brian Patrick. Some friends from IHM also gathered to welcome me home and I visited an assembly at the school. It has been a profitable time but after a month or so at home, I get excited about returning to Kenya. Two or three months at home has been my usual length of time. With no real job – my days can get very long.

I am looking for the best date to return but it will probably be in about two weeks. (the end of February) The boys are going to London to see two soccer games and it would be great to be with them for a day or so. Flights to Nairobi have come down in price (British Air from London to Nairobi) and my flight to London is fairly cheap due to discounts. I’ll probably stay three months this trip.

My Kenyan friend, Mwololo, has found a place for me to live in Athi River, the site location of our Masai project. www.mwep.blogspot.com Next to the Masai houses is what can only be described as an apartment complex! The apartments are actually condos, not for rent. But there is a servants’ quarters on the property. Mwololo describes the room as 7-foot square. After talking to him, we decided he does not know how to measure and the size will be fine. Even some of the Masai guys I work with are night watchmen and security guards there. I am excited. I can walk to work.

Today I went to the stores to buy little supplies I need – Advil, razor blades, socks, etc. It is fun to prepare and I know what I need, after three prior trips. I also met with a board we put together to oversee my work and help support the efforts. They are a great group of people with great ideas, great energy and a willingness to help the cause.

RADIO INTERVIEW

2009-01-26T10:01:00.003-05:00

My thanks to The Sonrise Morning Show for giving me the opportunity to be interviewed on radio this morning. For more information on my current projects, please see the project website at www.mwep.blogspot.com

Contributions may be made to:

Immaculate Heart of Mary Mission Fund
Africa Projects
5876 Veterans Way
Burlington, KY 41005

To contact me - ecolina@aol.com

Events

2009-01-25T08:24:00.003-05:00

Headed to be interviewed for ten or so minutes on The Sonrise Morning Show with Brian Patrick on Monday January 25th at 8:50 a.m. The station is connected to EWTN Catholic network. http://sonrisemorningshow.blogspot.com/

I also have a time to meet with the Florence KY Rotary Group in early February and talked with the pastor of St. Xavier downtown Cincinnati to meet with the parish there. I'll let you know how things progress.

All else goes well. I am looking for a good time to return to Kenya. Can't wait!

Chris and I are hoping to travel to New Mexico this coming weekend to see the sites and see some friends. Hoping it works out.

Wish List

2009-01-13T10:55:00.001-05:00

I continue to be blown away by the generosity of donors to the Masai project. www.mwep.blogspot.com We had a “welcome home” party the other night and so many good people showed up to greet me and to, once again, make some very generous contributions. It tells me that I am fortunate to be able to go to Africa physically. While so many others would love to go, they have legitimate constraints on their travel. In place of going themselves, they have entrusted me with funds and their hopes for the poor and marginalized in Kenya. I am humbled by their trust and excited about returning to Africa! This is not the best time to ask for money in America. We have so many problems and financial concerns of our own; it is difficult to think about others outside of our own families. It is understandable but makes the recent contributions even more amazing.

Many have asked about the most pressing needs for the Masai Project. We put together a wish list:

Sponsor 1 Student
At off-site school (1 uniform, fees for 3 terms, books)
9,000 Ksh $120.00 each annually

Water Tank
Will provide clean water for the Early Childhood Center
50,000 Ksh $650.00

Motorbike
Will enable Mr. Mwololo cheaper daily travel to site
100,000 Ksh $1,300.00

Bike Insurance
Annual to cover use of motorbike
15,000 Ksh $195.00

Build 2 Classrooms
Constructed in style of Masai Dwelling
70,000 Ksh $900.00

Build Cook Shed
Constructed to cook daily porridge
35,000 Ksh $450.00

Build Latrine
Constructed at classroom site
30,000 Ksh $390.00

Canvas Sheets
Used as floor coverings in 2 Early Childhood Classes
5000 Ksh $65.00ea

Plastic Chairs
Used for Kindergarten Class
450 Ksh $6.00 ea

Mattresses
Used for Baby Class
5000 Ksh $65.00 ea

2 Large Pots
For cooking large amounts of porridge
6,000 Ksh $75.00 ea

Plastic Cups
For Porridge

Spoons
For Porridge

Laptop Computer For record-keeping
Used would be great

Printer
Used would be great

Digital Camera
For recording still photos when I am not in Kenya
Used would be great

Dolls and Toys
To be purchased in Kenya for “baby class”

Learning Materials
To be purchased in Kenya for Early Childhood Education Center

Personnel Stipend
Monthly Stipend For Project Director
25,000 Ksh $320.00

Monthly Stipend For 2 Early Childhood Instructors
6,000 Ksh $75.00

Playground Items
Balls, ropes, etc.

* All costs are estimated, using exchange rate of 78Ksh = $1.00

What do you know?

2009-01-04T09:16:00.003-05:00

I know nothing.

I have been enjoying these past weeks at home. After a time to be with family and friends, I have also been trying to find some time to process all that I have experienced while I was away. On my first extended trip to Kenya, I seemed to be more in touch with my thoughts and feelings; more connected to a spiritual life, possessing a decent prayer life. I was more structured and centered. On this trip, I was less focused on living a “Gospel” life, and let things flow more than before. That had both positive and negative aspects. In one sense, I let my prayer life suffer, did not always see God’s presence in the things I did (not that I always did). But I was also more at ease with my self; while less focused, I think I was more real and lived more day-to-day, as I did back at home. Now, as I reflect on my time and experiences in Africa, I can see that there was some inner growth; there was some small movement in my journey toward knowing God in a real way.

I initially went to Africa desiring to meet God in the faces of the poor and join in their struggles and pain. As I was warned, I probably went there with a high degree of ego. This last trip was more realistic and I think I can honestly say there was no ego involved, or at least very little. The romanticism of working and living a simple life in Africa has worn off and I think I am more realistic regarding its attraction and my role there.

I have been thinking about the variety of people I have met. Of course many are from the Kitui / Nairobi area. They are for the most part, Christian or Catholic. But I was also able to meet some terrific Muslims in Lamu and Kiwayu towns along the coast. I met some who believed in traditional Kamba or Masai tribal practices and some who had no strong religious connection at all – though they had quite a spiritual center. These peoples who initially were so “foreign” and perhaps frightening to me, became my good friends. These friends have caused me to think about how/why God created us all so different. Some of us have been fortunate to know Jesus and participate in an organized church. Others of us know nothing of Jesus but know only the God worshipped by primitive cultures and traditions. What is God thinking? Are we Christians the fortunate ones and the others simply out of luck? I was taught that Jesus is the "way" and it is through Him that we meet the Father. I know that's true but even more, Jesus is the strategy, the Way of Jesus, the Way of the cross is our destiny - if we set out to follow Him. We need to be prepared to have our lives taken away and only in losing our lives canwe begin to see the bigger picture. We have to know how to "die". That is what Africa is teaching me. I was taught that God is within each person. But I never took it seriously and as the base of my belief system. God dwells within the Muslims I met, within the tribal peoples in east Africa, within me. And . . . perhaps that is the main vehicle of each of us knowing God. Within these strange and exotic peoples lives another snapshot of my God. To the degree I can know you, my friends, my colleagues, my family; to the depth I can love and experience love – that is the depth with which I can know God. We need each other and we need others who are not like us. In God’s becoming a person, God has truly saved us.

I have learned that I/we have made God so small. Nowadays, when I am asked what I learned about God on this trip, I respond, “I learned that I know nothing.” It’s not false humility to say that I know so very little. I had thought that I knew God or at least knew so much about God.

But I know nothing, or at least very little. I am learning more daily. And what I know – I love.

2008-12-23T11:42:00.001-05:00

Some pics

2008-12-23T11:15:00.000-05:00

Home in the States

2008-12-23T11:06:00.002-05:00

Well it has been quite a ride home. I returned to the states on the 16th, with a short stopover in NYC to visit a friend and see the city. I had never been to New York City before and it was quite a contrast. The last time I flew home from Kenya, I had a bit of a buffer in London and also having gone on a safari for a few days. This time I took off at midnight from Nairobi, landed at 5#0am in London, flew out at 7:30am to JFK. It was quite a contrast but great connections. Thanks to a pilot friend on British Air and thanks to my son's Delta connections, I had First Class seats on both airlines and could sleep. I needed it since I was recently diagnosed with Typhoid. I am fine now and on a good medication. I must have drank some bad water in Athi River during my last weeks in Kenya.

The last week in Athi was just as I had hoped. I took the time to spend with the Masai and to see if I could live in the area with no fear. I had been living in a protected area of Kitui with the Kamba tribe and the kids. Things were safe there and all have grown accustomed to white guys and to me in particular. Athi River was another story and I was concerned whether or not I could return there to live for an extended period of time. I can. No problem. The life style is simple, without running water, showers, toilets etc. but it is nothing I hadn't experienced before and know I can can live there with no fear. I felt safe.

I spent the time with Mwololo, the Director of the Masai Project. We conducted two days of training in Early Childhood Education, HIV/AIDS prevention, etc. It was good to be able to spend some extended time with the Masai, again to see if there is a place for me there in the future. There is. I'll try to put in some more pics and explain a little more what is happening there.

Waiting to see Dr.

2008-12-13T11:23:00.002-05:00

There has been some great prgress in the Masai Women Project at Athi River. I recently spent a week there, participating in training sessions for Early Childhood Education and also accompanying a good doctor from the U.K. She was able to do some preliminary screenings and advise us on next steps to better health care for the children. We have also provided hundreds of school uniforms and school fees. Thank you for your generous support! Here are some pics. Click to enlarge.

Training Sessions with Masai

2008-12-13T11:10:00.003-05:00

Broken Leg

2008-12-13T10:55:00.001-05:00

On evening, George was speeding down a dirt road from the Village. He thought he heard his cell phone drop from his pocket and turned around to see. When he turned back, he lost control and went down. After a night of pain and a long meeting in the morning, I was able to take him to Kitui "hospital" about 45 minutes from the village. We traveled on the big lorrie which dropped us at the front door and left. Everything in the hospital is pay-as-you-go. It costs 30 shillings to be looked at, 200 shilling for an xray, 200 shillings to have the xray read. 200 shillings for the plaster cast. The hospital called a motorbike for me to go into town to buy the plaster and wrappings they needed to apply this cast. Toilets in the hospital are pit latrines and the worst I have seen in Kenya. It could be worse I guess. One of the hospitals in Nairobi does not have enough beds so you may be laying in the same bed with some other patient! George will be slow in walking until the cast is removed in the beginning of July. He has been seen on his motorbike - with cast.

"Safe Journey"

2008-12-13T00:32:00.004-05:00

Almost nightly now I visit the clusters of houses near the Guest House. We sit outside until after dark and inevitably I am invited in for the evening meal. One cannot refuse. I have probably already eaten in the guesthouse, but no matter. To refuse would be rude to the grandmother. The kids know my dilemma - having eaten and faced with yet another large plate of ugali. They whisper to me "Ed, just a bite." On Thanksgiving I was served rice and a cup of water. Tonight, the meal is my least favorite, sukuma and ugali. But I managed to eat a good portion. Ugali is eaten with the hands. Actually just about everything is eaten without utensils. As I leave and stumble with my Kamba language goodbyes, the children look at the grandmother who smiles and says, in English "Gud night Ed" Just her attempt to use English is a first and an honor. I have come to love this family so much. There are 4 of her "blood" grandchildren and 4 others who are blended from other families. To blend families is not African and a bit of a strain sometimes. But here in this household, it is working. All the children have the common denominator of being poor, destitute, double orphaned.

I also went to dinner at a house in Cluster 4 last week. Mary, the grandmother to whom I have become closest, said in her Kamba language "Tuesday you will come and we will have chicken." Now the household has two chickens and one is for Christmas. The other is for me and my leaving. I came to the house early and there were preparations underway for chapati, rice, sukuma, and the chicken. It was a great feast and I brought some biscuits (cookies) and some syrup to flavor the water strawberry. This was a taste they had never had and I am not sure if they liked it - but drank it all the same. I was able to shoot some video of the evening, complete with Charles Darwin reading scripture and the grandmother laughing at my attempts to speak her language. a great night.

I spent as much time with these folks as I could before I left. Ben had grown silent. The others more reserved. African men do not cry and I was determined not to cry this time. After all, I am coming back someday. We got through the leaving with few tears but only sad eyes. I got a call today from one of the kids. "I am missing you big." The older kids find someone with a cell phone and "flash" you, letting the phone ring on my end one time. My job is to return the call to them on my "dime." They call wishing me "safe journey" and "make sure to greet America for us, greet Obama."

Getting ready to go

2008-12-13T00:03:00.002-05:00

I am winding up some of my projects in Kenya and have foound some time to write while waiting to leave in Nairobi.
It becomes difficult, once again, to think about leaving Kenya and the Village. It is a simple life here, a simple lifestyle that can only be described as a great gift to me, at this time in my life. There has been no stress for me! I have never been afraid or really worried about anything during my time here. It is a great blessing to live life with that kind of freedom. This is not to say that the lifestyle is not difficult. It is a hard life, filled, though, with such joy and simple things.
My days have been less full, since preparing for leaving on the 15th. Today I spent with visitors, no hurry, no agenda but to explore and explain the village. All along the tour I hear my name "Hed!" "Heddy" When I am not with visitors and can talk freely the the kids, the questions are always the same "When will you go?" followed by "When will you come back?" I know I will come back. I have to come back to see Ben, Charles Darwin, John, Lucy, Mwendwa, Mutua, Charles, Erastus, Mbithi, Mwima, Mwumo, Kimanzi and on and on and on. Nyumbani is now a village, not just orphans and old grandmothers. It is a living community striving to survive and gaining strength from each other.

2008-11-24T12:46:00.000-05:00

Zac and boat near Lamu

To Nairobi with 40 kids

2008-11-24T12:30:00.003-05:00

SPENCE HELPING DELIVER FOOD TO MASSAI

This week marks two anniversaries at Nyumbani. First - this is the second year since Fr. D'Agostino, founder of Nyumbani, passed away. It also marks the one year anniversary of the death of two boys at the village (See blog from this date a year ago.) To remember and celebrate, Nyumbani held a mass and reception also meant to dedicate a new building in Fr. D'ag's honor. The Village was well represented with a group of 40 students and some staff. A busload was sent from the Village Saturday night and we slept on the floor at the Children's Home. These kids are great! We had a great time despite the lack of sleep. It was interesting to see the reaction the kids had to Nairobi - a city they had never seen. The boys I stayed with were up half the night, flipping electric switches, flushing the toilets and getting up at 4 a.m. to take a hot shower. These were all new experiences for them. They had heard about and wanted to see the machine that made clothes clean. They could not understand how another machine made clothes dry without the sun. In the kitchen of the Children's Home was a large institutional potato peeler. Put a potato in and in comes out peeled! On the ride home they screamed when we drove past NBO (the Nairobi Airport). We also saw zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, and a herd of camels on the way home. None of these got a reaction bigger than the washing machine. The kids sang a choir piece and danced some original Kamba tribal dances in full dress. The Village was well-represented. I was so proud. Present at the gathering was the U.S. Ambassador to Kenya and the Apostolic Nuncio (Archbishop) from Italy - among other guests. I went back to the Village with the kids last night but traveled back to Nairobi with Spencer, a volunteer returning to the states for Christmas. We traveled by matatu and bus and I wanted to accompany him to make sure he arrived in Nairobi safe and sound. We did.

North of Lamu

2008-11-24T12:26:00.002-05:00

Below are a couple pics from Kiwayu, an island north of Lamu on the African coast. It is not far from Somalia. We had a great time sailing for seven or eight hours to the island and then snorkeling, fishing etc. Great fun and one of the most beautiful places I have seen. Below shows the boat and the place on the beach where we slept. Very cool.

Some Pics from Kiwayu Island

2008-11-24T08:53:00.003-05:00

Here are some pics - clic to enlarge.

Zac's Here

2008-11-06T10:04:00.002-05:00

My son made it to Nairobi via London. It was great to see him once again. I think he put on a couple pounds and I lost 27. He looks great - I don't. But I feel good. Today is Obama day in Kenya. The President of the country made today a National Holiday. Everyone was celebrating the night before so doubtful that many would make it into work on time! It was a great election to witness in Kenya. This is my second election, the first being the Kenyan election that turned so violent last December. For Kenyans to witness one of their own take part in such a peaceful transition, well run voting polls etc. . . the guys at work just look at me and say 'ah America, what a great country you have!' They were amazed that I could vote absentee ballot and that the results were so fast. Even McCain's gracious speech came quickly. "ah America!' Erin and I watch some of the pre-results television coverage from a little 30-seat bar in Kwa Vonza. We watched the TV by generator but the lighting in the place was by kerosene lamp. It was a bit surreal, although beautiful as well. All these black faces fixed on the TV, anticipating a son of Kenya winning the highest office in the land. It was a great night.

I left for Nairobi the next morning. The town was buzzing about Obama and locals would yell to me on the street = Obama (and give a thumbs up)

So Zac is here. We go tomorrow to the coast and sail to a remote island. We are still a little concerned about the Somali pirates so close. This will be fun!

Lamu - on no money per day

2008-10-15T12:31:00.003-04:00

Some pics from Lamu - click to enlarge

I have had some exciting weeks at the Village. Things are going well and lots of work accomplished. I have continued to work on some PR presentations and some other database things as well as doing the normal Volunteer Coordinating. This weekend 16 girls from an American University come to the Village to see and experience some of the life there. 16 girls - wondering how they will like the Village an I am hoping they have sleeping bags and good water!

I have come once again to Nairobi, bringing one of the volunteers to the hospital for some testing. He will be fine. I also brought with me a third year high school student to see the Doctor in Nairobi. He will also be fine and we should be heading back to the Village tomorrow with a new volunteer from Norway.

I was able to go to Lamu - an island off the Kenyan coast. It was my first trip to the coast and it was amazing and very beautiful. We flew from Nairobi to Malindi and then on to Lamu. Once there we took a small sailboat out, went fishing and then anchored off the beach, cooked the fish and swam. What a beautiful day, so unlike anything I have seen in Africa. The island is predominately Muslim, having close to 32 mosques. I am also reminded that it is close to Somalia and probably home to some more radicals. But . . .a great place and I am planning to return with my son in about a month.

Zac is coming back to Kenya! I am so excited to know he is planning another visit. We will go to the Village for a while and also to Lamu, although this time we plan to sail for 6 and a half hours to a remote island for some snorkeling etc. I can't wait to see him. I am also looking forward to seeing Rachel and Jonah in mid December - mom too!

I always wanted to live simply - but having my wallet and credit cards stolen in a matatu in Kitui was not my plan. I had some decent cash in my wallet, hoping to purchase chairs for the library. Someone obviously watched me from the bank. I was sick about it for about a day. I couldn't believe it. I stopped my cards and am in the process of having them replaced. But for a while, I had no money, no phone credit, no way to leave the village, unable to pay for transport. All the other volunteers were out of town and my good friend George was in Machakos. I was stuck and panicking. It was a strange feeling, felt daily by so many in in Kenya and the U.S. for that matter. Rachel was so helpful, wiring me money to have in Lamu.

One of the problems with no credit card, we could no buy food for the relief effort in Athi River. They remain in desperate shape; bad water, illnesses, dead cattle, disease and the kids are not going to school due to hunger. The replacement card should come soon and we will begin once again. Thanks for your donations. See www.mwep.blogspot.com

Enough for now - know that I think of my family and friends daily and remain grateful to the many donations and prayers.

Back From Uganda Break

2008-09-29T01:32:00.004-04:00

I returned from Uganda for a couple days relaxation (but for the thirteen hour plus bus ride each way!) I had a good time, met some good people and stayed in a resort-like setting. Uganda has no tourist business (other than searching for the giant gorillas!) So the rates at this place were amazing - about $28.00 US and this included a BIG breakfast brought to the door in the morning. The location was in the hills outside Kampala - beautiful with a distant view of Lake Victoria. The people are amazing, if you know any of the bloody Ugandan history.

Now I am back after the long overnite ride to Nairobi and head in a few minutes to the Village. Very Nice. Here is a pic of the place.

PICS and BLOG of Masai

Thanks for Contributing

2008-09-26T07:58:00.002-04:00

Thanks to all who contributed to the Masai Women's Empowerment Prject. As you know, the project has been temporarily suspended while there is a tragic food shortage at the site. Becasue of your donation, Mwololo and I purchased maize flour, dried milk, uji (porridge) and rice for the Masai. Mwololo goes again to the largest section on Saturday, with your funds to purchase more. I'll try to put some pics online when I get a chance. The money comes at such a crucial time and I was so happy to be able to purchase the food, hand it out and visit with the women and children first hand. We believe we will have to support these women and children through December, until the rains come. Once the rains are here, the cows will drink, eat and give milk. I saw two cows dead, some with broken legs. There continues to be sicknesses from bad water ad poisoned meat.

I head to Uganda this evening. We will travel by bus overnite to Kampala and purhaps cross over into Rwanda. We shall see. I should be safe and sound back in the village by Tuesday at the latest. I haven't ventured far from Kenya and this is just a little exploration outside its borders. More soon. Thanks again for sending the aid for the Masai. www.mwep.blogspot.com

Some Pics from Spencer - Volunteer in the Village

2008-09-22T00:45:00.002-04:00

SPENCE PICS

Extending Visa in Nairobi

2008-09-21T06:54:00.005-04:00

I am in Nairobi with three teachers from World Teach. Our aim is to extend our visas for an additional three months. My return date remains mid December. I spent some time at the Athi Rive site. As you may have heard, there is a severe food shortage, effecting the women and children at the Masai menyatta. We hope to deliver some food rations on Thursday is all goes well. The Masai are herders and eat meat, milk and blood. They are not traditionaslly farmers, so some of the things we will provide may be foreign. We will by maize flour, some uji or porridge for the little ones and other products to help stretch things until the December rains. The cattle that have been left by the men are sick and have many broken bones. The milk is not good. We made "home visits" ands there is much sickness and disease present these day. Eye problems and food poisoning from bad meat. We have suspended other projectwork until the food situation is taken care of. It is not only among the masai but all over this area. No rains, food prices, post election violence all play a part. It will probably get worse before better.

The village goes on well. The children are achieving and seem happy. We met with some and some Kenyan psychologists ran a survey of questions dealing with trama. Interesting work but no surprises.

Recently the generator went crazy. It surged causing my laptop power cord to be fried. We are searching for another - a difficult thing. All my new videos of the Masai and the village are on the computer but it cannot be recharged. We shall see.

That is about it for now. I am doing well, feeling good, a little lighter in weight; a little darker in skin color. I continue to do invoicing, database, touring visitors and making sure volunteers are healthy, happy and working hard. It's an easy job. The chicken biz is in full swing. We look forward to many chicks hatching in the ew incubator soon - kerosene powered. All the best to my friends and family. Thank you so much for you support through IHM Mission Fund. Here are a couple pics of village kids.

Pics

2008-09-07T07:15:00.003-04:00

Great Weekend

2008-08-24T12:34:00.002-04:00

Last week I had a great weekend. I was able to travel with George to Kitengela, his home and then the next morning head to Lake Nakuru, his father's home. It was a long day of matatu riding from Nairobi to Nakuru, then on to his da's. There was a great welcome for us, great food and I've never been welcomed so warmly. We toured around the village meeting relatives and friends. The next morning we traveled on the back of a bicycle (non-motor) to a matatu and on to George's aunt's home about three hours away in Central Province. You'll remember that many of you suppported the purchase of property for George's aunt, after the post election violence and she was burned out of her home. She literally ran for her life and the lives of her children. She found little safety in a police post and then escaped to George's dad's in Nakuru. Well, the property we bought is about as beautiful as I could imagine, close to her sister's home at the foothills of the mountains, near a reserve with elephants etc. on the other sie of the mountains. If you kept traveling across the mountains you would eventually meet Mt. Kenya. The landscape is so different from Kitui and the Village. There is water and everything is green (and muddy). Auntie's house is so simple, wooden structure, dirt floor, three rooms and a cookshed outside. It is simple but I could live there easily - so silent and beautiful. It is a long walk from one sister's house to Aunties. Uphill, it is a struggle an you search for breath. Auntie has polio and a deformity which has turned her foot around. Still she makes the decent to her sister's. I took some great video footage of the place and them saying their "thank-yous" till I was in tears, especially when they prayed. From there we took a motorbike til we came to matatus back to Nairobi. It was an all-ay journey home and then to the Village. I look forward to your seeing the video.

Other than that - I have been teaching some, tutoring the secondary kids on break, leading tours, working with volunteers. I continue to work with the farm and sustainability department to organize their records and present data. I am in Nairobi with some Italian visitors. We are here tonight and will shop tomorrow for donated gifts for the families in the village. We will be buying pans, wheelbarrows, and other items for the houses. All goes well and the kids are great.

My best to all and please remember to donate when asked. It helps so much. I am struggling to get the Athi River project off the ground. That is the health and education project with the Masai Women. You can see more at www.mwep.blogspot.com I know it will work out in time. Thanks again for the prayers and concern. I am healthy, happy and smiling a lot. The worms are gone, ringworm almost all cleared and my malaria medication issues under control. God is good.

Some Truth

2008-08-02T09:48:00.001-04:00

"God loves us so perfectly, God lets us be the heroes. God lets us wrestle with the angel of Yahweh, lets us struggle with God and win. When we try to let go and give our life to God, God gives it back to us. Should we be surprised? That’s what love does. That’s the only thing you can get excited about when you’re in love–giving your life to the other and seeing enjoyment in the other. That’s the union toward which God is calling us. The lover delighting in the beloved and the beloved delighting in the lover." Source: Job and the Mystery of Suffering - R Rohr ofm

And yet another time in NRB

2008-08-02T08:04:00.002-04:00

I came to Nairobi this morning to pick up the WorldTeach teachers. I came via Matatu and bus with my friend Pascal. Tomrrow, Sunday morning, we leave for the Village. I am sure the teachers are excited and they have no idea of the adventures that await us in Kitui!

The trip I was hoping to take to the border of Tanzania didn't work out. Maybe we can go at another time.

Jeremy Hunt, Member of Parliament in the UK came to spend the night at the Village. He and his Foundation (Hotcourses) has paid for the school at the Village. He is a good guy and I enjoyed spending the day with him and the group he brought. That is the kind of work I have been doing lately, tour guide, answer man, Guest House master! It is fun and you get to meet interesting people. I also get a lot of excercise walking people all over the Village.

I was able to use Rachel's Fathers Day present (a video cam) to tape some songs and presentations of the kids in the school. What a great performance! The videotape will come soon, maybe to YouTube. We shall see.

Enough for now.

A Paradox

2008-07-28T01:23:00.004-04:00

"God is the only one we can surrender to without losing ourselves. It's a paradox.

When Jesus says those who lose their life will find their life and those who let go of their life will discover their life, obviously he's talking about life in a different way than you and I experience it.

We think life is the thing that we've got to protect. He's saying, No, the true self needs no protection: It just is." ROHR

I have been trying to lose myself - and at the same time find myself in the giving it all away. Now that there are not all that many possessions remaining for me, now it is a question of giving ME, my time, my energy, my love and my will. It is a paradox - that in the giving it away, I am filled and continue to have an abundance. We cannot be outdone in generosity and mercy - I've tried.

Sunday Treasure

2008-07-27T07:43:00.003-04:00

Today we had a mass at the Nyumbani Children's Home. It was a great celebration as usual but the songs made me long for the Village. The readings were those about the Kingdom and treasure. Ah yes, I remember - the kingdom. The Kingdom is the reason for it all - to experience life in the Kingdom - now, but not yet . . . . here but not here yet. That is what I want, I remind myself. The Kingdom, as I was taught, is where God is King - not me. So I try today to relinquish control of my need to be in control, to be god, to be king. It's not that easy. I want quick answers, quick fixes. But I look again, around me, inside of me and realize I am close to the Kingdom and I renew my desire for it, for God.

I went to a very nice brunch with the WorldTeach folks as well as a friend Thomas who works in international development and with the UN. He is wise and has lived in Kenya for about 5 years. He has a ton of knowledge and experience in Africa - knowledgeable of Somalia, Tanzania, Kenya. It was a great meal in a beautiful British homestead.

Tomorrow, the WorldTeach guys go to the US Embassy to hear information on security and safety in the country. They'll talk with a guy from USAID, one of the funding mechanisms for the Children's Home and the Village. I think I will stay back and prepare to return to the Village on Tuesday. I may take a trip with George and Philip to the border of Kenya and Tanzania on Friday and Saturday. I'll head to the Village with Pascal and work on computers and setting up the lab for the school. Pascal is the IT guy for the Children's Home and Village. He hopes to network the computers (7 of them) at the Village. It is always a good time when Pascal comes to visit.

That's is about it for this trip to Nairobi. The visit was worth the rough ride here and I think it was wise to welcome the new volunteers, make some connections and bring them personally to the Village. They have no idea what awaits them - the lifestyle, the difficulties, the lack of water and sanitation but also they have no idea of the joy associated with the children and the grandparents. I can't wait to see how they react. It could be a long year for them or the best year of their lives. More to come!

Traveling a lot to Nairobi

2008-07-26T07:18:00.002-04:00

After a great week at the Village I traveled back by Matatu to Nairobi to meet the three volunteers arriving at the airport on the 24th. They are from various parts of the U.S.and will work for one year at the Village. We are doing an orientation program that included teaching methods, Swahili, HIV/AIDS education and an orientation to Kenyan security and safety. Eric is doing the classes, I am observing and joining in when I can provide a context from the Village. I had originally thought of spending the entire week here in Karen but will probably head to the Village on Tuesday. The new volunteers will come next Sunday, the 3rd.

Back at the Village we have had many visitors which have become my responsibility. A group of students from the US came for a day and a night. Sleeping arrangements, food and connecting them to the appropriate people to talk and learn from was my job. I think things went well but I am exhausted. I had/have a bit of a bug we couldn't get a handle on but since I have been in Nairobi, I received some antibiotics and feel much better. Part of the problem is that Nairobi is very cold and damp these days. My ailments felt like strep. Who knows but I am feeling much better now and have just a little cold.

There have been some vehicle accidents, not involving me but involving my friends at the Village and the Children's Home.
one of the trucks rolled recently on a dirt road. No one hurt but the truck damaged. Two friends on the back of a motorbike went down on a dirt road. A head gash and some scrapes were all the resulted. The driver, a friend was hurt a little worse but will recover. Thirdly, a mom from the cottages who I befriended last year was in a matatu accident with her daughter. She has a bad head injury and a dislocation but three others in the matatu, including the driver, were killed. Travel in Nairobi can be hazardous.

Jeremy Hunt, benefactor of the school in the Village will come to visit us on the 1st of August. He is a Member of Parliament in London. I have emailed a couple times but we have never met face to face.

That is all for now. I want you to know how much I am enjoying the Village these days. It feels more like home than ever. I miss the US, the family and my friends but am so happy here - thanks for your support. I am continuing to work on a list of needs. So many have asked what I would need here. I'll repeat some of the things I would like to do:

Chairs for the library
Soccer Shoes and Shin Guards
Scout Uniforms
A Block making machine
Some Essential Medications for the Village
Solar for the Administration Building
The Masai Project - See WWW.mwep.blogspot.com
Thanks for any and all donations to IHM Mission Fund. I promise to use the money wisely. E

IN NRB

2008-07-17T05:27:00.002-04:00

I am back in the city to meet up with Eric from Worldteach. All goes well with the planning for three grads from the US to come to the Village and spend a year working with the kids and teachers. I have found plenty to do at the Village. I have been working with the Sustainability Department to chart the progress they have made, using charts and graphs and researching some past patterns and yields from the farm and animals. Nyumbani Village is an organic farm and the hope is to sell produce to local stores in Nairobi and other places. So I have set up a database the does invoicing as well as recording all the product amounts sold. To you folks from California are here for six weeks to survey the acreage at Nyumbani for increasing water flow, etc. They are out in the bush daily with a tripod and some good equipment brought from the states. The outcome will be a topographical map of the entire village with gradation etc. Very cool and I have been out helping them (holding the stick!) I have transfered the books from the "old library" now used as a classroom to a small building we are using as the library and computer room. It is a mess and hoping to get to it soon. The majority of my time is dealing with guests and volunteers coming to the Village. There are now 15 volunteers - soon to be 19. It is a juggling act trying to find places for everyone and coordinate transport. I also want to document some of the village activities by means of a video cam Rchel got me for Fathers Day. They have also asked me to update the Nyumbani Website www.nyumbani.org. You almost have to be in Nairobi to do that, although they are beginning to use a cell signal modem in the Village - slow but some are getting email. I will prob just wait til I get to the city to get news and mail.

The kids are great. some of the secondary boys came home from boarding school for a couple days and I was totally suprised and happy. Benerd, John, Charles, Erastus, Mutuo all traveled long distances and it was SO GOOD to see these good friends. They'll have a longer break soon.

George and the staff are good. I traveled with George to NRB. I went with him and Phillip to a meeting about selling produce to a local grocery chain. If that would happen it would be great for the Village. We are also planning a trip to Nakuru to see his dad and travel to his Aunties to see the property you donated to buy for her. I can't wait to see her and the rest of the family. Kathy and Karen gave me a new camera for George and he uses it everyday, documenting the work he is doing in the shamba. Kathy also gave me a used laptop to bring and he uses that daily as well. THANK YOU!

As far as needs here - make sure to look at www.mwep.blogspot.com for the Masai project needs but also I need 30 plastic patio chairs for the libray so the kids don't have to drag their chairs in each day. They will be used for other events. They are about $6.00 each from Kitui. We are also looking for money for scout uniforms for kids we want to begin a scouting program with. There are about 40 in the group - boys and girls. I am also looking into solar for the new administration building. We installed solar in the clinic (which was also the Admin Building before the contruction). Money for Maasai school uniforms and school fees are also important but separate from my work with Nyumbani Village. Remember there are still Kamba baskets made by the gandmothers and other items for sale via IHM School and Kathy N.

Thanks for the emails and well-wishes. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your care and support. I am loving it in Kenya. I feel physically very good and have kept some of the weight on so far! I hope to add pics and write some more before I return to the Village. (And - the village is cool these days. 70s during the heat of the day and overcast. Nights are cool and beautiful. Thanks again and will write again soon.

In Nairobi

2008-06-28T08:13:00.004-04:00

Made it to Nairobi on the 26th. Had a great flight on BA and got into town about 9:00 PM. All worked out for a ride from the airport to the Children's Home in Karen. I have been relaxing, getting a phone set up, playing with kids, etc. I plan to go to the Village on Monday morning if all works out for transport. I met with my friend Pascal here at the orphanage, visited with Sr. Mary and saw Nicholas (the manager of the Village.) It was great to see them. We had a visitor to the Children's Home today so I got to spend an hour or so touring around the orphanage with Teri Hatcher (Desperate Housewives, Superman, etc.) She was in Kenya with her daughter and parents. It was a surprise. So - all is well and I am so looking forward to seeing the kids in the Village! More later.

Last Day In London

2008-06-25T07:15:00.002-04:00

I head for Nairobi tomorrow morning (Thursday). I'll get in about 9PM. The time in London has been great although pricey. The dollar still sucks in the UK. I managed to get to Wimbledon (only about 5 Tube stops from where I was staying. I got a ticket for the grounds and then got a ticket for Court One that was resold - only 5£ for the added match. I got to see Andy Roddick beat E Schwank. I couldn't believe I was sitting at Wimbledon watching these guys and others. In the other 19 courts you could actually talk to the players - you were so close. Amazing.

This moring I got nosebleed seats for "Wicked". Luckily there is a matinee so I can stay awake. All for good.

It's been a great beginning. I'll call George tonight, wake him up and let him know when my flight arrives. I will try to write more when I get to Karen. I should be there the weekend.

"I Love You, Too"

2008-06-24T04:45:00.003-04:00

"I hope you’ve dared somewhere along your journey to say “I love you” to someone. We’re afraid to say it because we’re not sure it will be accepted and given back. If we say “I love you” and don’t hear it back, it’s as if we’ve dropped our pants and exposed ourselves. I use that shocking image because that’s exactly the nakedness of God on the cross. God said “I love you” to the world. God took that great risk of looking stupid, and we didn’t say it back. God hangs there naked and vulnerable before his enemies, who will not believe in the love of God. The fate of God, it seems, is to be poor, to be given and not received, to fail. We share as Christians in the eternal fate of God: not to succeed, to be poor and often to look foolish and defenseless. Once you say “I love you,” you stand foolish and exposed until the other says “I love you, too.” Such is the fate of God."

Richard Rohr, ofm

London

2008-06-23T07:28:00.002-04:00

I made it to London. I got in this morning (Monday) and found a room for tonight but the place is really crowded, especially around Earl's Court where I like to stay. London is a good transition for me, good for the change in time, being away from home, driving on the wrong side of the road. It is a nice midway stop, although I gave myself too much of a cushion - in case I couldn't get out of cincy on standby. But - no problem. I am considering training out of the city and seeing what else I can take a look at while I am here. Or maybe just riding the Tube to places I've not been. We shall see.

The weather is great, sunny but a little cool around noontime. More to come. Need sleep.

NEWSPAPER ARTICLE from KENYA

2008-06-21T13:46:00.003-04:00

KENYA: The little village that could

KITUI , 22 May 2008 (PlusNews) - The word 'nyumbani' means home in Swahili, and that is exactly what a pilot village in the eastern Kenyan district of Kitui is trying to provide for two generations devastated by the AIDS pandemic.

More than 250 orphans and 29 elderly people, all of whom have lost parents and children to AIDS-related illnesses live in the village. The children are placed under the guardianship of a grandparent - not necessarily their own - who is responsible for creating an atmosphere as close to a normal home environment as possible.

Most non-governmental organisations (NGOs) dealing with orphans and vulnerable children believe that placing children in extended family units in the communities they have lived in since birth is preferable to placing them in the unnatural environment of an institution, but many families are unable to cope with the additional mouths to feed and the orphans often end up homeless.

"Many of the children here were destitute, roaming the villages, begging or scavenging for food once their parents died," said Sister Mary Owens, co-founder of Nyumbani Village. "The village is halfway between an institution and the community. We try as much as possible to simulate normal village life, with grandparents and the children forming blended families." The village also tries to ensure that the children are brought up in the local Kamba tradition, and there is a separate house to accommodate older boys who have gone through the circumcision ritual. The village was opened in 2005 on 1,000 acres of land donated by the government of Kenya to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kitui. Its youngest resident is two-and-a-half year old Tito, and its oldest is Monica, who is well into her nineties. "Being with the children keeps me feeling young," said Malonza Malembwa, one of two resident grandfathers. He does not know his age, but believes he is well over eighty, having been born around the time of "the great famine" in 1920. Malembwa has eight boys in his care: four are his biological grandchildren and the other four were placed with him after he came to the village. Being with the children keeps me feeling young

"When my daughter and son died, I couldn't afford to feed the grandchildren, so the Catholic Church took them in and fed them; when the village opened we all came here," he told IRIN/PlusNews. "Before we got here my grandsons and I were casual labourers on building sites, but now they are all in school."

Although the HIV prevalence rate of 3.9 percent in Kitui is lower than the national average of 5 percent, the risk factors for HIV are high. Migratory labour is common in eastern Kenya's arid climate, and men are often away from home for weeks at a time, during which they may have several sexual partners, heightening the risk of HIV transmission to their wives when they return. Poverty and food shortages also sometimes drive women into commercial sex work. Competition for a place in the Nyumbani village is also high (the waiting list is currently 130), so the criteria for entry are strictly enforced. "The children must be double orphans [they have lost both parents] with no extended family; they must be destitute and the grandparent must also be destitute," Owens said. "We use a committee that includes a social worker, community leaders and religious leaders to help us make the choice and ensure only those who really have no other option are taken in." The younger children attend a primary school in the village, while older ones go to secondary boarding schools in the district. Extra-curricular activities in the village include HIV education and sessions on sexuality and relationships, and teenagers are trained in carpentry, dress-making and other trades. A clinic in the village, which is also open to people from the neighbouring community, treats minor illnesses, but more serious cases are referred to Kitui District Hospital.

Towards sustainability Nyumbani has livestock and grows its own food, using drip irrigation powered by solar panels. Solar electricity is also used to light the streets, and plans are underway to use solar power for lighting homes. The village uses water-saving eco-toilets and recycles bath water for watering the farm's fruits and vegetables. "We aim to be fully self-sustaining within 10 years," Owens said. "We grow organic food that feeds the families; we sell the surplus to organic food shops in Nairobi."

The village is also piloting the growth of 50 acres of jatropha oil - a vegetable oil used in the production of biofuel - as well as an agro-forestry scheme to produce timber and charcoal for cooking and selling. Most of the farm work is done by casual labourers from the neighbouring community. "I never thought I could sit around most of the day without really working hard," said Janet Kithika, one of the grandmothers. "But now my job is to care for the children, which is tiring but also rewarding." She is raising 11 children, the largest number of any grandparent at Nyumbani. A challenging start Helping grandparents to discipline and manage sometimes rebellious adolescent children has been a particular challenge, Owens said. "Relocating from their homes is sometimes difficult, as is adapting to the new village setting." At least three grandparents have voluntarily left the village since it started, unable to cope with the responsibility; a few of the older children have also left.

The village has an on-site counsellor and a several social workers to help people solve the up and downs of daily life. "We are experiencing some teething problems, but we are learning on the job; however hard you prepare, there are things you cannot anticipate," Owens said. New houses are being built and at least 150 new orphans and 15 grandparents are expected to move in during the next year. Future plans include building a voluntary counselling and HIV testing centre for the village and neighbouring community, as well as starting a community-based outreach programme to provide medical and social support to children in the community infected or affected by HIV. Ultimately, Owens' vision is to replicate Nyumbani village across Kenya, where more than one million Kenyan children have lost at least one parent to HIV.

Random Thoughts as I Prepare to Depart

2008-06-15T19:16:00.003-04:00

I am sure there will be projects and activities that will develop once I return to Kenya but (apart from those projects) there are also some goals that I have for myself as I prepare to return in a week. I have tried to take some time to think about what I am doing, why I am going, etc.

I want to be more organized and systematic in doing projects. I want to incorporate an educational component in everything I propose to do. For example, even wiring for solar power can be a learning experience for the locals and neighbors.

I want to find a way to include the students back at IHM, my old school, when doing projects. I may be naive but I feel that they must have a sense of others in developing nations or their education will be incomplete and hollow. I think we all fail to see our privileged status. Rachel bought me a video cam! There is a possibility that I can either load some video on a CD and send home or upload to YouTube or something if I can get to a good computer hookup. If somehow the kids at IHM can meet the kids at the Village, even via video, I believe it will change how they think about their lives and their place in the world. I was going round and round wondering if I should spend the money for the camera. Rachel, on Fathers' Day, sure helped! Thanks!

This is what I am pondering lately . . . . I don't think that Kenya is necessarily a place which I was lead to by God. I hope this makes sense but I believe that I could have stayed in Cincinnati, moved to the southwest, stayed as principal - whatever - and still be following the Lord. It is not the destination. I think God works wherever you choose to plant yourself. The whole thing of "God told me to go to Africa" doesn't make sense to me. You go to a place and God is there. Where God is sought, God appears. I don't think I could have made a wrong destination decision. It doesn't matter, as long as you are looking to find God in them all. Maybe the same went for Moses and the Israelites. If they were led to the promise land by God, God did a lousy job of leading or maybe they were lousy followers. And Moses never even made it. What they learned was that God is faithful. "You will be my people and I will be your God." Trust Him, day by day - whether in the land of Egypt, Kenya, Albuquerque or Burlington! Let God be God. Kenya works best for me because it frees me from the stuff that kept God at a distance. Some might find God in other ways but in the midst of poverty and simplicity - I can see God easier.

Since coming back to the states I have had the weird experience of having good people say "Well you know, there are poor people in our own country." I felt bad, defensive, disloyal, and even unpatriotic. The folks telling me this had an "America First" mentality and live in a world that "takes care of our own first". But there are no borders when it comes to God and God's children. Where I am headed - there are millions of orphaned kids stumbling around trying to be adults and head households, find food and water for their siblings. They are dying of AIDS, TB, Cholera, malnutrition, neglect - millions of them. Masai women, an hour from the country's capital city, are selling their bodies to truckers for food and milk for their children. They have no good water, no latrines, no prenatal or health care. My "problems" shrink in embarrassment. We have no idea of what "a tough life" means.

"Being home for a couple months, what differences do you notice?"
People are bigger, rounder, fatter - especially the kids - sorry to say.

People seem to complain more here in the states - about meaningless crap.

No one walks anywhere. We ride.

The earth is more green here in Ohio.

Celebrity life is ridiculously opulent - embarrassing.

The longer I stay here, the deeper I long to return to Kenya, the village, the kids.

I called George in Kenya and caught him walking in from the farm. "Oh Ed, everyone awaits your return. We are so excited. Oh Ed, I am counting the days." Me too George. Me too.

Masai Women's Empowerment Project

2008-06-10T16:35:00.002-04:00

I have a project I want to support that is distinct from work at the Nyumbani Village. Check out:

http://www.mwep.blogspot.com/

for information n the Massai Women's Empowerment Project.

Boston

2008-06-10T16:29:00.002-04:00

I made it to Boston to meet with representatives from WorldTeach. This is a great organization which will be sending teachers to Nyumbani Village in Kitui, in July. I will be working with them to get settled and organized a little once they get on the ground in Kenya. This Boston tip is just to meet the organization and sketch out their orientation days.

I take off for Kenya (via London) on the 22nd or the 23rd of June, depending on the flights. I should be on the ground in Nairobi on the 26th. The biggest hassle is getting everything into one suitcase!

I continue to be amazed at the goodness of people and their support of my journey. I have been able to meet with good friends, do a couple of presentations and finish up the busywork necessary for the trip. Thanks for all your help, support and prayers!

XAVIER UNIVERSITY ARTICLE

2008-06-08T12:43:00.001-04:00

Xavier University Magazine did an article and placed some pics on a slide show. Here is the online version below:

http://www.xavier.edu/magazine/news-notes.cfm

http://www.xavier.edu/magazine/index.cfm

http://www.xavier.edu/magazine/read-article.cfm

WANT TO DONATE?

2008-06-01T15:09:00.004-04:00

If you would like to donate to my journey and my projects in Kenya, checks may be sent to:

Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish
MISSION FUND
5876 Veterans Way
Burlington KY 41005

Make sure it is marked clearly for Ed Colina's Mission work.

Headed Back

2008-05-30T07:39:00.002-04:00

I now have flights arranged to return to Kenya. I leave the states on June 23rd. I gave myself a day or two in London and then on the ground in Nairobi on the 26th. The return date is around December 15th. Everything else seems to have taken care of itself. I hope to travel to Boston in a week to meet with WorldTeach and do some planning for the teachers coming to the Village in July. My work will mainly be to coordinate the volunteers who are just now returning to Kenya after the political violence from the Presidential elections. More to come . . . .

Pin Cushion Revisited

2008-05-16T21:58:00.003-04:00

I went to St. E's for my final shot ( HEP A and B). Now I am set for life on shots! I also began the journey of arguing with the insurance company on covering my malaria pills. I will need to take one a week. So . . .they'll give me four (a month's worth) but I need thirty. They'll give me the thirty . . . but for about $600!! Anyway, we went through this the last time and they came through for me. I also got a script for Cipro - an antibiotic which I used when I was in Kenya last time.

So I am all set - just not sure of when - maybe the middle of June. We shall see.

Below - Charles Darwin, his brother John and his brother Benerd

2008-05-16T21:50:00.002-04:00

Mwendwa and Charles Darwin

I received a note from Benerd's brother Charles Darwin (eighth grader from Nyumbani Village). I typed it below as it was written. In the note he states what class rank he and Lucy received. "Flying success" means "congratulations". Charles was the great kid who respond when I would say "Charles, what a beautiful sunset" "Yes Ed but not as beautiful as you!" Gotta love Charles

To Ed,

How are you Ed? I think you're fine. Myself I miss you very much, cauz you have been travell from Nyumbani Village. When will you come back? Cauz we are missing you so much. I was index 4 and now I am now improving in language. If is possible I think you shall sent flying success to I and Lucy (Charle's sister). She was index 5. Please wrote to me I request.

Your's Beloved Charles Darwin

A CHOICE BETWEEN TWO GOODS

2008-05-10T10:18:00.003-04:00

I continue to be torn as to where I will work when I return to Kenya. The time is nearing to make some decisions on flights and timetables. I have even begun yet another list of what to bring, what to do before I return. I have one more series of HEP A and B shots and need to get the malaria meds and some Cipro. I also have a list of stuff that I need to bring - many of the things on the list were actually left in the village for the staff and future volunteers. I need another flashlight, some shorts, mosquito net, etc. I also should probably get my glasses checked. They are a mess.

George emailed to tell me that I was discussed at the last Nyumbani staff meeting. He was told that I'll be returning in June. Hmmm. I hadn't realized I had made the decision. There is a need for a Volunteer Coordinator. There's a slew of new volunteers coming to the Village in July. I have been emailing people from WorldTeach - an organization that will be sending teachers to Nyumbani Village in July. I would like to be there before they arrive. I also got a letter from a good Kenyan friend saying he needs me full time in another project closer to Nairobi. Who knows? Both are good options.

More soon.

Nyumbani Newsletter - May 2008 From SR. MARY

2008-05-08T07:45:00.002-04:00

Dear Friends of Nyumbani,

This time I start my letter to you from Nyumbani Village where I am spending a few days. Greetings to each one from the 251 children, 29 grandparents, Nicholas, Manager and 41 Staff – a population that grows by the week. 'Massive' is the word that comes to me to describe the Village, now 1½ years in existence.

To-day, Tuesday, 29th April, I start my visiting with the Primary School where a Seminar on Life Skills in Relationships is in progress. I join in. How eager these children are to learn! Last Term, all the 8 classes came First in the Zonal Examinations, the Dramatized Dance represented Kitui District at Provincial level and came 5th; and 13 girls and boys participated in District Sports with one footballer being chosen to play at Provincial level. Our Educational Consultant, Mr Mukele, and staff are rejoicing.

A landmark event recently was the visit to the school of the British MP, Jeremy Hunt, who is the patron and funder of Hotcourses Primary School. Hon.Hunt wanted to have a firsthand experience of the school, the high point of which was his teaching English to the top classes. The fascination and joy of the children was delightful. One of our local media houses, Citizen, made an excellent short TV documentary which truly captured the vision of the Village, and BBC also came and will feature a radio clip.

I am now in the Polytechnic, admiring the furniture being made with the Italian-donated machines for the newly constructed Administration Block. With the new Manager, Charles, in place, there is visible enhancement in the quality of production and in general organization. Woodwork classes started on 17th March, and, with the coming of another government-seconded instructor, tailoring classes will begin after the vacation.

My next visit is to the construction site. Four family houses, the Administration Block Phase 1 and the extension to the Guest House are complete, while 16 more family houses and a classroom are at varying stages of completion. One challenge facing us in construction is the escalation in the costs of materials subsequent to the Post-Election crisis. We now face a 33% increase to our previous estimates…. Finally, I spend the early evening visiting some families in their homes, and the later evening chatting with staff.

Wednesday morning is for time with the grandparents. Language here is a barrier for me, but Nicholas will interpret. We listen to their experiences of 'parenting' not only their own grandchildren but also those of other families. Blending of the families is a challenge, but they report improved co-operation and behaviour from the children. I emphasise that the role we are asking of them is the guiding of behaviour, which will include disciplining, and the handing on of values. As happens in any family, the older children help with housekeeping. I also invoke the traditional African value of respect for elders, challenging the grandparents to expect this.

To the Clinic after lunch where the Clinical Officer, Steve, details preparations for another Government inspection. A successful outcome will mean free access to certain medicines, much needed since patients from the surrounding community are on the increase. The newly-tiled facility will surely impress the inspectors. As I expected, Steve makes an appeal to set up the laboratory. We also discuss the need to move into separate financial management of the Clinic, a step I now see needs to be taken in all the services. Massive...

My last visit of the day is to the Village Chaplain, Fr. Julius. As I listen to his experiences, I become more aware of his energetic pastoral care, his knowledge of the grandparents and children, and his challenging to value living. His is an inestimable influence in the Village.

Thursday, my first target is a meeting with the 29 Secondary and Polytechnic students. I want to get to know them a little more and to hear their experiences. The Secondary students board in 15 different schools. With 20 finishing Primary education this year, I ponder opening a Secondary School in the Village....

I spend the rest of the morning visiting the farm. I am alone at first as I walk through Farms 1 – 4. When I reach the lush riparian area, I am arrested by the beauty of the trees and shrubs, by a spiritual quietness where the song of the birds and the crawling and winging of insect and small animal life prevails. God is here. 3 years ago, this was scrub…. The Farm Manager, George, now catches up with me and leads me knowledgeably through the present achievements of the Sustainability Program. He proudly shows me the variety of vegetables growing under drip irrigation, some for the residents, some for marketing; the flourishing castor plants, whose oil is currently under analysis in order to identify the best marketing strategy; and, ray of hope, budding jatropha plants started from cuttings, our latest attempt to have this biofuel plant grow in our climatic and soil conditions. We end our tour with the livestock: five heifers , four calves and 34 goats from which the village residents get an increasing amount of milk. With most of the families rearing their own chickens, our chicken project can now go commercial.

I end with a meeting with Nicholas to share some of my experiences. As I drive back to Nairobi that afternoon, reflecting on the three days, my heart is at peace. The Village challenges are great: personal care of the children, moving into financial management based on self-sustainability and co-ordination of the expanding services. I come back with a list of needs and gaps to be filled, but, in time, we will address these. Nicholas and his team deserve great commendation. Fr. Angelo D’Agostino’s vision is being realized….

I return to a Nyumbani Home taking a day of relaxation after a taxing, learning-based vacation. What a contradiction! Educational competition is so great here in Kenya that tuition occupies school vacations. However, Sr. Julia and Donna made sure that the hard work was interspersed with treats and outings. It is lovely having our High School youth back with us, but it is a 'come' and 'go' situation with the varying tuition dates.

A special day this vacation was Family Day on 19th April, when, through the efforts of Helen, our social worker, and her team, 49 children received a visitor. The evening before, Protus called a meeting of the children and invoked as a slogan that, if a child does not receive a visitor the following day, it will be 'next time'. As Protus and I were standing bidding farewell to the guests, 3 year old Nicholas passed us by and then turned around with a smile and said 'Next time'. What a heart-tug!

These past months, medical challenges have been facing us. Sammy is now three months in our special care unit. Investigation finally revealed that his brain has been affected, so we are now endeavouring to give him the best palliative care we can. He is in contact with us but cannot speak. Each day when I visit him, my heart breaks. What must it be like for staff and children! The good news, however, is that Geoffrey had successful surgery in Italy to lengthen his shorter leg, and Simon can now walk with his feet flat on the ground. John has still to undergo further surgery. We are deeply grateful to Dr.Antonio Melotto who, with the help of his contacts, made all this possible Our gratitude too to Sr. Julia, who accompanied Geoffrey to Italy, and to her Congregation.

International visitors and volunteers are beginning to return now that our new Government is in place. Juliet arrived to volunteer, Becki, Lloydie, Deb, Simonetta and Chiara came for a return visit and BA crew came for the traditional Easter Bunny. Clare, Richelle and Greg came from Ireland to bring the proceeds of their fundraising and spent a familiarization week with us, which included outings for the children.

I am happy to tell you that we finally made contact with nearly all our Lea Toto children. Sadly, we had to declare 36 'Lost to Follow-up as result of Post-Election violence’ after all efforts to trace them proved unsuccessful. However the door is always open.... The Lea Toto staff are to be commended for their untiring efforts to trace our children. With Lea Toto active clients now over 2,500, early this year we decided that we now needed to decentralise and make the six centres more independent. The change was effected in mid-April. This week, the new Centre Administrators had an intensive Project Management training to support them in their new role. Expansion is also placing more and more demands on the facilities. As I listened to the sharing of insights, learnings and plans of action at the end of the Seminar, I foresee that we now need to consider a long-term approach to this situation.

Another letter to you, our Friends of Nyumbani, another opportunity to express our gratitude for your interest and support. I assure you that each of you is held in prayer and in the memory of at least one of us. I marvel the way the children quite spontaneously recall a volunteer or visitor and recognise immediately those who re-visit. Here in Kenya, we are in a healing and reconciling period as the Government gets into action with the priority of facilitating IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) returning to their homes or be resettled. As we here strive for forgiveness and a new harmony among different groups, may all of us be blessed with that peace which only God can give.

Sister Mary 3rd May, 2008.

Sorry I haven't blogged!

2008-05-08T07:35:00.002-04:00

Maybe it's because I have limited access to the Internet. It's a free AOL account, a dial up and slow! Maybe it's because I have little to say and am torn as to what to do next and when. I haven't written on the blog lately. It takes forever. It took longer to get online and send email when I was in Africa!

I am torn as to where to go in Africa for the next six months. Sr. Mary (Director of Nyumbani) and Nicholas (Village Manager in Kitui) have both written letting me know there is definitely a place and a need for me to return to the village. But at the same time there is a project I would like to do which is closer to Nairobi and the need is great. The slum that I am considering is not big and my working there should have some direct affects. I hope to go back in June but there is much to do before that can happen. We shall see. I have been spending my time finalizing a baseline survey conducted in Kenya, writing a proposal for funding of the project and watching a lot of cable news! I make lists of things I want to take back to Africa, write emails to those who can get me some housing if I end up working in the slums, work in the yard at my mom's and have had a couple of occasions to speak to groups regarding the last six months. All good but I am ready to head back.

Thanks to Jan and Joe for organizing and getting friends and relatives to come to an EXTREME DODGEBALL tournament to support my journey. It was a great time - although I found out that there is yet another sport I suck at.

I'll try to write more and also post a newsletter from Sr. Mary that describes the current progress in the Village. It's all good.

Long Days at Home - but good days

2008-04-02T07:28:00.003-04:00

Things have been good lately. So good to see friends and family. Their kindness is unbelievable and make me so glad to be home for a while. "For a while" are the key words. I was prepared for some culture shock on my return home. I had been warned. I was prepared for a major change in diet, having electricity, good water, TV, car transport . . . . . all that. But I think that my gradual return (a four day safari and then London for some days) has made my return and transition easier. Yet I was not prepared for the increase in the longing to return to Kenya. Each and every day the feelings grow stronger and more pronounced. If I had to choose, I would head back in a couple of months. We shall see. There are a couple of projects that interest me and I hope to raise some money to begin these projects. We are also looking at creating a foundation or at least a better means of donating to these projects in a way that can be easily written off your taxes. More to come on this.

I called George on Easter. He was in a bus terminal in Kampala Uganda, waiting for a bus from Rwanda that would take him home. His aunt, who recently bought property in the Central Province, will move soon Already she has traveled there to do some planting on the property - since the short rains have begun. I hope they continue. George is doing well, though missing me and asking when I can return.

Beauty

2008-03-13T06:43:00.000-05:00

Maasai Mara Safari Pic

2008-03-13T06:40:00.000-05:00

Back Home

2008-03-13T06:36:00.001-05:00

So, after just one day back in the country, I am already beginning to think about the future. I wanted to spend at least some time relaxing and just feeling the feelings but I can’t help thinking of the future. Often I find myself wondering what is going on in the village . . . What the kids are doing? What the grandmothers are doing? As I sip coffee at Panera, I can’t help but think about the breakfast fires being lit in the village, kids hauling water and firewood, washing clothes in a bucket, etc. It is a different world. I am a little out of place but am sure I will adapt. I was struck most, as Zac and I drove in - there were no people walking. Only cars . . . no people. In Africa, no one has a car, everyone walks everywhere. There are faces to look at. Then there is the cold. My body needs some time to adjust to the cold. I can’t get warm.

We left Nairobi for London and I had a great time with the three kids. On Monday morning we all headed to the airport to board a plane to CVG. But . . . .some of the worst weather seen in the UK prevented us from getting on the plane and at around 3pm we got on a packed flight to JFK. Once at JFK we had to sleep in the airport with hopes of getting a flight early Tuesday to Cincinnati. Sleeping in the airport was just one more bonding moment for me and the kids! But we made it home Tuesday morning, to the joy of my mom. Thankfully I was able to put on a few pounds during the safari and in London. I think I looked a little healthier by the time I saw mom.

So . . .what to do? I look forward to meeting with friends, visiting the school kids, parents and staff. There are a couple of groups looking for a report and there are articles to write. I guess I can keep busy while I wait for what might come next. Sr. Mary, the Director of Nyumbani has written a couple of times with some good advice to take some time before discussing the next steps for me. I have a couple of options in Kenya, just not sure if it is the right thing . . . but time will tell.

George's Aunt

2008-03-13T06:32:00.001-05:00

We were fortunate to travel to Nakuru and visit with George’s dad and rest of his family. Because of the generosity of the folks at IHM parish and school, I was able to give 220,000 Kenyan Shillings to George’s aunt. She and George’s dad traveled (that day) to the Central Province and purchased a piece of property in a safe location. In the months previous, her land was seized, house and belongings burned in the violence in Eldoret. It was the second time she has lost everything to tribal violence. The new location is safe and near to relatives that can be of assistance since she is handicapped as well.

You can’t imagine the joy this gift has brought to the family. They not only purchased property with a simple dwelling on it, but also used the extra money to buy a cow. They move to the property on March 17th. Thanks to all! George promises to get pictures and send them ASAP.

Back In London

2008-03-08T09:22:00.002-05:00

I am in London for a few days with Rachel, Jonah and Zac. Zac and a friend came to the Village and we had a great visit and he got a good feel for my life there. I can't describe the feeling of seeing Zac at the Nairobi Airport. Zac - my son, came to Africa. Of course I cried when I saw him. He teared up a little too and said - "you look thin." Zac was able to experience just about everything I wanted him to see and feel in the Village. We spent lots of time with the kids, the animals, the staff. We celebrated my leaving one evening with the staff and also hung with the grandmothers and kids in the homes. The most difficult times for me were saying goodbye to the kids and granmothers I have gotten close to. On the final Sunday, very early, I found Benerd sitting in front of his house. He was home for midterm break. (Long story but he got home by using some money I had given him - sharing it with four other boys from the village. They only had 150 shillings a piece - enough only to travel the 3 hour trip on top of a bus - with the chickens!! I was so angry he had traveled that way but happy he was home to see me off. Anyway, Bernerd is sitting outside his house Sunday mornig, waiting for me. We sit and hold hands - no words - none needed. His brother Charles Darwin came over to wish me a safe journey and to tell me that I was "most beloved." Two motorcycles came to pick us up and we sped away - little children running after us waving. Sweet. We then took a long matatu ride to Nairobi and spent the night in Karen. The safari was excellent. We were also able to visit with George's dad and other relatives in Nakuru. (More about that later.) After a flight to London, Zac and I met up with his sister and brother. We are having a great time now - seeing London but it's freezing, rainy and windy. We saw Les Miserables last night and my sons and I walked the Tower Bridge and around today. They just took off for a train ride to some soccer stadium to see a game. I passed, too cold. Maybe the reggai concert tonight. We travel back to the states on Monday morning. I hear there was a little snow. Can't wait to see the snow - friends and family. My emotions are on the edge - once again. Peace.

"Ed, I am missing you many times."

2008-02-07T12:15:00.000-05:00

Had a good day in Nairobi. John is feeling better with his food poisoning. We wonder if it might not be from some honey John ate. He was commenting that it had three bees processed in the jar, along with the honey. Not sure . . . We worked on some emails and then took off for downtown. I wanted to buy a couple of items for Benerd, who should be leaving for boarding school soon. John was after a refund from the Mombassa to Nairobi bus people. A bus trip he was scheduled for was canceled due to violence after Christmas and they promised him a refund. They were true to the promise today. We had some lunch, walked the city streets and came home for a nap. We went out for chicken and chips at a local haunt and now are finishing up emails etc. and off to bed. Tomorrow we should headback to the Village. George comes into Nairobi for a meeting and we can travel safely back with him to Kitui.

All in all it seems as though the violence has calmed in many areas of the city. Kibera Slum remains tense. We went with Sister Little to the Fairgrounds adjacent Kibera today. This is the location many slum dwellers have run to after being displaced by violence. They were of the "wrong tribe" and got burned out or threatened. The Kibera program, Lea Toto,run by Nyumbani has had to suspend working in some areas. Some of the drivers are "the wrong tribe" and could be killed entering Kibera. Sister allowed us to go to the Fairgrounds but not to the slums. We also saw large buses of refugees from Sudan being sent back home after being run out of their homes. Sister dropped us off on a main road and she and the driver headed into the Kibera Slum to load up food and medication (ARVs) to take to the Fairgrounds. We spoke with her later in the day and know she arrived home safely. Many of the "businesses" and kiosks were burned and "homes" destroyed. I was grateful to be able to be with some of the displaced people and see them before some heavy rains and cold weather moved in.I can't imagine living out in the elements on a night like tonight, especially with young children and infants.

Also displaced are the parents of a good friend on staff at Nyumbani. They received a letter threatening their lives if they did not move out in 4 days. To reinforce the threat, a kiosk was burned in front of their house on day three. They took everything they could carry and moved to an aunts house. I can't imagine.

There was violence in Kisii. Another staff member lost a good friend in the fighting there earlier in the week. The death was a gruesome one.

So . . .as I said, the violence in many areas seems to be subsiding, but remains in pockets around here and in the western province. Kitui and the Village go on unaffected by the fighting. No one really knows what is going on in the outside world. Amazingly, our young student from the Village,John (20 years) called us today from the Village. "I am missing you many times." John left for secondary school but returned late in the night on Tuesday because of a strike. He is afraid he will miss us if we don't return to the village this weekend. "I wish you sweet nightmares" he tells us. Ya gotta love that.

John, dressed for boarding school. He left and returned after a strike was called.

BACK in NRB

2008-02-06T23:52:00.000-05:00

I was laughing at John for having malaria a couple weeks ago. His symptoms returned and we got worried. We got a truck and transport to Nairobi for some tests at Nairobi hospital. The hospital was fine but it just took a long tome. WE got back to Karen to spend the night very late. John has food poisoning and not the return of malaria or worse. He is better. Me too. Hope to write more soon.May return to Village on Friday or Saturday.

Last post for a while

2008-02-03T00:56:00.000-05:00

This may be the last post for a while. I am hoping to return to the Village today, at around 1:30 we (Mwololo -a staff member) leave by public means - a matatu. It means getting a matatu to downtown from Karen and then walking to the "station" and finding a direct matatu to Kitui. Then, after about three gruelling hours, it is a beautiful 30 minute ride by motorbike up to the Village on a dirt road. I need to return by dark to see John, a close -to-twenty-year-old high school student. He leaves for boarding school and I must tell him goodbye. I wont see him again,once he leaves for school. He is an amazing young man who has taught me so much. I bought him a little Bible in English to take to school with him. He opened it immediately to his favorite passages and read to me in his broken English. He asked that I find my favorite verses, some that will give him encouragement.

The city was calm last night, I think, although George's father reported ten killed by arrows in Kissi. I thought things were quieting down, but in some locations - nope.

I am looking forward to the Village. John L, the young volunteer from Cleveland called me last night to tell me that one of the day-workers died of malaria. The worker's brother (we call him Happy John) told John L, the volunteer, that he has not been well and finally got to the hospital in Kitui - but too late. He will be buried sometime this week. It is difficult to understand - remembering that John L, the volunteer, had malaria last week too, got the five shots and meds and is fine. The day worker did not make it. Happy John continues to smile when he talks about his brother and his short life. "We all will die." YUP. John L. is going over to the family home today and spend time with the family. I need to get back to the Village.

I can probably still make mass here at the Childrens Home before going downtown for a ride. The readings, especially during Lent, are most meaningful to me - so I look forward to hearing them today - hoping too that they might be in English! I had the time to read some of my journal/blog from last year at Lent. I have come a long way from the discernment I was going through to come here - or somewhere. In reading today, came across a quote that I like a lot:

"I hope you’ve met at least one Kingdom person in your life. They are surrendered people. You sense that life is OK at their core. They have given control to Another and are at peace. A Kingdom person lives for what matters, for life in its deepest sense. There’s a kind of gentle absolutism about their life-style, a kind of calm freedom. Kingdom people feel like grounded yet spacious people. Whatever they are after, they already seem to be enjoying it - and seeing it in unlikely places. Kingdom people make you want to be like them…. Kingdom people are anchored by their awareness of God’s love deep within."

So that is what I am aiming to be - and try to get in touch with this Lent. I want to be surrounded by those kind of people - Kingdom people. I have no desire to waste a minute of my life on things that do not further the coming of that Kingdom. It is ALL and EVERYTHING.

Got to meet up with George and Mercy (two Village people)in Nairobi yesterday for a Tuskers and some lunch. George is one of the Kingdom people. (Read the kingdom quote above again - that's George) George eating his "Birthday Chapati"

You can't look at George without smiling. He is for real. He says statements in broken English like "O my goodness, you know Ed," (immitating a radio station's ALL DIVA WEEKEND ANNOUNCEMENT) "it is all about divas, and Mariah Carey, and Jesus. Ed, it is all about Jesus and Celine Dion, and Boys 2 Men." I have come to love George as a brother and am introduced by him as "This is my very best friend, Ed." George also has had so much pain recently. His aunt was burned out of her house and is living with his father in Nakuru. She has polio and can never return to her home. It, and all her possessions are gone. Iam looking for money to send to her to purchase land in a safe location. I need to find about $1500 to buy 3/4 an acre. The money will come.

So - enough for now. Pray for peace, (and Mariah Carey) and for Kenya. Life is good.