To NRB

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!!