Elephant chasing...or not!

My friend Maria from Holland (we met in Diani Beach) lives in Maungu (2 hours west of Mombasa). She is here working on a youth soccer (football) program. She is living on a wildlife reserve, so we decided to go and visit her and go on some game drives.
There were 7 of us: Kevin and I; Suzie and Lee (our roommates who were heading to Mombasa anyways for their next placement); Cheryl (the other Canadian volunteer I see often); Danny from Ohio (our new roommate who arrived Thursday night - so we dragged him along!); and this girl Laura we had never met, but I got her number from another friend so invited her - she's living in Voi, which is 20 minutes away from Maungu (it's really fun how us volunteers connect!). Laura is an Italian who has been living in Ireland for the past 5 years - her accent was quite interesting!!
We headed out at 5:30AM Friday morning to catch the 8:30AM bus in Nairobi. It was a 7-1/2 hour bus trip.

 

When we got to Maungu, Maria had what we thought was "pink eye". We headed out on a game drive in the evening and the Land Rover died halfway into the bush! We sat on the roof, had a beer, and watched the sunset.

We did see some impalas and dic dics...but no elephants. The best part was the night sky! It was like being back in Zambia - millions of stars!! We finally got the Land Rover running and headed back to the house

Our "backyard"

On Saturday morning Maria was in a lot of pain and couldn't really see out of her left eye, so she was taken to the hospital. Turned out she had developed a fungal infection (it looked like a mimi-mushroom growing out of her eye! yuk!). We barely saw her after that, as she was given 5 kinds of drops and drugs, so she slept the majority of the weekend. It really was too bad. We never made it out on another game drive, but it didn't stop us from having fun. The 7 of us relaxed, Lee played guitar and we walked into the nearest village for meals (45 minute walk!).


                                                                                                             


                                                                                         View of our house from top of cliff

We stayed in a beautiful guest house on the reserve and our "backyard" faced a cliff. We climbed the cliff (some did it a few times!) and had an awesome view of the landscape. The reserve, which is HUGE, lies between Tsavo East and West. Some of you may have heard the story of the "Tsavo lions" who were responsible for killing and eating many workers who were building the Kenya-Uganda railway in 1898. (1996 movie: The Ghost and the Darkness). That's where we were!!

Cliff view of wildlife reserve


 Another cliff view of reserve

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

 3 Baboons                                                                   Colobus monkey 

Colobus monkey
 On Monday morning, I was up at 5:30AM, and sat alone for a few hours on our back patio sipping Chai tea and watching baboons and colobus monkeys play in our "backyard". How surreal is that!! The colobus monkeys came within 6 feet of me, but the baboons kept their distance (which made me happy 'cause they can be quite vicious!).
On our bus ride home, we passed zebras and giraffes along the road. So all-in-all, we may not have seen any elephants, but certainly enjoyed much wildlife, nature and made new friends.
It was back to the grind on Tuesday morning - working in the slums!!  :o(

The hardest work brings the best rewards!

So I had mentioned, way-back-when, that we had offered to build desks for KYEEDA school in the Korogocho slum. This is where we taught for a day. Well, with many issues getting materials and delays on a build date - we finally did it!

Last Tuesday, Kevin and I went to the school and built benches (not desks) for all the nursery children. We built 10 new benches and then repaired 3 old ones. We also repaired 5 old desks.

Of course it was one of the hottest days yet, but for 6 hours in the blazing sun we sawed...with a dull saw, and hammered...with a broken hammer, and got the job done!! This was one of the most  rewarding  days yet!   :o)

By the time we finished, the nursery children had gone home, so we got some of the older kids to come and sit on the benches, so we could determine how many we could seat in total. Although the older kids squeezed in, we know that 6 of the little nursery children will fit comfortably on each bench.

Today, we went back to the school and were elated to find out that every child in the school now has a place to sit - what a great feeling!! The children were so excited - screaming, and jumping on us... it was awesome!!

The Beauty of Kenya

I have shown you lots of pictures of poverty and the slums. I thought I should also show you the other side of Kenya - the wealth and the beauty. Enjoy the pics!!

This is the "Food Court" at Village Market mall in Runda (this is where most of the world's embassies are located). You see people of all nationalities here - a real tapestry!

We came here with Louise, and last weekend, Kevin, Suzie, Lee and I came here and saw a movie!!

 

 

                    These birds build their nests upside down!!

                                           The acacia tree - to me, the true symbol of Africa

Last Thursday, Kevin and I decided to play "hookie". We went into the city and just explored. It turned out to be an awesome day! We were searching for an Indian restaurant (which we never found) but we ended up in a different part of the city we hadn't seen before. Below are pictures of a beautiful park we found, with fountains, walking trails and a man-made lake.

We spent the day walking, walking and walking. Occasionally we would sit out on a balcony (they don't have patios in the city), enjoy a cold Tusker and look out at the people and the city. The temperature was perfect, with just a small breeze. Yes, it was one of the best days I've had here - sometimes it pays off to skip work!

These last ones are just for fun - just to let a couple of my "readers" know I'm thinking of them!!

                                                                                      

Future Hope

Future Hope is the name of the orphanage where I am working 2-3 days a week. I went there for the first time a couple of weeks ago. Future Hope is a baby orphanage, and the thought of looking after babies, well...just feels right. Jane Mbogo, the woman who runs the orphanage is a really great person! She is caring for (with the help of 6 other ladies) 16 children between the ages of 3 and 8. Yes, that's right...no babies. She is currently trying to get registered, which is a long process (especially here in Kenya). Once registered though, receiving funding is easier - just like at home. People like to see a registration number to ensure the facility is legitimate, plus they can receive a tax receipt for their donation. I told Jane how much I wanted to look after a baby, but she said she would only get more babies in another month - I could come back then.
Well....the very next day, I had a call from Jane - a baby had arrived during the night! She believes that my wishes are what brought this child to the safety of her home.

Let me introduce you to Neema (pronounced like Emma with an "N"). Neema means "Grace" in Swahili.

Neema was 5 weeks old when she arrived at Future Hope and her story is tragic: Neema had been abandoned in a field somewhere. Nobody knows how long she was there, but a stray dog found her and carried her to the nearest home. The woman of this home opened the door to a barking dog...and a crying baby! She knew she couldn't care for it herself (she has 3 children of her own), so she called the police. The police searched the area for clues as to where she may have come from, and just found a blanket lying under a shrub. The police knew of Jane's baby orphanage and so this is how she came into our lives!


Neema was covered in a rash, which is healing now, and her skin is quite raw in all the creases (we guess from not being properly bathed and dried), but overall, she seems healthy. She was not underfed - she has all those beautiful rolls and bulges and creases (you know the ones that we are trying so hard NOT to have now?!).  She is eating VERY well! She doesn't like the dark, nor the cold, but neither would we if we had been left alone outside on a cold, dark night.

I have bathed her, fed her and spent time just holding her as she sleeps. Jane wants her held as much as possible right now to help her feel safe - I'm in!!
I have also been helping out around the house. Ironically, the day I first went there, the children and the helpers all came down with either the flu or the chicken pox! (Jane believes I must be an angel sent to them in this time of need - awww!) They have been very short staffed, so I have been doing dishes, hanging laundry and ironing. Yes...IRONING!! I ironed for 3-1/2 hours on Good Friday! The set up is hunching over a coffee table to iron - ooooh! I am going to be in dire need of a massage when I get home!

Neema is quite a happy baby. When I hold her, she makes funny faces and sometimes grins from ear-to-ear. Jane and the staff laugh at this. They say she must like my light skin - she can see me better than them! I think it's just gas... ha, ha!

Whatever the reason, she is just precious!!

 

I said in an earlier blog that I was looking for an orphanage to spend some time around "hope and innocence". Well, I have found Future Hope and little Neema - who could ask for anything more!

Love to all.

"Carnivore"!

"Carnivore" is a restaurant/bar located just outside of Nairobi (close to the airport). 8 of us volunteers met their last night for a "special" dinner - to say good'bye to Joy (from Ireland), and of course to celebrate Easter. It was an expensive place (by Kenyan standards) - $40 for all-you-can-eat. And man, did we eat!!
Their specialty is MEAT (as I'm sure you can tell by the name of the restaurant).

Waiters come around the table with skewers of meat and carve it right onto your plate and continue coming until you drop the flag that is in the centre of the table. I did not waste any "stomach space" on veggies, potatoes, nor bread - I only ate meat: chicken, turkey, roast beef, lamb, pork ribs, beef sausages...and yes, I can actually say, I ate OSTRICH and CROCODILE for Easter dinner!! I can't believe the amount I ate!! Oh, and of course washed all this food down with a nice cold Tusker!
We ate from 9-10:30PM and then danced until 2AM! It was a super night, with endless laughs from Joy - my cheeks are still feeling sore from laughing so much. She is quite the character!! I will miss her very much. Hopefully she will do a quick stop in Canada this summer during her continued travels.
Today, Easter Monday, we are resting (or more like recuperating) before we start working again tomorrow.

This is an Easter I will always remember - the fun...and the menu!!

A "Changed" Person (??)

Seeing that food was somewhat limited, especially in the beginning, Louise and I decided we needed a way to maintain a balanced diet. Louise is modeling our new food staple (doesn't she look professional?). Yes, Cadbury's Fruit and Nut bar, containing all 4 essential food groups: dairy, fruit, protein and carbs - all wrapped up into this convenient little package!



Not only am I eating chocolate, but I have also gotten into the habit of eating chips and have, on occasion, ordered fries for lunch. My friends here are telling me that there's nothing wrong with eating comfort food from home, but if I never ate this food at home...is it wrong to still feel comfort??
Many philosophical friends at home told me that I would probably come back a "changed" person, but I don't think they meant a "chocolate savouring - chip munching - fries gobbling - beer guzzler"!! (OK, OK...so the beer guzzling part is nothing new, but don't you find the rest rather SHOCKING??!!).
Anyways, I thought I should confess these nasty habits I have started, as I may need "intervention" once I get home. Oh, and for those of you who already hate me for this....no, I don't believe I have a gained a single pound!!  Hee! Hee!

Bon Appetit!

Orphanages cont'd

When in Mombasa, I was talking to Fernanda about wanting to help at an orphanage. I feel very strongly that this is where I belong, at least part of the time. Maybe it's a need for some balance: I spend so much time amongst extreme poverty and sadness, my heart needs also to be around hope and innocence. So, the Thursday after we returned from Mombasa, Louise and I spent a day at the orphanage Fernanda has been working at.
On the Wednesday evening, after spending the day in Korogocho slums, we hopped a matatu and traveled to Thika town. Thika is about an hour from where we stay - to the east. Elyse, whom we also met in Mombasa, lives with Fernanda too, so it was a mini reunion! (ok, it had only been 3 days since we had last seen each other, but it was still nice!). Elyse is doing a nursing volunteer placement at a local hospital.
Thursday morning, Louise, Fernanda and I headed out to her orphanage, which is in the rural part of Thika - a beautiful area. Thika itself is also really nice - the nicest town we have seen - paved roads, sidewalks and even the odd traffic light!
                                                                                             Can you tell the difference??

There are 14 children at this orphanage, ranging in age from 3 to 14. The older kids were at school, but the younger ones were on sight attending nursery school. We brought them tea and bread in the morning, and then played with them for about a half hour during their "recess". Of course they all wanted to be lifted, carried, thrown in the air....whew! We rested with a cup of tea for a while after that!!

Lining up to be tossed around!                                                Let's pile on top of Fernanda!

For lunch, we made them a "mzungu" meal of spaghetti and delivered some to the older students at school. They were all a little hesitant to try at first, but then came back to fill their bowls even more, once they had tasted it!

There are millions of orphans in Kenya. It is comforting to visit these orphanages and see that some are being loved and cared for. We made lots of new, little friends this day. I hope they enjoyed the visit - they certainly brightened my day!!

Love to all!