Where I am

At the moment I am staying with Winnie and her family, Winnie is 21 and the yough dissemination official, as well as of course getting involved in other activities. It is great fun staying with her and her mum and brother, I have learnt a lot about the normal way of life of Kenyans and have been taught a lot about the Red Cross. She has shown me how to make Mendazies, Dot coms, Chapatti, Cabbages, Scumawiki, and ugali so when I get back I will be able to make a real Kenya feast!

Then I have been helping with ideas for her mums stall, she is setting up a stall selling Christmas decorations and the sort.

Disaster response

At this time, when the elections are coming up there is a lot of tension between tribes whop are burning each other’s homes and slaughtering cattle. So there are a lot of displaced people staying in schools or churches, but other are hidden in peoples homes, so part of the job is assessment going to the place and talking to elders and investigating; how many people are affected, where are the people staying, collecting names… so then we can go with food stuffs and non food items.

The things taken are: maize, beans and oil as food items, then as non food items: mozi nets, kitchen sets, blankets, soap, tarpaulin and clothes sometimes if there has been a church who has organized a collection. The government provides the food and other Red Cross branches or well wishes the rest.

But there are a lot of difficulties such as co-operation of people, waiting around for the government officials to sign out the food, stopping people from taking more than their share…

On the Monday we went to distribute and I saw how people who are not even affected come just trying to benefit from the situation, then other people pretend to be someone else, or a husband and wife will both go so that they get double the provisions. It is tough to keep control which is why the army help, they are really needed as at one point I saw what it is like when all the people swarm around you wanting to get something! Or when we pack up the truck and those who were not successful grab and demand to be given things.

But it is great fun, we get up, come pack the trucks, usually about 12 people go from the branch and sometimes we are joined by volunteers from other branches. There is a big truck that goes to carry the maize and beans sacks, wowa rather nice sight watching the strong young men lift the sacks! But that’s besides the point! Then there are the land rovers and on VERY old truck dating back from the Vietnam war. Pretty interesting to see how it operates. Yesterday I was in the truck, great view from up the top, the other day I was in a land rover, the seat kept almost falling off, pretty exciting!

On the first day I was told to report at 7am and it was not till 11 that we left, that day it really pissed me off the lack of time keeping and efficiency, but after a week of it I have leanrnt that hey, this is Africa, I might as well go with the flow, there is that phrase, ‘God give me the strength to change the things I can, the patience to accept the things I cannot and the wisdom to know the difference,’ (or something to that meaning) and I have realized that this is one of those, accept it situations! I can’t do anything about is so I might as well not stress out and have fun!

Red Cross

Excitement!! For the last week I have been working for Nakuru Red Cross – I am a fully fledged life member! (Only cost 20pounds to be a member for life so I thought why not?)

It has been great fun so far, among the best of my experiences here in Kenya.

The focus of this week has been relief for those affected by the tribal clashes in Molo and the surrounding areas, around an hour plus from Nakuru.

The best bit as usual with good things is the people, mostly all volunteers, a few employed, all ranging from 18 to about 35. It has been great to be so welcomed and to chat to motivated young individuals not afraid to go away from the flow and who are not just motivated by money. Many have some other form of income but not all, with the high unemployment here and the difficulty in getting a job it is great to have an organization which provides worthwhile activities to fill the day, comradeship, teambuilding, experience of work…

There are SO many things going on at this place throughout the year, something every day so that any day a volunteer can be made use of. There is the HIV/AIDS programme which involves dissemination, training days, distributing to those affected, school visits…

There is the blood donor programme involving mobilizing donors and organizing drives in schools, workplaces…

There is the youth programme, camps, peer educator programme, fun days, visits to hospitals, orphanages, fun days, family days…

Disaster response, fires, clashes, distribution…

So no-one can ever be board!

Circumcision

Here it is the right of passage for a boy becoming a man to go through circumcision, so important to the extent that if he is not and this is discovered when he is older, he will be forcefully stripped and taken to the hospital if lucky, or have it done then and there while people watch! So Winnies brother Jenga has gone for that yesterday. So count yourselves lucky guys that you don’t have to do that!

TORTOISE LAYS EGGS!!!

Stephanus went out into the garden just now (ok it will be yesterday by the time I log this…) and found the tortoises laying eggs! In the actual motions of it - isn’t it exciting! Wow so now I have seen both a human and an animal in labor, pretty impressive eh!

Nairobi, a much needed break.

A much needed break, oh and visa renewal of course! A good way to mark having reached the halfway point through my stay here in Kenya. I went on a matatu with Clemencia (the oldest Venter aged 20) which was great as she has lived in Nairobi so knows her way around. Much more relaxing than going all alone, and much more fun too!

Was nicely surpriosed by the length of the journey- only three hours once in Nakuru coz they have improved the road since September (what a blessing). I positively enjoyed the journey, rather a surprise seeing my usual travel hate, but what with the improved road, my ipod to listen to, company and a great view the time passed very nicely.

Once there we set upon the task of passport renewal, luckily we had Eve to help, a frined of one of the teachers at YASHA, that is onew of the great things about Kenya (I cant speak for Africa as a whole as iv not visited anywhere else) you can just meet people, tell them about things that you are trying to arrange and they 9 out of ten times say ‘oh I have a friend who works there’, or ‘oh just stay with my relative’ or something of the sort! People are so helpful and here a nice warm smile and connections are what helps. So when at the teachers celebration last Saturday, a great time btw, I mentioned the need to go to Nairobi/ my fear of how to go about such passport/visa issues, teacher Helen immediately said ‘oh I have this great friend, she is staying in Nairobi at the moment and she has loads of American friends who she has helped do just that. I think you two would get on great, il give her a call.’ So there we go!

So first it is one desk, then another, then off to get photos, then fingerprints… but by 4.30 the whole thing’s done, sigh of relief as I envisaged it might take three days like it did in the UK!

Wow how it felt to be in a city… no dirt roads, proper pavement, real shops, coffee bard, sky scrapers… it was like stepping back into a world I had not seen for some time. We went out for a chicken salad, spending 3.50 on lunch seemed a great extravagance after nakuru! We only did it once as my comrades budgets, and mine if I were to be sensible not just step easily into the life I am so used to and comfortable in, are tight. It was both so nice and so hard to be in that situation- in Nakuru I had not been faced with the luxury I had back home so could think, wowa I spent and wasted so much! That moey could have kept pople alive! But walking the streets where everything is back to, not extravagant but actually fairly cheap for the UK I saw just how hard it is to be so disciplined.

I learnt another important lesson that I am trying to get as a habit- its not what life throws at you but how you react: to get a matatu to the place where Eve stays we had to wait at 7pm in a line for 45plus minutes, then get onto a noisy matatu for another 45 minutes after having yet another greasy meal in the one cheap crappy place in town. The first night this got to me, I so wanted to just have a nice meal, go to a hotel or clubbing (!) or something, then on the other hand was so tired so could do with a sleep, either way not to be in the Q! but the next night, same situation, I though hey, what can I do? Make light of it! So Eve and I had a great conversation about life, our families, our upbringing… and I bought some fresh pinapple from a street seller to make up for the greasy food. So the evening was almost exactly the same in activity but we both had a much better time!

‘give me the strength to change the things I can, the grace to accept the things I cannot and the wisdom to know the difference’

That is my mantra these days!

The second day, once important paper work out of the way I could get down to some relaxing activities: I went to a THE library, yes I think it may be the only one, and read a book about Switzerland, for some reason the African ones, just the African books, you have to pay to read, somewhat ridiculous I thought but hey!

Then to a bookshop/music shop and listened to some CDs on the headphones

Then just sat and read a book on the grass in the university garden while Eve did her own paperwork for Fridays graduation. I was not disturbed once by some lad calling ‘jane!’, ‘wanjiku!’ ‘pretty lady!’ or a street kid asking for a sweet or saying’ give me money!’

It was Heavenly, those are all activities that seem normal but ones that I have not done in the whole time that I have been here.

So I was able to come back to Nakuru recharged with some energy (and excited for when Lucy comes in January so I can go back!

YASHA an answer to prayers and an unsuspected challange

"lets start from the very beginning...
its a very good place to start..."

well, ok not from the very beginning that would take a long time and you could just as well read the rest of the blog! but here's an update at least

a few months ago i went to mount longonot (see previous post!) and met a very interesting South African lady called Lydia Venter there with two of her adopted children, she is white SA but has three adopted black SA kids and one adopted Kenyan daughter.

we got chatting after the climb, not during as i was at the front and she was at the back! (dont worry she wouldnt mind me saying that!) and she told me about the school that she runs in Njoro Egerton. Egerton is a university about 40 minutes by matatu (of course depending on how many times the matatu stops to collect more people, to pump a tire, to get more petrol... on the way)

anyway the school YASHA is a mission school, her and her husband are missionaries, which they set up together about 4 years ago. at the time i didnt thing too deeply about it but she suggested that i come visit some time and that if i, or any friends of mine wanted to come visit it would be much appreciated. so we swapped numbers and then I basically forgot about it.

around a month ago now i was VERY low, work at Nakuru Nursing Home was unsatisfying with only an average of 5 patients, work at the General Hospital was SO draining, i would go for a few hours, wash walls, chat to patients but wonder seriously what difference i was making in the longterm, or even short term really. i had been spending some time at a youth center where i spent one week decorating the place but then after that there was really not much for me to do- not being trained as a chancellor i couldn't help with the great work they do there. to top that i was very lonely at the house where i was staying, spending more and more fun nights out at friends houses and wondering why i was spending any time at all back at the house and shouldn't i just move out?

so i started investigating options. i talked to friends about possible places to stay, but most of them, staying already in over crowded one room waterless places i didn't really feel that i could ask. then i started looking at new places to volunteer- on one very low day walking from PGH to NNH i bumped into Jeff- someone also from the longonot trip, who i knew works in some schools so i organized to go around with him for the day and see.

it was like God had actually answered my prayers that day, sent me someone, some hope for that day and the week leading up to the visit. unfortunately the day didn't open up any options really but i still thank God for that meeting.

then i found out that a friend of mine volonteers with the Red Cross here so i went with her and talked to them about becoming a member- something i still intend to do .

but most life changing, i called Lydia Venter and arranged to go and see her school. i went on one monday evening and stayed at their house having a chance to meet all the kids:

• Timothy is 4
  
• Stephanus is 9
  
• Joy is 10
  
• Maki is 14
  
• Clemencia is 20

they were SO welcoming that i decided then and there, even before visiting the school that i would like to go and stay there for some time, maybe the last two weeks of term- here most schools stop at the beginning of December for their long summer holidays.

i also heard more about the school, Lydia and her husband Wilco set it up under a very different system that originated in the US- kids work at their own pace through work books, they set their own goals for the day, their own homework, and if the average is right they complete each years work within the number of weeks in the year. but if not then they continue the next year. but it means that kids actually progress much faster. for the younger kids, the ones who are just starting, they do learn the alphabet, to read and write together but they do it phonetically. the atmosphear there is great.
so i thought to myself, WOW i can come here as i kind of holiday!

so more information about YASHA later, i will get back to the story, it is far from finished!

i told my host mother Nancy about this and she seemed a but dubious i called Karanga our rep here and told him that i intended to be going away for a few weeks and he seemed fine with it as long as i knew that i was out of Changing Worlds care. then on Friday Nancy asked me if i was still going to Egerton, i said 'yes!' very indignantly, it had been my lifeline through that week, really i was at the point of just wanting to go home to England but was keeping going knowing that things would change soon. i thought i better be honest with Nancy so i told her that i was unhappy and not sure that i would actually come back after my stay there. she said she didn't think that it was such a good idea and that every time i was out of the house she worried so i should not go out to stay at friends houses anymore. the conversation went on and i felt more and more caged in and lonely. that night i cried myself to sleep and in the morning, about 6 once i could sleep no longer i started packing. when i was in the shower she took my things and hid them so. i had not been planning on just leaving that morning, i was preparing for the next day when i had already arranged to go. so i was in a state, she said we must meet with the leader in kenya for the company Karanga, but he was in nairobi so we met with his wife. she said that i was messing them around, i should not be spending nights out, i was in their care till i leave kenya, i cannot leave nakuru ever for the dayu, i cant work in new places even in nakuru... i was like a bird with its wings chopped off.

so in a state the day went on, do i keep on making the costumes for the YASHA kids end of term production that i started? what do i do?!

wnt to church the next day after multious emails to my mum, and the service was about taking up the things that god gives you, holding on to them and breaking free from prisons. i really knew at that point that god was on my side.

so the next day MY ABSOLUTELY LOVELY MOTHER organised from 'the other side', (ie spoke to the organiser of Changing Worlds) as they call it here that i could go to Egerton. i recieved news of this at 4.30pm, knowing that Nancy my host mother would arrive back and most probably not let me get my things i rushed back on a budabuda (bike with a seat on the back, with lots of bruses and cuts involved, but luckily i got a lift back to the house, got my things and got safely on a matatu to Egerton Njoro where Lydia picked me up in their Missionary car.

so thats how i got there! one day late but neverthe less there. the kids were SO pleased as they had been told that i would be coming for the last two weeks of term to make costumes, decorations and organise pieces for their end of term award ceremony (held yesterday) the hastle was all worth it, the family have embraced me and made me part of it, the school has given me a role where i can thrive and my ideas and organisational skills are embraced, God sent me here and i feel in a m,ental state of rest- i know what i am doing here is worthwhile.

as much as anything i have seen that i am here as a help for Lydia personally, someone from the west with as much vision and drive as her. you see things here are tough for them, Wilco is over in South Africa helping to raise funds for the school and to look for some employment so that they can raise money for the family to live off. the kids do pay but it is only the equivalent of 10pounds per term- not even enough for the filling school meals that they recieve every day at no extra cost. on top of that many of the parents actually pay with labour rather than money, one or two days a month instead of fees.

so there is no money to pay the rent, the water, the electricity, we pray every day for funds and help. so here i know that i am appreciated, i am not depriving anyone from a jopb or doing something unnecessary, i am helping to keep a fantastic vision alive. so when i am tired, stressed out, i remember what we are doping here, giving kids a future, they will have energy and passion to go somewhere, to realise that life can be enjoyed, it does not just have to be selling tomatoes by the side of the road and scraping the pennies for dinner.

last week there was a prefects retreat, a day where the prefects did fun things together, i organised games, another teacher had a descussion, everyone got dressed up for a special meal, its about making the kids feel special. knowing that people will go that extra mile for them.

yesteday was the award ceremony (dont worry i have pics!) at many points during the week i thought that i had bitten off more than i could chew, too many costumes to make, a hall with broken windows ands grafiti to decorate (we had rented the university lecture hall) and too many invitations to get delivered. late nights- up till 11pm in the hall with Maki and Mary (both students in the school) decorration on friday night while Lydia and Clemencia finished the cirtificates... up at 5.30 making breakfast and preparing thigs, the car tire going flat, mendazis not ready, plug for sound system not working... my oh my the mountains to climb over! but it all happened! and whats more Lydia enjoyed the show, i was backstage (praying and thanking all those parents who had helped out at the many shows that i was in as a kid and realising hat a tough job it is!) running about madly but the show was great, the kids had never done or seen something like it nor the parents, something that for us in the west would have been classed as medioka what is expected, here is the undreamed of.

so it was all worth it. and the thanks that i recieved was astounding, i was just doing a job, but a job that noone else would have done, Lydia has enough on her plate keeping the place afloat so was so greatful to have some help with the creative side.

so i call out to you from the bottom of my hear t with a worthwhile cause that is deserving of any monetary gifts that you can offer, this is a truely amazing place and every 10pounds helps. on thursday there were tears, the water tank was dry (we only wash with one jug of water so it is not wastage that causes that) and the electricity was about to be turned off. God calling me to go to the bank. i withdrew 150pounds worth of kenyan shillings- (what on my budget should last me 6weeks) put it in an envelope and left it on Lydias desk with a 'note saying a gift to be used where it is needed'. if i have to come home early i wont mind. here is a cause which is much more diserving that me. Lydia cried when she saw it. she said that she should have had more faith in God, as that day she had called her husband to take out a loan to pay some of the bills with. so the next day Joy could have some new school shoes, hers had been repared 3 times already, and the elecrticity could be paid to we are not living with candles.

so truely every little helps and is appreciated. when i go home i will do some proper fundraising but for now i will do my best this end in the school, i am intending to come back in january. when i asked lydia about it the smaile on her face stretched from one ear to the other! she said 'i didnt want to ask you i thought you would think i was asking too much! we would love to have you!' so my prayers have been answered and so have hers,

God works in wonderful ways.