Another Freaky Car-ride

On the second day in Kenya, I was invited to travel back to Nairobi for Sunday morning church. “No thanks,” I said. “I have so much work to do.” What that really meant was “No thanks. Car rides in Kenya freak me out!”

But, seven days later, I had to travel back to Nairobi for my flight home. Megan decided to take the back way so I could see the coffee fields and beautiful countryside. As it turned out, I barely saw any of that. I was too busy white-knuckling anything I could hold on to… too busy trying not to puke.

The old saying “When in Rome, do as the Romans” fits Megan’s new style of driving perfectly. She made room where there was none. She accelerated when I was slamming my brake foot on the floorboard. Meg even made her own road when the one provided wasn’t moving. I’m sure you get the picture. By the time we arrived in Nairobi, I felt like I was exiting the roller coaster from hell.

But I have to interject here that the trip was perfectly executed. Not the response you expected from me, huh? Let me explain. If an American drove in Kenya the way he does at home, I suspect he’d end up in the hospital- never reaching his intended destination. To some degree, everyone everywhere drives according to how we think the others around us will handle the traffic. Thus, you better give them what they expect or you will be hit, run-over, or pushed off the road.

Megan deserves an A for “Adaptive Driving” as do I for “Expressive Body Language”. Next time I’m in Kenya, I’ll be choosing cramped legs in the back seat over lots of leg room in the front on every car-ride. I will also gladly take any suggestions on ways to knock myself out  for an hour :-)

Seven Babies and Not a Peep!

I’m sure it is hard to imagine seven babies in one room all content at the same time. It was great in that I was holding a class for their mommies. But it also made me realize how easy it would be for their young mothers to misjudge their needs. These babies are basically so content and healthy. Surely that is a good sign. What the young mothers don’t understand is the value of stimulation… how the brain responds to stimulation and how most of the brain’s development is done by age 5. Although I was talking about small businesses, the homework assignment clearly had to be playtime with their babies.

The Bermuda Triangle- Nairobi Style

I was way out of my league this time. But, I didn’t even realize it until I got into the car to leave. You may know the feeling… it’s when you get away from the situation and say “Wait a minute. What just happened to me?” All I can say in retrospect is “Buyer beware in Nairobi’s Triangle Market. You are not as smart as these guys!”

The market operates by bargaining. I was a bit apprehensive to go, but I had Megan with me. She enjoys  the game. I also bargained a couple of times before in Kisumu with good success. My first clue should have been Megan saying “Connie, we’re only at the first stall and you are already buying!” We hadn’t even walked one foot into the market and I was buying 3 things. Brother!

So here are the master tricks used to suck me in. I fell for all but one.

1- “My wife had twins last night. Just buy something to help the babies.”   “Yeah right,” I thought. “They can’t fool me.” Looking back, this probably is a double trick. If they don’t snag you w/ the baby thing, they at least get you over confident.

2- “This work is quite intricate and laborsome. $5 is nothing for such detail.”

3- “Oh , yes you like this? Hey everyone, she likes the …” “Ooohhh!” they all say. “What good taste.”

4- “It is Sunday and I haven’t sold a thing. Please don’t send me home to my family empty handed.”

5- “I guarantee this. If you buy from me, no one else in the market will hound you. I will see to it.”

6- “I am not the skilled master who made this special piece. I cannot sell his beautiful work for anything less than what he will accept.”

7- (My favorite) “We will only haggle 4 times. I write my price. You write yours. I will then write my final price and you the same. That is it. I will haggle no farther.” (Ha! That happens in less than 5 minutes but you are still being offered options a half hour later.)

8- “Which other thing do you like here? I will give you two for the price.”  That does not mean two for the price of one. It means both at that price. In other words, you just spent double what you intended.

9- “No problem you have no shillings. We take Green Money!” That means you can use your stash of American to travel home with. This is probably another double trick. You buy what you really didn’t want or need and you get taken on the exchange rate.

10, 11, 12 and on and on…  Get the picture? Now, here comes the insult upon injury. I only went to three stalls and stuck around long enough to hear all these tricks and more. What an idiot!

Seems Like There is Always Something Sad

This trip was fantastic. I got a lot of work done. I also didn’t have to do things I didn’t need to do or want to do. Both because I was by myself this trip. I was worried about that but it really ended-up being an advantage.

But, just when things seemed to be all positive, I had one of those moments when the reality of Africa’s condition was right in front of me. We were walking out of our apartment complex when a groundskeeper approached. He began to carefully unfold a piece of paper. On it, he had written columns for names and more. “Excuse me please” he began. “My brother has died and I need some help for his family.” Sad that you have to beg for help when you even have a job.

My host, Megan, politely remended him that she cannot help and we continued walking. “I don’t know why he always asks me for help,” she said. “I’ve explained to him several times that I can’t.”

She’s right. We can’t help or we’d be constantly surrounded by people begging at the gates. Our efforts would quickly get diverted from the children we are trying to serve.

It was awful to say no, but it was the right thing to do. I hate it.

A Unforeseen Need Becomes a Dream Come True

When we first started planning our project, there was no mention of computers. INTEL to the rescue. We have been the lucky recipients of a grant from them which has not only allotted 10 laptops for Karibu, but also staff to train our teachers and children.

Having spent a couple of hours with eighth graders at the public school, I now can see how important such a gift will be. These kids come from the s___s, or “estates” as I prefer to call them. They knew of computers but suggested they were for games and business recording. It was a complete surprise to them that computers could help you find out anything you wanted to know. They were also surprised that you could talk to people in practically every corner of the world if you had a connected computer.

This is the last year in school for most of them.

If we could only get computers into schools in Africa, I think it would change everything. Some argue that they would feel like the “have-nots”. I think they would discover how much they don’t know about their own country. It really could make their dreams for a successful future come true.

Feeding Programs

While I was visiting the local primary school one morning, I heard about their feeding program. A donor in Japan was providing beans and corn to make a “porridge” at noon for all the students. It looked like liquid, puried kidney beans to me. Two cooks had three pots going outside the classrooms.

Smoke couldn't help but drift into classrooms at times.

One child was washing all the cups nearby.

Guess there are no sanitation laws to follow.

The headmaster explained that last term, because of the feeding program, more children started coming to school. Great, I thought. Then he explained the “Catch-22″. With more children coming, the allotment ran out early. There were two weeks left in the term but no food. So what happened? Kids stopped coming. How can anyone teach well when kids come and don’t come at will?

Three teachers were gone today.

I was really impressed by the new buildings that were being finished. The headmaster was fortunate to have a grant from a foreign country to renovate old classrooms and build nice, new ones too. I hope he can sustain the feeding program so the classrooms are full every day!

You’d Go Nuts Over This!

One of the strange things about Kenya is the age of children who are “out and about” without adults. It drove me nuts on my first trips. At home, if I ever see a small child without an adult, I immediately take a position of guardianship. I naturally wanted to do it in Kenya too. It became quickly obvious to me, however, I couldn’t assist every child who was unaccompanied.

On the day we toured the “estate”, many very young children began to follow us home. No one was watching them. No one came looking for them. They are simply unsupervised as young as two. Certainly they won’t get lost if they find themselves at our project. They have walked the road a thousand times. I have also been assured there are no molestation or kidnapping issues in small children in Kenya. So, bottom-line, they will wander and you just have to get used to it. This time, an older student started singing Bible songs to show me his talent as we walked back. All the little ones chimed in shortly. I felt like the Pied Piper of Africa.

The beginning of our walk back.

Not Everyone Takes Our Offer

We offer free preschool to all the children. You’d think everyone would send their kids, but they don’t. One reason- the parents never went to school and see no reason for it. Free primary was only instituted in Kenya recently. The concept hasn’t necessarily caught hold either. If you live on casual labor and so does everyone else you know, what is the value in school? Maybe they think you won’t miss what you don’t know.

Home Is Where the Heart Is

 

On the flight home from Kenya, I was thinking about the word “slum.” I have never liked using it in my blog. Our project manager suggested the word “estate” instead. From now on, that is the word I will use.

I lived in a poorer part of town growing up and in quite modest housing, but our home was never an issue for me. It was simple but it was neat and comfortable. I never recall anyone making me feel like it was less than good enough. I’m sure that is the way Africans feel about their homes.

A parent volunteer from one of the estates offered to take me on a tour of hers. She breaks rocks apart in the quarry for $2.00 a day. She is happy to have work, so she can pay rent and provide food. Yes, estates are owned by someone and people must pay to live there!

One of the children we met.

Umoja Estate consists of many narrow pathways between “cubes” which often house several family members. Each cube is probably about 8′ by 10′. Our volunteer, who lives in Umoja, graciously allowed me to see inside her cube. There were 2 tiny tables and two beds.

One table.

That’s it. You couldn’t even open the front door without someone practically having to get on the bed so you could come in. And it was hot… very hot. The daytime temperature was always above 80 degrees this trip. In that temperature, the tin siding made her cube turn into an oven. Hers was actually considered better than others because it had tin walls. It also had a small outdoor courtyard for cooking and laundry with a cement floor. I had to agree that it looked pretty good compared to the slums I have seen in Nairobi.

While standing in our volunteer’s courtyard, I realized there were at least 10 doors around a courtyard the size of our bathroom. It was obvious that the outdoor space was shared by 10 families. It was then  I realized the true population of just that one estate. No wonder we have the potential of serving hundreds of children.

Two cubes side-by-side.

 

I did see many homes sided in rough boards. The gaps offered no privacy or protection. Several of these wooden structures looked like they might collapse any moment. These homes were about a third less rent. There were buildings made from rock too. I think these had the highest rents. They looked like they would be cooler, bigger, and the least penetrable by thieves and rapists.

There was a spigot for municipal water in this estate. This made her estate far more safe and living less difficult. Unfortunately, they had to pay every time they filled their jugs. Umoja has just been given power too. Many homes will never be wired to use it though. Food comes first.

So, all in all, even though they were living in the “s—s”, it was home. I totally understand. Homelessness would be one step closer to death. Having a roof over their heads and protection in the  darkness of night is comforting.

A Little Taste of Thika

After spending the morning teaching, Megan and I took a little excursion into town. I needed to see what the local vendors offer and what they charge. Since our director was interviewing candidates for the abandoned/orphaned babies, it was just us… no male accompaniment.

It is Megan’s understanding they are the only white people in Thika these days. You can imagine it was a little scary being 2 white gals all alone.  Megan has shopped there many times though and knew it was safe. The market was packed with basic, handmade stuff. I wish I could upload my picture of the shoes. First I saw black, Florsheim like shoes made by hand. Several vendors were trying to sell them with not much luck. No surprise there.

Then I saw vendor after vendor selling sandal type shoes made from old tires. Megan had told me about them on our way there. I had pictured the kind they make in Mexico with nice leather tops and thick tire soles. That was not the case. These were only made from really thin pieces of tire and were extra long with curled-up points on the front. They were kind of like elf shoes. I think they are extremely ugly but Megan says they are the fashion in some circles here. I want to bring the Mexican version here just to show them what they could do.

I feel so bad for people. They work so hard trying to sell the same few things to people who can’t afford anything. Certainly I admire that they are trying to run a small business but wholly cow do they need some new ideas!