Becca, Ndegwa, Susan, Peter and Susanne at Nakuru

Since we had a safari pop-up van with extra room we decided to invite Peter and Ndegwa.  These two young men have been born and raised in Kenya and had never seen any wildlife besides the odd zebra or gazelle in the distance.  We had a fabulous day.  It was as much fun for us to watch the boys enjoy the day and the amazing animals they were seeing for the first time as it was to see the animals ourselves!

Peter seeing giraffes!

Large Baboon

Up and out the door by 5:30am (Ndegwa thought we were joking at first) we were in the park by 6:30am when all the animals start to become active.  We were greeted just inside the gates by a huge troop of baboons – also called a congress of baboons, which garnered a laugh from Becca and Susanne.

We wound our way up to Baboon Cliff and enjoyed coffee, chai and breakfast overlooking the still misty park.  The boys delighted in the Rock Hyrax begging for crumbs and bananas.  You would never believe these critters are closely related to elephants!

Nakuru is famous for it’s large flamingo population tinged pink from the algae they eat.  This year we were surprised to see a great number of pelicans (also slightly pink).  We saw Grey Crowned Cranes, Guinea Fowl, Plovers, Herons and all sorts of water birds and birds of prey.

Hungry Rock Hyrax - ELEPHANT COUSIN!?!?

The animals did not disappoint!  It was a great thrill to get a good siting of two male lions.  Later in the afternoon were able to see about 10 white and black rhinos.  A couple of dozen giraffe made Becca’s day.  Cape buffaloes clashing, impala, zebra grazing, a muddy waterfall swollen from the recent rains and even a small plane landing on a private runway all thrilled the boys!

It was a perfect, stunning day.  As we headed out of the park fierce clouds rolled in and drops began to fall.  We were too happy and content to notice.

Jane on a better day

We headed out for our walks to check on Cu-cu Grace and found her in her garden happy and joyful to see us!  After a short visit we headed across the field to check on Ndegwa’s sister, Jane.  She was in a horrific accident awhile back when a motorcycle hit her while she was crossing the busy road by her house. Jane was supposed to get her casts removed from her arm and leg (to the hip!) last week.  We found her in bed in a great deal of pain, casts on for another two weeks at least.  I always carry spare Tylenol and we sat with her while she got more comfortable.  We also made sure they had enough food and the dogs Tusker and Mizungu were in good form and free from ticks.

Sweet Eunice

Jane is HIV positive and at 24 very tiny and small boned.  We worry about her ability to heal and monitor supplements and food to assist her.  She is mother to sweet little Eunice.  We want her to be happy and healthy for a long time to come!

On the way home we picked up roasted ku-ku (chicken) and chapati for Mercy and found her VERY hungry and tired after a long morning at her weekly clinic visit to track her TB.  We couldn’t stay long as the big rain clouds were rolling in and we had to get home before the storm.  You don’t want to be caught at the bottom of the hill when the rains start!

Cu-cu Willie with Susan

On Tuesday we visited several Secondary Schools checking in with Head Masters that I hadn’t seen for awhile.  Their attitudes changed dramatically when Becca told them that she was a teacher by profession who also provided professional development for other teachers.  These were good, informative visits followed by short visits to Cu-cu Willie and Cu-cu Patrick who live near Kekopey Secondary.

After a long busy week focused on work, we thought it would be nice to show Becca some ‘highlights’ of the Great Rift Valley while we had a taxi.  We went to Sunbird Eco-Lodge for a lovely lunch with a view of the valley and Lake Elementeita.  The rains came in and chased us off the patio but we were happy and relaxed.

Market Day

Wednesday is Market Day.  Miriam and I took Becca and Don Richard down to town for the experience.  We were able to buy many T’s and Fleece for the teenagers at a great price.  Lot’s of good finds before the sun took it’s toll on us and we headed for a room temperature coke and a ride home.

Afternoons are always full of computer time and kids popping in!  The rains have come so MAYBE it will be a bit quieter around here today.  Until the next time!

Cu-cu Grace greeting us from her shamba

On Market Day with many cu-cus in town, we decided to have them up for tea so that they could meet Becca.  It was great fun!

They were all excited to meet her – greeting Becca with hugs and big smiles.  Our prayer warrior, Cu-cu Grace, started our tea with a 5 minute prayer.  She is one powerful cu-cu who at 88 still works her huge shamba (garden) with a heavy jembe hoe.  As she prays you don’t have a clue what she is saying, as she speaks in Swahili, but you can FEEL her power and devotion.  Goosebumps run from head to toe and tears slide down your face.

Our cu-cus truly love us and appreciate the support we give them as they raise their Grandchildren and GREAT grandchildren.  They have  been abadoned by so many including their surviving children who don’t want the added responsibilityand cost of raising their orphaned nieces and nephews.

Cu-cu Kagure couting fingers and toes

Cu-cu Kagure spied one of the baby dolls I brought for the kids and just couldn’t get over it.  Pretty soon they were all checking out the tiny toes and fingers – rocking, hugging and patting them like newborns.  Laughing and giggling as they had never seen a doll.  “They look so real!”

No sooner did the grandmas leave to beat the approaching storm then some of our big kids pitched up-Agnes N for computer fees, Titus and Josphat, Peter and Ndegwa.  They file in and out until dark.  Some request fees for this or that and some just want a bite to eat and a chance to talk and laugh.  We enjoy watching them blossom and become more confident.

Full House of kids watching WDCP video

Saturday we had a “Kids Day” so Becca could meet as many of our children as possible while she is here.  I think we were close to 35 by the end of the day!  First the little one arrived at 9AM with a big excited smnile on her sweet face.  Eunice (6) is actually Ndegwa’s niece.  He dropped her off for a play day while he attended to some business in town.  The house quickly filled to bursting.  Kids laughing, eating, drawing, reading and writing their thank yous and new ”children’s fun forms”.  It was so fun to watch the little girls loving on the dolls and the small boys playing with the cars.  It was dark before the door finally closed behind the last one and us “mommas” finally sat down!  I must say the dawa (medicine) in the green bottle is mighty nice right about then!

 Today, Sunday, we are all fighting colds.  We told Miriam and baby to stay home and rest and we decided a semi-quiet day here wouldn’t hurt us one bit.  Soooo, we are spending time catching up on the computer writing, and housework and enjoying the quiet while we can.  If we are lucky it’ll last until early afternoon!  Our reprieves never last long so we take advantage when we can.

Some of our little ones on Party Day!

Rahab and Baby Margaret

This week Titus and Stephen, our big boys at the Polytech came by (always at dinner time) for field trip fees. Titus, our troubled one, has made a dramatic about face, shocking his teachers and ready to finish his 2 yr carpentry course in good form. Martha our girl in tailoring came to spend her day off with us. Rahab and Grace came on Monday afternoon to visit. Rahab is now in hairdressing school and Grace, a graduate, is working in a salon. Rahab told Miriam she can’t thank us enough for giving her this chance as it has changed her life. Marrying and having a child right after graduation she was told by a former staff member she was not welcome back. But that is not how Wana Duma operates…..we tracked her down when we heard this had happened to her and welcomed her back with open arms. She said her and her husband had been really struggling as hard laborers. Now she doesn’t worry.

Miriam, Susanne, Lucy, Sarah, Agnes R, Hannah...and Bahati in the middle of it all!

Gitu comes by for money for their Senior “bash”. Peter and Ndegwa come by to go over a new business adventure. Gladys to talk about problems at home where she lives with her sister and her 9 kids and alcoholic Mother. Agnes W stops to get her transport money to get to her computer classes (which she is loving!!!). John M to get final fees as he finishes up his College courses. Faith, Anthony, Agnes R. John M (another) to get fees for balances due, Elizabeth pops in too. It is a constant revolving door that only closes after dark to begin again at dawn.

This week will prove to be challenging….but then every week is in one form or another.
So here’s to happy days, many bananas and no barking dogs at night! Oh yeah, can’t forget the grape juice……………..

If someone would have told me when I was young I’d be living in Africa half the year I would have laughed! I never even dreamed of the dark-continent let alone thought I’d be living here!  Back then, Africa was visions of big black kettles filled with mzungu’s (white people) with safari hats and missionary garb bubbling away, scantily clad natives with bones piercing their noses dancing in celebration of the great meal to come.  Drums beating in the distance predicting an ominous outcome…man eating lions, huge gorillas crashing through the bush, venomous snakes dropping from trees and monster spiders weaving webs big enough to trap an elephant (ok so that was what Tarzan had to deal with!)

At dawn on my 40th birthday I found myself sailing over the Serengeti in a hot air balloon.  I crawled in the basket one person and crash-landed another. Totally under the magical spell of Africa, my life never to be the same.

Balloon over Serengeti

Now I’ve walked the paths of man eating lions, have been charged by rhino, elephants and cape buffalo, crossed croc infested rivers and even found myself caught up in the middle of a chimp territorial war. My first 12 years here I volunteered with Cheetah Conservation, which lead to assisting education programs and creating libraries in many schools we visited.  These programs lead me to stories of children in need which has transitioned over the last 10 years into what is now Wana Duma Children’s Project.

Kamathatha School Children

Completed Milgis Trust School House

We have given hope to many, taught children to dream and shown them dreams can indeed come true.  We have filled empty bellies, soothed weary cu-cu’s and where we have given them support they have inspired us with their strength.

As our project continues to change to meet the needs of our children we are greeted with big smiles and less stress.  The blank stares of confusion are disappearing, being replaced with confidence and a lightness, a hope for a better tomorrow.

We try and get out the door between 9 and 10 am and head down the hill to bring Mercy her daily doses of dawa (medicine) and her food.  Mercy is doing ok with her TB but has no spunk.  The TB meds really take it out of her. I brought her a book to read from our small library and she’s ready to start beading again -both good signs.

Grace's Cu-cu

We then head out to see cu-cu Grace, our Prayer Warrior.  She’s about an hour’s walk away.  We find her bent over working away in her big shamba (garden).  As we cross the field, we call out so as not to startle her.  In her excitement at seeing us she drops her hoe and rushes up grabbing me in a big hug chanting God bless you, you are back! over and over. Her eyes sparkle as she says my name.  Just then a lady walking by curious as to why two strangers are with cu-cu she calls out that she can come translate.  Cu-cu happily shouts back that we are her children…no need!!

Ndegwa in his repair shop

Cu-cu wants to immediately take us back to the house to make us tea (chai) but we have many stops today and make a plan for next week and a longer visit. The next shamba over is where Ndegwa (our motorcycle mechanic grad) lives with his sister Jane who is HIV positive and her 6 yr old daughter. He cares for them both.  Two months ago Jane was hit by a piki piki while trying to cross the highway.  She was quite the sight….her whole left side in a cast with broken arm and leg.  We brought her food and vitamins and had a nice visit. We also worked on the dogs Tusker and Mzungu—dewormed and flea and tick treatment.  They love to see us walking down the path as we always leave them with big juicy bones.

Titus

On our way home we stop at Comboni Tech to check on Titus who is finishing up his two year carpentry course. Our Titus has issues with finishing his courses.  I think he gets bored with routine and goes AWOL and I have to go track him down.  After a severe scolding to all of us from the Headmaster (and me pleading for his life) we are put on probation.  One of us has to come to the school twice a week and check on his progress until graduation in two months. Really, not a problem, after 9 1/2 years I’m not giving up on him now. Titus will make it, Susan and I will survive and he’ll be a great man someday…..but I must say there are a few more gray hairs on my head from Titus alone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Always shopping in town as we pass through; Pharmacy, veggies at the corner, the butcher for meat and bones, bills to pay, school fees, books to buy, the list is endless.  Then we pass by Mercy’s again.  By now we’ve walked miles in the heat and if I’m with Miriam I’ve got the baby on my back and my back is starting to complain and I’m like a horse heading back to the barn! Back at the house the kids are always popping in unexpectedly—-new teacher fees demanded after tuition is paid (I have renamed them corruption fees), to say hi, to get something to eat, someone sick etc.

With all our walking and talking we’ve had a great time separating the bad guys (corrupt opportunists) from the good (hard to find, but there).  We have had some pretty incredible revelations of late and have found we have a wonderful support group out there!  Kenyans aren’t very generous with their money but wonderful about sharing contact information….yesterday was truly a gift

Sure makes the load a lot easier to carry!

Susan with Cu-cu Kagure

I’ve been back in Kenya for a week already! I hit the ground running and have been going flat out since (never mind the jet lag comas I dropped into now and then!!). With 55 kids and 19 cu-cu’s plus trying to get organized there is never a dull moment.

Cu-cu Kagure was complaining of a bad tooth and had tried to pull it herself but it was too hard to reach.  The hospital was going to charge her 400sh ($4.50) for the honor which of course she didn’t have.  We left her the money (which she promptly hid from family members that love to stop by after a mzungu visit) so she could go in the next morning. On a follow up visit a couple days later she proudly showed us this gigantic tooth they pulled from her tiny head!!! They had sent her home with antibiotics and pain killers and we found her working in the garden with her two year old great grandson very happy. Cu-cu Nygothie was complaining of joint pain and weakness in her lower legs and unable to go far.  A crusty, tough old gal, she was only interested in getting her favorite powdered milk out of us (worth its weight in gold) and even insisted it was the doctors’ orders! She always cracks us up….we will bring her some the next visit. We found Momma Njeri, who has leprosy, in good health and in her usual cheery mood.  But I didn’t like the conditions that I found her puppy living in. The young man who usually stops by to help her had been too busy and the poor pup was covered in filth and too skinny. Sweetest little thing named Simba.  People always steal her dogs so she keeps them locked up in a small dog house. This was too much for me so I rolled up my sleeves cleaned it out, played with the 9 month pup, gave her food and fresh water and left her contently chewing on a big bone we had brought for her.

Cu-cu Patrick has been very sick and recovering from TB.  Amazing how good she looked and how strong after being down for the last 4 months. We also keep a close eye on Agnes W. and her Mother who suffer from severe asthma. We make sure they have inhalers and supplements.

Many of these women live in deplorable conditions….2 of them are 90! We are always greeted with great affection and enjoy our visits!

Our big kids come and go as we sort out micro loans and returning to school late because of illness.  The headmasters are more a problem than a help – a lot of meaningless running around and wasting time when the kids just need to be back in school.  But once again, it comes down to money—never enough for their pockets.  Instead of helping the disadvantaged they want their share!

We have been walking great distances as Taxi fares are up.  We still manage to accomplish a lot as we run into many people as we go and learn plenty!

Miriam’s new baby Don Richard is just 2 months old today and a beautiful little one.  The piglets (Sarah, Lucy, Caroline, Faith and Grace) are so good with him.  I brought baby dolls for Sarah and Lucy and they walk around soothing their “babies” patting them on the back and singing softly.  When Little Richard fusses they are all over him!!

Mercy and Susanne

The only real bad news right now is Mercy’s TB has struck again - just diagnosed yesterday.  She was doing so well….gaining weight and happily talking about returning to school. Now it’s back to vigilant overseeing of her meds and food.  She is so tired of it all and tends to not take her meds when she is down.  So we are back to twice a day visits to monitor her.  Miriam cannot risk exposure because of the baby and Lucy, also HIV positive has to stay away so that leaves Susan and I ….in fact it is time to head down the hill right now….so more later………..

Wana Duma has helped build a Primary School in the Milgis area.  When I first visited the area 10 years ago the school was a yellow tarp under a tree.  White stones were used for the alphabet and numbers.  There were usually 20-30 children in attendance.  Today Milgis Primary has 5 classrooms and 140 children.  The older children all know me and as I visited each classroom I was greeted with a special song.  I always bring the older kids mechanical pencils and soccer balls for working hard, we also donate much needed exercise books, pens and pencils.

I was excited to see what great shape the school was in.  The new Headmaster is doing a super job.  He even presented Helen with a 5 year plan! Later back on the hill at camp we spent the rest of the day sorting through many projects and as the day was winding down we heard singing and looked up as 12 ladies wearing bright blue shukas and heavily laden with their beads, faces shiny from the heat rounded the corner into camp.  They were singing songs of thanks and welcome as they have come to know me too.  Last Sept for my birthday they surprised me with beautiful songs and dance and I had sent the promised photos from that day to them earlier. More photos were taken and as dusk was settling in and the nearly full moon already high in the sky they hurried back down the hill.  I slipped down to my shower with a view to enjoy the sunset.

I returned to the top of the hill to settle in for the breathtaking night show already in progress of the moon and the stars in all their glory…………

as we say in Kenya; lala salama………..sweet dreams