Lamu: man-skirts and donkeys everywhere

Lamu was a very cool place to visit, probably the most interesting I have seen so far in Kenya. It is the oldest city in East Africa and located on an island on the coast of Kenya. There is only one car on the entire island and only one road for which it can drive on. The rest of the transport is handled by dow, an old wooden single sail boat, or donkey (punda). We took a dow ride accross to manda island for a christmas eve beach party which was unreal. Everyone was singing and beating drums with kenyans all hopped up on merah (a local drug) dancing like mad around a bonfire on the beach. A different but very cool christmas. It is an ancient city with very narrow streets, more like alleys, and thatch roofed houses. I embraced the local culture by wearing a kikoy (man skirt) for the entire trip. It is actualy quite comfortable and very breezy if you are ever in an abnormally warm climate.

Everyone in lamu is very relaxed. Completely laid back and very outgoing. It is not uncommon that someone will just stop and start chatting with you. While there i decided i needed the true lamu experience, so I paid to ride a punda(donkey) to Shela beach, about a 30 min walk down the islands coast. Aparantly there is a proper way to mount an ass, a way in which I am unaware. I carefully stratled the beast and sat down on its back, it seemed pretty straitforward. But the ass was not pleased. Like a frikin rodeo bull, the thing started bucking up and down and shot me off onto the ground. Ouch. I recieved quite a loud response from the many locals who were attentively watching this crazy muzungu. I think my dad always told me that "when you fall off an ass(maybe it was bike) you have to get right back on" so that is what i did. I jumped back on and rode the thing all the way to the beach. The owner of the donkey walks behind us beating the thing with a stick for the entire journey, which made my fried feel bad about taking the ride, but not so much me. At one point we asked if we could go faster and the dude dropped his little stick and picked up a big one. That ass kicked it up a notch.

My way back to Mombassa from Lamu was not a nice way to end the trip. On the bus ride from hell I was seated at the back with a family on either side. Children are more like luggage here rather than people so they are not given seats and have to sit on the floor or their parents, or the white guy sitting in the back of the bus. Let me first set the scene. A 7 hour bus ride on a crammed, brutally hot, stinky and blasting Indian music right over my head bus. The route is not a safe one and armed guards must accompany the bus, so there is a fear of death looming over my conscience the entire ride. A wonderful (sarcasm) familiy was sitting beside me, on both sides of me. The wife was sleeping on my shoulder and the baby on my lap. Their other kid was puking for the entire 7 hour trip. Throughout the course of the trip they spilt water on me and then squirted me with a bottle, the wife was breast feeding while resting the child on me, the kids kept stepping on my feet (in sandles), i had no room for my legs, transport in Kenya is not designed for 6'4" white guys. To top it all off, the family got off the bus, before my stop, and took my bag. Maybe I was bottoming out on my culture shock curve, it was most likely larium side effects but I was ready to kill everyone. What a trip! I did manage to retrieve my bag so all was not lost, only my patience.

Lamu was really great, amazing beaches, fun people, lobster, fish and great scenery. Just a great trip. I highly recommend traveling to Lamu, in fact it is one of those places that you absolutly have to see. But for gods sake, TAKE A PLANE!!

I will be at diani beach for new years, then back to Nairobi for a brief layover then trekking up mount kenya until the 9th. What a christmas holiday!!

Mombassa!!

It is pretty hot and humid in Mombassa, I wonder what its like in Canada? I just arrived here this morning by taking the overnight train from Nairobi. What a fantastic experience. It was like going back in time 50 years. There are these small villages along the tracks with little mud huts and straw roofs. All the kids chase after the train and wave at the muzungus. I met some other travelers in my sleeper cabin and we had a blast, drinking tusker and bribing the train worker for a dinner. The food wasn't the best, but it was a pretty fun trip.

With some of the money left over from the bash in Nyeri, I was able to buy 20 mattresses for children living in an orphanage just outside Nairobi. You should see what they were sleeping on before. About 5 kids would share a single bed that was pretty much a torn, paper thin piece of foam you would not see fit to wrap package for delivery. I really made their christmas, as you can tell from this pic, they were excited. Once again, thanks.

I am in Mombassa for 2 days, then off to Lamu for 5. Work does not start until the 5th of Jan. That makes a 2 week christmas holiday for me. What kills me is that it does not count as my holiday time. The office just closes down for that long. They really no how to relax in Kenya. I am not having any problems getting used to this.

My Day As Santa

This entire experience was a bit overwhelming. First off, the response from back home was absolutely amazing. I am so proud to have such great support. We raised $2000 to give these kids a special Christmas. Never did I image such a response. Thank-you!

Secondly, I was informed that there were more children than I had originally thought. There are 282 kids. So the response definitely matched the unanticipated demand but became a logistical nightmare (in Kenya you have no idea). Originally I was going to buy a few toys, some sweets and be done with it. But given the magnitude of the task at hand I was faced with a different situation. To divide the money between the kids could have bought them great toys and a wonderful Christmas diner. There is a buzzword amongst us volunteers doing work in developing countries; sustainability. To fill their bellies and send them with a gift is great, but we had an opportunity to do something a little more. I wanted to leave them with something useful. Sawa (ok).

KENWA Nyeri is a drop in center for orphans and HIV/AIDS patients located in the Nyeri slums (strategically placed to attract the people in need). The kids stay in the slums and visit the drop in center to receive meals, school books/uniforms and just general support. It is crucial to encourage them to make use of the center and feel a part of the community. My colleagues and I agreed that a TV and DVD player would be invaluable to the resource center of the drop-in. KENWA agreed. Not only to attract the children in for care, but to use as a learning resource. American movies are probably the best english teacher a Kenyan child can have. They had already purchased a stand but could not afford the TV. So, a spending I went. Never have I had such satisfaction while Christmas shopping. It was great!

Things I purchased: Entertainment center: 21"TV, DVD Player, DVD's (pirated DVDs are widely available in stores and very cheap, so I bought about 40 movies and many cartoon tv shows)

Treats for my visit: lots of candy, chocolate, a juice bottle, cookies, chips, popcorn and sweets. I also bought a small toy for each child to take home.

Stationary for school: Each kid received 2 note books (graph paper for math, and lined for writing), a ball point pen and a pencil.
Lunch: I bought them lunch on the day of my visit, Dec 18thA

Christmas feast: I have paid for 2 goats to be slaughtered Christmas eve (sorry goats), plus veggies, chapatti (African bread, mmmmmmm) and some cookies and cake for desert as well as Cadbury "drinking chocolate" (i think it hot chocolate) and some decorations for the event.

Food for the drop-in: I bought a van load of groceries. We filled about 5 carts at the grocery store. I had 5 of the employees running all over getting us cases upon cases of flour, sugar, powered milk and cooking fat; all the basics that are so essential. Francis (KENWA coordinator) would say "we could use one of these" and I would grab the nearest employee and say "go get us 10!"

Toys for the drop in center: All the kids can share the various toys I bought. Soccer balls, volley balls, a volley ball net, four square balls, educational board games, chess boards, books, art supplies and baby toys.

WOW! And...There is money left over and still rolling in. So.... January is a tough month for them. School is starting, the kids need books, uniforms and in some cases tuition. The hygiene of the kids is also important but usually overlooked. So I will help out where I can with school stuff, and I will buy some sanitary supplies; tampons, pads, soap, toothpaste, etc. We will see what the needs are in the New Year and I will make another trip to Nyeri.

As I was writing this, Francis from KENWA phoned me to thank me and I extend his thanks to you; "god bless you, thank you for doing this special thing for us". I could tell even he was a bit choked up.
As of late I have been a bit cynical about Christmas. Just ask my sister. Malls, shopping, spending too much on gifts that people don't even need, consumerism, commercialism, capitalism yada yada yada. This year Christmas has changed for me. For one day I was Santa Clause, only I had no hat or beard. I was able to bring joy to the faces of a bunch of kids. Making a child feel special can change their life, especially one who is alone and with nothing. Even if just one kid feels different, it is worth it. So, for the first time in a long time I can say it and truly mean it; "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" for you have made someone’s Christmas a happy one including mine.

From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU.

Massai Mara Game Park

As a year end treat, NOPE took all of its employees to Massai Mara for a team building retreat and Christmas vacation. I was told that Massai Mara is the best game reserve in the world. After visiting it, I would have to agree with that statement. There were animals everywhere!We all piled into 3 safari vans on Thursday morning and of course in true Kenyan style we left late. My co-workers surprised me as they came with tuskers in hand ready for the long 6-hour drive to the Mara. What a drive! I have never had so much fun road trip, my colleagues are a blast. We drank tusker and whiskey and laughed the entire ride there. The road to Massai Mara is without a doubt, the worst road I have ever been on. In most cases it was better to just get off the "road" and drive down the side or through the dirt. After a bumpy journey, we pulled up to Kekorock Lodge to find a spectacular hotel. It has attracted guests such as Prince Charles, Pope John Paul II and several other celebrities and politicians. My favorite part about the hotel was the boardwalk in the back, it is suspended about 20' above the ground so that you can safely look down at the hippos in the pond underneath. At the end of the boardwalk is a bar that looks down into the hippo pond.
During our stay we went on 3 game drives on all of which we were able to see lions, a treat not shared amongst all Mara visitors. We pulled right up to them while they were chomping down some zebra butt. It was incredible!We also saw countless other animals such as elephants, wildebeest, buffalo, impalas, waterbuck, and a rhino. The list goes on and on.The lodge was a bit strict when it came to noise. As a posh place they want to cater to their rich guests. My colleagues are not usually ones to keep silent either so they were itching for a place to let loose and party. our guides were staying in the staff quarters, just outside the lodge and told us they could take us to the bar there where we could have some real fun at a reasonable expense. For some reason it reminded me of that scene from dirty dancing, only without the scandalousness. We had a ball, my colleagues are absolutely nuts! I now know why Canadians are considered to be quite reserved. Because Kenyans definitely are not, they know how to have a real good time.This trip was an unbelievable experience that I will never forget.

a special christmas for some orphans in Kenya

The response I have recieved from my previous posting has been amazing! I appreciate all the support from back home and would like to ask for some more. The children in Nyeri are wonderful but they are in need of some love, especially at christmas time. I am going to put some things together for them and go for a visit on dec 18th.

I have around $200 that I will be able to spend on some presents, food and treats for the orphans in Nyeri. There are about 60(correction..... 282) children so that is a little under $1 each. They range in age from 6months to 17yrs. I am hoping to raise enough so that I have around $5 for each child. For that I would like to ask your help.

If you can spare $10 to sponsor 2 children for christmas I would be extremely grateful and so would they. $10 goes a very long way for a child in Kenya. For that, I will email or write to you with a special thanks, with a photo of the child and a list of the things that $10 was able to buy them. It would make a nice christmas gift if you are running short of ideas.

To donate depending upon the connection, please contact either:
Sarah Butson: sjbutson@hotmail.com
Dave Walton: dave.walton@rogers.com
Sandy Crawford: sandy.crawford@enbridge.com
or Julie Walton: darling66@msn.com

Thanks very much, check back later I will update on how things go.
Merry Christmas.

Santa only visits countries like Canada?

This weekend, NOPE held a community outreach program in Nyeri. Up to this point, my exposure to NOPE has been strictly from an administrative standpoint; I have not seen what actually goes on in the field. It was absolutely amazing. The majority of the participants were peer educators, trained by NOPE throughout various programs they have conducted in the past several years, an indication of the sustainability in their work. A few of us from NOPE, as well as about 50 peer educators from six different organizations went up to spread awareness and do some community work in Nyeri (about 3 hours north of Nairobi). The day started about an hour late with a group of about 60 AIDS orphaned children dancing and singing and then telling stories about AIDS. Many of these children are living with AIDS and will not see double digits, yet they were so thrilled to be participating in an event like this. I had to choke back some tears a few times. We then divided up food that was donated to distribute to AIDS patients living in the area who are too unwell to leave their homes. We split into groups to deliver the goods to their homes and see first hand the implications of the disease. Kind of an AIDS refresher, to keep people motivated about preventing the disease in their peer education seminars. I think it worked.
After the fieldwork, people were treated to lunch, prepared by KENWA, Kenyan Women living with AIDS alliance (or something like that, too many acronyms to remember) who also run the orphanage that the children came from. After lunch all the groups in attendance performed some sort of AIDS skit, or song or something. A group of street kids who were sitting out front the entire time, which I thought were coming to steal my iPod, came in to do their bit. It was a massive song and dance with 2 drums and about 40 filthy street kids singing and dancing with amazing passion. People in the audience began joining in and the whole auditorium turned into a dance party. It was incredible.
I missed most of the skits in the afternoon because I was being completely mauled by orphans. They were absolutely fascinated by my skin, hair and especially my camera. I would take a picture of them and they would fight over the opportunity to look at the screen. I had to put it away because they were getting a little rough. About 20 of them at a time would completely surround me and hold my hands, put their arms around me and ask me question after question. I was overwhelmed as this went on for several hours. A little boy, who couldn’t have been older than 3, came up to me, sat between my legs and pulled my arms around him. He just held on and would not let go. I don’t think he gets held very often. I couldn’t help but get a little choked up.
The kids were absolutely inspiring. For those of you who gave me some money to come over with, I have found out where it is going. I plan to put some things together for them for Christmas. They think that Santa Clause only visits children in other countries like Canada; this year maybe he will have to make a detour.

What?!?! I'm in Kibera?

The craziness continues in Kenya. Last weekend was the first I spent in Nairobi. It was crazy. I went to a couple parties and to clubs afterwards. The clubs here are absolutly nuts. Much nicer than I suspected, but absolutly crazy. After a few tuskers, of course, I busted out the finch-dance but was no match for those groovy Kenyans. I must have looked like a crazy mzungu and emphasized the stereotype that mzungus can't dance. They did however like the patented chinstrap point.

During the day on Saturday I decided to go to this used clothing market that everyone has been suggesting I go to. I think that typically when clothing that is donated as aid, it somehow ends up here. It was pretty cool and you can get stuff for super cheap if you are able to bargain with the vendors. It is turing into a bit of a sport for me, I buy just to bargain cause it is so fun. I walked and walked and walked until the market seemed to end. I was not sure where I ended up but decided to check it out anyway. So I wandered around the muddy streets ignoring the constant harrassment and above-normal poverty. After about ten minutes I came to the end of the street (mud ditch more like it) and was able to look off of a hill into the distance where I saw nothing but rusted tin roofs. I realized I was in Kibera, the largest slum in sub-saharan Africa. For those who saw the picture in the National Geographic, that was where I was. This is not a place that white people should be visiting alone. Everyone was in shock when I told them where I ended up and that I did not get mugged. Lucky I guess. I would like to go back, but next time I will go with a Kenyan.

It is a good thing I went to the clothing market on Saturday, because on Saturday night some bulldozers went in and completely tore the whole thing down. That has been quite common in Nairobi in the last little while. The government is apparantly trying to protect industry by eliminating the informal markets that undercut local businesses. Some sort of internal protectionism I guess.

I hear that there has been some snow back home already. I tell the Kenyans about it and they quiver. They don't understand how or why we live in such a place. It is hilarious.

Work??? no way!

Up until now it probably seems like I am just on one excellent vacation. That is true, but not exclusively. I have actually been working too. My employer is NOPE, national organization of peer educators. They are one of the only organizations in the world specializing in peer education for HIV/AIDS. NOPE typically enters a workplace to implement a strategy to combat HIV/AIDS and facilitate a cultural change. One of the biggest problems with HIV/AIDS in Kenya is that no one really wants to talk about the disease or sexual matters so there are no available resources for people with questions or concerns to go to. The peers trained by NOPE are employees in the organization who are approachable to other employees. Once they are trained in HIV/AIDS issues, such as symptoms, testing, good sexual practices etc, fellow employees will have a resource that they can access to talk comfortably about these issues. The peers also will initiate discussions and workshops within the organization for sustaining the cultural change and condom use.Since 1 in 10 employees are potentially infected, investment in such programs is not only ethical, it is also economical. As such, NOPE's services are in high demand in Kenya, or at least there is a huge market for their services. The problem, i think, is being able to tap this market and handle the growth efficiently. So far they have been relatively successful in that they are always busy.
In come Matt. I am here to help them with their IT needs and overall efficiency. As of now, they don't have internet, or email, they print by saving documents to a disk and walking over to the printer, the design of their website is the actual textbook definition of what not to do (http://www.nope.or.ke/), and they are constantly loosing or forgeting their data as it is not backed up or accessible externally. Every computer is littered with viruses and everything they painfully send out or save to disk infects clients and partners machines. Hopefully I can change some of this. I am very hopefull that I will be able to make a difference at NOPE, I have definately bought into their program, I just need them to buy into mine. The problem is justifying an expense to them that could alternatively afford them another 2 employees (labour is super cheap here)On the non-technical side of work, this place is amazing. I never thought that working in an office could be so enjoyable. Their are monkeys playing in the trees outside of my window and everyone here is great to work with, always having a good time and very welcoming. They do really serious work at NOPE as they are potentially saving lives, but you wouldn't know it by hanging out in their office. It hardly feels like work because I love it. I am just on one cool vacation.

14 falls pics

14 falls and Tala

I spent this past weekend in Tala, visiting a fellow VSO, Mark. We went on a little trip from Tala to fourteen falls which was spectacular. We took a mutatu from Tala, which unlike the Nairobi mutatus, was a tiny pickup truck with benches down the sides of the bed and a roof. Maximum, this thing should hold 12 people, and that is really pushing it. They crammed over 18 souls inside the thing with another hanging out the back. Offically, the road from Tala to Thika has been paved, but I did not see any ashphault. Since it “has been paved” they will not scrape it to make it smoother, and of course they will not re-pave it, because the money has already been spent to pave it. Needless to say, this is the worst road in the world. When squished in the back of an overcrouded pickup with too many smelly Kenyans for over an hour, the ride turned out to be an un-pleasurable experience. Just as the name implies, fourteen falls is fourteen waterfalls and is a very nice site to see. As soon as we arrived we were being harrassed by a local who wanted to take us on a tour of the falls we were already looking at. It felt quite like Nairobi. Initially we were skeptical, probalby from the constant harrassment we recieve all day, every day. Finally we agreed to let the guy show us around for 100 bob (about $1.50). I was absolutly amazed, I ended up paying him 500 because he showed us such a good time. We waded across the river hopping from stone to stone and I fell in and got wet and almost broke my camera. Finally on the other side of the river, we walked up to the top of the falls. For our entertainment, our guide did a backwards dive off the top of the falls into the river below. I could not pass up the opportunity like this, it seemed like a scene from a movie. I stripped down to my knickers and jumped off the falls at about a 30 foot drop into the river. It was amazing (see the picture, but mind the tightie wighties). Then I climbed back up the rock through the waterfall, it was completely nuts. This place was my favorite spot in Kenya so far, I had such an excellent time. One more for my mom; the mutatu ride back to Nairobi had about 20 chickens in the van under the seats. I thought they were dead, but then they started clucking and biting peoples ankeles. Just another day in Kenya. Oh, and orange won the election so we avoided violence for now.

zebras!!

I got up so close to the zebras that I could touch them. The best part was chasing after all the wildebeast. They are so stupid and I started a mini stampede.

sailing and safari

This weekend was my first trip with the Mountain Club of Kenya, sailing in Naivasha. I never thought that during my time in Kenya I would ever be hanging out in a sailing club, but expect the unexpected in Kenya. We drove to Naivasha Saturday morning and I was immidiatly shocked by the amount of wildlife around the sailing club. There was a huge field with hundreds of water bucks, zebras, hippoes and wildebeast. I went for a walk through the field where the animals were grazing and walked right up to a giraffe. I could have touched it I was so close. Then I went sailing, what a rush! I was standing completely horizontal off the side of the sail boat to counterbalance the wind in the sail and we were moving fast. Sunday I was supposed to go hiking at hells gate national park, but it was canceled so I went with some others to Lake Nakuru National Park, home of the pink flamingos and rinos. This place was amazing, I walked right up to a rino, he saw me and turned and looked right at me. I quickly took this picture and ran back to the car because I did not want to see what he was going to do. The German ladies I was with thought I was nuts but it was real fun. I can't get over the amount of wildlife everywhere. In Canada it is a big deal to see wild animals, but here they are everywhere. Everyone at work is telling me that I am turning into a tourist.
A couple of weeks ago I went to a Kenyan wedding. I was the only muzungu (white guy) there and it was hilarious. Some of the kids had never seen a white person and their reactions were priceless. Some were so happy and others ran away from me. I think I was a guest of honour, they wanted me to give a speech. Fortunatley my collegue told them that I would not. But the camera filming the ceremony seemed to spend a lot of time on me. Anyway, the couple getting married had recently found out that they would be able to immigrate to America. This was seen as a blessing to the entire village and they were so grateful for the opportunity. It really helped me appreciate the priveledged lifestyle I enjoy.
Thats it for now.... busy busy busy.

Kenyan politics

A bit on Kenyan politics for those who are interested.There is an upcoming refferendum on Nov 21 which asks the people to vote for the new constitution that has been several years in the making. So the question is simply yes or no with a Kenyan twist.If you say yes to the new constitution you vote for a bananna. If you vote no for the new constitution, you vote for an oarnge. Since Kenyans are so incredibly passionate about their politics this fruit thing has gotten way out of hand. It has become a serious political statement to eat a bananna.It has become apparant to me that the issues surrounding the actual constitution are being lost in the debate over banannas and oarnges. The oarnge side is telling the people to not even read the new constitution, just vote no. The whole thing is slightly ridiculous but very important here in Kenya. I rareley sit down with any Kenyans without hearing a bit about some fruit.I will probably leave town during the vote as Nairobi may not be the safest place to be. There have already been riots in other towns and I don't want to stick around to see what happens here. Not to worry though, VSO is right on top of the situation and will advise me what I should do.
(picture is a snap of a market on my way to Nanyuki last weekend)

MMMM!

Nemachoma! yummy!

Nemuchoma at Rift Valley

Tom and Heidi, fellow VSO volunteers from Holland, invited me to join them for some nemachoma and drinks at spot overlooking the Rift Valley. The Rift Valley is a huge valley that stretches from Tanzania all the way through Kenya and up to Ethiopia. It is surrounded by mountains on either side and harbours many different wildlife as well as the Massai people. I had no idea how far we would be driving, but the country club was about a 45 minute drive from Nairobi. We drove through several slums and towns which gave me a little more insight into the Kenyan lifestyle. We arrived at the Openosho (or something like that) country club. Don't be fooled by the name, it is in no way comparable to a country club back in Canada. But it was a fantastic place, a very modest bar that looked a bit like a ranch. The scenery was surreal. The table we sat at looked down the hill into the rift valley. At this poit I had not realized we were having Nemachoma, nor did I know what it was, I was quite content with just drinking my Tusker Lager. Tom ordered some for us, and at this place, you order the body part of the goat that you would like to eat. The waitress suggested the leg and we asked for a kilo. She returned and appologetically informed us that the piece of meat she promised us was no longer available as someone else had ordered it and that they were out of meat for the day. Tom disagreed and went to speak with the cook as we had arrived first and it was unfair to give our goat meat away. After briefly speaking with the cook, he agreed to slaughter another goat just for us. That is what I call fresh! Finally our roasted chunk of goat was ready and the cook delivered it to us whole, on a wooden chopping board (see the above pic). He then chopped it up into little bits for us right at the table. What a sight. Despite the unappetizing look, it really did taste nice and I really enjoyed my first taste of true Kenyan cuisine and culture. Nemachoma, I think, is the Kenyan equvalent to us in Canada going out to a pub for wings. What an experience!

I made it!

Well, I made it to Kenya. What a place! I truely feel like I am on another planet. My first experience in this country was one I was kind of told to expect, so that nothing happens as you expect it to happen and there are large challenges with everything you do. On our way to the hotel, we were blocked by a marathon and had to take a ridiculous detour, had a flat tire and finally reached a roadblock we could not manover around and succumbed to the marathon, waiting over an hour.

My first week was spent couped up in a hotel-like-compound double gated with armed guards. We had training all week and by the end we were glad to get out. The entire week was overshadowed by my experience into town to buy a cell phone. We walked down the street to the bus stop and as such I expected we would be getting on a bus. A rickety, dented van pulled up blasting regae music, shooting black exhaust everywhere the door swung open and the sketchiest looking dude poped out and shouted something in kiswahili. There were about 8 other passengers inside and about 8 of us. I was absolutly stunned. Then our guide did the unthinkable she said "sure we'll get in". Every natural instinct in my western body told me to turn and run. But I followed my guide for my first African public transportation experience in a mutatoo. What a stressfull ride and to add to the situation, the roads are absolutly chaotic. Traffic lights exist but are completely disregarded....COMPLETELY! Pedestrians are not even a consideration, move or be hit.

When we finally arrived in town (....FINALLY!!) we atempted the streets of Nairobi. The advice I was given was "don't look like you don't know where you are going" and "put on your toughest looking face" if you want to survive. I must have looked like a little kid walking through a haunted house, what a sketchy city.

Anyway, I have finally moved into my new house. I have my own little house that was originally intended as the servents quarters for some family. The property is surrounded by 12' high stone walls covered in razor blade wire and it feels a bit like prison. But I guess thats a way of life here. The family seems very nice but they give me lots of space. I have lots of stories to tell but I will end this one here as I think it is long enough. Check in later for details of my first african wedding and the politics of fruit which is passionately dividing the country into bannanas and oarnges.

Cheers,
Mazunga Matt (the kenyan word for whitie)
(picture is of my house)

Wine Festival

This weekend was most likely the last time i may see some of you and what a wicked one it was. As always the wine festival was a blast. There really is no need to explain, the picture says it all.

By the way, I am officially leaving for Nairobi on October 20th, however I won't arrive until the 23rd as I have a brief layover in London. I can't wait.

Matt's VSO volunteer position in Kenya

Hello,
This is the first entry of my new blog that I am setting up to track my experiences while overseas in Kenya. I depart for Nairobi on October 20, 2005 and will be living there for 6 months. While in Nairobi, I will be volunteering at the National Organization for Peer Educators (NOPE). I will be helping to increase the IT capacity of this organization by facilitating training sessions, constructing a website and various other networking and support activities.

My placement is funded through an initiative established by the Canadian government under HRDC and is known as Netcorps. http://www.netcorps-cyberjeunes.org/ Netcorps provides training as well as technical resources and support. The internship is facilitated through VSO Canada www.vsocanada.org They are a non-profit organization dedicated to matching skilled volunteers with organizations in developing countries where their skills are needed.

VSO asks that volunteers raise funds to help support their organization. If you wish to donate funds to a worthy cause and contribute to my volunteer placement, you can do so at www.vsocanada.org/donate

I will try to update this site weekly for those who are interested in my adventure, however this site is mainly created to raise awareness of issues, as well as present a culture that we are otherwise unaware of.

Cheers,
Matt