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.