It is always a little hard leaving the beach no matter what country you are in, but it was even more hard knowing I only had one more night in Kenya before I was flying home to North Carolina. Our road trip home we had to make another stop at the Petrol Station in Voi. Ronnie and Steve left Zach and I to eat lunch while they went into Voi to visit a relative in the hospital. I actually ordered ugali and greens and a Kenyan woman noted it as she walked by our table. When Ronnie and Steve returned they had a few other people with them so they ordered food and Zach and I waited while they ate. We finally got back on the road and made it safely back to Nairobi after dark. It was even scarier driving the roads at night. When police wanted to do a check they only had kerosene lanterns to alert people. I kept my eyes closed for some of the trip home and when we got there I felt like I was back with my family. It was so wonderful to see the children, the other housemates, Violet, Helen, and then to meet the new members of the household. I knew I needed to head on to bed because the next morning I would be making my last school visit and this time it would be to Julius' school and I would get to visit his Grade 7 class to share my students' art and to have them make art to bring back. The Headmaster and teacher were prepared for me. I had emailed and confirmed with the headmaster that I would be coming. This is a huge difference between the private schools and the public community schools in Kenya. The private schools have more resources. The school has internet access and they had lots of books. The students had many supplies in their desks and they seemed a bit more comfortable with me. I took my iPad and shared images from our school website with the students as I walked around the room. They used a chalkboard like the other schools I visited so I just talked to them about my students and our school a bit. I explained that my students had made art for them and I would like them to make some for my students. The students loved this! It was definitely filled with many budding artists! They would draw one and then ask me for more paper to draw more! My heart was warmed to see how receptive they were to it. It was also helpful to have Serah with me and her son, Julius was in this class. I think it is so interesting since I will have my own son in my art class this year. It definitely seems I need to make another trip to Kenya and take my children.
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Arriving at Diani was a relief. I don't think I realized just how much I needed to rest and absorb all I had been experiencing. I had not really had culture shock, but I realized as the evening unfolded that I was holding a lot in. After we had unpacked we ran out to the ocean to swim. The water was clean and clear wtih fine white sand beaches. We were staying at Simba + Onyx and there were only about 8 cottages on the property. I think there were only three with people staying in them because of the before mentioned travel advisory so when we got out to the beach we had it to ourselves besides sharing it with the native beachboys and fishermen. I felt really safe in our beach cottage. There was a gate from the road with a security guard and then another security guard 24 hours out by the beach so the beachboys just couldn't come up knocking on the door to sell their wares. All over Kenya there was security... at the mall, at the grocery store, at the art centre where the artist studios are, and even Ronnie and Serah's neighborhood. What I didn't know would be so dangerous was the ceiling fan in the common room. The common room had beautiful slat windows that let in lots of light and air so Zach suggested I hang my wet bathing suit up to dry there. I took this to mean hang it on the window slate closest to the fan. As soon as I stood on the bed and put my hands up to hang my suit there was a loud WHOP! I wasn't sure what happened until the throbbing pain started in my thumb and hand then I saw the blood. That fan had whacked my hand hard and there was a nice gash it as well as immediate swelling. It was then that my head, heart, and body knew I needed to slow down and process the trip. When you are in pain (even when it is just a small gash) and you are far from home and have been journeying for a while on your own and something go awry no matter how small it can become a big thing. It took me about an hour to compose myself and luckily I could make a phone call home and had understanding guy friends who were cooking dinner for us. It was just a good reminder to me of when I'm teaching and if something little sets a students off it most likely means they have been holding a whole lot in. So.... what does one do at the Indian Ocean on this stretch of the Kenyan coastline... ride of camel, of course! There were three camels coming down the beach led by their owner looking for tourists to ride them. I had never ridden a camel before and thought I would give it a try. They told me it would be 800 shillings. That would be about 9 US Dollars. This seemed to be a fair price to ride a camel since riding one the US would be at least $20! My friends then told me I should have only paid 600 shillings. Then my friend Zach asked if he could ride one of the camels for free since he has given them business coming down to the coast with Americans. Somehow he talked them into it, but promised to come back later and give them a green t-shirt he had. Ends up the camel owner did not have any change, but the beachboy helping him, Boris, made carved keychains. I agreed to get a keychain in place of the change. He took a stick and wrote my name in the sand to make sure he knew how to spell it. I decided to get him to carve my name on the shape of Africa. Maybe I should have done a camel, but I was put on the spot and it was a quick decision! The camel ride was only about 30 minutes long, but really was nice. I liked being up high and it was a gentle creature. Zach got the biggest camel named George since he was the biggest of the two of us and I could never pronounce my own camel's name. Boris took my camera for me and took photos. The best part of it was when the camel was standing up and sitting down. It would kneel down and then sit. Feeling the breeze off the ocean and getting a different perspective for invigorating. It didn't feel real at the time and I was aware of this. I tried to be in the present moment and take it all in... smiling. If you like camel photos please view the slideshow below. If you have seen enough camel for now... please scroll down to the sailboat. : )So when you have had enough of the camel riding the other thing a tourist should do in Diani is go snorkling! We just needed a boat and we only had two of the four of us that wanted to go out so hiring a big motor boat or even a glass bottom boat was out of the question so we decided to bargain with the beach boys. We got it all set while buying our fish on the beach for our dinner. We would meet the beachboy, Mohammad on the beach at 9am the following morning for a rustic sailboat experience! Sure enough Mohammad was waiting for us and I think Zach and I both were a little surprised by just how rustic the boat actually was. Everything was "handmade". I don't know what exactly I was expecting, but it was BEAUTIFUL! For a girl that loves rustic treehouses this was the perfect boat for me! There was not much wind so we were a little worried how we would get back to shore. I looked in the bottom of the boat and saw a wooden plank that had been crudely carved into the shape of a sort of paddle. At one point Mohammad had to use it and it broke in two! Luckily there was one more plank on board. I told Zach that if we were in dire straits I thought I could swim back. At least the coast was in view! I so wished I had had my camera on board, but I was worried about it getting wet. The boat was deep and very stable, though. It reminded me of a dug-out canoe I saw in Cherokee, NC. It was a large tree that had been carved and the sail was canvas. Everything was tied together with all kinds of beautiful ropes and threads. The confidence of Mohammad's hands as he set sail and his serenity gave me peace that all was well. There was an older man in the back of the sailboat who was fishing while the rest of us snorkeled. I had to pay for the snorkel gear up front the day before because they had to go to the village to get it. I was surprised when they brought Zach back gear, too. I was the only one with flippers, but the three of us (Zach, Mohammad, and I) dove around in search of coral, fish, and sea stars. There was a lot of brown coral, a few fish, and some really big and interesting sea stars, but the sea anenomes were my favorite. When I look at them I imagine all of their little arms are waving to me. They seem so carefree and going with the flow. Taking the sailboat out was carefree and so much of being in Kenya is definitely just going with the flow. It was a beautiful experience. I felt like it was right out of a movie set yet it was so very real. I definitely didn't feel too movie "starish" when I had to get back into the boat. The first time I felt all strong and lifted myself up with no problems into the boat, but after snorkeling a second time and trying to get back in I was a very ungraceful fish who had just lost its battle with the fisherman. I had to be helped into the boat where I just flopped. That was OK, though, because there wasn't a moment when I was in Kenya that I didn't feel like I was being real. It is just the way it is and that was more beautiful than anything I saw with my eyes. The story of the coast would not be complete without sharing about the wonderful fish we ate... the fish that were caught by the fishermen and their spears. We ate a lot of snapper during the week and grilled it the last night at our cottage.
Peter got me back to the Petrol Station where everyone had been waiting... for a while, but no one seemed to mind. It was good to be back with my friends and I realized I really enjoyed their company. Traveling alone for the safari and shopping was nice because I was able to take all the time I wanted with each animal or looking at the art for sale, but being with people who I now considered friends is better. Sharing common experiences is one of the things in life that connects us. I was definitely ready to connect again and I knew I was heading into one of the more relaxing parts of my trip.... almost. The United States had issued a travel advisory for the coast of Kenya due to some bombing that had happened earlier in the month. My Kenyan friends assured me they would take care of me and that it had more to do with a certain tribe being targeted. I had assured my very worried father back home that I would most likely change my plans and had even thought I would skip the coast and head to Lake Victoria instead, but after looking at the map and experiencing the danger of traveling the roads in Kenya I decided going to the coast would be closer and far less dangerous. I told myself I would just stay put at the beach cottage and not go on the beach alone or go out. I felt good about my plan, but the traveling there did make me a bit nervous. Looking at the map you can see that Tsavo East National Park is closer to Diani than Kisumu where I would have been going near Lake Victoria. I know I made the right choice, but it was difficult for me knowing that people back home were worried about me. We did make the decision not to spend time in Mombasa because of the advisory and just to enjoy the beach. We were then going to bypass the town of Mombasa and take a ferry over to get to Diani, but before we could do that we had to meet up with Steve's sister to give her back her flat screen TV we had been carrying around with our luggage in the back of the BMW. We had the TV to take it to the village to watch the World Cup, but we were missing some cords. The event of meeting her ended up taking a couple of hours. We had to wait for her and her boyfriend, Bob to show up on their motorbike(yes- they were going to carry the TV with them on the motorbike)... which led to lunch at an Indian restaurant, which led to meeting up with a guy who owned an old Honda of Steve's that he was thinking about buying back.... We were on Kenyan time! No worries! We finally were back in the car and made it to the ferry. We got to stay in our car and drove it up the ramp onto the ferry then a crowd of people walked onto the ferry. Some had handcarts full of fruit, sticks, or furniture. My white skin was flashing brightly among all the darker skin tones and I felt nervous standing out. People would stare at Zach and I through the car windows catching glimpses of the white people. Steve reminded me that Africans were just curious and I knew what he really meant... people are just curious. It was a short ride over and then we only had three more errands to run before arriving at the beach cottage. It was interesting to see the architecture change as we drove closer and closer to the coast. The influence of the Muslim culture was evident and I started to see women with their entire bodies and heads covered only showing their eyes. I was very careful to not take too many pictures driving around the outskirts of Mombasa as I didn't want to draw anymore attention to myself than I already was. Our last three errands were more focused on our immediate needs for our relaxing at the beach! We first stopped by Ronnie's friend's butcher shop to buy some chicken and eggs. These little butcher shops can be found in all the markets and towns in Kenya with a large carcasses of meat hanging from large hooks in the front window while flies whirl about it like planets in a solar system. As we waited on the chicken I witnessed a couple buying a large leg of lamb... except they didn't want THAT large of leg of lamb so the butcher had to chop off part of it. He did this on a large stump with a "horror movie sized" butcher knife. As he hacked at it the bone splintered and and flecks of it hit my arm. It was definitely a different way of purchasing meat for me... a bit closer to the source. Zach had taken some fly tape to the butcher and we left it for him to catch a few (at least for a while). We then walked down some narrow dirt paths and open air shops until we came to a open vegetable market. It was so beautiful with all of the colors. We got potatoes, lemons, onions, and tomatoes to take back to the cottage. There was a trio of children wanting me to take their photo then show them the photo. All the while a man is asking me to donate to a school. He had a official government stamp, but I wanted to give to the schools I already had relationships with. It is difficult in Kenya because I wanted to give to everyone and buy from everyone, but, of course, this was not possible. And... the last stop before settling into the beach life for a few days was the modern grocery store where we bought a ton more food to last us while we were there. I think my travel companions were planning on eating a lot! I only wanted some fresh seafood and I knew we would be getting that straight from the fishermen! It was nice to be in a modern store and Zach asked me if I wanted to pick out some snacks. So... since I love potato chips and I was on vacation I decided to look for some. As I get to the right aisle all of the sudden all the lights go out!!!! I panicked thinking the store was under attack, but the strange thing was no one seemed to notice even in the complete darkness! This was the norm and we were safe. The generator kicked in and off we were with some ketchup/garlic flavored potato chips and a car full of other goodies to keep us fed.
Leaving Tsavo my driver Peter told me we needed to run by somewhere before he got me back to the Petrol Station to meet up with Steve, Ronnie, and Zach. By now I was used to the African way of taking ones time. I was worried we would be late and keep everyone, but he said it was all fine. In the Kenyan culture one if never in a hurry and time is not the minute it is in the States. Being one that always runs late I have to admit I kind of liked this, but I realized how American I really am by worrying about the time so much! As we drove out of Tsavo back into the "real world" of Kenya I was immediately reminded of the poverty. Once again we were back to the dirt homes with tin roofs and children running around barefoot. Peter then drove me down one of these streets full of potholes and red dust and announced we had to run by his house! He got out then came back into the safari van, drove around the block, then came back to his house where a beautiful young woman and cute little boy waited for us. It was his wife Diana and his son Silverstein. I had remembered then that Peter had told me about his wife and how she had gone to fashion school. He said she did some bead work. I knew that he also wanted to take me by his friend's curio shop. Shopping in Kenya is lots of fun when you know how much things should cost for an African and can be very stressful when you have no idea how much you are supposed to pay and they seller assumes you have lots of money as a "white person". Since I was on my own it was a bit more stressful at our first stop. After passing lots of people wearing their Sunday best coming home from church we arrived at a dimly lit building full of African art. The gentleman who owned it opened the doors just for me and I got to shop to my hearts content. All of the art is so beautiful... wood carvings, beaded jewelry, baskets, batiks... I took a good look around and choose a couple of batiks, a kanga (a printed cloth worn like a skirt with an African proverb printed on it), and some hand carved small wooden animals. I felt good giving back to the community of Voi by making a small purchases. It brought the phrase "Buy Local" a different meaning. Maybe the bumper sticker we see in my hometown of Asheville, NC should say, "Buy Where You Are".... or something like that. We then got back into the safari van with all my goods and I realized we were already an hour behind schedule! No worries, though..... we got gas at the gas station before we pulled up to a series of small shacks. I could feel the enthusiasm of Diana as she proudly got out and walked up to one of the doors and unlocked it. She then told me it was her shop! She had her own little studio no bigger than a walk in closet and she told me this was her start at her new profession of fashion designer. I couldn't help but be excited for her. She had lots of plastic bead bracelets and earrings and a series of purses she had sewn from different fabrics. She was so alive and bubbly as she sifted through piles of fabric until she came upon a stack of photos. The photos were real friends of her wearing the clothes she had designed. We carefully looked through each photo from wedding gowns to small children in matching outfits. I felt connected to her and wondered if I might had been the first Western woman to see her designs. It was then that I was wowed again by the generosity and spirit of the Kenyan people. Diana picked up a bracelet and said, "to bless you" and attempted to put it on my wrist until we both embarrassingly realized the bracelet was way too small to go over my hand! We both laughed and we said something about fishing line vs elastic beading thread. I then pointed to some natural necklaces made of mwarugani seeds that Diana dyed herself. I ended up buying two necklaces and she then blessed me with a bracelet (that fit) and matched. Her enthusiasm was contagious and I knew exactly how she felt (or how I felt when I sold art out of my own studio). I knew the thrill and the nervousness that comes with sharing your sacred space with another.
One thing about traveling to a foreign country is not always knowing how things operate. I thought my safari ride would just be on the way to the hotel so it was a nice surprise when Peter told me he would let me rest for a bit then meet me back in the lobby at 4:30 for our evening game drive. It was so beautiful watching the light change and have everything glowing orange. Watching animals in the wild is such a peaceful activity. It was a pleasant surprise to meet three young 20 something year girls who were living in Mombasa with host families back at the lodge. One was from Japan, one from Italy, and the third from the US. They invited me to join them for the dinner at the lodge. I felt bad because Peter asked if I wanted him to join me. I assumed he missed his family and was lonely. When the girls asked me to join them he declined to join us. He was actually just trying to keep ME company! After dinner we all took tea in the lounge and watched a bit of the World Cup together as bats flew around us and the elephants made noises. Peter then asked me what time I wanted to go out in the morning for our game ride. Another one?!!! Wow! I knew I was tired, but I knew I needed to eat up these moments and not waste precious time in Africa on sleep! I awoke at 5:30 and took tea with Peter overlooking the national park. I shared a banana from Mama Gertrude with him. I was grateful we headed out early because we got to see a lion family eating a water buffalo carcass. We also got to see more of everything including a bunch of olive baboons ready to pose for the teacher! Ronnie, Steve, and Mama Gertrude placed me in good hands with their friend Peter who would "take care of me" for the next two days. After leaving the Petrol station we had to make two more stops before we drove into Tsavo East National Park. Once we got there we started seeing animals galore! It was like being on a National Geographic show. We meandered the dirt roads and took the long route to the hotel. I was so excited to see giraffes, elephants, and lions in the wild! It was a bit strange having the safari van to myself, but I loved sticking my head out the top and taking all the photos I wanted without having to fight for space and then just taking it all in an enjoying the moment. I made conscious efforts to put the camera down to just live in the moment and soak it all in. We finally made it to the hotel. Two things that were standing out to me: 1) I am not as comfortable in fancy environments as I am more humble ones and 2) I felt like I was in a Scooby Doo episode. The US and other countries have issued a travel advisory for Kenya and it has been affecting the tourism industry. Usually the hotel would have been packed, but it was very quiet. There weren't any ghosts that I was aware of except the dark shadow of the travel advisory. I enjoyed a quiet lunch from a huge buffet (I was missing the food in the village, though) and watched the elephants down below. I got to rest a bit in my room then Peter was picking me up for my "evening game drive". And wow.... The light of Africa is amazing! Golden and glowing! The water hole had a pipe that runs from Tsavo west to Mombasa and there was a small leak in it where the elephants would take turns drinking... Mama and daughter. One would drink and nudge the other out of the way. I could have watched them for hours! They drink 60 liters of water a day! These elephants were so different than the ones I have seen in zoos. They emitted peace. They were happy elephants living in the wild like they were intended to do. After visiting the schools I came back to Mama Gertrude's to see the progress Zach had made with help from friends on the terrace to his house. It was lots of fun watching the men use rickety homemade ladders then hoist and balance themselves. Meanwhile Chris and Evan played with their new mouse puppet making up shows and enjoying the treats that Steve had bought them. I asked Steve about whether or not the tooth fairy comes to Africa. He told me that instead of putting teeth under your pillow for the tooth fairy to get they throw their teeth on top of the roof so the teeth will grow in faster. It is simple details like this that I wish I could witness. This is the advantage of living in another country rather than just passing through. Sadly- Ronnie's cousin died this week in a car accident leaving behind a wife and young kids. When someone dies the family gets together multiple times. They get together before and also after to check on each other. The family members also must raise money to contribute to the costs of the funeral. Mama Gertrude road with us in the matatu to go be with some of the family during this time. We had many people see us off as we waited on the road for our ride. We made it safely down to the car where we left it after piling the matatu with various passengers along the way. We were to meet my safari driver at the Petrol Station in Voi then Mama, Ronnie, and Steve would go on to visit with family. Mama took tea as we waited and I got to have some one on one time with her. I think this moment was one of the most special ones I have had. She had already given me a bunch of bananas from her yard in a motherly gesture (and I have her a small contribution to the funeral). It wasn't that moment, but it was when she asked about my mother. As we looked each other in the eyes I told her that yes my mother was still living. She told me to tell my mother she said hello and that we were welcome to come visit anytime. My eyes filled with tears. I don't know how exactly to explain it except that she knew how much mothers mean and that the greatest gift she could give me was asking about something so dear to me and inviting us into her home at anytime. Mothers are mothers near and far. By sending me off with food, graciousness, and love I felt taken care of on the other side of the world. The day has finally arrived... School visits in the village! Isaiah (ee-si-ah) was my guide for the day. He is a local in the village who attended Wongonyi Primary School. He picked me up at Mama Gertrude's and we set off on the 30 minute walk to school. The views were incredible and the path was steep as we got our blood pumping. I was grateful for being a trail runner back home and glad to get the exercise, too! The students were very excited to have a masunga (foreigner) visit them. The younger ones in particular would come up and say, "How are you?" over and over. The Headmaster was very kind and welcomed us. I presented my students' art and lucky pennies from North Buncombe Middle School and then asked the students to create art for my students. Class 7 was really cute, too! 7th grade in the US is always a special one to teach and I found that they were very special in Kenya, too! They got to use colored pencils and were so very excited about the colors! The students who were gifted in art were beaming as they worked. In between visiting with students I had tea with all the teachers of the school to ask questions and answer questions about schools in the US. Kenyan teachers must have 2 years of college to teach and more to teach secondary school (high school). Secondary school is not free education and students must score 250 or higher on their tests to get in secondary school. They can also go to tech school if they are not high scorers. Target score for Grade 8 students After leaving Mrangu Primary School we walked back through the village to get to Wongonyi Primary School. In the village Isaiah had to stop to buy minutes for his phone. This is common, but it always amazes me where you can do this! Wongonyi Primary School was impressive with a very articulate headmaster. He was also the lead teacher and taught Grade 8 Social Studies. They had just gotten electricity last year and they had saved money to buy some computers, but ten had to use the money to get the correct wiring. The parents fund two of the teacher positions there and there was a full library (though the books were very old). Life is hard in Kenya. Most everyone is poor. Education is not valued by all, but mostly because feeding stomachs becomes more of a priority. We are all the same, though! The Grade 8 students were sooooo much like my own 8th graders back home. The boys were trying to act cool by not really wanting to make the art for me except for the ones who were really good artists. You knew who they were immediately because they would put out other drawings on their desks indiscreetly hoping it would notice. The girls giggled a lot and when I asked them to sing for me they did a call and response song about Jesus. (See video below) They don't have to separate church and state here since it was the missionaries who brought schools to Africa and it is based on the British schooling system. They even had a Pastoral Christian Education class a part of their curriculum in this particular public school. The biggest laugh I got from the students was when the Headmaster had left the room and I asked them if they would teach me to dance. They laughed so loud I was worried we were disturbing the other classes! This I did NOT get on video! It was a beautiful day in Wongonyi and I felt like I should be staying for longer. When the matatu let us off on the side of the bumpy windy steep road in the golden dust I was already on an adrenalin rush and then as the particles settled I was standing before paradise. We sat and watched the sunset outside and also enjoyed the cozy sofas inside as the wind picked up and the temperature dropped as it does in the mountains. Margaret (Maggie) was Mama Gertrude's young helper washing dishes outside, hanging laundry, and finishing preparing dinner with Mama. There were chickens and dogs running about and two of the cutest kids ever: Chris and Evan (7 and 6 years old). They sure loved playing the tickle game... one of those universal ones. Isn't it just amazing that we all speak different languages all over the world yet we all laugh, cry, love, scream... we are all one in so many ways! It actually looked a tiny bit like the Blue Ridge Mountains of home yet tropical. I was shown to my coconut leaf covered home and was surprised to find electricity! This has been a fairly new upgrade to the village (the school had just gotten in a year ago). We were called down to tea to the house slightly below mine past the pit toilets to the wonderful smell of a wood burning kitchen. There is where I met Ronnie's mother Mama Getrude and other cousins, friends, etc. Mama Gertrude fed us chicken stew for dinner which was wonderful and for breakfast she had prepared the breakfast table with freshness from their farm: bananas, advocados, boiled sweet potatoes (white, though), and mandazi (the Kenya equivilant of a doughnut hole without the sugar).
Traveling from Nairobi to Wongonyi Village is a blog post in itself with Steve driving and Ronnie and Zach in the backseat. Wongonyi Village is where Ronnie grew up and where Zach has done a lot for the village through his non-profit Kosmos Solutions International. Driving the highways in Kenya is nothing like driving the main roads in the US. One drives on the left and Mombasa Highway where we were traveling is a two lane road with lots of large trucks using it to bring goods from the port to other parts of Kenya and Africa. Then every other truck was a Mombasa Cement truck going to the plant. Whether you are a big truck or little car it is like playing chicken when you try to pass and often time cars or trucks cut it too close and have to go into the shoulder to avoid being hit. Driving the highway has probably been the scariest thing about being here, but I am in good hands with my friend Steve who is an excellent Kenyan driver and is smart and sensible (and it helps he drives a speedy little BMW). It was fun passing through little towns and villages along the road where people come up to your windows selling whatever it is in that region and they have their stalls set up on the side of the road. Onions and tomatoes in one place the oranges in another.... slingshots for hitting monkeys and killing birds.... chickens for eating.... Grain baskets for sorting. We stopped for a break and lunch snack where there were many artists selling wood carvings. They all wanted my business so I took a photo with each of them telling them I would be back through next week to decide. They all were very kind to me hoping I would choose their wares! One lady said, "hakuna matata" to me which of course I knew from The Lion King. I proceeded to sing a line from the song to her and the man next to her was so excited I knew an African song and he started singing, too. Ends up it was a different song, but it was fun to share the moment with them. This is also where we stopped for a snack break instead of lunch. Mandanzi(non sugary donut like things) are popular here and they have canteens where you can buy them along with other snack items like potato chips (ketchup flavored, salt and vineager, etc) and always soda in glass bottles, but plastic, too. There are tables outside to sit so after chatting with the wood carvers I ate two mandanzi and a enjoyed a soda. Then there was the part of the highway that runs through Tsavo National Park! Oh- and just outside Nairobi we saw camels with people riding them! Evidently- camels to native to East Africa and they ship 30,000-40,000 to the Middle East each year. In addition to camels we saw a giraffe, an ostrich, tons of baboons that came right up to the car, and four zebras. I was so excited to see the animals and I wasn't even on safari yet! It was so normal for my Kenyan friends. It would be like me in North Carolina seeing a deer on the side of the road (although I doubt someone from Kenya would get super excited about seeing a deer with all of their amazing animals). When we had almost reached Voi we took a right turn on a very dusty orange dirt road and drove another 6km to park our car. Evidently the road up to Wongonyi is impassable if you drive a low small car. We needed a four wheel drive. So- we waited outside a small rectangular building for the matatu shuttle to arrive to take us up the mountain to the village. They put my luggage up top then I slide in to find a chicken with her feet tied together at my feet. I asked the guys what to do and they told me to just slide it over with my feet. I did and it let out out a squawk. As we headed up the curving eroded steep road the matatu would stop along the way and people would come out to meet us from little pathways off the road. This is when it learned that the shuttle also picked up supplies for the villagers and would do drop offs daily for them. It already was feeling like a close knit community... and it was beautiful! I got the pleasure today to feed my artist soul by spending time with other contemporary painters and artists in Nairobi at The GoDown Arts Centre. "The GoDown occupies a 10,000-square-meter warehouse, providing basic studios, rehearsal, and performance spaces to visual and performing artists groups, ranging from musicians, sculptors, and painters to television producers, web-designers, dancers, and acrobats. We promote professional development through training, workshops, and exchange, while creating an environment for innovation and collaboration between artists. The center also houses an exhibition gallery and a performance venue where the public engage meaningfully with the arts." -www.newmuseum.org/artspaces/view/the-godown-arts-centre I met so many artists there today that spoke my language! Most of the artists there got degrees in art and had business cards with their artist website. It reminded me of the River Arts District in Asheville. There was even an outdoor cafe to eat lunch. I met so many artists that awed me, but I will only show a few here. "Like" the GoDown on Facebook so you can see some more of what we saw today and let it inspire you to create something meaningful that comes from your thoughts, your soul, and your heart. The XYZ Show makes fun of Kenyan politics and Serah was familiar with it so was very excited to see the actual puppets. They are made of foam and the eyes even move! Check out the website and watch a You Tube video to get the whole effect. www.thexyzshow.com Other artists: And of course the one photo I can't post today is the one I bought art from! His photo is on my camera and I am blogging from my phone while in Kenya. When I get home an can download the images I will share more! For now check out his website: It is a good thing to be laid back and go with the flow while in Kenya! Today was designated the day to visit schools. I was supposed to visit the primary school, secondary school, and a school in Kibera. Serah's sister teaches at the high school and is working towards her doctorate. Her principal was concerned about me doing reasearch without a government permit. I am not conducting research.... just building connections, but I know how important it is to follow procedures. The schools also are in an exam period (much like our EOGs). I plan to ask Serah's sisters questions regarding accountability, class offerings, teacher evaluations, etc. and she will be the perfect person to be able to educate me about Kenyan Education. I do know that some schools are public and some are private. After Primary School (after middle school) school is no longer free and parent must pay. So far it seems that most schools are private and parents have to pay for those. All parents must pay for every child no matter if the school is public or private for school uniforms. I find this fascinating since some families can't always put food on the table without a struggle. Serah and I had stopped by her son's school yesterday to confirm my classroom visit for today at 3:30. When we got there the Headmaster and Teacher did not know. We had spoken with the Deputy Headmaster and thought it was all arranged, but after discussing with the Headmaster (principal) it will be better to return on the 10th. When I got home Julius was so disappointed, but I am hoping to still get to visit his classroom. I did get to experience recess and the administrative offices. It is a private Christian school about 1/2 mile from Serah and Ronnie's house where I am staying. Tomorrow I head to Wongonyi Village where I will get to experience a more rural school setting. It is amazing just how excited the children who have not seen white skin very much react. They also all know "hello, how are you?". "You" is said ending with a higher sound. Here is a video of the kids in Kibera. They got a little overexcited and swarmed me trampling each other! Oh dear! So- I am anxious to get into the actual classrooms and take the art my school made and have them make it. It wil happen, but it will need to be on Kenyan time. I am also supposed to go back to one of the schools of Kibera where one my housemates is volunteering and hope to make that happen as well! I really need more time here in Kenya... maybe one day after my children are in college I can come for longer! Although I knew this was going to be a day where I was going to witness a lot of poverty I was looking forward to seeing the life and happiness within such conditions. I have to say I felt uncomfortable taking photos and tried to imagine if some foreigner came into my neighborhood and took photos of me mowing my grass, unloading my groceries, and hanging out. It would feel like an envasion of my privacy. I hope I did not offend anyone today, but I want to share with my students how some people do live in the world and how through education and teamwork things can slowly turn around. Sereh arranged a guide for the two of us. Kibera is a maze of mud and trash alleys and pathways with tin roofed shacks with mud walls. In the last 4 years the Swiss have helped build a restroom for about 300 people there to use. Chickens roam around, unkept dogs lounge about, kids are playing in the dirt... People are selling all sorts of things... Charcoal, second hand clothes, fish, vegetables, etc. As part of our visit we visited Serah's friend Mama Caroline in her home where she makes all kinds of art with beads and wire. Since she is HIV Positive her husband left her so she joined a women's group to learn the crafts and does it full time. There is a school in Canada that sells her work for a fundraiser to send Kenyan students to school. She only spoke Swahili and her spirit was shy, but very sweet! The other thing I really wanted to do was visit the non-profit Carolina for Kibera. They are doing so much for the people of Kibera and it started at the University of North Carolina! I found out about it when I came across a documentary called Without a Fight that they had produced. www.withoutafight.org Serah and I showed up without an appointment and they kindly tok so much time with us. A student named Sara from the University of Vermont showed us around and took us through a mile of small alleys until we got to the Nutrition Center where we met Esther and the babies with malnutrition. They educate the mothers on nutrition and have the children from the morning until 4pm to play with them, feed them, and monitor their health. Naptime for the kids in the Nutrition Center We also got a tour of the clinic from the computer where they check in to the pharmacy. I even saw a baby get a vaccine! It was an impressive clinic. Two communities within Kibera can go for free if they are willing to be part of the research being done my the US Center for Disease Control and the Kenyan Medical Society. You can read lots more on the Carolina for Kibera website above. There are many other programs CFK offers such as Safe Places for teenage girls. They are educating the residents of Kibera and going them tools to better themselves. Serah is the reason I actually made it to Kenya! She has arranged the whole trip and is wise, feisty, and good hearted. We had a fantastic meal of tilapia, kale, and posho and talked about all sorts of things over lunch. I am blessed to get to spend so much time with this woman and to learn from her and grow. |
AuthorLaura Mitchell is the art teacher at North Buncombe Middle School in Weaverville, NC, mother of three, runner of trails, and on a quest to find kindred friends for herself and her students both near, far, and in between. Archives
June 2016
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