Home Safe

After 25 hours of travel, I have finally reached good old Minnesota- safe and sound! Already Africa seems but a distant memory...I'm missing my little sister JoJo, my dear friend Emily, the warm Africa rain, and the sweet smell of chapatai frying on the stove. But then again, I am very glad to be back home and to be seeing family and friends. After a long day of travelling I know I will sleep well tonight, even as visions of Kenya dance in my head.

Kwaheri Kenya

I can't believe it, but it's already time to wrap things up in Africa and pack for home! Last week I had two farewell programs, one at Kabete and one at Kibera. The one at Kabete was especially memorable because the kids made up kwaheri songs, which basically thanked me for spending time with them and wished me safe travels home. We took lots of pictures, played some games, and also ate some cookies. It was a fun last day, but it makes me really sad to think that I will mostly likely never see these kids again. The program at Kibera was also nice, but again everyone was sad to see me go and I was sad to leave them. But alas, all good things must come to an end. I'll spend these next two days buying souvenirs, packing my suitcase, and saying good bye to family and friends. And then it's off to the airport and I will officially be homeward bound! 

Holiday to the Coast

Although the coast is only two hours by plane, it is a world away from central Kenya. I've spent the past five days exploring the history, culture, markets, and beaches of Kenya's coast, and it has been absolutely wonderful. On Friday night I took at overnight bus to Mombasa, which was a long ride but it wasn't too bad. Early Saturday morning my host aunt, Carol, picked me up at the bus station. I rested in the morning, and in the afternoon we explored Mombasa old town and also took a tour of Fort Jesus. It was super interesting to learn about the slave trade and traditional Swahili culture. On Sunday I said good bye to Aunt Carol and took another bus further up the coast. After a short ferry ride, I arrived on Lamu Island- which is a fascinating place. The population is mostly Muslim, and it's a prime example of traditional Swahili culture. The town itself is small, with many twisting alleyways and narrow streets. There are no cars on the island, but there are many many donkeys! It was so interesting to just wander the streets, passing burka-clad women and docile donkeys, hearing prayer calls from the mosque and smelling fish from the market...and just being immersed in everyday life. It unfortunately rained the first day, but I found ways to entertain myself in the many shops :) The second day however, it was gloriously sunny and so I enjoyed a day swimming, sailing, and sunbathing. I also met up with some other travelers and we decided to rent a big old-fashioned Swahili house. It was a big maze, and we kept finding new stairwells and hidden rooms. The best part was the roof top rooms- which provided sea breezes and amazing views, especially at sunrise. Today (Tuesday) I flew back to Nairobi, and although it's nice to be home, I'm already missing the fresh sea air and sunny streets of Lamu. 

A visit to the hospital...

So I've decided that in order to truly know a country, you must become acquainted with it's health care system...haha, okay well maybe this isn't the ideal way to familiarize yourself with a culture, but it seems to be a trend in my travels! Last Sunday I got really sick- I was up until 4am clearing out my stomach. I will leave out the nasty details, but know that it was not pretty and certainly not enjoyable. On Monday I felt okay, but had bad aches, a fever, and chills. I didn't eat anything, and even liquids felt uneasy in my stomach. I felt better today (Tuesday) but decided to go to the hospital just to be safe. The hospital that we went to was very clean and actually quite efficient. They took blood samples and tested for malaria and yellow fever- both of which thankfully came back negative. I got half a liter of much needed fluids via IV. Then I gave some other samples which turned up signs of a stomach infection. It most likely is a result of eating some contaminated food or water. I'm now on a course of anti-biotics and I'm feeling much better. I will continue to monitor everything and keep you updated, but as for now I feel like I'm on the road to recovery!

Today I was soaring...

A few days ago I sent many e-mails and made quite a few phone calls in the hopes of finding a company through which I could do some hang gliding. But all my e-mails were returned and my phone calls were not answered...until today. Through numerous e-mails and phone calls, I got connected with a man named Tom, who offered to take me flying today. I didn't really know what I was getting into, but I was just hoping that it would be a fun experience, and not cost too much! He called me at 9am and I met him at the airport at 9:30am. Well, it turns out Tom has his own two-seater plane! And he even let me fly it! We flew from the airport, over the countryside (Kenya looks much different from the air!) and landed in a tea field near his home. I met his wife, Susan, and her five beautiful horses. Their home was also very lovely- an English estate with tea fields on one side and rolling forests on the other. After picking up some things, we took off again and flew to Lake Nakuru. I got to pilot the plane for about half the trip- it was hard at first, but then I got the hang of it. It was so great to soar above the fields, trees, and mountains...it was just breathtaking. Anyways, we landed and met Tom's friend Christian. And just when I thought things couldn't get any better, Christian offered to take us gliding! So Tom and I got situated in a little glider plane (without an engine) and Christian attached us to his plane with a rope. We took off and he pulled us up into the air; it reminded me of water skiing! Once we found a good thermal air movement, Christian let us go and we flew on our own. We followed the thermal up and up, making tight circles to stay with the cylinder of rising air. I actually got a little nauseous from all the circles, but after we leveled out I felt fine. Once we reached about 10,000 feet we left the thermal and glided back and forth, back and forth...all the way back down to earth. It was so awesome to just glide silently and smoothly through the air- I felt just like a bird! Once back on the ground, we had some lunch and prepared to head back to Nairobi. The flight back was also nice- I even spotted the places where I was rock climbing and hiking earlier this week! It was cool to see these places from a new angle, after having spent a good amount of time trekking/climbing them. As soon as we landed in Nairobi, I wanted to go back up again! I thanked Tom and Christian- it was because of their generosity and willingness to share their passion for flying that I got to have this incredible experience (for free!). They told me that "once you get your head in the clouds, that's the only place you want to be", and I think I definitely agree!

Hawkers vs. Police

A few days ago I experienced one reason why Nairobi has a reputation of being a dangerous city. Max and I were returning from Kabete when a fight erupted between the police and the hawkers. The hawkers are illegal street vendors who inhibit the flow of traffic. The police usually try to surprise attack them, and sometimes they retaliate. Max and I were just walking along when all of a sudden we heard two gunshots fired and everyone started running. Max told me to give him my purse (which I did) and he grabbed my hand so we wouldn't get separated in the stampede. We ran until we reached the safe side of town. I was so scared because I had no idea what was going on! I was thinking gang war or terrorist attack or something terrible like that! When we stopped Max explained that the police were just clearing out the hawkers by firing shots into the air, and that he had taken my purse because often times thieves will try to snatch bags when everyone is running and it's chaos. I was relieved to know that this was a semi-normal occurrence and not something to be too scared about! Max escorted me home, but while watching the news later I learned that the fighting had escalated and that one woman had caught a stray bullet and later died. I'm glad we got out of there when we did! So moral of this story is to always travel with a local when going to that side of town, because they know what to do in a situation like that. In fact, we plan on taking an alternative route until everything settles down a bit. So just know that we are taking all precautions, and although I was scared as hell in that moment, I continue to feel very safe here in Nairobi.

Hell's Gate and Mt. Longonot National Parks

The last two days of my trip were spent adventuring in Hell's Gate and Mt. Longonot National Park. The first day we went rock climbing in Hell's Gate- it was so so AWESOME! First of all, it was great just to have some physical activity after three days in a van. And the climbing itself was sweet since we climbed Fisher's Tower, which is about 120 feet tall! (Don't worry Mom, we had ropes and harnesses and helmets). We climbed it a total of three times, each time exploring new routes. And the view from the top was splendid! It was so gratifying to work so hard to climb up, and then sit and enjoy the amazing view and the refreshing breeze. I would say this has definitely been one of my favorite Kenyan experiences thus far. After climbing we hiked through the park to the Hell's Gate gorge, which was "gorgeous", haha ;) Trekking through the park we saw zebras, gazelles, giraffes, warthogs, and baboons! And since we were walking it was a completely different experience from driving through Maasai Mara. We also saw buffalo, which can can be a bit feisty. One looked like it was going to charge, but our guide threw some rocks at it and it ran away. We hiked and hitch-hiked our way back to town and there enjoyed a meal of fish and chips. That night I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow- exhausted but so happy. 

On the last day of my trip we hiked Mt. Longonot, which is famous because it used to be an active volcano. The hike up was dry, duty, and very hot. But the view from the top was incredible! We could see across the vast landscape and all of Lake Naivasha. Plus, the crater at the top of the mountain holds a completely different eco-system- very wet, green, and lush- and very beautiful. We had lunch at the top, and then hiked down and caught a bus back to Nairobi. I am happy to be home, but I'm also quite sore after all that activity, haha!

Safari in Maasi Mara

The first three days of my trip to Western Kenya were spent on a safari into one of the most famous National Parks in the world - Maasai Mara. Since I was traveling by myself, I was placed into another group of 6 people- 3 other independent travelers and one group of three. Four of the six group members were in their mid-twenties, and we all got along really well. It was so fun to have such a great group, especially since we all just clicked from the very beginning. The first day we arrived at camp around 4pm and got settled in. The camp is classified as "basic camping" but with comfy beds, hot showers, and flush toilets it seemed to me more like "luxury camping". And the food was so delicious...lots of vegetables, chapati, barbecued meat, and fresh fruit- YUM! The first night we did an evening game drive, and although we were only driving for two hours, we saw many animals like gazelles, wildebeests, zebras, jackals, and cheetahs. We even saw a leopard sleeping in a tree! It was so cool!! The second day we drove through the park all day - from 7:30am until 6pm. We saw more cheetahs, zebras, buffalo, and gazelles. We also saw lions, giraffes, warthogs, hippos, and even crocodiles! It was so great to observe these great creatures in their natural habitat, and I even had fun when we didn't see any animals for awhile. I was just happy to cruise through the park- admiring the scenery and breathing the fresh air- which was very needed after a few weeks in dusty Nairobi. Later that night we also visited a local Maasai village, which was very interesting. All of their houses are made from sticks, mud and cow dung, so you can probably imagine the smell and the flies. But they people were very welcoming and they showed us a traditional dance. They told us that during the dance, whoever "jumps the highest wins a free wife" haha! Plus, we learned that each man should have between two and eleven wives! Each wife and her children has her own hut, and the husband gets to choose where he sleeps each night! Also, we learned that the Maasai diet consists of meat, cow and goat milk, cow blood, and corn...let's just say I was happy to be eating at the camp! We also learned that at a young age the children are selected for school (the lower front teeth are pulled to identify this group) or for cattle herding (the ear lobes are plugged and stretched to identify this group), and at the age of 15 boys go out and live in the wilderness for 3 years! And they have to kill a lion before they can return! (We later discussed the authenticity of this Maasai presentation, and decided that for the most part is was true to their culture, other than a few parts where they "told the tourist what they wanted to hear"). Needless to say, that village visit was quite the experience. Oh, and on the way out we were able to trade or buy some souvenirs. One Maasai man asked me if I would trade my watch, and I pointed out to him that it was broken, but he wanted it anyways! So I traded my broken watch for a lion's tooth and a beautiful red blanket- I think I got the better end of the deal, haha! When it got dark, we returned to camp for dinner. Later on, Maya, Nicki, Matt, Alison, and myself laid a blanket on the grass and watched the stars. We has so much fun talking and enjoying the beautiful night sky. I even saw a shooting star- and it was the most brilliant one I have ever seen. It was bright orange and traveled the whole span of the sky..it was an awesome moment! On the third day we did an early morning game drive (leaving at 6:30am!) and we saw elephants, giraffes, and a "king lion" as JoJo would say! Around 10am we headed back East, and I was sad to say good-bye to my friends, but happy to begin yet another adventure into two other National Parks!

When it rains, it RAINS

Today we are not going to Kabete as usual due to the heavy rains we received yesterday and all last night. I have discovered that in Kenya, when is rains, it really pours! And so the transportation and such gets really congested and muddy, making travel across the city especially difficult. As for me, I don't mind rain and I love falling asleep to the sound of rain on the roof, but last night I actually fell asleep to the sound of water dripping through my ceiling and into strategically placed buckets, haha! Not to worry though, the repair man is coming today to patch up the holes in our roof, and hopefully tonight we won't need any buckets inside! 

More on Kibera and Kabete...

This second week has been spent working again at the school in the Kibera slum and at the Children's Remand Home in Kabete. On Monday I taught a short lesson for each of the classrooms in the Kibera school, on a variety of topics. I played singing games with the pre-schoolers, taught farm animals and sounds to the kindergarten class and talked about the clothes we wear with class one, discussed hygenie and washing in class two, taught grammar in classes three and four, and did a short lesson on geography in class five. They are all so eager to learn, and they know how to make the most of every lesson and every resource. The kindergarteners are the best at sharing because they have only one box of crayons for the class of 30 students! And the upper classes have very small and neat handwritting, in order to conserve paper. They're eagerness and dedication to their education is just so inspiring. I love teaching there, and being a part of their school. The headmaster even informed me that I am the first white person to have taught in that school! I'm thinking of trying to set up a "sister school" program with an elementary school in the U.S. I'm not yet sure what form it could take-- maybe students exchanging letters and pictures with their "cousins" in Kenya/the U.S. Masha and I will be working on figuring out the details of this pilot program next week. 

As for Kabete, we did more case studies on Tuesday. This time I talked to a girl who is awaiting trial for murdering her step-father, after he beat her and attempted to rape her. Hearing stories such as this is becoming more common during my work at Kabete, but it still doesn't make it any easier to listen. The girl told me that she thinks God is punishing her for not being pious in life. I told her that God loves her no matter what, and that those who have the greatest challenges also have the greatest rewards. 

On Wednesday we did a program on anger management, using skits and story telling. I got to participate in a skit, which was really fun. Also, I taught them the "tiki tiki tamba" singing game, which was a big success. As I was leaving that day, many of them gave me hugs and high fives. I feel like they are finally opening up and trusting me-- and that is a wonderful feeling.

Karibu Weekend

This has been a true weekend of welcome, or karibu. On Saturday I attended my cousin Catherine's dance recital. They performed traditional African dances, and it was really entertaining to watch. Her dance troupe even won first prize! Later that evening I went over to my friend Emily's house for dinner. Afterwards we went out and I was introduced to the Kenyan club scene. We had a lot fun dancing the night away and drinking Tuskers, which is the national beer of Kenya. We also met an older woman (she was quite drunk) who insisted that Emily and I be her daughter-in-laws! She showed us pictures of her sons and even called them to have us talk to them, haha! 

On Sunday we had a big gathering at our home, to officially celebrate my arrival in Kenya. All of the colleagues from APT attended, as well as family, friends, and neighbors. We had a big dinner of beef, fish, potatoes, salad, chips, and fruit. Afterwards my little sister JoJo presented me with a cake that said "Karibu Lindsey". I had to cut the cake with everyone watching, and then my mom Jane fed me a piece and I fed her a piece. It was quite funny, especially because it reminded me of an American wedding! My father made a speech, and I also said a few words. We spent the rest of the evening dancing, singing, playing games, drinking Tuskers, and simply being merry. I felt really honored and blessed to have such a loving and welcoming family and community here in Kenya. 

Big City Living

I've discovered that I've not so much suffered culture shock as I have experienced "city shock". Never before have I lived in a city bigger than 50,000...and here I am navigating my way through a city of 3 million! Today I visited the top of the Kenyatta Conference Center, and looked out over the entire city of Nairobi-- it really put into perspective how huge it is! Also, this city simply swarms with people and vehicles. In other big cities there are many people- but they are all moving in one or two directions. But here in Nairobi everyone is going every which way- there are few crosswalks and no rules of the road. The driving here is insane! I've seen huge buses make a U-turn over the median and watched matatus purposely bump each other along. The matatus are little mini buses that follow the same routes as the big buses, but carry only 14 people- and they are notorious for blaring loud music and indulging in crazy driving. Anyways, getting around is quite the adventure. Also, I'm getting used to being a true minority. I usually go all day in downtown Nairobi and see maybe two or three other white people! Also, the level of pollution is taking some getting used to...I'm looking forward to heading out the country soon so I can get some true fresh air. But some aspects of the city I love are the variety and the energy. There are a million different kinds of restaurants and shops, and everyone is always smiling, walking, laughing, rushing, yelling, meeting, and just being...like busy ants in this huge swarming colony. 

Working at Kabete

The past three days I have been doing an APT program at Kabete Children's Remand Home, which is located just outside of Nairobi. The home works with children who fall into two main categories: care/protection and court trials. The first category, care and protection, is for children who are orphans or have no one who is able to care for them. They often have rough pasts and really sad stories. The other category, court trials, is for children who have committed crimes and are awaiting trial in a juvenile court. The kids live in dorms at the home, and they have a garden where they grow all their own food. They have a literacy class, but don't attend a regular school. Their time is spent in rehabilitation programs, such as APT, and also in counseling and guidance. The kids stay at the home anywhere from two weeks to four years. 

On Tuesday we did case studies, where we interview and document each child's history. I talked to Stanley, who is 15 years old and is awaiting trial for assaulting a peer. Since the Kenyan justice system is terribly slow, he has been at the home for two years. We talked about football, Mr. Obama, and rap music. He sang me some Neo and Akon songs, as well as some songs he had written on his own! I also interviewed a girl named Angela, who is 17 years old. She is also awaiting trial as an accomplice to manslaughter and has been at the home for four years. She and a group of friends were walking home one day when they were harrassed by a group of older boys. Her friend threw a rock at one of the boys and it hit him in the head. There was internal bleeding and he later died. She was very tough and guarded, but we talked about how she likes reading novels and knitting. She is the oldest here at the home, so she is  a leader and acts like a big sister to the other smaller children. I also talked to another girl, who was at the home for care and protection. Both her parents died when she was 8 years old, and so she went to live with an Aunt, who also passed away. She and her siblings went to live on the street until they were taken in by a man who put them in school. But then the man took the girl, who was 11 at the time, to be his bride and raped her. Her kept her at home and out of school for  2 years, until she and her siblings were able to run away to the street. They were then arrested by the police and brought to the home. It was so awful to sit there and listen to her tell this story, but she was also so strong and determined to have her story be heard. It was one of the most powerful and yet depressing experiences of my life. I just wanted to take her home and give her all the things she deserves in life. It was hard not to cry as I listened to her, and it's hard not to cry now as I type this. I just hope the programs at the home will help her to heal, and she can become a regular girl again. 

Anyways, on Wednesday and Thursday we presented programs on anger and anger management. We talked about the meaning of anger, what makes us angry, and how we should handle it. We also did skits and story telling to practice these ideas. We also played many games and sang songs. I taught them two games, one which was very successful and one which was a complete disaster because it was too complicated and lost in translation, haha. Oh well! They also played a game where they face off, and take turns making fun of each other. The kids really enjoyed this game and we were all laughing to the point of tears. Not only did this game teach the importance of being able to laugh at yourself, but it also was just absolutely hilarious!   

First Day @ APT and Kibera

Yesterday we enjoyed a typical Sunday- lots of eating, sleeping, and shopping. We went to the market and bought some herbs and vegetables. We also watched a little quail bird, which is a delicacy, get prepared. It's legs and wings were broken and then it was plucked- all while it was still alive! I felt bad for the little bird, but they kept assuring me it tasted very good. In the market I was also stopped by a little girl, who called to her brother to come meet the "mzungu" or white person, haha! Then five children came running to shake my hand and say "how are you?" After the market we stopped for ice cream sundaes, and then headed home for a dinner of tilapia, kale, and ugali. 

Today was my first day working at APT, aka Amani People's Theater. In the morning I met the staff- Edwin and Maxwell. We planned my internship, and decided that I will help with a conflict resolution program in a local juvenille center, an education program in Kibera, and also help to re-structure the intern program itself. I got lots of materials and I have quite a bit of reading to do...and here I thought I was done with school and on summer vacation, haha! Although what I have read so far has been very interesting as it applies exactly what I have been studying this past semester in my mediation and development classes. After tea we went to tour the Kibera slum, which is the largest slum in Africa. As expected, it was a very powerful and overwhelming experience. It's hard to describe Kibera...there were so many people, cramped into such little ram-shack huts. The garbage was everywhere, and sometimes the stench was quite bad. Also, there were many stands selling rotten food and fish heads-which didn't help the smell. Everything was muddy and dirty, and it was just so expansive. However, I was really impressed by the attitude of the people there. They were very upbeat, and the children seemed especially happy. We visited a little school, called Optimist Education Center, where APT has a program. We took a tour of the classrooms, and I was shocked at how small it was. On average, there were 30-40 students in a room 10 feet by 15 feet. There were not enough desks, so many students had to stand. The rooms were really dark and only a few students had paper and pencils, and I didn't see any textbooks. I was then informed that I would be teaching in this school once or twice a week! The children were so sweet and I'm really excited to return and get to spend time with them. But I'm also nervous, as I have no idea what I'm going to teach them!...should be fun!

After leaving Kibera, we rode in a "matatu", which is a taxi mini bus. They drivers are crazy, and I found myself flinching and expecting impact many times! But we made it back safely, and then we walked home. I decided to take a short rest- which turned out to be a three hour nap! We had a wonderful dinner of vegetable stir fry. Somehow, I'm still tired (must be the jet lag) so I think I'll head to bed. 

Arrival in Kenya

I've arrived safely in Kenya! The flights over were relatively uneventful. The first flight I had two seats to myself, which was wonderful, but I was too excited to sleep! I did eat a lot though- I had a snack at 1pm, lunch at 3pm, dinner at 5:30pm, and breakfast again at 10pm...so I was quite full and also quite confused as to what time it was. I flew into Amsterdam at dawn--flying over all the green fields, canals, and windmills was just beautiful. In the Amsterdam airport I met up with James' mother and sister- Mama Ana and Redemptar. We all sat in the same row on the flight to Nairobi, but I slept most of the way, since by that point I had been awake for almost 48 hours and had only 3 hours of sleep. Customs, Visas, and luggage pick-up all went smoothly in Nairobi. My family picked me up at the airport- I was so happy to see them standing there, holding the sign that said "Lindsey J. - USA". My dad, Masha, is a big man with a bigger smile. And his wife, Jane, is really sweet. (Masha says Jane and I both eat like birds- always telling us to have seconds!) And I also have a little sister--her name is Blessings, but we call her JoJo. She is four years old and an absolute doll! I gave her a little Dora watch to wear, and she has been busy showing it off to all the little neighborhood kids. We have also been playing yo yo, reading books, and coloring. She was shy last night when I arrived, but now is quite bubbly and smiley. We have a little bit of a language barrier-since she speaks only Swahili and I can't speak any Swahili yet, but through smiles and pointing we manage to communicate. Last night when we arrived at our home I did a little unpacking and took a shower/bath...which basically consisted of a 5 gallon bucket of hot water and a little tupperware bowl, haha! But then we ate a meal of chicken with tomatoes and cucumbers, stewed cabbage with soy sauce, and some beer to wash it down. I slept very well, although I woke up at 6:30am wide awake- that has never happened before, haha! Today for breakfast we had tea and toast with orange jelly. Later today I think we are going to visit my other sister, Mary. She is 12 years old and at a local boarding school. Ok, well JoJo has found another book and keeps pointing at me and at the book, so time to go!

Link to APT Website

While in Nairobi, Kenya, I will be working with Amani People's Theater, which is an educational theater group. They focus mostly on grassroots education on topics like conflict resolution, peace building, and community development.Posted below is the link to the Amani People's Theater website.

http://www.aptkenya.org/index.html