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Andy writes...

...about his experience while volunteering in the Kenya Orphanage program.

Diary Entries

· I'm Here, I'm Safe (16th September 2006)
· Reality Check (19th September 2006)
· Boots and Colors (21st September 2006)
· Observations (25th September 2006)
· Maasai (28th October 2006)

I'm Here, I'm Safe (16th September 2006)

Dear everyone,

Hey! I'm here and I'm safe! THE INTERNET IS SO SLOW! So I stayed in the hotel the first night, but last night a host home, and then tonight is a new host home (the one I'll be at for the next 3 months) I'm with Justin (23 from Ireland who is here for 6 months as well). Everybody is best friends with everybody. Basically my plans changed from what I originally wanted to do. I got to choose exactly where I was located so I'm going to different ones. The first 3 months I'm actually teaching...in Kibera, the second largest slum in the world, but everybody who has been there for the last while says that it is the best and they wouldn't want anywhere else.

They say you see SO many incredible things. I'm staying with a host family who has full electricity and running water and even a TV. It's nice. I'll walk from there to St. Charles school in Kibera every morning with a couple volunteers (one whose been here for a month already) - about 40 minute walk. The second 3 months I'll be in Ngong at an orphanage. It is a lot more rural (30 minute drive from Nairobi) while there I'll stay in the orphanage instead of a host home. That's not until the second 3 months though.

It is awesome here. Went to the animal orphanage today. A MILLION PICS! I have a picture of me cuddling with a full grown CHEETA! Even a picture of it licking me on the cheek. So awesome. Tomorrow I have the day to do whatever I want. Then start at the school on Monday. Next weekend me and some volunteers are doing a safari in the Maasai Mara - should be awesome. We're also gonna try climb Mt. Kenya while we're here. Do me a favour and watch the movie "The Constant Gardener": it was all filmed in Kibera. That way you can get a feel of where I'll be. I am actually going to meet up with the guy who worked on the movie and he is going to take me around Kibera to take pictures and show me all the "sweet spots". I'm excited. Well I'm gonna get going and try call even though it's two in the morning there.

Reality Check (19th September 2006)

As I sit here and write, so many different thoughts and emotions fill my mind. In the last few days, I've seen and experienced more than I ever expected.

Monday;
Our first day of work in Kibera. I woke up around 7:00 in order to leave by 7:45. Took a shower and had a small breakfast of bread, tea, and juice, prepared by our host family. David, the father, is undoubtedly one of the nicest people I have ever met. He is a development consultant who actually received his masters in Michigan. He and his wife Mary are both of the Kisi tribe and want to take us to their village the weekend after next. There, David says I will learn to shoot a bow and throw a hunting knife in order to experience true culture. From the home, Justin and I walk about 15 minutes through the Dogheretti slum to Nakumat Junction. Here we meet up with Alise (Toronto) and Majo (Mexico City) and start out on our 45 minute journey to and through Kibera. Walking on the side of the main roads is an experience in itself. Justin and I have come to the conclusion that it is a game for the local drivers to come as close as possible to hit the mzungus (white people) without actually touching them.

When we finally reach Kibera, we are shocked. Garbage and almost anything you can imagine cover the streets and sidewalks. Street vendors and local markets, composed of tin walls and roofs similar to that of a dog kennel, can be found in almost every nook and cranny. As we journey farther into the second largest slum in the world, it only gets more interesting. The roads are now dirt and dust, and children standing no more than 5 feet away are relieving themselves of their bodily fluid.

Finally we get to St. Charles after departing from Justin at the street to the orphanage where he works. St. Charles is a shack about 40x20 feet. It is a school/safe place for about 105 students during the day. Two teachers, both volunteers who live in Kibera, have been working there for a few years now. As Alise, Majo, and I arrive at around 9 I am introduced to the students and greeted with 105 of the biggest smiles I have ever seen. The one room is divided into 3 sections determined by age. Children range from 3 to 8 years old, mostly on the younger side of the scale. I proceed to take over one of the sections and go over subtraction with kids. This meant I would write equations such as '65-23=' on the board and have them copy it in the notebooks. Going over answers with the kids takes a while, as their English generally consists of "Hello," the popular: "How are you" and "Please teacher may I go outside." The last phrase I learned is basically asking to use the bathroom, as children step about ten feet out the door into the middle of the "road" to take care of their business.

From 10-11 everyday is their break time. Alise and Majo took about 5 girls to the HIV/AIDS clinic at this time, which meant it was just me and the children. Jump rope is the popular thing for girls, while the boys all run in herds kicking a "ball," which is basically a wadded up piece of garbage on the ground. I learned that taking a picture is about the easiest thing to do, as children literally flock to the camera. If I hold it above my head, everybody wants to pile as close in as they can to fit in the shot. Once class starts again everybody runs inside to take their seats. It was just me, the chalkboard, and then children in my section. We went over body parts, which meant I would draw a face and label all the parts, and then children would repeat the words back to me. It takes about an hour to write even the date on the top of their page.

Finally the girls came back and I felt a little more comfortable on the first day. We left around 12, because that is when the children go off for a 2 hour lunch break back to their homes or streets. We all walked back together (including Justin) and stopped at a little shopping place on the way back home.

It is important to get home before dark (6:30ish) because the streets are far from safe at night. The girls said that only a couple days ago, they saw a man hang himself on the side of the road, and the punishment for stealing is death. It is better to go to the police than to yell "thief" on the street because the street justice among the locals is unreal. If you yell thief, then that person is jumped by the locals. It is unreal. If something is stolen from me, I would never have the heart to do anything about it, because nothing that I own is worth more than a life.

Took our first matatu ride back. A good experience. Something like a taxi, but it is a van of about 12 people.

For dinner we are served a variety of food, all traditional and very healthy. Dinner is something we always look forward to. The night before we had a chicken that Justin and I had slaughtered that afternoon. Got it from the backyard and took it out front to chop the head off. Quite an experience. At night we relaxed in the home and watched a little of the news, to find out a man was shot in the city centre the day before, right where we were, only a couple hours a head of us. Got into bed around 10ish to a good nights sleep.

Tuesday;
Woke up this morning a little later than the day before. Did our walk to Kibera and arrived at the school around 9. Again, an amazing experience. The kids are honestly the cutest things ever and just LOVE you. When break time came around I was ready with the camera. Jump rope and ball were followed by a song that I caught with video on camera. As I sat down on the bench, I was overjoyed to have kids use me as the jungle gym. I ended up having two on each leg and one crawling around on my shoulders all at the same time. They love physical contact. Touching my hair, rubbing my arms, feeling my fingers and face. The most adorable things you've ever seen.

It makes me think about my situation back at home and wonder how I can ever be ungrateful when I am so blessed. These children honestly have nothing at all; some have no parents and no home. However, they do nothing but smile. I realize that for these children, material items mean nothing. The only thing that matters to them is love and affection. They want to be noticed, to be held, even a simple smile or wave can make their day.

Back in the classroom after break, we went over different animals. Teaching these kids is like nothing I have ever done. Patience is key in everything, because they have to copy down everything I write on the board in their notebooks. They all have little broken pencils that they sharpen themselves with a razor. Today, one of the little girls actually cut herself with it. Scary. It is sad though because these kids really want to learn, they just don't have the facilities and proper supplies to get somewhat of an education.

Now, I sit here at my computer while outside there is the hugest downpour of rain, to where I can barely hear myself talk. I will try get back on tomorrow if I can and give another update on the school and Kibera. Good night!

Boots and Colors (21st September 2006)

Today was yet again full of new excitement. It started off as usual except that I didn't have time for anything but tea for breakfast. Met the girls like always. This time however, the girls and I decided to buy huge rubber boots that went almost all the way to our knees. We had no choice after our expedition the day before. Our shoes and sandals just weren't cutting it. So today as we trudged into Kibera, still covered in a good amount of mud from yesterday's rain, we felt more confident in our journey. Our boots were the perfect thing, but yes, we did look like idiots. Mine are big and black, and the girls both have white ones. But sometimes out here you have to suck it up and just go with it. Everybody gave us second looks, not because we were Mzungus, (white people) but because we were Mzungus who looked like two ghost busters (the girls) and a firefighter (me). When we arrived at the school the kids even gave us a funny look.

Today we went over colors again…and again and again and again. It is so hard teaching kids who only know the slightest bit of English, when I only know the slightest bit of Swahili. We handed out a sheet that had different pictures on it such as a banana, apple, the sky, the ground, grapes, and so on. They were supposed to write the color next to each picture, for example: "A banana is yellow." However, today they were even more off than yesterday. They would put down the most random colors for each picture or even make up words we've never heard of. We asked Mary (the volunteer teacher who lives in Kibera) if the words were Swahili and she said no, they were just random letters put together. After the kids were done, we went over the answers and had them change everything to the correct one. Even this seemed impossible. Me: "What color is a banana?" Kids: "'YELLOW!!!!" Me: "Good, now write yellow on the line." And all the kids proceeded to write a random color, right after they told me bananas are yellow. A new thing today was the color white. We have not even mentioned the word white, but everybody seemed to think that the whole world is made up of only this color. During our review, white was the answer for everything: apples, the sky, dirt, the night, and so much more. Elyse and I were confused on why suddenly they would say white for every answer.

Our walk home today was much easier than the day before thanks to our new boots. It didn't rain today either, which was a blessing in itself. Only left over mud this time, nothing "fresh." The girls and I took a different route out of Kibera today because we walked down through the "toy market." It doesn't actually have toys, so don't ask about the name. It is basically a huge street lined with vendors and stands selling clothing. I now have a real life Rasta friend. His name is Patrick. Majo introduced me to him today when we were looking around. He makes and sells jewelry that the girls often buy from him, so they have come to know him on a first name basis. Reminds me of Bob Marley without the dreads. The girls stayed there and looked around while I took a Matatu back home to pick up my computer so I could head down to Java House (where I am now).

Matatu's are quite an experience. Justin and I took one the other day, but the one I took by myself today was even more exciting. They hold about 15 people and cram every last one of them. In the five minute drive back to the street I live off of, my life flashed before my eyes at least 12 times. These drivers just weave this way and that, coming as close as possible to as much as possible. I have come to the realization that in Kenya, pedestrians DO NOT have the right of way. It is more on the lines of: pedestrians have the right to get hit. People here have to develop a 6th sense for crazy drivers because they seem to come from everywhere.

Well sadly, this will be my last journal until next week. I am going on a safari tomorrow morning! The volunteers that stayed in the hotel with me the first night and I are all going on a 3 day safari to the Massai Mara. I can't wait. It will be good to catch up with everybody and see how their work as been, because we haven't really seen each other since training. I'm so excited. I talked with somebody who recently went on the same safari. They saw a group of lions eating a freshly caught zebra, a heard of elephants, and a ton of buffalo, giraffe, cheetah, rhino, and more! I'll be sure to take as many pictures as possible, because everybody says you get as close to the animals as you want, and sometimes even closer.

I will soon be mailing home a disc with pictures on it, because attempting to put pictures on the internet is nearly impossible here due to the slow connection speed. Well I'm signing out. Thank you to everyone who has kept me in their thoughts and prayers! Good night!

Observations (25th September 2006)

I have come to realize how quickly I have been able to adapt to my new environment. Today is the 25th. I left home on the 13th and started training on the 15th. I haven't even been here two full weeks, yet I feel so comfortable where I am. I have developed a routine that I follow daily. I find it interesting how this has all worked. I have never been what I would consider an independent person. However, after forcing myself to do my own thing halfway across the world, I believe I am becoming more independent everyday. Being the youngest child I have had most things laid out before me. I have never had to look out for myself because I always had somebody looking out for me. Now, I am alone. I must be mindful of my surroundings and be able to jump in and out of situations in a snap. There is nobody to tell me where to go or suggest that I do this or that. It's just me. I am now doing my own thing. I am now on my own and surviving without familiarity, something that has been my best friend my whole life. I think that by taking this journey I have made one of the best decisions I will ever make.

Today was different than normal. My routine was basically the same, except for the fact that it was just me on my walk through Kibera and on to St. Charles. This was good. It gave me time to think and reflect. I was only alone because the others started out earlier since I waited around for a couple volunteers who wanted to see Kibera for the first time. Sadly, they were not able to join me, so I journeyed out on my own. By taking the long walk alone, I was able to look around and see what I would normally miss while walking with the group.

First, I noticed an old woman. She seemed very weak and fragile. As I walked the path along the side of the road, she would take her machete and swing at the grass at her feet. This was her job, to "mow" the grass along the side of the road. She was noticeably in pain from bending over the grass all day every day, with nothing but her machete to chop at the blades that stood knee high. What a life to live everyday probably up until the day she dies, which didn't appear to be too far away.

The second thing I noticed was a man riding by on his bicycle. This was no ordinary bike though. This was a rickety, squeaky, brakeless bike. The front tire was bent into a shape resembling anything but a circle, and the back tire so flat that the rim would rub on the ground as he went. On the back of the bike stood a pile of crates about 8 feet high, each crate full of a different fruit. The man driving the bike appeared to bite his lip, in order to suppress the pain he was feeling on the bottom of his feet from lack of shoes. His blistered and naked feet would press against the sharp grip of the pedal and shoot what I imagine to be an unbearable pain through the rest of his body. Again, what a life to live.

As I neared St. Charles, I saw the children playing outside on their break, their faces all carrying a different emotion. Some children held enormous smiles as they ran yelling with excitement. Others sat by themselves and watched quietly as the energetic children would run by, throwing their hands in the air as if to praise the almighty god of the jump rope. Then there were the kids who held the look of hope as they stood next to the volunteers. With their hands tightly gripping the fingers of each volunteer, they wanted nothing more than to be loved. A simple smile or even acknowledgement of their presence would be enough to send that look of hope into a smile like you have never seen. Amazing how for most of the kids, they will never know a world different from their own. Kibera is where they were born and where they will die.

Today in class, the first thing we worked on was math. For these kids, simple addition and subtraction problems can take what seems like an eternity to solve. 62+37 and 48-29. As the kids were copying the problems Elyse had written down on the board, my heart went out to a little girl named Perez (Paris). As she sat there, I saw a tear slowly run down her face, followed by one more. She wouldn't look up, not wanting to draw attention to herself, but kept her head down and stared at her paper. The reason this little girl was crying was not because she was hurt. It was not because the other kids were making fun of her. It was simply because she did not know the answer. Elyse continued to work with the class while I had Perez come and sit by me. She is the cutest little girl and I felt so bad for her. I helped her one on one with each problem until she was able to get the right answer for each one. I have learned that the bottle cap solution is the best way to go. This means in the addition problem 62+37, they first count 2 bottle caps and then count 7. Once they add the two piles together they count the pile as a whole and come up with 9. Next, they do the same with 6 and 3. These are the steps each kid has to take in order to come up with what seems to be an easy addition problem. The bottle cap solution is also great when dealing with subtraction. After Perez and I were finished, she looked up at me after wiping her eyes and said in the quietest voice to where I had to lean in to hear her, "Thank you." That made this whole trip worth it.

Today was a much needed day in the sense that I was able to take time and actually look around. I paid more attention to things I normally would not. The lives people live here are drastically different from any life I have seen before: the woman bent over to cut the grass everyday, or the man who rides miles barefoot on his bike, just to sell his fruit. These people don't know what is out there. They have no concept of what lies beyond this city, and more specifically the slum of Kibera. Hopefully I will come across more days like today, one where I can step out of my box and see the world around me.

Maasai (28th October 2006)

Today was amazing. One of the best days I have had in a really long time. Dan is leaving on Monday so today was his going away party out in Maasailand because that is where he did most of his teaching while he was here. It all started like this:

I woke up this morning, took a shower (rare), and walked about 15 minutes to Java where we met to go to Maasailand. The first step is getting to Ngong. We took a matatu that we knew was heading that direction and loaded up. Now the thing you must know about matatus is that they are run by two people. A driver and a "Money Money," the second one basically acting as the conductor or person who sits in the seat next to the sliding door and collects the money, works the door, and lets the driver know when to stop and go. On our way to Ngong, we came to a police check. Here we had to pull over so the police could inspect our vehicle and make sure our driver and conductor where legit. As the officer was talking to our conductor just outside the matatu, he seemed surprised about something and ended up escorting the conductor to the police vehicle on the other side of the road. After about 10 minutes of waiting, we came to the conclusion that he wouldn't be coming back and we took off again for Ngong. Because I was sitting in the seat directly next to the door, this meant I would become the unofficial Money Money. It was sketchy at first, but the others seemed to think it was hilarious, especially the locals. When somebody's stop was coming up, they would let me know, and I would do as the Money Money do and tap the window with a coin so the driver would know to stop. They then paid up and I handed the money to the driver. This is one thing I am sure no other white person in Kenya can say they have done. When we arrived in Ngong, our next step was to take a taxi into the Rift Valley where we would come to the Maasailand. Upon arrival we were greeted by many hugs and smiles from Dan's family as the party begin.

Because of the festivities, we were given the opportunity to become official members of the Maasai tribe. This meant that I received three burns on my right upper arm one above the next, making a line. The burning process was incredibly painful. They used a stick that was hot enough to start fire and pressed the end firmly into my arm. After holding it there for about five seconds, the stick was released and a blister instantly formed. This happened three times. After the last burn, they took a piece of aloe and rubbed the leaf on the wound to help the pain. That was only the beginning. After receiving my burns, I was given the opportunity to eat, not drink, blood. This confused me at first, but after looking into the pot being cooked over the fire, I saw what they meant. They scooped in with a spoon and out came a cooked clot of blood. I grabbed it with my fingers and plopped it into my mouth. After a few minutes of chewing, I got it down. Not too bad actually. I ended up doing this twice before the day was over.

After exploring around on the nearby rocks and cliffs, where apparently there are many baboons who come and eat the goats the Maasai herd in the valley, we had lunch. Great food and lots of it. Once I finished my first plate, I was informed by one of the tribe members that it is the way of the Maasai man to eat plate after plate. I easily gave in, doing exactly just that. I devoured plate after plate until I could eat no more. Lunch was followed by much singing and dancing put on by the Maasai women as they showed their gratitude towards Dan.

We crammed six of us into a cab and headed back into Ngong around 4:00. From there we took a matatu back home. On the way back, I actually counted 17 people total in the matatu. It was insane. Now I am sitting here right before dinner at David and Mary's while admiring my new burns as the blisters just recently popped. Great day.