19-22 March – After the excitement of last week a fairly normal week but I discovered that the reason there ha been no water for a while in the Orphanage kitchen was that the bill had not been paid. (Note - The orphanage is run by the council it is just the baby unit that is run by Vision Africa after the council took it back from VA a few years ago). There are about 6 very large tanks around the site that collect rainwater from the buildings. However due to a lack of rain and a delayed rainy season these were running out. By Thursday we were down to the last one!! By Friday we ran out. My normal 50m walk for water was about to become ¾ mile to the river!! It is amazing how little water you can get away with when you have to carry it that far. However I cannot complain as this is what a reasonable percentage of the subsistence farming locals do a few times a day.
Luckily the sight of a line of orphans walking backwards and forwards to the river seems to have had the right impact and by Saturday we have water in the vats again. Briefly I also had it in the shower but not for long. My running water works about 2 days a month so I only get the treat of a cold shower on those days if I notice it is working in time. Bucket washes a becoming second nature now.
Wednesday after work I stopped off at the Kibe shamba (farm smallholding) and chilled out with the family under the shade of a tree drinking chai and eating fresh mango from another nearby tree. The kids were sent to shake the tree the mangos fell out and I was eating it within 30 seconds of it falling from the tree. Can’t get fresher than that.
Thursday night I had a Kiswahili lesson and afterwards picked up some kale to have a bash at the traditional Kenyan dish of Sukuma Wiki – (food for the week) this consists of chopped kale, tomatoes and onion. It is normally eaten with ugali. However, as the left overs turn to concrete in the pan and is a pig to wash up it is not worth making for one so I have rice instead. For a first attempt it dod not taste too bad.
Friday was the open day of Kiranga Polytechnic our nearest and much larger neighbouring Polytechnic. We are planning an open day ourselves later in the year so it was a good experience to see what worked and what did not. Due to start at 10 I took the judgement to turn up around 11 and met James my colleague from Ithiru YP for chai and samosas beforehand. This was a good call because the show did not start until 11.30 when we went on a tour and had some impressive presentations from very mature students. This was followed by the ceremonial planting of 3 trees. For some reason I was given the great privilege of planting a tree!! There were many dignitaries who probably had helped the institution more but I was honoured and the tree was planted and watered appropriately.
Then came the speeches starting around 1pm. Lunch followed the speeches and as the latter did not finish until around 4pm the samosas were very useful in stopping me passing out. Again I was called upon to make a speech. Trying to provide a lead to others I kept mine brief but managed a sprinkling of Kikuyu (my two and only words!!) and a little more Kiswahili which impressed the 100% Kenyan crowd.
The day also gave me the opportunity to catch up with some of the VSO Nairobi office staff and also the CDF (Community Development Fund) rep who I am about to apply for funding to.
Being a long day and having walked the 5km in the morning I took a piki bike (motorbike taxi) back. I found out that there was about to be a police crack-down on the Piki riders, so I was lucky to catch him they were about to all call it a day. (The check was for insurance, licences etc – reassuring that there will be none running that night!!).
Saturday I was back at the Kibe shamba and joined the ladies on a new area of land they had rented to grow arrowroot and sukuma wiki (Kenyan for kale). The men do not tend to work on the farm. I took my turn with the hoe and helped to finish the digging off to earn my chai and mango!! Having soft English hands my 30 minutes of effort yielded 4 blisters, whereas the ladies had been working for 2 hours in the hot sun. I flaked out under the tree back at the houses and after chai enjoyed a hearty lunch of sukuma wiki and ugali (at least I was not washing the pan!!)
Rolling out the chapatis only 180 to go!!
Keeping the fire going
Paul taking a well earned rest from the heat and smoke of the kitchen
Inside the kitchen - the smoke and heat!! But still smiling :)
FEED ME!!
Back home later that evening I was asked is the kids could borrow my chapatti pan. They were massive number for that nights supper. I popped up to join the fun an play with the camera. These are just a few of the shots.
Joseph the groundsman and livestock carer
Lucy
Working up an appetite before the feast
Watching you watching us
Another fall from a tree!!
Sunday - took chai at breakfast with the kids (see photos below) then spent the day chilling out doing photo course homework, washing, messing about with the kids and relaxing. Late afternoon I will be going to the “Kandara stadium” (AKA local recreation gound) to watch someof the older lads here play in a regional league team.
Terressa enjoying her chai
Moses, Lucy, Terressa and Jacob - taking chai
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