Sunday 8th July - Babies and Tears

The next day we had a tight itinerary as D&H needed to be on an 11am matatu to Nairobi. So we have an early start with the baby unit after breakfast. We only had about 10 mins so I said if you just look around it can be done in 10 mins but if you pick a baby up it will be a minimum of 30 mins as they are irresistible. So we barely get through the door and Lucy the head lady in the day has just finished dressing a baby and turns sees Dan and next minute he is cradling a cute bundle wrapped in a fleece blanket! There goes the plan….. Nearly an hour of playing with the little ones sitting on the floor helping them try on new boots donated by visitors on Saturday etc. Always puts a different perspective on life.

Having been here for 8 months now I forget what an emotional experience the orphanage can be especially the baby unit. Helen has to have a sob break as we leave…..

After we compose ourselves we trip to the Kibes on piki’s (motorbikes) Feast out on chapatis and the finest chai in Kandara area, a lesson in running  a shamba (smallholding) to Dan from Elliott and a great morning was had. Sadly it had to end and D&H left for Nairobi having gained many new friends. 

With The Kibe Clan in Their Mud Hut Home

On the Shamba Tour

With the Amazing 101 year old Cucu

And some of the rest of the family

Helen Trying to Crack a Macadamia Nut Like the Locals!!

Dan Learning Fast

Sometimes I Don't Realise How Tall I am 

(Yes Jane is Standing Up!!)

July 7th - A Busy Saturday - Visitors and Dancing

I dropped into Thika for a little shopping and meet Dan and Helen who are on a final whistle stop tour of their friends in Kenya before returning to the UK after a year with VSO. We meet at Blue Post Hotel which overlooks a fantastic waterfall and take chai and samosa in the grounds and relax after their long journey from Nanyuki. Then after a long wait for a matatu that can take the 3 f us plus their bags we finally arrive at the orphanage around 3.30pm. A quick coffee and drop the bags then we take a short walk (about 2km) across the valley. This is a fairly steep sided valley very green with banana trees, maize, avocado and mango trees etc with a small river in the bottom. A complete contrast to Nairobi where Dan and Helen are based.

The Walk Across the Valley

Outside Faith's House with her Family (Faith is on the right with the Jackson 5 haircut)

We head to Faith’s shamba (Faith is the new hairdressing instructor at the poly but also a good friend of the ladies at the orphanage so I have known her a while). She invited me to bring D&H to a family gathering this afternoon. Unfortunately we were late (due to the Matatu delays) so most guests had gone. We still had a great time and chat over chai and chapatis admiring the fading light of the sun set over the expansive view of the valley. D&H have progressed well with Kiswahili so there was much goading of me to get better!!

Faith walked us back to Kandara as she needed some pills from the pharmacy for a sick mother. We popped into Relax Inn for a quick beer and found a dowry after party in full swing. We squeezed our way through to the back bar. 3 Mzungus got a lot of friendly attention and there were a few in there that I knew. As we sat down Helen announced she had just experienced her fastest chat up (Kenyan men can be very forward, especially with mzungu ladies) a chap had held out his hand in greeting and said “07….” Before saying anything else he was giving her his number!! With Dan behind her!

Anyway we enjoyed the beer with a constant stream of people coming to say hi and curious about 3 Mzungus. 

Faith went home and the 3 of us went back to the Orphanage to cook dinner, egg fried rice and stir fry courtesy of Dan. Then just after 8 we went up to the Dining Hall which on a Saturday night becomes an impromptu dance hall. Music is played and the children (aged from 2-18) dance and sing the night away. Helen is a bit of a whizz with the dancing too and tried to keep up with the older boys. Dan and I were given a dance lesson by the girls but every time we though we were getting it they changed the move to confuse us and then fell about laughing!

Dancing with Curia on my shoulders - good exercise!!

Who is teaching who?

Lucy one of the 3 year olds had had a long day and even the loud music and frolicking could not wake her – bless. 

Lucy 

Mid Term Break and a Quiet Week – 27June-6th July

Thursday 27^th Not travelling for once so chilling out at the orphanage. Spring cleaned the house – at 3m x 4m in total it did not take long!! Then some hand washing. Lunch time I dropped to Kiranga Polytechnic who were still working to help Judy Zou a new volunteer from China with a funding proposal to Global Ed the VSO linked charity that I am now on the committee of. Cost her lunch too which was good J. Then back home to try and catch up on my diploma.

Friday more of the same and a trip to the Kibe’s to sit under a tree and chat. It is a bit cold here now as it is officially winter. (Think May in the UK) can be overcast and as low as 15 degrees but still good. I have however finally taken t wearing a fleece occasionally. Even I am cold. The Kenyans are wearing coats, jumpers and woolly hats!

Tuesday 3^rd – short notice to get to a VSO workshop on training Board of Governors. I managed to rally 2 of our board to go. It would have been good to get the Chairman there but due to e-mail confusion we were not notified until late and he has a business to run so could not make it. It was good to meet other boards of youth polytechnics and see we shared many of the challenges.

A night at a nice hotel with a real toilet and a shower never mind a warm shower – luxury!!

Rest of the week normal stuff.

Some of the Class of 2012 at IYP