In February one of the boys from my Kenya family sadly died.
The circumstances were unclear but suggestions locally were, allegedly, that he
was caught in the pineapple farm of an international fruit juice producer and security guards apparently chased him. He
then, allegedly, fell into the river during his escape. Not being able to swim,
he then drowned. It was a week before the body was found! I have no way of
corroborating this version of events and am just stating what I have been told.
The funeral was a further week after the body was found and 2 weeks from the
date he fell in the river.
He was obviously a very popular chap as the turn-out was
amazing. In Kenya the body is viewed at the funeral parlour early in the
morning and then the family return it to the family farm where there is a service.
We arrived around 11.30 and the sun was already intense. The coffin was a
simple affair and not air-tight. The two week old body was not in a good state.
The main seating area was down-wind from the coffin. Family members did their
best by spraying air freshener around the joint of the lid. The service was a
simple but passionate affair. Then the
coffin was carried into the shamba where the body was buried. The many friends
of the chap were a poignant reminder of the sad and early age of the boy that
died. It was a privilege to attend the funeral as a member of the Kibe family
my adopted Kenya family.
Following the family there was a family meeting to resolve
some issues and for the first time I was invited to attend as a family member!
A great and huge honour and privilege. I
have been called brother for some time but this meeting is a very closed affair
where the family air grievances in private and the elders arbitrate to resolve
them. It is extremely rare for non-family members to be invited to join that.
The Kibe’s have taken me into the heart of their family and really made my
Kenya experience special.
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