4 August - Ma n Pa Arrive in Kenya!

7.45 on Saturday morning and I am stood excitedly waiting in Arrivals at Jomo Kenyatta Airport peering through the gap in the doors for my parents of a 9 hour flight from Heathrow. There is a jostling throng of tour company drivers, family members etc all waiting for their friends etc to come through the door and then try and pick out a name board or familiar face in the crowd of about 200 eagerly waiting. Luckily being 6ft 4 and the average Kenyan seemingly at least 6 inches shorter, plus me being white and having a very shiny head Ma and Pa had no trouble spotting me. Big smiles and some warm hugs later we got the taxi to the hotel. We were staying at Grace House which is near the VSO office and I have been there a few times. On arrival Fred greeted me by name and with a cheery “Habari Asabuhi Simon” (good morning). You can’t tell I have been here before?? This was great for Ma n Pa who knew they would be well looked after. We checked in to our rooms and grabbed a leisurely breakfast from the well-stocked buffet.

 Ma N Pa and their "Little Son"

Just after 10am I left them to sleep and crossed Nairobi to Karura Forest  http://www.friendsofkarura.org/     This was my first visit and what a great place with cycling and walking/jogging trails etc just on the edge of the city. It was very quiet and it seems not many people in Nairobi appreciate the beauty on their doorstep (or many are too busy fighting for an income to feed and school their family to worry about leisure activities – maybe).

I am there for a meeting in the forest with the rest of the Central Province volunteers. WE get together 3 times a year to work on what we can do to improve volunteering in Kenya. This is in terms of relationships with VSO, Partner organisations etc. Issues like living allowances, placement review process improvements, new volunteer orientation etc are all discussed and the chairperson feeds back information to VSO plus delivers information from VSO too about issues and the direction VSO are going, new developments etc.

Very Professional

Nina one of the Youth Polytechnic volunteers came with a car load of food. Her Poly have a catering department who are looking to set up their own catering business. They wanted to use us as pilot customers. Looking at the fine spread and professional presentation they should have no problem making a success of it. It was better than anything I had had from professional organisations in Kenya!! They all turned up at the Poly 6.30 am on a Saturday morning and worked valiantly to produce the following for over 30 of us: Chapati’s, samosas, beef stew and rice all in very smart boxes lined with foil and with smart labels etc – Wow!

I left after the food to get back to Ma n Pa but will return to make the most of the forest another day. 

1-3 August - The Arrival of Ma n Pa

1^st August saw me lead a session at the Poly where the Trainees helped me with a needs assessment. I am doing a study into how we can improve the institution. The first phase is asking the following questions of trainees, potential trainees, parents, staff, Board and the community:

1         Which courses are most popular with trainees or potential trainees?

2         Which courses are most needed in the community?

3         Which courses are most in demand for adult education?

4         Why do people drop out of Poly?

5         Why do those eligible not come to the Poly?

6         What could we do to influence them to come?

It was quite an entertaining session as there are varying levels of English and some have only limited Kiswahilli. But with the very able and patient support of Faith the Hairdressing Instructor we received some good results and some useful insights. The group session allowed me to capture 35 people’s views in an hour whereas the other 50 community etc interviews had been undertaken individually. The trainees filled their answers on a pro-forma paper and asked if they could be confidential which was fine and allowed them to be more honest too…..!

So far I have interviewed 85 people and only 15 to go. It is a great way to meet the community too and they really value being able to input. I will feedback the results later but one thing that struck me from the trainees feedback was that 2/3rds for the females cited pregnancy as the main reason for dropping out and none of the boys did? Should I be surprised by that?

We closed the Poly 2^nd August and I dropped into the Kibe’s place for chai and lunch. We had a long chat and they are getting almost as excited as me because my parents arrive 4^th August for a 3 week visit to Kenya to experience “real Kenya”. I have taken them at their word so I hope they meant it!!

At 71 I am very impressed and proud of them for coming out. 

July 16-31st – VSO Visit and Exams

The second half of the month was fairly quiet with normal stuff at the Poly as the term drew to a close and the trainees took their end of term exams etc.

VSO also visited for their placement visit which they do in the first six months of a placement to check on how things are going and whether there are any problems etc etc. It is also a good opportunity to talk about potential funding links that VSO may have through their contacts that can help the institution. It was a good meeting and the VSO people were very perceptive and helpful .    

8-15th July – New Volunteers

There are 3 intakes of volunteers a year for VSO Jitolee and July sees another group arrive. This time there were 8 – from Holland, Philippines, England and Uganda. I had volunteered to help with some of the sessions again which also gets me into Nairobi to catch up with the other volunteers, have meetings with VSO and I also had a meeting with Vision Africa too, so a busy week.

The new volunteers arrive on Friday night and then are in Nairobi for a week of orientation. This includes sessions on the full spectrum of issues and background that they need to best prepare them for life in Kenya. These include over 7 hours of Kiswahilli, VSO processes and admin, culture, meeting new partner organisation, etc. The sessions I helped with were: Transparency and Governance, 3-way Partnership and Reality of Volunteering. There are also the “informal sessions” alternatively known as chatting in the bar!!

Half way through the week there is a social evening where the new volunteers get to meet more of the VSO staff, serving volunteers etc for a relaxing meal and a few drinks.

At the end of the week there was a party for Nicole and Nick. Nicole who arrived in my group last November had just moved into a new apartment and Nick her boyfriend was one of the new volunteers in this intake. Friday night was their house warming a great end to the week and good timing for the newbies too.

Saturday was spent having a leisurely breakfast at Nicole and Nicks (where I had crashed the night before) and Dan and Helen (who had visited me at Kandara the weekend before) came round too. I dropped in to Nairobi later and then there was another party at Steak and Ale which, as the name suggests is an eating and drinking place but also a karaoke club too. Volunteer life is not usually all partying – honest!! The occasion was a leaving party for Dan and Helen, Annie and Gemma plus another chance for all the volunteers who had travelled in from the distant towns and villages of Kenya to strut their stuff! The frustrated rock stars of the group belted out classic hits and did impressions of Mick Jagger’s strutting much to the amusements of the locals. The singing was interspersed with dancing and a great night was had by all.

After a weekend of hot showers, sit on toilets and the luxury of hotels it was back to Kandara on the Sunday. Strangely whilst I do enjoy the trips to the city I do miss the simplicity of life in Kandara and have got used to the bucket washes and the social side of collecting water etc. So it was good to be back. 

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