Christmas 2009 – Who would have predicted I’d be wishing all my friends and family a Merry Christmas from Africa?! It is unbelievable to me, but I am in Kenya and shall enjoy the Christmas festivities available here. I’m not saying I will breeze through the season without being a little homesick, but I shall try!
Sorry about my last blog being so disjointed, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway. Will try to send the bride and grooms picture along with this blog.
Yesterday I went for a visit to Kipsongo. It is considered the slum area of Kitale and is the home of the majority of the street children. Because Trudy and I are of white skin, we were stopped by a Kipsongo policeman who asked us to leave. The other people with us talked to him of why we were there, so he finally allowed the visit to continue. I guess what has been happening before is white people go to the slums, take photos of the destitute lifestyle/homes there, go back to their country and ask for money to help improve this area/lifestyle but pocket the money for themselves.
We went to Kipsongo slum to visit the children from Mercy and Caring Home who had gone ‘home’ for a week’s visit, as it is their summer break. We met their parents or relatives who they were staying with and chatted with the children. I will post a couple of photos which I was able to take only because the people in them wanted me to take their picture, otherwise I would not have taken any photos there for reasons of respectability. As you look at the photos, you will see mud huts and plastic bagged little homes the people live in. Even though they have little hope of a better life, they are an incredibly welcoming bunch of people. One old gentleman shook my hand and said, “Oh, you’re from Canada, but are you Swedish?” Guess my blonde hair and fair skin gave him the idea. I wanted to take home all those little children with big brown eyes looking up at me while holding my hand or stroking my white skin. Maybe next time!
Today Trudy, Dane and I went to the baby clinic at the local hospital to meet little baby Dane, and is he ever adorable! Pastor Antony and his wife Mary Stella had a son about a week ago and named him after Dane Ruck. What an honor! Think I already told you that a calf has also been named after Dane!
We now have another chicken and named it Candice Ann (the children from the orphanage chose the name). I was invited to my friend’s house. She is the mother of one of the farm workers at MCCH and she and I have just clicked probably because we’re the same age. She speaks no English; I speak no Swahili, but we hug and laugh and shake hands. She and her family made tea and scrambled eggs for my visit. As I left, she honored my visit by handing me this little chicken, only two months old, which I carried home on the matatu. I introduced ‘Candice Ann’ to ‘Fred’, who wasn’t all that friendly to her!
I have mentioned before that no street, path, floor, sidewalk is even where we live. As I am not that steady walking, I have always been watching where I’m going, and Trudy, Dane, Candice and David have been so used to me grabbing onto their arm for help. On the way to my friend’s house with her son walking next to me, I tripped on the gravel and did a total face plant! He helped me to my feet as I realized blood was dripping off my face. Had just bought three new hankies the day before, so grabbed them out of my purse, dabbed my face and continued on our way. I felt shaken up all day, but was so thankful I ended with only a cut fat lip, very sore and loose front tooth, one sore knee and a bruised ego! One day shy of three months here – I’m surprised it had not happened before.
I have received so many birthday and Christmas cards/wishes from family and friends. I want you to know how much they mean to me, especially this year. I got an envelope yesterday from Ms. Knecht’s Grade 5 class from Gibsons Elementary full of pictures that each student had drawn of Christmas activities or life/wildlife in Africa and a Happy Birthday/Merry Christmas letter written on the back. They each asked a question about life in Africa, so I thought you all would enjoy knowing a little bit more information about Kenyan life.
Jackie – Yes, I know several people who have had malaria and children do get it, too. There are pills you can buy when you’ve contacted malaria that will make you well. You know when you have malaria – there are signs to watch for and you need to get immediate medical attention. I take a malaria prevention pill daily and will continue to take it for a month after I leave Kenya. You get malaria from a bite from an African mosquito. That is why everybody here sleeps under a mosquito net, as the mosquitoes usually come out late afternoon and during the night. And, no, there is no vaccine for malaria. I am sure scientists are working on a malaria vaccine as many people do die from it yearly.
Colin – The time difference here is 11 hours ahead of you in Gibsons. I have not seen one snake since I arrived here but I understand there are big long black ones in our guava plantation and I have no intention of going there!
Jeremy – I have not seen a lot of African wildlife. Other than monkeys, I think a person would have to go on a Safari or to a wildlife park to see the wildlife. Maybe I’m not in the right area of Africa to see giraffes, rhinos, elephants, etc.
Dawson – They do celebrate Christmas here but it is definitely not as commercialized as Canada/USA. There are a lot of Muslims living here, though, and they do not celebrate Christmas. The majority of people in our area of Kenya have not heard of Santa Claus.
McKenzie – Yes, it’s hot here! The sun is always directly overhead so my head gets very hot. In Kenya, the people eat a lot of maize (corn, but not ‘peaches and cream’ or sweet), both whole and ground, beans, peas, tomatoes, kale, spinach, carrots, rice, squash, potatoes. Very little meat is eaten except for kuku (you know, ‘Fred’!).
Nicholas S – It does rain here often but it is different than B.C. rain. It pours, and I mean hard, for about 20 minutes, then the sun comes out and dries the water up. Everyone is so used to the heavy rain that they run for cover anywhere and stay there until it stops raining.
Nicholas A – The children who live at the orphanage were chosen because they had lost one or both of their parents and lived in extremely poor conditions or came from a family who were so poor they could not take care of their children. There are no welfare payments or financial government help for families in need in Kenya, and with 40% to 60% unemployment there are lots of poor families.
Bailee – There are approximately 90 children at the orphanage, but MCCH also services several home-based children, which mean they go home to sleep but are fed and go to school at the orphanage, as their families are very poor.
Luke – Yes, there are super markets here, and pharmacies, hardware stores and other necessary services plus outdoor booths at markets everywhere.
Marvin – I have made lots of new friends here, both young and old. I really enjoy the older Kenyan women. A lot of the grandmas here are raising their grandchildren because the children’s parents have died of aids. I am always referred to as ‘mom’ because of my age. This happens in the stores, on the street, just anywhere – a sign of respect.
Sophie – Sorry, I have not seen one giraffe! I wish they were just hanging around here but they are not. However, we have just been told of a wildlife part not far from here which has giraffes, rhinos, elephants and ostriches you can ride, so hopefully in the next couple of weeks we will take a jaunt there.
Gabriel – I actually don’t think there are rattle snakes here in Kenya. I am over my snake phobia now! I did hear this story just this week that up in Lodwar, a very hot and dry part of Kenya where scorpions live, there are snakes big enough to kill a cow. They wrap themselves around the cow and squeeze until the cow dies. Then they feed on it.
Charlie – I am going to investigate on whether there are any caves here. I will let you know about that later.
Neil – The critters (cockroaches, crickets, geckos) get in my room usually because the window is open or from holes between the floor and the wall. I keep my window closed most of the time.
Jordan N – Yes, how is Fred! Well, actually, Fred has been injured and can barely walk. We don’t know if another rooster and Fred had a fight or what happened. But he’s in pain – maybe – let’s just say his pain will be eliminated on December 23rd!
Elly – Did I ever tell you that your mother and my son went to school together?!
Charlotte – No, haven’t seen any rhinoceros. I’ll keep looking.
Claire – How is your musical cheese play coming along?
Darby – Yes, the sunsets here are beautiful, and I understand they are exceptionally gorgeous in the month of January.
Scout – No, I have not had a ride on a giraffe. Candice and David did ride a camel. Where we live there are no lakes or swimming pools.
Liam – I saw some zebras as we drove from Nairobi to Kitale, but other than zebras and monkeys there doesn’t appear to be any wild animals around here.
Jordan M – No, haven’t seen any elephants.
James – Yes, our dinner on December 23rd will be tasty. I understand you’re going to eat chicken that night, too, in honor of Fred! I will just have to enjoy eating chicken and not think about who the chicken was!
Jarred – Yes, I remember you hitting the teddy bear around my yard!!
Quinton – The children’s hair are cut so short to prevent lice and probably because of the heat and hygiene.
Megan – Thank you for the compliment. I miss you all, too.
Lauren – No, they do not eat bats here. I haven’t seen any bats here either.
Thank you again, Ms. Knecht’s Grade 5 class and Ms. Knecht, for the interesting letters and fantastic drawings. I hope to attach a photo of the wall in my bedroom that now is covered with all your artwork. My bedroom is quite cheerful now!
I also hope to put these photos on the blog:
· me riding on a piki piki (motorcycle). It will be from the front only. The rear-end photo was not pretty!
· the bride and groom from the ‘wedding’ blog entry
· photos from my visit to Kipsongo
· photo of Dane Ruck holding little baby Dane
· photo of Dane the calf
Cannot believe Christmas and my birthday are just a day or so away. I will be thinking of each one of you and wish you a blessed Christmas.
Sorry about my last blog being so disjointed, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway. Will try to send the bride and grooms picture along with this blog.
Yesterday I went for a visit to Kipsongo. It is considered the slum area of Kitale and is the home of the majority of the street children. Because Trudy and I are of white skin, we were stopped by a Kipsongo policeman who asked us to leave. The other people with us talked to him of why we were there, so he finally allowed the visit to continue. I guess what has been happening before is white people go to the slums, take photos of the destitute lifestyle/homes there, go back to their country and ask for money to help improve this area/lifestyle but pocket the money for themselves.
We went to Kipsongo slum to visit the children from Mercy and Caring Home who had gone ‘home’ for a week’s visit, as it is their summer break. We met their parents or relatives who they were staying with and chatted with the children. I will post a couple of photos which I was able to take only because the people in them wanted me to take their picture, otherwise I would not have taken any photos there for reasons of respectability. As you look at the photos, you will see mud huts and plastic bagged little homes the people live in. Even though they have little hope of a better life, they are an incredibly welcoming bunch of people. One old gentleman shook my hand and said, “Oh, you’re from Canada, but are you Swedish?” Guess my blonde hair and fair skin gave him the idea. I wanted to take home all those little children with big brown eyes looking up at me while holding my hand or stroking my white skin. Maybe next time!
Today Trudy, Dane and I went to the baby clinic at the local hospital to meet little baby Dane, and is he ever adorable! Pastor Antony and his wife Mary Stella had a son about a week ago and named him after Dane Ruck. What an honor! Think I already told you that a calf has also been named after Dane!
We now have another chicken and named it Candice Ann (the children from the orphanage chose the name). I was invited to my friend’s house. She is the mother of one of the farm workers at MCCH and she and I have just clicked probably because we’re the same age. She speaks no English; I speak no Swahili, but we hug and laugh and shake hands. She and her family made tea and scrambled eggs for my visit. As I left, she honored my visit by handing me this little chicken, only two months old, which I carried home on the matatu. I introduced ‘Candice Ann’ to ‘Fred’, who wasn’t all that friendly to her!
I have mentioned before that no street, path, floor, sidewalk is even where we live. As I am not that steady walking, I have always been watching where I’m going, and Trudy, Dane, Candice and David have been so used to me grabbing onto their arm for help. On the way to my friend’s house with her son walking next to me, I tripped on the gravel and did a total face plant! He helped me to my feet as I realized blood was dripping off my face. Had just bought three new hankies the day before, so grabbed them out of my purse, dabbed my face and continued on our way. I felt shaken up all day, but was so thankful I ended with only a cut fat lip, very sore and loose front tooth, one sore knee and a bruised ego! One day shy of three months here – I’m surprised it had not happened before.
I have received so many birthday and Christmas cards/wishes from family and friends. I want you to know how much they mean to me, especially this year. I got an envelope yesterday from Ms. Knecht’s Grade 5 class from Gibsons Elementary full of pictures that each student had drawn of Christmas activities or life/wildlife in Africa and a Happy Birthday/Merry Christmas letter written on the back. They each asked a question about life in Africa, so I thought you all would enjoy knowing a little bit more information about Kenyan life.
Jackie – Yes, I know several people who have had malaria and children do get it, too. There are pills you can buy when you’ve contacted malaria that will make you well. You know when you have malaria – there are signs to watch for and you need to get immediate medical attention. I take a malaria prevention pill daily and will continue to take it for a month after I leave Kenya. You get malaria from a bite from an African mosquito. That is why everybody here sleeps under a mosquito net, as the mosquitoes usually come out late afternoon and during the night. And, no, there is no vaccine for malaria. I am sure scientists are working on a malaria vaccine as many people do die from it yearly.
Colin – The time difference here is 11 hours ahead of you in Gibsons. I have not seen one snake since I arrived here but I understand there are big long black ones in our guava plantation and I have no intention of going there!
Jeremy – I have not seen a lot of African wildlife. Other than monkeys, I think a person would have to go on a Safari or to a wildlife park to see the wildlife. Maybe I’m not in the right area of Africa to see giraffes, rhinos, elephants, etc.
Dawson – They do celebrate Christmas here but it is definitely not as commercialized as Canada/USA. There are a lot of Muslims living here, though, and they do not celebrate Christmas. The majority of people in our area of Kenya have not heard of Santa Claus.
McKenzie – Yes, it’s hot here! The sun is always directly overhead so my head gets very hot. In Kenya, the people eat a lot of maize (corn, but not ‘peaches and cream’ or sweet), both whole and ground, beans, peas, tomatoes, kale, spinach, carrots, rice, squash, potatoes. Very little meat is eaten except for kuku (you know, ‘Fred’!).
Nicholas S – It does rain here often but it is different than B.C. rain. It pours, and I mean hard, for about 20 minutes, then the sun comes out and dries the water up. Everyone is so used to the heavy rain that they run for cover anywhere and stay there until it stops raining.
Nicholas A – The children who live at the orphanage were chosen because they had lost one or both of their parents and lived in extremely poor conditions or came from a family who were so poor they could not take care of their children. There are no welfare payments or financial government help for families in need in Kenya, and with 40% to 60% unemployment there are lots of poor families.
Bailee – There are approximately 90 children at the orphanage, but MCCH also services several home-based children, which mean they go home to sleep but are fed and go to school at the orphanage, as their families are very poor.
Luke – Yes, there are super markets here, and pharmacies, hardware stores and other necessary services plus outdoor booths at markets everywhere.
Marvin – I have made lots of new friends here, both young and old. I really enjoy the older Kenyan women. A lot of the grandmas here are raising their grandchildren because the children’s parents have died of aids. I am always referred to as ‘mom’ because of my age. This happens in the stores, on the street, just anywhere – a sign of respect.
Sophie – Sorry, I have not seen one giraffe! I wish they were just hanging around here but they are not. However, we have just been told of a wildlife part not far from here which has giraffes, rhinos, elephants and ostriches you can ride, so hopefully in the next couple of weeks we will take a jaunt there.
Gabriel – I actually don’t think there are rattle snakes here in Kenya. I am over my snake phobia now! I did hear this story just this week that up in Lodwar, a very hot and dry part of Kenya where scorpions live, there are snakes big enough to kill a cow. They wrap themselves around the cow and squeeze until the cow dies. Then they feed on it.
Charlie – I am going to investigate on whether there are any caves here. I will let you know about that later.
Neil – The critters (cockroaches, crickets, geckos) get in my room usually because the window is open or from holes between the floor and the wall. I keep my window closed most of the time.
Jordan N – Yes, how is Fred! Well, actually, Fred has been injured and can barely walk. We don’t know if another rooster and Fred had a fight or what happened. But he’s in pain – maybe – let’s just say his pain will be eliminated on December 23rd!
Elly – Did I ever tell you that your mother and my son went to school together?!
Charlotte – No, haven’t seen any rhinoceros. I’ll keep looking.
Claire – How is your musical cheese play coming along?
Darby – Yes, the sunsets here are beautiful, and I understand they are exceptionally gorgeous in the month of January.
Scout – No, I have not had a ride on a giraffe. Candice and David did ride a camel. Where we live there are no lakes or swimming pools.
Liam – I saw some zebras as we drove from Nairobi to Kitale, but other than zebras and monkeys there doesn’t appear to be any wild animals around here.
Jordan M – No, haven’t seen any elephants.
James – Yes, our dinner on December 23rd will be tasty. I understand you’re going to eat chicken that night, too, in honor of Fred! I will just have to enjoy eating chicken and not think about who the chicken was!
Jarred – Yes, I remember you hitting the teddy bear around my yard!!
Quinton – The children’s hair are cut so short to prevent lice and probably because of the heat and hygiene.
Megan – Thank you for the compliment. I miss you all, too.
Lauren – No, they do not eat bats here. I haven’t seen any bats here either.
Thank you again, Ms. Knecht’s Grade 5 class and Ms. Knecht, for the interesting letters and fantastic drawings. I hope to attach a photo of the wall in my bedroom that now is covered with all your artwork. My bedroom is quite cheerful now!
I also hope to put these photos on the blog:
· me riding on a piki piki (motorcycle). It will be from the front only. The rear-end photo was not pretty!
· the bride and groom from the ‘wedding’ blog entry
· photos from my visit to Kipsongo
· photo of Dane Ruck holding little baby Dane
· photo of Dane the calf
Cannot believe Christmas and my birthday are just a day or so away. I will be thinking of each one of you and wish you a blessed Christmas.
Merry Christmas Nancy! Deb & I off to Toronto today... (we will all be together in St. Catharines for Christmas)..our flight is delayed a few hours so I have had a chance to read your blog. Great job with the pictures and providing answers to the students. All the best to you and the rest of your team. May the seasons blessings shine upon all of you. Mark & Deb
ReplyDeleteOkay, I looked up how to say Merry Christmas in Kenyan and HERE it is!!!!! Merry Christmas. Seems it sounds different if you have a Kenyan accent.
ReplyDeleteWent and checked again! And actually found something. Kuwa na Krismasi njema or Heri ya Krismas, Mama Nancy! Seems I had to look for Swahili......
By the way Nancy, your blog is brilliant. Your descriptions are so unpretentious and factual that I feel like I'm right there with you (although unlike Sharon, I'm usually with you more when your skirt's around your waist as you're trying to hoist yourself into the bus -- I always relate more with the extremely embarrassing moments, somehow they're more familiar to me -- and about the fat lip, I've had at least 5 of those -- stitches once too!)
Hopefully, you decided to go vegetarian for your birthday, otherwise Fred's a goner (of course you'll say that he was suffering, but I think you just put that in so the children of Gibsons Elementary, your loyal fans would think you were doing Fred a favour by putting him "out of his misery".........
By the way, you look fabulous on the motorcycle! (Just think of all the wonderful experiences you're having. You are an amazing woman.)
Kwaheri and take care.
and a belated Happy Birthday!
Love Jackie and the boys
What a fabulous experience you are having. So is Fred......welll you know, Candice Ann is single? Great day of sunshine here today. Love you take care, Sharon
ReplyDelete