There are millions of people in the world but it is still a small place. First off we did find out about Michael Jackson the day it happened, now worries about that. Radio stations here even had tributes to him all weekend! But on a personal level one of my roommates knows who one of my best friends is and then this week we got two girls from NC into the house (Charlotte and Durham) who both know people from HPU, one was even in Alpha Phi Omega! How crazy!!!
Orphanage update- I have completely gotten use to being peed on and spit up on now! haha. But the kids are just adorable so ya learn to live with it. The hard part is that first off they (the toddlers and kindergarteners) don't speak much as it is but what they do speak is Kisawhili so its hard to tell them 'take that out of your mouth' or ask them what their name is or even 'stop crying, its okay!!' haha. The past two days I have gotten to hang out and play with the kindergarteners. Yesterday and tomorrow we are/will be setting up and making some stuff for their classroom which is a nice change of pace. As for the babies- one has totally taken my heart. His name is Johnathon and he has was very sick when we was 2 months old and the drugs they had to use have big side effects so a lot of his actions and what is going on with him is close to autism. They try the best they can with him and he has worked with a therapist I have been told but its still hard. He is just over a year old and def my buddy so I try to work with him each day on standing up and trying to walk some, eating is a horrific experience, oh etc. etc. Hopefully things will get better and not worse as the doctors said it might.
Oh yea last thing- I saw a table in a bar/restaurant in town that said OHIO on it! Was so excited but didn't have my camera so I gotta go back to it.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
broken heart
Yesterday my heart broke the worst since I have been here. I went with some other volunteers to a different orphanage called House of Mercy. There are 79 kids there total, some in boarding school for high school, others gone for the day at primary school, and then about 35-40 there for preschool/kindergarten. The kids are amazing and so full of life which is awesome for the situation that they are in. The girls loooved playing with my hair and it was being pulled in a million different directions. All of them were once street kids meaning they had a family at one time and then were abandoned. The place where they live is in the middle of a slum and not that large. There are rooms with 30+ kids sleeping in them. Small kids will sleep 10 to a bed and teenage girls even sleep 4 to a bed. With the drought there is not enough water for all of the kids to bathe so only the girls get a shower every day and the boys get it once a week. The place is run by one full time person who started it and there are 3 volunteers that come everyday. Its insane! People in the area support kids for lunch which means they bring that child lunch everyday but not all of the kids have that so they cook some on site but some of the kids at primary school don't get lunch. I don't know what else to say to try to describe to you what these conditions are like! Oh yea and to top it off, they rent the place out and the owners are selling it. They have started construction on a new home but don't have the funds to continue so they have to wait until they are there. They need about 4 million shillings to do the next step which is only a little over $5,000. I asked the director what they were going to do if their place got sold and they had to move out before the new home was ready and she had not a worry in my voice and said "the Lord will provide." These people have such faith and such trust that they will be taken care of and you can see it in their eyes and in the look on the children's faces. It is truly amazing.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
looove the babies!!
I started at Happy Life Children's Home yesterday. It is about a 40 minute walk from my house which isn't too bad except for all the dirt from the roads; my shoes and bottom of my pants are always red!! I have been working with the infants (one names Job is 2 weeks old!!) and the toddlers. About 20ish total in those ages. There are others that go to kindergarten on site and five that leave for school. The children come either from the hospital, people find them (two even found in a plastic bag! so sad!) or the police bring them in. Luckily they all end up getting adopted (the oldest was adopted at age six even! yay!) mostly by Kenyan families. They have to stay at the orphanage for six months (by law) before they can be adopted. The way things are done here are sooo different than the US it kills me. People pick up the babies by their arm which makes me just cringe! They will leave them on the changing table and walk into the next room; its crazy! The babies spend most of their day in their cribs. They don't cry that often because they know it won't get them any attention; I, of course, run to them! haha. They are soo little and malnurished.
So my work there is like this-- helping with morning feeding when I get there, having play time with them (its the saddest little play pen if you could even call it that and they really dont have many toys), helping with lunch feedings, putting them down for a nap, helping with washing dishes or folding clothes (oh lots of clothes!), etc.
My first day I had one baby throw up on my and another pee on me! They don't have plastic diapers so it goes right through. Today was successful with just a little bit of wetness on my shirt but I am not sure what it was haha. I have 90% of their names down and which crib they stay in. I even have a few that have clung to me and cry when someone else tries to hold them! I think I am going to like it there. :)
Just a little side note--- apparently I rock at washing my clothes by hand because the two house keepers asked who taught me how and I said no one and were like wow thats amazing because you did better then any other white person!! haha.
So my work there is like this-- helping with morning feeding when I get there, having play time with them (its the saddest little play pen if you could even call it that and they really dont have many toys), helping with lunch feedings, putting them down for a nap, helping with washing dishes or folding clothes (oh lots of clothes!), etc.
My first day I had one baby throw up on my and another pee on me! They don't have plastic diapers so it goes right through. Today was successful with just a little bit of wetness on my shirt but I am not sure what it was haha. I have 90% of their names down and which crib they stay in. I even have a few that have clung to me and cry when someone else tries to hold them! I think I am going to like it there. :)
Just a little side note--- apparently I rock at washing my clothes by hand because the two house keepers asked who taught me how and I said no one and were like wow thats amazing because you did better then any other white person!! haha.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
rural home and animals!
Yesterday our language and culture class took a field trip to our teachers parents home (her rural home as she calls it). They live on a farm with the animals living only feet away from their house (more of a three room small building). The kitchen is in a separate shack and she cooked us a traditional meal (potatoes, greens, and other vegetables all mashed together looking like green play-doh with lumps haha and then a stew- both very good). The animals (cows, chickens, goats, sheep) stay just feet from their home in makeshift pens. Her father speaks a little bit of English but her mother does not at all. I felt so bad as she kept talking to me in her mother tongue (their tribal langage) but I could not communicate back. They are in their eighties and both in great shape and health. Her father takes the milk into town everyday by cycling. Edith (our teacher) is one of 9 children and all of the boys received a piece of the land but the girls do not. Her sister, Jenn, came with us and then took us to where she works. She is a prision guard traineer and we went to where all of the Kenyan prision guards are trained. Wow, quite the area- definitely not something all tourists see.
I will say it is weird to see other mazungu (white people) that aren't with us. We stopped at a supermarket on the way into the village and it was by all of the embassy's so there were a lot of tourists around, kinda strange. haha. Today was a real tourist day as well. A few of us went to David Shedrick Elephant Orphanage. They bring in elephants that are orphaned and raise them until they are two and then release them back into the wild. So cute!! They also had a baby black rhino that had such a personality and loved rubbing agaisnt everyone's legs. After that we went to a giraffee sanctuary. We went on a nature walk and saw the male gariffee and stood about 5 foot away from him with nothing seperating us! We were in an area with the giraffees on one side of a small us and us on another and we were able to feed them. They ate out of my hand but then I also put a piece of food in my lips and she ate it from there! I will say giraffees slobber when they kiss!! haha.
Tomorrow I will attempt washing my clothes by hand for the first time! This should be interesting...
I will say it is weird to see other mazungu (white people) that aren't with us. We stopped at a supermarket on the way into the village and it was by all of the embassy's so there were a lot of tourists around, kinda strange. haha. Today was a real tourist day as well. A few of us went to David Shedrick Elephant Orphanage. They bring in elephants that are orphaned and raise them until they are two and then release them back into the wild. So cute!! They also had a baby black rhino that had such a personality and loved rubbing agaisnt everyone's legs. After that we went to a giraffee sanctuary. We went on a nature walk and saw the male gariffee and stood about 5 foot away from him with nothing seperating us! We were in an area with the giraffees on one side of a small us and us on another and we were able to feed them. They ate out of my hand but then I also put a piece of food in my lips and she ate it from there! I will say giraffees slobber when they kiss!! haha.
Tomorrow I will attempt washing my clothes by hand for the first time! This should be interesting...
Thursday, June 18, 2009
First Week
Jambo! Habari yako? (Hello. How are you?) I apologize now for this post being all over the place because I know it will be. I don’t even know where to start! Africa is sooo different than anything you can imagine. The way of life here is slow and peaceful. There is no personal space; riding the matatus (buses which are more like minivans) is an experience in itself. People drive wherever they want, it’s a bit scary. But today, I drove the car with my house-parents until we got to the busy road; kinda weird to be driving on the opposite side of the car and the road!
I am learning Kiswahili this week in my language and culture class. It is a hard language, but I’m working on it. My mornings have been in class with about 6 people and Edith is our teacher (the house mother). In the afternoon we have been exploring the area. I have been to the city a few times- what an interesting place. It’s very dirty and there are just lots of shops and stands everywhere. There is a store called Tusky’s which is their supermarket. It is like Wal-Mart- there is one everywhere! Oh yea and everywhere you go you hear people say mazungo or wazunga which is white person or white people. It is not a negative term so no offense is to be taken from it.
Yesterday we went to a place called Paradise Lost which had a really, really old cave, waterfall, we rode a camel (so freaky when it sits down!), and made friends with a few guys there. One guy, John, showed us around an organic coffee plantation that is next door. I learned how coffee is made from the plant until the beans are ready to roast. They do it all organically there too. Coffee is a huge export for Kenya but sooo expensive to actually get in Kenya which is strange. We also saw a blue monkey (not the color blue it’s the type) which Alpha (a guy I made friends with) said had the name Jims. It was so neat to see him in the wild and be so close. Apparently if we had sweets he would come eat them out of our hand but we didn’t have any.
Today I went with Ian and Edith (house parents) and their daughter Glory to pick up their other two kids from boarding school for their mid-semester break. They go to school in the next province over in their rural home. We then went to a market to get produce for the house. That was so interesting. It’s what they have instead of a supermarket in the villages and they sell everything there. We had sugarcane which the shucks were hacked off in front of us and it was so sweet and such a treat. You definitely get use to being a spectacle here as they don’t see a lot of white people. You just have to get use to people staring and sometimes taking your picture (today with a camera phone! Haha) and wanting to shake your hand and talk to you.
As far as where I am living. There are anywhere from 20-25 people staying here depending on who is on safari, etc. Bunk beds are in every room with anywhere from 4-8 people sleeping there. The house parents even gave up there room for the week before some people move to different hose parents. Other volunteers are here from Mexico, Denmark, Spain, England, and then of course the US. So many different cultures and languages (by the way, the family I live with speaks three- Kiswahili, English, and their tribal language). There are also two housekeepers that stay here to cook and clean; they are so sweet and helping me with my Kiswahili as well. Everyone here is automatically friends, so nice to each other, and just wonderful! The water situation turns out isn’t really not that bad though! You can warm up the water or just take it cold. You really realize how much we waste in the US. Showers aren’t needed everyday and we use waaay too much water when we do!
I am definitely loving being here and know it is so hard to try to explain to you what’s going on. I will continue to try though. Hope things are going well with everyone back home. Much love!!!
I am learning Kiswahili this week in my language and culture class. It is a hard language, but I’m working on it. My mornings have been in class with about 6 people and Edith is our teacher (the house mother). In the afternoon we have been exploring the area. I have been to the city a few times- what an interesting place. It’s very dirty and there are just lots of shops and stands everywhere. There is a store called Tusky’s which is their supermarket. It is like Wal-Mart- there is one everywhere! Oh yea and everywhere you go you hear people say mazungo or wazunga which is white person or white people. It is not a negative term so no offense is to be taken from it.
Yesterday we went to a place called Paradise Lost which had a really, really old cave, waterfall, we rode a camel (so freaky when it sits down!), and made friends with a few guys there. One guy, John, showed us around an organic coffee plantation that is next door. I learned how coffee is made from the plant until the beans are ready to roast. They do it all organically there too. Coffee is a huge export for Kenya but sooo expensive to actually get in Kenya which is strange. We also saw a blue monkey (not the color blue it’s the type) which Alpha (a guy I made friends with) said had the name Jims. It was so neat to see him in the wild and be so close. Apparently if we had sweets he would come eat them out of our hand but we didn’t have any.
Today I went with Ian and Edith (house parents) and their daughter Glory to pick up their other two kids from boarding school for their mid-semester break. They go to school in the next province over in their rural home. We then went to a market to get produce for the house. That was so interesting. It’s what they have instead of a supermarket in the villages and they sell everything there. We had sugarcane which the shucks were hacked off in front of us and it was so sweet and such a treat. You definitely get use to being a spectacle here as they don’t see a lot of white people. You just have to get use to people staring and sometimes taking your picture (today with a camera phone! Haha) and wanting to shake your hand and talk to you.
As far as where I am living. There are anywhere from 20-25 people staying here depending on who is on safari, etc. Bunk beds are in every room with anywhere from 4-8 people sleeping there. The house parents even gave up there room for the week before some people move to different hose parents. Other volunteers are here from Mexico, Denmark, Spain, England, and then of course the US. So many different cultures and languages (by the way, the family I live with speaks three- Kiswahili, English, and their tribal language). There are also two housekeepers that stay here to cook and clean; they are so sweet and helping me with my Kiswahili as well. Everyone here is automatically friends, so nice to each other, and just wonderful! The water situation turns out isn’t really not that bad though! You can warm up the water or just take it cold. You really realize how much we waste in the US. Showers aren’t needed everyday and we use waaay too much water when we do!
I am definitely loving being here and know it is so hard to try to explain to you what’s going on. I will continue to try though. Hope things are going well with everyone back home. Much love!!!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
here!
Jambo!! (Hello in Swahili) I made it!! It was a looong two days of travel but I met a nice girl on my first flight also going to Nairobi so we hung out during the lay over and all. Being here in Africa is so different that anything I could have imagined. Everything from the ride to the hostel (pretty much house) from the airport last night to coming into the city today. They drive on the opposite side of the road and everyone just drives wherever they want to. There are 8 other volunteers at the home with today will be a total of 26!!! The water here is interesting at the moment because they keep shutting off parts of the town different days so no running water for the past two weeks here so I will be taking bucket baths.
I am in town right now with two other volunteers. We rode a matatu (bus) here which was an experience in itself becuase they cram in as many people as they can. I have really enjoyed talking to volunteers that have been here to get to know the ropes and have already asked a bunch of questions.
That's all I have time for now, but the internet cafe is pretty cheap so everytime I come into town I will sign on.
Much love to all!!!
I am in town right now with two other volunteers. We rode a matatu (bus) here which was an experience in itself becuase they cram in as many people as they can. I have really enjoyed talking to volunteers that have been here to get to know the ropes and have already asked a bunch of questions.
That's all I have time for now, but the internet cafe is pretty cheap so everytime I come into town I will sign on.
Much love to all!!!
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Amsterdam
I am half way there! I actually got seated next to a girl on my last flight (7.5 hours!!) who is my age and going to Kenya too. That made the flight nicer and we are going to switch our seats to sit next to each other on the next flight too. She is here with a professor and his wife for an acheology (I know I spelled that wrong) dig out in the middle of no where in Kenya but will be in Nairobi this week and again for a week in August so I already have my first friend to hang out with!! :) I am going to be all screwed up on sleep because I did not sleep at all there and it is now 7:30 AM here but only 1:30 AM at home and then my next flight is another 8 hours and lose another hour of time as well- ah!! Anyways, that is all for now.
Miss you all already!!
-Jenn
Miss you all already!!
-Jenn
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