This is a day that the Lord has made, we will Rejoice and be glad in it.
My grandfather is really not doing well. He fell and broke his hip about two months ago and he hasn't been the same since. He is 81. He's done a lot of living and his wisdom astounds me. To be honest, he's never been my hero. He grew up in a much different time and has many beliefs and customs that I don't associate with; habbits I would detest in others but dismiss for him because of the fact that he group up in a much different time. I'm home visiting with him, my grandmother and my parents for a few days and my respect and admiration for him has grown tremendously. It's difficult for him to smile or show much expression at all, but when I'm beside him and holding his tough, worked hand and looking into his deep blue eyes, counting the grand-canyon-like wrinkles on his face, I feel so much respect and adoration for him. It's all I can do to try and make him smile on the inside, even if it doesn't show on the outside.
Yesterday, I took my grandmother to the grocery store to pick up some neccesities for the house- doughnuts, chocolate milk, milk, orange juice, bread turkey dogs, bananas and tissues- who knew what 80 year olds buy at the grocery store. She asked me how I was doing (probably because she's so exhausted of all the times people have asked her how shes doing recently) and I told her I was doing really well. She told me, "you have so much to look forward to." In that moment I felt overwhelmed with sincere furaha. Furaha in the fact that I do have so much to look forward to and Furaha in the fact that she, a very wise woman, could identify that.
I sometimes wonder if elderly people are happy; do they realize that all thier closest relatives and friends are dying? do they realize that they're completely clueless about what's going on in the lives of those they love who are still alive? do they realize how much the world has changed and how its seemed to leave no room for them or their thoughts? Do they realize that their conversations are monotonous? I hope I'm wrong about all of this. I hope somewhere out there its different for some people or that its different for everyone and we just can't understand that until we experience it. I hope they elderly in this world have some secret game (real or imagined) that all of us younger people are unaware of but that entertains and educates and fulfils them.
I love family. I love Furaha. I hope my grandparents feel Furaha.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Friday, December 3, 2010
It's still all around us
At work today, I had an extra moment and stumbled accross this blog. Working in an office in a brick building on a busy street where it's 5:20 and dark out, 40 degrees and windy, quiet but not quite peaceful, doesn't seem like a place I'd typically associate with furaha. However, it is here. It has shown up to brighten my day. Reading the blog from this summer reminded me of the warmth I felt from all of my interactions in Kenya... not because of the long sunny days or the feeling of brightness on my skin, or the quiet that was also calming, but because furaha doesn't need a context or a circumstance. I feel so much happiness for the people in my life, the happiness of my family, the glitter and tradition of the holiday season, the excitement of the future, and the breath-takingly beautiful moments I experience everyday, but I feel Furaha for being alive and being human and recognizing the human in others. That, to me, is the reason for life and motivates all that I do.
I'll keep writing.
I'll keep writing.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
A transition and SOAP!
Whaaaa It's crazy to think I've been back in the US for a month! In some sense it seems like just a few days ago that I left Lwala, in other ways it feels like I was there for only a weekend and I've been back for years.
This summer was truly incredible and I know it broadened my perspective on the world, sharpened my desire to help people, and enriched my personal understanding of poverty, sickness, richness, happiness, and Furaha, in so many ways.
The soap group is still working, making soap... they got an initial loan of 200 shillings (enough to make over 3000 bars of soap) last week and now they are busy producing, marketing, and selling! When I think of the fact that one bar sold in the US could make about 5 dollars of profit (400 shillings, or 80 bars worth of profit from those sold in Kenya) it really motivates me to try to sell some in the US. If anyone would be interested in helping with the process (reaching out to small business, local farmers markets, researching grants, etc) please let me know! I've talked to a few people/businesses who are interested in selling the soap, which is exciting!! Also, if anyone would be interested in buying a bar, email me at hspring89@gmail.com... 10 bars sold (50$ if sold for 5$ each) would be the equivalent of the average Kenyan's monthly salary! Also, we're hoping that if we can create a constant supply of soap to sell in the US and soap to sell in Kenya, profits from soap sold in the US can go to supporting some of LCA's projects related to water, sanitation, and hygiene! If anyone has experience with fair-trade, marketing, etc, (or knows someone with this type of experience) let me know!!
Even just writing about this makes me incredibly excited... all my classes this semester are very dull and it's interesting to compare the type of enthusiasm I have for the work I was doing this summer with the work I'm doing in school. Could get depressing to think about!! For now, I'm holding on to my beautiful memories from Lwala, and the wonderful community I have in the US!
I hope you're finding some JOY in this crazy world! : )
This summer was truly incredible and I know it broadened my perspective on the world, sharpened my desire to help people, and enriched my personal understanding of poverty, sickness, richness, happiness, and Furaha, in so many ways.
The soap group is still working, making soap... they got an initial loan of 200 shillings (enough to make over 3000 bars of soap) last week and now they are busy producing, marketing, and selling! When I think of the fact that one bar sold in the US could make about 5 dollars of profit (400 shillings, or 80 bars worth of profit from those sold in Kenya) it really motivates me to try to sell some in the US. If anyone would be interested in helping with the process (reaching out to small business, local farmers markets, researching grants, etc) please let me know! I've talked to a few people/businesses who are interested in selling the soap, which is exciting!! Also, if anyone would be interested in buying a bar, email me at hspring89@gmail.com... 10 bars sold (50$ if sold for 5$ each) would be the equivalent of the average Kenyan's monthly salary! Also, we're hoping that if we can create a constant supply of soap to sell in the US and soap to sell in Kenya, profits from soap sold in the US can go to supporting some of LCA's projects related to water, sanitation, and hygiene! If anyone has experience with fair-trade, marketing, etc, (or knows someone with this type of experience) let me know!!
Even just writing about this makes me incredibly excited... all my classes this semester are very dull and it's interesting to compare the type of enthusiasm I have for the work I was doing this summer with the work I'm doing in school. Could get depressing to think about!! For now, I'm holding on to my beautiful memories from Lwala, and the wonderful community I have in the US!
I hope you're finding some JOY in this crazy world! : )
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
The transition from an idea to a reality, a face to a friend, a story to an identity...
Quick update: Life is Kenya is hectic but amazing.
-I've been working from about 8-7 the past week-and-a-half doing the trainings (last week) and working with the soap group (last week and this week). The training was amazing. We had 27 graduates, laughed a lot talkind about poop and water, and learned a lot from Elizabeth... she's great. Exciting news with the business: we've successfully made soap! And it's going to be economically viable! And the whole experience is like a mix between a chemistry project, a business, and a meeting of friends... mix in the fact that everyone speaks english as a second language and that the culture is completely different... it's crazy. It's been fun. Working with these people is teaching me so much about myself (and about working in a group.) That sounds cheesey, but it's true. I want SO badly for the business to be a success. Today we experimented coloring the soap with some local plants, adding scents with rosemary, citronella, and lemongrass, and working with local materials (lime and sodium carbonate) instead of wood ash or commerial lye. I'm going to bring some bars home to sell here so they can hopefully buy a bike to transport the soap to other markets!
-My friends here are amazing. I had a sleepover with a 21 year old and 40-something year old this past weekend because I was alone at the guesthouse. At church they do "fundraisers" for different causes/projects. People can bring money or gifts to give that are auctioned off during the service. I bought Jael (our cook) a chicken. She decided to keep it and name it Happy, because she knows I'm vegetarian and decided it was a happy chicken because it wasn't eaten and that she could use it to lay eggs for a while.
-Sunday a bunch of us when to Homa Bay to find some resources for the soap-making. We went to this volcanic area with hot springs and boiled an egg! And we met a former MP for the area, and we got tons of aloe vera plans (literally just pulled them out of the ground, threw them in the land rover, and replanted them to use for the soap), we were led to this stone that "looks like an alligator"... after a really long walk I was not too entertained... the story is that an alligator escaped from Lake Victoria and walked up to this rock and then got too tired and died there and was turned to stone in the heat. It was hilarious. It looked nothing like an alligator. Also, we all got in the lake and it was amazing! So beautiful! Hills and the water all in one place...
The real blog entry: Sitting on my bed, under my mosquito net with the window open behind me, the sound of kids playing soccer outside, birds, cows, chickens, the smell of the pineapples that are arranged on my chair, ripened and ready to be eaten, and the most beautiful sunset somewhere out there... I say it's beautiful even though I can't see it at the moment because it's beautiful every single day. This is my reality. For months (the past 3 years really) living in this reality has been an idea or a dream of mine. It's unbelievable to realize that in just 5 and a half days I'll be flying away from this reality to land only hours later in another reality that is equally my own. All of these... the dreams and the realities... are equally beautiful to me.
Side note: The past few weeks I've really struggled with knowing that wealth is so abundant in the US, that it seems as if you could reach out, pick it off a tree, and just give it to someone here to taste it.* I laugh (not really laugh) when I think of these 8 people who have become friends, working every day for hours to learn how to make soap, advertise, run a business, etc... all for a product that they will sell (if they are successful) at 10ksh/bar. This is about 15 cents/bar. I laugh thinking if I got a grant or a donation for $1000 dollars (80,000ksh), that it would be the equivalent of them selling 8000 bars of soap... or really 16,000 since they'll cost about 5ksh each to produce.
To continue: I've struggled with this so much while I've been in Kenya... the disparties... that all the hardships and frustrations and atrocities that I've encountered... from hearing of so many preventable deaths to witnessing car accidents to hearing about post-election violence to experiencing corruption first-hand at the post office... I will leave these sorts of issues when I fly back to the US, but this life is a reality for so many people living in less-developed countries. For these 2 months, this is my reality; I take the good with the bad, the delicious fruits with the heart-breaking stories, always knowing that it is temporary, but also thinking it beautiful (maybe because I know it's temporary?) However, this is thier reality indefinitely. While a lot of them wouldn't have it any other way, and seem at home hanging onto the backs of matatus**, eating Kenyan food with pride over the way they make it better than those in other parts of Kenya, and using thier meager resources in ways that are absolutely fascinating***, there are a lot of people here who dream of living in the US or Canada or the UK. The idea of the US/Canada/UK is beautiful to them... maybe their reality isn't beautiful, or maybe certain parts are, but would living in the US/Canada/the UK really be as beautiful as they imagine?
I'm quite in love with an author/poet Brian Andres, who writes poems called "Story People." When I was in Shimba Hills, sitting ontop of these beautiful rocks that overlook the village and the rolling hills and the houses like dots, where you can see the ocean peek through between the hill crests, I was reminded of one of the poems. It just came to me like a good idea or the feeling hunger... so naturally. The poem is "She said she usually cried at lease once each day not because seh was sad, but because the world was so beautiful & life was so short." Sitting on these rocks with the amazing view and the hot sun and the breeze and the kids playing just overwhelmed me with an appreciation for the beauty of Life and of Living. Since that day I've been reminded of the poem each day. I wonder if Kenyans become overwhelmed with how beautiful the world is. I think they do. This is their reality but it's a beautiful one... I think it's normal to romanticize ideas/dreams, but reality is normally a lot less glamorous than we'd expected. Life, my reality, is much more beautiful than even the way i dreamed it.
In a similar way, I think we glamorize faces and stories until we really get to know the person and the identity behind them. A face becomes a friend when you've looked close, seen the flaws, and still are able see the beauty. I think it's a lot more common to idealize a face or a story when it's distant than to still see it as beautiful when you get up close. My friends here (and my friends are home) are so incredibly beautiful. In the same way, thier identities are beautiful. I can glamorize thier faces and stories... tell you about incredible perserverance against all odds, and creativity and intelligence and amazing singing and physical beauty, but honestly, these people have flaws too. They're beautiful all the same. I feel so blessed to have gotten close enough to them, to have shown them my flaws and still be accepted by them, and to have seen their flaws and still seen the beauty.
This blog made no real sense. But it's okay!
*I have this incredible urge to just GIVE people money because so little goes so far. At the same time, I know this isn't the answer.
**a mini-bus with about 12 seats that usually is filled with over 20 peoople, including several hanging out the sliding door (door opened) and a few holding onto the back (completely outside the vehicle as it flies over potholes, around slower vehicles, etc).
***I'm the first to admit that i don't have the most "common sense" of any person out there. But the resourcefulness that Kenyans have is amazing. I saw a guy carrying a full-sized wooden bed fram on the seat of his bicycle as he stood beside, guiding the bike, and wheeling it home. Working with people who have SO MUCH common sense about EVERYTHING is beautiful and humbling.
-I've been working from about 8-7 the past week-and-a-half doing the trainings (last week) and working with the soap group (last week and this week). The training was amazing. We had 27 graduates, laughed a lot talkind about poop and water, and learned a lot from Elizabeth... she's great. Exciting news with the business: we've successfully made soap! And it's going to be economically viable! And the whole experience is like a mix between a chemistry project, a business, and a meeting of friends... mix in the fact that everyone speaks english as a second language and that the culture is completely different... it's crazy. It's been fun. Working with these people is teaching me so much about myself (and about working in a group.) That sounds cheesey, but it's true. I want SO badly for the business to be a success. Today we experimented coloring the soap with some local plants, adding scents with rosemary, citronella, and lemongrass, and working with local materials (lime and sodium carbonate) instead of wood ash or commerial lye. I'm going to bring some bars home to sell here so they can hopefully buy a bike to transport the soap to other markets!
-My friends here are amazing. I had a sleepover with a 21 year old and 40-something year old this past weekend because I was alone at the guesthouse. At church they do "fundraisers" for different causes/projects. People can bring money or gifts to give that are auctioned off during the service. I bought Jael (our cook) a chicken. She decided to keep it and name it Happy, because she knows I'm vegetarian and decided it was a happy chicken because it wasn't eaten and that she could use it to lay eggs for a while.
-Sunday a bunch of us when to Homa Bay to find some resources for the soap-making. We went to this volcanic area with hot springs and boiled an egg! And we met a former MP for the area, and we got tons of aloe vera plans (literally just pulled them out of the ground, threw them in the land rover, and replanted them to use for the soap), we were led to this stone that "looks like an alligator"... after a really long walk I was not too entertained... the story is that an alligator escaped from Lake Victoria and walked up to this rock and then got too tired and died there and was turned to stone in the heat. It was hilarious. It looked nothing like an alligator. Also, we all got in the lake and it was amazing! So beautiful! Hills and the water all in one place...
The real blog entry: Sitting on my bed, under my mosquito net with the window open behind me, the sound of kids playing soccer outside, birds, cows, chickens, the smell of the pineapples that are arranged on my chair, ripened and ready to be eaten, and the most beautiful sunset somewhere out there... I say it's beautiful even though I can't see it at the moment because it's beautiful every single day. This is my reality. For months (the past 3 years really) living in this reality has been an idea or a dream of mine. It's unbelievable to realize that in just 5 and a half days I'll be flying away from this reality to land only hours later in another reality that is equally my own. All of these... the dreams and the realities... are equally beautiful to me.
Side note: The past few weeks I've really struggled with knowing that wealth is so abundant in the US, that it seems as if you could reach out, pick it off a tree, and just give it to someone here to taste it.* I laugh (not really laugh) when I think of these 8 people who have become friends, working every day for hours to learn how to make soap, advertise, run a business, etc... all for a product that they will sell (if they are successful) at 10ksh/bar. This is about 15 cents/bar. I laugh thinking if I got a grant or a donation for $1000 dollars (80,000ksh), that it would be the equivalent of them selling 8000 bars of soap... or really 16,000 since they'll cost about 5ksh each to produce.
To continue: I've struggled with this so much while I've been in Kenya... the disparties... that all the hardships and frustrations and atrocities that I've encountered... from hearing of so many preventable deaths to witnessing car accidents to hearing about post-election violence to experiencing corruption first-hand at the post office... I will leave these sorts of issues when I fly back to the US, but this life is a reality for so many people living in less-developed countries. For these 2 months, this is my reality; I take the good with the bad, the delicious fruits with the heart-breaking stories, always knowing that it is temporary, but also thinking it beautiful (maybe because I know it's temporary?) However, this is thier reality indefinitely. While a lot of them wouldn't have it any other way, and seem at home hanging onto the backs of matatus**, eating Kenyan food with pride over the way they make it better than those in other parts of Kenya, and using thier meager resources in ways that are absolutely fascinating***, there are a lot of people here who dream of living in the US or Canada or the UK. The idea of the US/Canada/UK is beautiful to them... maybe their reality isn't beautiful, or maybe certain parts are, but would living in the US/Canada/the UK really be as beautiful as they imagine?
I'm quite in love with an author/poet Brian Andres, who writes poems called "Story People." When I was in Shimba Hills, sitting ontop of these beautiful rocks that overlook the village and the rolling hills and the houses like dots, where you can see the ocean peek through between the hill crests, I was reminded of one of the poems. It just came to me like a good idea or the feeling hunger... so naturally. The poem is "She said she usually cried at lease once each day not because seh was sad, but because the world was so beautiful & life was so short." Sitting on these rocks with the amazing view and the hot sun and the breeze and the kids playing just overwhelmed me with an appreciation for the beauty of Life and of Living. Since that day I've been reminded of the poem each day. I wonder if Kenyans become overwhelmed with how beautiful the world is. I think they do. This is their reality but it's a beautiful one... I think it's normal to romanticize ideas/dreams, but reality is normally a lot less glamorous than we'd expected. Life, my reality, is much more beautiful than even the way i dreamed it.
In a similar way, I think we glamorize faces and stories until we really get to know the person and the identity behind them. A face becomes a friend when you've looked close, seen the flaws, and still are able see the beauty. I think it's a lot more common to idealize a face or a story when it's distant than to still see it as beautiful when you get up close. My friends here (and my friends are home) are so incredibly beautiful. In the same way, thier identities are beautiful. I can glamorize thier faces and stories... tell you about incredible perserverance against all odds, and creativity and intelligence and amazing singing and physical beauty, but honestly, these people have flaws too. They're beautiful all the same. I feel so blessed to have gotten close enough to them, to have shown them my flaws and still be accepted by them, and to have seen their flaws and still seen the beauty.
This blog made no real sense. But it's okay!
*I have this incredible urge to just GIVE people money because so little goes so far. At the same time, I know this isn't the answer.
**a mini-bus with about 12 seats that usually is filled with over 20 peoople, including several hanging out the sliding door (door opened) and a few holding onto the back (completely outside the vehicle as it flies over potholes, around slower vehicles, etc).
***I'm the first to admit that i don't have the most "common sense" of any person out there. But the resourcefulness that Kenyans have is amazing. I saw a guy carrying a full-sized wooden bed fram on the seat of his bicycle as he stood beside, guiding the bike, and wheeling it home. Working with people who have SO MUCH common sense about EVERYTHING is beautiful and humbling.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
What a week!
This week has been an emotional rollercoaster... I feel incredibly exhausted and exhilerated at the same time!
The week consisted of:
-Attempting to make more soap, and struggling to embrace the successes along with the failures... trying to learn something new, especially when your resources are so limited, is difficult!! I've found myself measuring with water bottles, using plastic bags ripped up to line molds, stirring with sugar cane... all and all it's been crazy.
-Having numerous house visits with random lovely people of Lwala. Their generosity and kindness is astounding. I've officially eaten the most questionable food I've ever had. I dont even want to think about it long enough to recount the details on here. Also, eggs and spinach and sweet potatoes and avacado and everything for that matter tastes better here! I dont know if its the lack of more exciting options or just that everything is so fresh and happy and authentic... from the garden or picked up out of the yard... its amazing.
-SOAP meetings with the director of LCA, some of the staff members, and the potential group members/employees! we're looking for ways to make the process of soap-making less expensive... getting oil wholesale, growing plants that produce a lot of oil, looking for lye in construction warehouses or buying wood ash from locals... we're going to make it work : ) the kenyans are WAY more resourceful than me and understand the need for economic efficiency in a way that I will never fathom... so I'm sure they'll figure it out! We're treating this idea like a project rather than a business for now... presenting the group memebers/employees with the skills to make soap, to run a business, and to advertise, and they will decide whether its worth thier time and energy to make it a business!!
-Sunday I went and sang with a bunch of the women in the choir at teh nearby church... Susan took me and Leah was there and we sang and I told them I loved "Come Thou Fount" and sang it for them and then they brought out the words to the Swahili version of the song and we sang it all together and it was a perfect moment.
-Monday we had a meeting with the past participants of the WASH training and they were so sweet and then some of the women took me to this other meeting which was, as far as I could tell, a secret society of the women of Lwala. IT WAS INCREDIBLE. There were about 25 or 30 of them, and me, and we had chai and mandazi and they asked me so many questions, most of which I didnt know the answers to, about microfinance and HIV/AIDs orphanages and community development and tons of other things... it was amazing... I'm going back for my last 2 mondays in Lwala.
-This weekend Susan, Kelly, Tina and I went to Nairobi, then Tina and I flew to Mombasa, we met Mary, a friend, and Dickson, in town, had lunch, explored Mombasa, shopped, got our train tickets, and then went back to Mary's house to eat and sleep. This morning we woke up, went to teh BEAUTIFUL beach, were waifs for a while stumbling in and out of beach resorts filled with a hilarious mix of Europeans on holiday (speedos) and American missionaries relaxing after spreading the Good News (t-shirts and visors). We're heading to Ray of Hope to visit the kids and the orphanage and then riding the train back to Nairobi and then Tina is headed home and I'm headed to Lwala for my last 2 weeks...
- I cant belive that just 2 weeks from now I'll be heading out of Lwala, for home. It seems crazy... I have so many mixed feelings about it but all and all I feel like it will be a good time for me to leave...
Pray/Hope for the soap business, for Tina's travel back to the US, for the people of Kenya... for a productive and intimate last couple of weeks in Lwala... : )
The week consisted of:
-Attempting to make more soap, and struggling to embrace the successes along with the failures... trying to learn something new, especially when your resources are so limited, is difficult!! I've found myself measuring with water bottles, using plastic bags ripped up to line molds, stirring with sugar cane... all and all it's been crazy.
-Having numerous house visits with random lovely people of Lwala. Their generosity and kindness is astounding. I've officially eaten the most questionable food I've ever had. I dont even want to think about it long enough to recount the details on here. Also, eggs and spinach and sweet potatoes and avacado and everything for that matter tastes better here! I dont know if its the lack of more exciting options or just that everything is so fresh and happy and authentic... from the garden or picked up out of the yard... its amazing.
-SOAP meetings with the director of LCA, some of the staff members, and the potential group members/employees! we're looking for ways to make the process of soap-making less expensive... getting oil wholesale, growing plants that produce a lot of oil, looking for lye in construction warehouses or buying wood ash from locals... we're going to make it work : ) the kenyans are WAY more resourceful than me and understand the need for economic efficiency in a way that I will never fathom... so I'm sure they'll figure it out! We're treating this idea like a project rather than a business for now... presenting the group memebers/employees with the skills to make soap, to run a business, and to advertise, and they will decide whether its worth thier time and energy to make it a business!!
-Sunday I went and sang with a bunch of the women in the choir at teh nearby church... Susan took me and Leah was there and we sang and I told them I loved "Come Thou Fount" and sang it for them and then they brought out the words to the Swahili version of the song and we sang it all together and it was a perfect moment.
-Monday we had a meeting with the past participants of the WASH training and they were so sweet and then some of the women took me to this other meeting which was, as far as I could tell, a secret society of the women of Lwala. IT WAS INCREDIBLE. There were about 25 or 30 of them, and me, and we had chai and mandazi and they asked me so many questions, most of which I didnt know the answers to, about microfinance and HIV/AIDs orphanages and community development and tons of other things... it was amazing... I'm going back for my last 2 mondays in Lwala.
-This weekend Susan, Kelly, Tina and I went to Nairobi, then Tina and I flew to Mombasa, we met Mary, a friend, and Dickson, in town, had lunch, explored Mombasa, shopped, got our train tickets, and then went back to Mary's house to eat and sleep. This morning we woke up, went to teh BEAUTIFUL beach, were waifs for a while stumbling in and out of beach resorts filled with a hilarious mix of Europeans on holiday (speedos) and American missionaries relaxing after spreading the Good News (t-shirts and visors). We're heading to Ray of Hope to visit the kids and the orphanage and then riding the train back to Nairobi and then Tina is headed home and I'm headed to Lwala for my last 2 weeks...
- I cant belive that just 2 weeks from now I'll be heading out of Lwala, for home. It seems crazy... I have so many mixed feelings about it but all and all I feel like it will be a good time for me to leave...
Pray/Hope for the soap business, for Tina's travel back to the US, for the people of Kenya... for a productive and intimate last couple of weeks in Lwala... : )
Sunday, July 4, 2010
An unconventional fourth and another phenomenal week : )
I've had another incredible week! Quick updates:
1. I feel so blessed to be friends with Susan, Leah, and Serah. All three of these women are so strong, intelligent and kind. They have graciously invited me into thier homes, fed me* what little they have, taught me through thier stories and hard-learned lessons, and dragged me into a few experiences that will surely become some of my most fond memories from the summer. It's truly the people who make a place... and Lwala has some incredible people!
2. The soap business is officially happening! I have less than 3 weeks left in the village (what?!?!) and so this (along with the last WASH training and finishing up work at the 10 schools) will take center stage in what will surely become a crazy last couple of weeks!! If you know of any grants for social business/entrepreneurship/microfinance, please let me know!! Or if you have any experiencing starting a business, any advice will help! I finally made the lye from wood ash today, SUCCESSFULLY**!! So now I have to add oil and it will be ready to be taught to others and sold... trying something new is SO much fun, but really difficult in a place with completely different resources, and where the nearest town is 30 minutes away and the nearest city is an hour away... it's been a struggle but I'm so happy it finally worked!
3. I changed my ticket to July 26th... this was the only ticket available and I thought that my originally date to leave on the 15th was pushing me too close to the start of the new semester and I was also told that I shouldnt be in/around Kenya near the vote for the constitutional referendum at the beginning of August. Luckily Virgin lets you change your flight for free : ) I know this won't be my last time in Eastern Africa so I'm not all too sad about not being able to travel around as much.
* Yesterday I went to Leah's house and had the most disgusting food I've ever eaten. It was so bad that it made the millet cake they eat, called Ugali, taste good. I'm not sure what it was, but I think it was from the leaves of a pumpkin or a squash plant. Leah and I have been exchanging visits at one anothers' houses and she is an incredible cook and an even better story teller. She is an oak tree to her children, family, friends, and the community. I love this woman. If you pray, pray for her... if you hope, hope for her... she's pretty sick but she's a fighter : )
** In order to use lye from wood ash to make soap, the lye has to be a certain strength. To test the strength, you float an egg in the lye. The whole process of leeching the lye from the wood ash is WAY over my head and I've tried about half a dozen times to make it, all with great disappointment as I've dropped an egg in the dark-brown liquid and watched it sink to the bottom. Tonight, over lantern-light, the egg floated!! I was SOO happy!! The hard part is over... now I can teach people to make soap so that it can be sold in Lwala, surrounding communities, and in Rongo, to generate some income for the community. I've never been more excited, and simultaneously intimidated. Pray/hope for this too.
Another beautiful week to come, I'm sure of it!
1. I feel so blessed to be friends with Susan, Leah, and Serah. All three of these women are so strong, intelligent and kind. They have graciously invited me into thier homes, fed me* what little they have, taught me through thier stories and hard-learned lessons, and dragged me into a few experiences that will surely become some of my most fond memories from the summer. It's truly the people who make a place... and Lwala has some incredible people!
2. The soap business is officially happening! I have less than 3 weeks left in the village (what?!?!) and so this (along with the last WASH training and finishing up work at the 10 schools) will take center stage in what will surely become a crazy last couple of weeks!! If you know of any grants for social business/entrepreneurship/microfinance, please let me know!! Or if you have any experiencing starting a business, any advice will help! I finally made the lye from wood ash today, SUCCESSFULLY**!! So now I have to add oil and it will be ready to be taught to others and sold... trying something new is SO much fun, but really difficult in a place with completely different resources, and where the nearest town is 30 minutes away and the nearest city is an hour away... it's been a struggle but I'm so happy it finally worked!
3. I changed my ticket to July 26th... this was the only ticket available and I thought that my originally date to leave on the 15th was pushing me too close to the start of the new semester and I was also told that I shouldnt be in/around Kenya near the vote for the constitutional referendum at the beginning of August. Luckily Virgin lets you change your flight for free : ) I know this won't be my last time in Eastern Africa so I'm not all too sad about not being able to travel around as much.
* Yesterday I went to Leah's house and had the most disgusting food I've ever eaten. It was so bad that it made the millet cake they eat, called Ugali, taste good. I'm not sure what it was, but I think it was from the leaves of a pumpkin or a squash plant. Leah and I have been exchanging visits at one anothers' houses and she is an incredible cook and an even better story teller. She is an oak tree to her children, family, friends, and the community. I love this woman. If you pray, pray for her... if you hope, hope for her... she's pretty sick but she's a fighter : )
** In order to use lye from wood ash to make soap, the lye has to be a certain strength. To test the strength, you float an egg in the lye. The whole process of leeching the lye from the wood ash is WAY over my head and I've tried about half a dozen times to make it, all with great disappointment as I've dropped an egg in the dark-brown liquid and watched it sink to the bottom. Tonight, over lantern-light, the egg floated!! I was SOO happy!! The hard part is over... now I can teach people to make soap so that it can be sold in Lwala, surrounding communities, and in Rongo, to generate some income for the community. I've never been more excited, and simultaneously intimidated. Pray/hope for this too.
Another beautiful week to come, I'm sure of it!
Friday, June 25, 2010
furaha
I'm writing this before the world here (the world I'm living in Lwala) wakes up, or gets out of bed, or leaves the tall sugar cane and maize canopies of their shambas (gardens). As I'm writing this, by the time I'm finished, the grounds staff will be slashing the grass, the clinic staff will all be up and looking "smart" (well-dressed/put together) and ready to work, there will be music coming from some obscure thatched-roof home, there will be the smell of fires cooking breads and warming tea...
My day yesterday was the type of day I've been needing... Like last sunday when the old man stopped me while I was on a walk and on the phone to give me two of his papaya and tried to talk (all while Aurelien was on the line!) But it was so much better than that!
First, we were supposed to go and visit 2 schools (the last schools to make the 10 we needed for the baseline surveys). The furthest school was almost a 2 hour walk and I was really not looking forward to it : / Austin came up to tell me he was sick and unable to go with Susan and I to the schools. I was secretly glad Austin wasn't coming because I was looking forward to having a good conversation with Susan!
It ended up that the ambulance was going into town for some repairs so we rode it to the first school, Tuk-Jowi. Tuk-Jowi had 700 students, 10 government-paid teachers and 5 or so PTA (paid by the parents) teachers. There were 2 latrines for girls and 2 for boys. I always feel conflicted going to these schools and meeting with the head teachers, collecting data on what always ends up being the poor state of water and sanitation and hygiene, asking to see the latrines and water sources... The only thing I can think to compare this to would be going to an old widow's run-down home, and asking her about the state of the home, why there haven't been repairs made, asking to see the cracks and the dirt and the archaic fridge/oven/toilet, taking pictures of it all, and just leaving. Luckily we've decided to do some follow ups with these schools so we're not JUST collecting data, hearing about the poor state of things, and then leaving!
Anyways, then we went to Oridi, another local school about 45 mins from Tuk-Jowi! Unfortunately I slipped and fell on our way their and Susan forgot her bag at the school so we had to turn around about 15 mins in, and then keep on with our trek. Oridi is a little smaller, about 400 students, and when we arrived at the school the kids had already been let our for tea/lunch. A lot of the children, especially the younger ones, were still around the school (I guess they're sent with lunch since their total school day ends a few hours earlier than the older children.) They kept saying to me "picha picha, muzungu how are you muzungu how are you muzungu how are you" and "I am fine thank you" I decided after several minutes of high-5's and this same "how are you- I am fine thank you" it would be fun to play a game with the kids. I asked the head teacher and he was enthusiastic about the idea so we proceeded to teach the kids "duck duck goose" but with th'luo words. In a matter of minutes there were probably a hundred kids around the circle, shouting and laughing and cheering on their fellow students. Needless to say, it was a blast. One of the other interns, Tina, is going to go back with me on Monday to play more : )
After leaving Oridi we rushed back to Lwala (another long walk) and had some rice and kale for lunch- easily my favorite meal here (other than chapati!) We left for Minyenya Primary at 2pm to hold the weekly health club meeting : )
Walking around here is one of the best ways to fall in love with Kenya and with the people. Susan decided to take us on a "short cut" to Minyenya which meant walking on narrow dirt paths, weaving through shambas of maize and under canopies of sugar cane, and jumping over creeks and streams. Walking through these narrow paths, the air is infused with scents; a mixture of flowers and dirt and herbs and green. Its the best smell; a scent from nature that you could never attempt to bottle up and sell in stores. All along the way we passed people who expected to be greeted, to hear where we were coming from, where we were going, why we were going there, and of course to test me on my knowledge of the language. People here will welcome you, verbally, through hand signals, any way possible, to come into their homes, meet their families, see their shambas, try their prized crop, and call you a friend. Its beautiful.
It goes without saying that I treasure these walks and these people. When we finally get to Minyenya, we have a successful healthclub meeting! We make a schedule for daily latrine-cleaning and we made tippy taps! The kids brought their own jerry cans and sessile rope (from this cool plant that looks like a bigger version of the top of a pineapple) and so we were able to make a lot!! Minyenya will now have handwashing! The kids were hilarious. They've got that "too cool for school" 'tude going and its great. The health club kids are warming up to us- you can tell they like showing us what they've learned, but they look to their classmates for approval and laugh AT us more than WITH us. They font have to like me... I like them : )
Just as we're leaving Minyenya, the afternoon rain comes. It hasn't rained all week so this rain is hard and heavy and doesn't stop for 45 mins! By the time we leave (430) its already the time when I was supposed to be meeting with the town WASH committee (participants from the prior training). I felt bad because I knew a lot of them walked a far way to attend our meeting and I was at least a 45 minute walk away! Susan and I decided to take the shortcut to speed up the trip. This was a terrible idea! The mud was extremely slippery and I fell so many times, grabbing for maize stalks and sugar cane and cassava branches or anything, but with no success! We finally got to a river to wash off but my dress was covered in mud. When we got to the main road and began crossing paths with everyone headed home from the shamba or the market or the clinic, everyone wanted to know why I was covered in mud. They were mad at Susan for taking me on the short-cut but at the end of every conversation there was just a big laugh about the whole incident of us rushing and it raining and me falling and that we'd walked for about 4 hrs already that day.
Susan and I had the most incredible conversations the whole day. We talked about serious things and we talked about funny things... We laughed and laughed and laughed as she asked me about America and I asked her about her views on several controversial topics. She told me about her heartbreak upon getting pregnant at the age of 19 and moving back home just 2 weeks into college. This is a woman who is strong and wise and responsible, yet gentle and humble... She's experienced more in her 21 yrs of life than I may ever experience. And she was most interested in asking me about my boyfriend, about my life at school, and what I knew about family planning. She told me that she loves me because I laugh so much- I laugh when I fall. She provided me with enough solid, deep conversation and genuine happiness to last me for weeks.
We finally got to the church where we were to meet with the WASH committee and sure enough, no one was there. Just as we went separate ways, back to our homes, dirty and wet and exhausted, I saw this little boy who is the son of a woman from the WASH training. I had gone last weekend to visit the woman, Leah, in her home, and to take her a Papaya that was given to me by the old man I met the day before. She wasn't home when I went, but I got a chance to meet her family and the people in her compound (lots of times houses here are in groups and hers is in a big group). Her son and his friends grabbed my arms and were saying "how are you, how are you, how are you" with their adorable kenyan accents, as they led me toward Leahs house.
I walked into her house with them and set down in one of the chairs in her lovely house : ) I tried to play with the kids- tickling them and joking with them and they were soooo precious! Finally Leah came, with another woman from the training, Elizabeth. She made the kids leave and we sat around and talked and she scurried between the kitchen and the living area. She went into the kitchen and came out with a plate of avacado, cut into fourths (from her garden) and a plate of hot, whole sweet potatoes (from her garden) and a cup of hot milk (from her cow). It was by far the best thing I've eaten here... Simple but delicious. Over the amazing food, we talked about HIV and TB and about her family. We talked about struggles and joys and she proudly told me about how she's been telling everyone about WASH and how she has made plans to do a training at her church and a training with the women's group that meets monthly at her house! We had an amazing time talking- she made me feel so at home in her house. At one point she said "when people have a friend over they want to give them something nice. When I saw you were here I thought 'I don't have anything beautiful enough for hannah,' but then I decided 'I'll give her what I have!'" The Avacado and sweet potato and milk were perfect. The kenyans who have invited me into their homes have shown me such a good example of how we should take in guests, greet strangers with open arms, and be gracious enough to give them whatever we have. That sense of friendship and community that is extended to everyone, inclusive to all, is something very beautiful.
As if the day couldn't have gotten better, we taught Jielle how to make grilled cheese sandwiches (the second day of our deliberate experiment to learn to cook eachother's favorite foods- kenyan and american- she taught me chapati yesterday). She went to the supermarket with a list of ingredients for grilled cheese, pizza, stir fry, and eggplant parmesan. she returned with broccoli, soy sauce, eggplant, bread crumbs, tomato paste, and cucumbers, all of which she's never tried!! I'm so excited to cook with her!!
Finally, the day ended with an incredible phone conversation with Aurelien. I never expected we'd be able to talk so much, but between gchat, email, and calling cards we've talked almost every day. He is such a great listener, giver-of-advice, encyclopedia of knowledge about basically any question you could ever have, and on top of all that, he's incredibly supportive of my wanderlust and really appreciates me for the person I am, flaws and all!
To top it off, my beloved family seem to be doing great- dad is recovering well, mom's attitude is phenomenal, and Kaitlin seems to be really happy!
I hope everyone back home is doing great! I'm sure summer is perfect (much needed) change for everyone- whether its a change in place, in routine, or just a change in feeling! There's nothing like that hot, heavy summer heat, warm nights, watermelon, peaches, and lazy summer weekends : )
My day yesterday was the type of day I've been needing... Like last sunday when the old man stopped me while I was on a walk and on the phone to give me two of his papaya and tried to talk (all while Aurelien was on the line!) But it was so much better than that!
First, we were supposed to go and visit 2 schools (the last schools to make the 10 we needed for the baseline surveys). The furthest school was almost a 2 hour walk and I was really not looking forward to it : / Austin came up to tell me he was sick and unable to go with Susan and I to the schools. I was secretly glad Austin wasn't coming because I was looking forward to having a good conversation with Susan!
It ended up that the ambulance was going into town for some repairs so we rode it to the first school, Tuk-Jowi. Tuk-Jowi had 700 students, 10 government-paid teachers and 5 or so PTA (paid by the parents) teachers. There were 2 latrines for girls and 2 for boys. I always feel conflicted going to these schools and meeting with the head teachers, collecting data on what always ends up being the poor state of water and sanitation and hygiene, asking to see the latrines and water sources... The only thing I can think to compare this to would be going to an old widow's run-down home, and asking her about the state of the home, why there haven't been repairs made, asking to see the cracks and the dirt and the archaic fridge/oven/toilet, taking pictures of it all, and just leaving. Luckily we've decided to do some follow ups with these schools so we're not JUST collecting data, hearing about the poor state of things, and then leaving!
Anyways, then we went to Oridi, another local school about 45 mins from Tuk-Jowi! Unfortunately I slipped and fell on our way their and Susan forgot her bag at the school so we had to turn around about 15 mins in, and then keep on with our trek. Oridi is a little smaller, about 400 students, and when we arrived at the school the kids had already been let our for tea/lunch. A lot of the children, especially the younger ones, were still around the school (I guess they're sent with lunch since their total school day ends a few hours earlier than the older children.) They kept saying to me "picha picha, muzungu how are you muzungu how are you muzungu how are you" and "I am fine thank you" I decided after several minutes of high-5's and this same "how are you- I am fine thank you" it would be fun to play a game with the kids. I asked the head teacher and he was enthusiastic about the idea so we proceeded to teach the kids "duck duck goose" but with th'luo words. In a matter of minutes there were probably a hundred kids around the circle, shouting and laughing and cheering on their fellow students. Needless to say, it was a blast. One of the other interns, Tina, is going to go back with me on Monday to play more : )
After leaving Oridi we rushed back to Lwala (another long walk) and had some rice and kale for lunch- easily my favorite meal here (other than chapati!) We left for Minyenya Primary at 2pm to hold the weekly health club meeting : )
Walking around here is one of the best ways to fall in love with Kenya and with the people. Susan decided to take us on a "short cut" to Minyenya which meant walking on narrow dirt paths, weaving through shambas of maize and under canopies of sugar cane, and jumping over creeks and streams. Walking through these narrow paths, the air is infused with scents; a mixture of flowers and dirt and herbs and green. Its the best smell; a scent from nature that you could never attempt to bottle up and sell in stores. All along the way we passed people who expected to be greeted, to hear where we were coming from, where we were going, why we were going there, and of course to test me on my knowledge of the language. People here will welcome you, verbally, through hand signals, any way possible, to come into their homes, meet their families, see their shambas, try their prized crop, and call you a friend. Its beautiful.
It goes without saying that I treasure these walks and these people. When we finally get to Minyenya, we have a successful healthclub meeting! We make a schedule for daily latrine-cleaning and we made tippy taps! The kids brought their own jerry cans and sessile rope (from this cool plant that looks like a bigger version of the top of a pineapple) and so we were able to make a lot!! Minyenya will now have handwashing! The kids were hilarious. They've got that "too cool for school" 'tude going and its great. The health club kids are warming up to us- you can tell they like showing us what they've learned, but they look to their classmates for approval and laugh AT us more than WITH us. They font have to like me... I like them : )
Just as we're leaving Minyenya, the afternoon rain comes. It hasn't rained all week so this rain is hard and heavy and doesn't stop for 45 mins! By the time we leave (430) its already the time when I was supposed to be meeting with the town WASH committee (participants from the prior training). I felt bad because I knew a lot of them walked a far way to attend our meeting and I was at least a 45 minute walk away! Susan and I decided to take the shortcut to speed up the trip. This was a terrible idea! The mud was extremely slippery and I fell so many times, grabbing for maize stalks and sugar cane and cassava branches or anything, but with no success! We finally got to a river to wash off but my dress was covered in mud. When we got to the main road and began crossing paths with everyone headed home from the shamba or the market or the clinic, everyone wanted to know why I was covered in mud. They were mad at Susan for taking me on the short-cut but at the end of every conversation there was just a big laugh about the whole incident of us rushing and it raining and me falling and that we'd walked for about 4 hrs already that day.
Susan and I had the most incredible conversations the whole day. We talked about serious things and we talked about funny things... We laughed and laughed and laughed as she asked me about America and I asked her about her views on several controversial topics. She told me about her heartbreak upon getting pregnant at the age of 19 and moving back home just 2 weeks into college. This is a woman who is strong and wise and responsible, yet gentle and humble... She's experienced more in her 21 yrs of life than I may ever experience. And she was most interested in asking me about my boyfriend, about my life at school, and what I knew about family planning. She told me that she loves me because I laugh so much- I laugh when I fall. She provided me with enough solid, deep conversation and genuine happiness to last me for weeks.
We finally got to the church where we were to meet with the WASH committee and sure enough, no one was there. Just as we went separate ways, back to our homes, dirty and wet and exhausted, I saw this little boy who is the son of a woman from the WASH training. I had gone last weekend to visit the woman, Leah, in her home, and to take her a Papaya that was given to me by the old man I met the day before. She wasn't home when I went, but I got a chance to meet her family and the people in her compound (lots of times houses here are in groups and hers is in a big group). Her son and his friends grabbed my arms and were saying "how are you, how are you, how are you" with their adorable kenyan accents, as they led me toward Leahs house.
I walked into her house with them and set down in one of the chairs in her lovely house : ) I tried to play with the kids- tickling them and joking with them and they were soooo precious! Finally Leah came, with another woman from the training, Elizabeth. She made the kids leave and we sat around and talked and she scurried between the kitchen and the living area. She went into the kitchen and came out with a plate of avacado, cut into fourths (from her garden) and a plate of hot, whole sweet potatoes (from her garden) and a cup of hot milk (from her cow). It was by far the best thing I've eaten here... Simple but delicious. Over the amazing food, we talked about HIV and TB and about her family. We talked about struggles and joys and she proudly told me about how she's been telling everyone about WASH and how she has made plans to do a training at her church and a training with the women's group that meets monthly at her house! We had an amazing time talking- she made me feel so at home in her house. At one point she said "when people have a friend over they want to give them something nice. When I saw you were here I thought 'I don't have anything beautiful enough for hannah,' but then I decided 'I'll give her what I have!'" The Avacado and sweet potato and milk were perfect. The kenyans who have invited me into their homes have shown me such a good example of how we should take in guests, greet strangers with open arms, and be gracious enough to give them whatever we have. That sense of friendship and community that is extended to everyone, inclusive to all, is something very beautiful.
As if the day couldn't have gotten better, we taught Jielle how to make grilled cheese sandwiches (the second day of our deliberate experiment to learn to cook eachother's favorite foods- kenyan and american- she taught me chapati yesterday). She went to the supermarket with a list of ingredients for grilled cheese, pizza, stir fry, and eggplant parmesan. she returned with broccoli, soy sauce, eggplant, bread crumbs, tomato paste, and cucumbers, all of which she's never tried!! I'm so excited to cook with her!!
Finally, the day ended with an incredible phone conversation with Aurelien. I never expected we'd be able to talk so much, but between gchat, email, and calling cards we've talked almost every day. He is such a great listener, giver-of-advice, encyclopedia of knowledge about basically any question you could ever have, and on top of all that, he's incredibly supportive of my wanderlust and really appreciates me for the person I am, flaws and all!
To top it off, my beloved family seem to be doing great- dad is recovering well, mom's attitude is phenomenal, and Kaitlin seems to be really happy!
I hope everyone back home is doing great! I'm sure summer is perfect (much needed) change for everyone- whether its a change in place, in routine, or just a change in feeling! There's nothing like that hot, heavy summer heat, warm nights, watermelon, peaches, and lazy summer weekends : )
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