Two Year LEI-versary!

When people ask me if I have children I almost always say, “yes.”

“I have 250 children in Kenya.” Obviously, they are not my biological babies, they are not my color, and some of them don’t speak English all that well; but so many of them don’t have anyone else to claim them. For many of my children there is no longer anyone in their lives who will say, “I love you.” They lost their mother to HIV/AIDS, their father abandoned them, their aunts and uncles want nothing to do with them… so I will claim them. I will love them as my own, and I will tell them that they are incredible children with the chance to do anything they believe in every chance that I get. I will continue working with my team to provide as many opportunities as we can for them, and I will never regret any sacrifices I make for these kids. Not because I am selfless or charitable, but because I have been blessed with the most awesome children anywhere, and they deserve the same love and endearment as any other child.

Two years ago I started working with a non-profit organization called, Longonot Education Initiative. This organization changed my entire life. As I sit here typing and trying to explain the impact that LEI has had on my life I am coming up completely speechless. There are not enough words to explain how grateful I am every day for my team and the work that we get to do. Longonot Education Initiative focuses on educational efforts and supporting community initiatives. These two things are so important to me. I couldn’t have found an organization that supports my personal beliefs more accurately. Working in Kenya has taught me so much about life and about myself, it has shown me how strong I can be, and what true dedication can accomplish. It has also been the most challenging experience of my life. The work I do is almost never easy, but it is always always worth it. I have had days where I lay in bed and cry, because I have seen too much poverty for one life time, or because while I am desperately trying to help someone they seem determined to do nothing other than bring me pain. Those days suck, but they play a vital role in the reason I love my work, because after I pull myself out of bed and get back at it there is always going to be happy tears right around the corner. Things like watching eight street boys suit up in their school uniforms for the first time, or seeing children run to the first playground they’d ever seen; things of pure beauty, that make my heart so full of love. My job is incredible.

Living and working in Kenya has brought me so much more than work though. It has brought me a second home and a beautiful little second family. I work with some of my greatest friends, they are smart and kind souls. Because of these people Ngong town is forever etched into my heart with memories that I will never be able to forget. Our weekly dinner parties, countless bonfires, motorbike rides through the most beautiful land on this planet, talking about everything and nothing all at once are always in my head no matter where I am in the world. You are all so dear to me, and my heart aches to see you again soon. (Also, I can’t forget my Africat here. At the expense of sounding like a crazy-cat-lady I can say that Nala has taught me many valuable life lessons and I’ve had a good weep about missing him a time or two)

These last two years have been absolutely vital in making me the person that I am today. The triumphs and challenges that I have faced while working with LEI have been truly amazing. Working with LEI has saved me from living a    

l a u g h

Laugh. Laugh as often as you can. Laugh everyday, laugh for no reason and don't worry about who thinks you're crazy. With your mouth open and your head thrown back. Don't cover your mouth with your hand, don't try and stifle the strange noises. Laugh in the morning to wake up your soul and body alike. Laugh because you are sitting on this giant space rock, one of 7 billion people, and you woke up today and got a chance to do something awesome, and that's all a little bit bizarre when you think too much.

So, Laugh. Loudly. Freely. Beautifully.

x

Most Random Blog Post To Date

Before you read any further, I should warn you that this is going to be one of the most meaningless and random blog posts you will probably ever read from me. That being said I just had one of the most lovely experiences of my 2014 Kenyan Life and felt a bit inspired.

I would like to start by giving a peak into what it is like to be a single, 23 year old, white girl living in Ngong, Kenya. While the next couple paragraphs may seem like a lot of complaining, I assure you it is no such thing. This is my life, and it’s not always easy, but even after hearing “mzungu” 60x a day there is always something equally beautiful to make up for the difficulties that I face.

As stated above, I am currently 23 years old, white, living in Ngong, without a husband/boyfriend/male to constantly escort me around.  In short, I am an anomaly. While Ngong is a fast growing town, that is not totally unfamiliar with white people, we are still VERY much in the minority. I would say that in the immediate area there is less than 10 white people who have made this their home (myself, and two white companions included) with a handful of volunteers who circulate in and out. That all goes to say that people notice you when you walk down the road, when you go to a shop, when you do anything. Add in the fact that I am a female and it multiplies the attention easily by two-fold. Consider that I am under 40 and double that attention again. Long story short, in the most humble way I can put this… I’m kind of a big deal (ok, kidding…but seriously).

When I walk anywhere I can count no less than 10 repetitive calls after me. “Mzungu!” “Beautiful! Why don’t you marry me?” “Baby, where is your man?” “Mzungu, buy me this!”  ALL.DAY.LONG. There are days when I go downstairs to ask Sedona and Zach if they want to do anything, and they will turn down the offer because they/we “would rather not be harassed while walking through town.” It is mentally exhausting.

Most days end up with me shut inside my home no later than 7:30, shortly after it gets dark. I used to be a bit braver, but after being mugged last year I just don’t have the guts to risk it. Even when I am out enjoying a drink with friends or just going for a wander in the daytime people can get too over excited and cause problems. I was buying a piece of pineapple on the side of the rode a few days ago, and a group of women walked up and PET ME. They pet me like a zoo animal, because of the color of my skin.

I digress. The point here is that it is not always easy to maneuver through this life, without causing a scene when you are just trying to go about your business.

So, back to my really great experience, eh? This evening I decided to go to a butchery and order nyama choma for take away and enjoy it at home with a movie and a glass of wine. As I walked to the butchery to pick up my choma it was 7:30 and just past dark. I arrived at the butcher and walked inside, past the half of a hanging cow and most of a goat’s body in the window. I saw four butchers hanging out with no customers except for me in the room. Being as polite as possible I can say that of the four butchers there is a likelihood that none of them had made it to high school, they more than likely all lived in one of Ngong’s three slums, and all of their knowledge combined they could barely hold a basic conversation in English. One of the men was already visibly drunk, and one (strangely the one I talked to most) seemed to hardly even know Kiswahili, opting instead for his mother tongue, Kikuyu.

From first glance this is not the kind of situation I normally want to be in. This has nothing to do with safety. I was perfectly comfortable as far as my personal security was involved. Again, it’s all about being hassled and harassed. Being ripped off because I don’t know the right prices, talked to in Swahili just to confuse and frustrate me, or being told I have a nice ass when I just want to buy dinner.

As soon as I walked in a short man at the back called me over to watch him cut my meat (this is standard) and told me “Unajua nakupenda, mrembro. Unanipenda?” [You know I  love you, beautiful. Do you love me?] I was feeling friendly so I assured him that of course I loved him and I am sure he is a very nice person. The other butchers thought this was too funny. They started testing my Swahili, and asking me about my home country. They made jokes; asking me to marry them, asking why I didn’t have a husband yet. But they did it RESPECTFULLY. When I was struggling with the language they would work out the proper English words together to help me understand.  They asked me about my life here, my work, my home, and told me a bit about themselves. And it never got weird. I never felt, “I need to get out of here before I can’t understand them anymore, or before they get too familiar.”

After I paid I said my goodbyes and wished them all a peaceful sleep (lala salama) I was walking out the door and one of the men called after me. I stopped and waited for him to speak, “you told me you live by the stadium. Would you like me to walk you home?” he asked gesturing to the dark sky. This offer did not strike me as sketchy and did not raise any red flags, because he seemed so sincere. He really just wanted to make sure I got home safely.  I politely declined his offer (there was still plenty of people walking home from work and this was a safe move, don’t worry mom!) and thanked him before I walked home peke yangu (by myself).

I believe Aretha Franklin said it best,” R-E-S-P-E-C-T.” That is all that I am asking for here. This interaction was a breath of fresh air and I am immensely grateful. I will certainly be back to that butchery next time I am ready for some choma!  My dinner was delicious and now I am going to binge on Misfits Sn. 2

Here is a quick photo of my tasty dinner.
Mac n chz, choma, and a sweet bell pepper. Yumm. 

Goodnight!! xx

PS: I know this blog didn’t focus very much on… well anything really. But just as a quite update I can assure you that work is going great. Better than ever I might say. Keep checking back for future updates to see what I am up to next!  

PSS: Check this out, because it is wicked cool. 

As soon as I stepped out of the new arrivals gate at JKIA and saw my Kenyan Family standing there waiting for me I felt like I had never left. Less than an hour after my plane landed I was in a pimped out matatu speeding towards home. After 24 hours of travel I was exhausted, but my face still hurt from smiling. Waking up the day after landing and walking around is such a great feeling. Friendly faces everywhere asking me where I’d been and explaining that it was nice to have me back, this town certainly knows how to make me feel loved. 

I have not done anything really spectacular yet, but I figured an update on daily life was needed. My apartment is good (still standing), in fact since we bought a new couch set, it’s much improved. Sedona is working on a mural in my bedroom and I’ll post pics as soon as my favorite artist is finished. For all the cat lovers wondering about Nala, he is purrfect. He still gives the best kitty hugs and acts like the baby of the house, although he is getting more adventurous about trying to jump out of open windows. Sedona, Tom, and Zach have moved into the apartment below ours and I am beyond grateful to have them so close by. Benjamin is doing well, and had a kitchen full of my favorite Kenyan treats upon my arrival (thanks!!) and he will be here with us until June. I finally met Baby Jayden when I visited Sam & Nancy the day after I arrived and while I had a lot of frustration with that baby I think we’ve finally hashed things out, he is a great addition to The Family.

Construction at the LPK Daycare Center is coming along swiftly. When I landed the foundation was the only thing complete and as of today we have a whole roof! You can see the construction progress on our website! We are quite grateful to have contributed to this project and can’t wait until every last nail has been hammered into place!

The Ahadi boys are getting on brilliantly. A separate sponsor has recently started renting a small compound for the boys and Joseph to live in. This way they are no longer living on the streets, or even in the slum at all. The boys who live at the center and come to class on a daily basis have really changed. Every time I see them I am amazed. Could these really be the boys that I knew a year ago? Larry, who I saw on a daily basis collecting garbage and so high he was stumbling, is now one of our happiest and most eager to learn students. The transformation in the group has truly been one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. Within the next month we are hoping to help many of the boys return to school and continue with their proper education.

The Faraja Crew is doing well. It is one of my biggest pleasures to see the babies I met so long ago grow into such brilliant little people. Kefa was the first Kenyan child I ever met and at the time he was the baby of Faraja. Looking at him now as he cares for all of his siblings (young and old) I am so proud of the boy he is growing up to be. He has always been so clever and his wit shows no signs of slowing down. Ten year olds that I met four years ago have suddenly blossomed into young adults attending far away boarding schools, and I feel like I might understand what parents go through when their kids leave the nest.

This week (and next) we have a Skate Trip to Nairobi planned for the Ahadi Boys and a trip to Longonot to check on the school as well. I also have a personal project I am really hoping to start within the next month and I’m hoping I can get it up and going quickly! Thank you for following along in my adventures!!

Feel free to write me, I make a great penpal!

Portia Duke
PO Box 1069-00208
Ngong Hills, Kenya

Resolutions

      As I prepare for my fourth trip to Kenya it has come to my attention that it could not be more different than the preparation for my first trip. The first time I left American soil I toted my body weight in luggage around the world. I packed anti-malarial pills, protein bars, and more hand sanitizer than I knew what to do with.  I stepped off the plane confused, and lived what I only assumed could be a strange dream for six weeks. Upon returning to America I realized I couldn't wake up from the dream and four years later I'm not sure I ever will. 

This year I am calculating my precious space for only the most important things I will need in the six months I am away. Easy Mac, Cards Against Humanity, pen-pal supplies, and a nice bottle of wine to celebrate a particularly good day of work have taken the place of precautionary first aid kits and 14 different pairs of shoes. Since I lost my DL in Kenya last year my passport is never more than an arm's length away and since I've been living out of a suitcase for the last year one could say I'm two steps ahead in the packing game. Having a apartment, a family and students to come home to makes the transition significantly easier and I'm eager to get on my way!

 
I have high hopes for my six months abroad. Kenya has always given me a new perspective on my life and this year I think that is exactly what I need; less distraction, more simple beauty, and a chance to soak in the honesty of my little home town. I am in a curious place of self-discovery in life, and I can’t think of a place I would rather do some soul searching. 

2014 started out with a lot of hope and a list a mile long of things I wanted to fix or focus on throughout the year. When it all comes down to it most everything on the list involved being more grateful on a daily basis, and looking for self-empowerment where ever possible. This is a peek at my list and the things I will be working on in my six months away this year. (Note: there is a fine mix of work related and personal efforts included here)

·         Be more present. Something about lying in the middle of the grass on the side of the road or in a field by yourself isn't entirely accepted in America. Thankfully, in Kenya it’s encouraged. To sit down where ever you want and relax, read, or talk is exactly when I need in my life. With no screens in my face, full of presence, and something curious to look at all around me.

·         Travel more. Kenya is smaller than Texas and I've seen only a handful of the places I would like to. I’m keen to travel to the desert, to the rain-forest, and everywhere in between.

·         Become, even if slightly, more involved with local politicians. I would like to start talking with local government representatives about the troubles that we (long term volunteers) have faced and about the options for making glue (as an inhalant) more of a prominent issue with law enforcement.

·                  Learn more. About everything. By reading, by talking, by living. 

·         Do more social work. It’s such an important part of the work we do and one I’ve become very passionate about, also one I’ve regretfully neglected in the past.

·         Do yoga every day. Whether it’s ten minutes when I roll out of bed or a class in the evening with friends. Yoga is something I’ve only just started to ponder, but I think that it’s going to be something I hold onto for some time to come. My rooftop was made for morning yoga, and if I can savasana while resting my mind and body into Maasai land I’d be a fool not to.

·         Accept that mistakes do not equate to failure.

Alright, I have been neglecting the blog, again. Here is a short summary of the last month or so here in Kenya. 

What I have done in the last month[ish]:

• Been really grateful when the Teacher’s Strike ended. The strike has such a harsh effect on the impoverished children of this nation and continues to happen year after year without progress. Seeing kids run the streets when they should be in class breaks my heart. 
• Got electrocuted for the first time.  It hurt. Kenyan electricity is janky. I thought I would never be able to let go of that plug.
• Renewed my visa for an additional 3 months, placing my return to the States at sometime in mid/late October.
• Booked a flight to Ethiopia. Can’t wait to travel outside of East Africa!
• Spent plenty of time playing with the Faraja babies. They are all growing up so much! They are as smart and healthy as ever.
• Got mugged for the first time.  That sucked, a substantial amount. 
• Drastically improved my Swahili. I am beginning to have full conversations without the use of English and it is one the best feelings I can imagine.
• Got pickpocketed on a bus. Even though I knew it was happening I just couldn’t figure out what was lost till it was too late. Thankfully it was mostly unimportant.
• Spent a week with the house to myself while my flatmates went to Uganda. 
• Endured a mighty chilly Kenyan winter. I am so grateful I am not withering away in the Texas heat. I have really had to work to stay warm, but I am never going to complain about a cup of hot coco in July!
• Got chased by a cow to my apartment gate. Equal parts funny and alarming.
• Spent an almost unreasonable amount of time cuddling with my Afri-Cat, Nala. 
• Got rear-ended by a matatatu while sitting in the boot of a car. Oww. Kenyan transportation is the bane of my existence. 
• Watched (via media) as the Arrivals Gate and Immigration areas burnt down at NBO. Guess I will never walk down those stairs to see friendly faces at the bottom again. 
• Said goodbye to Zach as he left the +254 with the promise of a speedy return.
• This video. Well Benjamin really did it. But this is just shameless promotion. If you have't watch it you should. 
• Watched as all my best friends fell into adorable inter-racial relationships and worked on my 3^rd Wheel Skills (and sometimes 5th Wheel and on a few occasions 7^th wheel)
• Welcomed the ever brilliant Joe to the #5/#7 Apartment Complex, now making it the #2/#5/#7. Our neighbors are really confused as to why white people just keep showing up to live here. 

     As I look at that list, I can't quite say I am missing July. It was probably the toughest Kenyan month I have ever had. I was continually coming dangerously close to real danger, and by the end of it I really just wanted to wrap myself in a bubble. My work load was not an easy one and every day seemed to come with a new challenge. However, I can also say that last month made me realize some really great things. That I am a hell of a lot stronger than I thought, for one. More importantly though, that this job means more to me than I ever knew could be possible. It is never easy, but it's worth every challenge we overcome. The kids I work with have faced more challenges than I will likely ever meet in my life, and they are often just a quarter of my age. They are so strong and so beautiful. They are my role models.
     I am so grateful to have met Ben & Liana last year and to have been welcomed into Longonot Education Initiative. Our organization is growing, and we are learning as we go. It's been such an interesting experience to spend these last three months as the person on the ground, but I am more than ready for Benjamin to return next week. Together I feel like we will be capable of  making some major changes, and I look forward to seeing where things go.

xx

72 Hours

It is Monday afternoon and I feel like I am finally recooperating from the last 4 days. This weekend was crazy!

Let’s start from the beginning, Fourth Of July. We started planning our Fourth of July party on Monday. The residents of the #7 (Sedona, Zach, & I) were all equally excited and equally nervous, as this was the first house party we had ever thrown. On Tuesday we sent out a few mass texts to all of our groups of friends inviting people over and reminding them to sport some red, white and blue for America. 

On Thursday afternoon we had a very American dinner downstairs with just the residents of the #5#7. It was very peaceful. We enjoyed some burgers, fries, and watermelon in an attempt at making our holiday as homey as possible. After dinner we came upstairs and people started arriving shortly after.

Our home went from empty to all seats full in about 20 minutes and people kept pouring in the doors. Nearly everyone was rockin’ some type of red or blue and all of our Kenyan friends had a ton of “Happy Independence Day” shout-outs.

After dark we rallied the group and headed outside for the main event of the night; fireworks in the football field behind our home. We were met by a handful of police to monitor the execution of the process and everyone was giddy with anticipation.  Many of our best friends had never seen fireworks before and when the first explosions lit of the sky the “ohhhs” and “awwws” were audible for miles. The whole process only lasted about four minutes and was unimpressive by American standards, however the thrill of sharing such an awesome experience made it so much more special. After things were done we re-grouped and watched and re-watched the event on several different cell phones. Everyone was so pumped up! 

In the aftermath of the fireworks display I got a phone call from the social worker at Faraja and he just said to me “Happy Fourth of July! At first we thought there were gunshots then I realized it was your Independence Day and rushed all the kids outside to watch!” I was so happy he was so intuitive and grateful my babies got to see such a magical thing.

We continued partying until about 3am when people started trickling out and we went to bed exhausted but happy with the turn out. When we woke up the next day and surveyed our home there was no doubts about it; Operation Kenyan Fourth of July had been a success.

The next day (Friday) brought about my first day of work at Reloaded. Reloaded is a place I have become very familiar with over the last seven months. It is so far from a place I would hang out at home, let alone work at, but it’s been my go-to spot on Saturday nights for a long time now. It is a bar/restaurant/night club combination. It has a few different areas for relaxing, eating, listening to a live band, or dancing while some of the hottest DJs in town lay down tracks. As I walked up the stairs I definitely thought to myself, “am I really working in a night club in Africa for $2 a night?” but it was too late to back out and as I met my boss she instructed me to start wiping down the tables for the night.

The first few hours consisted of wiping tables and stocking the bars for the evening. The staff and I walked around making ourselves look busy every time a manager came by. Since it was a Friday evening the beginning was so and I think I cornered all the tables in the main lounge about 20x each. It was about this point in the night that I realized some things are universal.  The service industry doesn’t change much even from 8000 miles away in a third world country. 

My first night was rough… the staff was not very welcoming. I was the new weird white girl who took up a 250 Ksh a night serving job and they could not figure me out. I had never worked overnight, and working off my hangover from Thursday’s event was still wearing me out. I was getting used to the prices of things and being as clutzy as I am was showing in all of my actions. I remember sitting at the well and thinking to myself, "I am completely weeded and there is no one who speaks enough English to bail me out right now." Come 2am (mid-rush) I was certain that I would not return the next day. However, as the night went on, and I’d had a Red Bull, the place slowly calmed down a bit and the staff saw that I had made it through my first shift, they started to warm up. One of the servers walked up to me and said, “that was your warm up, I hope you are ready for tomorrow night,” and before I could stop to think about it I told him “I’ll be here, I’m sure it can’t be harder than my job at home.” Several people around laughed out loud at the fact that an mzungu girl could possibly be a simple waitress in America and I knew then and there that Saturday night would be heaps better.

On Friday night I left the club at 4:30am and sat in my bed thinking “what the hell just happened?” I was absolutely beat I left a note for my roommates not to wake me up in the morning and passed out till 1pm the next day. When I finally got up I was so tired. I only had a few hours to sit and relax before it was time for Round 2.

On Saturday I showed up appropriately Kenyan Late. We started the shift out the same way, but people were much friendlier this time. At one point we were hanging out in the back of the bar and I got drug into a conversation talking trash about our boss. At that point I realized I was accepted in the group and I was so excited. Saturday’s shift went MUCH more smoothly, it was busier, I was more knowledgeable, and the staff was more helpful.  My friends came in and hung out for a while and I served up plenty of tequila shots and it was so fun to see faces I knew in the midst of all the chaos. By the time I was finally able to leave on Saturday, at 5:30am, the club was still in full swing I snuck past my manager and got into a taxi. I came home and cooked myself breakfast and my head finally hit the pillow just as the sun was coming up.

All-in-all it is an experience I am SO grateful that I had. Most people called me crazy, and I am not denying it. It was tough, but a cool thing to do for a weekend, at least. And thankfully I earned my $5 and about $1.50 in tips!

The following are comparison notes I made to myself while I worked about serving in Kenya that I feel like most of my service industry friends would appreciate:

• On average I consume 1-2 Red Bulls a week here, but as soon I was at work I realized my consumption went up to 3 per day. 
• Lots of people told me, "you walk so fast, you always look like you are in a rush," and I've been accused of the same thing at Reata countless times. I don't think the majority of people here could wrap their heads around the concept of 'prompt service.'
• Even in giant Kenyan nightclubs the servers still stand around the well and yell at the bartender to go faster, even though they are obviously trying their very best and the harassment does no good. 
• Wearing a name tag in the club two nights in a row may have sealed my fate of all the creepy men in the metroplex knowing my name from now on. 
• While the other servers were able to steal a break every now and again by hiding in dark corners, my skin glowed like neon in the dark room and I was constantly being called on. 
• I am grateful I don't have to "hustle" for tips in America, E.G. hiking prices on certain drinks to pocket the extra cash, telling customers we are out of change, ect. It was not something I was comfortable doing, but it was at least interesting to know how the servers earn their bread each night. 
• The staff will always stand around and complain about management and assume that they know how to fix all the problems in the restaurant. 
• The level of harassment for a white girl in uniform working at club full of skeezy drunk men isn't quite as bad as you would imagine it.... it is so much worse.

I really just can't put into proper words how similar it was to working in any place in America. It was one of the strangest experiences of my life, honestly. I decided I really quite enjoyed most of the staff, and I really enjoyed getting to work with dancehall, reggae, trance, and East African music alternately blaring in the background. However, having said all of that I have to admit it was very hard to be away from the Ngong Crew for 48 full hours. When I finally woke up on Sunday at two in the afternoon I felt like I had not seen them in a month. I still haven't decided if I will work again, but regardless I am sure to be back at Reloaded, either as a patron or server within the next month!