I've been in Kenya about half a week now and I'm having such a great time. I don't even know where to begin. Since I last posted I have gone through orientation (pretty boring, but I did get to eat meat for the first/only time) and arrived at my new placement. I am currently staying in Ngong. It's a town about twenty minutes outside of Nairobi. I've heard that it's the place where Out of Africa is set, but I'm not sure about the validity of that. The town is awesome, I've explored a small bit (enough to find out where to get ice cream and top up on my minutes) and today one of the other volunteers who has been here for a month already showed us a juice shop where I got some delicious passion mango fruit juice.

I am staying here with Abi (the English girl from the last post), Ben and Nikki (who've both been here for a month), and our host mom (Naomi, whom I haven't gotten to know much yet, but she seems quite nice). So far this place is wonderful.

This weekend I am going on an Outreach Weekend. Myself along with lots of other volunteers will meet at Junction at 7:15 on Friday and spend the weekend visiting three projects set up exclusively by other volunteers. The KCC slum in Naivasha first. Then we're going to Hells Gate to hike/bike. The next project we'll go to is the Vumilia IDP (Internally Displaced People) camp, I am really interested to go to this because it is a camp of people who were displaced by the political falling out of the 2008 election. For those of you who don't know I was supposed to visit Kenya in 2009, however opted out due to the issues caused by the election. And last, and most anticipated, the Gioto Garbage Slum .

I am really excited for all of this, but also ready to get back so I can get into a routine without moving around constantly.

Today I went to work for the first time, at a place called Faraja Children's Home. The home is ran by a woman named Moraa, who takes Kenyan hospitality to a whole new level. The house is so small and shelters Moraa plus the 35 orphans she calls her children. Kepha is a young genius at just one and a half who spend the day with Moraa while the rest of the 34 children go to school during the day. I've only spent one day here, but I really like it. I am excited to get to know the kids and help out and spend more time getting to know Moraa. Abi and I are hoping to find a way to take the kids out for a day of fun, hopefully to the Monkey Park in Nairobi.

The children's home is completely unfunded by any kind of organization. The only income the house has in the few chicken eggs that Moraa is able to scrounge up from the chickens (when she can feed them) and sell. Other then that she begs, and depends on donations. However the house is not big or well known like some of the other organizations here. Ben, one of the other volunteers I'm working/living with, is attempting to create awareness and get some sponsors for the home but from here it is a slow and tedious process. You can view his blog and his view of the Faraja home here.

I am happy to learn more about the house and the kids, and know I will have so much more to say about them.

This place is unreal. Waking up at 7am to goats bleeting outside my window, walking down the road and hearing kids screaming “Mzungu (white person), how are you?” over and over, the best produce I've ever tasted. Everything about Kenya, it's so different from the world I know. The people are so hospitable, always telling you “karibu” (you're welcome) to their house, their food, everything even when they can hardly afford to feed themselves. There hasn't been a time yet where I've felt uncomfortable here be it in someone's home or walking down Ngong road. And the food is incredible! I can't believe I'm eating it, but everything that has been placed in front of me I have been surprised to enjoy it so much. I could go on forever, but I need to make a run to Nakumatt to pick up some stuff and also make it to a Cyber to post this, so I should probably stop babbling.

Post again when I can.