Nancy

Self Portrait

Two days in a row I have accompanied Nancy to the hospital in Limuru. Her right eye has been swollen shut since Thursday and her hearing has been fading for a while. Yesterday (Sunday) I woke up early to a message from Moraa asking me to come see Nancy and when I got there we determined that she needed a trip to the hospital that she had been referred to by the school. After getting to the hospital and waiting for a couple hours they took Nancy to the examination room and concluded that she would have to see a specialist whom would not return until Monday (today).
     Ian and I repeated the scenario again today, but thankfully we were able to get a diagnosis and some dawa (medicine) for little Nancy and soon her eyes should be all fixed up. As for her ears, we are unfortunately going to have to wait until next Tuesday to see a doctor as there is only a ear specialist available twice a month.
     Though the last two days have been very exhausting and involved more patience than I knew I had in me, I am happy to see Nancy is being well taken care of and will be back to school tomorrow.

Impulsion

I went to a beer and art festival this weekend, which was tons of fun. It was just like something I would love to do at home, only it was somewhere much cooler. I also impulsively got my ears pierced. Which isn't really that exciting, but since it's only my second piercing and I don't remember my first I made Liz take lots of pictures. So here ya go:

Poor Alois had to deal with me whining and being panicked the whole time, but he was a good sport. 

Faraja Update

Here is a quick update for everyone at home. Not a lot has been going on lately, for the most part I am just living my normal life with day to day activities just like you... only Kenyan style. Since my last blog post I have gone to Out Reach, however I feel like I did the best job of detailing it last year and you can read the whole experience here. I also went to Longonot on Tuesday to see the school the L.E.I. is working with and I was so blown away! They have done such a good job. The kids there were so precious and were so excited about everything. I am really happy I went to check it out!

Lately work has been a lot of fun. The kids are starting to warm up to me again and they really are just the goofiest kids I know. Everyday when they get home from David walks up and lays in my lap, Terisia runs past me giggling for reasons unknown to anyone but her, and Kepha walks up and tells me about his day unknowing that I unfortunately understand none of it. They are so smart and so silly it astounds me that I  could wait as long as I did to return.

The other day I went to work around lunch time and served the kids heaps of tasty ugali and beans. After everyone had eaten lunch Pheobe started to wash the dishes by herself. Cleaning up after your 30 brothers and sisters without being told? That's just how these kids are. Since I didn't have much else to do at the time I elected to help her out. We washed all of the lunch dishes in some five gallon buckets filled with water in the backyard and between the two of us it took really no time at all. While washing she asked me, "Portia, can we go on a trip again?" I was so touched to know that she remembers our adventure to the monkey park last year and promised to take them again next month. After dishes were done I wondered off to go play with the younger boys, but before I could make it too far Pheobe said "Portia... now we do shoes" and looked very confused as to where I could have got the impression that I was done. Obviously, I could not tell her no, so I picked up some shoes and followed her to the washing bin. We scrubbed the caked on red dirt off all the boys shoes placed them all under the owner's respective beds. "Now we do the girls," she said, and we repeated the process again. After the shoes were all cleaned I started to make my way off again and again Peobe called after me, "Portia, we clean the couches, come I show you." So we went to the sitting room and she showed me how to take all the pillows off the couch and then essentially beat the couch clean. I think this was the best part about of  our cleaning spree. After we beat the couches clean I was started to get fairly tired, but in the spirit of being helpful I asked Pheobe "What next?"  "Now we mop, come I show you." So we mopped... which I really don't like. It consists of bending over at the waist and rubbing the floor with a filthy towel. The kids gathered around me to tell me what a great job I was doing (they were clearly just being kind). When we were finished mopping and my back was killing me Pheobe hopped up and said, "Portia come, you have tea now." She took me to the living room and told me to sit. She brought me tea and demanded that I drink it in the most hospitable way possible. She stood next to me and encouraged me to drink every few minutes and when I was done she said, "Now we fold clothes... come.." "You'll show me." I finished. We scooped clothes off the lines all over the backyard and she piled and piled clothes into my arms until they were practically covering my field of vision, and then we folded them and put them in each individuals area of the very packed wardrobe.

I know this isn't the most adrenaline filled or thrilling post I have ever made. But I want to show you a day in the lives of these kids. They are the most helpful, self-motivating kids that I could possibly imagine. These are Pheobe's everyday chores. "I love cleaning," she told me at one point. They make due with what ever they get, and honestly when they are all working together they are able to turn chores into the best game around.

On Thursday, I woke up at 5 o'clock in the morning when it was still quite cold and quite dark. I grabbed the breakfast that I prepared the night before and hoofed it to Faraja. When I got there the older girls were awake helping Mum warm water for chai and wake the babies up for washing. I hopped in washing the dishes and scrubbed dishes while other people ran around doing morning chores. After all the younger kids were awake and had been bathed, dishes were clean, and chai had been prepared we served breakfast for the kids. It was so nice to see them get a chance to eat some eggs and fruit for a change! I know the hope of Faraja is that the kids will be able to eat fruit and meats every day, but it's just not realistic at the time and when I am able to help out for even one meal it is such a great feeling. After dinner the children all dispersed into their separate groups for chores. Some boys did laundry, some kids did more dishes and some kids tended to the goats. As for me, I decided to scrub the windows on the front porch... which after Ester came to help turned into scrubbing the entire porch, the walls, the windows, and the floor. Which isn't so bad because this red dirt coats everything and the porch was filthy. When my hands were raw from cleaning solution and my arms were quite tired I went to the back to work on something I have been meaning to do for a while; extending the water trench. The water situation in the backyard is unbearable, there is mud everywhere from the washing and I figured if I extended the trench to the faucet maybe the water would flow to the trench more easily. This was a good idea, but I don't remember the last time I had to use a shovel. I dug and fought with the dirt. I used the shovel to pick rocks out of the mud and try and arrange them in some fashion to keep the water contained. After I was relatively pleased with my efforts I put the shovel up and spent some more time with the kids.

That's pretty much all I have to say about Faraja right now. I am still working very hard to raise funds for the Water Project so if you have any ideas on how to help out please get in touch with me, my email address is Portia.duke@gmail.com and I would love to hear from you.


Also, I am painting Faraja on Monday and I will have some before and after pics for you soon! I hope everyone is well!
xx

Water Project

This is where I will go a little more into detail about the water project I am trying to start at Faraja. It started out as a mentioned of "they should install some gutters around the house," from my Kenyan friend and fellow volunteer, Ian, one day at work. It was a mere mention, but it stuck with me. I came to Kenya knowing that I wanted to start something long-lasting for Faraja, something that will keep helping them after I have left. I thought it over that night and brought it to Moraa's attention the next day.

I can hardly explain how much water the home uses. They need water for everything! For watering their livestock, which helps bring them income. For watering the garden, which helps to feed them. For washing blankets of the young kids who wet the bed, , for hand-washing laundry for the 34 children. For cleaning and sanitizing dishes to eat three meals a day. Not to mention for keeping all the kids healthy and hydrated. For cooking. For bathing. ... as you can see the list goes on and on. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to say that water is an absolute necessity. It is, after all, the most important resource we as human beings can have.

The home is currently spending a huge amount of money on water, and considering the home is being run strictly on donations this can be very overwhelming for them. Due to the water privatization in Kenya companies are able to make this commodity very expensive and people like Mama Moraa are left with no choice but to pay the price. Multiple times in the last six months water has ended up costing them more than rent. In fact, in the month of April they spent double the amount of rent on water alone.

Since I know nothing about building gutter systems in Africa I assumed that this would be a relatively inexpensive project to take on. After meeting with a contractor, I found out how very wrong I was. The project is much bigger than I expected, but if I am going to do this I want to do it right. They need a very large water collection tank, somewhere between 6-10,000 liters. They need the gutters themselves which we might make from large iron sheets or even use PVC pipe rather than buy pre-made gutters to help lower the cost. We need nails, timber, labor, and a platform to keep the very water-heavy tank on. After talking with a few engineers, I have come to understand better exactly what I am taking on, and I have to say it's quite a lot. However, it is still something I feel very strongly about. If I can help Faraja lower their monthly bills this will help them live a much better life.

I know I have asked for a lot from everyone following my blog, but if anyone has change to spare and wouldn't mind pitching in I can't say how much it means to me and the kids. If everyone pitches in ten bucks we can reach this goal in no time... If you can't pitch in then please spread the word. Share the poster and the info anywhere and everywhere you can. If anyone would like me to send them a digital image of either poster please let me know. The more people who see this the more likely someone is to help out.

Thank you!
Portia

Any donations can be made at: http://www.longonoteducation.org/donate.html

Camping: Kenyan Style

     Camping in Kenya might seem like a terrifying idea. Flimsy pop up tents in the wide open plains just hoping that the maneating lions of Tsavo don't get hungry anytime soon. In reality though it was a really swell time, and surprisingly more glamorous than camping in the USA.

The night started around 6pm with a tuktuk (a 3 wheeled motor-contraption or auto-rickshaw) ride about 20 minutes outside of the city. Now, 20 minutes outside of the city might not seem like much, at home 20 minutes doesn't even get you out of the suburbs, but in Kenya 20 minutes is enough to take you from the hustle and bustle of city life to some of the most beautiful land it has ever been my pleasure to see.

We arrived at the Savannah campsite just in time to see the sunset over the great rift valley and take a small dusk-time hike. My excitement for the night was growing to the point of over flowing and we had only been there for half an hour. From the hike we walked to our tents and inspected our sleeping quarters. Again, pleasant surprises awaited us. Heavy duty semi-permanent tents, with electricity and probably the coziest bed I have ever seen in Africa... this was my kind of camping.

After a while the bonfire got started, and who doesn't love a good bonfire? We sat around the fire and popped open some beers and let the stress of the week wash away from us. It took no time at all to fall into the rhythm of friendly small talk between the six of us. We learned that some Kenyans (even quite educated ones) have never heard of McDonalds, and tried to convince the campsite employees to invest in s'mores to attract rich wazungu. The dinner we had was out of this world. Nyama choma should always be prepared by Maasai men. We had both fried and grilled meat along with potatoes and, of course, ugali.

As the evening grew colder it was so nice to relax in good company and enjoy the fire. There is no where else in the world I would have wished myself in that moment. Passing a bottle of cheap wine around the fire in the most stunning countryside, looking at the night sky and seeing more stars than I knew possible. The sky is unarguably brighter here and it brightens me along with it. By the time we were cold and tired and ready for bed Liana, Ana and I wandered back to our tent, pulled the covers over our heads and were asleep before the fire died down.

We woke up this morning nursing our hangovers with overly acidic instant coffee and crisp morning air. We didn't know it yet, but the fun was far from over. When breakfast was served we were shocked. The average breakfast in Kenya is a piece of bread with chai tea. Our morning meal was a feast in comparison. Bananas, watermelon, bread and butter and boiled eggs paired with tea, coffee, or hot chocolate. And more than enough of all of it. Choices! It was really great and just what was needed after the night before.


After we had refueled Ian, our guide, came by and asked us if we were ready for the big hike. We hesitated and he sensed our concerned. He promised us a good time and in the end how could we deny? We hiked through the valley and soon as the hike started we were happy we had come. Ian took us to a waterfall that had long since dried up, and we rested for a while, someone had the sense to ask, "now we head back?" And Ian laughed, "Now we go up," he said pointing to the rock wall ahead of us. It took us a short time to realize he was serious. Well... when in Kenya right? He scurried up the wall like a pro and we followed one by one wondering what the hell we were doing. If we slipped it was into the muddy bacteria filled water we would fall. In the end it wasn't so bad, and only a taste of the rock climbing we would do just a little later. We hiked over rocks the size of cars. Everything around was so green, and you can see for miles and miles. Standing there looking around at the beauty this place has to offer is so refreshing. Eventually Ian told us it was time to go up again and this time we were not so sure. The fall was bigger this time and no water to break your tumble. I am sure this is the kind of thing one would require equipment for in the states, but if Maasai people have been doing it for hundreds of years it must be possible. I refused to look down as I climined and shinnied up the rocks and sat with my butt planted firmly on the ground when I made it to the top.

When we made it back to camp we heard some of the most magical  words one can utter in Kenya... 'hot showers.' Of course we were all on board, even if we were to be putting dirty clothes right back onto our clean bodies. I feel like it might be a bit sacrilegious to say the water spoke to me... but that's not far off. Being the first proper shower I have had since I returned to Kenya it is needless to say that it was a glorious experience.

When we were all clean we assured our hosts that we would return just as soon as possible and said our goodbyes. We caught a tuktuk back to Ngong,. Now, at 6 o'clock I am already in my PJs prepared for a simple night at home and hopefully some movies with snacks.

Crazy Beautiful

This week has been quite nice so far. Very productive while also allowing for time to relax. Since last time I posted I have got underway with some big things at Faraja (more on this later) and have got a chance to meet some really lovely people. I was lucky enough to sit down with Omari (Moraa's son), as well as Ian (our awesome Kenyan volunteer) Simon (one of Liana's associates with LEI) and Liana as well to discuss some of our goals at Faraja and it was such a rewarding experience. All of these people are so intelligent and   are all really great resources for Faraja. Just sitting and listening to their thoughts on Kenya and the home and movies and anything you can imagine is something I could do tirelessly.

Aside from Faraja work this week has been pretty plain, but the nice kind of plain where you don't feel like anything is missing. That is one of the things I love most about this place; I never feel that I am lacking. All it takes for me to feel refreshed around here is just one step out of the door way and I am filled with wonder and curiosity.

The weather has been chilly and dull this week and I am enjoying being able to sit outside with a hot cup of coffee and just enjoy the company I am in. Speaking of great company, I was invited to Simon's house for dinner this evening along with Liana and Andy and it was beautiful! Having only just met Simon a few days ago I was not quite sure what to expect, but I am trying hard to live up to my goal of being a more social person, so I accepted. We took a bus to his home in a part of Nairobi I have never seen before and as soon as his wife opened to door to welcome us we were surrounded by the smell of the delicious meal she was preparing. While she continued cooking I was introduced to his precious daughter and twin baby boys, and we talked about Faraja and about some differences in America and Kenya.

Once dinner was ready Grace placed everything on the table and told us to help ourselves. My mouth quickly started watering when I realized that she had prepared one of my absolute favorite Kenyan meals: chapati and lentils. Needless to say the rumors of Grace's phenomenal cooking did not disappoint. The evening was very nice and I think it was a really lovely representation of Kenyan hospitality. To make things better I will be going camping with all of my roommates at a campsite that Simon owns tomorrow evening as a last hoorah before Liana and Andy head back home to the western world.

Unrelatedly, on our way to the Bomas of Kenya the other day we had to walk through a troop of baboons. They were just moseying across the road obviously indifferent to our presence. Ana and I were slightly concerned but we hurried through them and walked into the gates before being greeted by a couple of warthogs which lackadaisically crossed our path... these are the kinds of things that are not so out of the ordinary here in Kenya that makes me love it so much.

Alright, I know this post has been sporadic but I am tired so please do forgive me. Time for rest, I feel I am in for a long day tomorrow!!

x

Week One

Work week one is all finished. It has been so good to spend some time with the kids again. Starting on Monday morning I returned to work to find Faraja doing very well and since then I have been working to help keep it that way. 

Kepha in his school uniform

Right now the other mzungu volunteers at Faraja come from an organization called Longonot Education Initiative. Liana (who I am working with) is actually the co-founder of the organization and hopefully I will also meet Ben (the other co-founder) before my time in Kenya is up. LEI has a mission of developing sustainable education opportunities for kids in Kenya. I really like this group because they take a very holistic approach to education, meaning they understand that if a child is going to bed hungry each night then his studies will be lacking. Since LEI has come into Faraja's world a lot of change has been made for the better. If anyone is interested in making donations through LEI I have seen first hand the care they go through to make sure the money is put to the best possible product and I have no qualms endorsing their cause. **

This week Liana and Andy decided they wanted to work on the aesthetic side of Faraja. Since they will be leaving at the end of next week they gifted Faraja with some new plants and vases for the property. For most of the week we have been working on making a nice flower bed for the home. We also had to move some piles of rocks so we can hopefully fill in the low lying areas of the ground with soil soon. All in all, this week consisted of a lot of manual labor. 

Little Helper

While working on the yard I have been privileged to watch the children play. Their happiness with the simplest of toys (read: sticks and ropes) will never cease to amaze me. When we were moving rocks from the front yard the toddlers ran to help us by grabbing rocks that weighed nearly as much as themselves and wandering around the yard with them. Even though they were completely unorganizing our piles we couldn't be mad as they tottered around the yard top-heavy trying to be helpful.  The home has a lot of work to be done, as it always will, but I am excited to implement some new projects in the upcoming months to help out while I can. 

Toys the boys made from clay

I know this is just a short update, but it is nearly 11pm here and that is staying up way past my bedtime. I am so tired my eyes are crossing and I need rest. I hope everyone has a pleasant weekend!

Laleni Salama

**For any donations made through LEI please include a note in the comments section saying you would like your donations to go towards Faraja!! Thanks. 

Red White and Blue Fun

Fourth of July festivities at Que Pasa in Karen

Return to Faraja

Day one at Faraja is complete! It was really great to see how much has changed since I left, and to be frank just about everything has.

Since my departure last April Faraja has acquired new land for the time being (meaning it is rented). The land they are on now is so much bigger than before. They have room for quite an extensive garden which has been planted, but recently flooded. Also they home they are living in is enough to give a couple of rooms each for boys and girls. They have a kitchen and a living room and even the beginnings of an office. Faraja now supports 2 full grown cows and one calf, as well as 3 goats for milking. The new home is located directly behind the school that the children attend which is nice because they don't have such a long walk to and from school. This is much safer for the children.

Moraa often tell me that she "gives birth" at least once a year and with that declaration comes the addition of many new faces to Faraja. There are at least 4-5 kids I do not yet. The only new addition that I really got to know yesterday is a young girl named Christine who is just 16 months old and has taken the place of Kepha as the "baby" (or mtoto in Swahili) of the house. Christine came to Moraa in October of last year when her family abandoned her. She crawls around the house being "helpful" and asking for more sugar in her chai in the most adorable manner ever. The rest of the kids seem to be happy and about as healthy as they get and I can't wait to spend more time with everyone.

For those of you who read my blog last year, you will certainly remember Kepha. If you can believe it now; he is all grown up and in school. Yesterday I saw some of the boys walking home with him and when I called his name he ran up to me and I gave him the biggest hug. He is so precious in his school uniform and seems so happy to be studying. I have said it time and time again and I will stand by it: that kid is far smarter than his age. He also is speaking minimal english and I laughed with joy every time he would answer my questions during lunch.

While there is plenty of good things to say about the transformation Faraja has undergone, there is also many things that need to be fixed. Recently the orphanage had 325 chickens that they depended on for eggs to sell as in income to the home. Over the weekend every single one died from a cause we have yet to discover. this was a huge loss to the home and one that we are struggling to make up. I have suggested we start a rabbit project in the months that I am here. We've all heard the expression...we know rabbits breed quite quickly and according to Moraa a single rabbit can sell for up to 2,000 Ksh in the market and if all works out well this could be a good project for the orphanage to run. As with any project there are many things to consider before things get underway, and funds are still a bit short for such a project, but with any luck maybe this is something that could be implemented into Faraja.



A few separate things to note; I weighed myself on the second day I was here. I am 105 starting so for those of you who have been hearing of my hope to gain weight in Kenya we will see how that goes.

Also... it is freezing here. I did not pack near enough warm clothes. Each morning until about noon it is between 50-60 degrees and very overcast. I have had to buy a new zipup jacket and socks at the market to stay warm. It is so nice to be able to sit outside and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate. I definitely couldn't be happier with this weather!

I believe I may go to Outreach this weekend so if you don't here from me for a while that will be why. Hope everyone has a very festive 4th of July!!

xx

Happy To Be Back

    I have been in Kenya for about two days now and thus far everything has gone swimmingly. I honestly don't have a whole lot to say at the moment, so please excuse the short post. At the airport I met up with two other volunteers who went to school together in the US and  will be staying in Massailand for the next month. Jordan, Mike, and I all ended up coming to Ngong from the airport because the volunteer house in Nairobi was full. That is really nice for me beacuse it means I won't have to move again after orientation.
On Saturday the three of us went to lunch at Junction and walked around Nairobi. We didn't have any big plans, we really just spent the day checking the area out and hanging out. Mike and Jordan are a lot of fun and I am happy that I had them to spend the last couple days with.

    We have done pretty much the exact same thing today, to be honest, but tomorrow that all changes. We have orientation at 8am and from there Jordan and Mike will head to Massailand and we will all meet the rest of the volunteers. I am excited to meet some new people and get back to Faraja.

    Again, I reiterate, really not much to report at the time, but I can assure you that once I get back to working and into a schedule of things I will be full up on blog posts.


xx