Two weeks in Kenya
Aria and I spent the first two weeks here in Kenya tending to each others illnesses. First it was I, with pneumonia, and then Aria with a strange flu. The first few days here were quite busy, and combined with the common New England cold and 24 + hours of traveling with little sleep, we had the perfect concoction for getting ill. Aria was kind and nursing of my needs, and the day I felt better, she came down with different ailments. A few days ago she came over her illness, but is now uncomfortable with a skin rash. We have been off to a rough start.
The Kuvuli center where we are staying and building the biodiesel project I quite complete. There is a doctors office right here for the community (very cheep rates, and volunteers can get free care), a dentists office, pharmacy, sewing center, bakery, African art store (with art from community members), and an orphanage. Please do take a moment from your busy life to look at the Koinonia website. It's amazing what Padre Kizito has fine here in Africa. Kuvuli is just one of the five or so centers that he has started for the people here.
Our third floor balcony looks over a basket ball court where the orphans play daily. Exotic "mouse birds" with long tails, kites the size of large hawks, dark iridescent Ibis's and other beautifully colored blue, orange, and yellow birds visit daily. At night, a large white owl visits with a cryptic screech. Over the neighboring walls one can view the neighborhood goats. The streets are full of goats as well, scattered amongst the crowds of people, ferrel dogs, chickens and the occasional sheep.
Our Kuvuli center is off a main road, down a smaller one lane road, that is high in the middle and slopes to rather side. As a car approaches another, one must pull their vehicle off to the side. Motor cycles, cars, and matatu's (local for buses) barrel quickly down the street dodging the many pedestrians. The drivers are quite keen, and it's common for cars to come uncomfortably close to the walkers. Women often carry large injects on their heads. Loads often include 4 gal buckets of water, sacks of food or a large box. Some of the men have carts that they pull down the road. One in front in the position of a horse, and an assistant in the rear helping push. They carry quite large loads this way.
The local street I lined full with little shanty stores not more than 10 feet across. Almost all food and other essentials are found right out our front gate (our center is protected by a large metal gate guarded by security 24 hours a day). We purchase mangos daily for about 23 cents a piece. Rice, carrots, potatoes, chard, cilantro, sugar, milk, beans, tomatoes, beans, and other fresh produce is common everywhere. We eat well!
Yesterday we went into the city center. As one could assume from our neighborhood, the city center resembled New Delhi India. Completely packed with people! Traffic is almost always jammed, and people, carts and bicycles are everywhere. There is a string Indian presents here. Many of the imported goods come from India and china.
The local people from the Kuvuli center often accompany us for shopping, due to the white person tax. White people are very uncommon here, and everyone thinks we are rich. We are often times asked for hand outs, usually three times a day or more. The people here are quite kind to us. We often times get looks as we walk and the children love to say "how are you", a phrase that must be learned in school.
It is comfortable temperatures here right now. We are locales just one degree south of the equator, but at about 5,000 feet above sea level, so the temperature is in the upper 70's during the day, and 50's at night. Quite comfortable!
Our little apartment has all the essentials; hot water, shower, bathroom, bedroom, living room, and is rather small but just enough. Padre Kizito has issued us an office with Internet, and we will be getting a computer soon.
The constellation Orion is probably the bet known constellation in the night sky. Back home, it appears in the night sky just over the horizon. Here it is directly over head, and the horizon revels stars that are only visible in the southern hemisphere. We are 8 hours ahead of eastern standard time. We are going to sleep as you are eating lunch!
There is an italian man named Lorenzo living here and going to school at Nairobi university. There is also a woman from Finland doing a really cool project with a children's choir from kibera slums, the poorest part of town and the biggest slum in Kenya. Many of te orphans here are from there, and we will be going there for a peace covert with these boys.
Enough writing on my iPhone tonight! More soon! There is so much happening! I hope you all are enjoying these emails! Don't forget to write about what's happening in your lives!
Much love to all from Aria and me!
With love from Kenya,
Chris-Topher and Aria
Aria and I spent the first two weeks here in Kenya tending to each others illnesses. First it was I, with pneumonia, and then Aria with a strange flu. The first few days here were quite busy, and combined with the common New England cold and 24 + hours of traveling with little sleep, we had the perfect concoction for getting ill. Aria was kind and nursing of my needs, and the day I felt better, she came down with different ailments. A few days ago she came over her illness, but is now uncomfortable with a skin rash. We have been off to a rough start.
The Kuvuli center where we are staying and building the biodiesel project I quite complete. There is a doctors office right here for the community (very cheep rates, and volunteers can get free care), a dentists office, pharmacy, sewing center, bakery, African art store (with art from community members), and an orphanage. Please do take a moment from your busy life to look at the Koinonia website. It's amazing what Padre Kizito has fine here in Africa. Kuvuli is just one of the five or so centers that he has started for the people here.
Our third floor balcony looks over a basket ball court where the orphans play daily. Exotic "mouse birds" with long tails, kites the size of large hawks, dark iridescent Ibis's and other beautifully colored blue, orange, and yellow birds visit daily. At night, a large white owl visits with a cryptic screech. Over the neighboring walls one can view the neighborhood goats. The streets are full of goats as well, scattered amongst the crowds of people, ferrel dogs, chickens and the occasional sheep.
Our Kuvuli center is off a main road, down a smaller one lane road, that is high in the middle and slopes to rather side. As a car approaches another, one must pull their vehicle off to the side. Motor cycles, cars, and matatu's (local for buses) barrel quickly down the street dodging the many pedestrians. The drivers are quite keen, and it's common for cars to come uncomfortably close to the walkers. Women often carry large injects on their heads. Loads often include 4 gal buckets of water, sacks of food or a large box. Some of the men have carts that they pull down the road. One in front in the position of a horse, and an assistant in the rear helping push. They carry quite large loads this way.
The local street I lined full with little shanty stores not more than 10 feet across. Almost all food and other essentials are found right out our front gate (our center is protected by a large metal gate guarded by security 24 hours a day). We purchase mangos daily for about 23 cents a piece. Rice, carrots, potatoes, chard, cilantro, sugar, milk, beans, tomatoes, beans, and other fresh produce is common everywhere. We eat well!
Yesterday we went into the city center. As one could assume from our neighborhood, the city center resembled New Delhi India. Completely packed with people! Traffic is almost always jammed, and people, carts and bicycles are everywhere. There is a string Indian presents here. Many of the imported goods come from India and china.
The local people from the Kuvuli center often accompany us for shopping, due to the white person tax. White people are very uncommon here, and everyone thinks we are rich. We are often times asked for hand outs, usually three times a day or more. The people here are quite kind to us. We often times get looks as we walk and the children love to say "how are you", a phrase that must be learned in school.
It is comfortable temperatures here right now. We are locales just one degree south of the equator, but at about 5,000 feet above sea level, so the temperature is in the upper 70's during the day, and 50's at night. Quite comfortable!
Our little apartment has all the essentials; hot water, shower, bathroom, bedroom, living room, and is rather small but just enough. Padre Kizito has issued us an office with Internet, and we will be getting a computer soon.
The constellation Orion is probably the bet known constellation in the night sky. Back home, it appears in the night sky just over the horizon. Here it is directly over head, and the horizon revels stars that are only visible in the southern hemisphere. We are 8 hours ahead of eastern standard time. We are going to sleep as you are eating lunch!
There is an italian man named Lorenzo living here and going to school at Nairobi university. There is also a woman from Finland doing a really cool project with a children's choir from kibera slums, the poorest part of town and the biggest slum in Kenya. Many of te orphans here are from there, and we will be going there for a peace covert with these boys.
Enough writing on my iPhone tonight! More soon! There is so much happening! I hope you all are enjoying these emails! Don't forget to write about what's happening in your lives!
Much love to all from Aria and me!
With love from Kenya,
Chris-Topher and Aria