A look at rural Kenyan lives

First things first: to the many people who want to help the orphanage and the children, please click here for information on what we need and how you can help.

So it is Saturday and today is the Sanitary Pad Programme here at the orphanage. Around 2pm, a number of women from the surrounding community as well as girls who are sponsored will arrive and they receive parcels of sanitary pads. Then Priscilla, the teacher at the orphanage, will present some sort of programming about women's health and other women's issues. I am looking forward to seeing how this works. To donate to help buy the sanitary pads, click the link above.

The past couple of days have been pretty relaxing. On Thursday, I went on field work with Eric, which was great. We visited some of the homes of the sponsored children and we basically ask questions about how the kids are doing, and their health. The best part of this is seeing how the families and kids live. We learned that several of the kids in the orphanage have families outside of the orphanage. For example, Anastacia is one of our girls, and her brother and her were found abandoned in a nearby village. This family adopted them and took them in but cannot support them fully, and so Anastacia lives at the orphanage, while her brother stays with the guardians and they are given food and supplies to help him.

Another family was a 14 year old boy and his baby sister. The father died of unknown disease (likely AIDS) and the mother was killed in a road accident. Their older sister took care of them for a while, but she was recently married, so the 14 year old had to drop out of school and is now taking care of the baby sister. This is how AIDS devastates the community - it leaves orphaned children who then must act as caregivers and cannot go to school. So not only are the adults wiped out, young generations are not educated and often are terribly poor.

Each of the families we visit is poor by American standards, but some are better than others. Anastacia's adoptive family was not destitute by any means. They were elderly but vibrant and healthy - they were TALL, which is rare as you get older here, and well fed. Most of the homes here, I will try to describe...its a small plot, maybe 250 feet or so long on each side. About half or a third is used for growing maize, beans and fruit trees. Then there are 3 or 4 buildings, made of rough exposed brick (wealthier families smooth over the brick with cement) and a corrugated steel roof. They construct gutters to feed into a giant water container for irrigation or drinking water.

The buildings house the family usually, and the family units are much larger, as uncles, cousins, grandparents, all often live together. We never see where they sleep but we have seen the living room areas. They are dark - no electricity, just a radio powered by batteries - but inviting. Low wooden couches with cushions surround a low wooden table. Sometimes decorations are on the wall - calendars and pictures of Jesus are pretty much the usual. They have a separate room or building for the kitchen, usually a wood fire to boil and cook over. In some homes a traditional kitchen is constructed, which is a round hut with a thatched roof (see my pictures to see this). They often offer us chai or fruit. There is a separate building for a toilet, and around the compound the paths and ground are red dirt, swept daily and very clean. Often there are rough wooden benches around for sitting, and various washing basins and laundry lines are everywhere.

The people are always so welcoming. Often they do not speak English, and they never know we are coming, but they always say to Eric to tell us thank you for coming and they are so happy we have come. Imagine if someone just stopped by your home or work while you were doing stuff (and they ALWAYS have stuff to do - chores and laundry and work and cooking) and wanted to sit down and talk, and they have brought foreigners who do not speak your language, without an appointment? You'd be probably irritated and you certainly would not be falling over yourself to welcome them and thank them. That is one of the biggest cultural differences in Africa that I have seen - how despite the many many terrible circumstances, I have never heard anyone complain, they are always smiling, laughing and ALWAYS welcoming us. When I walk down the street, I am always greeted warmly and waved to by EVERYONE. Now, I know this is because I am mzungu to some extent but they are that friendly to each other too. It is really quite remarkable.

Thank you again to everyone who is reading. Its really been a challenging 3 1/2 weeks but I am really starting to adjust and learn to love Kenya and Pundamilia very much.

Enjoy your Flag Day in America :)