It is raining . . . more about that later. September 23rd - transportation to and from Makindu was a challenge this day as a new police chief decided to enforce the laws pertaining to matatus (taxi vans that carry 14 (ha ha) passsengers) i.e. seatbelts installed and working and used (I guess), speed governors, rearview mirrors and ACTUALLY only carrying 14 passengers on board . . . a rarity. So . . . there was about one matatu that qualified as OK and that one decided to hike the fare since all others were temporarily out of commission so we postponed our trip out of Makindu for another day. Matatus are famous for skirting the rules and it is the #1 mode of transport here. Things will be fine and back to normal in a few days or maybe even in a few hours.
One Makindu MCC guardian group has built 3 multi-story gardens (Dad try this one) and planted kales (sukuma. They planted them at the centre, NOW, we would like them to all plant one (or more)at home. They take very little space and are very water efficient and easy to build and require little investment. Each family would then have a nice green vegetable to supplement their diet everyday . . . spinach also works well. You need a gunnie sack, compost and dirk, small stones for the center and seedlings, that's it!! One Kiboko (MCC) guardian group is doing well with soapmaking. They are on their third batch of 20 litres. It is a strong IGA (income generating activity) IF they will stay with it. It is easy to make, the profit is 100% of the original chemical investment and EVERYBODY uses soap. I hope they are successful it would help their lives so much.
We lost one MCC caregiver in September. She had been battling HIV/Aids and opportunistic infections for over 10 years (before ARV's). Her daughter is an MCC sponsored vocational graduate and is now working successfully in dressmaking and tailoring here in Makindu with support from MCC for the short term until they are established - which will be soon. Two additional vocational graduates have set up hairdressing and beauty therapy salons (pronounced saloons in Kenya so we have some fun with that difference). MANY women get their hair woven in Kenya so there is lots of room for salons.
I just finished reading the popular book DEAD AID - get it, read it then send it to your Congressman because she is "dead" on right about the subject. I would also recommend The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson, from a historical perspective it is relly good, the story is also interesting although grim. Also jusy finished a conspiracy theory . . . Alice In Wonderland and the World Trade Center Disaster by David Icke, makes you wonder . . . we have "pass around books" among PVC's so there are some interesting opportunities.
October 10 - RAIN!!! It finally rained this p.m. HARD . . . It tried to make up for two years in one afternoon; not really, when it rains it really rains HARD. There is more to come, we hope. Those that planted are very happy, most are waiting to make sure the rain is really serious.
October 19 - We (MCC staff and community stakeholders) had a 2 1/2 day strategic plannning session with MCC's major donor AED (Academy for Educational Development)under US AID as the facilitator. It was a very productive meeting providing valuable, actionable input for MCC to develop a way forward. It's their first strategic plan, a very necessary step.
So far it has continued to rain almost everyday so people, including MCC, have started to plant. Most wait until they know or believe tht the rains are serious. They appear serious to me but I am far from a local. Even though the rains are coming we will continue to focus on trainings related to drought issues, i.e. food preservation, water harvesting (catchment) draught resistent crops development, etc.
Tomorrow, Erin (PCV) and I are going to Tsava East National Park with 60 other mostly government employees and their families. Tsavo is promoting local tourism since you guys are coming . . . anyway, they asked us to go so we are. It will be fun making new friends and seeing the park. The price was very reasonable for locals, which we are considered since we are volunteers in their country. It's called a PERK!!! Then I am traveling to Nairobi for 4 days to attend a site exchange visit with Beacon of Hope. They are a model school and other things that the direcgtor of MCC wants me to see so we can duplicate any good things happening there at MCC. I am traveling with the pre-school teacher from MCC. It will be a very worthwhile visit I am sure.
That's the update from here . . . the MCC children continue to do well. Primary and secondary students are getting ready for their final exams. School ends again in late November and start the new year in January. We will be "advertising" for new MCC children next month. We want to get more self-pay students into the pre-school to help sustain and expand our program. I think we can take on 7 or 10 new MCC sponsored OVC's (orphans and vulnerable children)also. We are also focusing on ways to be self sustainable . . . more on that later.
Take good care!!! I greet you all and hope all are healthy and happy!!! HAPPY HALLOWEEN BIRTHDAY to my brother John and Sister Paige. Happy November Birthdays to my family; Shelli, Pamela, Tori!!!!
Love to all! Paula
Monday, October 19, 2009
Saturday, September 19, 2009
On we go . . .
Here we still are in Makindu, again jua kali na kauka (hot sun and dry. Food shortages continue and animals die. Large tree branches are being cut down for animal feed if they have a hint of green left on them. Most animals that are alive are very skinny and scavenging for food and eating "stuff" they really don't like normally. All are praying, hoping and waiting for the rains to come . . . soon we hope!!
The MCC children are GOOD!! They returned to school after a one month August break. Those in pre-primary (Winnie Academy) who don't come for lunch at the center during the breaks often return thinner, sick and unhappy. After one week, they are well fed and happy again. They LOVE school and their teacher, Peninah. Thank goodness for MCC in their lives. Their home lives are good because MCC social workers monitor that they are,they just don't compare with the life and feeding opportunities at the center. All 444 MCC sponsored children are doing well.
Winnie Barron, MCC founder, arrived on the 17th for a two week visit. She always brightens faces, everyone loves to see her. She is kept very busy while she is here attending to children's needs and administrative concerns . . . on going and future funding is always on the agenda.
Earlier in the month I attended a day long event, themed, International Adult Literacy Day, not a "Hallmark card holiday", yet. It was interesting and very well attended by the community and MANY political dignataries. The literacy rate in Makindu is 69%, in our Province (Eastern) it is 54.7%. Machakos, a larger town, halfway to Nairobi from us is 75%. While the government says it is important, it remains underfunded. Most teachers are unpaid volunteers or poorly paid part-time. But, there are success stories in some adults improving their literacy. Hopefully more focus from government leadership on funding for ALL education will come soon.
We have a new DC (District Commissioner) in Makindu. I liked what he had to say when we met, we will see if his words are matched by actions. Makindu needs a lot of help. One of his projects is tree planting which we desperately need. People continue to cut down trees to make charcoal to make money to buy food to eat with no thought about replacing the trees. People show me where there used to be large forests, now it is bare land and dust. SAD . . .
The income generating activities and food security activities with the
MCC guardians are a slow go but we have now shown them better goat keeping methods, soapmaking, value addition for food products and food security ideas and how to build a multistory garden to grow spinach, onions and kales (sukuma) at home, so again . . . it is up to them to move forward with these ideas for their own livlihood. We continue to encourage them and we'll now start asking more questions about why they don't all take advantage of the trainings we provide.
I'm now working with 2, sometimes 3, groups on my takataka (trash) clean up project. 2 are community groups on Friday mornings and 1 is an MCC guardian group on Thursday morning. We haven't had a response back to our trash bin and equipment proposal that we sent to Safaricom Foundation in Nairobi in June but we remain hopeful. Nothing happens quickly here. We do know that it has been forwarded to the Foundation Board of Trustees for approval.
I was able to pay a short visit, in August before school resumed,to my first PCV project in Loitokitok. KISMA and friends are doing OK. The addition of Fredrick and William to the KISMA volunteer staff will only help strengthen the cause of funding secondary school fees for children to help bridge the huge gap between primary and secondary school attendance. As of this writing we have 17 sponsored children and over 200 on the list (the list needed to stop here so as not to disappoint, I remain hopeful). I loved meeting the students and their families. They are all very appreciative. Loitokitok was also very HOT AND DUSTY!! Thanks to David, Susan, Joseph (just diagnosed with TB unfortunately)Fredrick, William and many others for your tireless work for the KISMA-Angels in Kenya children.
My good friend, Joshua Kilonzo, my Kiswahili teacher and a model primary school teacher and father of four, just passed the certification as a Senior Examiner for the Kenya National Exam (KCPE). That is a big deal here. He qualified 3 to 4 years earlier than he anticipated!! Kilonzo (many here go by their last name)teachs Class 7and 8 at Kiambani Primary School. Kiambani has nearly 1500 students in pre-primary through Class 8. I visit there often and try to provide the teachers with posters and information I obtain that might be helpful to them. The school is currently involved in a tree planting project on their grounds . . . over 1,000 trees is their goal. They also are trying a "shamba" small farm currently growing vegtables to supplement the school feeding program. This Sunday the 20th, we are building a multistory garden at Kilonzo's home so he can use it as a model for others in addition to feeding his family.
That's some of what is happening here . . .
Happy Birthday to my family members for September (some a little late, sorry) and October; Trenton, Vince, Clayton, Corbin, Gene, John and Paige, Zoey, Cole, Kerry and Jason!!!
Have a wonderful Fall season, treasure your cooler weather. Stay safe, healthy and happy and know that I miss you all, family and friends. Thank you each for all of your support for the children, my life and work here in Kenya!
Love to all, Paula; PCV
The MCC children are GOOD!! They returned to school after a one month August break. Those in pre-primary (Winnie Academy) who don't come for lunch at the center during the breaks often return thinner, sick and unhappy. After one week, they are well fed and happy again. They LOVE school and their teacher, Peninah. Thank goodness for MCC in their lives. Their home lives are good because MCC social workers monitor that they are,they just don't compare with the life and feeding opportunities at the center. All 444 MCC sponsored children are doing well.
Winnie Barron, MCC founder, arrived on the 17th for a two week visit. She always brightens faces, everyone loves to see her. She is kept very busy while she is here attending to children's needs and administrative concerns . . . on going and future funding is always on the agenda.
Earlier in the month I attended a day long event, themed, International Adult Literacy Day, not a "Hallmark card holiday", yet. It was interesting and very well attended by the community and MANY political dignataries. The literacy rate in Makindu is 69%, in our Province (Eastern) it is 54.7%. Machakos, a larger town, halfway to Nairobi from us is 75%. While the government says it is important, it remains underfunded. Most teachers are unpaid volunteers or poorly paid part-time. But, there are success stories in some adults improving their literacy. Hopefully more focus from government leadership on funding for ALL education will come soon.
We have a new DC (District Commissioner) in Makindu. I liked what he had to say when we met, we will see if his words are matched by actions. Makindu needs a lot of help. One of his projects is tree planting which we desperately need. People continue to cut down trees to make charcoal to make money to buy food to eat with no thought about replacing the trees. People show me where there used to be large forests, now it is bare land and dust. SAD . . .
The income generating activities and food security activities with the
MCC guardians are a slow go but we have now shown them better goat keeping methods, soapmaking, value addition for food products and food security ideas and how to build a multistory garden to grow spinach, onions and kales (sukuma) at home, so again . . . it is up to them to move forward with these ideas for their own livlihood. We continue to encourage them and we'll now start asking more questions about why they don't all take advantage of the trainings we provide.
I'm now working with 2, sometimes 3, groups on my takataka (trash) clean up project. 2 are community groups on Friday mornings and 1 is an MCC guardian group on Thursday morning. We haven't had a response back to our trash bin and equipment proposal that we sent to Safaricom Foundation in Nairobi in June but we remain hopeful. Nothing happens quickly here. We do know that it has been forwarded to the Foundation Board of Trustees for approval.
I was able to pay a short visit, in August before school resumed,to my first PCV project in Loitokitok. KISMA and friends are doing OK. The addition of Fredrick and William to the KISMA volunteer staff will only help strengthen the cause of funding secondary school fees for children to help bridge the huge gap between primary and secondary school attendance. As of this writing we have 17 sponsored children and over 200 on the list (the list needed to stop here so as not to disappoint, I remain hopeful). I loved meeting the students and their families. They are all very appreciative. Loitokitok was also very HOT AND DUSTY!! Thanks to David, Susan, Joseph (just diagnosed with TB unfortunately)Fredrick, William and many others for your tireless work for the KISMA-Angels in Kenya children.
My good friend, Joshua Kilonzo, my Kiswahili teacher and a model primary school teacher and father of four, just passed the certification as a Senior Examiner for the Kenya National Exam (KCPE). That is a big deal here. He qualified 3 to 4 years earlier than he anticipated!! Kilonzo (many here go by their last name)teachs Class 7and 8 at Kiambani Primary School. Kiambani has nearly 1500 students in pre-primary through Class 8. I visit there often and try to provide the teachers with posters and information I obtain that might be helpful to them. The school is currently involved in a tree planting project on their grounds . . . over 1,000 trees is their goal. They also are trying a "shamba" small farm currently growing vegtables to supplement the school feeding program. This Sunday the 20th, we are building a multistory garden at Kilonzo's home so he can use it as a model for others in addition to feeding his family.
That's some of what is happening here . . .
Happy Birthday to my family members for September (some a little late, sorry) and October; Trenton, Vince, Clayton, Corbin, Gene, John and Paige, Zoey, Cole, Kerry and Jason!!!
Have a wonderful Fall season, treasure your cooler weather. Stay safe, healthy and happy and know that I miss you all, family and friends. Thank you each for all of your support for the children, my life and work here in Kenya!
Love to all, Paula; PCV
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Back In Action . . . MCC; Makindu
We (some PCV's) have been away (Nanyuki and Mombasa; Kenya) for the last 2 1/2 weeks in Permaculture Training and HIV/AIDS - PEPFAR funded program - this one with our counterparts. So . . . late July and early August were great in the "treat" department for MCC children. Our friends from the Sikh Temple passing through on their way to either Nairobi or Mombasa stopped to provide milk, juice, snack foods, clothing, new serving dishes and candy for the children. ALL is greatly appreciated and it is fun to watch the children enjoy these special gifts so much.
Due to the drought, we had a zebra friend have a bad experience next door to our school. At about 9:00 a.m. one morning we observed a zebra in the "water district" compound, he apparently had jumped the fence looking for greener pastures and water. Next thing we knew, he jumped into a shallow well, a dry shallow well, and got stuck. Several men came to pull him out, successfully, but he was very weak and couldn't stand after his atruggle to free himself. Later the Kenyan Wildlife Service came on the scene to assess the situation. They had a hard time believing our story but eventually they did. The zebra was allowed to rest for a while but wasn't recovering very rapidly. The KWS returned after a couple of hours and loaded our weak zebra into the truck. We all believe he was nursed back to health but . . . we won't know. The animals we see everyday, mostly cows and goats are very skinny as we still have had no rain so there is little or NO food for them to graze on. Most are seaching for water. I hope the National Park's animals are in better shape. We have had no further wild animal sightings.
Permaculture Training (permaculture is integration of beneficial relationships/use what you have at hand) was great!! It was held in Nanyuki, a view of Mt. Kenya everyday that the clouds allow; I hope to climb it before leaving Kenya. Our training was focused on how to make life better for PLWH (People Living With HIV). We learned how to make compost for shamba (farm) use using indigenous materials, soapmaking, how to make beet root juice, aloe juice, sack gardens,along with various cultivation and planting methods (I'll fit right in back in the US if I can find a farmer who needs help!!) Seriously, it was all very useful information that we can pass on in our work at our individual sites. In fact, we had a soapmaking training just yesterday for 17 guardians in the Kiboko area for MCC.
Then . . . we traveled to Mombasa, on the COAST of the Indian Ocean. Our training facility was right on the water, tough to concentrate but the sessions were interesting and helpful. We focused 2 days on more language training and then on HIV/Aids issues and information. We were asked to bring one of our counterparts with us. One of the social workers from MCC, Mumbe, accompanied me. She has been at MCC since late last year, a recent graduate of Kenyetta University in Nairobi. She had a great time, learned a lot and it gave us a chance to get to know each other better. Our interactions with the other Kenyan counterparts was very valuable. We are different in our approaches and cultures and the exchanges were enlightening and valuable for better communication. I stayed with a few PCV's one extra day to do some siteseeing. Mombasa is a large port city and very diverse in culture and people. The people are very nice and take life at a slower pace. I think because it is SO hot and humid most of the time. It felt very much like Florida in the summer and this was their winter. The summer is supposed to be almost unbearable.
I plan to travel to Loitokitok next week to "check on" our KISMA project there. I will meet and talk to the sponsored children before they return for their final term of school for 2009. They have been off for much of the month of August except those who stay for special/extra help.
We have more income generating activity trainings scheduled for the guardians at MCC during the next few months. My hope is that they will really take hold and make a different in their lives. It is frustrating when we have to cancel a training because they would rather (or are forced to because they have no food)stand in line for Red Cross food relief than learn about an activity they could do that could earn them income and they wouldn't need food relief. That happened today - we had a training scheduled to teach them how to make donuts and crisps (potato chips made from cassava and sweet potatoes) both are popular and could generate good income but the Red Cross is doing food relief and no one would come so we cancelled and rescheduled for the 3rd. They admittedly have a culture of dependency,we are trying to break that but the task is not easy. Day by day we work to change it . . . my belief is that there are those who want to change and those that will never change, we focus on those who want to change, you can't force it. We are all waiting for a copy of the book Dead Aid, which has been sold out here, but it might be better to read it when our service is complete.
Tomorrow, Friday,I am headed to a three day meeting in a town close by called Kibwezi. The staff of MCC is getting together to discuss policies and procedures and develop some new ones for the organization. It will be time well spent.
The children are doing well. I am anxious for the small ones to come back to MCC in total in September. They also have been "off" for August although we continue to offer lunch for them every day, not all of them come and it is quiet.
Thanks to my friend, Lyzette, in Winter Park, you can see some photos on the blog!! Thanks Lyzette!!! Thanks to each of you who write and send "stuff", it is a delight to get mail. I'm good and continuing to do what I can to make a small difference, one never knows. The only small issue . . . I think I may have broken my toe in April and it healed kind of crooked but adhesive tape works wonders . . . repair before I leave Kenya . . . maybe. It is not a big deal!!! Love to all and the best in whatever is keeping you busy these days. Be safe and healthy!!
Paula
Due to the drought, we had a zebra friend have a bad experience next door to our school. At about 9:00 a.m. one morning we observed a zebra in the "water district" compound, he apparently had jumped the fence looking for greener pastures and water. Next thing we knew, he jumped into a shallow well, a dry shallow well, and got stuck. Several men came to pull him out, successfully, but he was very weak and couldn't stand after his atruggle to free himself. Later the Kenyan Wildlife Service came on the scene to assess the situation. They had a hard time believing our story but eventually they did. The zebra was allowed to rest for a while but wasn't recovering very rapidly. The KWS returned after a couple of hours and loaded our weak zebra into the truck. We all believe he was nursed back to health but . . . we won't know. The animals we see everyday, mostly cows and goats are very skinny as we still have had no rain so there is little or NO food for them to graze on. Most are seaching for water. I hope the National Park's animals are in better shape. We have had no further wild animal sightings.
Permaculture Training (permaculture is integration of beneficial relationships/use what you have at hand) was great!! It was held in Nanyuki, a view of Mt. Kenya everyday that the clouds allow; I hope to climb it before leaving Kenya. Our training was focused on how to make life better for PLWH (People Living With HIV). We learned how to make compost for shamba (farm) use using indigenous materials, soapmaking, how to make beet root juice, aloe juice, sack gardens,along with various cultivation and planting methods (I'll fit right in back in the US if I can find a farmer who needs help!!) Seriously, it was all very useful information that we can pass on in our work at our individual sites. In fact, we had a soapmaking training just yesterday for 17 guardians in the Kiboko area for MCC.
Then . . . we traveled to Mombasa, on the COAST of the Indian Ocean. Our training facility was right on the water, tough to concentrate but the sessions were interesting and helpful. We focused 2 days on more language training and then on HIV/Aids issues and information. We were asked to bring one of our counterparts with us. One of the social workers from MCC, Mumbe, accompanied me. She has been at MCC since late last year, a recent graduate of Kenyetta University in Nairobi. She had a great time, learned a lot and it gave us a chance to get to know each other better. Our interactions with the other Kenyan counterparts was very valuable. We are different in our approaches and cultures and the exchanges were enlightening and valuable for better communication. I stayed with a few PCV's one extra day to do some siteseeing. Mombasa is a large port city and very diverse in culture and people. The people are very nice and take life at a slower pace. I think because it is SO hot and humid most of the time. It felt very much like Florida in the summer and this was their winter. The summer is supposed to be almost unbearable.
I plan to travel to Loitokitok next week to "check on" our KISMA project there. I will meet and talk to the sponsored children before they return for their final term of school for 2009. They have been off for much of the month of August except those who stay for special/extra help.
We have more income generating activity trainings scheduled for the guardians at MCC during the next few months. My hope is that they will really take hold and make a different in their lives. It is frustrating when we have to cancel a training because they would rather (or are forced to because they have no food)stand in line for Red Cross food relief than learn about an activity they could do that could earn them income and they wouldn't need food relief. That happened today - we had a training scheduled to teach them how to make donuts and crisps (potato chips made from cassava and sweet potatoes) both are popular and could generate good income but the Red Cross is doing food relief and no one would come so we cancelled and rescheduled for the 3rd. They admittedly have a culture of dependency,we are trying to break that but the task is not easy. Day by day we work to change it . . . my belief is that there are those who want to change and those that will never change, we focus on those who want to change, you can't force it. We are all waiting for a copy of the book Dead Aid, which has been sold out here, but it might be better to read it when our service is complete.
Tomorrow, Friday,I am headed to a three day meeting in a town close by called Kibwezi. The staff of MCC is getting together to discuss policies and procedures and develop some new ones for the organization. It will be time well spent.
The children are doing well. I am anxious for the small ones to come back to MCC in total in September. They also have been "off" for August although we continue to offer lunch for them every day, not all of them come and it is quiet.
Thanks to my friend, Lyzette, in Winter Park, you can see some photos on the blog!! Thanks Lyzette!!! Thanks to each of you who write and send "stuff", it is a delight to get mail. I'm good and continuing to do what I can to make a small difference, one never knows. The only small issue . . . I think I may have broken my toe in April and it healed kind of crooked but adhesive tape works wonders . . . repair before I leave Kenya . . . maybe. It is not a big deal!!! Love to all and the best in whatever is keeping you busy these days. Be safe and healthy!!
Paula
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Photos are finally up
Lyzette here for Paula, I've finally got all the photos up and captioned.
Cut and paste this link to access:
http://picasaweb.google.com/LyzetteSG/PaulaSAfrica?feat=directlink
Cut and paste this link to access:
http://picasaweb.google.com/LyzetteSG/PaulaSAfrica?feat=directlink
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Winter Here . . . Summer There!! Greetings from Makindu
June 16th was the Day of the African Child . . . typical Kenya . . . start two hours late, finish even later!! Oh well . . . we are getting used to the “time” thing. The day was good once we got started. We paraded with hundreds of children from one venue to another most of the day then we settled at the District Offices so the dignitaries and others could be entertained by the children and a few adults with songs and poems and dramas. Our friends from the Sikh Temple among others provide snacks along the way for the children and others (tag a longs for free food).
I have organized several training sessions for the MCC guardians and between rescheduled ones and cancellations they all happened in one week – but they happened that is the good news!! They received trainings on goat keeping improvement, food preservation and value addition using locally produced vegetables and seeds which are dried, thrashed and milled into flour. The women’s group we visited in another town makes snacks, varieties of flour, handicrafts, dehydrated vegetables & fruits, they weave, make purses, ropes and handicrafts in addition they farm their own shamba and own their own mill. They are awesome and a wonderful model for others in Kenya. I hope my MCC guardians will be motivated to follow in their footsteps. They also received training in soapmaking, water catchment and sorghum planting and small farming (thanks to the Erin’s organization WACAL). Erin is the other PCV in Makindu.
We have three (at least) MCC children excelling at Kiambani Primary School. Juliet Ndunge Mutiya, Class 8; Fidel Muisyo, Class 7, and Ingina Mulwa, Class 8. Juliet, since 2005, has participated in individual and group Kiswahili poetry competitions. Each year she has excelled. This year I was lucky to see their competition at the District Level here in Makindu. As of this writing, they have now qualified through the Provincial Level and are going to the National Competition in Mombasa August 1-7, 2009. Juliet will participate in four group poems and one poem as an individual. Ingina is competing in the choir. They qualified with three songs. Fidel, is an academic star. In his class of 210 students, he is always ranked in the top 3, most often #1. Kiambani teachers recognized the potential in Fidel and the school assists MCC in sponsorship by providing his boarding free of charge. This removed Fidel from an undesirable home environment and allows him to focus on his studies in a disciplined, supportive and healthy environment. I think I may have mentioned Kiambani Primary School before – it is the top school in a very big area and also where my Kiswahili teacher teaches. It has almost 1500 students now I believe and is in such demand that they have to keep building classrooms. They just have a real nurturing attitude about their students and their education. Every chance I get I help them where I can – posters, books, anything. I know they will use it and they are always very appreciative
It is Winter here now (this month) so it is 85 instead of 105 degrees during the day, I think, who knows. No flashing neon temp signs and no clocks!! Dry, no rain of course and windy. It cools off at night but that’s it for cool. We are anxiously waiting for the rains – October/November we hope.
Erin, the other Peace Corps Volunteer in Makindu, is an avid reader and has been keeping me stocked up with every book ever written that mentions Africa – I read a lot before I left the States but I really read a lot now. She is wonderful to share. I am old enough to be her mother, in fact I think her mother is younger than I am so we have fun with that with the locals – teasing isn’t really part of their culture so they just believe everything we tell them without sorting through the teasing/kidding parts. It is harmless entertainment for us. Just finished three good books – The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch, The Bottom Billion and The Zanzibar Chest
We have Peace Corps trainings for two weeks in August – so we will be traveling July 29th and returning to Makindu August 16th. We are taking a couple of days to do some hiking in the hills about 3 hours north of Nairobi in the area where our training is being held. It will be fun to the hills and the coast and Indian Ocean – I haven’t seen either yet. We are going to Nairobi on the 29th to welcome the new volunteers in Public Health. They will be sworn in on the 30th.
All else is good. Still working on a variety of things every day – resting on Sunday – sometimes we hike!!! I sent the proposal into Safaricom Foundation for my trash project (Tupa Takataka Hapa). The group I am working with heard back this week that the proposal is being forwarded to their Board of Trustees for consideration. That’s great news – I am hopeful for full funding – we will wait and see
Erin’s parents shared better dialing/calling options, if you care to call me. You can go to http://www.therichcom.com to select Kenya cellular type cards for calling. Dial the access # (usually 1-800#, when prompted enter PIN, when prompted again dial 011-254-722-370-165 (that’s my cell #) Apparently international calling cards have problems connecting with cellular service in Kenya – so maybe this is an alternative to anyone who cares to pursue and call me.
I miss you all and hope everyone is healthy and happy. HAPPY AUGUST BIRTHDAY to Amanda, Peri and, Lori.
Love to all; Paula
Saturday, June 13, 2009
All for today . . . Third try
That is all for today - the computer keep posting for me before I am finished so I am finished. The last of the previous post was . . . we are hopeful that our proposal will be approved. We will see. I am sure I made some mistakes having never done this in Kenya and the group hasn't either but I tried to ask as many questions as I could think of to make a go. When I shared it with the DC (District Commissioner) he said it was a good start but modest in shillings requested, wished me good luck and went on to tell me that I should focus on emergency preparedness for Makindu along with trash and MCC - a little large for me and beyond my scope I thought but I told him I would consider it . . .
Have a great weekend all!!! Next week we are celebrating Day of the African Child - that is Tuesday. Lots of activities planned at least we have planned them in the meeting - we will see what happens on the ground. Sometimes these celebrations are more focused on the politicians and their speeches that they are on the real meaning of the celebration . . . we will see.
Love and good health to all! Paula
Have a great weekend all!!! Next week we are celebrating Day of the African Child - that is Tuesday. Lots of activities planned at least we have planned them in the meeting - we will see what happens on the ground. Sometimes these celebrations are more focused on the politicians and their speeches that they are on the real meaning of the celebration . . . we will see.
Love and good health to all! Paula
OOPS . . . continued from previous post . . .
We mailed our proposal for our TupaTakataka Hapa project yesterday . . . I am working with a community group called Kazi Kwa Wote on the project - their name means We Work For All. Part of what they do is volunteer to do trash clean up in various needy areas - there are a lot of them. I met them as I was doing clean up all by myself each week in the district office compund area - sometimes it is better to just let people fiure out what you are doing and volunteer to help rather than recruit them. Volunteering is a new concept for Kenyans. Our proposal is for 20 trash/dust bins for the village and associated work tools, the proposed budget is 302,450 Kenyan Shillings about $3,877 USD. The DC (boss of the district) thought that was modest . . . but it is a start. We are asking Safaricom Foundation for funding. They are the largest telecommunications company here; cellphones plus airtime
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