Real world: Katangi

Hi !! This week was my rural week where all of us are taken into somewhere of rural kenya this time lynsey chose ukambani, the land full of Kamba people. The village I was placed in was Katangi,however before reaching our homestays we stayed the night in a place called "Nyumbani Village". Basically this was a village started by a Father (catholic) with the idea of providing a home for orphans who's parents died of HIV/AIDS and had no kin that would take them in. The basic structure is that they have these "grandma" who take care of 10 of these orphans, the children also all attend school, have normal chores etc so a normal life technically. Currently this villlage is dependent on AID money but hopes to be sustainable by 2018, it was also only started in 2006 so it is very hard to tell how it will go but they seem have to have many plans and i am excited to see how it goes. Then Monday we arrived at our homestays and I was greeted by a 5 monht old baby who was simply handed to me signaling that this was my place to stay. Zipporah was my momma, a business woman who runs a mandazi business or doughnut business and her daughter mary who is 20 and the mother of the baby i was handed raymond as well as Zipporah's 4 year old son Pestas otherwise known as "BC" and last thier farm hand who i am sorry I cannot understand how to say her name a mix between rudy and ruthie. A long week short, the first time was quite tough because it was the akward time of not knowing how to behave or partake in but by wednesday i knew i needed to step up my game and began making doughnuts in the morning iwth them then would go to the market everynight with Zipporah to collect the money and finally i found my niche. On friday we also visited a local school with the counselor of the area which was very interesting since we were the guests of honor (merely because we were university students the goal of the assembly was to encourage the students to work hard and go to college). Saturday we had our party for the families where we were able to give back to them and sunday we visited an acclaimed rock which sounds stupid but let me tell you was a sight to see. There is an old myth that if you walk around the rock 7 times you change genders, Lynsey wouldnt let us attempt because the rock is so big it would probably take the entire day.. Long story short I learned a lot this week, family is everything to these people they know their neighbors they depend on them and they help them. They may not have everything that we in the west have but they are very efficient and while I saw many areas that I would like to improve on its not really something has to change. The people are smart and they are motivated to make their lives all that they can be. I think I met some of the hardest working people I know that week and I was honored that they let me into their families. :)

The Rock we climbed, some of the girls sitting on the edge
Hey there! Standing on top of a rock
A view from the rock, we could also hear the church down below singing through their loud speakers I think they were trying to preach to the entire country of Kenya
The Rock!
Some of the Kyua Women dancing at the school we visited
Tess and Nadine on the motorcycles we came to know and love very well in rural kenya, stopping briefly for singing ladies crossing
The singing ladies who stopped traffic
The beautiful path that we took to the school which we rode on motorcycle to and it was very terrifying going downhill on a path full of rocks..
A view of the plateau and all of the terrace farming
Another view of ukambani
Another motorcycle shot (i loved these bikes)
My 4 year old brother!!
The Mandazi Shop where I spent my days with my family, mainly sitting and gossiping with the people passing by or them gossiping in swahili about me and me sitting and smiling
My family! Inside the home, Zipporah in the red skirt, Mary in the pants with her baby raymond and BC
Me and my Mama with the Kanga I brought her
Baby Raymond
Inside the Mandazi shop, cooking up some doughnuts
Their Shamba
The back of the house
The front yard
The front of the house
BC again! I love him
Mary and Raymond at night in front of the house
The Chicken shed in the front yard

The day I fell into a river...

On Sunday the group went to a Masai Lodge and Kitengela Glass Factory. The Masai Lodge was a taste of luxury, most likely a typical fancy resort but it was nice to lounge around for a day. However before lounging we went on a little hike to get to the kitengela glass factory. Outdoorsy me was extremely excited for this, but i spoke to soon because at one part of the hike you have to kind of scale a wall using vines and nitches in the rock and what do you know I fell in the river right below. Its funny too because right before it was my turn i asked Victor "How many people fall in there" and he repled "none, you will." and what do you know. I do. So embarassed, shamed me had to continue the hike soaking wet. But you know Africa in no time i was dry and ready to cross the next challenging part of the hike a wire suspension bridge. This is a really neat bridge but quite scary since it is made out of wires and very shaky. Only 5 people at a time can go across but guess what i managed to that without falling! The destination was the glass factory and extremely cool place that was startedby a german lady 30 years ago. Very artsy, the ideal place to live. After that back over the bridge to the lodge for a very fun day of swimming.

The wall that we had to scale

Me getting helped out of the water by our guide
The river in which i fell
BUT the bridge in which i crossed WITHOUT falling
Sabina doing her thing on a swing at the glass factory
Inside the glass factory watching a fruit bowl get made
cool artttt
more arrttt
i want thissss


The bridge once again
A view of the factory from far awa

The Day I listened to a Dictator

Today was the 40th anniversary of USIU. So naturally classes were cancelled and a big event was put on. This event in particular was revolving around The President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame. Hmmm.... kenyans love him. However those of us from the US not so much. The ceremony began a little late (African time) but we were entertained with various songs from the USIU choir. Then a speech was made by the vice chancellor of UISU, an american woman named Freida Brown. She began her speech by messing up! Calling Paul Kagame the president of Kenya.. did I mention that Freida is an american woman from Atlanta. She also apparently was also accused of plagarism last year, but the students here love her! Her speech was very spunky and personable but had various errors. After here there was an adorable poem performed, then another speech and then a play. The play was a contrast between traditional africa and christian africa where two brothers fight over money that they won. It was a cute play as well. Then Dr. Richard Leakey made a speech I was actually most impressed with him. First of all I was extremely excited to see him... but second of all the man is old and looks old but does not sound old by his voice at all. Last there was a rwandan dance performed before Kagame spoke. Kagame is someone that does NOT have the appearance of a dictator, he is a tall but skinny fellow. That has glasses and a tiny mustache. His speech was the usual, fairly articulate but extremely slow (he was speaking in english) and didn't really say anything new. After his speech there was a Q&A session in which he is called his excellency the president of the republic of Rwanda. The questions i was actually quite impressed with but kagame's answers i was not. He skirted around them in the most obvious ways. Well here are my pictures!

President Kagame speaking.

The Rwandan dance
Dr. Richard Leakey speaking
Freida Brown
Kagame, a lady who's name i cannot remember and Dr. Richard Leakey

Tourism at it's finest

This weekend me and 8 other girls went to the Masai Mara for a safari! We were a bit reluctant to go because we were afraid of how touristy it would be and just the general idea. But we also felt like it was a necessary thing to do if you are going to Africa! So we found a decent price and went for it! We left friday after swahili lessons at 10:00 am and were on the way. Around 1 we made it to Naroke and enjoyed some lunch however our fears of being the wazunugu were right because once we park and got out of the car we were bombarded with "jambo" and "its free to look". Feeling a bit humilitated we tried to defend ourselves with Habari Yako and other swahili phrases we have learned but it didnt seem to work. So after lunch we were in a hurry to continue moving, and move we did. In fact the road so so bumpy my head was pounding. Its kind of crazy but I feel like the safari groups should pitch in money and fix the 100000 pot holes that are on the 3 hour long ride to the National Park but hey just a suggestion. However we got to the park around 3:30 pm and were in awe of the beauty. So gorgeous. We had to leave at 6 however because there is a rule that if you stay after 6 you are fined. So we left and went to our campsite, the campsite was tents were large army esque tents that were pitch on concrete slabs with bathrooms included and 2 cots per tent. It was actually really nice. At dinner we met the 3 other guests, 2 danish men and a fellow from chicago. small world because the danish men actually SAW Megan walking down rhapta road that morning, its not hard to notice a whiteperson but it was megan! We all retired soon after dinner because michael our guide told us we should leave at 6:00 am the next morning. So the next morning was amazing, we saw lions and a rhino and the sun rise. The pictures dont do it justice. After a long afternoon we cameback for lunch and went out again arond 3:00 to see more and we did this time a cheetah adn her two cubs. It was slightly upsetting however because the cheetah was trying to hut and the 30 + vans surrounding her probably made it difficult so we kindly asked michael to take us home after a few moral dilemmas. Then it was up at 6:00 am the following morning this was the completel perfect ending to the trip because this time we actually saw the cheetah hunt and it wasnt quite as difficult because due to early rising there were only about 5 other vans. It was beautiful. We left around 10 am and we home in time for dinner and resting ! I think all of us were very happy we decided to be tourists for the weekend.
Tess, Beth and I in the back of the Safari Car.
Yeahh Buddy
The Masai Mara
Masai Mara
Buffalo! Nope not American Buffalo, African!
A nice up close and personal, we think they have some dutch ancestory, check ou the hair!
An Ostrich
Giraffes, these two actually looked like they were going to fight because they kept moving with eachother and kind interacting in a not so friendly manner.
Sun Rise at 6:00 am
Sunrise
Lions!!!

Some more of the Masai Mara


A rhino! There are actually only 5 in the park so we were lucky and actually saw one.

A Baboon with baby on back
A herd of Elephants
Cheetah!
Masai Mara


Lazy Lions on a sunday morning
This is actually a big pride of them, there are some cubs its just hard to see in the tall grass
The Cheetah with her kill and two cubs. See the Gazelle in her mouth
More of the cheetah with her cubs and kill.