Monday is school day.



Chalk board with classes books

This has to be the poorest school.  These schools are started by a church, and when they get to a valid point the government will step in and help. But the parents still pay some, and this is big reason the education never goes very far.  Poor pay for the teachers.  Children in ragged uniforms with dirt or mud floors. They are fed from one large pot of beans. But they are smiling and welcome us.  They are so happy with the frisbees, and we know every pencil and crayon is needed. And always tea afterward, rice and soup.
Then another church womens group. 
Some observations:  Bad roads, washing by the streams, oxen carts, and hoeing the fields by hand hoe. Some oxen in the fields.
We made our own dinner tonight.  Baked potatoes and cole slaw. 
Each time we get in the car we wash our hands with wet wipes (it's so dusty -red dust) and I've managed to wipe my face.  Now I have a rash for the 3rd day from this.  But we did get mosquito nets yesterday and they are hanging!
We also get a promise they will fix the toliets and showers.  I hope, I hope!

Saturday night in Meru, Kenya



Fridah & Grace

 Well I have no phone service so a wonderful young lady named Grace buys me a new Sim(sp) card.  She and I both try to get it to work over several days with no luck.  She's only 22 yrs old, don't the young people know all that stuff?  It had her baffled too.  Our private cook is 22 also but doesn't understand english as well.  Fridah always says yes to what we ask, then does her own thing. 
So we go to town to get a few items this house will need.  And we find a pizza place!  What a treat!  I bought a beer and took it home. Do they have pizza everywhere?


Offerings to auction



Sunday is church day, all day.  We divide and visit.  Each of us are guests at different churches.  I am picked up by the leader of all the Aids volunteers.  Meru needs more like her.   Anyway, I get picked up at 9 am, and we have tea when we get to the church. Tea is approx 2 quarts milk, 1 qt water and 1 tea bag.  (No comment). They also serve fruit, rice and more. 2 elders were both named Festus. Service starts about 10-10:30.  At 2:30 the minister gives the message.  Lots of singing & loads of prayers.  Offering (taken 3 times) was also in the form of fruit and chickens which they then auction off.  (Jan bought the rooster to wake us each morning.) It was a long day... 

Next few days in Meru, Kenya

Let me tell you about our beds.  Of course they are welcome.  It is a 4" mattress on a bed frame.  Lots of boards.  Takes getting used to.  After the flight and trip to Meru we were ready for rest.  One is concerned about mosquitos and of course there is one or two in our room.  So I covered my head with the sheet.   To hot.  Sheets are brand new and scratchy.  It is a long night.  Next evening we're so tired we are silly, but it's fun.  I tell Jan I'm either going to love her or hate her at end of the trip. 

2nd day we awake to the sound of goats.  Our first batch of goats have come. 16 of them.  We get to wrestle them and take their pictures for all those who have bought one. 

We visit 2 groups today.  They alway sing greetings us. And have big smiles.

Have welcome speeches and on to business.  We have panties, chickens, rice & beans for them.   The second group is established and have done real well. There are 4-5 with an education and they are teaching the other 25 to read, write, math and other life skills.  They have built a water reservoir, new church, nice kitchen.  They are given panties & napkins, 30 chickens, pens, tooth pics, and money for a talapia farm. And they have "tea" for us. I'll explain tea later.

The next few days are mixed, but will try to get all activities in, in some order.

More from Africa

Our first day of working is with a ladies group that has been established.  They greet us, sing for us and show us their projects.  They have an established Talapia farm, large garden, & some chickens.  We give them some chickens  and they have for us some Talapia they have raised.  Each of these women's group are formed to empower them, so they can survive on their own if necessary. We have also unpacked, counted and divided the supplies, met our cook and house keeper and more.  We are in a gated compound with a guard, and the house looks pretty good, considering what I heard about previous years.  We find.......   the toliet kind of flushes, and there is water on the floor all the time.  We switch on the hot water, one shower and the switch has broken and now only cold showers.  One small sink with only cold water in our bathroom makes for great morning wakeup when I wash my hair.  Wow!  Gary & Mary's bathroom isn't much better.  No hot water yet, floor is full of water and why not.. the floor drain is about the size of a half-dollar and it's plugged.

Our shower has a wooden door.  Mary's hair dryer stops, so no hair dryer for rest of trip.  (My excuse for hair style.)  Gary's shaver isn't charging, so he's anxiously awaiting the end of shaving (not). 

We squeegie the floors, put bucket under shower heads.  Hear it drip all night and I'm thinking we have it licked.. Ha!  In the morning we move the bucket to under the toliet tank.  Gary has been up and trying to keep ahead of the mess.  We find a hole in side of tank that I plug with a plastic bag and Gary gets a fork and fixes the float.  American ingenuity!  Shower is still dripping. 

Africa, Sept 6-7th, 2011




Roadside market for fruit & trees

 

Counting money & having tea



Here we go, leave Omaha at 1:15 pm and arrive in Nairobi 10:25 pm the next day Sept 7, 2011, which is 26 approx hours later. We stay at the Methodist guest house overnight and get ready to start our adventure in the morning. Our trip was Omaha to Chicago and then to Brussels, Belgium. Small layover and on to Africa. Wednesday morning we are met by William the Bishop of Meru area churches and Arnold a retired banker. It takes 2 vehicles as we have 350 lbs (one bag didn't make it) and our persoal luggage for the four of us. The main road out is under construction and what a sight. We go around the work and back in alot, but that's not the interesting part. Every kind of vendor is along side of the road and I mean along the side. Not only are there workers and equipment but people are crossing at will. They lay out their wares in the dirt and sell. We could buy jeans to toliet paper. Lots of fruit and more. Roads are terrible and people everywhere. No cell phone service for me but locals all have service. No internet yet either. Driving would be impossible for us-- they honk and plow ahead. Drive on left, dodge others, honk and turn. How could I guess it gets worse, I see a man in the netting above a truck full of goats enjoying a ride and a public bus full of people with chickens in crates above. And it's stuffed full....people and chickens. But it beats walking. Takes approx 4-5 hours to get to Meru. We stop to buy some fruit, trees, a drink and straight to the bank for money exchange. That is different too, as we sit and have tea while they are counting money right in front of us. On to our quarters for our 14 day stay.
More to come!