Easter Weekend Nairobi

Easter weekend is a time of reflection (for me) and a time of restoration and renewal. The sun continues to shine although, as it is rainy season here, the temperature is beginning to drop - it is a cool 25 degrees.

I am finishing my work and preparing to leave Kenya. Here are some images and thoughts that I will hold close to my heart . . .

A Samburu woman who works hard to care for her family in a village for women only.

 
The generosity of the people in Kenya and Uganda who give beyond their families and who value relationships above all else.

The honour of being invited to be part of the planting of a Peace Tree.

 The determination of a people to remain peaceful despite Tribal difference.

The equatorial light, the fertile soil and broad imagination.

Samburu

Each day here begins with the fresh breeze that slowly, as the day progresses, gives way to dust, heat and lethargy as the heat of the day sets. The people, birds and animals move more slowly and then, as the sun sets, the breeze comes up again and the dull heat of the afternoon subsides.  The moon rises above the river, the stars come out and the river, frogs and cicadas are the only sounds that remain.

Yesterday the water in the Ewaso Nyero North was high and then, after a few hours, almost dry. This morning it is high again and I am told that is because of the rains in Nakuru - so many miles away and the other side of Mt. Kenya really. Although I would like to sleep with my door open to get a full view of the moon shining on the river, a lion from across the way keeps me from doing so. Three days ago, being too old to chase gazelles, she hunted and devoured a Samburu man who was drunk on the local brew. His pain was no doubt numbed by his intoxication. The lion is being sought out now and I am reminded of my father's tale of being hunted while hunting a cattle killing lioness - the motion of slapping at mosquitoes scaring the lioness away.

Although much of Kenya is westernized (relatively) there continues to be a larger number of people who follow the traditional culture. The Samburu and the Maasai continue to have numerous children with various wives while, at the same time, wanting education for all of them - an impossible feat. One man I met had 13 siblings from his mother but his father had 5 wives. He had a total of 45 siblings. I told him that was a village not a family! The five wives were all at one time!

How can you educate that many people? But family is important and so the older siblings or cousins educate the younger ones by paying fees for secondary school, and often times, not getting an education themselves. I think over the past couple of months I have learned more than a year at school. Among other things it has become very clear how vital it is to adjust to my surroundings and that learning from others through observation and shared experience is enriching.

A few women

Here are some photographs of some of the women whom I have met and who offer strength and support to others. So far I have met over 500 women, many of whom have shared their stories with me and who have been kind and generous. I have spoken about some other women in other posts but these are a few more.

She was nine years old when she ran away form home as her father was going to marry her, in exchange for three goats and two cows, to a man of 60 years. She walked over 100 km to join a village where she would be safe from circumcision (FGM) and a young marriage. She is 19 years old now and taking courses to learn computers.

I met her before the election in the Kibera slums. She and another 6 women were educating other women on non-violence and encouraging a peaceful election. She was a victim of post-election violence, suffering tremendous human rights violations. She is mother of seven and, after being widowed, has managed to provide them all with an education.

We met at a transit stop in Kibera and then again in a meeting. She is warm and welcoming! During the election in 2007, she escaped with her life, breaking through the the bars and glass of her house windows. She hid and narrowly escaped with her life. She has survived horrendous experiences but nevertheless advocates for peace in the community that violated her.

 SHe mentors women encouraging them to leave the sex trade. She became a sex worker when she was 14 in order to support her siblings. She now spends her night handing out condoms to other sex workers, encourages HIV/AIDS testing for both the Johns and the women and has helped establish a medical clinic that runs from 11pm to 2am in order to care for women in the trade away form the watchful eye of the community.

 

She was imprisoned herself and now helps women in prisons by rescuing any children left behind when an arrest is made, encouraging and supporting the women while imprisoned and meeting them upon their release. She is caring for six children in her own home and is often called in the middle of the night by inmates about to be released.

These three women are all from the Gulu area of Uganda and now live in an IDP camp on the grounds of a prison in Kampala. They are supporting one another emotionally and trying to find peace after losing family, suffering through poverty, and enduring spousal abuse.

Uganda!

Caution is not cowardice; even the ants march armed. (Ugandan Proverb)

I went cautiously into this beautiful fertile country aware of its history of Idi Amin, and of the Kony Insurgency - both devastating periods for the people of the country. But I was also aware of Uganda's recovery begun with the rule of Musevani and his restoration of the traditional kings (albeit without powers) in 1993. So onward I marched, armed with knowledge and belief that Uganda would not be a violent place but a place of peace where these gentle, generous people lived impoverished lives but extended their arms to help those in need. They even put on music in the village for me my first night and we danced - a traditional ritual that is done after any meeting.

The children and adults all danced with the mzungu!

Lutengo is a small village about 30 km east of Kampala and about the same number of km west of Jinja where Lake Victoria feeds the mouth of the Nile. It is remote and reached by dirt road and has w little infrastructure but some electricity. I stayed at Issa Kirarira, Chair of Interchange Uganda and his lovely wife Florence - who is studying Nursing while on leave from the Army. She had worked in Somalia for two years are took leave to further her studies so she could help her community by offering support to women prenatal and delivery as well as being able to treat malaria and other illnesses that strike the villagers. Issa and Interchange built a well so the women could get fresh water thereby lessening disease in the community. Issa and Florence welcome all manner of people and open their home to families and individuals who need food or a bed.

While in Uganda, I met with women from the North who had suffered under the Kony insurgency, becoming displaced, losing all they owned and leaving behind the orphans of their siblings. This continues to haunt them as they have little income to care for the children far away, and seek to find peace within themselves - the peace rarely felt by those who survive.

I also attended schools to talk about peace and to encourage them. Knowing that a mzungu was coming, they spent hours writing poems and practicing in order to perform for me. We ended one event planting a Peace tree. (I cannot seem to upload the video).

Below is a photograph of a woman (the mother in law of Issa's sister - who sits on the chair) who is over 90 years old. She weaves intricate baskets and, as I was a friend of Issa's and a mzungu (I imagine) she gave me one. Such generosity is not unusual with Ugandans. I did not meet one person who wasn't caring for cousins or nieces or nephews or helping out a stray!

And of course . . where there are women, there are children!

 children with the women from the North.

 A young girl waiting for my meeting with women to end.

 

children who befriended me suring a soccer game of the Peace Team in Lutengo. the little girl on the far right commented the entire game on the quality of play and the players (I think).

Oh, there is so much more, but that is all for now

Tepesua Widows' Village

What a terrific few days it has been. I've been in "Maasailand" at a place called Tepesua - a widows village set in the middle of the savannah. Many women are left widowed at a young age as many Maasai girls are circumcised at 9 years and married to much older men at 11years old. The men die and, as the women have no inheritance rights, in many cases they are caste out of their communities and have no place to go. They cannot return to their home village, unless they bring back the cows - usually three and any offspring of these cows - to their families.  To support these women, Hellen created a village where 13 widows live. They survive by selling their jewelry and the herds of sheep, goats and cows they may have.

I was staying with Hellen Nkuraiya we went to the market one day to buy sheep and goats for the widows. This is how Hellen and I traveled back to the village.

Before we got in the "taxi" we ate lunch at the local place. I chose not to eat the stomach of the goat and was served goats meat instead. Here is lunch . . .

There was a lion around, so a Maasai Warrior stood guard over my manyatta all night. Here he is . .

The lions are very scared of the Maasai Warriors as, to become a warrior, you have to kill a lion.

Here are the widows welcoming me . . .

I was also given a Maasai name "Nareku", which means "someone who brings good things to others". I am honoured.

Miscellany

I left Canada one month ago today. The weather is getting hotter and people are beginning to anticipate the coming rainy season (in a few weeks). I spent the morning at the Maasai Market looking at the beautiful handmade goods for tourists. We can be weird about it, but the crafts, even though made for tourists are really beautiful.

I thought I'd include this photo. Isn't it weird. It is a sculpture in a parking lot of a hotel. I got a terrible fright as I initially thought it was a man hiding behind the lamp-post! Can you imagine seeing this as you pull up to park in the dusk? It would be so scary!

Here is a alleyway in Kibera. I think it is so lovely that this person has taken the time to paint the shutters and whitewash the exterior of  their home. Although this is the largest slum in the sub-sahara with very little sanitation people take pride in where they live.

The rooms are only about 8 feet by 8 feet if that but they really make good use of the space!

Everywhere I go prayer is offered: sometimes in song, sometimes spoken. Whether getting onto the matatu to wish passengers well on a journey or at the start or end of a workshop. I cannot seem to get the recording I made on the post, but I will continue to try. Just know that we began with a prayer sung and broke into dance!

The week of Valentines

Women love Valentine's Day. We love to be showered with gifts and attention and to be treated luxuriously. Yesterday was Valentine's Day and rather than being treated thus, I traveled by matatu to Maai Mahiu to meet some women who are scraping together their living having been displaced due to the 2007 post-election violence.

Here is a photo of a matatu . . .

Note the cartons of eggs attached to the back. This fourteen seater can crowd in a lot more for a short haul, but they don't like doing it long hauls as the police are checking vehicles. The one I took from Maai Mahiu to the IDP camp (Internally displace persons) crammed in 20 people plus the driver!

Many of these IDP do not even have the luxury of living in constructed houses, but rather spend the past few years living in tents that are now torn and praying the rain doesn't come and wash them away. The government do not count these women and therefore offer no support. It was hot and very dry  . . In the distance, beyond the donkey driven cart hauling water, you can see the buildings.  . . .

I met some women and we have agreed that I will return next week to discuss the upcoming elections and how they can maintain and encourage peace. They are particularly fearful as the last election caused their relocation!

The day was exhausting given the heat and travel. I was happy to be back in my lovely hotel in Nairobi.

Earlier in the week I had met with students at the university of Nariobi to talk about peace building as Tribal tension is increasing there as the election on March 4th nears. This will be the first opportunity for many of them to vote and they encouraged each other to do so, and to vote for the person who addresses the issues rather than voting for a member of their tribe.

Kibera Women

Yesterday I ran my first workshop with seven women who had suffered during the 2007 post-election violence. They are doing a lot to build peace in their homes and in their communities in the hopes of avoiding a repeat in the coming weeks. We spent the day together, talking about their experiences, the concept of peace and what is means to them individually and what they are doing in their homes and communities to promote peace. We worked on a group project that reflected their perceptions of their community before 2007, during the violence of 2007/08, what things had changed from 2008 - 2012 (perhaps the calm before the election of 2013 when they feel tribal tensions are rising again) and their hopes and dreams for the future after the election.  These women are all from different tribes, had never met before and are courageous! They worked as a group and individually.
It was  great day  . . here are a couple of images

Today I will go to visit a group of women who are sex trade workers!

Sunday Ngong Hills

"I had a farm in Africa, at the foot of the Ngong Hills". 

(Isak Dinesen Out of Africa)

What a glorious day. Today, for the first time since arriving in Kenya three weeks ago, my body and lungs are worn out! I walked for four hours through these hills with my friendly armed ranger (I'm not close to her because I am scared, I just seem to be holding onto her - she has the gun after all;-).

The equator runs through this land about 55 km to the north. Ngong is the Maasai word for "knuckles" and is named such as they believe that a giant fell and took up the earth in his fist. There are four hills/ knuckles and on one side you can see the Rift Valley and the other onto the rolling hills that make up Nairobi.

What you do not see in this photo is the huge hill downwards and then we begun up again. The top hill is about 4000 feet above sea level and run by many Maasai athletes - they were so fast which wasn't surprising as all they had to lug up was their muscles (not a drop of extra fat on them).

Anyway I am totally spent but it was a lovely day.

Tomorrow I will be working with a group of women in Kibera slums! I'm looking forward to that as well.

Kibera continues

The past week has been filled with meetings, visits to Kibera, and personal explorations. This photograph illustrates where all the community peacebuilding work happens in Kibera. Women love to meet around the "watering hole" to do the wash and chatter about the upcoming elections. Different tribes meet here and quietly discuss how to bridge Tribal differences. Many women, when they marry here, marry into a Tribe that is not their own. Although at times initiators of violence (they sing songs that communicate that if the husband comes back without harming the other side, he is not welcome home), the impending election and memories of the violence in 2007, have put a stop to teh singing of these songs. Instead, according to my translator the women are advocating for peace.

The main pathway through Kibera is a railtrack that is still in use. In fact, while I was there, a train came, horn wailing to alert children playing, people walking, and vendors to move out of the way. There is a sense of strong community here despite theft, rape and murder. Like any city, people make their livings as best they can, and protect each other against violence.
 

Kibera, Nairobi

I am back in Nairobi and this time hope to actually connect with people with whom I have been speaking. There are several people who are running community healing programmes in Kibera (reputed to be the largest slum in Sub-Sahara). From what I have experienced, it seems that most people who live there have come to Nairobi to work and indeed they work very hard in jobs that in Canada would provide a reasonable income such as waiters, hotel porters and taxi drivers who work 7 days a week. However, the wages are so low over 1million people cannot afford accommodation outside of Kibera. There is no infrastructure - meaning no roads, no electricity, and little sanitation.

What is of most concern right now, is that this is an area where many tribes live side by side, and with the upcoming elections, there is fear of a repeat of the post-election violence of 2007. In fact, many here were displaced during that election and came to Nairobi seeking a new life. As they live in an area where there is no infrastructure, they are not informed about the issues or about the new Kenyan Constitution of 2010 that promises a democratic electoral process that demands equity for all tribes and gender.

How can information be brought to 2 km of poverty?




It appears that I will be working in Nakuru after the 18th of February with several programmes so I want to make the most of my time here in Nairobi.

Animals and humans

A couple of days ago I took a half day safari - just being driven into the Samburu game park by Tom Lolisoli, son of Rebecca Lolisoli who is running for parliament here; a daring thing to do in such a patriarchal country . . .but that is another story that I will tell later.

As we entered the park we were told about a lion who had attacked a calf just on the edge of the park. The pastoralist was was bringing the cattle back to his land after taking them to graze near the park. The conservationist were able to track the lion and shoot it with a dart to put it to sleep. They then moved it to a different location and placed beside it a recently killed gazelle (it had been badly injured and would not have survived so the conservationist euthanized it). When the lion woke up, it was able to feast on the beast. The calf was fine as the lion had been scared off in time and the pastoralist happy.

These lionesses are full after devouring an injured elephant, but that is wild against wild and there is not conflict here. The lionesses were helped by 21 crocodiles who took their turn and cautiously tore pieces off the elephant (now digested) when the lionesses were distracted by their own eating.

When women go to the river to fetch water, often they have been attacked by crocodiles. Many organizations now build water tanks in villages. Here one of the women in Umoja village carries a 25 kilo pail of water back to her village.

Samburu to Nairobi to Nakuru

Yesterday (Tuesday) I left my friends in Umoja and Unity village to catch my 12 seater plane back to Nairobi. Apin and Harry came along to see me off as they'd never seen an airplane up close and I encouraged Harry (on the left here) to carry my bag (knapsack for a few days) so he would have an excuse to get inside the plane. He was very excited. It was difficult to leave this . . .

my view from my hut

what I see in the morning at Umoja camp

The flight was lovely , although the heat caused us turbulence and a woman in the seat across the way was having a fit as she hates flying at the best of times. I returned to Heron Hotel and as I was a return visitor, they gave me a huge discount and advised me on how to get a matatu and how to be safe! I have to say that Kenyan cuisine however, leaves much to be desired - at least in restaurants where they serve "mazoongus" (foreigners). I had a hot shower and then early night as I need to steel myself for the matatu ride to Nakuru.
A matatu is a 14 seater shared van. You get in and wait for it to fill up. It cost $4 to get form Nairobi to Nakuru but you should only travel by day as in the afternoon the driver may fall asleep!
Stay tuned . .  . 

Sunday afternoon

It is 41 degrees Celsius here today but the breeze off the river Ewasa Nyiro allows for the air to move. I went to Unity Village today with Apin (19) and Harry (15). We walked inland form the river through blackjack (a low bush that has thistles on it and scratches your feet if you brush up against them.

The Village is comprised of women who used to be at Umoja, but have moved to another village as they are more interested in creating cottage industries. Some groups buy and sell sugar, others goats and goat skins that they take to Isiolo - a city about 2 hours away - beads and wire to make necklaces. They pool the profits and then collectively decide what is needed in the village. Perhaps they decide to pay the hospital bill for one of the villagers who has given birth, or they may need to buy a goat in order to butcher and sell it and make money.

I was lucky enough to be there when the women had been able to buy a goat and was present to witness it being skinned.  The blood is stored in a bucket and given out and taken to build strength.

It is so beautiful here and I dread going back to Nairobi. I beleive I will come back and do some work here but I am still investigating!

Umoja

The past couple of days have been filled with travel and excitement and frustration. Yesterday we drove form Nairobi to Navaisha and then to Maai Mahui to see the internally displaced people camp (IDP). Most of the people were there as a result of the violence post 2007 election. We listened to an educational session during which people were advised about their rights as voters. To draw people to the tents music was played loudly. Here you can see that the children could not resist dancing to the music.

The women are still visibly shaken and in fear that this upcoming election itll bring new violence against them – the majority were Kukuyu. The drive was beautiful and we passed Zebras munching grass along the side of the highway.

Today, I woke early and headed to board a Cessna Caravan (12 seat plane) with only one other passenger: a wildlife artist who spends 3 week three times a year coming here to paint. The flight was really lovely with herds of Elephants seen form above. WE landed here in Samburu and I have wandered through Umoja, escorted by Judy who is 19 years of age. She’s been here 10 years having run form her father who had arranged a marriage with a 60 year old man. She feels safe now and will choose her own husband when she is ready.

The women’s work is beading necklaces. They work in a covered hut most of the day.

Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

Here they are. It is a hot day - sorry cold fellow Torontonians, so they needed to cool down.

They also all got a bottle of baby formula. The organization has managed to rehabilitate and reintegrate 160 elephants back into the wild - finding them new herds.
Nothing more to say . . . 

Tomorrow I am off to Nakuru and Naivasha to meet with the group I hope to be working with.

Beginning in Nairobi

I've been in Nairobi for four days and have almost adjusted to normal sleeping hours. Each morning I am awakened by the Imam call to prayer - a haunting sound that draws me in to listen more intently to the sounds. Then the birds begin their announcements, competing with one another to give their morning news.

My first morning I went to the David Sheldrick Elephant orphanage but forgot to take my camera!! It was sweet as some of the elephants (6 months to 3 years) were cooling themselves but using their tusks to dust red earth along their backs. Monkeys along side the road - actually baboons I think, I'll have to check "the book". Then to a sanctuary to feed Rothchild's giraffes - although somewhat touristy it was interesting. Warthogs gobbled up what remained from the pellets that dropped on the ground from people too scared to allow the giraffe's tongue to touch them.

When I came back to my room and washed my face it was covered in red dust from the elephants!

It is beautiful here - sunny and warm. Bougainvillea of every colour, jacaranda trees and a sea of never ending traffic and people. Quick smiles greet me where ever I go! Yesterday I went to the Yaya Shopping Centre and discovered a brilliant book shop called Book Stop. I was early for a meeting and ended up spending an hour and a half purchasing only 4 books which showed great restraint! I will be back!

I was having lunch beside some long grasses. I kept hearing noise and seeing the grasses rustle. I thought I'd see a snake or some little creature. Out popped a pussycat post nap!

All my taxi drivers call themselves "Peter". As I get out of the cab, I am handed a business card in case I will be in need of a taxi again - which I definitely will as the distances and roads are chaotic to me. My current driver explains: "Just ask at the desk for Peter". When I say every taxi driver I have had is called "Peter" and perhaps he should come up with some different names to help identify himself to tourists, he explains that his Kukuyu name would be too difficult for tourists. 

Today, I'm taking my camera and returning to photograph the LF-ants.