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!