Nyumbani Village–the first few days…magical, and more to come
We are here at Nyumbani Village! This is the place that I feel is most challenging to describe in words; the place that has brought me closest to the profound tragedy and heartache of Kenyan lives that is not so rare here as I have listentened to personal stories, yet has also lifted me to a magical, spiritual place that is beyond word as I have been surrounded by children singing and dancing traditional song with drums and incredible spirit and joy under the moonlit and star-filled Kenya sky.
The journey here was about four hours through major roads, small towns and then more rural areas. It was interesting sight seeing for beautiful landscape
Scenery on the way To Nyumbany Village in Kitui
and even some animal sitings–zebras, giraffes and more………..
When we first arrived at the Village we met with representatives from the different departments. First a bit about the Village itself. You may recall that the Village is a place that is pretty independent and the goal is to become fully self sustainable. Here orphans are matched with grandparents in a home–10 children to one grandparent who may have one ior two bilogical grandparents. Homes are very rustic made out of bricks oin the village property from the Kenyan clay. Four home are arranged around a common area to form a cluster housing a total of forty children and 4 grandparents. Currently construction is under way for Cluster 25 and there are 895 children living in the village.
THe Village has a home care program with social workers who also do outreach to the community, a counselling center, a medical clinic which also serves the surrounding community, a primary school, a high school, a church and more. We met with representatives from all of these and then had a tour of the current sustainability projects which are just fascinating and so creative. The major obstacle here is lack of reliable water and there are many ways that they have addressed that including building sand dams to trap the water when there are rains. They have a solar powered drip irrigation for the gardens and have a 10 year plan for planting Melia trees which have a 10 year maturation cycle and can be harvested for sale or building furniture. (see www.Trees4children.org) They are also producing bio-gas from cow manure to power the stove in the kitchen and have just begun an aquaponics program–growing Tilapia in a tank and running the water through several garden beds and recollecting it to both water the beds and filter the water to return it to thr fishtanks clean.
The Village is physically very pretty with overarching trees and sepia colored houses. There are always Susu’s and children bustling around in brightly colored clothing sporting huge smiles and exuberant welcomes and in the case of the Susu’s specila Kikambe handshakes, greetings and dances usually followed by burst of laughter.
Nyumbani Village
There are many opportunities to be of service in the village. There are always more hands needed in the sustainability program and there are several ongoing projects such as the KEST Memory Book being created for the Susus’s. Every grandparent in the village is being interviewed about their life and a book will be created of their history along with the life of their family now. The next step will be incorporating art from the children which is planned for next January—just one of the ways I am being beckoned back to help next year. There is also the Young Ambassadors Program begun by KEST to focus on Leadership, Citizenship and other Values. Since Kristen is a nurse she has been very warmly welcomed into the workings of the medical clinic.
Medical staff at Nyumbani Village-- yeah Kristen!
I have been working with Lillian, the Village psychologist, whom I met 2 years ago, who has had clients lined up for me waiting to see me. These have included people from the community, older adolescents from the Village and even staff from the Village. She refers to them as her “extreme cases” that she feels she needs to ask for assistance. I have felt honored to be entrusted with many incredible and tragic stories but also touched that I can really make a difference here. I have seen one young man a clear psychotic illness who very seriously needs medication treatment and oh, what gyrations we have had to go through to make that happen, but it will happen and that will really change things for him. For the psychiatrists among my readers, one pill of generic Zyprexa costs about 65 cents here! BTW, Lillian’s case load is 895 children, 90+ grandparents, over 100 staff and 70+ members of the community. I am the only volunteer she has—I need some recruits!!!!!
Lillian, the Village psychologist, and me
Lynn and Walter have spent time in sustainability and Walter has been thrilled to spend time at the Lawson High School since he is a private school principal and educator, Deb is continuing her work doing the interviews with the Susus accompanied by the social worker from home care and Lynne has joined her in the process. I have spent much of my time in the counseling office but have done a number of other things too. I made my way over to the food containers for the weekly food distribution and got to mingle with the Susus—something that will always put a smile on your face.
Susu's of Nyumbani Village
Just walking around the village there is much of village life to soak up and savor. The children are adorable. There are no toys here other than the ones they create or happen to find!
A creative toy of a bicycle rim from the Village children. They struck this pose when I asked for a picture.
Nyumbani Village children playing with a big tortoise
On Tuesday evening we did home visits at 2 clusters under the magnificent moonlit and starry sky that is like no other here. The day was very hot but the night had cooled down and there was a nice breeze. We were all gathered as the children from the 4 houses sang and sang and danced and danced for us—this was one of the most magical moment in the village I have ever experienced—one that reaches deep into your bones. I am posted two videos—you will see very little as it was quite hard to record in such low light. So you will only get glimpses here and there, but you will hear everything just as we did—I hope can use your imagination to take you under the beautiful Kenyan sky too.
Nyumbani Children’s Home and Donations
Today we spent much of the day back at the Nyumbani Children’s Home. We arrived in the morning in time to go to church with everyone.
Deb walking with a child to church
There has been an a feeling of excitement in the air throughout the past week as this has been the week of the summit meeting when all of the International Board Members and the Kenyan Board members meet with the Nyumbani administrators to discuss the Nyumbani programs, the progress, needs, future plans, etc. Today was the final day, so some special events were planned. I loved watching these children of the Board Members play since as the saying goes children have alot to teach us.
Children of the Nyumbani Board Members in a sweet moment
The Nyumbani children did some extra singing and dancing during the mass as well as entertainment scheduled prior to a lunch in honor of the Board members. The entertainment included the preschoolers form the St. Paul Miki School through the “elementary school” age children.
Following the entertainment there were presentations to all the Form One students who will be leaving for boarding school and many heartfelt words from staff, children and others thanking the Board members for all that they do to keep Nyumbani going. There was, of course, frequent reference to Father D”Agostino who founded Nyumbani and acknowledgement of January as his birthday month. After many rounds of “sharing a few words” it was time for a special lunch. I was delighted to have a child, John, a toddler who had crawled up into my lap and fallen asleep during the presentations.
Sleepy John taking a nap in my lap
The KEST volunteers ate lunch at the tables with our host cottages and promised we would be back next Saturday.
Following the time at the Children’s Home it was time to hit the local Nakumat to stock up on water and a few other things to bring to The Village tomorrow. Also Lloydie, Justun and I, armed with the recipe ingredients for the porridge for the PCDA program set out to buy those ingredients (in great bulk requiring 3 shopping carts) with donation money that I had received earmarked for that purpose. We also pooled our donation money and discovered that we had quite a lot such that Lloydie could not zip it into the folder she usually uses—a very good problem to have! That will enable us to pay for the mattresses needed for the latest new people at the Village and to buy lots of much needed sheets. We will go shopping once we are in Kitui near the Village. THANK YOU DONORS!!!!!!
Donations for mattresses for the Village!!
We went out to dinner at Karen Blixen’s house this evening—a good meal before we are off to the Village. Tomorrow morning there will be a good long shower too! The days are very full but very wonderful. As I write this post somewhat sleepy eyed at midnight here, I can say that no day yet has gone by yet been without having deeply inspiring and touching moments. Off to the Village tomorrow……………
Video clips from Kenya as Promised
We had the day at Kibera Paper and will be going back there tomorrow when I will once again be blogging about another incredible experience. In the meantime, I think I have conquered some of my technical issues and can upload a few videoclips to share–I have taken alot of video so will have more. But here are a few to wet your appetite.
My little friend Dolo in cottage E at the Nyumbani Children’s Home is quite an energetic 3 year aold with a big personality and drives the point home that these children are thriving with HIV under the care that they are receiving. Here is Dolo in action:
All of the children at the orphanage are thriving. Going to mass there is a joyous experience with a choir of child singers and child drummers and musicians and dancers. Everyone joins in the celebration. Here is a sneak preview of the children– I say a preview because I know that next Sunday when the international summit members are at the Children’s Home they will have a whole program of entertainment prepared.
This is Boniface and his wife from the Program for the Deaf singing for us:
I will have a post tomorrow about our experinence with the women at Kibera Paper….and more
Two Extraordinary Days in the Slums of Nairobi
Meet the group: Justice, our driver and Kenyan guide extrordinaire and Lloydie, Deb (center), Kristen (lower right), Walter and Lynne
Now I have the impossible task of trying to put into words the past two days—days in which we have laughed, sang (even in sign language), danced, hugged and been hugged too many times to count, cried for being touched by the stories of tremendous resilience and grace, been humbled by the strength of character and generosity of people and were profusely thanked often by people with whom we felt honored to be able to share some time together. These have been the two days in the slums of Dandora, Kangemi, and Kawangware in the clinics of the Lea Toto programs, the Dandora Program for the Deaf and meeting with the Self Help Groups.
In each of the three sites we visited we talked with various different staff members of the programs—the Directors of the Eastern and Western divisions of the Lea Toto programs, a medical officer, a nurse, counselors, social workers and community health workers. This gave an opportunity for those who haven’t come to lea Toto before to get an overview and for others who have to get a chance to be updated. When a parent or guardian brings a child whom is suspected of being HIV+ to the clinic, they first meet with a counselor and testing is done at the same time along with counseling. If the results are positive the child receives a medical evaluation, nutritional assessment and begins on ARVs. The entire family receives nutritional support for the first year during which time they are expected to save the resources not spent on food to develop some independence from the food support. The caregivers are provided with extensive counseling and the child is given emotional support, support for school fees if needed, etc. Social workers do home visits on a regular basis and community support worker are volunteers who receive extensive and ongoing training and do home visits as well. When we met with community support workers, many of them were former or current clients in the Lea Toto Programs who felt that they were grateful for what they had received that they wanted to give back to others. The dedication of this staff, the workload that they carry is phenomenal and hearing them talk about why they do the work and what it means to them was so inspiring that when it came our time to speak we could hardly talk—Kristen and I were first and we were just passing the tissues back and forth. Paul, the Director at Dandora, and the Director of the western division of the Lea Toto Programs, was a very thoughtful and well spoken man, who told us to remember that every little bit of help matters, no matter how small, and that it can be overwhelming to look at the overall larger picture, but when you help the person who is there in front of you, that help is enormous. He also told us that people often have many needs, but what they need most from you is “heart” and the rest follows. We did do several home visits with the social worker and the community support worker at Kangemi . In fact we found that often the several of the women of the self help groups also worked as community support worker.
Lloydie with Good Hope Self Help Group members
Other members of the Good Hope Self Help Group
We also met with the Self Help Groups to share time with them continuing to build relationships and to shop from their crafts. This included groups at all three sites including the Vision Self Help Group whom I had previously met in Dandora 2 years ago. These are wonderful groups of very lively vibrant women who each have incredible stories to tell. Every story is captivating but I have to say that Sally of the Vision Self Help Group had the most powerful story because she has been HIV+ since 1991 and has a daughter who is HIV+ as well. She has a strong powerful voice and is incredibly articulate about living positively with HIV and a powerful commitment to bringing that message to others. (I made a deal with her that next time I come to Kenya I will do a video interview because she has a voice and a story that really should be heard and can speak for many others).
We also had the mission of meeting with representative Self Help Groups in the three sites where Lloydie explained that it has often felt difficult for volunteers to feel like they are really able to be helpful in the Lea Toto sites and that KEST has taken on a new initiative to support those communities by supporting the Mommas of these groups. She explained the plan to select from their crafts items to be considered for sales in the US and that when she returns in June she will place a larger order for these items and pay fair market value when she gets them in August. Then KEST volunteers will sell them in the US and the additional profit will be brought to them next January and the cycle will repeat and hopefully grow. This plan was met with overwhelming enthusiasm and gratitude.
"Thumbs up!" from the Vision Self Help Group
Meeting with the Vision Self Help Group
Finally we spent the afternoon today meeting with Boniface, who has a “ministry for the deaf”. We met with him and his wife, both of whom are deaf as well as 3 other deaf people with whom he works. Boniface is a sign language teacher and he and the others in the group spoke to us through William, an interpreter. We learned that there are schools for the deaf in Kenya but not a lot of other support and that they really have come together to support each other. Although Boniface and his wife are employed the other are currently without work though have skills. One fact that really struck me was that all five of the deaf people with whom we met (and this is largely true for Kenyans) were born hearing and became deaf as a result of illness in childhood, often common illnesses like mumps or measles for which we get vaccinated in the U.S. I can’t quite describe what it was like to spend time with them—they may not have been able to speak, but they could certainly communicate in a phenomenally moving way that was deeply touching. I had heard through Lloydie that Boniface really needed a digital camera for work with his students and it warmed my heart to be able to give him. They say to us in sign language, taught us to sing by signing…..and more tears. I have a wonderful videotape of this that I hope to be able to upload (after 3 failed attmpts have to try again later–aaah the joys of technology…)
As always, there is so much more I could say, so many more words I could use, but words can’t capture this…..
It’s after midnight here, please pardon my typos, no more energy to proofread and a busy day tomorrow….kwaheri from Kenya!
The Weekend at Nyumbani Children’s Home
We spent our first weekend in Kenya at Nyumbani Children’s Home, the orphanage for children who are HIV+. We began the weekend by meeting with Sister Mary, the Executive Director of Nyumbani , who updated us on the Children’s Home as well as the other Nyumbani Programs, Lea Toto clinics in the impoverished communities around Nairobi and Nyumbani Village in Kitui. We learned that the programs now serve over 4000 children and in the case of Lea Toto, their families are receiving services as well. The children in the Children’s Home continue to thrive although 2 children had developed resistance to antiretroviral medications (ARV’s). In the past these children would have died but she was able to petition to get special permission to purchase the drugs for these children from outside the country as only first and second line drugs are available in Kenya. The major happening in the orphanage now is that there are 14 children looking for acceptance in to high schools. All are tuition based boarding schools in Kenya and acceptance is based solely on standardized test scores. Since some of the children have had periods of being unhealthy or difficult starts they don’t all score very well, so this is a time of high anxiety for them. We also toured the Nyumbani Diagnostic Laboratory which is a new freestanding facility and much larger than the small laboratory which Nyumbani previously had. There they do the most advanced HIV testing in all the country and provide services to a wide range of other organizations and facilities. BTW, Nyumbani was the first site of HIV testing in Kenya and the first AIDS orphanage in Kenya. I could say a lot more but on to the children………
The children greeted us with squeals and smiles and hugs and magnificent welcomes that were so heartwarming!
Lloydie with 2 Nyumbani kids
I have not been here for two years so one thing I really noticed was how some of the children have really grown! There are lots of names and faces to remember so I couldn’t remember them all, but was particularly surprised to see the growth in the little ones—some of whom you will recognize from my blog posts in 2010. I was amazed when one little boy who was in the ST Paul Miki Preschool the last time I was here remembered that I had taken his picture. And there are some new little ones as well.
Dolo, the little charnmer from cottage E
Baby Sharon
Innocent--remember him?!
The older children are genuinely kind and helpful to the younger ones.
Each of the volunteers was assigned a host cottage to spend time with including the children and the cottage mother. This meant hanging out with the children and seeing how the “family” (14 children and 2 Mommas) runs, having lunch with them, spending play time and getting to know them. I was particularly charmed by a spunky pint sized 3 year old, the youngest in my cottage, with a big personality, named Dolo. We will be back next weekend to spend some more time with them. And by popular demand I did another round of face painting which was so much fun! We also went to church with them on Sunday—Kenyan style with joyous drumming, singing, clapping and dancing. We also heard stories from the cottage mothers as well as other staff about some of the newer children and how sick they were when they arrived – some could not walk or talk and now they are racing around on scooters in the playground. You can’t help but think every once in a while that all of these beautiful children who are lively, thriving, very affectionate, little people would have died if it were not for the care they are receiving here. When you stand back and watch all this life around you it can move you to tears.
Lloydie and one of the boys from her cottage
I have some great video–you can get a peek at Dolo’s personality, experience mass at the Children’s Home and more, but I’m having some technical problems posting it. Check back later. Kwaheri marafiki!
Getting to Kenya, via Rwanda, and just a few traveling snafus!!
FINALLY……in Kenya!!
Well, my fellow travelers have kidded me that they couldn’t wait to hear what I would have to say about making our way here. I have to say that it was QUITE THE TRIP! I started out on Thursday morning the 19th at 9 AM and headed to Boston where I met up with Kristin and we flew off to D.C. together. We surpassed the first snag of having to check in and out security to recollect my 2 checked bags (100 lbs of luggage) that were only checked as far as DC instead of all the way to Kenya, all while toting our additional 4 carry-ons like an Abbott and Costello routine getting acquainted with a good many laughs about toppling luggage and how we already needed to” freshen up” after only the shortest flight of the trip. We connected up with the rest of the travelers at out gate to head to Brussels; that was when we first realized that our flight to Nairobi was to get there by way of Kigali, Rwanda….oh well, a little extra time added, we could handle that.
Then we learned that there was a problem with our plane. And time was passing… passing…and passing. And then came the announcements, one, then another, and another—about technical and electrical problems…and groans about the fact that that might be just “a little TOO much information to be giving everyone about the delay!” Then there was announcement that they were loading some additional software that the captain felt confident would fix it; then, well that didn’t work. Then an announcement that “well, they didn’t really know what the plan would be……” Yikes!! Now it’s about 3 hours AFTER departure time and there’s only one connecting flight to Nairobi per day. So our fearless leader Lloydie began making alternative contingency plans with the United rep: fly to London and spend a lovely day in London before the daily connecting flight to Nairobi (or not so lovely each our 2 stuffed carry ons and collective 600+ lbs of duffels), fly to Zurich and definitely miss the connecting flight, fly to Dubai for 15 hours and then get a flight to directly to Kenya…the next day. During the course of discussing our options, an announcement was made that we needed to go a new gate and we were shuffled off to a new plane where we were quickly issued new boarding passes and were about to board 4 hours late with a small hope and a prayer for reaching our connecting flight—but were told that there was no hope that our bags would arrive with us. So we took off!
The captain came over the loud speaker and said that he was going to do his best to make up time and get everyone to connecting flights…..Hmm, after taking off 4 hours late?! But we got to Brussels and were part of small mob racing to other gates and barely made it, but did succeed in getting to our connecting flight. After many, many hours of flying we landed in Kigali and got a glimpse of Rwanda, deposited some of the passengers there, picked up some others who were headed back to Brussels via Kenya. After about 2 and ½ hours of this process, refueling, etc) we took off for Nairobi. We were flying with 40 Swedish students going from Brussels to Nairobi and when we landed in Kenya, we joined in their clapping. Now about 32 hours from the original departure from home, we were finally in Kenya. And miracle of miracles (we were due for one) ALL of our baggage had arrived too!! Our driver Justice was waiting with a huge smile and a very exuberant Kenyan welcome (Justice has a very big and happy personality) even though it was well after midnight. And the 6 of the travelers—Lloydie, Deb, Kirsten, Lynne, Walter and myself—were exhausted, but brimming with excitement and had managed to do some pretty good bonding, laughing, storytelling and listening of prior experiences in Kenya, and getting to know each over the trials and tribulations of getting here. Finally, in Kenya, headed to Bed at 2AM and ready to go to Nyumbani Children’s Home the next morning.
Since getting online has been a bit of a challenge—I won’t bore—I started writing my blog entries but couldn’t post them. Much more to come……….
One more day, one more post, one more duffel…then we’re off!
We are off to Kenya on Thursday so this will be my last post before I leave home. Tomorrow will be a busy day since I will be working until the afternoon , then finishing up many things to prepare to be away, packing my last duffel and heading out on Thursday morning. I will first fly to D.C. where I will meet up with my fellow travelers and we will all fly together to Kenya. I received a lovely email from Lilian, the counselor at Nyumbani Village, wishing me safe travels and letting me know that she can’t wait to see me. We have also had several e-mails back and forth from the women at Kibera Paper making plans for our time together for a sharing of creative ideas.
More people have come by with donations making the packing a little trickier, but the bounty more plentiful and I’m very grateful to have these to bring with me. The monetary donations have really added up and I am very grateful for those as well since they will help us contribute to the nutritional needs of the Maasai children and to buy mattresses for Nyumbani Village. They are also very light weight and don’t take any packing space and at this point I’m particularly appreciative for that! I really want to thank everyone who has made the effort to donate to this cause– every little bit adds up, every little bit makes a significant difference, everything is received with such grace and gratitude. I wish all of you could have the opportunity to experience what I will when giving to the Kenyan people who I will encounter– it’s quite beyond words.
Finally, I would like to introduce you to another artisan group with whom we will work to discuss fair trade practices for selling their ware in the states. You have, however, actually been introduced previously though not from this perspective. These are the grandmothers or shosho’s (sho sho’s , su su’s, nobody can actually really say how you spell this Kikombe word in English) at Nyumbani Village. This is a very spirited, lively, dancing and singing group of grannies who are prone to grabbing you at any moment and pulling you into an impromptu dance, who have a special 3 part Kikombe hand shake that they teach everyone, and who also greet you with gigantic smiles and Kikombe greetings with the expectation that you somehow know the correct response–if you don’t, they teach you on the spot with great gesticulation and broad smiles and laughter until you get it. They also weave very beautiful baskets out of Sissel and yarn and make it look incredibly easy. They sell these though do not have a well established market and really need to expand that since the baskets are quite beautiful and so well made.
Nyumbani Village Sho Sho's weaving Baskets
The storage room for baskets at Nyumbani Village
As you can see the baskets are as “colorful” as the sho sho’s!
So we leave on Thursday and arrive in Kenya late (midnight) on Friday night. Our first stop after a night’s sleep will be the Nyumbani Children’s Home on Saturday. Imagine being surrounded by excited, squealing children with smiling faces who you know are healthy and thriving, who you know are alive and have a future literally because Nyumbani exists to care for them–it’s a very powerful and a very wonderful feeling. What could be better than that?!
Next time I write…..I’ll be in warm and sunny Kenya.
The Vision Self Help Group Of Dandora
I have introduced you to one of the women’s artisan’s groups with whom we will be working in Kenya in the Women 4 Women Initiative. I thought I would take a break from my packing frenzy having accomplished the mission of having one duffel packed at a weight of 48 lbs (just under the 50 lb limit) and no longer sitting in a sea of medical and art supplies, children’s socks and underwear, etc. I want to introduce another group, the Vision Self Help Group of Dandora. Dandora is another of the impoverished slum areas around Nairobi similar to Kibera. This group began almost ten years ago with the inspiration of Sister Little from Nyumbani Children’s Home. Sister Little who I had the pleasure of spending some time with during our last trip, including going to the slum with her, is like her name, little, but she is otherwise, despite not at all being a youngster, quite big on spunk and determination.Though she is supposed to be retired now, I hear she still shows up in Kibera to check out the Lea Toto Programs since they are her biggest devotion.
Sister Little with The 2010 KEST Adult Group and Nyumbani Children (anyone who makes me look tall has to be little!)
It was her idea to help this group of women, many of whom are HIV+, all of whom have HIV+ children getting care from the Lea Toto Clinic of Dandora by assisting them in developing a skill which would lead them to be self sufficient and able to earn enough income to support thier families. She brought them together to support each other and helped them to learn the art of jewelry making, particularly beading. They work together, create together, have developed a tremendous sense of comraderie and share the income that they produce. When we met with them last time I was struck by the support that they give to each other and how much they value creating together and felt a powerful connection because that process of creating together reminded me of my own women’s art group. As they each individually told us their own stories I was incredibly moved by their strenth, resiliency, devotion to their families and how they have taken their own hardship and used it to help others by doing such things as becoming AIDS advocates and community leaders. They were clearly a part of the inspiration for my poem about Kenyan women. They make lovely jewely and have increased the breadth of their ware by expanding into other items as well–I’ll be sure to take photos when we see them this time. And they, like many groups whom we met welcomed us with lovely song and dance which Im so looking forward to experiencing again.
Vision Self Help Project Women in their Stop AIDS, Malaria and TB.......and Obama Tees!
WE leave in JUST 4 more days!!
Across the years, across the country, across the world…..
“So how did you first hear about Nyumbani?”
This is a question that I have been asked several times in the past week and in the course of answering it I have realized that I delight in telling the story, so I thought I would tell it here. As we live in the town where Bowdoin College is located and my husband, Tom, is an alumnus, we had a connection to the college when we first moved here. From very early on we began participating in the Host Family Program in which local families provide support and a local connection to Bowdoin College students who are international students and thus far away from home. We began being a host family when our sons, now about to turn 21, were still babies. It was a wonderful opportunity for our family to learn about other cultures and get exposed to some ethnic diversity which is very limited in Brunswick. We had particularly close relationships to the students whom we hosted for all 4 years and who we watched graduate along with their own parents who traveled across the world to do so. One such student was Stanley from Kenya. I don’t know if I ever told him this, but of our sons who was quite young at the time, but not very familiar with people from Africa or even African-Americans, when he was told that Stanley was coming for a visit, referred to him as “that really tall guy with curly black hair and the pink fingernails” –Stanley IS very tall. His mother and sister stayed with us at graduation time and we took them on their first ever trip to the beach and had a wonderful time getting to know them. We later visited Stanley when he was working at a job in Washington D.C. A number of years later we heard from him that he was doing a fund-raiser bicycle trek ACROSS the US to raise money for an AIDS Orphanage back in Kenya named Nyumbani and asking if we would like to be a sponsor. So it was through Stanley that we learned of Nyumbani.
He completed his bike trek and raised a lot of money……
Fall 2006 Nyumbani Newsletter
And we found ourselves on the mailing list for Nyumbani……
As our children grew up and it became more possible for us to do some volunteer work that would take us away from home we looked more closely at what opportunities might exist there and that’s how we became acquainted with Lloydie and KEST….and once you meet Lloydie you go to Kenya to volunteer for Nyumbani.
When we took the trip 2 years ago we let Stanley know that we were going and how excited we were. I know that I MUST have shared with him and his mother in he host family days that I had been dreaming about going to Africa since I was a child. He connected with my blog to learn more about the trip (and even complimented me on my very rudimentary Swahili.) I have just connected with him again– he and his wife Joy live in Texas and are expecting their first child in April. It was wonderful to reconnect and share their happy news and to let him know that I am off to Nyumbani again. These connections from Kenya to the US and back again which span over 15 years have been incredible and do really make the world seem like a much smaller place. We are fortunate to have had Stanley to share a little bit of Kenya with us years ago and to start the process which was to grow into much more of a connection to Kenya than we ever imagined.
KEST and the Magical Magnetism of Shared Volunteerism
Volunteers from 2010 KEST Adult trip
We are off to Kenya in 19 days! I know that this time will fly by as I try to prepare to leave my office and home and gather up everything I need to be on my way. It’s time to direct some more concentrated attention on donations to be gathered, things needed for projects to be done while there, and eventually the overwhelming task of packing (I hate to pack even on a small scale and this is quite something else!)
I have been thinking about how exciting it is to return to Kenya and Nyumbani having been there before and how I am looking forward to seeing people again. I have just learned from Lloydie that we will have two more travelers, Lynne and Walter, joining our group so its wonderful to have a larger group. I have found myself immersed in thought about how this experience really gives me much more than I give in volunteering, how my endorphin levels soar every time I talk about the trip (I have actually been told that my face lights up) and how for weeks after I returned last time I couldn’t talk about the trip without getting teary or choked up because I was so deeply moved by the whole experience. I recently came across some medical literature about volunteerism and how volunteering actually increases the life span, at least in elders in whom it’s been best studied. But I think it must be true for others too because there is something about giving to others in need that just lifts you up and fills you up, and shifts your perspective to what’s important, like nothing else can. And the relationships that you make with other people when you share that experience of working for a common cause with all the joy, and the heartache too– those are lifelong bonds.
So this brings me to KEST, Kenya Educational and Service Trips (www.K-E-S-T.com). I can’t imagine going to Kenya in any other way than through KEST (and with you, Lloydie). KEST is a small operation started by one woman, Lloydie Zaiser, with a tremendous amount of enthusiasm, dedication, and love for the AIDS orphans of Kenya. It is still a tiny operation, yet I just received the annual report tucked in a holiday card (made by the women of Kibera paper of course) and have learned more about how KEST is expanding its mission beyond the Nyumbani Programs to two different sites, launching a number of new programs and increasing the number of volunteer trips to Kenya each year (I scanned the report so I could include it below in this post). This one little organization has done amazing things by bringing to Kenya so many volunteers and hundreds of duffels of donations and finding education sponsors for Nyumbani children and so much more….. I think this has a lot to do with the infectious enthusiasm and love of the mission that Lloydie brings to it as well as the incredible spirit of the Kenyan people that you get to soak up while you are there. But it also reflects the way that the totality of the experience profoundly binds you to each other and to the cause –what I referred to as the magical magnetism of shared volunteerism. Having been on one volunteer trip with KEST, you can’t just do one, you are now a KEST lifer! Your heart will call you back again to the children and the people and the country, to all of it. And if there are moments when you might not listening, you’ll get emails from Lloydie that will give you updates about the children that will pull at your heartstrings, or remind you of the touching moments in Kenya (or tease you about how it will be 8o degrees and sunny there in February when its snowy and cold in Maine.)
Lloydie, Mercy and the shoshos at Nyumbani Village
Lloydie playing finger games with the children at Nyumbani Village
So it gives me peace of mind and a very sweet feeling to look forward to this travel to Kenya and to Nyumbani and all of the other places we will visit and to know that I start out 2012 with all of my own blessings well in perspective and my intentions pointed in a very worthy direction.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead
Returning to Kenya and Nyumbani!!
Children of Nyumbani Village
My last post was in June 2010–in some ways it seems like a long time ago and in some ways like yesterday. I am excited beyond words and extremely grateful to have the opportunity to return to Kenya again. I knew when I last left in February 2010 that I had been forever changed by the experience there and that my heart would bring me back again. Since leaving Kenya I have kept in contact with Lloydie, our fabulous trip leader, who has brought many other groups of volunteers to Kenya and who has the biggest heart of anyone I know. In fact in the fall of 2010, all five of the travelers in our group reunited in Washington DC at the annual Nyumbani gala and auction. We had the pleasure of escorting Joseph, the sustainability director of Nyumbani Village, who had never before been out of Kenya around Washington DC and, in particular, pointing President Obama’s “house” to him.
Joseph taking in Washington DC
In addition, I have kept in touch with Lilian, the counselor at Nyumbai Village both to get follow up about the young men I evaluated there but also to be a source of support as she has such a huge job being the sole counselor to so many people. There have been the newsletters from Nyumbani, letters from the student we sponsor at Nyumbani Village, many heartfelt email updates and even a visit from Lloydie, and oh so many things beckoning me back. The most powerful, however, are my memories of those moments that moved me to tears, that showed me that although the problems with AIDs, orphans, and profound poverty are so overwhelmingly huge, one person can really make a difference, one deed can really have a powerful impact on someone else’s life.
And so we depart on January 19th. The group that is traveling this time will be four women–Lloydie, Deb, Kristen and me. Although I have not yet met Deb or Kristen, I know by the e-mails and past experience that we will be incredibly bonded by the end of the trip. The itinerary is similar to our last travel to Nyumbani, but with some extras this time. We will be spending much of our time on the weekends at Nyumbani Children’s Home just outside of Nairobi. You may recall that this is where the children are both AIDS orphans and are also HIV+. They are however thriving children who are staying healthy with good medical support and ARV medication.
Nyumbani Children’s Home
Innocent and me after facepainting at the St Paul Miki Preschool, Photo by Karen Orrick
For a week we will be at Nyumbani Village, in rural Kenya about an hour away from Nairobi. The Village is where there are about 700 AIDs orphans living in “families” of 10 being raised by a grandmother or “shosho”. The Village has its own school, medical clinic, counseling center, amazing sustainability program, etc. I will have a chance to work with Lilian again and will get to see Caroline, the student whom we sponsor. The Village is a truly magical place that is ripe with culture and alive with song and dance, smiling and laughter, despite the enormous trauma and losses that brought people there. For a nice up to date glimpse of life at the Children’s Home and the Village you can watch this video A Place Called Home by Shamus Fatzinger. I am very excited to see all those lively little children’s faces again!
Children at Nyumbani Village
We will be spending some time in the outreach clinics of the Lea Toto Programs in the slums around Nairobi. These programs provide services to families with children who are HIV+. We will however have more than one goal in mind in visiting these programs. At a number of sites, the women have developed groups who have learned a craft such as jewelry making. We met one of these groups during our last trip–the Vision Self Help Group in Dandora. I was very touched by having the opportunity to sit with them and hear their personal stories that were so compelling and filled with loss and heartache, yet incredible resilience, devotion to their children and compassion for each other. We will meet with them and other such groups to help them focus on establishing fair trade practices and business plans for selling their wares in the U.S. Another group is the women of Kibera Paper who make beautiful handmade cards, each a work of art, from recycled paper from the slums.
Examples of my favorite Kibera Cards designs
Lloydie has actually set up some time for us to have a workshop with them so that I can bring over some art supplies and work with them on some new ideas. I am very excited about this aspect of the trip which Lloydie has referred to as Women4Women. I was so deeply affected by the women whom we met in Kenya during our last trip and the ways in which they seemed to have such capacity to overcome such hardship that I wrote this poem about them and only recently, when thinking about the possibility of going back, did I revisit it:
These are only some of the highlights of the plans as the itinerary is very full. We are now in the stage of busily gathering donations of all different sorts–from medical supplies, to children socks and underwear, to office supplies, to Pampers and onesies with feet! Each of us needs to fill at least one fifty pound duffel with donations (and given that mattresses are on the list of needs and we’ll shop for more once we get there!) I better get gathering as I have a long way to go………
The one thing that I have a tinge of sadness about is that I will not be traveling with the same group of five this time. We had a very special bond by the end of the trip last time and Kenya just won’t be quite the same without them there. So I’m hoping that Mary, Karen and Tom will follow along with us and get inspired for a reunion trip in Kenya some year soon……
The “Five Travelers” at Lake Nukuru in 2010
The Art Exchange at Jordan Acres School
Well, I am shamefully late at doing this post since the art exchange and show at Jordan Acres took place 2 weeks ago. I have not posted yet partially because I really fell down on my job as photographer that night. But truthfully, the reason for this was that I got so engaged with talking with people that I just put my camera down. I really want to thank Sharon McCormack (whose picture I wish I had taken) once again not only for doing amazing art with the children for me to bring to Kenya, but also for working on such a fun way for us to exchange the art and have a multimedia show that night. In addition to the poster you see in the picture above we had a table with a Maasai blanket and carvings and other such things that could be touched, and all the Kenyan children’s art work, some was displayed and what wasn’t displayed was mounted and placed in a notebook as a permanent collection for the school to keep along with the poster. We also had a slide show accompanied by some great background tribal African music. The man and boy in the picture below spent much of their time watching the slide show and I thoroughly enjoyed watching them since the little boy got newly very excited about each and every safari animal that came on the screen.
I was delighted that many children and parents asked lots of questions and enjoyed looking at the Kenyan students’ art. Some of JA students were thrilled when they recognized their own art in the photos taken in Kenya. I could tell from the questions that the students asked about the Maasai, and the animals, life in Kenya and other topics that they had really learned a lot about Kenya in the course of this project. So the Kenyan students art and the poster of all the smiling faces of Nyumbani have been on display at the school for everyone to see and enjoy since that night. For me it’s a really heartwarming thought to think of JA students smiling back and having an opportunity to browse through all the pieces of art and warm wishes that were sent to them.
Once again, thank you very much (asante sana) to all the JA students and to Sharon McCormack! Maybe we can do this again the next time I go to Kenya……
Video clips: Exuberant welcome in song and dance at Kazuri Beads
When we went to Kazuri Beads to meet the workers, tour the factory and shop from the wonderful selection of jewelry we learned about the philosophy of the company being very focused on maintaining a happy and healthy work force. In no way was this more evident than in the greeting of song and dance that we received when we arrived. Of course, arriving with Lloydie, our trip leader who is a frequent visitor when she is in Kenyan, was cause for a particularly celebratory welcome for all of us. This is just an example of the kind of exuberant welcome in song and dance that we received in many places that we went and gives you a sense of the spirit of the Kenyan people (www.plopsymd.wordpress.com).
For the students and everyone: The Great Rift Valley
For my last post before I show some of the art of the kenyan kids which I have to complete scanning, I decided that I wanted to include some of the photos of the Rift Valley since they are quite beautiful and because the Rift Valley is such a geological hallmark of Kenya. It actually extends for about 400o miles in Africa and divides the country of Kenya in half. Kenya’s most beautiful lakes are in a chain in and around the Rift Valley and we traveled down into the Rift Valley to get to the National Park at Lake Nukuru.
The Rift Valley was also the site of the discovery of some of our earliest hominid ancesters like “Lucy” and where a number of anthropolgists including the most famous, the Leakeys, made many of their important discoveries.
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- Scenery on the way to the valley
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- Scenery on the way to the Rift valley
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- Looking into the valley
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- View into the valley-I love how the red kenyan soil shows in the center
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- I love the canopy of these trees
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- Scenery on the drive back
Stay tuned………art by the Kenyan kids for their friends and ambassadors of good will in Maine is coming soon!
Visit to the Maasai Village
Although we went to Kenya primarily to work with AIDS orphans, we did also go on safari during which we also visited a Maasai village. Over the course of our travels in Kenya, whether it was during this visit, during the time spent in Nyumbani village which is primarily composed of a Kamba tribe, or just generally through day-to-day life in Kenya, we learned a tremendous amount about the culture. I didn’t have a chance to post about this while there, but wanted to be sure to share a bit about our visit to the Maasai village on Maasai Mara. I regret that I didn’t have my video camera (or my own camera) but I was able to take some pictures with Tom’s camera. It would have been great to have the opportunity to video since we were welcomed with a traditional song and dance by both the men and women.
Maasai women welcoming us with a song
What is most interesting about the Maasai is that they are a tribe that has continued to preserve most of their original culture and way of life. They live in a group of huts made of branches covered with cow dung that are not meant to be permanent as they are nomadic and move as land and weather conditions demand. The women are responsible for building the houses which together form a village referred to as a manyata (?sp). We were able to go inside a hut which was comletely dark except for a very small hole to let in light in one wall so it was a huge contrast to the very bright sunlight we expereinced outside.
Maasai manyata
The women are also responsible for making elaborate bead work like the “wedding necklace” shown on the woman in the next photo.
The Maasai are herdsmen and it is the responsibility of the men to care for the herds which are primarily cows who also provide the primary staple diet of milk and blood for the Maasai. Men and often young boys are seen out during the day herding the cows who are brought into the manyata and the actual huts to sleep at night. As one Maasai man told me, “We dream with our cows at night”. I thought that was an interesting concept. The traditional color of the Maasai is red which they described as being recognized as safe by animals and easily identified as Maasai to each other.
Out with the herd.
Young boys have responsibility for the herd also
There is a very strong tribal tradition of ritual and celebratory male circumcision at age 14. Prior to this, boys undergo “pain training” to learn how to endure this without any sign of flinching or crying out since to do so is considered a great disgrace. Following this ceremony boys are considered warriors and can earn the title of “brave warrior” only by slaying a lion. We met several brave warriors. After 25-30, brave warriors become “elders”. Another male ritual is the jumping dance of the Maasai warrior which is quite amazing to watch since they are able to jump quite high starting with their feet flat on the ground.
Maasai Warrior jumping ritual
The manyata that we visited was a relatively small and newly built one which consisted of three families who were all related but had broken away for the larger manyata in the area. It was quite interesting to hear how this had come about and that one of the factors was that they had begun to question some of the traditional practices such as excluding women from education and were clearly speaking out against traditional female circumcision which occurs at age 12. The chief warrior of this manyata, Nelson, had been college educated and was very devoted to the idea of starting a school. It became clearer as we spent with them that separating from the parent manyata was a courageous step and we were clear to wish them good luck and support them in starting a school. We also did the latter by shopping from their homemade crafts which included beaded jewelry, carved wood animals and masks, and many other things. While there I was also happy to meet some of the children as well as the midwife in the community.
Maasai midwife
Maasai children
We were particularly fortunate to have Nelson as our guide since he was very welcoming of questions and willing to discuss all aspects of the culture including the practices that he and the others in this manyata were questioning or wanting to change. Visiting the Maasai village was one of many very rich cultural experiences which we enjoyed in Kenya and it was a really fascinating exposure to a very different lifestyle.
Missing Kenya, friends, and appreciation
Now that we are home, I have begun to reflect some on our trip and to realize that although we were in Kenya for less than 2 full weeks we did a tremendous amount in that time period. We have Lloydie Zaiser and her unique talent at planning, but more importantly at making and maintaining relationships with people in Kenya, to thank for that. Her capacity for warmth and friendship with the people in Kenya and her affection with the children afforded us an immediate welcoming and acceptance that we would not have had otherwise. We have been genuinely lucky for that and also for being able to share the trip with Karen and Mary who were like minded in their enthusiasm and openness to the experience. This is the kind of trip that bonds people in new relationships because of the depth of the experience that was shared. So thank you all for that.
The "five travelers", Lloydie, Mary, Karen, Tom and me, holding hands and casting long late afternoon shadows on the beach at Lake Nukuru
As I was going through my day today, I found myself with an awareness of being appreciative for the smallest things such as the fact that I could use a washing machine, brew some some good coffee in the morning, take a bath; and I don’t have any day to day worries about my livelihood, how I will feed myself or my family, having enough water, or about catching serious communicable diseases. It is quite a different world in which we live from many of the people I met in Kenya where the most fundamental of life’s resources are out of reach. From the women who have HIV and are raising 5, 6 or more children, some with HIV, in a one room shack. Poverty is not the exception in Kenya where the unemployment rate is 75%. It’s a harsh reminder to appreciate what I have……. Despite extroadinarily hard lives, the Kenyan people I met were some of the most gracious, appreciative and inspirational people I have ever encountered. It’s really quite remarkable. It’s easy to fall in love with children, I knew that would happen, but I was surprised by the power of the experiences with adults. Whenever I am feeling put upon by life I have a new standard of comparison that will be easily called upon to lighten my load and refocus me on the things I should be appreciating.
SAFARI Photos!
Zebra and flamingos
We did arrive home last night after 29 hours of traveling, weary but glad to finally get and at the same time missing Kenya and our fellow travelers Mary, Karen and Lloydie.
Maasai Mara landscape
Giraffe with 2 ox peckers
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- Grant’s gazelles
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- Warthogs
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- Cape buffalo
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- Maasai Mara landscape
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- Acacia trees on Maasai Mara
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- Maasai Mara landscape
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- Majestic lion
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- Maasai Mara lanscape showing Red Kenyan soil
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- Maasai Mara sunset
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- Lionnesses
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- Cheetah right after a meal of gazelle
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- Zebra
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- Hyenas who are frequently found laying in the mud
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- Beautiful crested crane, one of many colorful birds we saw.
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- Baby baboon on its mothers back
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- Baby babboon on his mother’s back
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- Adult baboons grooming each other
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- Hitching a ride
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- Mother baboon watching her baby
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- Mother grooming it’s baby baby
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- Playing young babboons
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- Young babboons playing– pulling each other’s tails
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- Tiniest babboon
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- Babboon family
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- Cute baby elephant with its mother
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- Suckling Thompson’s gazelle
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- Jackel
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- Lion laying in the shade of a safari truck–let’s you see how close the animals can get!
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- Lion about to take a nap
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- Pretty silhouette of Acacia tree at Maasai Mara
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- Water buck
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- Young baboon eating
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- Acaciaa’s in the afternoon sun at Lake Nukuru
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- Lake Nukuru with flamingos and a zebra on the beach
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- Zebra and flamingos
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- Playing young baboons
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- Mother holding a baby baboon
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- White rhinos at Lake Nukuru
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- Giraffes of different ages
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- Lone giraffe
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- Giraffe with 2 ox peckers
Lynn Ouellette
Watoto Wote Wazuri 
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