victoriainkenya

… And What You Can Do To Help

2008-01-16T22:23:00.000-08:00

These are the charities I visited on my trip. Please go to your bank to wire money to help. As little as $20 will go a long way. Thanks!!

The Likoni AIDS Orphanage
Contact: Rev. Ernest Omeva (Director)
Likoni AIDS Orphanage
PO Box 96333
Mombasa, Kenya

Email: laop_2001 at yahoo dot com

Mobile: 254 – 722694619

Bank Account: Barclays Bank of Kenya
PO Box 90184
Mombasa, Kenya
Swift Code Barckeny
For the credit of Laop Anzameo
Sponsorship Africa
A/C No. 16-8339658 Digo Road

Likoni YWCA
I will add this information as soon as I get it

Enlightened Support Group
Equity Bank
The Account name is Enlightened Support Group
Account number 0460191704375
Swiftcode EQBLKENA
The signatories are, Chairlady-Emma Rodgers, Secretary-Leah Kusah Anzani and Treasurer-Jackline Ananda.

They find it easier and safer to collect money through Western Union. Pay to: Leah Kusah Anzani

Likoni Friends Church
Community of Matuga Self Reliant Christians
PO Box 96583
Mombasa, Kenya
Bank Account: Likoni Friends Church-Galana Project
A/C No. 1101147600, Bank of India Mombasa Branch

The Water Project
http://thewaterproject.org/

No money? Do this for free.

Election Violence In Kenya…

2008-01-16T22:02:00.000-08:00

Over the past few weeks, I have been paying close attention to the post-election violence in Kenya. I’ve also been thinking a great deal about things I didn’t write about earlier, because I didn’t pick up on their importance at the time.

Joyce, who guided us on our humanitarian trips for the YWCA, did often mention the elections with noticeable anxiety. I assumed it was due to the constant visits by ambassadors and other officials, who were always accompanied by about a dozen armed guards.

Also, when were out in the city in Mombasa and especially in Nairobi, I was occasionally asked if I was a Kikuyu or a Somali before my American accent gave me away. Since I was not paying close attention to the elections at the time, I wasn’t aware that parts of the election tensions were due to ethnic tensions between the Kikuyu tribe (Kenya’s largest ethnic group) and the Luo Tribe (Kenya’s largest ethnic minority¹.) So the real question they were asking me was “Are you [not] one of my people who is heavily invested in this election or are you a foreigner from a neighboring country who only kind of cares?” I thought they were asking “Are you a Kenyan or a tourist/immigrant?”

Immediately after the violence broke out, I sent this email to Leah:

I am praying for your safety. When you get this, please let me know how to send funds to you. I want to make sure you are safe.

She normally gets back to me in 2-3 days (when she gets money to go to the internet café), but it took her eight days to reply to me with this – (sic throughout)

My friend the situation in KEenya is pathetic.I have been indoors for 8 days.We are confused imagine i read your message and could not understand it so i replied the name of the bank of our group.Later I read it again and you are requesting for my account .Mine is with co-operative bank of Kenya-Digo road.Account name is Leah Kusah Anzani, [redacted].

One of the women of the enlithtened Support Group lost her 10months old baby boy on 31 December for all hospitals were closed and was burried without us attending for violence kept everybody indoors.

Pray and Pray for us.

Yours forever,

Leah Kusah

Also, this is an email from Jennifer – (sic throughout)

Hi Victoria,

We have been very concerned about the people; i did get a text messge from Paul and Richard they are not well but alive. Both said the communication is so bad, I will get back with you later this week. [redacted]

Love,

Jennifer

These are just some of my thoughts for now, no real analysis. Maybe later.

¹ Coincidentally, America has a presidential candidate who is part of America’s largest ethnic minority group. Barack Obama’s father was a Luo.

November 2, 2007

2007-12-03T20:33:00.000-08:00

I arrived in Amsterdam at 6:00 am local time, and stopped in an airport café for breakfast. I sat in the non-smoking section, and relaxed there for the first half of my six-hour layover. I looked up at one point and realized that there were about five people on my side of the café, while the smoking half was standing room only. While the Europeans were blithely smoking their cigarettes and drinking their espressos, the Americans seized the opportunity to make a spectacle of themselves – “Omigod! We can smoke – INDOORS! Can you believe it?” Seriously, is it that big of a deal? Worse, the flight directly to Seattle was packed, but my scheduled flight to Detroit has 136 empty seats. I was scared this was a bad sign. What’s going on in Detroit? I was wrong – I had a whole row to myself to sleep in.

I was delayed out of Detroit, getting to Seattle an hour late. No problem – home sweet home.

Notes:
*There is an art museum in Amsterdam’s airport. It’s a great way to enjoy a layover.

November 1, 2007

2007-12-03T20:01:00.000-08:00

The horror – check out time = 10:00 am. Flight = 11:00 pm. BJ, Mama E and I went to the British Airways travel agent to finalize their tickets, which lead to another fun adventure. The large building across from the hotel that was covered in British Airways banners had a British Airways office – that was not open to the public. We had to go to the agent down the street, who rolled her eyes at me when I asked her why she was still displaying a British Airways ad with the Twin Towers on it. Classy. The rest of the day I spent walking around the area or waiting in the lobby. While in the Hilton Hotel Shopping Arcade, I actually had someone try to pull the Nigerian email scam on me in person. Yes, he really asked for my account info, so he could send me...blah, blah, blah. For about five hours Jean, Keith and I chatted in the lobby and waited for BJ and Mama E. At 7:00 pm, the driver took us to the airport. We said our goodbyes at the curb of the airport, even though I assumed I’d see Mama E and BJ in Customs. I was wrong – I’m glad I got my hugs in while I could. Off to Amsterdam!

Notes:
* A few matauts, in order to charge higher rates, had TVs in them (I never saw that in Mombasa)
* What I did see a lot of in both cities were matatus covered in (faux) Nike logos or other popular American brands, and athletic teams (college and pro) – these were status symbols more so than decorations.
*On the way back I watched A Mighty Heart, Hairspray and Dodgeball. A Mighty Heart is a very good movie, but so disturbing and depressing I had to watch two ridiculous comedies in order to sleep.

Photos:

Mama E and Jean

Wait! Let me take off my sweatshirt!

A gift from Jean

BJ, Keith and Jean

BJ with her “Samburu son”

I have no idea what I’m doing with my hand in that photo

The Revenue Generators are the same worldwide.

October 31, 2007

2007-12-02T23:21:00.001-08:00

The day started with an unpleasant awakening – the hotel thought we were checking out that day. According to our itineraries, Mama E and BJ were supposed to be going home, but I was staying the night. In a couple hours, we fixed everything – the hotel didn’t give us the boot, and Mama E and BJ extended their stays one extra day.
I was excited about just using the day to relax. That didn’t happen. I paid Star Travel & Tours $79 for a driver plus $500 KSH admission to spend my day at the Giraffe Center. It turns out my driver had a gig on the side. On my way to the Giraffe Center, he made several drop offs and pick ups – even attempting to leave me at a minimall while he made a drop. Once I paid to get into the Center, not five minutes after walking in, he was nagging me to leave. I finally ditched him.
After getting away from him I had (a little) fun. My tour guide, Becky Wanjau, started my visit by helping me feed the giraffes treats. The giraffes have huge tongues and drool everywhere. This surprised me so much that on my first attempt, I dropped most of the treats. She gave me a second chance, this time feeding two at once, and I was successful. Once I finished the feeding, we started the tour of the Center. The Giraffe Center was built to protect the endangered reticulated giraffe, and they are released into the wild when they are three years old. The giraffes I was feeding were older – mother giraffes used for breeding. There was a “multimedia room” (a theater with a TV) that displayed pictures on the wall drawn by local school children. They were on sale for $1000KSH each – the money goes toward sponsoring visits and environmental education.
On the Center grounds there is also an area protecting leopard tortoises, most of which were brought in by people by the side of roads. The tortoises have become vulnerable due to shell poaching and the pet trade. I left soon after, my driver made more deliveries (of course), and dropped me off at the travel agency, where I made it clear how pissed I was that I shelled out a total of about $85 USD for that nightmarish experience. After a blithe, “yeah, he shouldn’t do that” I returned to the hotel unsatisfied, but determined not to blow a fuse.
I thought it would be a good idea to take out my frustrations at the gym. Since the trainers did not seem to understand the phrase “go away,” that was almost a waste of time. I decided to end the gym excursion in the steam room. However I didn’t bring a swimsuit with me, so I hoped I wouldn’t stand out too much in my tank top and underwear. I was wrong – I was the only one not nude (this was a single-sex steam room, by the way.) But after my crazy day, I wasn’t fazed at all. I just relaxed until dinner.
Since Mama E and BJ had already eaten and were tired after a long day, I ate dinner alone. I just watched TV – CNN International was on in the dining room. Top stories included Barack Obama’s questionable dancing skills on Ellen, the cheerleader in Auburn who was run over by the football team, and Britney Spears’ custody battle. Also, both CNN International and BBC World News referred to Luke Walton’s infamous own basket as “a type of ‘own goal,’” since I suppose a soccer reference would be more familiar with the global crowd. (Now I kind of sympathize with those international journalists who, during the World Cup, got testy with American journalists trying to explain soccer by using other sports as references.) Somehow, I thought international news would be above all this.
Near the end of dinner a woman barged into the restaurant screaming in Swahili, pushing her way past hotel staff and shoving money in customers’ faces. Since I couldn’t understand what she was saying, I couldn’t assess if she was armed and/or making threats.
After about 10-15 minutes of ranting, enough police arrived to escort her out. My waitress didn’t come back until a few minutes after the commotion, and I paid and left quickly in case the woman came back.
I watched TV for about an hour, and then went to bed.

Notes:
* In Mombasa, many of the local restaurants and hotels were advertising Halloween parties. Nothing of the sort in Nairobi.
* On the drive to the Giraffe Center, we passed through a neighborhood of Nairobi called Karen, named after Karen Blixen. The area was once coffee farms, as the Out of Africa author was a coffee farmer. The area is now being turned into country clubs and luxury subdivisions.
*The Giraffe Center was fun; I wanted to do a real safari but they were $120USD+
*There were greenbelts and “how to preserve the environment” signs all over Nairobi.

Photos:

A reticulated giraffe

Feeding the giraffe

Becky helps me try to feed them again.

Two hands!

The multimedia center

Tourguide Becky Wanjau

Drawings by local students

Giraffe Center grounds

The entryway. Notice the three photos on the wooden beam in the back? The bottom one is of Barbara Bush’s visit.

Students’ project

Warthogs aren’t endangered, but they normally associated with giraffes in the wild

A leopard tortoise

Lunchtime!

October 30, 2007

2007-11-29T21:02:00.000-08:00

Today was our last day in Mombasa. We left for Nairobi, where we checked into the The Stanley Hotel. The first hour or so was hectic. Jennifer, Mama E and BJ had already been through Nairobi on the way to Mombasa, and most of their luggage was at the travel agency, which was just around the corner from the hotel. They had to leave it there because domestic flights in Kenya has maximum allowed baggage weight of 20kg (45 lbs). While they got luggage, I went to the room. It’s a good thing that we arrived at the Stanley during the daylight hours, I spent the five or so minutes I was in the room alone flipping the switches up and down, too embarrassed to call the front desk to ask how to turn on the light. BJ finally arrived and told me how it worked – there was a slot next to the light switches for the room key – that’s what powered the electricity in the room. As I mentioned earlier, Kenya is very eco-conscious. Not only does the key operated light prevent hotel patrons from leaving the lights on when out of the room, but the Stanley, like the hotel where BJ, Mama E and Jennifer stayed in the Mara was solar powered. Therefore, between midnight-4am, the electricity was turned off – key activation or no. Anyway, once we settled in the room, we went back to the lobby.
Mama E has been coming to Kenya since 1985, and Jennifer and BJ almost as long. In one of their early visits they met then small children Serah, Keith and Jean, who are now all in their late twenties. After an excited reunion, Serah and Keith took BJ and me down to the Maasai market, a weekly outdoor market about four blocks from the hotel. The market was absolutely insane – packed with tourists, no walkway, and people coming from all directions trying to sell any and everything. We probably walked a total of one city block in about an hour, but were completely worn out at the end. After sitting to relax for a few minutes, Mama E joined us at the market. I then did a second tour – walking with Mama E in a failed attempt to find anklets to take back home as gifts. We spent most of the rest of the day chatting in the lobby; Jean talked about her three children, Keith taught me a few phrases in Samburu. October 30th is my sister’s birthday, so I took minute to call her (left a message – school wasn’t out yet). Later, Jennifer, who was out visiting a friend, joined us in the lobby so we could all say goodbye. She flew back to Houston that evening.
Even though the Stanley is part of the same chain as the Whitesands, dinner wasn’t included with the price of the room. The buffet was $23USD! Ouch!

Notes:
* In Mombasa, we were way out in the sticks. The resorts are safe but the city is not. Nairobi is a large city (the capitol) and easy to walk around. Obviously you have to exercise caution, but there is no need to be completely reliant on a driver.
*Improve your vocabulary, change the world.

Photos:

Mama E and Said say goodbye

Leaving Mombasa

On the way from the Nairobi airport into down. Just a random building.

Hellomoto?

Downtown Nairobi

Keith, BJ and Serah resting after braving the market

October 29, 2007

2007-11-26T20:40:00.000-08:00

Said, Mama E and I spent about three hours cruising around Mombasa trying to find a converter. We worked our way from one end of downtown to the others, and most store owners told us to go to Top Time Electronics. When we finally arrived there, I showed the store clerk the broken converter, and asked if he had one that converted American electronics to Kenyan ones. He barely looked at me, rolled his eyes and said no.
I returned to the hotel, with serious trepidation about telling Jennifer that I had come up empty; she had a paper due the next day. When I got back to the room, she was about to call Top Time, but I told her not to waste her minutes; I was just there and they didn’t have one. She insisted on calling the store, and after about five minutes, explaining what she needed, the owner said they had a one. I interrupted her and said I showed them the converter in person – there wasn’t one there. She double checked with the owner, who put her on hold to talk to the clerk. The owner told her the clerk told me that he told me the converter was there, and that he thought I was “confused.” I was livid. Jennifer insisted on going with Said to pick up the converter herself – I wanted to go to ~~cuss out~~ talk to the clerk myself.
Anyway, I relaxed on the balcony while Jennifer was gone, and, after seeing “Do not feed the monkeys” signs all over the hotel grounds, I finally saw a troop of monkeys jumping from tree to tree right outside of my room. Unfortunately, I didn’t have my camera out.

That’s it. We otherwise didn’t do anything that day.

Notes:
*Aforementioned clerk at Top Time was behind security bars with his back turned to the door. All merchandise was behind the bars as well. In short, he would have to get the converter himself. Since the boss wasn’t around, he had no intention of working. Fine, but don’t go lying on me.

Photos:

Throughout our stay in Mombasa, no matter the ragged/desolate/"Christian Children's Fund" condition of the villages we drove past, they all had spas.

October 28, 2007

2007-11-20T17:11:00.000-08:00

Today was a fun day. Joyce invited Mama E and me to her house for afternoon tea. There we met her husband, her daughter Evelyn, and two of her husband’s friends who “wanted to see the Americans.” We had a great time – Evelyn’s a sweet and very quiet girl and Joyce is an excellent cook. Joyce was also kind enough to give farewell gifts to the entire traveling party.

We wouldn’t visit the YWCA again, so I left Joyce most of the clothes that I had brought to Kenya to donate to the Y, as well as the items I bought for the Enlightened Support Group. Even though Joyce lives in the outskirts of Mombasa, she came with us downtown to help me with my last bit of shopping. I had told her the day before that I loved the dress she had on and wondered where to buy fabric. The only place she knew of was in a “locals only” market (i.e. too dangerous for foreigners), so I gave her $3000KSH to use her own discretion with what patters to buy.

To elaborate on the “dangerous for foreigners” part. Said parked in the alley near the store while Joyce shopped. I use the word “store” loosely. It was on a dirt side street straight out of a Christian Children’s Fund commercial. Actually the area was a thriving community of restaurants, shops and homes – just with tin roofs, tag board walls and no plumbing and, if any electricity, supplied by gasoline-powered generators. All of this floating in about one inch of dirty water and ankle deep trash. None of this is their fault; instead of paying to properly dump their waste at a landfill, many hotels and large businesses simply dump their trash for free in little shantytowns. Shame. (The constant dumping-in-communities issue was all over the local news – probably because it was nearing presidential elections.) After about 15 minutes, Joyce returned, with the perfect batch of fabric (I forgot what the Swahili word is for it.)

The other thing I was in town to shop for was a new converter to replace the one I broke. We looked all over town; however, it being Sunday, no one was open.

Notes:

* In the shops, nothing has an actual price. Everything is determined by bargaining. Joyce said, “I was speaking all the Swahili I know.”

* Yet another photo on the road and self-photo.

Photos:

In Joyce’s living room

Joyce’s husband and two of his friends

Joyce

Joyce’s 20-year-old daughter Evelyn

Delicious! I ate about half of that cake.

I’m wearing the skirt Joyce gave me

October 27, 2007

2007-11-19T12:32:00.001-08:00

When Jennifer spoke to Joyce, a YWCA director, to ask what we would be doing that day, she said we would be “meeting the people.” Since it was election season and the YWCA had had visits from foreign ambassadors, I dressed nicely. This would prove to be a mistake later.After picking up Joyce at the Y, we drove out to the Likoni Friends Church-Galana Project. Galana should be about a 2 hour drive from Mombasa – 1 hour on the freeway and 1 hour on dry riverbeds. The freeway drive was smooth. As we made the transition onto the riverbed we picked up two church members, and were followed to Galana by a taxi matatu. For about thirty minutes we thrashed about in the matatu driving through the rugged terrain. Then, a little less than halfway to the top, we got stuck in the mud. Enter my sartorial mistake: my skirt and wedges were not the best “push a four ton vehicle out of the mud” attire. Fortunately, the men in the matatu helped push us out. After about 20 minutes of pushing, we were free. About 10 minutes later, we were stuck again. This time we were free in about 15 minutes. Everyone except for Jennifer got back in, just before we had to speed through a shallow river. Jennifer was intrepid enough to cross it on foot, but rode the rest of the way up. The riverbed from there on was much smoother. When we arrived at the church, there were about a dozen chairs in the front. This was the only seating in the church – as the guests we were asked to sit, the 100 or so members of the congregation stood throughout the service – which lasted about an hour. The sermon was conducted in English (a courtesy us), but translated into Swahili. Jennifer, Mama E and I were invited up front to say a few words, and then the church collected offering. In this very impoverished area, everything was accepted as an offering, e.g. eggs. Joyce donated $1000 KSH (Kenyan Shillings, $65KSH = $1USD) to the church to buy a bench. Afterward, the church prepared food for us, which we politely declined (Joyce translated this for us. We didn’t because of food safety concerns, but she put this much more gently.) When the food was brought out for us, all of the church members left, I assumed to go on with their days, and only the senior church members stayed behind with us to eat.
When we went outside, the entire congregation was, in fact, standing patiently right outside the church. It turns out that the feast was for everyone, but the congregation was to eat after the clergy, and the children last.
As we prepared to leave Galana, Jennifer and Mama E talked to some of the church leaders and I took in the scenery. One thing I noticed was that there were no houses. Our first time getting stuck in the mud was directly in front of a house, and we passed a few on the way to the church. However, those were several miles away. When I mentioned that to one of the church staff members, Joyce (who had to translate) explained that Galana has no school or medical clinic, and that the people are scattered all over the country side, and no one close to anything. (I guess the American equivalent of Galana would be remote Alaska – only with better weather.)
We couldn’t stay long because the trip back was so long, and we had to err on the side of caution due to the treacherous roads. However, navigating the roads downhill proved easier than going uphill, and we got to the freeway uneventfully.
On the way back I made yet another stop at Nakumatt and bought a few things for the Enlightened Support Group.
We returned to the hotel so early I thought I’d go to the gym. That was until I realized it was as sanitary as your average latrine. Instead I went back to the room to download my photos off my camera. Unfortunately, when I tried to balance Jennifer’s converter (which weighed about two pounds) on the table so that it wouldn’t fall out of the socket, it – surprise – fell out the socket and broke. Jennifer needed the converter to juice her computer; she had missed a few of our outings studying for a course. Things did not bode well for the next couple days… (*cue horror music*)

Notes:
* What to support the Likoni Friends Church?
Mailing Address: Community of Matuga Self Reliant Christians, PO Box 96583, Mombasa, Kenya
Bank Account: Likoni Friends Church-Galana Project, A/C No. 1101147600, Bank of India Mombasa Branch
* One of the congregants was holding a shopping bag from the bookstore at Lakewood Church - Mama E’s home church. It turns out he had worked in Houston.
* Speaking of the weather, since we were south of the Equator, it was late spring. It was actually about 65-70°F the entire time with sporadic rainbursts and wind. Both times I’ve been to Africa (Dakar, Senegal, Feb 1998), I’ve been on the coast and spared and brutal heat.

Photos:

On the way to Galana

On the way to Galana. Self portrait.

Joyce on the way to Galana…

…and Mama E

The dry riverbed. In this blurry photo, you can’t appreciate how soft the clay looks.

A view of the Galana country side, about three minutes before…

…the first time we got stuck.

A view from the first jam.

Waiting for backup.

Getting free.

Mama E cheers us on.

Inside the Likoni Friends Church – Galana Project

The clergy. The man with his arm extended is holding the Lakewood bag.

Jennifer, Mama E and Joyce

The children’s choir

The dinner

Right after service

Joyce, me and Mama E with the congregation

The view from the top of Galana

A cattle farm in Galana. The smoke in the background is land being burned to create farms.

A church pastor, a church staff member, Mama E and me with church members.

October 26, 2007

2007-11-18T20:58:00.001-08:00

Today started slow and got...interesting. Said took Mama E and me to Nakumatt, where we bought our family T-shirts. Thinking my family would appreciate something a bit more authentic than a T-shirts (which, at least according to the tags, were made in Kenya. I’ve always found it funny buying souvenirs from Hawaii, Chicago or the French Quarter – all of which are made in China. I digress. And yes, punctuation police, I realize I’ve completely destroyed this sentence), I asked Said if there was a place where I could buy something that, unlike a T-shirt, could prove I had actually visited Kenya. He dropped me off at a market and told me to be out quickly. Here’s where things went awry. I walked in, saw nothing, and walked back out within two minutes, waiting for Said to pull up. And waited. And waited. And realized that we didn’t have a real plan. I figured he had to come back to where he dropped me off, but after 45 minutes or so, I happened to see a Whitesands matatu pull up at a bank. I hopped in and told the driver I was staying at Whitesands and asked him to bring me back. The driver, who obviously had friends at the hotel based on not only his inability to speak English but his barely grunting Swahili at the woman who actually hired him, finally relented when the woman insisted it was okay. (I offered to pay for the trip, she refused. I told her I’d tip the driver on her behalf even though he didn’t deserve it.) I got back to the room to find Jennifer on the phone with a hysterical Mama E. We all agreed not to split up again, then I headed to the YWCA for my AIDS presentation – a mere 2 hours late.

I knew I was supposed to be giving a talk on HIV/AIDS at the Y, but I didn’t know anything about who I would be speaking to. I learned it was the Enlightened Support Group – a support group for HIV positive mothers. I was a little disappointed that I was talking to a group that was HIV positive, since I was hoping that I could focus my talk on HIV prevention. Instead of giving a speech, I had a conversation with them, and here are a few things that I learned:

* Kenya requires all pregnant women get HIV tests
** Fortunately, one of the mothers was able to get a C–section because she found out her status during her pregnancy
** Another was not so fortunate, figuring out her status when her daughter became very sick.
* All HIV tests and drugs are free in Kenya
** Free ARVs don’t necessarily help everyone. Since many people are malnourished, they don’t take their medications because they need to be taken on a full stomach.
* Bottle feeding is acceptable
** I was curious because in some cultures bottle feeding is frowned upon
** The government does not supply free formula to mothers in Kenya. I bought formula at the Nakumatt afterward and it is very expensive.
* While domestic violence is illegal, men generally hold up the cases and they are very seldom prosecuted
* Desertion is common when wives reveal their HIV statuses to their husbands, but the village elders of one of the mothers forced him to take her back

I learned much more from the group than they taught me. Leah, their leader, is incredibly optimistic and driven, and determined to make the best world for herself and her sons. Her spirit is absolutely amazing. I was very inspired by all the mothers; the face that they were fearless about being open about their HIV positive status, and that they were not living as if they had been handed a death sentence. I gave them some seed money to open their own bank account so that they can do formal business. Since some of the women in the group are widows, they have dreams of starting businesses and finding other ways to support themselves.

After we left the Y we picked up BJ, who had spent the night at a convent down the road. We left just in time to miss the rain.

The night ended back at the hotel where it was soul food night. That’s right, American soul food. The banner above the buffet entrance read “Big Mama’s Kitchen.” Hilarity, once again, ensued.

Notes:
* Eating Tex-Mex and soul food in Kenya is like eating Chinese food in America – inauthentic, but good nonetheless.
* One way that Leah is planning to become self sufficient is by getting her counseling certificate. There is a scholarship trust set up in her name at:
Kenya Association of Professional Counsellors, Branch-Nkrumah, A/C NO. 1249742, Bank-Barclays Bank. Swiftcode-BARCKENX.

Photos:

With the Enlightened Support Group

Mama E with the Enlightened Support Group

With Leah, the group’s leader

Security outside the convent. Notice the broken glass on the top of the walls as added protection.

Said goes into the security gate

Sister Jennifer and BJ

The convent

The convent’s yard

The Indian Ocean

The courtyard. I’m not the best photographer.

BJ’s room. About $20USD/night including meals

BJ and the sisters in the convent’s kitchen

Amid the rundown buildings and beggars in downtown Mombasa, a billboard that reads, “I wish it was simpler to get a loan.” I found it ironic.

The ramp off the ferry dock. The grade so unforgiving I thought the undercarriage would rip out every time we got off the ferry.

The cargo dock

The ferry

I couldn’t get this mosque photo to embed properly.

October 25, 2007

2007-11-15T18:27:00.001-08:00

Before I left the YWCA the day before, I asked them what I could by for the orphanage to help. So we started the day at Nakumatt shopping. The shopping list they gave me consisted of soccer balls, books, olive oil, rice, salt, pepper, tea, sugar, flour, Blue Band (a brand of margarine), beans, maxi pads, aspirin, cooking oil, honey, toothbrushes, toothpaste, washing soap and body soap. Consequently, this shopping made us late to the Likoni YWCA.

We arrived at the Y to find the security gates closed and several armed guards in the courtyard. We learned that 2007 is a presidential election year, and Margaret had to meet with some political officials. After waiting about 30 minutes of waiting, Margaret took us to another YWCA site – the Africa Brotherhood Church in Lunga Lunga, a 3 hour drive from Mombasa.

We arrived and were introduced to two pastors (whose names I have now forgotten) and the congregation, few who spoke English, and a couple Muslims who were part of church projects. The main projects involved digging wells, because Lunga Lunga is a farming community but the area is quite dry. We didn’t spend much time in Lunga Lunga due to the long drive, which resulted in another very long day.

All three of my travel mates are Houstonians, and the hotel had Tex-Mex night for dinner. Hilarity ensued.

Notes:
* Looking for a Michael Vick jersey? There’s plenty to buy in Kenya!
* The Daily Show airs weekly on CNN International
* The 3 hour drive to Lunga Lunga was all on paved roads. I would learn to appreciate this later.
* We passed by several children in the streets on way there. That is because children are generally let out of school for lunch for 1 ½ to 2 hours.
* Also, like Spain and their siestas, most Kenyan stores are closed in the afternoon for lunch and afternoon call to prayer (for Muslims).
* I happened to notice when we went around the circle introducing ourselves in Lunga Lunga, those who came with babies and small children didn’t introduce their children.
* Support The Water Project

Photos:

Mama E, Margaret, Emily and the people of Lunga Lunga.

That’s Jennifer’s camera on the table. She didn’t make it to Lunga Lunga, so I filmed and shot.

The ABC pastor is in the bottom right corner.

Outside the Africa Brotherhood Church

The Lunga Lunga Countryside

The Water Tank

Mama E signs the guestbook

I follow.

Another ABC pastor on my left

Inside the ABC sanctuary

The woman in this photo was engrossed with my camera. I promised I’d put her photo in my blog.

Back in Likoni

October 24, 2007

2007-11-14T18:03:00.000-08:00

Today we started at the YWCA Malindi campus, and met Padilia, the campus leader. From there, we visited various organizations that the YWCA supports. The first was the Likoni AIDS orphanage. The orphanage was at its maximum capacity of 47 orphans, all were between 5-24 years of age. The orphanage relies entirely on donations, because the Kenyan government does not support orphanages. The orphanage also relies on the money and services of volunteers – one resident of the orphanage was a Spaniard who was staying there for three months, both volunteering and paying rent. The Kenyan government’s rationale of not supporting orphanages is that they are not healthy places for children to grow up in, because several dozen children are commanding attention of fewer than ten adults. Their solution? Encouraging (domestic) adoption. This “solution” is completely illogical because children end up in orphanages because no one in their families can take care of them – not only are their parents dead, but so are their aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. All potential adoptive parents are raising their own children, nieces, nephews, siblings, etc.

The next stop was the school. We arrived in what would be the equivalent of a 7^th grade class (the students were between the ages of 11-13). The students were all in uniform and being taught in English, a few of them were badly pockmarked – a sign they were HIV positive. We sat in the class and Margaret (a YWCA Likoni leader) introduced us in Swahili. All of us said a few words to the students, Mama E prayed over them, then it was time to move on and let them get back to their studies. On our way out we peeked into the adjacent classroom of non-uniformed 6-7 year olds being taught in Swahili.

Finally, we went to the Likoni YWCA. Here I chatted with Leah, who I was partnered with for my AIDS presentation. She’s and HIV positive widow with two sons, aged 10 and 14. I also had a lively conversation with Daniel, Purity, Emily and Wilson, a volunteer and employees of the YWCA respectively. Their passion was the lack of hope many young Kenyans face, and they had many ideas for solutions.

After we left the YWCA we went into town. I went shopping for a laptop power source (forgot it at home!) and Mama E went to the bank. The computer store was wwaayyyyyy to expensive, but the clerk let me leave the computer on their pack long enough to download my photos to my laptop. I hurried back to make sure that I didn’t keep Mama E waiting, because I forgot she was banking in a third world country. I could have stayed at the store long enough to juice the battery completely. I think Mama E was in the bank a full two hours (BTW, Said’s matatu had no air conditioning. Pleasant.)

When we got back to the hotel, BJ and I went for a walk on the beach. Unlike most beachside hotels, this was a public beach. Therefore instead of a peaceful walk, we were accosted by people trying to sell to us. I was rather humored by a teenager who insisted he knew everything about America, because he read The Source and XXL. He then asked me where 50 Cent lived. Hilarious. I also insisted that I wouldn’t buy his figurines because ebony and teak would be seized at Customs. I’m not sure if that’s true, but I wasn’t buying either way.

After Kenyan food night at the hotel, I turned in early again. We were in for another long day.

Notes:

*Would you like to support the Likoni AIDS Orphanage?

Contact: Rev. Ernest Omeva (Director)
Likoni AIDS Orphanage
PO Box 96333
Mombasa, Kenya

Email: laop_2001 at yahoo dot com

Mobile: 254 – 722694619

Bank Account: Barclays Bank of Kenya
PO Box 90184
Mombasa, Kenya
Swift Code Barckeny
For the credit of Laop Anzameo
Sponsorship Africa
A/C No. 16-8339658 Digo Road

Photos:

Mama E, BJ and Margaret at the orphanage school

Emily at the orphanage school

The posters in the background are about protecting the environment

With Padilia of the Malindi YWCA

Margaret and some Likoni YWCA footballers

October 23, 2007

2007-11-14T14:42:00.000-08:00

Today we got up at 6:30 am to make it out to the YWCA. Unfortunately, all I wrote in my diary was “off to YWCA” and now forgot what we did. Sorry.

Notes:
* On the ride we saw a “plastic Maasai,” kind of a “rhinestone cowboy.” The Maasai generally don’t leave the village, so non-Maasai dress up in their traditional clothing pretending to be them. The man we saw was about a foot shorter and fifty pounds heavier than a Maasai.

* Said mentioned that Tanzania is more favorable to its people since only Tanzanians can buy land – foreigners must rent it. Most of Kenya’s wealth is owned by foreigners.

Photos:

The Likoni Ferry

October 22, 2007

2007-11-13T18:39:00.000-08:00

During our stay in Mombasa, we stayed at the Whitesands Hotel which was right on the beach. All four of us were together for the buffet breakfast, but scattered throughout the day. As we left breakfast, we saw there was an all-day breast cancer survivor support group meeting at the hotel. Mama E, a breast cancer survivor, decided to spend the day there.

A hotel driver took the rest of us to Nakumatt, a Target-like chain store that sells groceries, electronics, toys, appliances, clothes and furniture. We returned in time for afternoon tea, and the hotel staff’s painful attempt at entertainment – a game of African Roulette. I couldn’t figure out the rules, but instead became interested in the camels on the beach. Had I gone down to the beach and taken a photo with the camel, I would have had to pay the guy, hence this pretending-to-take-a-picture-of-me-but-really-trying-to-photograph-the-camel shot.

Dinner was… interesting. The hotel band was entertaining, even though I didn’t care too much for the 60s American rock music they were playing. The lead singer’s dead-on Elvis impersonation got cheers from the audience. About halfway through dinner, a shouting match that practically came to blows broke out across the dining room. While the man was apparently avenging his insulted wife, I could only think of Jamie Foxx’s VMA comments (“we need to stop all this white-on-white crime”) while also worrying if he was armed. He eventually sat down and just glared at the man all night, and everyone else in the dining room cautiously watched him. Weird evening. Well, it ended early, I had a 6:30 am wakeup call tomorrow.

Notes:

* While I’m aware October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I was surprised at the ubiquity of pink ribbons and breast cancer summits in Kenya. Isn’t the HIV/AIDS pandemic a bigger issue?

* The California wildfires dominated all the coverage on CNN International.

* Channel surfing – Tyra on Dubai One with Arabic subtitles; One on One; Two and Half Men; last season’s Desperate Housewives, Rubi, a Spanish soap opera poorly dubbed in English.

* There were eco-friendly messages all over Nakumatt – reuse your bags, how to recycle, how to save water, etc.

More photos:

Mombasa City Housing

Outside the hotel

The driver who took us to Nakumatt

Jennifer in the matatu (minibus) on the way to Nakumatt

Posing with Nakumatt’s mascot

Nakumatt’s minimall

Mombasa countryside

October 21, 2007

2007-11-13T15:28:00.000-08:00

My flight path to Kenya: Seattle ->Amsterdam -> Nairobi -> Mombasa.
The first and longest leg of the trip was nice; Northwest Airlines finally decided to add on-demand movies and radio for its economy class passengers. I watched 1408, You Kill Me and Evan Almighty. Unfortunately, I had a terrible flight to Nairobi. It was nine hours long, and was the wall-facing no leg room seat. That seat is much worse than the no-recline one in the last row. The final leg of my flight, Nairobi to Mombasa, was just 45 minutes long. I was greeted in Mombasa by Said (sah-YEED), the driver who would take care of my group for the remainder of our stay in Mombasa. I left Seattle at 1:00 pm the 21^st, and arrived in Mombasa at 11:30 pm the 22^nd.

Notes:

* I’m glad I had enough cash on me – I didn’t know the visa price to enter Kenya was $50 USD

* Why do American airlines force parents to shell out $200+ for seats for babies? On the final two legs of my trip, the airlines had harnesses that belted the baby to the parent’s seatbelt. They were free and made of the same material as the airplane seatbelts.

* FYI – my travel companions (who I met up with in Mombasa) are close family friends Jennifer and her mother Mama E, and Mama E’s friend BJ.