Kenya!

JUst reentering this after an hour uploading pictures then the poewr went off, adn all were lost! so here is the text, pics later....b

We are in Kenya now. The others have gone back to Seattle, I am at Joshua Machingas Common Ground program, and Terri is staying with Sister Freda (Nurse and clinic owner) about 20 minutes down the road, doing midwifery stuff and really being appreciated by them. Terri delivered her first baby yesterday, so she is in her element! I visited her a while Saturday while my family went to 7th day Adventist church . We had a wonderful tour of their farm and grounds, and saw a 1 day old lamb, along with an amazing sight of two guys above and below a scaffolding, sawing lumber from a log by hand with a crosscut saw!

Yesterday, I went to Manor House, the Ag college where Joshua learned organic farming, and saw their demonstration acreage, so I am getting a lot of farm exposure, which as you know, I love! It was started by Polly … the daughter of the founder of Intel, from Maine, who has lived here for 20 years managing and funding this great school.

The countryside here reminds me of the rolling farm hills around Lancaster PA, or south of Portland OR. There is very little forest or wilderness, since the Brits colonized the area and quickly realized this region was the most fertile in all of Kenya. It is the breadbasket for corn/maize and many other crops. Much of it is grown organically, but some larger operators use chemicals. Needless to say we have not seen any wildlife or tropical native trees, but hope to go to a park later to do so.

Also we have finished a cost spreadsheet for the water filter factory (the main reason I am here), and met a lot of people who could help Joshua make it happen, so I am satisfied with its feasibility and sustainablility. Only problem is there are now 3 yes 3 groups interested in building filter plants within 50 miles of each other! Of course there are also a million people within 50 miles of here who need clean water, so its not really a problem.
Earlier this week I went to a funeral… A little girl in the school here died of tb, malaria, and sicklecell anemia, age 7. I went at Joshuas invitation to the wake and saw this little girl in her casket, and spoke with J and her Dad, a teacher at another school. Avery sweet scene of how this very close community of a very collective culture rallies around the grieving family for two continuous days of singing, crying, dancing, eating, remembering and finally burying the little girl in their back yard.
So many other touching scenes and experiences, each one reminding me of the cultural uniquenesses here. For example on my cel phone I get a scripture every day from some anonymous source, alternating between the Koran and the Bible!

Two days ago we went to Kipsango, a slum for Turukanu refugees. Very heart-breaking and hopeless really, in that the families or orphans there are not recognized at all by the government because they are refugees from a war in northern Kenya 40 years ago, and now number 2000 people living in squalor and starving in the midst of the fairly prosperous town of Kitale. Sister Freda goes there every month and doles out medicine and tends to the seriously ill, of which there are many. We helped hand out loaves of bread, but there were way too many kids for the bread we had…
Stepping back from all this, its necessary to triage the many opportunities to find ones which could be helped by us or our funds, and really help the situation. I think Joshuas school and Fredas clinic are exemplary models of talented people making a real difference limited only by funds and volunteer support. So don’t be surprised when I get home if you hear from me to see if you would like to help in some way.
Sorry the blog has been so intermittent, but internet service is slow and hard ot find here since I don’t have an easy way to get around.
Home in 10 days, so probably no entries til then, and I promise, some pictures, infact many many pictures!
Best to you all,
Bill