News from Kenya - #17

Journal entry 17

Saturday May 1, 2010-10.00AM Days 34, 35

I find it had to believe it’s May already. My time is going quickly although some of the days seem to go slowly. I am feeling well. I had a brief repeat of the “running stomach” (diarrhea) but it seems to have stopped. I still have antibiotics to take if necessary so I’m OK.

Yesterday, Paul and I went walking around town looking to buy bicycles for two of the students, Emmanuel Onyango and Shadrack Ouko. They both walk a long distance to get to school (about 45 minutes to an hour). We checked several shops. The prices have gone up since the post election violence. We found a shop where we could get them for 55,000 KSh (about 70 dollars each). All the other shops we looked at were charging over 85 dollars each. Before the violence they cost about 50 dollars.

We purchased two of them. Paul arranged for the two boys to come to the bike shop and the bikes were fitted to them and they rode them home. They were very happy. I felt like we accomplished something and I hope they do not get stolen. We bought them good locks for the bikes.

Lillian Dajoh came about 6.30PM for a visit. We went over to RK Hotel for dinner. I had mashed potatoes and barbecued chicken and it almost tasted like home J. We had a nice visit and she is interested in being a Board member of FIOH-K. I hope that really happens. She has a lot of ambition and is well educated. Pat Hoen, one of our SSJ Associates, sponsored her. She is back in school again to obtain a more advanced degree as a Community health Worker. She is paying her own way as she has a job now. It does not pay a great deal but it is consistent money coming in.

After dinner I went back to the flat and relaxed and read Obama’s book – Dreams From My Father.

Saturday 7.00PM

We just returned from visiting the well in the area of Oboch. It was not built by FIOH-USA but needed major repair costing about $1000 in 2006 that we provided. It was about an hours ride to the well and the roads were pretty good. The well is right next to a school. It provides water for over 1000 people plus the primary school children. As so many other of the wells here, the pump is broken. They have all the parts except for the “foot valve” They have been using a bucket to draw the water and the top of the well has been open. They will clean it out before replacing the pump. Ruben is the contact person for the well. He plans to have the cost of the repairs estimated and get back to Rom.

We all had a nice visit there and I learned a little more about the D’Luo tribal customs. Ruben’s first-born son was building his “Simba”. The custom states that the first-born must build a house next to his parent’s home when he comes of age and before he marries. However, his son Paul is already married so they are straying from the tradition. They were in the midst of building the house while we were there so I got to watch them pack the mud around the wooden tree limbs that form the frame of the house. The rest of the custom demands that when the son marries, the house they built for him is destroyed and a new house is built for him and his wife. It is only after that happens that the first-born can leave his family homestead and establish a “home” of his own. Then the second house is also destroyed. It seems like a lot of work to build two houses and then knock them down. They are not built as permanent houses but a lot of work goes into them nevertheless. They are going to put cement over the mud and wood and put a cement floor in the house-only to destroy it very soon. The son must stay in the house for a certain period of time to fulfill the custom. I’m not sure how long. The custom is of long tradition and I’m trying to learn and respect their customs. Building the house is a bonding experience as people work together to make it. It only takes two days to complete. Then the mud must dry for two weeks before the cement is put over it. It has an iron roof. As I mentioned before this tradition takes place in their “home”. The home is really a homestead in a rural village. Ruben calls it his country place. The whole family lives and works in Kisumu now and they have a “house” in Kisumu. Everyone I talk to here in Kisumu has a “home” somewhere else in a rural area. That is where their roots are. Many of the traditions are falling by the wayside and in some cases that is a good thing for health reasons.

After seeing the well and taking photos and videos we went back to Ruben and his wife’s home and had a meal. She had prepared ugali from corn I saw her shuck and take off the cob. She then took it to a nearby Posho Mill to be ground and made a “loaf” of beautiful ugali. It was the best I’ve tasted. We also had lamb and kale. It tasted very good. The meat was not tough like it usually is.

We traveled back to the flat and it rained quite hard all the way home. Our driver seemed nervous and not used to driving in the rain. It cost 3,500 Ksh (46 dollars) for gas and to pay the driver. At least we finally got to see that well.

When we got back to the flat I got a text message from Brian, my connection in Nairobi who is lending me a cord for my computer so I can charge it and start using it again. He said he sent is with a woman named Debra and it was in the open-air market. I called Debra and Rom Paul and I walked the mile to the place to get the cord.

Alleluia, it worked and I am typing this on my own computer. Yeah! I will return it to him when I fly into Nairobi on my way home. He said he could meet me at the airport. I am looking forward to meeting him.

Tomorrow we plan to go to the village of Seme to see their well and the new Posho Mill that we funded. I hope Rom will drive the car as the driver today, George, seemed nervous and it is expensive to pay him. Rom is feeling much better. I hope it continues.

Cecelia is coming in a little while to share her house hunting experiences and will stay overnight again. She is enjoyable company but I feel so bad for her situation.

Sunday 10.45AM

Cecelia and I talked for quite a while last night. She has not had any luck finding a suitable house or shop that she could afford on an ongoing basis. She is discouraged. I hope she can keep her spirits up. She thinks she will not have much success having a hairdressing shop unless she can buy a hair dryer for people to sit under. They cost about 15,000KSh (about 200 dollars). I have promised to give her about 320 dollars total and that would not allow for purchasing a hair dryer. I have a blow dryer I will give her but she said that wouldn’t work for after applying the chemicals or color to the hair. She also was hoping for help with her two children Eugene age 7 and Virgine age 4. She very hesitantly asked me about it last evening. I had to tell her I could only give her the $320 dollars (unless someone reading this is moved to assist).

We are supposed to go to Seme today but Paul just came in. He talked to them and they said it rained all night and the roads are not passable. They will call again after 1.00PM to see I they have dried out enough to get through.

So goes life in Kisumu.

End of Journal 17