we can beat them forever and ever

a bit of everything all mushed into a few paragraphs…

on our first day our exploring in nairobi, in particular around the kawangware slum, I showed mum the t-intersection where I was hit by the car in 2013. since then, if we’ve been past it she’s sighs, saying “oh victoria” like only a mother can and if she was catholic, i’m certain she’d do the whole sign of the cross thing too. it’s a very funny story now looking back and I am very lucky to be able to laugh about it but yes mum, I do agree I’d hate to be on the receiving end of that phone call also. 

one of the days on our safari in the maasai mara, we were encouraged to join in the welcome dance. nobody else wasn’t game enough to do something out of their comfort zone so I obviously put my hand up to join in. the higher a warrior jumps, it means the lesser number of cows he has to pay for his future wife. I am not the highest jumper, or the most graceful. dad was also offered 20 cows for me to marry the tribe chiefs son john (who was super cute, by the way), however I told him I’m worth at least 50. unfortunately he doesn’t have 50 cows – yet. 

one thing I never miss about nairobi is the smells. I certainly never miss the smell of shit in the air, or the smell when it’s rubbish day, the constant haze of smoke of people burning their rubbish on the side of the road, the body odour or when buses or matatus spit out thick black smoke right in your face as your walking. my lungs definitely appreciate going home to australia!. 

our safari driver thomas told us he affectionately refers to impalas as “money back”, because if you don’t get tired from seeing them on your safari, you need to get your money back. he also taught us a new phrase… “african massage”. it’s what he uses to describe the almost 6 hour drive from nairobi to masaai mara (dirt roads/pot holes, crumbling ashphalt, etc). I had such a giggle. he also took a big liking to me as I’d been in kenya before and can speak a little swahili. 

as I’ve written before, when I’m in kenya I wear a wedding ring. in past trips, it’s just been easier to say my husband is at home working or some other excuse as men can be quite relentless in their “flirting” (read: marriage proposals, mostly). however this trip, mum was called “mother in law” by most of the men working at the lodge on our safari, insinuating I was to marry one. because really, there aren’t many 26 year old “married women” who travel with their mother. (but even if I was married, I’d still come to kenya with you mum), one of the guys also told me that “you obviously belong in africa, therefore should marry an african man and I am 30 and you are 26 so this is good”. I can’t 😂 just the brazenness – is that a word?! – how good would life be if everyone just said what they were thinking, asked people out and didn’t beat around the bush? #thesimplelife

our last day at school was so much fun. popcorn and biscuits, sweets and lollipops, fanta and face masks. usually on a friday, sammy (one of the helpers) has music playing and the kids take it in turns to dance in groups. but considering our last day was wednesday and we were having a bit of a party, the dancing started at about 3pm and didn’t finish until at least 5:30pm. these kids have the best moves, so natural, unlike me! I can whip out the old awkward side step, maybe the microwave and the sprinkler, and that’s as adventurous as I can get. 

malaria still causes as many issues as it has, with numerous kids at school being treated for it over the past while, including little beth, evelyn’s youngest daughter named after my sister. malaria is a cruel disease which still kills an obscenely huge amount of people in sub-saharan africa each year. we have purchased a further 38 mosquito nets for the newest kids as well as for the remaining kids who hadn’t yet received one from donations from a friend in canada, kelsey. no more mos-kwee-toes (how it’s pronounced here!!). speaking of malaria, you should watch a film called martha and mary. 

apparently kenya is going plastic-bag free in august this year. thankgod, is all I can say because this city – as well as all in the countryside – is littered with plastic bags. so much so that they’re impacted into the earth and in some places actually look like the ground is growing plastic. can’t wait to (hopefully) see a difference the next time I’m here and also, find out what they will use instead. 

just a little note to all those who have sponsored a child with us… thankyou. I know we’ve said it before but I truly, swear to god, hand on my heart mean it. three weeks ago we arrived in kenya to arrive at school and see all our sponsored kids in their new uniforms. three weeks later, on our last day, a few came to pick up their siblings from little ray and it was so wonderful to see them so happy, smiling with their friends and dirt on their uniforms…. getting to be kids. it’s just fantastic, so thankyou!

many people have written on photos or sent messages saying how amazing it is what I’m doing/what mums doing. that’s very kind however we do next to nothing compared to the day in day out constant work that our staff do. teachers evelyn, rachel and harriet, as well as our cook agnetta, are the ones who do this everyday, every week, every month, during the year. it’s extremely humbling to be a part of and I feel like I am the lucky one. lucky that that almost four years ago, I came across this place and these kids, and then could share so many responsibilities with someone who has fallen in love as much as I have, anna. I admire her so so much for living here and seeing the kids every week. you can see just how much they love her – I wish I could stay for a long time again but it’s just not possible, yet. I was once told a quote by a very wise person: “the two most important days of your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why”… and I am certain that this place is my why. 

until next time, kenya. x

I’m a teardrop in an ocean of flames

our first day at little ray of hope was just like every other time I’ve been back.. full of laughter, smiles, singing, clapping and cheers. it was just the best day.

we walked up the dark stairs, then along this walk way on the 1st floor of the apartment building into the iron door you can see just there. that’s our school. two tiny rooms packed with 91 kids this year.  lots of tears when I saw evelyn, that she swept away from my face with her thumbs. then hugs for mum, these two women finally meeting was pretty special. then the roar of cheers from the kids as we enter the classes, many of the littlest ones I don’t know – it’s been two years since I last was here. but evelyn had organised for all our sponsored kids to have a day from school to come and spend the day with us – that was awesome. these are all little faces anna and I have been showing to you guys on facebook or instagram to get sponsored and here they are; dressed so smartly in their new uniforms, proud as punch to tell us that their new school is great. 

I know I only speak kidogo kiswahili (a little swahili), but lots of the most used phrases came rushing back as soon as I stepped into the classes. kaa chini (sit down), maliza (finish), nyamaza (silent), kula (eat)… the extent of my swahili to be honest. 

I remember that if you shout “1,2…” then the kids say “zip” and they’re quiet (mostly). I remember all the prayers they say before their porridge, before their lunch, and before any snacks we bring like yogurts or biscuits etc. 

“when I want to pray, I put my hands together, I close my eyes, I bow down my head, then I’m ready to pray. oh god, bless our ‘porridge’ in jesus’ name amen. thankyou god for this day, amen”

I guess maybe the best moment of this week has been seeing our last three boys who needed to be sponsored receive their uniforms and books, as they were all sponsored by a recent visitor to little ray of hope named robyn. anna and I have organised many children to be sponsored over the last 3.5 years, but I’ve never seen their faces when they get their uniforms or textbooks. evelyn asked the boys – basil, rooney and bruno – to go and try on their uniforms and mate, if you could’ve seen their faces; the sheer happiness and pride in putting them on. I can’t explain it, and I wish all of our kids sponsors (current and future) could just see the change in these boys the minute they put on their newest uniforms – it makes all of this worth it. for all of the kids. and then, seeing the reactions of their mums or their guardians; one of the guardians had tears seeing rooney dressed and couldn’t thank us enough. 

and it’s not even us they should be thanking – it’s all of you guys who have graciously decided to sponsor a child for their schooling. it may seem like a long commitment but these kids benefit so much from having a chance. with many street kids addicted to sniffing glue or petrol, we so badly want the best for these little ones. and the opportunity for anyone to come to nairobi and visit their sponsor child and the school isn’t out of reach – unlike something like world vision (not being rude, just saying it’s harder in massive organisations)

it’s been a big week though, between many tears and many smiles. it’s either exteme happiness or utter sadness; I’m not sure if I’ve found an emotion for in the middle, at least for when i’m in kenya. evelyn has organised that the kids who are malnourished get fresh fruit everyday, something that our money goes towards. the fruit man comes and delivers apples or oranges each day and there are 6 kids who stand and eat their fruit before going home. 

such a wonderful initiative that hopefully we can do for all the kids one day. 

so much writing, but that’s our first week. x

someone told me always say what’s on your mind

using this blog feels a bit funny this time over as I’m not so much traveling alone – which in itself is weird for me!! but I am lucky enough to have my mum experience kenya with me for 3 weeks; her first time, my third time. 

finishing night shift thursday morning then flying thursday night was a bit of a challenge. I know I’m a beast of a grumpy, impatient, intolerant human the day my nights finish so I honestly thought I’d be murdered by mum by the time it came to board our flight. yet I live to tell the tale; thanks mum 😘

saturday came along and I desperately wanted to get out and walk along all the old roads I used to walk every day – and to show them to mum. my family have lived in kenya vicariously through me all the weeks I’ve lived here and yet to show it to her in person is something else. from walking along naivasha road to ‘deliverance stage’ (stage is what they call informal bus stops) where all the matatu’s (small vans) congregate and the drivers yell out the window for you to get in “kibera, kibera, kibera, 30bob”, to walking up the dirt road to get to ‘green gates’ (our old host family’s home) passing by all the little shantys and stalls selling anything from shoes to electronic wires to bananas, to then cross the insanely busy ‘congo stage’ to walk to school. as much as you can explain a place to someone, you can’t ever imagine what it’s like until you see for yourself. I walked mum up to where little ray of hope is, but being a saturday no one was around. and then the best thing was being reunited with my amazing friend anna, over two years since I last saw her here in kenya and so so much has happened in those two years. so much happiness and such sadness. i’m so lucky to have her in my life and also to be at little ray much more often than I get to be. we went out for delicious ethiopian at habesha restaurant – I think we’ll be back a few more times before we leave!

sunday was super busy! between the david sheldrick elephant orphanage and the giraffe center which are both in karen (a wealthy suburb on the edge of the nairobi national park) then crossing town to check out two rivers, a new shopping mall which is apparently the largest in east africa, to heading home and collapsing into a delicious 500ml bottle of tusker beer!

how close we were to the babies when they left after being fed. one of these guys got confused and walked into the rope leading to me being pushed and covered in mud 😂

hunnay, dat your neck, it do like dat

 

it’s actually fun being a tourist here with mum; I have never really acted like one, I’ve acted like I lived here – because I did. it’s fun being moderately stampeded by a baby elephant who got stuck on the barrier rope and then wearing red mud for the rest of the day. it’s fun being in a city you know so much but yet your taxi driver sits and patiently explains so much about politics and poverty and generosity and different tribes. 

I don’t want to speak for mum but she has mentioned that the biggest shock is the blatant and obvious difference between those who suffer from poverty and those who don’t, and the small distance of less than a kilometre that separates them. alongside that, she’s surprised kenyans take such pride in their appearance and yet the streets/gutters are strewn with plastic bags, rubbish, food scraps etc. and I guess too, the surprise of a herd of cattle meandering the roads grazing or random goats bleating amongst the shops as there is little grass on the farms due to the current drought.

anyway, that’s just a bit of our first 2 days before we got to school. the next one will be all about our kids and our first days at little ray of hope. x