Nairobi

Nairobi. I have a love/hate relationship with Nairobi. Riding a bicycle here is harrowing, but a 20 minute bike ride to Eastleigh in contrast can take 1 1/2 hours on a matatu (bus) because of congestion. I can ride through Westlands with its spacious homes, shaped shrubbery, and blooming flowers, or to Pimani, Eastleigh, Kibera, or Githerai where barely a tree or patch of green exists and the only color is the occasional bright Kanga worn by Kenyan women.

Space is at a premium in Nairobi.  There are rich neighborhoods such as Karen, where one family can share a huge house with outbuildings, horse barns, and colorful gardens. However, almost everyone I met lived in a room just big enough to put a bed, a table, and a chair. Even these items were so crowded that one could not actually walk through the room. More like scoot or slide within the 6 inch space between the furniture. In most instances, 2 or 3 people shared that small flat.

Nairobi is home of the Arts and talented Kenyans gather here to show off their skills. Within a 10 minute walk from the Central YMCA where I stay, are Alliance Francais, the Kenyan National Theater, and the Goethe Institute. Every week there are plays, dance performances, or free movies. My favorite is Alliance Francais, which has never dissapointed me. In July, I attended two comedies which were so funny that some of us were literally doubled over in laughter. Even more amazing was that one of the plays was performed by students from USIU,a private university in the area.

In Githerai, I visted The Doves soccer team with their coach Chege. The boys who received the donated shoes from the U.S. wore them proudly. The team was in the process of looking for a new area to play in because they had complaints from the church near their former playing field. Too much noise they said. It wasn't even during church hours! One neighborhood teen was actually arrested for tresspassing by the police because a church member was on the police force. Chege and his "boys" never give up and continue to practice and compete with neighboring teams in whatever space they can find that can pass as a soccer field.

The Doves

Kim and Toto at the Central YMCA in Nairobi before they began Biking for Books.




Handmade furniture sold on the streets of Nairobi, Limuru Road

South Africa/Yasha/Street Kids

                 I don't even know where to start when I speak of Lydia and Wilco Venter, a South African couple who have adopted eight children from South Africa and Kenya. In spite of their family's objections, they went with their hearts and faith and jumped into the fire. The first several years in Kenya were the most difficult since they had almost no money. Their dream was to start schools in isolated areas and rescue orphans and street children. They have done all that and more. They have started six schools, but I will tell you a bit about the one in Njoro, where I visited. In Njoro, the original homestead of the Venters, there now stands Yasha Guest House and school. One thing about Kenya, there are baby classes and preschools all over the country. Quite impressive for a developing country. Check out the photos below of nap time (about 10 babies in one bed!). The school goes to fourth grade and includes an American curriculum, field trips, hot lunches and recess. The Guest House, which can still accommodate guests at a low price, also houses a new project for street boys. Right now, about six are bunked in one small room, but it is like the Hilton for them. Boys as young as 5 years old are on the streets of Nakuru (and all major cities), struggling to survive. Many of them sniff glue to lesson hunger pangs. Lydia and Wilco look for the ones who are younger and have a better chance at rehabilitation. Most of the kids they adopted were once abandoned or ran away from terrible home situations themselves. Below is a photo of boy named Sammy who Lydia met on the street. Sammy, 6 years old, walked /hitchhiked from Mombassa to Nakuru after his mom died. If she can find a sponsor, he will be the next one that Yasha Ministries will bring into their fold.

                                                                  Venter Family

Sammy, 6 year old street boy

If anyone is interested in volunteering at any of the schools, stay in the Guest House, or sponsor a child, feel free to contact Lydia at <lydiaventer09@gmail.com>

                               A volunteer group from England came to paint on of the classrooms.

After leaving Kipkelion, I cycled over a peaceful back road to a town called Mole. This was where much of the 2008 post election violence took place. The Norwegian Refugee Council, The Danish Refugee Council, and UNHCR all set up camp here to take care of the thousands of IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) who whose lives were disrupted during land disputes. According to the Norwegian Refugee Council, it was not just a simple tribal issue, but social standing and other things came into play. The NRC was building homes to replace those that had been burned down and to encourage people to come back to their shambas (farms) and work the land again.

After passing through Molo, it was an easy ride to Njoro, just 25 km south of Nakuru. In Njoro, I stayed with a family on the Egerton University campus. I met Chacha on the plane several years ago and we became friends. He is a renowned history professor there and travels all over the world (thus, the meeting on the airplane) giving lectures and going to conferences.This was the third time I stayed with his family. Two of his children were home and we spent the evening playing cards. I taught them Fish and Old Maid and they taught me a game called Colors. Egerton Universiy is unlike any I have ever seen. It is 3,000 acres (or was that 6,000?) They have farmland on which they grow several crops, a dairy farm, bio fuel plant, Model Organic Farm, Herbal Medicine Research facility, Montessori School, and even a herd of llamas.

                                                     Two farmers going to their shamba (farm)

I stopped at a small shamba on the way as I saw lots of women (some very old) walking with huge bundles on their backs. It was kidney bean harvesting time. Maharagwe is a common Kenyan staple food, along side sakuma wiki (collard greens) and ugali (thick porridge made from cornmeal) The men beat the dried bean stalks with huge sticks to release the beans from their pods. Once that is done, the women come with their rope and forehead strap and haul away the dried pods and leaves to feed their cows. As you can see from the photo below, I could not pick up this heavy load. How do the 70 year old women do it? They put me to shame!