One of my favorite books in high school was "Man's Search for Meaning." Victor Frankl writes, "Everything can be taken from a man but the last of the human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances."
Today was the last day of my Kenyan adventure! We woke up early to get one last game drive in before catching our flight back to Nairobi. The beautiful birds that I have been seeing are a piercing aqua color with lavendar streaks. They are called lilac breasted roller birds. Sadly, we saw a wounded wildebeast that was left behind from his pack. It looked like it was attacked by a crocodile when it was crossed the river. Sammy told us that it would most likely be eaten by hyenas by sundown. Although the wildebeests are not the most attractive animals, I felt badly to see him so injured. At the end of our morning drive, we saw one of the most amazing sights yet! First we spotted a male lion walking through the grass, then we saw his female counterpart. All of a sudden, there emerged two lion cubs from the brush. Being about 10 yards away, we could see how tiny they were (the size of a little puppy). Their mother and older sister were watching them closely. Then, the mother scouped up one cub by holding the cub by the nape of its neck in her mouth. She carried the cub to the den about 100 yards away while the other cub patiently waited for his mother to return. She then proceeded to carrying the other cub over also. This was an extremely rare sight to see. Our guide said this was only his second time in his life that he has ever witnessed the mother carrying her cubs. She licked the cubs clean once they were in their den while their father watched them nearby!
After flying from the middle of the Masai Mara back to Nairobi, we took a taxi back to Steve's apartment. We later went to the Giraffe Orphanage in Nairobi with Sisters Mary, Jane, and Sheila. Sister Jane is visiting from Texas, and Sister Sheila is from Ireland and has worked in Nairobi for many years. Julia and I went out to a delicious lunch at "The Veranda" in the county of Karen. Karen is named after Karen Blixen. Unfortunately, we did not have time to visit the Karen Blixen museum. Julia and I showered, packed, and ate dinner with the Walsh family before heading to the JKIA in Nairobi for our 11:25 pm flight. The entire National Kenyan Track and Field team was on our flight to Switzerland!
As I was on the flight home, I thought about bits and pieces of the trip. Many points stand out in my mind as INCREDIBLE. However, many of the more minor, simpler points are equally as important. These are a few of the lessons I have learned...
I have realized that it is important to emphasize what it is I am "doing" in the present rather than "getting it done." Your attitude is everything. It is necessary to control your attitude or it will certainly control you. No matter how busy I am, making time for others is always possible. Being kind to others overpowers being right. Kenyans have taught me the beauty of giving, sharing, hospitality, and generosity. Forgive everyone for everything, no exceptions. Gifts in Africa move because one gift keeps on giving (I was given a t-shirt that had been a gift to someone else and then the t-shirts I gave the students will probably end up being passed around too.) Stay away from being possessive and hasty. Understand that the people you care about grow and change but that does not mean changing the people you care about. Not everything needs to be planned in advance. Welcome the unexpected. In Kenya, food was always prepared for visitors as a sign of hospitality even if the visitors are not hungry. Enjoy the company of others since you will not always have your alone time. The closeness of spaces in mud huts in Kenya is hard to fathom if you have not seen it. Being stubborn is good in select circumstances -- if it is for something just or for your dreams. Naming in Africa is symbolic and gives individuals a position in the community. Treat the environment with the utmost respect. Try not to feel sorry for yourself because in the grand scheme of things you are probably in very good shape.
Wednesday, July 14th
"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page" - St. Augustine
This morning I woke up, had a cup of coffee, and was ready to go for the morning game drive by 6:30 am. Today, we saw many eye-opening sights. I have been asking our guide, Sammy, as many questions as possible about the animals. They are absolutely fascinating. I learned that elephants have a 60-70 year life span and grow 6-7 sets of molars! The topi and the elephants are the smartest animals we've seen. The buffalo, elephants, and hippos are the most dangerous. We saw a mongoose right before we drove to a deserted location to have "breakfast in the bush." As we climbed out of the mountain green Toyota, which was very similar to a Jeep Wrangler, to eat, I felt as if I needed to pinch myself to know that I was really here in the magnificent place. Words cannot adequately describe how amazing this place is. The morning drive included Sammy, Julia, Lana, Steve, and me. Lana is a language teacher from San Francisco and Steve is a water engineer from Ireland. They are here on their honeymoon!
Later on, a giraffe came 100 yards away from our tents! Giraffes stand so tall to digest their food. We saw the hippos basking in the sun. On our drive, a cheetah was looking to kill a gazelle as he was scouring through the Savannah grass looking to make his move. In the late afternoon, we drove to a Maasai village. At the village, we were greeted by the Maasai men who immediately pulled me and Steve aside to be their volunteers. We had to stand in a circle with them and took turns standing in the center, trying to jump as high as we could while they chanted and clapped. The strongest, supreme man in each village is the one who can jump the highest! Clearly, I did not have the same springs in my legs that they have in theirs! As you can guess, it was a hysterical sight to see. Then they look turns showing us their dances and placed a hat that is made our of lion fur on each of our heads. This hat is placed on whichever male kills the most cattle. Then we saw the inside of their one room homes that are made out of dirt, pebbles, and cow manure. Being 5'3, I was unable to stand up straight inside one of the houses. The women in their villages do a majority of the difficult work. While the men are out hunting, the women are in charge of caring for their children, building the homes, walking miles and miles to carry a 20 liter jug of water on their head (along with their baby on their back), and many other tasks.
On our drive back to the camp, we stopped at Paradise Plain! The best way to describe this is to think of the opening and ending scenes in the Lion King when the animals of every species gather together to peacefully coexist. I took a deep breath and thought, "WOW this is actually really happening right now." Today I received some words of wisdom from one of the other travelers. He told me that many doors are going to open in the near future. You can either walk through those doors or watch someone else walk right through them. I am grateful for the sake of learning on this trip. I am not going to declare myself an expert at anything that I have done. At times, I realized that I lacked experience and needed to be taken under the wing of someone who knew more than I did. Others took me under their wing, and I took others under my wing. With one more night left here, I have a million thoughts running through my head...I have learned so much here...I am excited to go home but how can I leave this place...When will I realistically be back...I promised the students and myself that I will do as much as I can to spread what I have learned to help them...I can't lose this hope once I go home
This morning I woke up, had a cup of coffee, and was ready to go for the morning game drive by 6:30 am. Today, we saw many eye-opening sights. I have been asking our guide, Sammy, as many questions as possible about the animals. They are absolutely fascinating. I learned that elephants have a 60-70 year life span and grow 6-7 sets of molars! The topi and the elephants are the smartest animals we've seen. The buffalo, elephants, and hippos are the most dangerous. We saw a mongoose right before we drove to a deserted location to have "breakfast in the bush." As we climbed out of the mountain green Toyota, which was very similar to a Jeep Wrangler, to eat, I felt as if I needed to pinch myself to know that I was really here in the magnificent place. Words cannot adequately describe how amazing this place is. The morning drive included Sammy, Julia, Lana, Steve, and me. Lana is a language teacher from San Francisco and Steve is a water engineer from Ireland. They are here on their honeymoon!
Later on, a giraffe came 100 yards away from our tents! Giraffes stand so tall to digest their food. We saw the hippos basking in the sun. On our drive, a cheetah was looking to kill a gazelle as he was scouring through the Savannah grass looking to make his move. In the late afternoon, we drove to a Maasai village. At the village, we were greeted by the Maasai men who immediately pulled me and Steve aside to be their volunteers. We had to stand in a circle with them and took turns standing in the center, trying to jump as high as we could while they chanted and clapped. The strongest, supreme man in each village is the one who can jump the highest! Clearly, I did not have the same springs in my legs that they have in theirs! As you can guess, it was a hysterical sight to see. Then they look turns showing us their dances and placed a hat that is made our of lion fur on each of our heads. This hat is placed on whichever male kills the most cattle. Then we saw the inside of their one room homes that are made out of dirt, pebbles, and cow manure. Being 5'3, I was unable to stand up straight inside one of the houses. The women in their villages do a majority of the difficult work. While the men are out hunting, the women are in charge of caring for their children, building the homes, walking miles and miles to carry a 20 liter jug of water on their head (along with their baby on their back), and many other tasks.
On our drive back to the camp, we stopped at Paradise Plain! The best way to describe this is to think of the opening and ending scenes in the Lion King when the animals of every species gather together to peacefully coexist. I took a deep breath and thought, "WOW this is actually really happening right now." Today I received some words of wisdom from one of the other travelers. He told me that many doors are going to open in the near future. You can either walk through those doors or watch someone else walk right through them. I am grateful for the sake of learning on this trip. I am not going to declare myself an expert at anything that I have done. At times, I realized that I lacked experience and needed to be taken under the wing of someone who knew more than I did. Others took me under their wing, and I took others under my wing. With one more night left here, I have a million thoughts running through my head...I have learned so much here...I am excited to go home but how can I leave this place...When will I realistically be back...I promised the students and myself that I will do as much as I can to spread what I have learned to help them...I can't lose this hope once I go home
Tuesday, July 13th -- Nachesa = "Fun"
This morning I woke up to the noise of the hippos moaning! It was pretty evident that it was not a person making this noise. I drank a cup of tea at 6:00 am when I woke up for the morning drive.
I finished the book "Unbowed" today. Wangari Maathai writes about the choice we all have, "We can either sit in an ivory tower wondering how so many people could be so poor and not work to change their situation, or we can try to help them escape the vicious cycle they have found themselves in."
Some of the highlights of today included seeing a train of 9 elephants traveling in a line in perfect rhythm. They were positioned with an adult elephant in between each of the babies and teenage elephants. We saw a bunch of topi which are a type of antelope. Although we saw many of them, they are regionally extinct in a few countries. Like the previous day, we saw many wildebeest. They were traveling in a herd as far as the eye could see. Each of them seemed to be keeping track of the others. However, one of them was hurt from what looked to be a crocodile bite and was left behind. Sammy, our guide, told us that it would be eaten by a hyena before the day was over. Sadly, this is how the circle of life occurs. The younger ones long black, bristles whipped back at forth as they galloped to keep up. We also saw four babboons together. Two of them were babies that were contently sitting in adults laps. Today I was able to really see how all of the animals in the kingdom know their role and peacefully coexist for the most part. The entire time I felt like I was watching many of the animals in pairs just as with Noah's Ark. Back at our camp, we walked down to the river with two of the Maasai guards, James and Solya. We saw a crocodile on the river and an elephant that was about 200 yards away from our camp!
During lunch, I got to know some of the other travelers at our camp. Author Dale Peterson and photographer Karl Ammann are writing and taking pictures for their next book about giraffes. Dale has written 16 books about different animals in the wildlife and was very interesting to talk to. He told me that my major of Finance will support me monetarily for the rest of my life but my minor in Writing is what will make me human.
After lunch, we took a break and then went out for a spectacular afternoon drive. We saw two male lions that were sleeping. The animals that are breathing heavily, almost as if they are panting, while they are sleeping have just eaten. We saw impala, ostriches, and a cheetah. The male impala have bigger horns than the females. The male ostrichs are black and white while the females are gray. Needless to say, today was filled with "nachesa" times.
I finished the book "Unbowed" today. Wangari Maathai writes about the choice we all have, "We can either sit in an ivory tower wondering how so many people could be so poor and not work to change their situation, or we can try to help them escape the vicious cycle they have found themselves in."
Some of the highlights of today included seeing a train of 9 elephants traveling in a line in perfect rhythm. They were positioned with an adult elephant in between each of the babies and teenage elephants. We saw a bunch of topi which are a type of antelope. Although we saw many of them, they are regionally extinct in a few countries. Like the previous day, we saw many wildebeest. They were traveling in a herd as far as the eye could see. Each of them seemed to be keeping track of the others. However, one of them was hurt from what looked to be a crocodile bite and was left behind. Sammy, our guide, told us that it would be eaten by a hyena before the day was over. Sadly, this is how the circle of life occurs. The younger ones long black, bristles whipped back at forth as they galloped to keep up. We also saw four babboons together. Two of them were babies that were contently sitting in adults laps. Today I was able to really see how all of the animals in the kingdom know their role and peacefully coexist for the most part. The entire time I felt like I was watching many of the animals in pairs just as with Noah's Ark. Back at our camp, we walked down to the river with two of the Maasai guards, James and Solya. We saw a crocodile on the river and an elephant that was about 200 yards away from our camp!
During lunch, I got to know some of the other travelers at our camp. Author Dale Peterson and photographer Karl Ammann are writing and taking pictures for their next book about giraffes. Dale has written 16 books about different animals in the wildlife and was very interesting to talk to. He told me that my major of Finance will support me monetarily for the rest of my life but my minor in Writing is what will make me human.
After lunch, we took a break and then went out for a spectacular afternoon drive. We saw two male lions that were sleeping. The animals that are breathing heavily, almost as if they are panting, while they are sleeping have just eaten. We saw impala, ostriches, and a cheetah. The male impala have bigger horns than the females. The male ostrichs are black and white while the females are gray. Needless to say, today was filled with "nachesa" times.
Monday, July 12th -- Into the Wild
One book that I read this past year is called "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer. His main character Christopher McCandless graduated from Emory University and cashes in his savings as he flees from his comfortable home and town to hitchhike to Alaska. McCandless said, "So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more dangerous to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun."
Today Julia and I left Nairobi to travel to the Masai Mara for our safari. We woke up at Steve's apartment, ate a delicious breakfast of eggs, toast, and a mango. We were picked up by a taxi at 8:00 am to take us to Wilson Airport. We met a few interesting people who were on different mission trips and were going on a short safari before coming home. We flew on the Safari Link line on a small plane that said across the side, "Your wings to the wild!" After a shaky flight, we landed in the middle of nowhere. Looking out the window the entire time was not the best idea for my stomach even though I have never gotten motion sickness I was on the verge of it happening for the first time. Thankfully, I was fine with some fresh air! I could not believe my eyes as I stepped off the plane into a field of dirt and tall, straw savannah grass. Forest green Jeeps were lined up with guides waiting to greet their guests. Sammy, our guide, is from the Maasai tribe. He was covered with beautiful, colorful jewelry and a red kanga.
On our 30 minute drive to our camp, we saw SO much wildlife. At the gorgeous camp of luxury tents, we met the rest of the staff and the other travelers. After being part of the mission work in Kenya and completely immersed with the culture, I now feel like I am a complete tourist on the safari. We ate lunch in the main tent and unpacked. We went for a drive that evening from 3:30 pm - 7:00 pm. Some of the highlights from today included seeing: a buffalo drinking at the river, zebras, giraffes, elephants, hyenas, and exotic birds. We spotted a leopard, which is very rare to see, eating a wildebeast. Leopards eat 3/4 of their prey before carrying the remainder of their prey up a tree. Cheetahs cannot climb, and they look like they have brown tears coming out of their eyes. We saw parts of the wildebeast migration! We saw a female lion lounging with her four cubs all sleeping on to of each other in a pile. We also spotted a train of elephants, each baby was following their mother. From our tent, I heard hippos grunting as I went to sleep and woke up. Each of our tents has a Masaai guard who carries a spear!
I am surrounded by the grace, strength, and beauty of nature. Being in the region where civilization was born and with people from around the world is wonderful. The captivating place I am in makes it unquestionable to doubt the presence of God. This is the ideal was to unwind and reflect of the past 5 weeks. I need to really think about and process all that I have done and learned and figure out how I will adapt my life in certain ways when I arrive back home. I keep thinking how important it is to "trust in the truth" as a source of guidance. This beautiful place and increible animals are pieces of reality that so many people do not get to experience or even value because they are so far removed from most societies. It is crucial to value their importance even if you're not personally seeing them. Already on the safari, I feel like I am Karen Blixen from "Out of Africa" in this majestic place. It has made me think that working for National Geographic or the Discovery Channel must be incredible. The other travelers are our camp are great. One family from London is here with their two daughters. One of their daughters is teaching for 2 years at a school in Rwanda so they are here for a visit.
Today Julia and I left Nairobi to travel to the Masai Mara for our safari. We woke up at Steve's apartment, ate a delicious breakfast of eggs, toast, and a mango. We were picked up by a taxi at 8:00 am to take us to Wilson Airport. We met a few interesting people who were on different mission trips and were going on a short safari before coming home. We flew on the Safari Link line on a small plane that said across the side, "Your wings to the wild!" After a shaky flight, we landed in the middle of nowhere. Looking out the window the entire time was not the best idea for my stomach even though I have never gotten motion sickness I was on the verge of it happening for the first time. Thankfully, I was fine with some fresh air! I could not believe my eyes as I stepped off the plane into a field of dirt and tall, straw savannah grass. Forest green Jeeps were lined up with guides waiting to greet their guests. Sammy, our guide, is from the Maasai tribe. He was covered with beautiful, colorful jewelry and a red kanga.
On our 30 minute drive to our camp, we saw SO much wildlife. At the gorgeous camp of luxury tents, we met the rest of the staff and the other travelers. After being part of the mission work in Kenya and completely immersed with the culture, I now feel like I am a complete tourist on the safari. We ate lunch in the main tent and unpacked. We went for a drive that evening from 3:30 pm - 7:00 pm. Some of the highlights from today included seeing: a buffalo drinking at the river, zebras, giraffes, elephants, hyenas, and exotic birds. We spotted a leopard, which is very rare to see, eating a wildebeast. Leopards eat 3/4 of their prey before carrying the remainder of their prey up a tree. Cheetahs cannot climb, and they look like they have brown tears coming out of their eyes. We saw parts of the wildebeast migration! We saw a female lion lounging with her four cubs all sleeping on to of each other in a pile. We also spotted a train of elephants, each baby was following their mother. From our tent, I heard hippos grunting as I went to sleep and woke up. Each of our tents has a Masaai guard who carries a spear!
I am surrounded by the grace, strength, and beauty of nature. Being in the region where civilization was born and with people from around the world is wonderful. The captivating place I am in makes it unquestionable to doubt the presence of God. This is the ideal was to unwind and reflect of the past 5 weeks. I need to really think about and process all that I have done and learned and figure out how I will adapt my life in certain ways when I arrive back home. I keep thinking how important it is to "trust in the truth" as a source of guidance. This beautiful place and increible animals are pieces of reality that so many people do not get to experience or even value because they are so far removed from most societies. It is crucial to value their importance even if you're not personally seeing them. Already on the safari, I feel like I am Karen Blixen from "Out of Africa" in this majestic place. It has made me think that working for National Geographic or the Discovery Channel must be incredible. The other travelers are our camp are great. One family from London is here with their two daughters. One of their daughters is teaching for 2 years at a school in Rwanda so they are here for a visit.
Sunday, July 11th - Kwaheri Kisumu, Jambo Africa
"What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything. It will decide what gets you out of bed in the mornings, what you do with your evenings, how you spend your weekends, what you read, who you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you. Fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything" - Pedro Arrupe
If it wasn't for the last minute, nothing (or at least not everything) would get done. This morning I woke up at 4:45 am to finish packing, eat breakfast, return items back to the main house, and say goodbye to the rest of the students. Father Stephen drove us to the small airport in Kisumu on his way to say mass at Maseno University. I feel like I was just at the Kisumu Airport for landing and should not be here already for departure. It is difficult not knowing exactly when I will be back next and if all of the people I have met will be here too when I do return one day. While waiting for our plane to arrive, I feel confident that I have changed as a person since I arrived in Kenya four weeks ago.
We flew an hour to Nairobi at which point we took a taxi to Steve Walsh's home. Steve is a PC alumnus from the Class of '89 who works for CRS and lives with his family (Eunice, Malachai, and Martina) in Nairobi. He graciously invited Julia and me to stay with him for the night in Nairobi. We went to a local restaurant called "The Garden" to eat nyama choma which is grilled meat. The outdoor restaurant had a trampoline to entertain many of the younger children! We had chicken, goat, secuma, ugali, tomatoes and onions. Delicious! We ate with just our fingers which is traditional. The waiters came around with soap and a basin of water both before and after eating. We talked with Steve and Eunice about many interesting topics ranging from life in Kenya, to Providence College, to advice for future careers. It was so nice to finally meet Steve after corresponding with him for the past 7 months. After growing up in Massachusetts and graduating from PC, he joined the Peace Corps and worked in various spots in Africa. He began working for Catholic Relief Services after the Peace Corps. He is working on the Great Lakes Cassava Initiative project that is funded by Bill and Melinda Gates. CRS is working to decrease the number of diseases that harm the cassava plants and help farmers plant cassava that contains certain genes that are disease resistant. Cassava is an integral crop to the daily diet of Kenyans. Eunice is from Tanzania. She used to study fashion design but now works for an IT company.
Steve brought us to the nearby market after lunch to look at some of the well known leather, jewelry, and glass shops. We went to a small art gallery that featured many modern, local African pieces. Once we arrived back at his apartment, he made us a pot of coffee in a beautiful tea set. I love the coffee here!! The coffee we drank is from Rwanda. I plan on bringing some of the "Doorman's Coffee" (the best brand here) home with me. For dinner, we had salad, peppers, goat cheese, pineapple, and chappatti with his family. The four of them are an awesome family. What an amazing connection we made of PC Friars uniting together and learning from each other on the other side of the world! As large as the world is, sometimes I cannot believe how small it really is. Truly amazing. After dinner, I read a few bed time stories to Martina who is 3. She read one book in Kiswahili, I read one in English, and Julia read one in French. Malachai, who is 10, goes to a French speaking school. The children are culturally immersed by knowing different languages. Malachai, Steve, Julia, and I went to the French Cultural Center in Nairobi to watch the World Cup Game at 9:30 pm since there was a large screen set up outside. It was exciting being in Africa during the World Cup and especially during this last game. The audience was split with fans cheering for the Netherlands and fans cheering for Spain. My thoughts and prayers are for the victims of the bombings in Uganda that happened during the 90th minute of the game. It was such terrible news to hear. Luckily, I was able to call home at a reasonable hour to wish my Dad a very Happy Birthday :)
If it wasn't for the last minute, nothing (or at least not everything) would get done. This morning I woke up at 4:45 am to finish packing, eat breakfast, return items back to the main house, and say goodbye to the rest of the students. Father Stephen drove us to the small airport in Kisumu on his way to say mass at Maseno University. I feel like I was just at the Kisumu Airport for landing and should not be here already for departure. It is difficult not knowing exactly when I will be back next and if all of the people I have met will be here too when I do return one day. While waiting for our plane to arrive, I feel confident that I have changed as a person since I arrived in Kenya four weeks ago.
We flew an hour to Nairobi at which point we took a taxi to Steve Walsh's home. Steve is a PC alumnus from the Class of '89 who works for CRS and lives with his family (Eunice, Malachai, and Martina) in Nairobi. He graciously invited Julia and me to stay with him for the night in Nairobi. We went to a local restaurant called "The Garden" to eat nyama choma which is grilled meat. The outdoor restaurant had a trampoline to entertain many of the younger children! We had chicken, goat, secuma, ugali, tomatoes and onions. Delicious! We ate with just our fingers which is traditional. The waiters came around with soap and a basin of water both before and after eating. We talked with Steve and Eunice about many interesting topics ranging from life in Kenya, to Providence College, to advice for future careers. It was so nice to finally meet Steve after corresponding with him for the past 7 months. After growing up in Massachusetts and graduating from PC, he joined the Peace Corps and worked in various spots in Africa. He began working for Catholic Relief Services after the Peace Corps. He is working on the Great Lakes Cassava Initiative project that is funded by Bill and Melinda Gates. CRS is working to decrease the number of diseases that harm the cassava plants and help farmers plant cassava that contains certain genes that are disease resistant. Cassava is an integral crop to the daily diet of Kenyans. Eunice is from Tanzania. She used to study fashion design but now works for an IT company.
Steve brought us to the nearby market after lunch to look at some of the well known leather, jewelry, and glass shops. We went to a small art gallery that featured many modern, local African pieces. Once we arrived back at his apartment, he made us a pot of coffee in a beautiful tea set. I love the coffee here!! The coffee we drank is from Rwanda. I plan on bringing some of the "Doorman's Coffee" (the best brand here) home with me. For dinner, we had salad, peppers, goat cheese, pineapple, and chappatti with his family. The four of them are an awesome family. What an amazing connection we made of PC Friars uniting together and learning from each other on the other side of the world! As large as the world is, sometimes I cannot believe how small it really is. Truly amazing. After dinner, I read a few bed time stories to Martina who is 3. She read one book in Kiswahili, I read one in English, and Julia read one in French. Malachai, who is 10, goes to a French speaking school. The children are culturally immersed by knowing different languages. Malachai, Steve, Julia, and I went to the French Cultural Center in Nairobi to watch the World Cup Game at 9:30 pm since there was a large screen set up outside. It was exciting being in Africa during the World Cup and especially during this last game. The audience was split with fans cheering for the Netherlands and fans cheering for Spain. My thoughts and prayers are for the victims of the bombings in Uganda that happened during the 90th minute of the game. It was such terrible news to hear. Luckily, I was able to call home at a reasonable hour to wish my Dad a very Happy Birthday :)
Saturday, July 10th -- Friendship Day
This morning we went to school at 7:45 am after being up until the wee hours of the morning making mandazi by candlelight. We went to school to practice with the liturgical dancers before 9:15 am mass. Today the students were scheduled to spend the day with members from the Dominican Laity who are active in the community. The entire school (faculty, staff, administration, and students) collaborated together all week to plan a very special farewell mass for Julia and me. The theme of today was “friendship.” In Kiswahili, “rafiki” means friend and “wasasi” means family.
At mass, Father Martin spoke very fondly and openly about Wycliff. He was very up front with the students and explained to them how he died. He emphasized the importance of the truth so that they are not left wondering. Father Martin and Sister Mary talked about how much more difficult it is to deal with death if you lack faith. Father spoke about how real friends undergo suffering together whether it is over great distances geographically or between one life and the next. He gave one of the best homilies I have ever heard. One African proverb states: "Death is an occasion for seeking more life."
Julia and I danced with the liturgical dancers who are typically some of the older girls but even some of the older boys participated after learning the dances this week. Everyone was singing louder than ever today – whistling, hollering, and hooting during the songs and dances. I read the first reading which was about being prepared to respond to God’s call. The prayer of Thanksgiving was offered up to the both of us. We were given special turquoise kangas to wear with the other dancers. There were speeches given by the head boy, head girl, Mr. Okofe, Sister Mary, and Father Martin all thanking us for our presence at OLG. Julia and I sat in the front of the dining hall at this point and both of us could not help from crying. All of the speeches were so meaningful and heartfelt. The time and energy that went into this mass was truly a labor of love. Everyone sang the Dominican blessing together.
The sisters gave us a carving of a giraffe to place on our desks at school. Sister Mary encouraged us to realize the importance of the giraffe's symbolism. She looked at us in the eyes and said to use the strong legs that giraffes have to kick hard when we need to for what is important. Also, to promise that we will stick our neck out for others who need it most and for justice, peace, and the truth. We were given a hand woven tunic with the map of Africa on it also for when we ambassadors for Our Lady of Grace at PC. Even though there will be many, many miles between the wasasi and rafikis I have in Kenya, we are all connected by the relationships we have formed. Today I felt like my heart was overflowing. We were dared in the beginning of our trip to “let the Dominicans get under our skin.” We definitely have allowed ourselves to be fully immersed.
Later on, we showed the children the movie and handed out our 400, yes 400, mandazi (with powdered sugar on top)! It was a big hit! We finally sadly said goodbye to everyone and promised that we will come back as soon as we can. I gave away some of my PC t-shirts. Penina, one of the girls I have grown close to, burst out crying and said this was the best gift she has ever received. We went to every dormitory door to hug the students goodbye before they went to sleep. One lesson I am learning more and more is to “trust in the truth.” I cannot believe that I am leaving Kisumu tomorrow. Today was physically and mentally exhausting. Its difficult for me to grasp the reality of this right now but I know it will all make sense soon. Most of all, I am grateful that I have become so bonded with everyone here that it is so difficult to say goodbye or see you later.
At mass, Father Martin spoke very fondly and openly about Wycliff. He was very up front with the students and explained to them how he died. He emphasized the importance of the truth so that they are not left wondering. Father Martin and Sister Mary talked about how much more difficult it is to deal with death if you lack faith. Father spoke about how real friends undergo suffering together whether it is over great distances geographically or between one life and the next. He gave one of the best homilies I have ever heard. One African proverb states: "Death is an occasion for seeking more life."
Julia and I danced with the liturgical dancers who are typically some of the older girls but even some of the older boys participated after learning the dances this week. Everyone was singing louder than ever today – whistling, hollering, and hooting during the songs and dances. I read the first reading which was about being prepared to respond to God’s call. The prayer of Thanksgiving was offered up to the both of us. We were given special turquoise kangas to wear with the other dancers. There were speeches given by the head boy, head girl, Mr. Okofe, Sister Mary, and Father Martin all thanking us for our presence at OLG. Julia and I sat in the front of the dining hall at this point and both of us could not help from crying. All of the speeches were so meaningful and heartfelt. The time and energy that went into this mass was truly a labor of love. Everyone sang the Dominican blessing together.
The sisters gave us a carving of a giraffe to place on our desks at school. Sister Mary encouraged us to realize the importance of the giraffe's symbolism. She looked at us in the eyes and said to use the strong legs that giraffes have to kick hard when we need to for what is important. Also, to promise that we will stick our neck out for others who need it most and for justice, peace, and the truth. We were given a hand woven tunic with the map of Africa on it also for when we ambassadors for Our Lady of Grace at PC. Even though there will be many, many miles between the wasasi and rafikis I have in Kenya, we are all connected by the relationships we have formed. Today I felt like my heart was overflowing. We were dared in the beginning of our trip to “let the Dominicans get under our skin.” We definitely have allowed ourselves to be fully immersed.
Later on, we showed the children the movie and handed out our 400, yes 400, mandazi (with powdered sugar on top)! It was a big hit! We finally sadly said goodbye to everyone and promised that we will come back as soon as we can. I gave away some of my PC t-shirts. Penina, one of the girls I have grown close to, burst out crying and said this was the best gift she has ever received. We went to every dormitory door to hug the students goodbye before they went to sleep. One lesson I am learning more and more is to “trust in the truth.” I cannot believe that I am leaving Kisumu tomorrow. Today was physically and mentally exhausting. Its difficult for me to grasp the reality of this right now but I know it will all make sense soon. Most of all, I am grateful that I have become so bonded with everyone here that it is so difficult to say goodbye or see you later.
Friday, July 9th -- May Angels Lead You In
This morning Julia and I went to 7:15 am mass. We then taught Godfrey, one of the novices from Uganda, how to make french toast so he can make it for the community once we leave. Once at school, we went into town to convert some more money.
After being in town, Sister Mary, Julius, Father Martin drove to see Wycliff. Once they arrived at his grandmother's home, they knew that he wasn't going to make it much longer. He has struggled so much through his disease and his body was at the point that it did not have any bone marrow cells left. A little before 4:00 pm, Father Martin called Sister Remea to tell her that he was fading quickly. She gathered every student into the dining hall to pray together. Everyone packed themselves into the room and prayed in solidarity for their very good friend. While everyone (students, faculty, and administration) was still praying the rosary, Father Martin called back to let Sister know that he had died. Everyone felt this pain together. It was almost as if he was waiting until his friends were together and could send him to heaven in prayer. Father and Sister were with him when he died and were able to bring him the Eucharist to hold in his hands. I, who was really upset myself, did my best to comfort some of the children who were crying, confused, and devastated. When he had come to say goodbye to his friends at school a few days ago, he was being the positive one telling them not to worry and that he was going to be ok no matter what happened. Now the giant family at OLG has an angel looking over each and every member. The Sisters and Brothers are instilling a healthy and faith-filled outlook of death to the children. Unfortunately, the funeral will be on Sunday after we leave Kisumu.
Julia and I went to John Lannis and Scholastica's home for a visit. They live in a very modest mud hut. They have been asking us to come over and were so happy that we did. Their hospitality was incredible. With the little they have and many mouths to feed, they gave us each a soda and popcorn and then came out with beef and rice. They are very proud of their children. We came back and began our ambitious, more like crazy project of making 300 mandazi for the students. About an hour into the process, the power went out and we were forced to use our headlamps and candles for light! Luckily, it was only about another hour until the power came back on. By 1:30 am, all of them were completed!
After being in town, Sister Mary, Julius, Father Martin drove to see Wycliff. Once they arrived at his grandmother's home, they knew that he wasn't going to make it much longer. He has struggled so much through his disease and his body was at the point that it did not have any bone marrow cells left. A little before 4:00 pm, Father Martin called Sister Remea to tell her that he was fading quickly. She gathered every student into the dining hall to pray together. Everyone packed themselves into the room and prayed in solidarity for their very good friend. While everyone (students, faculty, and administration) was still praying the rosary, Father Martin called back to let Sister know that he had died. Everyone felt this pain together. It was almost as if he was waiting until his friends were together and could send him to heaven in prayer. Father and Sister were with him when he died and were able to bring him the Eucharist to hold in his hands. I, who was really upset myself, did my best to comfort some of the children who were crying, confused, and devastated. When he had come to say goodbye to his friends at school a few days ago, he was being the positive one telling them not to worry and that he was going to be ok no matter what happened. Now the giant family at OLG has an angel looking over each and every member. The Sisters and Brothers are instilling a healthy and faith-filled outlook of death to the children. Unfortunately, the funeral will be on Sunday after we leave Kisumu.
Julia and I went to John Lannis and Scholastica's home for a visit. They live in a very modest mud hut. They have been asking us to come over and were so happy that we did. Their hospitality was incredible. With the little they have and many mouths to feed, they gave us each a soda and popcorn and then came out with beef and rice. They are very proud of their children. We came back and began our ambitious, more like crazy project of making 300 mandazi for the students. About an hour into the process, the power went out and we were forced to use our headlamps and candles for light! Luckily, it was only about another hour until the power came back on. By 1:30 am, all of them were completed!
Thursday, July 8th -- Time Flies When You're Having Fun
Today Julia and I finally completed the student biographies that include a background history, explanation of their hopes and dreams, and their picture. We received terrific news today! One of the boys in Class One, Emmanuel, will be traveling to Nairobi on Monday with Sister Mary. Emmanuel was born without either of his hands and without one of his feet. His other foot has some trouble too. Emmanuel is also cross-eyed. Despite these physical challenges, he is full of energy, manages to carry out almost every activity just fine, and is the friendliest child at the school. Mentally, he is completely fine. His eyes have been straining as he tries to see the blackboard. Sister Mary knows an eye doctor who has offered to give Emmanuel an eye exam for free to see if he can be a candidate for eye surgery or eye glasses. He thinks that both Julia and I are nuns! When I asked him a few days ago where he would travel to if he could go anywhere in the world, he responded saying Nairobi. He is THRILLED that his dream come true is happening. The generous work of this eye doctor may change Emmanuel's life. I gathered the extra band-aids, medicines, and a few of my PC t-shirts to give to the students at the school. Anything spare that we brought, we're going to leave with them.
We received a debriefing on the Post Election Violence that struck Kenya in 2008 from some of the Sisters and Brothers who were in Kenya then. So many lives changed from that point on. Kenyan tribalism is a huge, huge problem. The rivalries and pride for each tribe have been going on for many years. The tribes who were targeted had their houses, schools, and churches burnt down. Entire communities were lit on fire and people who forced to abandon the homes they built and lost their life savings. Five months after the violence ceased, the government told everyone it was safe to go back to their homes. The government was mistaken and the violence continued. An example of the hate crimes that happened is that doors and iron sheeted roofs were stolen off of the houses of neighboring tribes. The tribe who stole it would put the roof and door that they stole from their neighbor before burning the house down. When the people returned to see if anything was left on their property months later, the found their houses in ashes with their roof and door (even with its number intact) on their neighbors house. So many Kenyans were killed, leaving many children orphaned. People were left to die in the white tents that the government provided because of the lack of health care. So many atrocities occurred that really affected the students at OLG.
Julia and I went to the convent to teach the sisters how to make chappati and pass along our new-found culinary knowledge. I bought a special chappati pan to bring home! It weighs about 10 lbs so I am going to have a heavy carry on! Wycliff, the 7th grade by who is suffering with aplastic anemia, is doing poorly and is in a lot of pain. Sister Mary and Father Martin are going to drive to his grandmother's house where he is to see him tomorrow. He may stay with his grandmother or come back to be by his friends and stay at St. Consolatta's Hospital. Please keep him in your prayers.
After chappati making, we went to the dining hall for dance practice. The older girls taught Julia and me their traditional dances. We will be liturgical dancers with them at mass on Saturday. Everyone had been doing their homework at desks in the dining hall. Everyone took a break, half the group sang and the other half taught us the dances. We were all laughing hysterically the entire time. They have been practicing all week to make the mass on Saturday special for the last full day that I will be here. Sister Mary came in to take pictures of us learning and brought the extra chappati we made for the students. They were ecstatic! Two of the eskari walked us back. Today was a jam packed day that flew by. We finally arrived at the compound at 9:00 pm to eat a quick dinner. We met Mark Anthony who is a novice in Nairobi. He highly suggested that we try to visit the Obama's town before leaving.
Father Martin graciously thanked me right before I went to bed for coming this summer to help at OLG. He explained to me that the children have such a hard time with trusting people who love them freely. They are used to people saying they love them just because they have an ulterior motive and want something from them. He said that he hopes Julia and me are the first of many volunteers from Providence College.
We received a debriefing on the Post Election Violence that struck Kenya in 2008 from some of the Sisters and Brothers who were in Kenya then. So many lives changed from that point on. Kenyan tribalism is a huge, huge problem. The rivalries and pride for each tribe have been going on for many years. The tribes who were targeted had their houses, schools, and churches burnt down. Entire communities were lit on fire and people who forced to abandon the homes they built and lost their life savings. Five months after the violence ceased, the government told everyone it was safe to go back to their homes. The government was mistaken and the violence continued. An example of the hate crimes that happened is that doors and iron sheeted roofs were stolen off of the houses of neighboring tribes. The tribe who stole it would put the roof and door that they stole from their neighbor before burning the house down. When the people returned to see if anything was left on their property months later, the found their houses in ashes with their roof and door (even with its number intact) on their neighbors house. So many Kenyans were killed, leaving many children orphaned. People were left to die in the white tents that the government provided because of the lack of health care. So many atrocities occurred that really affected the students at OLG.
Julia and I went to the convent to teach the sisters how to make chappati and pass along our new-found culinary knowledge. I bought a special chappati pan to bring home! It weighs about 10 lbs so I am going to have a heavy carry on! Wycliff, the 7th grade by who is suffering with aplastic anemia, is doing poorly and is in a lot of pain. Sister Mary and Father Martin are going to drive to his grandmother's house where he is to see him tomorrow. He may stay with his grandmother or come back to be by his friends and stay at St. Consolatta's Hospital. Please keep him in your prayers.
After chappati making, we went to the dining hall for dance practice. The older girls taught Julia and me their traditional dances. We will be liturgical dancers with them at mass on Saturday. Everyone had been doing their homework at desks in the dining hall. Everyone took a break, half the group sang and the other half taught us the dances. We were all laughing hysterically the entire time. They have been practicing all week to make the mass on Saturday special for the last full day that I will be here. Sister Mary came in to take pictures of us learning and brought the extra chappati we made for the students. They were ecstatic! Two of the eskari walked us back. Today was a jam packed day that flew by. We finally arrived at the compound at 9:00 pm to eat a quick dinner. We met Mark Anthony who is a novice in Nairobi. He highly suggested that we try to visit the Obama's town before leaving.
Father Martin graciously thanked me right before I went to bed for coming this summer to help at OLG. He explained to me that the children have such a hard time with trusting people who love them freely. They are used to people saying they love them just because they have an ulterior motive and want something from them. He said that he hopes Julia and me are the first of many volunteers from Providence College.
Wednesday, July 7th -- Family
"The secret is here in the present. If you pay attention to the present, you can improve upon it. And, if you improve on the present, what comes later will also be better. Forget about the future, and live each day according to the teachings...Each day, in itself, brings with it an eternity" - The Alchemist
This morning I went to 7:15 mass. At school during the morning, Father Martin picked Wycliff up from the hospital. Wycliff is 13 years old and has been suffering from a bone marrow disease for the past few years. His bone marrow cells have rapidly depleted and after the treatments he has undergone, there is not much more that the doctors can do. They discharged him from the hospital so he can be home with his grandmother. When he arrived at OLG in the Dominican truck, all of his friends from school ran out of their classes to greet him. He is such a friendly and strong boy. Julia and I visited him a few weeks ago when we went to St. Consolatta's Hospital. The Dominicans and students from the school have gone very frequently to visit him too. Please keep him in your thought and prayers!
Before lunch, I stopped by Julius's office to receive a list that ranks the children who are not sponsored based on need. Julia and I are hoping to decrease the number of unsponsored children when we get home through various fundraising and awareness projects. We are also helping with updating the "Father Tom's Kids" website since some of the information is outdated. During and after lunch, Julia and I worked more on the movie we are assembling for Saturday. Once school was over for the day, we interviewed the rest of the secondary school children. The information they gave us on their backgrounds continues to blow me away.
Many of them have asked about my family. I have a picture of my family from my sister Clare's graduation in the beginning of June as the background to my laptop. The students have asked to see it. Many of them asked me in a surprised tone, "Patricia, you mean you really have two parents who are still alive? And you have two pretty sisters? And even a little brother?" I automatically felt guilty responding because having both of my parents, my two sisters and my brother each play a vital role in my life is something most of them will never experience. As I was asked this time after time, I thought to myself. Wow. I am SO lucky. To them this is a very unusual reality. They are intrigued by my life and home and have a million questions for me, always. Many of them have many siblings, sometimes even 9, but most of them are not in the picture or they only see them on breaks from school. One of the boys I interviewed has lost both of his parents, grandparents, and his older brother. He has no connection to anyone in his family anymore. Despite these circumstances, he told me that he doesn't feel sorry for himself because he has faith and a family at OLG who cars about him. He is so grateful to be at OLG and have terrific friends. He hopes to become a lawyer one day.
In the late afternoon, we went to our last Wednesday recreation night before dinner. After Compline, Father Kevin went over our reflection questions with Julia and me in our living room. This was a good way to recap some of the things we have learned and ways we have grown from this experience. Although one of the things that I was hoping to come out of this trip with was an exact career path, I have an even broader scope of what I'd possibly like to do. Father Kevin told me that this was a positive thing and not to be discouraged.
This morning I went to 7:15 mass. At school during the morning, Father Martin picked Wycliff up from the hospital. Wycliff is 13 years old and has been suffering from a bone marrow disease for the past few years. His bone marrow cells have rapidly depleted and after the treatments he has undergone, there is not much more that the doctors can do. They discharged him from the hospital so he can be home with his grandmother. When he arrived at OLG in the Dominican truck, all of his friends from school ran out of their classes to greet him. He is such a friendly and strong boy. Julia and I visited him a few weeks ago when we went to St. Consolatta's Hospital. The Dominicans and students from the school have gone very frequently to visit him too. Please keep him in your thought and prayers!
Before lunch, I stopped by Julius's office to receive a list that ranks the children who are not sponsored based on need. Julia and I are hoping to decrease the number of unsponsored children when we get home through various fundraising and awareness projects. We are also helping with updating the "Father Tom's Kids" website since some of the information is outdated. During and after lunch, Julia and I worked more on the movie we are assembling for Saturday. Once school was over for the day, we interviewed the rest of the secondary school children. The information they gave us on their backgrounds continues to blow me away.
Many of them have asked about my family. I have a picture of my family from my sister Clare's graduation in the beginning of June as the background to my laptop. The students have asked to see it. Many of them asked me in a surprised tone, "Patricia, you mean you really have two parents who are still alive? And you have two pretty sisters? And even a little brother?" I automatically felt guilty responding because having both of my parents, my two sisters and my brother each play a vital role in my life is something most of them will never experience. As I was asked this time after time, I thought to myself. Wow. I am SO lucky. To them this is a very unusual reality. They are intrigued by my life and home and have a million questions for me, always. Many of them have many siblings, sometimes even 9, but most of them are not in the picture or they only see them on breaks from school. One of the boys I interviewed has lost both of his parents, grandparents, and his older brother. He has no connection to anyone in his family anymore. Despite these circumstances, he told me that he doesn't feel sorry for himself because he has faith and a family at OLG who cars about him. He is so grateful to be at OLG and have terrific friends. He hopes to become a lawyer one day.
In the late afternoon, we went to our last Wednesday recreation night before dinner. After Compline, Father Kevin went over our reflection questions with Julia and me in our living room. This was a good way to recap some of the things we have learned and ways we have grown from this experience. Although one of the things that I was hoping to come out of this trip with was an exact career path, I have an even broader scope of what I'd possibly like to do. Father Kevin told me that this was a positive thing and not to be discouraged.
Tuesday, July 6th -- Joining of Nations
This morning I woke up went for a run and then went to 7:15 am mass. After mass, I made myself a cup of chai tea and then went to the market with Father Kevin and Julia. This market was just outside of town. Earlier in the week, I walked to the market in Kiboswa to buy vegetables with Julia, Benta (one of the cooks at the school), and Sister. It was a 25 minute walk in each direction. Kiboswa is higher is higher on the hill than the school so we walked uphill along the highway first. Both markets are quite an experience. Today was different though. As we were driving in the Dominican van about 100 yards away from the house, 9 little children under the age of 6 who live down the street ran in front of the van. We opened the side door and all 9 of them piled in. We now had eight of us squeezed into the back seat. The children were laughing uncontrollably and waving their arms in the air as if they were on a roller coaster for the first time. Their ride in the van for the short 100 yards made their day, maybe even their week. Although this was the first time I experienced this with them, Father Kevin said they do this at every chance they get.
Back at school, I helped teach Form 4 English with Madame Dorothy. Every example the students gave in class of different sentence structures somehow involved "Patricia and Julia." After school, we interviewed a handful of the secondary students who are not sponsored. They were able to give us more biographical information than the primary students. Listening to each of their stories has given me even more admiration for them. The courage that they have for sharing their stories and confiding in us.
Tonight at dinner, the Arch Bishop along with 26 others of the Dominican community in Kenya came for dinner. The motive behind this dinner was to introduce the sisters who are new at OLG to the Arch Bishop. I enjoyed talking to some of the Sisters from the Philippines who are not stationed by Mount Kilamanjaro but were visiting along with a few of the Franciscan sisters from Kenya. The sisters by Mount Kilamanjaro run an AIDs clinic that offers free testing and counseling. They work with many Peace Corps volunteers from the United States. Dinner with people from Mozambique, Angola, Kenya, the Philippines, Uganda, Texas, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, and New York was an awesome experience. People from all parts of the world joined together in Kisumu to fulfill their mission. Now that everyone here including the children know that we leave in 5 days, they are all trying to convince us to stay here for at least another year!
Back at school, I helped teach Form 4 English with Madame Dorothy. Every example the students gave in class of different sentence structures somehow involved "Patricia and Julia." After school, we interviewed a handful of the secondary students who are not sponsored. They were able to give us more biographical information than the primary students. Listening to each of their stories has given me even more admiration for them. The courage that they have for sharing their stories and confiding in us.
Tonight at dinner, the Arch Bishop along with 26 others of the Dominican community in Kenya came for dinner. The motive behind this dinner was to introduce the sisters who are new at OLG to the Arch Bishop. I enjoyed talking to some of the Sisters from the Philippines who are not stationed by Mount Kilamanjaro but were visiting along with a few of the Franciscan sisters from Kenya. The sisters by Mount Kilamanjaro run an AIDs clinic that offers free testing and counseling. They work with many Peace Corps volunteers from the United States. Dinner with people from Mozambique, Angola, Kenya, the Philippines, Uganda, Texas, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, and New York was an awesome experience. People from all parts of the world joined together in Kisumu to fulfill their mission. Now that everyone here including the children know that we leave in 5 days, they are all trying to convince us to stay here for at least another year!
Monday, July 5th
"The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing but burn, burn, burn like fabulous roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars" -Jack Kerouac
This morning I wrote my reflection that Father Kevin assigned Julia and me. The reflection questions were:
-What have you learned about yourself from your weeks in Africa (e.g. new gifts discovered; awareness of personal limitations, needs, defects; new appreciation of your American culture and upbringing, or of the importance of one’s family…)?
-How do you see these weeks of work relating to (or even changing) your career plans or personal ambitions (both during your remaining time at P.C. and afterwards)?
-Has this experience changed or affected your relationship with God, with the Church, your experience of the Liturgy, your prayer or your faith? How, in what ways?
Writing this reflection has made me consider what I am studying at PC. Many people have told me that they don't think my combination of studying Finance and Writing at PC is a good match for me. I've been told that I should go into a field that isn't solely concerned with working in a cubicle and making money. I think though that with the tremendous number of fields within business that a lot of good can be done. I would like to work for a company with good ethical and environmental practices or try to bring those practices to a company that does not have those implementations. This field, moreso now than ever, is in need of sound practices.
Julia and I were adventurous in the kitchen yet again. Anthony taught us how to make mandazi (similar to mini doughnuts). We will be making them on Saturday instead of chappati. The children love mandazi but never have the opportunity to eat this type of treat. We put our creativity to use by making them in all different shapes.
Today I also started to read the book, "Unbowed" by Wangari Maathai. She is the first African woman and environmentalist to win the Nobel Peace Price. She is the founder of the Green Belt Movement and began to change the lives of Kenyans through simply planting trees. So far, she has vividly described Mount Kenya! Today I also read a few excerpts that were highlighted in the book "Small is Beautiful - Economics as if People Mattered" by EE Schumacher.
This morning I wrote my reflection that Father Kevin assigned Julia and me. The reflection questions were:
-What have you learned about yourself from your weeks in Africa (e.g. new gifts discovered; awareness of personal limitations, needs, defects; new appreciation of your American culture and upbringing, or of the importance of one’s family…)?
-How do you see these weeks of work relating to (or even changing) your career plans or personal ambitions (both during your remaining time at P.C. and afterwards)?
-Has this experience changed or affected your relationship with God, with the Church, your experience of the Liturgy, your prayer or your faith? How, in what ways?
Writing this reflection has made me consider what I am studying at PC. Many people have told me that they don't think my combination of studying Finance and Writing at PC is a good match for me. I've been told that I should go into a field that isn't solely concerned with working in a cubicle and making money. I think though that with the tremendous number of fields within business that a lot of good can be done. I would like to work for a company with good ethical and environmental practices or try to bring those practices to a company that does not have those implementations. This field, moreso now than ever, is in need of sound practices.
Julia and I were adventurous in the kitchen yet again. Anthony taught us how to make mandazi (similar to mini doughnuts). We will be making them on Saturday instead of chappati. The children love mandazi but never have the opportunity to eat this type of treat. We put our creativity to use by making them in all different shapes.
Today I also started to read the book, "Unbowed" by Wangari Maathai. She is the first African woman and environmentalist to win the Nobel Peace Price. She is the founder of the Green Belt Movement and began to change the lives of Kenyans through simply planting trees. So far, she has vividly described Mount Kenya! Today I also read a few excerpts that were highlighted in the book "Small is Beautiful - Economics as if People Mattered" by EE Schumacher.
Sunday, July 4th -- Independence Day!
"All you have to do is to pay attention: lessons always arrive when you are ready, and if you can read the signs, you will learn everything you need to know in order to take the next step."
Today was not my typical 4th of July celebration that I usually have with my extended family in Sag Harbor barbecuing, eating lobster, watching the fireworks at the beach, and thoroughly enjoying each others company. Being away from important events makes me realize how much they mean to me. I guess absence does in fact make the heart grow fonder. I went to 7:30 am mass at the school. Julia and I are putting together a slide show with a soundtrack for Saturday of all of our pictures and video clips for everyone at Our Lady of Grace to watch. Sister Mary showed us a slide show that she made of the safari she went on in 2007. Watching the amazing video clips of all the animals she saw made me very excited for our safari. Its starting to hit me how little time we have left in Kisumu -- 7 days.
The boys built a fire pit out of bricks and mud behind the convent. This can be used to grill food for the kitchen in the school and also for the sisters. It was a great Saturday project because they were able to work together as a team and now they will be able to enjoy the results of their service.
I noticed that there is a tiny house behind the convent that a young couple lives in. I asked Sister Mary who lives there and she brought us right over to introduce us to Kristen. Kristen just had baby twins! 2 boys - Kevin and Calvin. They are 1 week and 4 days old. She graciously welcomed us into her home and shared her bundles of joy with us. She first gave me Calvin and then Kevin. They were the two tiniest babies I have ever held because they were both only 4 pounds when born since they were born at 7 months. Luckily, she was able to give birth naturally. Sister, who used to be an emergency room nurse at Penn State, was giving Kristen advice as a first time mother. At the hospitals here, the mothers and babies are not kept there very long. The babies are still both very, very tiny. They looked like two little angels (one with straight hair and one with curly hair) wrapped in a pretty purple printed cloth. The humble one room home they have is separated into two rooms by a white sheet. Their home looks like a shed to store tools in. She was so happy that we were able to take her first picture with her babies. Holding the two of the babies, one in each arm, who were peacefully sleeping was the most peaceful and serene feeling I have had since being here. I hope to come back to see Kristen and the babies this week.
Sister Elizabeth from the Mount Kilimanjaro area and Father Martin from Nairobi came to spend 2 nights in Kisumu. Julia and I arrived back at the house with Father Martin at 8:00 pm after dinner was over. The three of us ate together. I really enjoyed getting to know Father Martin better. Father Stephen surprised Julia and I and bought vanilla ice cream and Tuskys (Kenya's beer) to celebrate the 4th of July! He generously also gave us t-shirts from Maseno University.
Saturday, July 3rd - If you could become anything in the world...
"We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop." - Mother Teresa
Today we went to 6:30 am mass and then interviewed all of the primary students who do not have sponsors. We did not tell the children why we were interviewing them because they are very self-conscious about not having a sponsor. There are 48 primary and secondary students combined that do not have sponsors. We sat at a table in the dining hall and had one of the teachers help us. A few of the younger children have a hard time understanding our accents. They are also just learning English too. We asked the students everything from their favorite color to what they want to be when they grow up to what their home (if there is one) is like that they go to on holidays. I was particularly struck by the range of answers we received when they were confidently telling us about what they want to be when they grow up (nurses, teachers, bank managers, pilots, doctors, priests, sisters, carpenters). I am still trying to figure out this question for myself. Also, not one of them from Class 1 to Class 8 knew their birthday or their age. Most births are not registered with the country. Many people end up celebrating their birthday on their Saint's feast day.
Another question we asked was "If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?" Almost every single answer was to the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. A few of the youngest children responded that they would go for a trip into town! When I thought about this question, I thought about how up until this point my response would be Africa. I am so happy and grateful that this dream of mine has come true. For those that go home for a few weeks on holidays, they all explaining that they help out by carrying water from the nearby stream. Other chores include washing, fetching firewood etc. Only one of the girls said that her home has electricity since almost everyone lives in mud huts.
After dinner, we showed them the movie "Narnia" which they all loved! It was a real treat for them which they earned after a week of hard work. Since Sister Mary brought a projector with her about a month ago, the students have really enjoyed watching a movie once a week. We showed this to both age groups as we squeezed into the dining hall. The students were cheering and on the edge of their seats the entire movie. Even the sisters in the convent next door could hear their laughter during the movie. Hopefully, this movie's moral symbols will be discussed in their theology classes this week. The dining hall is used as a class room, a chapel for daily mass, a movie theatre on Saturdays, a dance floor for entertainment, and a study spot in the evenings. Once the movie was over, two of the older boys walked Julia and I back to our house on their way to their rooms which are across the road from ours. All of the students thanked us immensely for facilitating the night of fun.
Once I got back to my bed, I finished my fifth book of the trip called "They Come Singing" by Gary Smith. He is a Jesuit who wrote about his 6 year experience of working with the Sudanese refugees trying to survive in refugee camps in Northern Uganda.
Today we went to 6:30 am mass and then interviewed all of the primary students who do not have sponsors. We did not tell the children why we were interviewing them because they are very self-conscious about not having a sponsor. There are 48 primary and secondary students combined that do not have sponsors. We sat at a table in the dining hall and had one of the teachers help us. A few of the younger children have a hard time understanding our accents. They are also just learning English too. We asked the students everything from their favorite color to what they want to be when they grow up to what their home (if there is one) is like that they go to on holidays. I was particularly struck by the range of answers we received when they were confidently telling us about what they want to be when they grow up (nurses, teachers, bank managers, pilots, doctors, priests, sisters, carpenters). I am still trying to figure out this question for myself. Also, not one of them from Class 1 to Class 8 knew their birthday or their age. Most births are not registered with the country. Many people end up celebrating their birthday on their Saint's feast day.
Another question we asked was "If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?" Almost every single answer was to the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. A few of the youngest children responded that they would go for a trip into town! When I thought about this question, I thought about how up until this point my response would be Africa. I am so happy and grateful that this dream of mine has come true. For those that go home for a few weeks on holidays, they all explaining that they help out by carrying water from the nearby stream. Other chores include washing, fetching firewood etc. Only one of the girls said that her home has electricity since almost everyone lives in mud huts.
After dinner, we showed them the movie "Narnia" which they all loved! It was a real treat for them which they earned after a week of hard work. Since Sister Mary brought a projector with her about a month ago, the students have really enjoyed watching a movie once a week. We showed this to both age groups as we squeezed into the dining hall. The students were cheering and on the edge of their seats the entire movie. Even the sisters in the convent next door could hear their laughter during the movie. Hopefully, this movie's moral symbols will be discussed in their theology classes this week. The dining hall is used as a class room, a chapel for daily mass, a movie theatre on Saturdays, a dance floor for entertainment, and a study spot in the evenings. Once the movie was over, two of the older boys walked Julia and I back to our house on their way to their rooms which are across the road from ours. All of the students thanked us immensely for facilitating the night of fun.
Once I got back to my bed, I finished my fifth book of the trip called "They Come Singing" by Gary Smith. He is a Jesuit who wrote about his 6 year experience of working with the Sudanese refugees trying to survive in refugee camps in Northern Uganda.
Friday, July 2nd
"We have not come here by chance. I do not believe in chance...I do not see coincidence, I see Providence. I see purpose. I believe it our fate to be here."
This morning, I woke up at 5:30 am to make it to 6:30 am mass at the school. After mass, we helped prepare the room for Sister Mary's friend, Ken, who will now be working at the school. Mass is incorporated into the lives of the students just as much as classes and meals. Later on, we met with Julius to go through each of the files of the students who are not sponsored. Many of these files are incomplete. Finding out more about their backgrounds was very sad. The more difficulties that I find out that they have endured, the more amazed I am at how they are such genuinely warm, motivated individuals. Some of the students live at the school permanently since they do not have any family members to go home to on holidays from school.
The nursery school is right next to the property where Julia and I are staying. The children showered us with hugs and smiles during their recess time. The children in my pictures are from the nursery school. They loved taking pictures and looking at our cameras. The timing of their recess is perfect because it falls at the same time that we take our lunch break so we can stop by to play with them!
This morning, I woke up at 5:30 am to make it to 6:30 am mass at the school. After mass, we helped prepare the room for Sister Mary's friend, Ken, who will now be working at the school. Mass is incorporated into the lives of the students just as much as classes and meals. Later on, we met with Julius to go through each of the files of the students who are not sponsored. Many of these files are incomplete. Finding out more about their backgrounds was very sad. The more difficulties that I find out that they have endured, the more amazed I am at how they are such genuinely warm, motivated individuals. Some of the students live at the school permanently since they do not have any family members to go home to on holidays from school.
The nursery school is right next to the property where Julia and I are staying. The children showered us with hugs and smiles during their recess time. The children in my pictures are from the nursery school. They loved taking pictures and looking at our cameras. The timing of their recess is perfect because it falls at the same time that we take our lunch break so we can stop by to play with them!
Thursday, July 1st - Changing the World
"Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square hole. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do."
Since I've been away, I have come to appreciate how important the exchange of ideas are. Our Lady of Grace School was formed after the post election violence in Kenya in 2008. Many of the children came to Our Lady of Grace to live and attend school because their homes and previous schools were burnt down. There was an enormous amount of death and destruction that has not been forgotten. The past history that so many of the children have lived through is devastating. At Our Lady of Grace, the students are taught through actions and words the reality that they each have an indestructible dignity and purpose. When the school first began, the classes were held under trees outside before the classrooms were built. Our Lady of Grace is their safe haven. Many Kenyans are very loyal to the tribe that they come from. The most prominent tribe in Kisumu is the Luo tribe. Even though many people thought that the Dominicans were crazy for opening a school among the turmoil, they pushed ahead and have done amazing work. Sometimes crazy ideas are the genius ideas that people are too afraid to turn into reality. I think about the future of the students who I adore...even the ones that act up and do not listen to every rule. Those students may be the ones in the future who really do pay it forward and work for positive change in their community and world. In their own way, they absorb this education in their faith and their other studies.
This morning, Julia and I received the list of students who do not have sponsors. We then went through to sort out what grade level each student is currently in. In the next few days, we will be interviewing the students that have incomplete files to increase their chance for sponsorship. Julius is the man in charge of communicating with the guardians of the children and helps regulate new students who will be accepted into the school. We will be working closely with him.
Later on, we played soccer with the students and helped scrub down one of the rooms where a new member of the staff from Nairobi will be living. At dinner, we had an assortment of vegetables including the yellow squash and secuma that was grown in the garden! Being on the compound, I have felt safe from the day I arrived here. The eskari (guards) that are at the different entrances to the compound really look after us. At night, they are on watch with their bow and poisoned arrows! This was definitely one of the things I had no concept of living in the US -- that a bow and arrow is still used.
Since I've been away, I have come to appreciate how important the exchange of ideas are. Our Lady of Grace School was formed after the post election violence in Kenya in 2008. Many of the children came to Our Lady of Grace to live and attend school because their homes and previous schools were burnt down. There was an enormous amount of death and destruction that has not been forgotten. The past history that so many of the children have lived through is devastating. At Our Lady of Grace, the students are taught through actions and words the reality that they each have an indestructible dignity and purpose. When the school first began, the classes were held under trees outside before the classrooms were built. Our Lady of Grace is their safe haven. Many Kenyans are very loyal to the tribe that they come from. The most prominent tribe in Kisumu is the Luo tribe. Even though many people thought that the Dominicans were crazy for opening a school among the turmoil, they pushed ahead and have done amazing work. Sometimes crazy ideas are the genius ideas that people are too afraid to turn into reality. I think about the future of the students who I adore...even the ones that act up and do not listen to every rule. Those students may be the ones in the future who really do pay it forward and work for positive change in their community and world. In their own way, they absorb this education in their faith and their other studies.
This morning, Julia and I received the list of students who do not have sponsors. We then went through to sort out what grade level each student is currently in. In the next few days, we will be interviewing the students that have incomplete files to increase their chance for sponsorship. Julius is the man in charge of communicating with the guardians of the children and helps regulate new students who will be accepted into the school. We will be working closely with him.
Later on, we played soccer with the students and helped scrub down one of the rooms where a new member of the staff from Nairobi will be living. At dinner, we had an assortment of vegetables including the yellow squash and secuma that was grown in the garden! Being on the compound, I have felt safe from the day I arrived here. The eskari (guards) that are at the different entrances to the compound really look after us. At night, they are on watch with their bow and poisoned arrows! This was definitely one of the things I had no concept of living in the US -- that a bow and arrow is still used.
Wednesday, June 30th
“Few will have the greatness to bend history; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation” - Robert F. Kennedy
This morning I woke up at 6:00 am. I waited until 6:20 am when it was no longer pitch black outside to start my run. I went on a different route this time. I ran past the small intersection on the dirt road that was named “Keep Left”. I’ve become accustomed to waking up so early and getting my day started. I know that once I get home and back to school though that my schedule will be completely different. After I turned left at the “Keep Left” intersection, I ran down a windy, rocky, dirt road that was slightly downhill. Pastel pinks streaked across the blue sky in the direction that I was running toward. It was almost as if I was running toward an omen. Because everything ahead of me was so incredibly beautiful, I kept going. Finally I turned around once I reached the highway and ran uphill back toward the compound. I passed by students on their way to school and adults looking to catch the matatu which is the public bus. In English, the first phrase people learn is “How are you?” Many of the people I ran by, especially the these three little girls, all said “how are you?” Or you can tell if someone is talking about you when you hear, “muzungu” which means “white person.” In Kisumu, the only people I have met or seen who are not African are missionaries. The little girls get so anxious to test out their English whenever Julia and I pass by. When I arrived back at the compound, the sun was just about fully risen. On my run, I was in the right place at the right time to witness the marvelous landscape.
At school, Julia and I completed the library at last! I then helped out the two matrons who take care of the 8 babies while their mothers are in class. Every time that I’m with the babies, I feel rejuvenated. The innocence in their eyes combined with the hope that I have for them is difficult to describe. Many of them are very tiny for their age, and about half of them have been sick with either malaria or typhoid since I’ve been here. Every time I have a break, I try to go see them. The babies love the other children at the school. They laughed uncontrollably during entertainment time on Saturdays when the music is playing for hours and hours for the students to dance to. Even though I wish at times that I could easily take all of them home with me; however, I know that’s not a possibility. I’ve definitely realized that I want to have a big family one day.
The Dominicans are a huge, huge presence in the local community. They are basically on call 24/7. If someone in the community is sick and needs to be taken to the hospital or someone needs counseling, the Dominican Friars and Sisters are always ready to serve with absolutely anything you can think of. They are greatly respected for what they do. Julia and I later on went to visit Father Stephen, one of the Dominicans, who lives on the compound with us. He is the chaplain at Maseno University. It took about a half an hour for us to get there. Unfortunately, the university students are on holiday right now so we didn’t get to meet any of them. The campus is very spread out with all small brick buildings. We stayed for 5:00 pm mass in a small room. Mass in Kenya is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Mass on the compound is different from the mass at the school which is different from this mass. The room was filled with plastic lawn chairs as the seats with bows that you wrap present with hung on the walls as the decorations. The 20 people at mass were packed into this room. Everyone prays with such devotion, pouring their heart into each song and prayer.
After dinner, we went with Father Kevin and Godfrey, one of the novices, to RIAT which is a technical institute that the Dominicans work with. Every now and then, Father Kevin has movie night with them and shows a movie that has some religious or moral value. We watched the movie, “I Am Sam.” After a long day, we got back to our rooms at about 11:00 pm being more than ready to fall asleep.
This morning I woke up at 6:00 am. I waited until 6:20 am when it was no longer pitch black outside to start my run. I went on a different route this time. I ran past the small intersection on the dirt road that was named “Keep Left”. I’ve become accustomed to waking up so early and getting my day started. I know that once I get home and back to school though that my schedule will be completely different. After I turned left at the “Keep Left” intersection, I ran down a windy, rocky, dirt road that was slightly downhill. Pastel pinks streaked across the blue sky in the direction that I was running toward. It was almost as if I was running toward an omen. Because everything ahead of me was so incredibly beautiful, I kept going. Finally I turned around once I reached the highway and ran uphill back toward the compound. I passed by students on their way to school and adults looking to catch the matatu which is the public bus. In English, the first phrase people learn is “How are you?” Many of the people I ran by, especially the these three little girls, all said “how are you?” Or you can tell if someone is talking about you when you hear, “muzungu” which means “white person.” In Kisumu, the only people I have met or seen who are not African are missionaries. The little girls get so anxious to test out their English whenever Julia and I pass by. When I arrived back at the compound, the sun was just about fully risen. On my run, I was in the right place at the right time to witness the marvelous landscape.
At school, Julia and I completed the library at last! I then helped out the two matrons who take care of the 8 babies while their mothers are in class. Every time that I’m with the babies, I feel rejuvenated. The innocence in their eyes combined with the hope that I have for them is difficult to describe. Many of them are very tiny for their age, and about half of them have been sick with either malaria or typhoid since I’ve been here. Every time I have a break, I try to go see them. The babies love the other children at the school. They laughed uncontrollably during entertainment time on Saturdays when the music is playing for hours and hours for the students to dance to. Even though I wish at times that I could easily take all of them home with me; however, I know that’s not a possibility. I’ve definitely realized that I want to have a big family one day.
The Dominicans are a huge, huge presence in the local community. They are basically on call 24/7. If someone in the community is sick and needs to be taken to the hospital or someone needs counseling, the Dominican Friars and Sisters are always ready to serve with absolutely anything you can think of. They are greatly respected for what they do. Julia and I later on went to visit Father Stephen, one of the Dominicans, who lives on the compound with us. He is the chaplain at Maseno University. It took about a half an hour for us to get there. Unfortunately, the university students are on holiday right now so we didn’t get to meet any of them. The campus is very spread out with all small brick buildings. We stayed for 5:00 pm mass in a small room. Mass in Kenya is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Mass on the compound is different from the mass at the school which is different from this mass. The room was filled with plastic lawn chairs as the seats with bows that you wrap present with hung on the walls as the decorations. The 20 people at mass were packed into this room. Everyone prays with such devotion, pouring their heart into each song and prayer.
After dinner, we went with Father Kevin and Godfrey, one of the novices, to RIAT which is a technical institute that the Dominicans work with. Every now and then, Father Kevin has movie night with them and shows a movie that has some religious or moral value. We watched the movie, “I Am Sam.” After a long day, we got back to our rooms at about 11:00 pm being more than ready to fall asleep.
Tuesday, June 29th -- Cooking
This morning I went to 7:15 am mass, had oatmeal for breakfast, and then went to school. Julia and I continued to organize and clean out the giant dumpster container and will finish this project by tomorrow morning. We had a half day at the school because of our cooking lesson! Anthony, the man who cooks the meals for the Friars, agreed to give us a lesson on cooking some of the staple foods that we have been eating. Chapatti, secuma, and ugali.
The source of this lesson stems from the lofty plans that Julia and I made for next week. We were brainstorming what would be a good, edible treat that we could make for all 220 students. After contemplating making cookies, brownies, and a few other ideas, we decided on making them chapatti. We plan on surprising all of the students on the Saturday the 10th. This is the day before we leave Kisumu.
While waiting for the chapatti dough to sit, I finished the book “Nickel and Dimed” which I have been absorbed by the past few days. After completing the book, I kept thinking about how easy it is to take thing for granted. In the US, the number of people who have a job and still struggle on welfare is extremely high. Many times the poor in the US go neglected because the wealthy are in denial of this extreme problem. Being on my trip, I have seen more than ever that there is no job that is ever beneath me. Certain jobs are definitely more glamorous than others. But the unpretentious ones are often the most necessary.
One of my favorite books is the “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald. He opens his book with the lines:
“In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since. ‘Whenever you feel like criticizing any one,’ he told me, ‘just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had.’”
The American Dream of working hard to earn a successful, prosperous life is not how the equation always works out. It is necessary to walk in another person’s shoes to know what their life is comprised of. Barbara Ehrenreich, the author of “Nickel and Dimed”, is admirable for her willingness to take a chance and leave her fairly comfortable life as a journalist to experience and document the struggles of making minimum wage or below minimum wage while paying for rent and food in three different cities.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here is the recipe for Chapatti that I jotted down while it was being prepared (serves 28):
- 1 ½ packs of flour (2 kg)
- 1 table spoon on salt
- Cornoil
- Milk
- Optional: finely grated peppers, carrots, onions
- * Warning: we did not measure the oil, water, or salt! Use with your discretion.
First mix the flour and 1 pack of flour. Pour about 3 tablespoons of corn oil. Rub the contents together until it is a sandy texture. Pour lukewarm about ½ a cup of water and ¼ of a cup of milk into the mixture. Mix with your fingers and add more milk if it feels dry.
Then, flour a surface where you can spread the dough and knead it together toward its center. Flour the pot. Place the ball of dough in the pot and lightly sprinkle oil over the dough to keep it moist. Let the dough sit for 40 minutes while it is covered in the pot.
Then, knead the dough, add flour, and roll the dough with a rolling pin. Spread oil with over the dough once it is flat. Cut the dough with a knife or pizza cutter into 10 thin, long slices. Roll each strip into a ball. Cut some of the strips if they are too big. Try to have 14 balls of dough. Then roll each of the 14 balls until they are flat and thin.
Blanching: Heat a frying pan on medium heat. Put the circle of dough on the empty pan, let it heat for 30 seconds, and flip once it starts to bubble. For a fluffy, drier taste, skip the browning!
Browning: For a moister taste, continue! Put the chapatti back into the pan one at a time. Add oil and spin the chapatti in the pan and flip (Anthony’s tip: just like a dj spins cds).
Lastly, cut each circle in half. Either fold the chapatti or roll it up. Enjoy :)
The source of this lesson stems from the lofty plans that Julia and I made for next week. We were brainstorming what would be a good, edible treat that we could make for all 220 students. After contemplating making cookies, brownies, and a few other ideas, we decided on making them chapatti. We plan on surprising all of the students on the Saturday the 10th. This is the day before we leave Kisumu.
While waiting for the chapatti dough to sit, I finished the book “Nickel and Dimed” which I have been absorbed by the past few days. After completing the book, I kept thinking about how easy it is to take thing for granted. In the US, the number of people who have a job and still struggle on welfare is extremely high. Many times the poor in the US go neglected because the wealthy are in denial of this extreme problem. Being on my trip, I have seen more than ever that there is no job that is ever beneath me. Certain jobs are definitely more glamorous than others. But the unpretentious ones are often the most necessary.
One of my favorite books is the “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald. He opens his book with the lines:
“In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since. ‘Whenever you feel like criticizing any one,’ he told me, ‘just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had.’”
The American Dream of working hard to earn a successful, prosperous life is not how the equation always works out. It is necessary to walk in another person’s shoes to know what their life is comprised of. Barbara Ehrenreich, the author of “Nickel and Dimed”, is admirable for her willingness to take a chance and leave her fairly comfortable life as a journalist to experience and document the struggles of making minimum wage or below minimum wage while paying for rent and food in three different cities.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here is the recipe for Chapatti that I jotted down while it was being prepared (serves 28):
- 1 ½ packs of flour (2 kg)
- 1 table spoon on salt
- Cornoil
- Milk
- Optional: finely grated peppers, carrots, onions
- * Warning: we did not measure the oil, water, or salt! Use with your discretion.
First mix the flour and 1 pack of flour. Pour about 3 tablespoons of corn oil. Rub the contents together until it is a sandy texture. Pour lukewarm about ½ a cup of water and ¼ of a cup of milk into the mixture. Mix with your fingers and add more milk if it feels dry.
Then, flour a surface where you can spread the dough and knead it together toward its center. Flour the pot. Place the ball of dough in the pot and lightly sprinkle oil over the dough to keep it moist. Let the dough sit for 40 minutes while it is covered in the pot.
Then, knead the dough, add flour, and roll the dough with a rolling pin. Spread oil with over the dough once it is flat. Cut the dough with a knife or pizza cutter into 10 thin, long slices. Roll each strip into a ball. Cut some of the strips if they are too big. Try to have 14 balls of dough. Then roll each of the 14 balls until they are flat and thin.
Blanching: Heat a frying pan on medium heat. Put the circle of dough on the empty pan, let it heat for 30 seconds, and flip once it starts to bubble. For a fluffy, drier taste, skip the browning!
Browning: For a moister taste, continue! Put the chapatti back into the pan one at a time. Add oil and spin the chapatti in the pan and flip (Anthony’s tip: just like a dj spins cds).
Lastly, cut each circle in half. Either fold the chapatti or roll it up. Enjoy :)
Monday, June 28th -- Love Never Fails
Today is Julia’s 20th Birthday! We ate breakfast and then went to the school where everyone was so excited to wish her well on her special day. Julia went into town to pickup her friend Michelle who is coming to visit for the day. She is spending 10 weeks in Kenya working for Maasai Girls Education Fund. The fund gives families of girls the amount that they would receive in a dowry for an early marriage in the form of a scholarship for education. Many Maasai girls are not educated and this program seems truly brilliant in their work.
I went into the giant construction container (basically a dumpster with a top on it) at the school. It was donated to the school and is being used for storing stray books. I began this large organizational project of taking inventory and sorting through the hundred of dusty books that were all mixed together in sacks and cardboard boxes. I separated them by subject and grade level. “Pole, pole” (slowly, slowly) I made a dent in the stacks upon stacks of books. These books will eventually be able to be a library for the students! Since I uncovered a surplus of text books in there, many teachers will be able to use these in their classes so this will also save the school money. What could have been painstakingly tedious and mundane in the dark and stuffy dumpster was not that way at all. I kept thinking about how wonderful of a resource it will be once it is organized and cleaned.
One part of life that has been difficult for me to grasp is the use of cell phones. The poorest of the poor have cell phones. Many land lines are no longer in existence. The homes on top of the hill where we are located do not even have the option of having a landline. About 2 years ago, the landline companies were unreliable because people used to steal the cables that connect the bottom to the top of the hill. The cables are valuable items to sell. They were phased out over time since the phones would only work 50% of the time. Also, the poor keep their phones since that is their only means of being contacted if work is available. Some homes with electricity charge 5 shillings to let people charge their cell phones for those that do not have the luxury of electricity. Hence, cell phone companies are thriving!
Two of the girls stopped by our house with a card for Julia. I went with them to play football (soccer) on the field. It was one of the most intense games I’ve ever played. I can honestly say this after playing on competitive teams from the age of 7-18. The hard ball we used was very worn out with the stitching for the seams no longer in existence. The field was solid dirt which did not phase anyone. Everyone wore their school shoes, flip flops, or went barefoot. No shin guards. No water breaks. And certainly, no orange slices at half time. These teams were relentless, competitive, and filled with raw talent. Knowing too well how so many boys and girls on Long Island spend hours upon hours with private trainers, special select teams, top of the line equipment, and so much money spent in the pursuit of becoming a better player. The boys and girls I played with today are much more talented without any instruction than so many people I have played with. If they are given any of the perks we have at home, their potential would be outstanding. Being around all the boys and girls for a few weeks, I am not surprised by how tough they are. The ball we played with was so hard it really hurt every time I kicked or headed it. Rather than complaining, if someone really felt the ball hitting them like a bullet, they would just laugh it off. No sympathy points in the football games.
I showered quickly and then went with Julia and Michelle to the Sister’s convent for our weekly Monday dinner. Mango and banana pancakes with potatoes and chicken sausage were on the menu for tonight. The sisters picked a bouquet of flowers and made a banner for Julia. We sand Happy Birthday and had cake #2. Before dinner, we said Grace and Sister Remea picked out a special reading that she read out to us with soft music playing in the background. This reading, which is often read at weddings or funerals, has always been special for me but has taken on a whole new meaning for me.
“Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, love is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the TRUTH. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. LOVE NEVER FAILS.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
This was very fitting for the time and place. I feel like I have joined the family at Our Lady of Grace. The love they have shown me is apparent in every second of every day. Love keeps belief, hope, and endurance alive. The interests of one person are the interests of another. Failing to believe in the truth is not even an option. The love here is selfless and invigorating. Whether it is in giving my teammate a high five after her goal, rocking one of the babies to sleep to give her mom a break, or encouraging one of the boys in class, I hope so much that what Julia and I are doing here is nurturing them in some way. It’s hard not knowing what I do or say will sink in and stick with them.
I went into the giant construction container (basically a dumpster with a top on it) at the school. It was donated to the school and is being used for storing stray books. I began this large organizational project of taking inventory and sorting through the hundred of dusty books that were all mixed together in sacks and cardboard boxes. I separated them by subject and grade level. “Pole, pole” (slowly, slowly) I made a dent in the stacks upon stacks of books. These books will eventually be able to be a library for the students! Since I uncovered a surplus of text books in there, many teachers will be able to use these in their classes so this will also save the school money. What could have been painstakingly tedious and mundane in the dark and stuffy dumpster was not that way at all. I kept thinking about how wonderful of a resource it will be once it is organized and cleaned.
One part of life that has been difficult for me to grasp is the use of cell phones. The poorest of the poor have cell phones. Many land lines are no longer in existence. The homes on top of the hill where we are located do not even have the option of having a landline. About 2 years ago, the landline companies were unreliable because people used to steal the cables that connect the bottom to the top of the hill. The cables are valuable items to sell. They were phased out over time since the phones would only work 50% of the time. Also, the poor keep their phones since that is their only means of being contacted if work is available. Some homes with electricity charge 5 shillings to let people charge their cell phones for those that do not have the luxury of electricity. Hence, cell phone companies are thriving!
Two of the girls stopped by our house with a card for Julia. I went with them to play football (soccer) on the field. It was one of the most intense games I’ve ever played. I can honestly say this after playing on competitive teams from the age of 7-18. The hard ball we used was very worn out with the stitching for the seams no longer in existence. The field was solid dirt which did not phase anyone. Everyone wore their school shoes, flip flops, or went barefoot. No shin guards. No water breaks. And certainly, no orange slices at half time. These teams were relentless, competitive, and filled with raw talent. Knowing too well how so many boys and girls on Long Island spend hours upon hours with private trainers, special select teams, top of the line equipment, and so much money spent in the pursuit of becoming a better player. The boys and girls I played with today are much more talented without any instruction than so many people I have played with. If they are given any of the perks we have at home, their potential would be outstanding. Being around all the boys and girls for a few weeks, I am not surprised by how tough they are. The ball we played with was so hard it really hurt every time I kicked or headed it. Rather than complaining, if someone really felt the ball hitting them like a bullet, they would just laugh it off. No sympathy points in the football games.
I showered quickly and then went with Julia and Michelle to the Sister’s convent for our weekly Monday dinner. Mango and banana pancakes with potatoes and chicken sausage were on the menu for tonight. The sisters picked a bouquet of flowers and made a banner for Julia. We sand Happy Birthday and had cake #2. Before dinner, we said Grace and Sister Remea picked out a special reading that she read out to us with soft music playing in the background. This reading, which is often read at weddings or funerals, has always been special for me but has taken on a whole new meaning for me.
“Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, love is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the TRUTH. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. LOVE NEVER FAILS.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
This was very fitting for the time and place. I feel like I have joined the family at Our Lady of Grace. The love they have shown me is apparent in every second of every day. Love keeps belief, hope, and endurance alive. The interests of one person are the interests of another. Failing to believe in the truth is not even an option. The love here is selfless and invigorating. Whether it is in giving my teammate a high five after her goal, rocking one of the babies to sleep to give her mom a break, or encouraging one of the boys in class, I hope so much that what Julia and I are doing here is nurturing them in some way. It’s hard not knowing what I do or say will sink in and stick with them.
Sunday, June 27th -- Hippo Point!
Julia and I went to 7:30 am mass at Our Lady of Grace. Like always, the mass was very lively and upbeat even at such an early hour. The students do a terrific job of orchestrating the music. During the songs, everyone is waving their arms in the air and clapping to the beat of the bongos. A group of 6 girls are liturgical dancers on Sundays. The girls wore very pretty navy blue and gold sarongs. Mass is a bit longer here is Kenya, but everyone stays attentive even when they are dancing in their seats. During the masses and their days, there is a time for everything – whether its concentrating or rejoicing.
We came back to bake a two cakes for Julia’s birthday. One is for tonight and one is for tomorrow when we eat at the Sister’s convent. We did not realize how ambitious of a plan it would be. We made the cake without measuring cups so we resorted to our best estimates. Also, they do not sell icing in Kenya so we decided to use Nutella. The slight problem was that the super market did not have Nutella so we then chose chocolate peanut butter. To complicate things a little bit more, the peanut butter here is much more natural so it is not as delicious as Skippy! As you can guess, we probably looked like Lucy and Ethel trying to make this cake with the oven with the severely fading temperature gauge in Celsius.
Father Kevin, Sister Remea, Sister Alvera, Julia and I went to Hippo Point at Lake Victoria. On our drive there, we passed by the mud hut that Father Kevin and some of the older boys at the school built. It has an earth floor, sides made out of mud and stones with slim timber beams to support the hardened mud, and a modest tin roof. The two room house was built for a widow and her five children who suffer from the foot disease jiggers.
Lake Victoria is only 80 m deep but covers an area of 70,000 sq. km. It has shores on Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya. At Hippo Point, we took a small boti (boat) out to see the hippos. They only come up for two seconds as their eyes and ears emerge from underneath the water. In the middle of the night, they come to rest on the shore. The average kiboko (hippo) weighs 3 tons! We luckily caught a few quick glimpses of them just as it started to drizzle. Lake Victoria is the second largest fresh water lake in the world! From the boat, we could see a few impalas at their sanctuary. There were also beautiful canary yellow birds flying among their nests along with otters in the water.
The Lake is harmed by the water hyacinth plants that are especially apparent starting in December. Water hyacinth stifles the fishing industry. The plants tie themselves together to form huge mats. It is a big financial burden also since it is so costly to control. We also saw a shipment of sacks of coal from Uganda coming in by boat. The quality of coal from Uganda is very good. The Lake is a popular tourist spot. On our way back, we stopped at a market. My bargaining skills have improved since I was somehow able to talk my way into getting the best prices. Good news: our vanilla cake with chocolate peanut butter "frosting" and colored sprinkles was a big hit at dessert! Phew.
Julia’s blog is www.juliagoestokenya.blogspot.com.
We came back to bake a two cakes for Julia’s birthday. One is for tonight and one is for tomorrow when we eat at the Sister’s convent. We did not realize how ambitious of a plan it would be. We made the cake without measuring cups so we resorted to our best estimates. Also, they do not sell icing in Kenya so we decided to use Nutella. The slight problem was that the super market did not have Nutella so we then chose chocolate peanut butter. To complicate things a little bit more, the peanut butter here is much more natural so it is not as delicious as Skippy! As you can guess, we probably looked like Lucy and Ethel trying to make this cake with the oven with the severely fading temperature gauge in Celsius.
Father Kevin, Sister Remea, Sister Alvera, Julia and I went to Hippo Point at Lake Victoria. On our drive there, we passed by the mud hut that Father Kevin and some of the older boys at the school built. It has an earth floor, sides made out of mud and stones with slim timber beams to support the hardened mud, and a modest tin roof. The two room house was built for a widow and her five children who suffer from the foot disease jiggers.
Lake Victoria is only 80 m deep but covers an area of 70,000 sq. km. It has shores on Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya. At Hippo Point, we took a small boti (boat) out to see the hippos. They only come up for two seconds as their eyes and ears emerge from underneath the water. In the middle of the night, they come to rest on the shore. The average kiboko (hippo) weighs 3 tons! We luckily caught a few quick glimpses of them just as it started to drizzle. Lake Victoria is the second largest fresh water lake in the world! From the boat, we could see a few impalas at their sanctuary. There were also beautiful canary yellow birds flying among their nests along with otters in the water.
The Lake is harmed by the water hyacinth plants that are especially apparent starting in December. Water hyacinth stifles the fishing industry. The plants tie themselves together to form huge mats. It is a big financial burden also since it is so costly to control. We also saw a shipment of sacks of coal from Uganda coming in by boat. The quality of coal from Uganda is very good. The Lake is a popular tourist spot. On our way back, we stopped at a market. My bargaining skills have improved since I was somehow able to talk my way into getting the best prices. Good news: our vanilla cake with chocolate peanut butter "frosting" and colored sprinkles was a big hit at dessert! Phew.
Julia’s blog is www.juliagoestokenya.blogspot.com.
Saturday, June 26th
This morning I made French Toast and a cup of coffee after mastering the manual coffee pot. We went to school at 10:00 am when the children were on their cleaning hour. One of the maintenance men was cutting the grass using a humongous machete looking tool. He just took giant swings back and forth getting quite a workout. It made me think how often at home Americans take for granted the use of a lawn mower.
Julia and I went to the grocery store with the Sisters Alvera, MM, and Remea.
On Saturdays, 2:00 pm – 5:15 pm is strictly set aside for entertainment. They wait all week for this. Everyone gathers in the dining hall, clears the chairs to the sides, and lets loose! The African music is blasting and everyone is dancing non-stop. Those who aren’t dancing, are sitting around in a big circle clapping or stomping their feet to the beat. Each age group seems so have their niche. The older boys are the djs. I was dancing while holding one of the babies who was giggling the whole time. Then three of the girls insisted on braiding my hair.
After dinner, Julia and I setup and supervised the showing of the Disney movie, “The Princess and the Frog.” We turned the dining hall into a movie theatre just like last week. The projector that Sister Mary brought has been such a treat for all the students to facilitate them watching movies once a week. I hope that the US wins in their game tonight against Ghana!!! Everyone at the compound is split between cheering for the US and Ghana.
Julia and I went to the grocery store with the Sisters Alvera, MM, and Remea.
On Saturdays, 2:00 pm – 5:15 pm is strictly set aside for entertainment. They wait all week for this. Everyone gathers in the dining hall, clears the chairs to the sides, and lets loose! The African music is blasting and everyone is dancing non-stop. Those who aren’t dancing, are sitting around in a big circle clapping or stomping their feet to the beat. Each age group seems so have their niche. The older boys are the djs. I was dancing while holding one of the babies who was giggling the whole time. Then three of the girls insisted on braiding my hair.
After dinner, Julia and I setup and supervised the showing of the Disney movie, “The Princess and the Frog.” We turned the dining hall into a movie theatre just like last week. The projector that Sister Mary brought has been such a treat for all the students to facilitate them watching movies once a week. I hope that the US wins in their game tonight against Ghana!!! Everyone at the compound is split between cheering for the US and Ghana.
Friday, June 25th - Don't Sweat the Small Stuff
Today at school, I requested a list of the children who are either not yet sponsored or are no longer being sponsored. Bright, one of the women who works as part of the administrative team, is compiling that for me. I stopped by the babies rooms this morning to see them. One of the babies, Leon, has malaria but is already on medicine for it. Unlike many people who visit the country, many Kenyans do not take malaria medication. Once they are sick, they go to the hospital and are put on medicine then.
At lunch time, I started to read the book, “Nickel and Dimed” by Barbara Ehrenreich. It is a novel about how Ehrenreich leaves her somewhat normal life as a journalist to live in low-wage America. She leads a different life by working in Florida, Maine, and Minnesota working as a waitress, hotel maid, house cleaner, nursing-home aide, and Wal-Mart associate for about a month in each state.
On our way walking back to the school, Julia and I got caught in a downpour. Luckily, we had brought our rain jackets with us. The ground was wet from the rain earlier. I sunk into a big, hidden mud pile about 4 inches deep. Then, a huge truck flew by us on the highway and splashed us with mud! Ten seconds later we had to backtrack because a man was herding three of his cows down the tiny dirt path we were walking on. We had a very comical span of 10 minutes. As soon as we arrived at the school, the rain stopped. The children were all laughing hysterically at how we looked with my once yellow poncho covered in mud. You can’t sweat the small stuff.
At school, Julia and I watched the drama club perform a segment of their play from “Dreams of My Father” written by Obama. It was mostly Primary School students involved. They are such naturally talented singers, dancers, and overall performers. They have won awards for being one of the best groups out of all the Kenyan Primary Schools. I went with some of the girls to the field for “games and sports” time. We didn’t have any equipment to use so I decided to have a track practice with them. Together, we did drills, sprints, and an Indian run. They LOVED it! I’m hoping that I can start a running group with those who enjoy it especially for when they don’t have a soccer ball to use. They have speed, coordination, and awesome potential. Just as it was about to rain again, I walked the girls back to school. I quickly showered and then went to Vespers, dinner, and Compline. I’m happy that Julia finally was able to share her love of drama with the students and that I was able to coach the girls on some running techniques.
At lunch time, I started to read the book, “Nickel and Dimed” by Barbara Ehrenreich. It is a novel about how Ehrenreich leaves her somewhat normal life as a journalist to live in low-wage America. She leads a different life by working in Florida, Maine, and Minnesota working as a waitress, hotel maid, house cleaner, nursing-home aide, and Wal-Mart associate for about a month in each state.
On our way walking back to the school, Julia and I got caught in a downpour. Luckily, we had brought our rain jackets with us. The ground was wet from the rain earlier. I sunk into a big, hidden mud pile about 4 inches deep. Then, a huge truck flew by us on the highway and splashed us with mud! Ten seconds later we had to backtrack because a man was herding three of his cows down the tiny dirt path we were walking on. We had a very comical span of 10 minutes. As soon as we arrived at the school, the rain stopped. The children were all laughing hysterically at how we looked with my once yellow poncho covered in mud. You can’t sweat the small stuff.
At school, Julia and I watched the drama club perform a segment of their play from “Dreams of My Father” written by Obama. It was mostly Primary School students involved. They are such naturally talented singers, dancers, and overall performers. They have won awards for being one of the best groups out of all the Kenyan Primary Schools. I went with some of the girls to the field for “games and sports” time. We didn’t have any equipment to use so I decided to have a track practice with them. Together, we did drills, sprints, and an Indian run. They LOVED it! I’m hoping that I can start a running group with those who enjoy it especially for when they don’t have a soccer ball to use. They have speed, coordination, and awesome potential. Just as it was about to rain again, I walked the girls back to school. I quickly showered and then went to Vespers, dinner, and Compline. I’m happy that Julia finally was able to share her love of drama with the students and that I was able to coach the girls on some running techniques.
Thursday, June 24th -- Running!
Today I woke up at 6:30 am, and I went for a run outside of the compound and through a maize field! This adventurous run was exactly what I needed. Where we are in Kisumu is on the top of a hill so it is a little difficult to breathe while running. The path I took was down the dirt road that is covered in rocks which reminded me of when I ran cross-country in high school. I'm going to incorporate going for more runs into my routine. The weather here is very predictable. From about 7:00 am - 3:00 pm it is usually in the mid 80s to about 90 degrees. Then at around 3:00 or 4:00 pm, it will rain for about an hour. By night time it gets a little cooler.
I showered and had breakfast before going to school. At school, I helped out with the babies!!! I have been getting much closer with some of the older girls. Catherine, the mother of baby Shakira, is sick with malaria. I spent a lot of time in her room making sure she was okay and playing with Shakira. I also was with Marylynne who is Maxine's mother. I really enjoyed helping in this aspect today. The babies are recognizing me more and more each day.
Later on, I helped teach 11th grade English with Madame Jemima. We taught the class about conditional clauses and reviewed on of the books they have been reading. The students here have very good grammar and speak very well in English.
I showered and had breakfast before going to school. At school, I helped out with the babies!!! I have been getting much closer with some of the older girls. Catherine, the mother of baby Shakira, is sick with malaria. I spent a lot of time in her room making sure she was okay and playing with Shakira. I also was with Marylynne who is Maxine's mother. I really enjoyed helping in this aspect today. The babies are recognizing me more and more each day.
Later on, I helped teach 11th grade English with Madame Jemima. We taught the class about conditional clauses and reviewed on of the books they have been reading. The students here have very good grammar and speak very well in English.
Wednesday, June 23rd -- The Invitation
Many people have sent me motivational quotes and poems. Here is one that I really like a lot. Its called "The Invitation."
"It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.
It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for dreams, for the adventure of being alive.
It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain. I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it or fade it or fix it. I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own. If you can dance with wildness and let ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, be realistic, or remember the limitations of being a human.
It doesn't interest me if the story you're telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself. If you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul. I want to know if you can be faithful and therefore trustworthy. I want to know if you can see beauty even if it's not pretty everyday, and if you can source your life from God's presence. I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand on the edge of a lake and shout to the silver moon, "Yes!"
It doesn't interest me where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and despair, weary, bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done for the children.
It doesn't interest me who you are, how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back.
It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you from the inside, when all else falls away. I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments."
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Today I was thinking about how strong the women are here. They carry up to 20 liters of water in a basin on their head while carrying their baby in a papoose wrapped around their back. There is a tap of clean water outside the compound where the Friars and Sisters take turns supplying clean water to parts of the community. The women transport it back to their homes which are not always very close.
Another little fact…there are a ton of insects here. The mosquitoes we try to keep away to prevent malaria. I have been taking medicine to prevent malaria every day that I’ve been here. There are many geckos here that are about 4 or 5 inches long. They are harmless and eat the mosquitoes. In a strange way, its encouraged to disregard them if they’re in your house!
"It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.
It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for dreams, for the adventure of being alive.
It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain. I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it or fade it or fix it. I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own. If you can dance with wildness and let ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, be realistic, or remember the limitations of being a human.
It doesn't interest me if the story you're telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself. If you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul. I want to know if you can be faithful and therefore trustworthy. I want to know if you can see beauty even if it's not pretty everyday, and if you can source your life from God's presence. I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand on the edge of a lake and shout to the silver moon, "Yes!"
It doesn't interest me where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and despair, weary, bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done for the children.
It doesn't interest me who you are, how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back.
It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you from the inside, when all else falls away. I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments."
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Today I was thinking about how strong the women are here. They carry up to 20 liters of water in a basin on their head while carrying their baby in a papoose wrapped around their back. There is a tap of clean water outside the compound where the Friars and Sisters take turns supplying clean water to parts of the community. The women transport it back to their homes which are not always very close.
Another little fact…there are a ton of insects here. The mosquitoes we try to keep away to prevent malaria. I have been taking medicine to prevent malaria every day that I’ve been here. There are many geckos here that are about 4 or 5 inches long. They are harmless and eat the mosquitoes. In a strange way, its encouraged to disregard them if they’re in your house!
Tuesday, June 22nd
Today I woke up, showered, and went to 7:15 am mass. I had oatmeal with cinnamon after. I’ve been having cinnamon in my coffee instead of sugar and it is very good! Unfortunately, Julia and I locked ourselves out of our little house because the door locked behind us. We had to go through the collection of 20 spare keys in the house to see which one it was.
Once at school, we finished the assignment board we had started. I helped teach Madame Dorothy’s 10th grade English class. Today’s topic was pronunciation and adverbs. Then, I photographed the 12th grade girls who were taking their Provincial Exam in their Home Science class. Their exam was a culinary one that required them to prepare a meal of cabbage, tomatoes, potatoes, and red meat in one of the small huts. They cooked them on small coal, jiko stoves. It seems like a very practical class, and the girls that were being examined were working very diligently since they were placed under a time limit.
After lunch, I sampled the appetizing meal that the girls made and were extremely proud of. I was so happy to see them feel so accomplished. I took a trip with Sister Mary, Maria, and Julia into the city of Kisumu to run some errands and talk to some of the companies who supply food for the school. I purchased an internet modem and more time on the cell phone that Julia and I are sharing.
Also, we stopped at the chain grocery store called “Tuskys.” Although I consider myself a healthy eater at home, I have definitely eaten healthier than ever on this trip. I have a big sweet tooth and have not had any sweets since I left. Julia and I indulged ourselves a little and each bought a chocolate bar. My piece of Kenyan Cadbury Dark Chocolate hit the spot. After eating lots of ugali and secuma, I have been craving dark chocolate and red meat. Now I think I’ll be satisfied until I come home.
I’ve been motivated to keep reading when I get the chance to give my brain some exercise. Julia and I each brought a few books, and I have received some good recommendations of books to read since I’ve been here. We also started to do our own ab workout before bed every night.
Once at school, we finished the assignment board we had started. I helped teach Madame Dorothy’s 10th grade English class. Today’s topic was pronunciation and adverbs. Then, I photographed the 12th grade girls who were taking their Provincial Exam in their Home Science class. Their exam was a culinary one that required them to prepare a meal of cabbage, tomatoes, potatoes, and red meat in one of the small huts. They cooked them on small coal, jiko stoves. It seems like a very practical class, and the girls that were being examined were working very diligently since they were placed under a time limit.
After lunch, I sampled the appetizing meal that the girls made and were extremely proud of. I was so happy to see them feel so accomplished. I took a trip with Sister Mary, Maria, and Julia into the city of Kisumu to run some errands and talk to some of the companies who supply food for the school. I purchased an internet modem and more time on the cell phone that Julia and I are sharing.
Also, we stopped at the chain grocery store called “Tuskys.” Although I consider myself a healthy eater at home, I have definitely eaten healthier than ever on this trip. I have a big sweet tooth and have not had any sweets since I left. Julia and I indulged ourselves a little and each bought a chocolate bar. My piece of Kenyan Cadbury Dark Chocolate hit the spot. After eating lots of ugali and secuma, I have been craving dark chocolate and red meat. Now I think I’ll be satisfied until I come home.
I’ve been motivated to keep reading when I get the chance to give my brain some exercise. Julia and I each brought a few books, and I have received some good recommendations of books to read since I’ve been here. We also started to do our own ab workout before bed every night.
Monday, June 21st -- Asante Sana -- "Thank You"
I woke up at 6:15 am this morning, put in a load of laundry at 6:30 am, and then went to 7:15 am mass. I’m used to the early schedule now since I go to bed so early. I’m definitely more of a morning person. For breakfast I had oatmeal, a banana, and a cup of coffee. While waiting for my laundry to finish, I finished reading one of Julia’s books called “Female Nomad and Friends” by Rita Golden Gelman. It was a terrific collection of short stories about women traveling, learning, exploring, and taking risks. Each story is accompanied by a recipe that somehow relates to each cross-cultural experience.
I taught the 10th grade Business Studies class today in one of the outdoor huts. There are about 6 huts at the school that have straw roofs and no sides. Classes are held either in a classroom or in a hut. The lesson was about government interactions with businesses. Even though the governments in Kenya and the US are quite different, I focused on the commonalities that are most successful.
Julia and I created 2 posters for the new dishwashing system that specify which children will be washing and drying their dishes for each meal. This small implementation will hopefully foster responsibility, teamwork, and good hygiene. The Sisters invited Julia and me over for dinner at 6:30 pm. We hurried home after school to slice a pineapple to bring with us. I love that pineapples are very abundant here! We arrived early to help prepare dinner for the 6 of us. We had ice, wheat rolls, and a concoction of cooked squash, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, bananas, apples, onions, and cabbage. We peeled everything and then cooked it together. It was very healthy and delicious! Any type of fruit or vegetable here that has skin needs to be peeled off or washed with boiling water since the water is contaminated. To be safe, I always peel it off. I was very thankful that they invited us over to eat. We work together all day so it was great to relax and enjoy each others company.
Before we sat down to dinner, the Dominican Sisters, similar to the Friars, have a set of prayers that they say. One of the prayers said to “love without limit” and to “let yourself be rooted in holiness.” After the prayers, we reflected on those two lines. I know that I am already very attached to the children at the school and that while I am here I should not hold back at all with what I can help with. The people here have been so kind to me and shown me such love that I hope it can be a chain reaction of continuing to spread. I hope that the roots that have been planted here can transcend Our Lady of Grace School and educate those at home about the good work that is done here. After dinner, two of the askari (guards from the school) walked Julia and me back to our house.
I taught the 10th grade Business Studies class today in one of the outdoor huts. There are about 6 huts at the school that have straw roofs and no sides. Classes are held either in a classroom or in a hut. The lesson was about government interactions with businesses. Even though the governments in Kenya and the US are quite different, I focused on the commonalities that are most successful.
Julia and I created 2 posters for the new dishwashing system that specify which children will be washing and drying their dishes for each meal. This small implementation will hopefully foster responsibility, teamwork, and good hygiene. The Sisters invited Julia and me over for dinner at 6:30 pm. We hurried home after school to slice a pineapple to bring with us. I love that pineapples are very abundant here! We arrived early to help prepare dinner for the 6 of us. We had ice, wheat rolls, and a concoction of cooked squash, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, bananas, apples, onions, and cabbage. We peeled everything and then cooked it together. It was very healthy and delicious! Any type of fruit or vegetable here that has skin needs to be peeled off or washed with boiling water since the water is contaminated. To be safe, I always peel it off. I was very thankful that they invited us over to eat. We work together all day so it was great to relax and enjoy each others company.
Before we sat down to dinner, the Dominican Sisters, similar to the Friars, have a set of prayers that they say. One of the prayers said to “love without limit” and to “let yourself be rooted in holiness.” After the prayers, we reflected on those two lines. I know that I am already very attached to the children at the school and that while I am here I should not hold back at all with what I can help with. The people here have been so kind to me and shown me such love that I hope it can be a chain reaction of continuing to spread. I hope that the roots that have been planted here can transcend Our Lady of Grace School and educate those at home about the good work that is done here. After dinner, two of the askari (guards from the school) walked Julia and me back to our house.
Sunday, June 20th - Stay Curious
This morning I woke up at 6:00 am to take my first HOT shower in 13 days! Julia and I moved into the small house where the postulants were staying. We promised the Friars that we would make a big French Toast breakfast for everyone. I headed over to the kitchen around 7:15 am for breakfast to be served at 8:00 am. It was a BIG hit among all the novices and priests.
Later, we finished moving our belongings to the house and went to 10:00 am mass. After mass, there was an all day meeting for the members of the Dominican laity in the community. I met some more of the local members of the Church. I did my laundry and read almost all day. I finished my first book and am working on my second one. I was able to call home for Father’s Day. Luckily, Mom, Dad, Christine, and John had receptions from the cabana at the beach.
At dinner, Julia, Father Kevin, and I sat in the living room to eat and reflect so far on our trip. We plan to do this every Sunday. I feel relaxed and refreshed after our low-key day and ready to start a new week. My brain has been like a sponge lately. I’m trying to absorb as much of everything around me as I can. I need to stay curious and keep educating myself both now and when I get back home.
Later, we finished moving our belongings to the house and went to 10:00 am mass. After mass, there was an all day meeting for the members of the Dominican laity in the community. I met some more of the local members of the Church. I did my laundry and read almost all day. I finished my first book and am working on my second one. I was able to call home for Father’s Day. Luckily, Mom, Dad, Christine, and John had receptions from the cabana at the beach.
At dinner, Julia, Father Kevin, and I sat in the living room to eat and reflect so far on our trip. We plan to do this every Sunday. I feel relaxed and refreshed after our low-key day and ready to start a new week. My brain has been like a sponge lately. I’m trying to absorb as much of everything around me as I can. I need to stay curious and keep educating myself both now and when I get back home.
Saturday, June 19th
Saturday, June 19th
Today I went to 8:00 am mass at Our Lady of Grace. Mass was said by Father Martin. The children were in charge of the music. Every single child was singing loudly and clearly in Swahili along with using their bongo drums. I haven’t cried at all since I’ve been away, but I almost started crying out of being so touched at how talented the children are. Now more so than ever, I have seen how much of a family they truly are. Father Martin encouraged them to all be the best they can possibly be. He also reminded them to pray to Mary who will always be their Mother. With the family they all comprise at Our Lady of Grace, they will never be alone.
After lunch, I worked in the green house that was donated by an NGO. With the tremendous help of some of the older boys and some of the grounds workers, we raked the soil which had been infested with butterfly eggs and is not fertile the way it currently is. We raked and helped build 5 rows that are about 1 meter wide with room for proper irrigation through mini pipes. The rows will be used to plant watermelon, butternut squash, eggplant, and tomatoes. These crops will be used by the students so they will reap the results of their work. Today I was able to get to know more of the younger children better including Immanuel and Jasmine. Immanuel was born without any limbs in the area by Mt. Kilimanjaro. He participates in everything and amazes me with how he is able to compensate with almost every action. Many of the children were telling me what they want to be when they grow up! They plan to be everything from pilots to engineers to teachers etc.
At 2:00 pm, we setup their dining hall into a makeshift movie theatre for the Primary Students to watch Shrek. Julia and I taught ourselves some technological skills to use speakers, a projector, and dvd player to make this activity work. At first, we were not able to get the sound to work. However, the students were so entertained by the movie, even without sound, that they didn’t seem to mind. Eventually, we got it to work with the help of the older boys and Sister Mary! Without being asked, so many of the students are so graciously willing to pitch in with everything. After dinner, the Secondary Students watched Avatar.
Today I went to 8:00 am mass at Our Lady of Grace. Mass was said by Father Martin. The children were in charge of the music. Every single child was singing loudly and clearly in Swahili along with using their bongo drums. I haven’t cried at all since I’ve been away, but I almost started crying out of being so touched at how talented the children are. Now more so than ever, I have seen how much of a family they truly are. Father Martin encouraged them to all be the best they can possibly be. He also reminded them to pray to Mary who will always be their Mother. With the family they all comprise at Our Lady of Grace, they will never be alone.
After lunch, I worked in the green house that was donated by an NGO. With the tremendous help of some of the older boys and some of the grounds workers, we raked the soil which had been infested with butterfly eggs and is not fertile the way it currently is. We raked and helped build 5 rows that are about 1 meter wide with room for proper irrigation through mini pipes. The rows will be used to plant watermelon, butternut squash, eggplant, and tomatoes. These crops will be used by the students so they will reap the results of their work. Today I was able to get to know more of the younger children better including Immanuel and Jasmine. Immanuel was born without any limbs in the area by Mt. Kilimanjaro. He participates in everything and amazes me with how he is able to compensate with almost every action. Many of the children were telling me what they want to be when they grow up! They plan to be everything from pilots to engineers to teachers etc.
At 2:00 pm, we setup their dining hall into a makeshift movie theatre for the Primary Students to watch Shrek. Julia and I taught ourselves some technological skills to use speakers, a projector, and dvd player to make this activity work. At first, we were not able to get the sound to work. However, the students were so entertained by the movie, even without sound, that they didn’t seem to mind. Eventually, we got it to work with the help of the older boys and Sister Mary! Without being asked, so many of the students are so graciously willing to pitch in with everything. After dinner, the Secondary Students watched Avatar.
Friday, June 18th -- Don't say NO
Today I went to 7:15 am mass and then made French Toast for breakfast! It was a bit of a trial and error process, even making something so basic, because the old fashioned stove is either a giant flame or nothing at all. In the end, I added some cinnamon and it hit the spot :)
At school, Julia, Sister Mary, and I restructured the kitchen. We moved tables and cabinets while also creating a barrier out of a wooden plank and two wooden chairs. The kitchen will be more efficient now, and the barrier will help facilitate the organization when meals are distributed. The children will now line up alongside the barrier rather than all rushing up to be served at once. We put our minds together to be creative out of the resources we had.
Hygiene is a problem throughout Kenya and Africa. Many of the children share plates and cups and do not see the need for using any utensils. They share because they either lost the one they were given or they bring it home when they go home for holiday. It is too costly to keep distributed new ones because then some people will take advantage of the system. Julia and I made a rotating system where the students from 6th-12th grade will take turns washing and drying dishes and cups. Rather than have the children be responsible for their own and taking them back to their bed room, they will now all be stored in the kitchen. This will create some organization, allow them to share their chores together, and enable better hygiene because everything will be cleaned.
Today, Mary went to the hospital for what we thought was labor! She’s 16 and is 8 months pregnant. She was going to be at the hospital alone which is not as uncommon here as it is in the US. When I found this out, Julia and I instinctively volunteered to meet her at the hospital to be there with her while she was going through labor. In Kenyan, you are allowed to be with the mother throughout when she is having contractions, but only the doctors are allowed in the room for the actual birth of the baby. I put myself in her position, and I cannot even imagine how difficult it would be to go through that alone at any age. Just as we were about to leave, we received a phone call at the school that it was a false alarm! Later on when I was recalling the events of the day, I surprised myself at how I was less hesitant in the situation than I thought I would be. Since I’ve been here, I have been trying to accept every task as something that needs to be done without being too shocked about it. I've also been trying to embrace everything without saying "no" to any opportunity.
After school, I came back and read parts of “Lonely Planet’s Kenya” book from the small library on the compound. I learned that almost everyone is Kisumu has a last name that ends in “O” including Obama! For dinner, we had chappati which is a really delicious rolled up pita. I also had some avocado among other things. Following dinner, we went to Compline which has become a really nice way to end each day. Before going to bed, I quickly called Christine to talk with her on the phone for the first time since I’ve been gone!
At school, Julia, Sister Mary, and I restructured the kitchen. We moved tables and cabinets while also creating a barrier out of a wooden plank and two wooden chairs. The kitchen will be more efficient now, and the barrier will help facilitate the organization when meals are distributed. The children will now line up alongside the barrier rather than all rushing up to be served at once. We put our minds together to be creative out of the resources we had.
Hygiene is a problem throughout Kenya and Africa. Many of the children share plates and cups and do not see the need for using any utensils. They share because they either lost the one they were given or they bring it home when they go home for holiday. It is too costly to keep distributed new ones because then some people will take advantage of the system. Julia and I made a rotating system where the students from 6th-12th grade will take turns washing and drying dishes and cups. Rather than have the children be responsible for their own and taking them back to their bed room, they will now all be stored in the kitchen. This will create some organization, allow them to share their chores together, and enable better hygiene because everything will be cleaned.
Today, Mary went to the hospital for what we thought was labor! She’s 16 and is 8 months pregnant. She was going to be at the hospital alone which is not as uncommon here as it is in the US. When I found this out, Julia and I instinctively volunteered to meet her at the hospital to be there with her while she was going through labor. In Kenyan, you are allowed to be with the mother throughout when she is having contractions, but only the doctors are allowed in the room for the actual birth of the baby. I put myself in her position, and I cannot even imagine how difficult it would be to go through that alone at any age. Just as we were about to leave, we received a phone call at the school that it was a false alarm! Later on when I was recalling the events of the day, I surprised myself at how I was less hesitant in the situation than I thought I would be. Since I’ve been here, I have been trying to accept every task as something that needs to be done without being too shocked about it. I've also been trying to embrace everything without saying "no" to any opportunity.
After school, I came back and read parts of “Lonely Planet’s Kenya” book from the small library on the compound. I learned that almost everyone is Kisumu has a last name that ends in “O” including Obama! For dinner, we had chappati which is a really delicious rolled up pita. I also had some avocado among other things. Following dinner, we went to Compline which has become a really nice way to end each day. Before going to bed, I quickly called Christine to talk with her on the phone for the first time since I’ve been gone!
Thursday, June 17th - Stay Busy
Today I woke up, showered as quickly as possible, and had a banana and melon for breakfast. At the school, I took many pictures that will be used to revamp the current website for “Father Tom’s Kids” (the foundations for all of the students at Our Lady of Grace School and Orphanage). This morning, I met the matrons who live at the school to care for the children overnight. I also met the precious infants of some of the girls. These infants were absolutely adorable. I was so saddened though to know that they are very prone to illness because of the conditions they are in. Today happened to be a very buggy day out, and there were flies swarming some of the infants. Our Lady of Grace is such a comforting, amazing place where the children are so blessed by the many people who care for them. I really hope that I can help specifically the infant babies while I am here.
There are some language barriers between British English which the students are taught and American English. Two of the girls, Loreen and Iddah, who have found me every day I’ve been at the school walk around with the biggest smiles on their faces that I have ever seen. They asked me if I was married today because I had a ring on my finger. I laughed and then proceeded to explain that I had a claddagh ring on and not an engagement ring. I told them the meaning of a claddagh ring is broken down into three main parts of a crown, a heart, and two hands representing loyalty, love, and friendship. They really liked hearing about this Irish tradition. Some of the children were also mesmerized by my hair! Some of them have never seen blonde hair that has a much softer texture then theirs. They were all begging to braid it.
At 11:20 am, I taught the Business Studies class to Form 1 (9th grade). The topic for today was the different components and levels that comprise the office staff along with their duties. Rather than having them memorize the definitions in the book, I tried my best to logically explain the lesson and keep them interested. I compared an office staff to a football (soccer) team by explaining that every member from the goalies to the left forward to the substitutes on the bench have a vital role. In a similar way, a manager, secretary, and accountant are all important even though certain positions may be paid more or perceived higher than others. We also talked about business ethics and certain jobs they would like to earn one day. Overall, I think that it went well!
After lunch, I changed into my running shorts, a t-shirt, and sneakers to work in the shamba (field) where crops are grown to get rid of some of the weeds. After school, I went to one of the open fields down the street for “sports and games.” Julia and I taught everyone how to play PIG with the basketball and kickball. They, in turn, taught us how to play their favorite game called net ball by using a worn out soccer ball. We played these games with the older girls who are natural athletes. We all got some energy out after the long day. On the walk back to the compound, I walked by Margaret who cleans at the school. She was so surprised and appreciative that I remembered her name that she looked like she was about to cry. It struck me that something so simple can mean so much.
Just as I was about to shower, the light bulb went out! My shower in the dark with cold water was very quick. If this happened, I would usually be very annoyed and frustrated but the little, petty things that happen are not such a big deal. Now there is a big storm brewing outside with thunder, lightning, and what looks like is about to be a monsoon of rain! Today was really productive and busy which makes me feel like the presence of Julia and me here is meaningful.
There are some language barriers between British English which the students are taught and American English. Two of the girls, Loreen and Iddah, who have found me every day I’ve been at the school walk around with the biggest smiles on their faces that I have ever seen. They asked me if I was married today because I had a ring on my finger. I laughed and then proceeded to explain that I had a claddagh ring on and not an engagement ring. I told them the meaning of a claddagh ring is broken down into three main parts of a crown, a heart, and two hands representing loyalty, love, and friendship. They really liked hearing about this Irish tradition. Some of the children were also mesmerized by my hair! Some of them have never seen blonde hair that has a much softer texture then theirs. They were all begging to braid it.
At 11:20 am, I taught the Business Studies class to Form 1 (9th grade). The topic for today was the different components and levels that comprise the office staff along with their duties. Rather than having them memorize the definitions in the book, I tried my best to logically explain the lesson and keep them interested. I compared an office staff to a football (soccer) team by explaining that every member from the goalies to the left forward to the substitutes on the bench have a vital role. In a similar way, a manager, secretary, and accountant are all important even though certain positions may be paid more or perceived higher than others. We also talked about business ethics and certain jobs they would like to earn one day. Overall, I think that it went well!
After lunch, I changed into my running shorts, a t-shirt, and sneakers to work in the shamba (field) where crops are grown to get rid of some of the weeds. After school, I went to one of the open fields down the street for “sports and games.” Julia and I taught everyone how to play PIG with the basketball and kickball. They, in turn, taught us how to play their favorite game called net ball by using a worn out soccer ball. We played these games with the older girls who are natural athletes. We all got some energy out after the long day. On the walk back to the compound, I walked by Margaret who cleans at the school. She was so surprised and appreciative that I remembered her name that she looked like she was about to cry. It struck me that something so simple can mean so much.
Just as I was about to shower, the light bulb went out! My shower in the dark with cold water was very quick. If this happened, I would usually be very annoyed and frustrated but the little, petty things that happen are not such a big deal. Now there is a big storm brewing outside with thunder, lightning, and what looks like is about to be a monsoon of rain! Today was really productive and busy which makes me feel like the presence of Julia and me here is meaningful.
Wednesday, June 16th - Live and Learn
"Have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer" - Rilke
Today I went to morning mass at 7:15 am, and then I quickly had tea and a piece of bread for breakfast before walking to the school. I helped Maria, the accountant, formulate and structure the budget in a more organized way. We went through her spreadsheets to compile the actual rather than the estimated cost of sponsoring a child. Maria is a very charismatic person who is juggling being a mother, working full time, and attending a University to finish her degree. She is from Kenya, her husband is from Italy, and she has a 2 year old daughter. She is teaching me bits and pieces of Swahili! She has a difficult job because there are so many needs of the school. Every child, office, and project at the school could always use more funding since many people who have sponsored children in the past no longer can because of the events in the economy. Many exceptions are also made based on individual need.
Today, I wish that I was a millionaire to solve many of these problems with a quick fix. Even though quick fixes usually do not facilitate sustainable solutions, I could not help but thinking how precious simple things are that I took for granted before this trip…such as CLEAN water. Once back on the compound, Julia and I went to Vespers and then “recreation time” which occurs every Wednesday night from 6:30-7:00 pm. Being naive I assumed that “recreation time” implied playing basketball or some outdoor athletic activity; however, everyone gathered in the living room for soda , popcorn, and peanuts. It was still great but not what I had assumed. At dinner, we ate papaya. I learned tonight that papaya and periwinkle leaves are excellent remedies for healing! I am definitely learning as many new things every day as I can! I know that not everything I'm being exposed to has answers but I hope that with time they will come.
Today I went to morning mass at 7:15 am, and then I quickly had tea and a piece of bread for breakfast before walking to the school. I helped Maria, the accountant, formulate and structure the budget in a more organized way. We went through her spreadsheets to compile the actual rather than the estimated cost of sponsoring a child. Maria is a very charismatic person who is juggling being a mother, working full time, and attending a University to finish her degree. She is from Kenya, her husband is from Italy, and she has a 2 year old daughter. She is teaching me bits and pieces of Swahili! She has a difficult job because there are so many needs of the school. Every child, office, and project at the school could always use more funding since many people who have sponsored children in the past no longer can because of the events in the economy. Many exceptions are also made based on individual need.
Today, I wish that I was a millionaire to solve many of these problems with a quick fix. Even though quick fixes usually do not facilitate sustainable solutions, I could not help but thinking how precious simple things are that I took for granted before this trip…such as CLEAN water. Once back on the compound, Julia and I went to Vespers and then “recreation time” which occurs every Wednesday night from 6:30-7:00 pm. Being naive I assumed that “recreation time” implied playing basketball or some outdoor athletic activity; however, everyone gathered in the living room for soda , popcorn, and peanuts. It was still great but not what I had assumed. At dinner, we ate papaya. I learned tonight that papaya and periwinkle leaves are excellent remedies for healing! I am definitely learning as many new things every day as I can! I know that not everything I'm being exposed to has answers but I hope that with time they will come.
Tuesday, June 15th - 1st Day of Teaching
Today I walked to Our Lady of Grace School at 8:00 am. To get there, I just need to walk 10 minutes down a rocky street thats covered in red dirt and then about 100 yards down a main road. Its a safe walk, although when cars go by I need to be careful. Because there are so many massive potholes, cars normally swerve on and off the road to avoid getting a flat tire. "Lanes" are not really existent. Needless to say, I walk very far off the road. Before leaving the compound, I had tea and a type of fried dough.
I helped teach Literature to Form 3 (Grade 11) with Madame Dorothy who is also 21. We focused on poetry and taught the students how to identify hyperboles and similes. She was a recepient of Dominican funding since she was separated from her parents when she was a baby and is teaching at the school until August when she will return to her University. She is such a dynamic person, and she is ecstatic that Julia and I are here to help and be her friends. She often goes to the early mass in the morning too. She is the one of the most positive, upbeat girls I know despite having gone through so much hardship.
I also helped with Business Studies for Form 1 (Grade 9). All the students cheered for me when I walked in, and they then sang a welcome song with clapping and stamping their feet! Today they learned the importance of and how to differentiate different office supplies. It was a very hands-on lesson because we took them to the secretary's office to try out using a stapler, stapler remover, hole-puncher, paper cutter etc. At 11:00 am, there is a break between classes and the teachers all have Kenyan chai tea.
At 1:00 pm, we brought a student, Mary, to he tailoring school to get elastic put in her uniform skirt. because she is pregnant. The Dominicans have established a tailoring school down the street as a trade school for students who have difficulty with academics after secondary school.
Later on, we met with Sister Mary, the Dominican sister from the US, and the accountant, Maria, to realistically see how much it costs to sponsor a child for one year. Julia and I brainstormed ideas of how we can fundraise once we return to PC. Currently, not all of the costs are being covered. I am using the skills that I've learned in my Business classes at PC to help Maria create an accurate budget of expenditures.
Sister Mary took us to the garden that the school has to show us some projects we can do with the students on Saturdays or after school. The garden needs to be improved for it to be fertile for crops to grow. At dinner, we ate tilappia, sweet potatoes, and ugali before going to Compile. The dinner table was definitely a bit quieter tonight now that all the postulates have left. Rather than fitting around 2 large tables, we can all fit around 1 table now.
I helped teach Literature to Form 3 (Grade 11) with Madame Dorothy who is also 21. We focused on poetry and taught the students how to identify hyperboles and similes. She was a recepient of Dominican funding since she was separated from her parents when she was a baby and is teaching at the school until August when she will return to her University. She is such a dynamic person, and she is ecstatic that Julia and I are here to help and be her friends. She often goes to the early mass in the morning too. She is the one of the most positive, upbeat girls I know despite having gone through so much hardship.
I also helped with Business Studies for Form 1 (Grade 9). All the students cheered for me when I walked in, and they then sang a welcome song with clapping and stamping their feet! Today they learned the importance of and how to differentiate different office supplies. It was a very hands-on lesson because we took them to the secretary's office to try out using a stapler, stapler remover, hole-puncher, paper cutter etc. At 11:00 am, there is a break between classes and the teachers all have Kenyan chai tea.
At 1:00 pm, we brought a student, Mary, to he tailoring school to get elastic put in her uniform skirt. because she is pregnant. The Dominicans have established a tailoring school down the street as a trade school for students who have difficulty with academics after secondary school.
Later on, we met with Sister Mary, the Dominican sister from the US, and the accountant, Maria, to realistically see how much it costs to sponsor a child for one year. Julia and I brainstormed ideas of how we can fundraise once we return to PC. Currently, not all of the costs are being covered. I am using the skills that I've learned in my Business classes at PC to help Maria create an accurate budget of expenditures.
Sister Mary took us to the garden that the school has to show us some projects we can do with the students on Saturdays or after school. The garden needs to be improved for it to be fertile for crops to grow. At dinner, we ate tilappia, sweet potatoes, and ugali before going to Compile. The dinner table was definitely a bit quieter tonight now that all the postulates have left. Rather than fitting around 2 large tables, we can all fit around 1 table now.
Monday, June 14th
"When the majority realizes that the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace" -- Jimi Hendrix
This morning I woke up at 6:45 am and went to weekday mass which starts at 7:15 am. The chapel is 100 yards away from the room I'm staying in. Father Charles said mass and focused on the theme of "unconditional forgiveness." Forgiving others is not always an easy thing to do; however, it is an essential element to any family, friendship, or community. Peace cannot be reached without unconditional forgiveness.
After mass, I had breakfast which consisted of tea, a slice of pineapple, and an sliced avocado with balsamic vinegarette on this inside! I can guarantee that I have never had that for breakfast before. It was very good though. Its funny to me that at breakfast many people eat meat and vegetables like at any other meal.
After breakfast, we walked through town which is one small street right outside the compound. As we passed every single person, we waved and said "Jambo!" which is equivalent to their greeting. Many of the young children came up to us to shake our hands. The feeling of being welcomed into the town is amazing. We saw Our Lady of Grace School today which is where Julia and I will be volunteering for the next month. The school has 220 students among the nursery, primary, and secondary schools. There are children from newborns all the way up to about 20 years old. Mostly all of the students are orphans who have lost one or both parents. Many of the students live here for 10 months of the year and then if they have a home to go to, they will go there for 2 months. The students are supported by the "Father Tom's Kids" Foundation that involved people around the world who sponsor these students. The supportive group of Dominican brothers and sisters have really created a stable home and opportunity for many children who would not be so lucky. Recently, 3 Dominican sisters from the Philippines and 1 Dominican sister from the US came to work at the school.
Later on, we went into the city of Kisumu to buy a cell phone in the van with Father Kevin and two of the postulates. Finally, I can call home!! I went back to the school to talk with the principal about how I can be of most help. I will be helping teach a few classes in Literature and Business Studies along with aiding with other projects. The school day goes from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm followed by time for sports and games until 5:00 pm. After coming back to the compound, I attended Vespers, dinner, and Compline. Tomorrow the postulates, from Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique, and Angola, who are training to one day become priests will be leaving to go home for a month after they have been here for 4.5 months. They are a very lively bunch that have been fun to have around for the past few days. The stars outside are incredible. With the lack of lights around at night, the stars are more illuminated than ever.
This morning I woke up at 6:45 am and went to weekday mass which starts at 7:15 am. The chapel is 100 yards away from the room I'm staying in. Father Charles said mass and focused on the theme of "unconditional forgiveness." Forgiving others is not always an easy thing to do; however, it is an essential element to any family, friendship, or community. Peace cannot be reached without unconditional forgiveness.
After mass, I had breakfast which consisted of tea, a slice of pineapple, and an sliced avocado with balsamic vinegarette on this inside! I can guarantee that I have never had that for breakfast before. It was very good though. Its funny to me that at breakfast many people eat meat and vegetables like at any other meal.
After breakfast, we walked through town which is one small street right outside the compound. As we passed every single person, we waved and said "Jambo!" which is equivalent to their greeting. Many of the young children came up to us to shake our hands. The feeling of being welcomed into the town is amazing. We saw Our Lady of Grace School today which is where Julia and I will be volunteering for the next month. The school has 220 students among the nursery, primary, and secondary schools. There are children from newborns all the way up to about 20 years old. Mostly all of the students are orphans who have lost one or both parents. Many of the students live here for 10 months of the year and then if they have a home to go to, they will go there for 2 months. The students are supported by the "Father Tom's Kids" Foundation that involved people around the world who sponsor these students. The supportive group of Dominican brothers and sisters have really created a stable home and opportunity for many children who would not be so lucky. Recently, 3 Dominican sisters from the Philippines and 1 Dominican sister from the US came to work at the school.
Later on, we went into the city of Kisumu to buy a cell phone in the van with Father Kevin and two of the postulates. Finally, I can call home!! I went back to the school to talk with the principal about how I can be of most help. I will be helping teach a few classes in Literature and Business Studies along with aiding with other projects. The school day goes from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm followed by time for sports and games until 5:00 pm. After coming back to the compound, I attended Vespers, dinner, and Compline. Tomorrow the postulates, from Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique, and Angola, who are training to one day become priests will be leaving to go home for a month after they have been here for 4.5 months. They are a very lively bunch that have been fun to have around for the past few days. The stars outside are incredible. With the lack of lights around at night, the stars are more illuminated than ever.
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