This typical welcome greeting (forget "Jambo"--say that and you're labeled a Mzungu (whitey) even more) pretty much sums up our first week here. It's been a fantastic seven days--busy, slightly tiring, and oh so much fun getting immersed into Kenyan life.
To bring you up to speed, my three comrades and I left Seattle on Tuesday night, arriving in Nairobi 26 hours later to start our two month deputation experience. Not knowing many details of what our surroundings would entail at Rafiki made our immersion experience into Kenya especially exciting.
There's so much to tell already, but this first post will focus on the PLACE:
Rafiki Foundation (a Christian organization that offers a home and on-site schooling for 97 Kenyan orphans) is 45 minutes outside of the center of Nairobi. We saw a dozen zebras in the first two minutes after leaving the airport as we passed the national gaming reserve--we are definitely in Africa.
Kenya is the most Westernized and developed nation in all of East Africa, and Kenyans are very proud of their progress. Our driver Kennedy beamed when showing off the super highway, which has barely been built thanks to the corruption of politics. Kenyan roads are full of potholes, and the further you leave town the more like a roller coaster it feels like--I kinda love it. Oh, and the driving here is pretty nutty. I respect anyone who drives in Kenya, because there were a dozen times our van was less than a foot away from other cars in traffic--merging is insane and we were THIS close to being t-boned by a bus. Plus we drove home from downtown during a thunderstorm; needless to say, I was having the time of my life in the front seat watching Kennedy swerve and maneuver.
Back to the Rafiki compound: It's pretty legit. It's a beautiful piece of land far enough away from the hub-bub of the Mwiki and Njiru villages down the road, but close enough to welcome 18 national staff and 100 local students during school terms. Rafiki includes 10 houses for the orphans, half a dozen buildings for school/ meals, and half a dozen buildings to house permanent mission staff and "mini-missionaries" like us.
First stop on our tour: "Wageni", the name of the house where my team and I stay, along with any other mini missionaries who will come these next two months. Not knowing what our living situation would be like, I was very impressed. It has 5 rooms, each with two bunks and their own full bathroom. A living space connects them all, with a kitchen, table, and couches; roughing it, we are not. It feels alot like the LBC staff lodge, actually.
The compound was originally the site of the Prez of Kenya's vacation home, "Kenyatta". The three story building houses the village directors, their offices, and a pleasant reception space.
Walk a little further and you will pass by one of the gardens that provides veggies for meals...
....and lots of fun trees that are home to African critters (sparrows, hyraxes, bush babies, oh my!)
....and lots of fun trees that are home to African critters (sparrows, hyraxes, bush babies, oh my!)
The 10 houses have ten kids and a Momma that lives with them (widows/single Christian Kenyan women who have come from various provinces to be compensated guardians to these kids). These houses surround a playfield where the kids often hang out and run around on their free time. The field is further encompassed by the school buildings, dinninghall, and football field. With gates, guards, and 12 foot walls, it feels completely safe to walk around--the walking path at sunrise and sunset is especially enjoyable.
Houses and field--note the many tires |
Outside Wageni looking towards the gate |
I'm excited to sightsee more of Kenya on the weekends, but I'll save those adventure stories for a later post. Next up, the PEOPLE.
3 comments:
Very, VERY cool. Keep on blogging, Emily! Thanks for the heads-up, we will erase "Jambo" from our vocabulary.
LOVE YOU!
AWESOME.
-Tim
So cool! Looking forward to more updates.
Your parents said that you're getting a lot of bug bites? Try and eat as much garlic as possible. The bugs hate it. I took garlic pills and didn't get a single one in Liberia.
Miss you!
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