I will give you an idea of what my daily routine looks like for now. The sun rises over the Indian Ocean and I get up around 6:30 and have a great cup of coffee (coffee sent to me from Stellar Brew in Mammoth, it may have originally come from Kenya, who knows - have finally found great coffee I can purchase here). I fix breakfast on my trusty kerosene stove - clean up - and then head next door to the health clinic. I am currently assisting with weighing babies. People begin lining up on the clinic porch around 7am. The clinic serves the 20 villages in Kadzinuni, with a population of around 7000. If the day isn't busy, I wander around the villages meeting people or I wash my clothes (by hand in cold water) or I study more kiswahili. I have a Community Needs Assessment report to complete by the end of October and to be ready to turn into Peace Corps. So, I am beginning to think about getting started on that project. I take a vigorous walk from around 5 - 6:30 and then return home. The sun sets around 6:45 and since no one has electricity up here, it gets dark quickly. I fire up my kerosene lantern, cook dinner and then e-mail if my laptop battery is charged up. I read some and then call it a day!
I attended a Kenyan funeral this weekend and here are some photos. You can get a clear idea of what the houses look like from these photos. It was so weird at the funeral - some family members came in cars and they just drove right on the dirt paths ----there are no real roads, except the one to the health clinic. The 20 villages are just connected by foot paths. It is rather charming! Now at night I can hear traffic on the tarmac road below where I live. So when I go into Mombasa, I walk for about 1/2 hour downhill and then get a matatu. I will describe this mode of transportation another time, just let me say for now that they don't use seat belts in Kenay! Pray for me please!
Mary,
ReplyDeleteYeah! I finally got my password straighted out. So here I am -
What a big change you have made! It does sound like a real adventure though. I looked up the village on the web, and it says it is a nice tourist attraction. It must be miles down the paved road you talked about and not in your backyard. You are now truly living the "green" life. You will have many helpful hints for us when you get back. What do you cook over your candle stove?
I will run by the house and give you a report. I have been by the front and it looks nice, so I will go around the back. I see I have stayed up too late, so I will sent a note in the morning.
Miss you, Arlene