My beautiful daughter who is coming to visit in November!

To the left here is Patrick, my interpreter for my Life Skills classes that I have in two primary schools. Actually the students (4th grade) do understand some of my English but it is very, very helpful having Patrick along to make sure they are getting the content of the lessons. We discussed STD's and Tuberculosis in this particular session. Remember, as I have mentioned before, you can have a wide age distribution in any class. Am sure there are at least 15 year olds in this 4th grade class.


The photo above and on the right shows sisal being dried. Since Kadzinuni is situated above and around a huge sisal plantation, the locals use the crop in many different ways. I am not sure if they purchase it from the plantation or if they harvest at night! But truthfully, many people have sisal plants around their own homes; I won't think the worst here. They use sisal as a heavy twine to repair things and make furniture, etc. Behind the sisal in the photo are two types of beans grown locally. They dry them for use during the dry season. The left hand photo is of a beautiful red starfish that can be found here.





Dear Friends;

I am not skilled at blogging - I see that my last entry has photos on top of one another and some cut off. What to do?? I am a disaster with this but won't give up just yet.

The photo above and to the right shows a solar cooker that I have purchased. Kenyan women, in rural areas, do all their cooking over a wood fire and then to make matters worse, they build that fire inside a mud hut with absolutely no ventilation. I show them the black soot on the walls and tell them "this is what your lungs now look like". But still, getting them to switch to a solar cooking method will be difficult if not impossible. Yes, it is hot and sunny here but once you put that solar cooker out, you realize how many clouds can pass over during the day! I will continue to try the cooker as I do know some people have had great success with it.

The photo above and to the left shows tobacco growing. Not many Kenyans smoke but enough to make growing the crop profitable and smokable! Is that a word?????

OK - enough for now. The monkeys are playing over head and the fishermen are out in full force. I am composing this blog at Pope's House which affords me a spot on a cliff over looking the beach. A beautiful day with a delightful ocean breeze.

Mary
PS By the way, heard Sarah Palin speaking in Reno ----heard this over the BBC. Are people really listening to her? She sounds pathetic here in Kenya. Wonder what Kenyans think of her. No one on the coast has heard of her!!