So – a week of ‘being tourists’.  So – here you have it – complete with lots of pictures – just like you requested!!

Week Three was spent mostly in Nairobi.  Thursday, the Refugee Learning Team returned to Canada and I moved on to play tourist for a few days as a way of introducing Craig to Kenya and as a warm-up to my arrival at Home of Grace in Kisii. Our friends Joel, Melanie and Katie were in Nairobi for ten days in November and paved the way for us, making contacts and scoping out the best sights.  A homestay with Dan and Edwina was number one on their list.

Craig with Tricie - Edwina and Dan's youngest

Dan is an amazing guy – a high energy, passionate person who, as director of Matibabu Foundation, is making a huge difference in the lives of people in his home area of Western Kenya.  His focus is on health care, education and teen girls – the vital combination for effective change.  Staying at his home was totally energizing – it is like a social enterprise hub with visitors coming in and out; fascinating people from around the country and the globe who have been swept up in Dan’s contagious vision.

Friday, I returned to Nairobi Chapel for a Good Friday worship service and took some time to consolidate what we had experienced with the learning team.  Craig arrived Friday evening – YAHOO!!! – loaded down with three full-to-bursting suitcases of books, pencils, toys and gifts to share with the children and staff of Home of Grace.  We spent a fairly lazy Easter weekend – Craig caught up on his sleep, we played endless games of cards with Dan and Edwina’s young boys and did some tourist shopping at the local mall.   We spent Easter morning again at Nairobi Chapel.  The music was fabulous and the message, filled with African anecdotes and illustrations!  There were were other visitors from Winnipeg and Australia – good thing – they each received gifts for having traveled the furthest – LIVE CHICKENS!!  (Only in Africa….!)  Dhotun met us for Easter lunch – it was great for Craig to get a chance to meet him.

Scott, from the learning team, is also staying in Kenya for several more months so joined Craig and I at Dan and Edwina’s and for most of our week’s activities.  (I think Scott was happy to have male company for a change!)  Monday, Sammy was our driver as we  visited the elephants at the elephant orphanage, checked out an amazing craft glass show-place and then shopped at Mazuri beads, a fair trade organization that employs more than 350 women.  It was a true tourist day – our driver even had safari hats for us to wear at the elephant sanctuary and we walked on a swinging bridge above a huge canyon.  Lindsay, one of the International Team missionaries joined us which added to the fun.

A visit to the Elephant Orphanage. This was featured a few months ago on David Suzuki's "The Nature of Things"

Am I ready to be a contestant on "Amazing Race"??

Tuesday we spent the day in KIbera, the world’s second largest slum.  We toured it with Padox, a new friend who is connected to Dan’s work.  Padox lives in Kibera with his wife and two children so we had the privilege of an  incredible close-up tour.  KIbera has a population of close to one million people – 80 percent children – living in temporary housing, ‘squatting’ on government land – or so the official story goes.  As such, it receives no services.  We stopped at Seeds Learning Academy – a free school for young children supported in part by GIVE International, a Waterloo-based NGO. We met Dora, a Kenyan doctor who left work at the prestigious Nairobi Hospital to serve the people of the slum.  She provides medical services to residents, whether they can pay or not, with no outside support, just occasional ‘angels’ who help with rent and medical supplies.  Our tour ended at the Victorious Youth Group that makes bone jewelry.  Our friends Joel, Melanie and Katie fell in love with their work when they were here in November and we picked up a box for them which they are selling in Canada.  They are not only providiing a market for this small enterprise but the profits are going to Home of Grace – everybody wins!!

The railway separates Kibera from the 'rest of the world'. On one side - water, schools, services - the other side - survival......

A young woman smiles from the door of her home.

View of Kibera

Scott, Padox and Craig

Scott's picture of Padox, outside Seeds Academy. Padox is the director here.

Dr. Dora - my new Kibera hero - is committed to serving the people of KIbera and does this at great personal sacrifice

Stringing beads to make bone jewelry necklaces. Kennedy says it takes about 20 minutes to create a necklace.

There is no doubt about it – Kibera is tough.  Spending a day there was brutal – filthy, smelly, needy – it was hard to understand how people who have to live there can keep going day after day.  In many ways it was even tougher than the refugee camp – people in Kibera are also waiting – waiting for a better life and, in spite of working hard, the road out seems long and extremely rocky.

Wednesday we said goodbye to Nairobi and headed to Nakuru for a short safari – a bit of a luxury before my time in Kisii and a huge contrast to the day in Kibera.  It was a beautiful drive through the Rift Valley – the scenery was exquisite.  Our driver suggested we stop at Lake Navaisha on the way – are we ever glad we did!!  A boat safari to see hippos, a walk amongst giraffes and zebras – it was heavenly…..  Then a luxurious tent-style hotel inside the Natiobnal Park grounds surrounded by the beauty of Lake Nakuru and the surrounding hills – we were being totally spoiled.

Yuo - those are hippos!

A little bit of heaven!

Being a tourist is hard work!!

There you have it – the end of week 3.  Stay tuned to hear about Thursday’s safari and our arrival in Kisii – my ‘real’ destination.  The first three weeks were, in many ways, only a prelude……
Until the next time,
Cathy

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