Update

It does not seem quite possible, but 13 days from today I will be headed back to the United States. Until then, I still have things to do this week and then next week is the annual weeklong Summer Camp with all the children in our program.

Many new things have happened since I last wrote and yet not much is new at all. Here are some experiences I have had…both enjoyable and difficult:

1) Played many games with the kids at the Saturday Program…did a lot of running and now have grass stains from trying to tackle the children during a game of tag.
2) Assisted two caseworkers in telling/counseling a child that their mother had passed away the day before…the girl was 12.
3) Attended a party at one of the caseworker’s home to celebrate her graduating from an educational program in a month.
4) Went to a restaurant called ‘Carnivore’ and was treated to a burger, beer, and ostrich meatballs.
5) Wrote a song poking fun at the staff with Luke, to be performed in the upcoming week.
6) I ate cooked minnows for lunch last Friday. It was actually my second time eating them and enjoyed it so much I had 3 helpings.
7) Was taught how to make chapatti with the staff (it’s a delicious bread type thing).
8) I’ve worked on clearing viruses and updating two PC’s here and was reminded of why I own an apple.

9) I continued my search for statistical information without success.
10) Experienced some cultural differences:
a. ‘Right around the corner’ or ‘a few things’ means 1-2 miles away and 2-3 bags worth of stuff.
b. Many Kenyans believe that witches still exist.
c. MOST IMPORTANTLY: Kenyans share everything…and those with the least often share the most.
d. When Kenyan’s refer to something as ‘sweet’ it means it tastes good…not that it actually is sweet as what Americans are accustomed too.
e. Religion is life here…it is required curriculum in every class (it is weighted of the same importance as math, science, English, etc.).
f. Weight is not as sensitive here as it is in the states. For example, we were all sitting around a table and Peter made a staff member stand up in front of all the other staff and talked about how she is getting fatter since starting to work here. No one took it as an insult, and people just smiled and laughed about it…including the staff member (of course, Luke and I sat their with our mouths wide open staring in disbelief). So weight is viewed very different here. I have actually heard that people who weigh more are thought of as more affluent, so it’s a good thing to weigh more in Kenya.
11) Continued to enjoy the sights, sounds, and culture of Kenya.


Also, enjoy the random photos of staff and kids!