White men CAN bloody well jump

Some of the pride's women, lazy after a successful hunt the night before.  They've earned the right to laze around.

Game Drive

Mean, evil vultures consuming the last of a wildebeest

This morning we went out on an early game drive.  Apparently it was a lion day.  There was a pride of lions, all lazy from a recent kill, lolling around near a little ravine.  Even though the kill had only happened the night before, it was incredible to see the degree to which the bones of the unlucky victim had been picked clean.  When we drove by, there was a substantial flock of vultures fighting over the final scraps.  It’s the circle of life, and it moves us all.  Still, the circle of life really sucks for that wildebeest.  

The Masai

The lady-Mzungus join in a song and dance with the
Masai women. No, they weren't singing 'Ebony and Ivory'

The Masai people who live in this region have a rich culture.  They are generally thin and tall, dressed in brightly coloured garb (according to tradition, red must be a predominant colour), with plenty of beads and bright adornments.  They stretch their earlobes, and sometimes old men will hook the hanging loops of skin over the top of their ears to keep them out of the way.  They are inextricably linked to their cattle - as a food source and an currency system.  They drink milk and cow’s blood, and occasionally eat beef.  Up until very recently, vegetables or grains have not been a part of their diet at all.  Their society is extremely patriarchal; the men exert control over the community, and usually marry more than one woman.  The women cook, clean, look after the children, and build the cow dung homes they live in.  There is a strong tradition of dowry - depending on the girl, several cows could be paid by a man for a new wife.

The cattle door in a Masai cow-dung hut

The Masai live in small villages, based around a family unit.  They build a corral in the centre of the village for the cattle, and the cow dung huts are arranged around it.  The huts are dark, with low ceilings and little airflow - claustrophobic.  There is a small pen built into each hut for new calves to sleep before they are strong enough to join the herd for the night.  With my Canadian sensibilities, it was hard to see how there is any upside to these huts - it was not a pleasant experience visiting one.  It was hot, smelled bad, and was riddled with insects.  I can imagine major health repercussions from sleeping and cooking in such a dwelling.  But I suppose that they have always been the only option for shelter, given the lack of trees here.  

The Masai are smart in their dealings with the Mzungus - they will gladly show you their village and teach you all about their culture - for a small fee.  And while you are there, they will offer handcrafts for a good price.  They have realized that they have something of a tourist attraction and they take advantage of that to make some extra coin.

Vertical

Andrew The Duke Wiebe dominating the Masai Warriors

Okay, so ever since I joined the rest of the Canadians here on this trip, I’ve been recognized as the group’s athlete.  I think that they can all see my natural physical abilities, and as a consequence, I am basically the lion hunter of this tribe.  They look to my prowess when strength and coordination are called for.  So of course I was an obvious choice when we were presented with a challenge from the Masai warriors.  In the Masai tradition, the men compete with each other by jumping. They sing and jump repeatedly from a standing position in time to the music.  The higher the jumper, the more respected he is in the village.  In fact, the warrior with the highest vertical can pick any wife he wants and does not have to pay dowry for her.  The boys start practicing very early, so that when they grow into tall Masai warriors, they may have a chance to Be The One.  Imagine their surprise then, when, having been chosen by the group to represent the Canadians, I laid the smackdown and outleaped all those lion hunters!  Booyah!  Asante Sana.

Irbaan School

Headmaster Jeremiah introduces the very accomplished
music teacher, whose students had treated us to
an incredible display of talent

There are a number of A Better World schools in the Masai, but my itinerary only had me visiting one.  Another example of a mature ABW project, Irbaan school is truly remarkable when you look at the slatwall hut that the teachers first began holding classes and living in.  When ABW first came on the scene here, they were so impressed by the dedication of Jeremiah, the head teacher, and one other teacher, that they knew they could build a successful future here.  If someone believes strongly enough in a community to live and work under those conditions, especially when their education means there are other options, then creating a great school is simple.  The infrastructure - buildings, wells, trees, fences, gardens, desks, school supplies, bunks - is easy, it’s the quality of people that is difficult.  I believe that Jeremiah is a big reason why Irbaan is successful.

The Canadian flag raised at
 Irbaan School to honour the guests

That said, there are still problems at this school.  Part of the student body boards here, which is very important because the Masai are still nomadic.  The girls’ dorms are great - housing approximately 75 girls, with a protected yard and latrines.  The boys, however, are crammed into a classroom - two to a bunk sometimes in order to accommodate.  There is also a problem with elephants.  They often prevent the students from going to school, and the garden is vulnerable.  The big brutes have also eaten almost every shade tree the school has attempted to plant.  The school needs a boy’s dorm, and a fence around the perimeter.  The community has agreed to supply fence posts - three per parent - and dig the holes, but they need help with the wire and the construction.  As usual, they also need lots of help with the garden.  Rob was able to consult on this garden too, but there is just not a rich history of agriculture here to draw on, and they’ll need a lot of help going into the future.  

Environmental Challenges

One of the macro problems here on the Masai Mara is over-grazing.  This is a complex, multi-faceted issue (as so many are here), but the long and short of it is that due to their reliance on cattle to express wealth, the Masai are extremely hesitant to limit herd size.  Also, because schools and other modern amenities have made it more advantageous to remain in one area rather that roam to the Serengeti and back, the herds are beginning to stay here all year rather than chase the water and good grazing.  As a grand result, the land is over-grazed in the extreme.  The plant-to-animal ratio is all screwy.  Erosion is a problem, because plants can’t get a decent start before they are consumed by livestock.  The cows are skinny here (the only place in Kenya I have witnessed that problem) and it’s painfully obvious that they are malnourished.  The sad irony to this situation is that the Masai’s herd culture may end up bestowing poverty upon them rather than wealth.  Yet again, I must stress that the only clear way to deal with this problem is to make sure that the next generation has access to good education.  These schools are so important to the future because, by definition, they are not aid; it is our hope that they are the conduit through which Kenyans better their own country, with their own people and their own resources and their own ideas.  That simply will not happen if they can’t read or write.   

Comeaus

We were met by Ray and Deryl Comeau at Fig Tree Camp.  The Comeaus have a practice in Sylvan Lake, and they have been coming to Africa to run clinics here for five years.  They’ve put an immense amount of time and effort into these trips each year to help the sickest of the sick in areas with very little healthcare support.  They will be joined by dentists, imaging technicians, and med students, all from Central Alberta, next week to do a two-week circuit of some of ABW’s schools.  They also have a strong focus on health education; rather than just treating illness, they investigate the cause of the disease and help the community to understand ways to prevent it from reoccurring.  They also train nurses and doctors throughout Kenya - usually a local doc or two will join them in the clinics to learn.  

Unfortunately, like most of Africa, Kenya’s life expectancy has been steadily decreasing over the last ten years.  HIV, malaria, and TB are wreaking havoc here.  One of the Comeau’s efforts is to use local health workers to track the spread of these diseases.  Generally, the most at-risk populations are less educated and poorer than the norm.

Since they have been coming, Deryl says the results have not been fast, but they are encouraging nonetheless.

A Cheetah lazily watches the safari van

Serengeti

On today’s game drive, we crossed the border into Tanzania to visit the Serengeti.  Along the way, we were treated to elephants, huge herds of wildebeest and zebra, a cheetah, elans, impalas, and the graceful, majestic guinea fowl.  My dad is in love with guinea fowl.  He keeps threatening to strip naked and run wild across the Serengeti with the flock of guinea fowl, never to return.  Rob and I just wish he would already.

The girls’ van managed to get stuck again on this trip - this time within 100 yards of three ravenous lions.  I kid you not, they were out behind the van pushing while the lions, curious, watched for a few moments before bolting in the opposite direction.  It was a little tense.

One of the thousands that didn't make it.

We visited the Mara river that was crossed by the animals during the great migration a few weeks ago.  The water was riddled with the bodies of wildebeest that were trampled or drowned during the crossing.  Thousands of carcasses in the water made for an unpleasant experience anytime we were downwind, but it was amazing to see the unfortunate results from the massive migration.

Yeah, just another day on the Masai Mara

Travel Day

The Masai Mara

Travel Day

Today is a travel day - six hours south on rough roads to the Masai Mara.  On the border with Tanzania, this home to the highest number and most variety of animals in Kenya.  One of the natural wonders of the world is the great migration that happens twice a year - six million animals move from the Serengeti in Tanzania to the Masai Mara each July, and then return each October.  This is what I imagined Africa would look like: great, wide open grasslands interrupted only occasionally by Acacia trees and looming rocks.  A dark rainstorm in the distance, a warm breeze blowing across the savanna, the big, boastful sky overhead.  This environment is magical.

Flat tire in the middle of the African Tundra

We travelled in a convoy of seven vans, single-file down the punishing trail.  At one point, driving over an area with sharp rocks, we realized one of the rear tires was flat.  We were the last van in the convoy, and the others were all far ahead.  It was hot, dusty, and deserted; there was no cell signal.  We unloaded the luggage and pulled out the spare tire.  The jack was old and stripped, so we had to improvise a tool to get the van jacked up.  A man in an ancient Toyota pickup stopped to help, but realized immediately that he too had a flat tire.  What a hot mess.  We felt like Walt and Jesse trickle charging the battery in the New Mexico desert.  

Shortly after we caught up to the convoy, the driver of Van 2, carrying Dutch and Pat, and three excitable, energetic gals - Beth, Elise, Christina, decided to deviate from the road and head out into the mud.  That decision had dire consequences.  Within 30 seconds, they were stuck fast.  Luckily we pulled up in time to watch the trio, barefoot and ankle-deep in the sticky mud, pushing the van from the clutches of the earth.  They pushed and pushed, while everyone else in the group laughingly cheered them on and watched from the dry road.  Chivalry apparently is truly dead.  

The girls now bear a deep grudge, particularly against Rob and Rick.  Apparently forgiveness is dead too.

What started the feud

We arrived at the sprawling Fig Tree Camp in the early evening.  We are staying in tents along a muddy river populated by hippos and crocodiles.  Dad, Rob and I decided to go for a quick swim in the pool before dinner.  We were sitting there at the pool, with a few members of our group, having our daily Tusker, when the usual mzungu chatter suddenly went very quiet.  A massive mamma baboon had sauntered into the pool area.  I don’t like baboons; I’m not sure why God created them - they are ugly, poorly behaved, vile mammals with no sense of class.  Not an animal you want to run into when you’re weaponless and bare-chested.  We all watched, dead quiet, as she trotted past round the pool and away down the path.  There was a moment’s pause, while we pulled our jaws closed, then relieved, strained, ‘I wasn't afraid’ laughter.

Kipringwe, Ringa, and Table Banking

Workers harvesting tea near Kericho

Agriculturalist

This morning, Rick, Rob and Joseph interviewed a candidate for a new position with A Better World.  Joseph, who is a board member of ABW, holds a PhD in Agriculture from U of A, and was born and raised in Kenya, is an soft-spoken, intelligent man who contributes greatly to ABW and it’s projects.  The new position that they were interviewing for would essentially be an agricultural consultant on the ground in Kenya.  He would be responsible for establishing and overseeing gardens at all ABW’s projects.  This is something that is difficult to manage from Canada, and requires a specialized skill-set.  Up to this point, the gardens that are established have had varied results because of a lack of direct oversight here in Kenya.  The goal is to first provide one meal a day to all school children in each facility, and then, in addition to the food program, move towards commercial viability (selling the crops to return profit to the school).  Joseph and Rob were optimistic about the candidate (Richard) so I think an exciting future awaits for food production on-site of every school.

Kipringwe

The view from Kipringwe school

We headed up a steep, ridiculously bad road into another ABW school this morning: Kipringwe.  This school was built about five years ago by Carpet Colour Centre and HJ Cody High School in Sylvan Lake.  It located in probably the most beautiful area I’ve seen yet in Kenya.  It is perched high on a ridge overlooking rural pasture and forest.  The soil is deep red, there are stands of banana trees and fields of maize, and makeshift barbwire fences, picturesque in their own way, haphazardly cut across the landscape.  There is an abundance of life here, the cattle is fat and healthy, the land is green and lush. As we moved slowly up the unforgiving road, people on their way home from church stopped to stare, obviously unaccustomed to visitors.

Rick inspecting some new metal roofing at Kipringwe

The school is in sore need of renovations: the metal roofing was badly rusted, much of the paint was severely faded, and the walls were covered in mud from years of use.  There are currently six hundred students attending Kipringwe and only nine teachers!  Five additional teachers, who were supposed to be paid by the community, have walked off the job.  The parents have not come through on the payment in three months.  Rick made arrangements to have the roof replaced and we are in the process of specifying paint for the walls.

One thing Kipringwe has going for it - a huge plot of land for gardening.  The land is so fertile, crops should flourish here and produce regular harvests for the school.  We are hoping too (no one more so than driver Charles) that the road will be improved in the next year as promised.

Some kids at Kipringwe

Ringa

Another grand opening took place today at Ringa school in the countryside about an hour southeast of Kericho.  This is a long-established project for ABW, but they’ve just opened another set of classrooms.  The funds were provided by Julie from ABW and Don and Glenna, a great couple who had decided to forgo gifts at their wedding to have guests give money to the building of the classrooms.  Again, there were lots of speeches (Kenyans love long speeches), singing, dancing, poetry, recitations, and even a bit of drama.  It was Sunday and raining, but there was probably close to a thousand people to there to welcome us and thank us for the new school.  The parents of the students pushed the Canadian’s collective comfort level a little by getting everyone up to dance as they bestowed gifts upon us.  Eric, decked out in a leso (a kind of scarf), a hat, and carrying a cow hair fly swatter, bore a striking resemblance to Mahatma Ghandi.  He danced just like I imagine Ghandi would have danced.  

Kipringwe

Politics

One of the interesting developments since the last elections here in Kenya, is that two of A Better World’s project managers here were elected into parliament.  It is a great platform to base a campaign on because these guys travel all over their district, and have regular contact with many people who later become voters and constituents.  They have also shown a grassroots commitment to the community through the good work that ABW does.  One of the new MPs, Joseph Limo, was at Ringa to dedicate the new classrooms.  He now has some influence in Kenyan politics, which can only mean good things for A Better World’s efforts to raise the level of education in the remote regions of Kenya.  Already, through his influence, the government has adopted nationally a ABW initiative called Table Banking.

Table Banking

We ended the day by meeting with Joseph’s wife, Beatrice Limo, about Table Banking.  This is an innovative approach to microloan financing to help kickstart business in rural Kenya.  Without going into too much detail, the system allows people who would otherwise not qualify for a bank loan due to unaffordable interest rates or lack of collateral to join other like-minded business people to self-fund ventures.  In simple terms, the process uses seed money, and money raised through contributions from members of the table, to build a insured pool to draw from for business loans.  One of the best attributes of this system is the built-in accountability to the community.  I was very excited to learn of the program, because there is such massive potential here.  The contributions made, while enabling small business and agriculture - two proven wealth generators, are not aid; the contributions are an investment into Kenya and a vote of confidence in the ability of Kenyans to build successful businesses.  The proverbial hand-up in place of the hand-out.

Two Orphanages

St Ann’s

Tilesetter working on the
washrooms at St Ann's

Today we visited St. Ann’s orphanage in Nakuru.  A Better World has been helping at this orphanage ever since the post-election troubles in 2007.  At that time, Eric was here.  Nakuru was engulfed in the violence and, as a result, there were many orphaned or abandoned kids.  He was trying to relocate these children to safe places, and subsequently met Irene, who ran a small orphanage in Nakuru.  Despite the good it was doing keeping a number of kids off the street and caring for babies, the orphanage was facing eviction.  They had some land outside of town, but no funds to build.  At that time, an organisation called With My Own Two Hands (http://www.withmyown2hands.org) raised the funds needed to build a facility on the land.  It looks great - a clean, airy building with lots of room.  However, the work is not complete: there is still work to be done here - plumbing fixtures, tiles, a kitchen.  ABW has recently completed the construction of a school on the premises - two early childhood development classrooms and some washrooms.

It was a real joy to listen to the children perform some rehearsed songs for us.  Some of the gals in our group sang and danced with the kids for a good part of the afternoon.  We toured the new school, where some guys were setting tiles in the bathrooms.  The work they were doing needed improvement - the walls and floors weren’t levelled, they were leaving voids under the tile, and the tiles were butted without grout joints.  I spent some time talking to the guys, showing them photos of tile work on my phone, and describing the steps.  Hopefully these guys will take some advice and modify their process.  Really, it will be a lot easier for them, and they’ll provide a much better end product.

 

       

Next, we accompanied the children from the school back to the main residence, where we gave them some toys - dolls, books, soccer balls and footballs, and we watched for a while that jubilant chaos that is only produced by happy children.  Soon, we said goodbye to the kids and headed into town for the night.

A note about these kids: it is hard to visit an orphanage and keep your heart in the same state as when you arrived.  The kids here are each so precious and loving and in need of love.  They have each been through a cataclysm of some sort, whether they remember it or not, and that is always in the back of your head as you interact with them.  And yet, these kids are alive: the amount of joy and contentedness and connection they express to their world would see or raise any kid from anywhere.

2007 Election Troubles

Eric shared with us another story about the horrible period immediately following the 2007 election.  As I’ve said, he was in Nakuru when the violence broke out.  Many people, fleeing their homes, ended up in the stadium here.  Eric had only been planning on staying for a week or so, but when the political situation here went sideways, he decided to stay to help.  He and another ABW partner, Ray, went down to to the stadium to find thousands of people, most of them with nothing, camped out.  They were concerned, in particular, for the many pregnant women, some of them about to give birth.  Over the next few days, driver Charles ran a baby delivery service - transporting women in labour from the stadium to the hospital.  Because Eric had only planned on staying a week, he didn’t have the funds to help with the tragedy here.  The numbers of people taking refuge in the stadium kept growing, and they were in great need of provisions.  Out of desperation, Eric walked into a mattress store, owned by an Indian family.  He told them that he needed mattresses and other provisions, but that he had no money.  So, he asked them point blank for $10,000 in credit.  They agreed without hesitation.  I can’t imagine having someone from another country walking into my store in Red Deer and boldly asking for a float of $10,000.

A pair of BWCs stare menacingly at the boatload of mzungus

B.W.C.’s

On the way to St Ann’s, Eric surprised us with a stop at Lake Naivasha, a known hippopotamus hangout.  We were ushered into small boats and we pushed off into the murky waters.  It was a little intimidating at first, because the lake had risen and flooded the forest, and the surface of the water was hidden by a choking layer of intrusive weeds.  Somewhere down there lurked bloated water cows who have been responsible for more deaths in Africa than lions.  I didn’t want to be killed by a bloated water cow.  Not one bit.

Thankfully, I wasn’t.  

Lake Navaisha

EAMO

The East Africa Mission Orphanage is the most developed, functional facility in ABW’s Kenyan project roster.  It is beautiful here.  The property is a large, well-treed compound with flowers and gardens and large, well-constructed buildings.  After many of the other schools, this place is luxurious.

The boys dorm

There are two hundred orphans housed here.  Ralph and his wife, the Australian couple who started this place, came to Kenya with their children 16 years ago with a humanitarian purpose.  They had been in Kenya for a year or so, and had tried to start a feeding program for street children.  It largely failed - if kids are cared for on the street, then they’ll go to the street.  They decided to foster a child, and ended up with two.  From there, it grew and grew.  Soon, this family had 55 foster children living with them in their house!  Ralph began to look for a larger property.  He found a large house and property for sale that was built by a local politician.  He went to the man with an offer - Ralph proposed that he move in immediately, pay rent for a year, and at the end of the year, he would have the funds to pay for the house.  The politician agreed, and the big group moved onto the new property.  After a year, Ralph didn’t have the money, but the politician was understanding and granted him a six month extension.  After that, Ralph still didn’t have enough money; this time, when the seller came back, he was less understanding - he brought another buyer.  Ralph laid it all on the line: he told the man that he could come back in a week, that God would provide the money, and if He didn’t, then the whole crew would move out and the politician would have the house back.  Amazingly enough, that week a number of donors came through, and $260,000 - the price of the property - was raised.

Eric and Rick survey the work on the new
Kenyan Collicutt Centre

The facility to accommodate 200 orphans and 30 staff is understandably huge.  There is a large, open-air dining hall donated by the Collicutt family.  This is Kenya’s very own Collicutt Centre!!  There is a modern boy’s dorm building built by the Loxdale family that also serves as the chapel.  There is a large garden, school rooms, a nursery, latrines, a playground, and many outbuildings.  The compound is sprawling, but well organised.  The kids were in class when we arrived, and we had a few minutes to explore.  Then we went to church.  It was Saturday, and this is a Seventh Day Adventist orphanage, so we participated in a wonderful service with the kids.  Let me tell you, these kids can sing!  The African call-and-response style, coupled with the extraordinary projection from some little bodies made it an emotional experience.  Singing Amazing Grace and How Great Thou Art together with all these children was a highlight of the trip for me.

Some of the boys
at EAMO

Classes in session at EAMO

Afterwards, I hung out with a few of the boys - we toured the grounds, jammed on guitar, and ate lunch together.  These boys are well-behaved, articulate, and they look out for one another.  They ask questions, and engage in conversation.  At one point I had a large crowd around as I showed videos on my phone of my kids skiing; that was a big hit.  All in all, I was sincerely impressed by the children - they were healthy, bright, joyful, and engaged.  I came away feeling hopeful.

Tea Country

As we continued northwest and kept climbing to higher elevations, the air grew cooler, and the landscape changed.  Our stop for the next two nights is the town of Kericho, right in the heart of tea country.  There are tea fields all around us, watered regularly by the plentiful rain, and there are pine forests on the hills.  The land is lush and productive.  In some ways, it reminds me of Vancouver Island.  What a contrast from Lodwar, a few hundred kilometres north.  Over the course of this 300 kilometre stretch of highway, A Better World has built a school every 50 kilometres; each school has been paid for and is being supervised and supported on an ongoing basis by a Central Alberta individual or organisation.  

The tea farms are huge here - mainly owned by multinational corporations like unilever and lipton.  Much of the world’s tea supply comes from these this area.  Unfortunately, the field workers are paid very poorly - about $150 a month, which is not sufficient for much more than the bare basics.  Most of these workers are not educated, and the big corps hope to keep it that way.  An uneducated workforce is an inexpensive workforce.  

Turkana Education Centre Grand Opening

Grand Opening Ceremony

Last night it dropped to a cool 28 degrees Celsius here in Lodwar.  It was probably an additional 5 degrees warmer in our room.  Every surface is hot - the bed, the floor, the toilet.  To make matters worse, the mosquito net managed to block most of the airflow from the ceiling fan!  Yowza!  This born-and-bred Canadian was warm!  Today it is 39 degrees in the shade.  The forecast is the same: 39 degrees day-in and day-out.  I asked our driver what the temperature during different seasons.  He said, “39 degrees”.  Oh well, it could be worse.  It could be snowing.  HA!

There is a contingent of the US Army staying here at the Diocese.  They are here helping with animal care and distributing medicine and food.  We chatted with a couple of the soldiers for a few minutes, and I was really impressed by the work that they do.

We stocked up the kitchen storage for school lunches

Today we go to the Turkana Education Centre for it’s grand opening.  As stated in an earlier post, this school was built by A Better World, Carpet Colour Centre, and the Rotary Club of Lacombe.  As I understand it, there are classrooms, teacher dorms, and a kitchen/cafeteria.  The heat makes it too difficult for the children to travel home for a meal, so the school feeds them here.  Julie from ABW is heading in to town this morning to buy beans and rice, with money donated by her neighbours, to stock up the kitchens.  

We loaded into 5 or 6 cars and headed out through town to the new school.  We arrived to a real hoopla - the kids were all arranged in the shade of the kitchen and cafeteria veranda, there were many members of the community assembled on chairs under a canvas shelter, there was even a crazy DJ laying down the beats as we got out of the cars to greet the teachers and pastors of the community.  What a welcoming committee!  

The classrooms were bright and cool

We were immediately whisked off on a quick tour of the buildings, and I have to say these are the nicest classrooms I’ve seen so far.  Well constructed, painted with bright colours, and ventilated to take advantage of cooling breezes, this school is wonderfully built.  Patrick the contractor, who lead the tour, did an absolutely fantastic job.  His commitment to the project (travelling a long distance each week to work in the heat of Lodwar) was outstanding.  He really should get a medal.  There are offices, a storeroom, a staff room, and two classrooms in the first building.  There are a cafeteria and storeroom in the second building.  I was extremely proud to have my name and Carpet Colour Centre’s name on the side of the building.  It was an emotional experience seeing it for the first time.

Traditional Turkana dancers

We had some time to play with the children, and I gave away some finger-puppets that my kids had sent.  Then, we were assembled on the school veranda for the grand opening ceremony.  The Kenyans first sang their national anthem to us, and then we returned the gesture.  We were treated to a traditional Turkana song and dance by some of the local women, all dressed in their colourful fabrics and beads.  The crazy DJ even decided to add some beats to their singing.  (I’ll let you wonder whether or not it improved the music).  The kids sang a few well-rehearsed songs of greetings for us, and then the speeches began.  We heard from Bishop Kubundo, who has been our partner on the ground in this endeavour since the very beginning, the head teacher, some community pastors, and some people from the education department.  A common theme was thankfulness to God, and a emphasis that the people of Lodwar and Turkana must make education a priority and support the school to give their kids a better chance.  My Dad, Eric, and Tim, who is heading up the Rotary Club team, also spoke, and thanked community and each of the sponsors for their contribution.

At this point I've got to point out what an inspiring man Eric Rajah is.  His work to enable Central Albertans to make a difference in the lives of people around the globe just amazes me.  Eric is the icebreaker, the explorer.  I don't think many of us would have the gumption to travel to a developing country cold turkey, just to meet people and locate areas of need.  He does exactly that, and he has been in some pretty scary situations as a result.  He ventures out into the word to find hurting people and pave the way for help to arrive.  He then turns around and invites Central Albertans to follow suit.  When we do, he gives us all the credit.  As I said, inspiring.

Kubundo, my Dad, and I

I also want to say how proud I am of my old man.  My Dad has taken up this cause with complete abandon, just like he does with all the aspects of his life.  To see what effect he’s had in just a few short years, on the ground, in some pretty rough areas, makes my heart swell with pride.  People here remember him.  He makes them laugh, and puts them at ease around him.  He challenges those who need to be challenged, and he encourages everybody.  It’s like he was born for this kind of work.  It really is awe-inspiring to see him in action.  I am so glad I could come on this trip and get to know him a little better in this way.

Staff at Carpet Colour Centre should be
absolutely proud of the work they've
contributed to here

Between the speeches, the crazy DJ would play short clips of music to keep the presentations flowing.  During one such break, an old grandpa, complete with cane, jumps up from the crowd and, in front of everybody, starts to groove to the music like only Africans can.  It was hilarious, and it took a few minutes to calm down the crowd before the speeches could resume.

Once the speeches were done, we had an opportunity to plant trees around the perimeter of the property.  Believe me, Lodwar can use more trees.  The sun is unrelenting and ruthless.  The kids carried seedlings out to the grounds and we each joined one of them to plant the trees.  It was a really cool experience, and I hope to return someday to some tall shade trees.

The school represents some hope for a very poor region of the world.  A Better World provided the facility, and our hope is that the community will provide the wages for the teachers.  The government of Kenya does not pay for Early Childhood Development - that’s the responsibility of the communities.  Prior to construction, Rick had received a commitment from the community leaders to provide the funds for the teachers’ wages, but so far that hasn’t happened.  The teachers thus far this year have not been paid.  It’s a sacrifice for these parents to provide that funding, but it is a core belief of ABW that the community must have skin in the game.  They must be an active stakeholder, so that they have 100% buy-in, and the project will ultimately be successful.  Aid has largely failed because of a lack of participation from the communities receiving the aid; hand-outs don’t work, they simply create a dependency and lack of innovation.  Let’s hope and pray that that buy-in will happen in Lodwar.

Hut Village

A woman making a reed broom

In the afternoon, we spent some time visiting the people in a hut village in the scrubland outside of Lodwar.  These people have very, very few possessions - a machete, a knife, some clothes, and maybe a couple goats or chickens.  They spend their days gathering firewood to sell in town, bringing water from the river, making brooms from reeds.  They are provided with some medicine and water purification tablets to prevent waterborne disease, but it is a tough life.  We watched a little guy, perhaps five years old, sitting in the dust, pulling a two-inch thorn from his foot.  No tears, no complaints.  With a similar injury, a Canadian kid would be in emergency, and both he and his mother would be distraught, to say the least.  The girls are married off and bear children very early, and the kids play in the dirt until they can walk and run.  This is where the Turkana Education Centre students come from.  Most of them will be the very first generation to attend any schooling whatsoever.  Illiteracy here is at 80% and most of those who can read and write are outsiders who have moved here.  This is the reason that the school is so important.  Lodwar is not a pleasant place to visit; there are no exotic animals or safari camps; it is remote, hot, and intimidating.  It has largely been abandoned or forgotten by the rest of the world.  But there are people here too who deserve the essentials of life just like the rest of us.  We need to keep coming to help that happen.

On the Run from the Law

A funny experience on the road today: we were pulled over by some police officers, who accused our driver of speeding.  Interestingly enough, there was no radar; these guys apparently had an uncanny ability to judge a vehicle’s speed by eye.  Also interesting, the speed limit, which was 80 km/h was matched exactly by the governed top speed of the van - it physically can't drive faster than 80 km/h.  Even more interesting, the tickets were to be paid in cash to the officer directly.  Gee, I wonder if this is a scam.  Driver Charles again used his mad, mad Kenyan mind tricks to confuse the officers with bad jokes.  He managed to get his papers back and we took off as fast as we could.  We fought the law and we won!

How to freak out a bunch of mzungus: have a couple of wrecked jet engines at the end of the air strip.  Lodwar.

Great Rift Valley - Civilization's Ground Zero

Driving west from Nairobi this morning, we came to the Great Rift Valley, 1000 feet deep and absolutely beautiful.  This is where two tectonic plates are pulling away from each other, leaving a void that dramatically cuts across east Africa.  The Euphrates and Tigris rivers lie at the base of this valley.  Ancient, dead volcanoes and craters pockmark its floor.  This is where most anthropologists believe civilization began.  

The Great Rift Valley - where it all began