Tumaini Afrika SSM

Following a very busy two weeks with our Compass kids, we planned some different activities.

Sheree and Micheline left at the crack of dawn with Faraj as guide, to head to the Mara for a safari weekend. The six-hour drive through the Rift Valley was sometimes breathtaking, sometimes heartstopping, and sometimes backbreaking. If you think Canadian potholes are bad! For Sheree, the first part of the trip was a reminder of TA’s three-day project in Namuncha in 2018 where we built a fence around their school and nearly destroyed the suspension in our vehicle - no roads that bad this time.

We passed through many Maasai towns, some holding their market day, so there were herds of goats and sheep and cows being driven down the sides of and sometimes across the highway. So much activity everywhere: we held our breath as Faraj dodged goats and dogs and motorbikes and potholes with barely a hint of impatience.

Of course, that’s what makes him a great game driver. We passed in to the Mara Game Reserve and paid our entry fee - $100 USD per night for non residents - they used to insist on crisp US bills but now demand credit cards, a very recent change which even surprised Faraj who’d been there just two weeks before. It is increasingly difficult to use cash anywhere in Kenya as mPesa (similar to e-transfer) is used by almost everyone. You need a phone and an mPesa account, which can be opened by foreigners, and you can purchase food from a street-side vendor, a goat from a Maasai herder, trinkets from a market or school supplies from a wholesaler. No room for luddites here - go mobile or go home!

As we drove past the gate, we were greeted by Maasai women selling tourist trinkets, but we declined. Soon, we saw zebra, a few giraffes, topi, and antelope grazing not far from the road, but the real excitement was still waiting. On our first drive, hadn’t even made it to the lodge, we saw a male leopard, sated and heavy from feasting on a warthog, lazing in a tree. Micheline captured some beautiful shots!

By the time we arrived at the lodge, we’d already seen elephants, lions, hippos, water buck, Cape buffalo, antelope, and jackals. Over the next four game drives, we saw massive hippos grazing far from the river and more submerging themselves in the fast-moving water only to emerge with loud snorts and wide mouthed yawns a few minutes later. Crocs lazed on the river’s edge or floated backwards with the current as they hunted for fish and displayed their toothy smiles. Three young male lions lounged on a lookout, a lone hyena sent out its haunting call as he marched past us, two cooperative vultures revealed the secret hiding place of some cheetahs who thought they’d hidden their kill from prying eyes, giraffes loped gracefully through the grasses and munched at the treetops, and elephants, so many beautiful elephants - single males wandering alone and whole family groups silently grazing through the savanna. If your children sound like a herd of elephants, they are being very quiet. 

While Sheree and Micheline lazed like indolent lions on the Mara, Gabi and Linda were on a different kind of safari led by the intrepid Edward and his trusty sidekick, Christine. Having found no game (fabric) at Diamond Plaza, they headed for the crowded warren of streets in the River Road district where it was rumoured good deals were there to be caught by skilled shoppers. And the hunt was successful. They bagged a good price on Kitenge cotton then encountered the elusive PUL, needed for making liners. 

When Christine had to report to class (she is studying tourism) Gabi used a screenshot she’d nabbed on an earlier hunt and Edward guided them to a shop they’d visited several days earlier. There, they laid the groundwork for Compass and Girls’ Empowerment to hunt down the endangered dark flannel which rarely makes an appearance in the deepest, darkest reaches of the fabric district of Nairobi. There are few photos of their adventures as they were hesitant to expose the tasty treat of a cell phone while on their mission.

On Sunday, while Mich and Sheree bounced around the Mara with Faraj, Gabi and Linda travelled to Citam Buro Buro. Citam is a chain or group of churches to which the name of the town is added. They were invited to attend by Florence, the main pastor’s wife and also the VP (equivalent) of procurement, marketing, and revitalization at Africa International University where we are staying. Her daughter, Hesed, was their guide ( the temporary church tent seats 2000) and they, along with three Sudanese ministers, were the day’s honoured guests. The service was presented in both English and Swahili and included musical accompaniment on sax, guitar, keyboard, and drums. There was lots of lively singing and clapping, as well as two sermons and a children’s choir performance. All together, the service lasted 2.5 hours! This was followed by a luncheon for the honoured guests that was prepared by the cooks of the school connected to the church. It was an interesting but exhausting day, and our two travellers were tucked up in their beds by 6:30 pm. 

                                 

It’s a good thing they were well rested because this dynamic duo set off early Monday to the Girls Empowerment Centre we’d all visited the week before. Their mission - they chose to accept it - was to teach the sewing teacher and the three tailoring students how to sew shields and liners. They made a good team, with Gabi teaching the whole group and Linda providing one-on-one assistance as needed. They came close to completing their assignment of having each new sewer produce 3 shields and 2 liners in one day.

When they broke for lunch at 1 pm they had an interesting discussion with Sister Jane regarding sustainability. She mentioned that they were saving to buy chickens and a “guaranteed pregnant” rabbit to help provide the girls a source of protein. Turns out that Gabi and Linda are now silent partners in a poultry and rabbit farming enterprise in Kenya 

After lunch, Sister Mary and the cook joined the girls and Sister Jane as a supply of larger underwear was distributed since our previous offering hadn’t quite “covered” their needs. Hilarity ensued as the group enjoyed striking ridiculous poses for the camera. 

                                                        

Then it was back to Kijiji to join Sheree and Micheline for a stay-at-home dinner with Lois and Flora. We had KFC because they deliver!

Today, Tuesday, was a total tourist day. We headed out to Kitengela Hot Glass to see the beautiful glass pieces shaped and blown using recycled pop, beer, and wine bottles. We watched as the glass blowers, sporting t-shirts that read “Kiss My Glass,” turned garbage into beauty. 

Their current big contract requires them to produce 200 750 mL bottles, four days a week, year round for a craft gin company called Procera. They also do online custom orders. We enjoyed browsing the shop and the grounds that were decorated with beautiful stained glass pieces. 

                                                

Then we were off on the bone-jarring road we’d travelled in on - how they manage to ship their wares without shattering them is a mystery - glass must be stronger than old lady bones. 

Faraj managed to navigate the ridges and potholes to get us safely to the restaurant he owns in partnership with his cousin in a Kibera. We all shared two large platters of traditional fare: fried whole tilapia, two types of rice, chapati, chicken in a tasty sauce, red onion and cabbage and cucumber and tomato washed down with our choice of hibiscus or passion fruit juice. Then it was off to the Maasai Market and Carrefour for some last minute purchases. 

We only had a few hours to rest up before a final farewell dinner with Lois and Mark who head home to Virginia a few hours before our flight leaves. They’ve had a stressful few weeks as their son and daughter-in-law have had to evacuate from Goma due to the M23 uprising. They are safe here in Kenya right now but their future is uncertain. Despite this stress; Lois has remained our dedicated and caring guide and support as we have worked with our Compass friends and learned by love and adventure over these last few weeks. 

Tomorrow will be a day of farewells and tears, but we are looking forward to being home, despite the weather reports. See you all soon!