I have been
in Kenya for six weeks now, and in Kakamega for almost one. The longer I am in
Kenya, the closer this place becomes to my heart.
Here are
some things I have done so far in Kakamega. Every day I gather my data, and
between the scheduled times, Emily, Sheila, Clayton, and whoever else is
tagging along for the day, shows me and Bridget Kakamega. So far I have climbed
two mountains, met two schools, visited their fish farms, had a traditional
Kenyan meal, gone into the forest and searched for monkeys, and walked around
the village meeting various people. Hiking the mountains is probably one of my favorite
things to do. The view from the top is breathtaking and no picture will ever
capture the beauty of the area. I can’t even put into words how I feel about
this place except that I love it. Truly love it.
One of my
favorite things to do is visit the schools. Many kids here have never seen a
Mzungu. At one small primary school in the mountains I gave stickers to each of
the kids. At another, I had the whole school surrounding me. I shook one child’s
hand, and suddenly they all wanted to shake my hand. Or feel my skin, or touch
my hair. Sometimes I don’t even notice, but the kids just want to know why I am
different.
While we are
walking around, I have been blessed to meet many people, from babies to the
elders. I have come to really respect these people, they live a happy life
without electricity, lots of money, and in a natural setting that I have only
seen in museums before. These people have taken me into my home, fed me, and
are very kind. I am slowly learning more Swahili, and also some of the Luhya
language. (the tribal language used where I work)
Tomorrow, Bridget
and I will be attending church with Emily and her family, and also Clayton and
his family. I am really excited! This church has drums and dancing and it will
be something very different to what I am used to. But I think it will be an
experience I will remember!
This is Ugali, small fish, and greens.
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