Very low overhead garage

     Okay, so when your auto breaks down and you need a mechanic you just call a tow truck and have it towed to your favorite garage, right! The garage has a nice heated or cooled stall to put it into to do the work and the mechanic has a whole box of shiny Craftsman tools and lots of  technical references at his fingertips.
    Well the eleven passenger Toyota van (I love em) used not only to carry the children to school but many other hauling chores broke down in the yard. Our local maintenance team quickly tore the engine down far enough to see it had a broken cam shaft. At this point it was decided to call in an expert. Enter Alex a traveling Kenyan auto mechanic who uses the ground for a workshop. Check out ALL the tools he has to do the job in the picture.

     Wednesday morning Alex and his son pulled everything but the block and crankshaft out of the engine to assess the damage.  Then Saturday morning Daniel, a maintenence person at the orphanage, went  to Nairobi with Alex to purchase the needed parts which included of course a new camshaft, some valves, head gasket, new connecting rod bearings and silicone gasket making materials. The parts cost $26,000 Ksh (Kenyan shillings) approximately $338 USD. They came back at about 3:00PM at the scene of the broken down van. Alex with three auto mechanic students had the van running by 7:00PM with only minor valve adjustments to be made the next morning. The low overhead mechanic Alex only charged $6000 Ksh or $78.00 USD. Wow, I wanted to take him home with me but is too complicated getting him into the suitcase.

Maybe a good idea, maybe not

Last Sunday afternoon when most everyone else was resting, Teresiah and Lydiah (ages 11 and 12) made cookies with me.  Also one day Teresiah stayed home from school because she had hurt her foot so we made cookies for the three students who are at home, waiting to start their first year of high school.  So, of course, Teresiah wants to make cookies today.  I had to say yes for a number of reasons.  The day before was her birthday.  At the orphanage, it is hard to have a birthday celebration for each child (there are currently thirty, which of course averages to a little over 2 a month.)  Another problem is that some sponsors would send numerous and elaborate presents, while some sponsors sent a card.  So they decided to have a birthday outing twice a year.  This is a new policy.  Last year Teresiah had a party, this year none.  So we made cookies - sugar cookies with red sugar sprinkles left by some Mzungu.  Well, it happened to go well with the red jello that I brought from the US.  So tonight we all had red jello and cookies.  Some of the older children had had jello before, but it was new to most.  Last year Steve and I bought ice cream from Naivasha, and quite frankly, it was a flop.  Most found it too cold.  It was too cold to hold, too cold on their teeth.  Some of the staff left it until it melted and came to room temperature.  So maybe the jello was a good idea.  The cookies?  Well, the boys who are in the same age group came in and they wanted to make cookies too.  So Newton and Johnny made peanut butter cookies with me and I promised the others they could make cookies next weekend.  Meanwhile one of the young men from the US was standing around waiting to sample, but these kids are very protective of their cookies and would not let him have a single one.  When they were done we put them up on a high shelf in the kitchen until it was time to serve (ration - 1 cookie per person for those under 6, 2 cookies per person for those over 6.)  I commented to the young man that this was hard work, meaning not hard to make the cookies, but it takes patience to show the kids and let them do it.  (They seldom ever get an experience like this.) I wondered to myself if I was that patient with my own children, letting them make cookies.  Then I wondered if I ever let them make cookies when they were that age.  Aaron, the young US volunteer, then tells me that it's not hard to make bread pudding.  (Not a subtle hint as he has been after me to make it for him.)

Cement blocks in Kenya!!!!!

     Here at the site, there is an ongoing project to build a block security wall completely around the orphanage facility (appoximately 3 acres).  After the last election (2007), there was chaos in the country.  The dispute over the outcome of the election stemmed from old tribal conflicts.  People went crazy - burned homes, churches, businesses, transport trucks, railways, national park lands, schools, orphanages.  People had thier heads cut off and put on stakes.  Buses were stopped and people were robbed.  Just craziness.  National elections are scheduled again for this November. Hence, the wall. 
     In Kenya you don't just order 500 cement or cinder blocks to do the project. First you call a company to deliver rough stones that have been carved out of a rock quarry by hand. Then the truck delivers them to the job site where they are unloaded by hand. At this time you hire two local "rock shapers" who spend many hours forming them into usable somewhat square blocks, see photo.

     They are laid out on the ground to make sure they fit properly before cemented into the wall. It cost about $21.00 USD to run one linear foot of wall.

So what do you do everyday?

Today is Monday.  What are we doing?  Well, Aaron and Josh are wirebrushing a shipping container which has been converted to the library.  This is in preparation for painting.  It is an older container, and rusting.  Steve and Gordon have tacked a number of maintenance jobs today.  The picture shows Steve replacing the supply line on a leaking toilet.  Gordon is repairing a bench that is used in the boys' dorm where the older children eat and do homework.  They have continued to knock out a number of small projects like this today.  I was taking pictures so you don't see me.  But what I was doing was marking names on all items that are going with Grace, Kenedy, and Francis when they leave soon for their first year in high school.  I have to write a whole blog about high school in Kenya ...later.  But high school for most students means boarding at the school.  The school gives a list of what each student should bring.  All their things are kept in a trunk.  I brought with me black and silver Sharpie markers and a Dymo labeller, including the iron-on  fabric labels because last year I saw the house Moms stitching the students' initials in their clothing by hand.  This year I volunteered for the job of labelling.  Some of the things that are standard for most all students are: a plate, spoon, and cup (for their meals, of course), 3 blankets, an English dictionary, a Kiswahili dictionary, an atlas, a set of mathematical tables (logs, trig tables - sorry, no calculators here).  Also they are to bring a Bible (New Revised Standard Version) and a book called Golden Bells, which contains the lyrics to Christian hymns.  The schools that these children are attending are NOT parochial schools (these are provincial and district schools, funded by the government).  Except for areas of the country where there is a strong Muslim influence (like on the coast, near Mombasa), this is considered standard fare.  I remember when I was in the first grade our teacher had a Bible on her desk and she read a little outloud to us everyday.  I also helped cover all their books.  Even the exercise books of the younger children are covered.  Ususally they just use newspaper, but for these high school students they had brown paper, not nearly as heavy as craft paper, more like newsprint.  I remember covering my books when I was in grade school.  I don't think they do that anymore.  However, my mother would be proud if she saw the meticulous job I did on the book covers.

Saturday morning

This morning I was trying to help Johnny, a third grader, with his schoolwork and we were being pestered by younger children.  It was a beautiful day and we were working outside on a picnic table, but Johnny did not need these 10 other distractions.  I had shooed them off several times, and finally I was trying to herd them to the other side of the building in my teacher voice.  Apparently someone in the kitchen figured out my dilemma, because after Johnny and I finished his lessons I went in the main dorm to find 10 children ages 2 to 6 sitting in a line on the floor mesmerized by Lydia.  She had the Bible open to Genesis 1 and was apparently telling them the creation story.  (She was speaking in Kiswahili.)  She is a very animated story teller and the children were glued to her.  She would ask them questions and they would respond in unison.  She would ask again and they would respond again.  She told how God made man from the earth and used her hands as she talked.  She went into detail about His making Adam's head, and shoulders, and arms, etc.  Upstairs was playdough packaged in small individual containers, like party favors.  So I brought it down and we went outside and all started forming people, and miscellaneous other things. The kids had a blast, even Johnny joined us.  Joy kept eating hers, but other than that we all had a great time. 

Day Trip to Nairobi

Friday, the seven mzungus (white people) on site went to Nairobi for the day.  Our first stop was the Village Market, a modern mall, and the Masai Market, where the local people display and sell their crafts.  I helped the local economy by buying a few things (although not as much as last year).  Also, to correct myself, you can buy diet Coke at the food court. (It is frequented mostly by mzungus.)  Then our driver took us by Kibera, one of 8 slums in Nairobi and the largest slum in Africa, with varying estimates of 350,000 to 1 million residents.  The driver told us to close our windows in case of "flying toilets".  These pictures, of course, don'tt capture the reality of the setting, and it certainly doesn't capture the smell.  Kibera is featured in the movie, The Constant Gardner.  But it is in some ways not a typical slum.  One of the best public schools in the city is there, and there are residents who do work and have money, but have grown up there and call it home and continue to reside there.  The government is trying to move people out of it and into other housing, but there are many issues involved here.  Also about every non profit you can think of has spent time in Kibera, and yet not much has changed in 20 years.  If you want to learn more, google Kibera.

Then we went to Nyumbani, an orphange for HIV positive children.  It was started in 1993 by a Jesuit priest who found that other orphanages would not accept these children.  He started with 3 boys, and it currently has over 100.  Father D'Agostino fought through the court system to force schools to admit these children.  He also fought with the pharmaceuticals for cheaper medicine.  He is reported as saying, "I am tired of doing funerals because some people are greedy."  At first they were averaging the death of one child every month; but they have had no deaths in the last three years.  They also have two outstanding community programs.  You can check out the amazing work they are doing at their website: http://www.nyumbani.org/.  They are a non-profit, and would gladly accept your donation.    

The reason for the extended power outage

Last Monday a contractor came to cut down some big trees on the site.  This is in preparation for the new dining hall that (hopefully) will be built someday.  The very first tree he cut fell on the power line.  (Hence, no power.)  It was a good thing that we were going to Nairobi that day because I think Steve would have had a heart attack as he continued to watch them work.  Of course, he would have sent him home immediately if he could, but found out that he is the only one in the area that has a chain saw.  He must have been a good businessman because he rode a motorcycle to the site.  However, after that, his partner (more experienced, but on a bicycle) came to do the work.  Not only do they cut down the trees, but they cut the trees into lumber that will be used for the dining hall.  There is no sawmill, he just uses a string and cuts the logs into (roughly) 2 x 4s and 1 x 6s.  Of course, there are also a number of small branches.  These are cut into smaller lengths and after they dry for a couple of weeks, they will be used for firewood.  We have a fireplace in the main dorm where they build a fire every evening. Also some of the cooking (things that take a long time especially, like dried beans) is done in the "smokey kitchen" which uses fire wood.  The last tree had to fall a certain way or it would hit our water tanks or the neighbor's house.  A young man shimmied up the tree and with a machete  notched the tree and tied a rope so that the top of the tree could go first.  They successfully topped the tree and later laid the rest of the tree exactly where it needed to be.

Candy is sweeter in Kenya

And so are the soft drinks.  Someone from the site goes grocery shopping one or twice a week in Naivasha.  It is probably a 30 minute ride.  I have no idea of the distance.  There you can buy Kit Kat bars, pretty much the only American brand candy bar.  April asked me the other day if I noticed that they were sweeter than in the US. I just thought they tasted so good because it was "a taste of home."  Actually, I am told, there is a difference.  The candy and soft drinks here are made with only sugar, not corn syrup.  (Also I am told that US candy and soft drink manufacturers use corn syrup because the US government subsidizes the corn growers.)  Now this is strictly heresay information, but when I satisfy my cravings with a CocaCola or Kit Kat Bar, they certainly are sweet.  (Diet Coke? Who ever heard of that? No one here needs it.)  I just thought I should talk about the important things first.

Introduction

Okay, so I left the states two weeks ago today, arriving at the site two days later.  I had great intentions of sharing my experiences with family, friends, and other interested parties while I was in Kenya this time.  I can blame part of my failure to do that on the fact that we did not have electrical power for six of those days.  (There is a generator which ran a couple of hours each morning and about 4 hours each evening.)  So that's not a great excuse.  I think what happens is that I would just rather be doing things than writing about things.  Several people have strongly encouraged me to blog, and I just feel like I am being selfish if I don't share these experiences with others.  So thanks for coming along on my journey.  Certainly things will be out of order as I reflect back on the two weeks, but then again, the blog will probably be just random thoughts so order doesn't particularly matter.