tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82631239493089483052024-02-19T01:14:06.160-08:00Madame B. en Afriquelouhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05545255195145608318noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263123949308948305.post-49400574821811453012013-07-28T01:56:00.001-07:002013-07-28T01:56:58.208-07:00Goats 101Last week after walking for 2 hours up hill I finally met Gertrude and Wayne for the first time. Gertrude is a beautiful female goat, 3 years of age who gave birth to baby Wayne a month and a half ago. There was no doubt in my mind that we were met to be. I brought them back from the mountain with the owner and we then proceeded to build a proper house for the two of them on the school ground. The kids were so happy to see them and Junior Wayne just loved all the cuddles and hugs. Mother Gertrude is more reserved and prefers that all keep a fair distance, although she will come around for a tasty bit of greens. I learned many things about goat farming very quickly!<br />
-Never tie up two goats together<br />
-Branches need to be hung, they like to reach up for their food<br />
-Never leave goats in the hot sun for too long<br />
-They need a block of salt and just a bit of fresh water when outdoors<br />
-The house needs a double floor to keep the poo away<br />
-Giving medicine in pill format is almost impossible<br />
-Baby goats will go everywhere and follow anything that moves including children and poor Georgia<br />
and I continue to learn more everyday and I believe that I would really enjoy goat farming when I retire from teaching! I love their strong and mischievous personality.....<br />
I came to school the day after we got the goats to find Junior Wayne with his head in the big huge pot of porridge, lapping it all with great delight, his face all covered in sticky mush.....<br />
Otherwise a lot has happened that has required immediate attention. More visits to the assistant chief and chief, police office in Mudate for countless hours.... hospital trips to schedule surgeries.....<br />
Lots and lots of frustration but I always come back with a smile after kissing and playing with my children,<br />
they are and always remain the reason I am doing what I am doing.<br />
thanks for reading on my friends.louhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05545255195145608318noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263123949308948305.post-47301556874802235702013-07-18T03:10:00.000-07:002013-07-18T03:10:40.441-07:00My best friendI reuinited with my sweet dog Georgia !! At first I thought that it was one of her babies from November but then I saw the little scar on her nose and knew it was my old girl!! She was so skinny, ribs showing, not one ounce of fat on her body. I gave her a bath with my lemon and honey soap and put a ribbon around her neck et voila! The cutest little mama in North Maragoli! She is always very close to me and people in the village find it very strange to see me walking around with a dog by my side. Dogs around here are not pets but working animals. Georgia is both. She is my guard dog and loyal companion. I made her a bed in a basquet and put a small pillow covered with a towel. She curls in it just like a cat and loves the comfort. At night I bring her bed to my room and place it beside my bed. If I make any moves or sounds she immediately perks her ears and stares at me. I know that she would protect me with her life. The children at the school were afraid of her but they are getting to know her and see that she will not hurt them. It will be very hard to say goodbye but hopefully we will see each other next year. In the meantime we are making the best of it!! I need to get bones the next market day and I plan to treat her and some of her friends to a feast! The place where she was staying before I came has another female dog and 3 beautiful little puppies!! I need to restrain myself, one dog is enough and I am too busy to deal with small puppies.<br />
This weekend I will looking for goats. I have been asking around and I have a couple to visit. It is really difficult to find good milk goats in this area. Most of them are raised for meat only. Otherwise, I have been busy going to the hospital with children and today with Grace, George's mother, who will need to have a surgery. She is extremely weak at this time and I hope that all will go well. George has been a wonderful son as always and it is such a pleasure to have him around. He has planted beautiful flower bushes around the school for me as promised and will do the same around my little rental bungalow.<br />
I am in the process of reorganizing the administration of our school and trying to get in touch with the officials to register the school. I had to let go two of our staff but all ended well and no hard feelings. I find this part of my job very difficult but it needs to be done. I have paid most of the oustanding bills this week but will need to use my own funds to pay the staff and food for the month of August as I have no access to the bank account in Canada and our bank account here is almost depleated.<br />
The yogurt kitchen is back in business and all is running well. The electrical bill had not been paid in time in May and the power was cut. Therefore the probiotic culture was lost and all operation had to stop. Hopefully it will not happen again!!!<br />
We only have a small number of children attending the school at this time. The teachers strike is still on and our children are either too sick to come or under the assumption that our school is closed as well. The staff is making community visits to ensure that all is well. I have no idea when the local teachers will be back at work, negotiations with the government are not progressing. They have been on strike for almost a month at this time.<br />
Went to Kisumu with 3 of the staff yesterday to get supplies and we had a great girls' day! I came to school this morning with special wistling lollipops for everyone!! The children were so happy!!<br />
Please send me comments if you can, It is always so nice to hear from my Canadian friends.<br />
<br />louhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05545255195145608318noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263123949308948305.post-63538689421856634802013-07-12T01:20:00.002-07:002013-07-12T01:20:35.687-07:00Our beautiful childrenThis morning I was really excited to go to school and see the children and staff. The building looks so clean and well cared for. Thanks to the Australian mamas we have our logo on the front of the school and also a mural with many kangaroos playing around the Australian flag! One exterior wall has the hands of the children in bright paint colors I just love it! Wonderful work Australian Mamas! I really miss you .......<br />
The children were all in class when I arrived and my heart just melted to see them all looking so engaged and happy! I was asked for balloons right away but they were happy to settle for a special treat of bread and jam. So many have grown since last summer unfortunately there has been a lot of sickness as I mentioned earlier and I plan to go visits some of the children who are too sick to walk to school. <br />
Later on in the day I came to Mbalee to go to the bank in order to pay some of the bills. What a surprise to run into Zipporah, our social worker, and my "dancing boy" Hudson. They were coming back from the clinic where he had a very big abcess on his finger opened and drained. No freezing of any kind of course and the poor child was in tears. It was time for a special treat, I took him to the local diner and he had a big Fanta with beef and chapatis and for desert a bag of crisps. The smile returned to his face and the pain a bit forgotten I hoped. I just adore this little man, he has a very special place in my heart. louhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05545255195145608318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263123949308948305.post-58057468321882075602013-07-12T00:58:00.001-07:002013-07-12T00:58:46.640-07:00When it gets a bit frustratingI finally decided to fly to Kisumu as I was able to get a cheaper flight, although the trip by taxi to the airport is always costly. When I went in to check my luggage I was told that I had spent more than 24 since my arrival from Amsterdam so therefore I could only have 22kg. Of course, I had another bag that weight lots.... Spoke to the assistant manager, then the manager, then the super manager but no luck I had to pay $89.00 us! So much for the cheap flight.. I hope to never fly Kenya Airways again!!<br />
I took a car from the airport and did some shopping for food and other necessities before heading for my little house. Although I had told my manager to get the house ready of course it was not. I had to move everything around and get dishes and stove from the locked closet...... I was not very happy but I did managed to make my bed in time for nightfall. My sleep was disturbed by the big birds hitting the tin roof again and again and I needed an extra blanket , I did not remember the nights being so cold. In the morning I went out to fetch some water to boil for my "bath". Of course, there was a padlock on the water tank! I found a hundred keys in the house but none that fitted the lock. So I just brushed my teeth and used a wipe to clean up a bit. I just had to smile and remember that this is my Africa!louhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05545255195145608318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263123949308948305.post-27614382523434490482013-07-07T23:28:00.003-07:002013-07-07T23:32:44.778-07:00Habari!! I left Canada on July 5 and arrived in Nairobi on July 7 at 6:30 am. I was so tired when I arrived in Amsterdam that I splurged and rented a room right at the airport at the Yodel. It was fabulous! I would recommend it to anyone having a long lay over at the Amsterdam airport. The room was just a small cubicle but very cosy with a great bed and a shower. I woke up, had breakfast and was ready for the next stretch of the journey. My friend was not able to meet me at the airport, he is really sick with pneumonia but I made it safely to my cheap little hotel in Nairobi. The staff as usual is very friendly and helpful and I had a great night sleep, 14 hours! I just woke up off and on to have a drink. I drank a big 1.5 litre of water throughout the night. I will be staying tonight as well and will either fly or take the bus tomorrow afternoon to my final destination. I am a bit concerned about taking the bus as my suitcases are very heavy to carry around and I need to purchase some food for the house as well. I will check on the price of the flight and the car rental to make it home. Everything seems to be a bit more expensive this year in Kenya. Both inflation and unemployment are quite high at this time. There is a teacher' strike on and it seems that it might be a long one. Both primary and secondary teachers are protesting against low wages and poor work conditions. Our little school of course is not affected as we are private. I guess it will mean a lot more kids running around in North Maragoli and I can expect many little visitors at my house and staring through the fence to check on Mama Louise. I will need to make sure that I have lots of candies for my friends!<br />
The weather is quite cool at night and early morning but as usual it really warms up under the bright sunshine. I had my coffee on the little terasse of the hotel this morning facing the busy downtown street. Nothing has changed since last summer except for a big walking overpass connecting the downtown with the university. I am planning to use it this afternoon to get a bit of exercise, and then back to bed for a mid day nap! I know life is hard in Africa!! louhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05545255195145608318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263123949308948305.post-27188896674353525002012-08-09T00:15:00.004-07:002012-08-09T00:15:42.447-07:00A Late Night Stroll...Last Night after a thanksgiving-like dinner involving copious amounts of food prepared by Blake, including a stuffed rotisserie chicken, green beans, and red skin mashed potatoes(facilitated by our beautiful toaster oven) we embarked on a late night adventure. This was because Gillian had to do some culturing in the lab. We warmed ourselves with chai and left in the dark, only returning home twice because of things we left behind - thank goodness for our shiny new gum boots! (since the mud was as thick and sticky and clay!)
We were guided by only a small flashlight and the amazing light of the stars, we made it to the school without tripping or falling but that's not for an lack of close calls!
After many attempts of trying to tap the gas tank we realized that the gauge was faulty we needed to bring the autoclave and the probiotic culture back to the house to use our gas stove and we transformed our little kitchen into an impromptu lab! Two hours later (around 11pm) we accompanied Gillian back to the kitchen to put the bacteria into the incubator.
This last journey was much colder and darker and our pace was quickened by the howling dogs in the distance (they're not all as gentle as our little Georgia!).
Today after some lab training we are to meet with Natasha (Another Western Heads East Intern)who wants to film the goings on with the Kitchen and accompany us on some community visits. It is wonderful that she will also be here on Saturday for the Kitchen's grand opening so it will all be well documented.
Blake and Gillian are Mama Louise's heroes right now, their patience and dedication are highly commendable! This project could never have happened without their contributions!
Oh La La!
Asante Sana!
Mama Louiselouhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05545255195145608318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263123949308948305.post-42044767526077346922012-07-28T06:11:00.000-07:002012-07-28T06:11:38.759-07:00Let There Be Light!Merembe Everyone!
Its Blake here again writing for Mama Louise,
After two months of waiting it has finally happened...at precisely 2:58 p.m. Kenya time on this Saturday afternoon we were graced with the benevolent light of the Kenya Power Company!
It has taken a long time and a lot of anxiety to get this far, but all of us here are overjoyed with the results... and nobody even had to stage a protest in front of the Power company! Although, our electrician indulged in a very early happy hour and every step on the makeshift Maragoli ladder increased our anxiety, but in the end all was well and the day can be considered a great success!
Due to the heavy rains our planned concert from George's band this afternoon had to be postponed until tomorrow. It would have been nice to celebrate our electrical victory with some wonderful music, but I guess that will have to wait. Speaking of George, I was hard at work this morning engineering two small plastic feeders for him to put in his Chicken Coop. George is so thankful for all the help from Mama Louise that he has volunteered to plant flowers all around the school to show his appreciation!
Mama Louise has also just made a breakfast request for Sunday morning... my soon to be famous French Toast (It looks like if all else fails I'll be able to become a personal chef) It looks like we will be celebrating this electricity for thew next few days at least!
I hope everyone is enjoying this wonderful last weekend in July!
-Blake louhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05545255195145608318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263123949308948305.post-2365552697139256932012-07-26T04:02:00.000-07:002012-07-26T04:02:43.165-07:00Extra Extra Read All About It! ( North Maragoli That Is!)Good Afternoon Everyone!
It's Blake and Gillian here, blogging for Mama Louise. She is Sitting here resting and enjoying a lovely cup of Chai as she had a very busy morning. This morning was spent purchasing chickens and a rooster for George's Chicken coop and are very excited to try his eggs.
Mama Louise also spent the morning doing her laundry which given the sheer amount of rain that we get every day here should probably be brought inside soon! it seems to be just our luck that we always get caught in the rain on either Market or Laundry days (today happens to be both!)
We are currently baking a cake as it is our last night with Daniel and Teddy before they head back to Canada this weekend - so we thought we would try to make a somewhat festive dinner. We are also having Rose make her excellent Chipati as it is really the only local cuisine that the boys have taken a liking to. They have made some wonderful little friends at the school and are currently there working and playing with all the children.
Yesterday we went to visit a very special little baby, her name is Esther, at an orphanage quite far away from Kiritu it was a long journey by Matatu and Piki Piki, Mama Louise is hoping that she will be able to bring the baby back to her home in North Maragoli in the near future.
Our dog Georgia (locally known as Simba) - I (Blake) am training her good manners which is tricky given her surprising intelligence which she uses to get herself into some mischief.
As for the Yoghurt Kitchen, we are still waiting on electricity to be hooked up - which SHOULD be by the end of he week. We are very optimistic about this and once it is in we will be able to start training the Women's group in yoghurt production & Business skills, as well as Maggie and Lavender in the Lab work. All our equipment for the lab and kitchen has been purchased and we are ready to go as soon as the power is switched on! We have a lot to do in these final weeks in North Maragoli!
Mme. B also said to greet all her little friends from Jean Sauve.
Thanks for taking the time to read the blog!
-Blake & Gillianlouhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05545255195145608318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263123949308948305.post-55132741329738519682012-07-16T03:01:00.001-07:002012-07-16T03:01:17.359-07:00Back From Masai Mara SafariHabari everyone!
I just came back to Nairobi yesterday from the Masai Mara. The lodge was right inside the park with no fencing around so many monkeys and other little creatures came to visit my porch during the day and night. I went for drives through the park early mornings and just before sunset. Getting up at 5 am is a little trying but it is well worth it to see the sunrise on the Mara. I was able to take many pictures of zebras, elephants, giraffes, impalas, lions and I even saw the wilderbeasts coming from the Tanzania border. It is amazing to see hundreds of them lead by a pack of zebras. They are beginning their migration to the Masai Mara where the food is plentiful right now. I also saw many beautiful birds and butterflies closer to my lodge. A few meters away from where I stayed I was able to watch the local hypos swimming with their babies. The dad bull was enormous and the babies just so adorable!
The drive back to Nairobi was long and bumpy but we all arrived safely. Marg is leaving to go back to Canada tonight and yesterday I picked up Daniel and Teddy, two McMaster students who will be visiting for two weeks. The two other interns, Blake and Gillian are staying with us as well. We will take the bus to the villages tomorrow morning at 7am. 8 to 10 hours on dusty bumpy roads but I know that the interns will enjoy the ride and it is the cheapest way to travel to North Maragoli.
Work is still in progress to set up the yogurt kitchen but I hope that most of it will be completed soon. The kids are amazing and their smiles always remind me of my mission here. I am building a chicken coop for my young friend George. Hopefully we will be able to have more eggs. There is a real shortage of eggs in the community. I also have a beautiful two year old female dog. I named her Georgia, she is looking a bit like a cross between a white lab and Chiwawa! She has a wonderful temperament and will be the Muungano dog. I will teach the children how to care for her and I know that she will be a great asset to our school.
I have made some community visits and need to purchase mos nets for many homes. I have also some mamas who need medical treatments. I hope to go to Kisumu early next week to visit the orphanage where one of our little baby has been taken to. The grandmother would like me to try to bring her back to North Maragoli, I will do my very best. I have supplies as well to take to the children there.
I am very tired but very thankful to be here on behalf of all of you to take care of our children and mamas.
I will write more later,
Mme B.louhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05545255195145608318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263123949308948305.post-35145811312288581582012-07-07T23:41:00.003-07:002012-07-07T23:41:47.532-07:00Sunday morning in KirituGood morning everyone!
Finally back to my home in North Maragoli! It was wonderful to visit some of the mamas yesterday and to see the children! Thanks to all my little friends at Jeanne Sauve for the stickers, it made the children very happy and all had a big smile for "mama" Louise. I am doing really well and ready for all the work to do next week. We will have a big celebration at the school on Monday, the children will perform dances and songs and I will meet our high school girls as well. Can't wait!
Au revoir,
Mme B.
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louhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05545255195145608318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263123949308948305.post-84248212553612387682012-07-01T09:21:00.000-07:002012-07-01T09:21:57.171-07:00Packing And RepackingIt is really late and I am still trying to sort out all the stuff that I need to take on my journey. I have a lot of great supplies for the school thanks to my little friends at Jeanne Sauve!! I am also bringing 3 beautiful books in Braille given to me for Lydia by my dear friend Graciella. Once again, I am overwelmed by the generosity and thoughtfulness of my friends and family.....
I can't wait to be back home in North Maragoli.
Lala Salamalouhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05545255195145608318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263123949308948305.post-42836279754941409992011-07-16T04:31:00.000-07:002011-07-16T04:54:48.530-07:00A clean body and clean clothes!!Greetings to all of you!<br />After a very long and dusty trip (10 hours) on a local bus I am back in Nairobi. First shower since I left Canada! How wonderful to feel the water on my body this morning and to be able to wash my hair..... <br />I will leave for Lamu tomorrow morning for about 4 days to meet with the Serodio Family who visited me in North Maragoli last week. I have been really busy with all the meetings and documents necessary to register the school since my arrival. the walls of the dorm are coming up as you read this e-mail and the children continue to warm my heart every time I see their smiling faces!! Nothing is easy and I did not expect it to be otherwise but the children are giving me courage and determination to continue.... I have some wonderful pictures and videos of them singing and dancing, can't wait for all of you to see them! <br />The weather has been good, it rained most nights but not nearly enough. The draught has already affected so many people close to the borders of Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya. Unfortunately, I expect it will only get worse.<br />Everything is so much more expensive here this year. The price of certain food items has almost doubled but we are feeding our children very well regardless although the diet is quite plain the children have full bellies and of course "mama" Louise always has "sweets" in her pocket when she visits the school.<br />We have made beautiful models with the "beannie babies" that I brought from Canada. Thank you Miguel!! The children are in awe of the colours and shapes!louhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05545255195145608318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263123949308948305.post-3411434120438837282011-07-11T02:31:00.000-07:002011-07-11T02:52:04.139-07:00OH LA LA!!!Bonjour!<br />After three days of travel I reached Maragoli on Wednesday late afternoon. All went well with the trip and I have managed to stay healthy and able to work. The children at the Muungano school had a special presentation for me and I was greeted with so many "OH La La!! The children danced, sang and played the drums while another student played the guitar. I was so amazed to see them all together so engaged in the concert. My heart was simply bursting with joy and regardless of all the other problems I am facing with the work here they are giving me the energy and courage to follow throught. Tomorrow I will be dressing everyone in a soccer shirt for a special "sports day" the first for our school. <br />I am spending too much in meetings since I have arrived and I am really looking forward to spend more time with my children. The process to register the school is very long and complicated so I need to be patient.<br />The dorm is in construction and I am hoping that all will be completed before I leave in August.<br />My cat Maxi Puss is still around with two of her new babies. Wee Puss and Charlie Puss. They keep me company at night. I also have been taking care of a dog in the neighbourhood who just had 6 puppies but unfortunately only 3 survived. The puppies are so cute!!! I go by once a day to feed them and they all come to me waiting for the feeding. <br />I hope to write soon,<br />the internet connection is really bad so is the power in the area at this time.<br />"mama" Louiselouhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05545255195145608318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263123949308948305.post-64450626601778864702011-07-01T21:25:00.000-07:002011-07-01T21:52:43.743-07:00July 1st, Being ThankfulAs I am feverishly packing and repacking my bags tonight I cannot help but feeling so thankful for all the wonderful support I received again this year from all the Jeanne Sauve community and friends of Muungano. As I reflect tonight on the adventure that began 5 years ago I am reminded of all the wonderful people that I have met through my work and not to forget the wonderful Canadian children who have open their heart to their friends in Africa. If you were to ask the following question to many of the little ones I taught at Jeanne Sauve "What does it mean to be a humanitarian?" They would tell you that it simply means to "Open your heart and share". I am a very proud and thankful teacher indeed! <br />Mme B.louhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05545255195145608318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263123949308948305.post-30348493062122820282010-08-16T03:23:00.000-07:002010-08-16T03:40:36.386-07:00SMILING CHILDREN AND HAPPY MAMA!!!Bonjour!<br />The opening day went really well and I had the opportunity to meet all guardians and parents of our little students. I had 5 cakes for them that I decorated with lots of plum jam, fruits and candies. My sister Claudette would have been proud of my decorations!! My friend Isacc, the local artist, worked with the children part of the afternoon and they created very beautiful pictures. I will take some back to Canada. I was amazed by the concentration of the children as they worked with the water colors and pastels. Isacc has agreed to continue to work with them at the school this coming year. I believe we have some talented artists!! <br />I also met all of our sponsored girls and we had time to discuss their progress and academic goals for this coming term. I will bring back letters from them to their sponsors. <br />I was very exhausted at the end of the day but felt on cloud nine! <br />My cat Maxi Puss is going to have babies next month or so and she is a great comfort to me when I miss my furry family......<br />More news to come when I am back in Nairobi this week end.<br />Au revoir,<br />Mme B.louhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05545255195145608318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263123949308948305.post-88197051791796795702010-08-13T02:03:00.000-07:002010-08-13T02:37:06.082-07:00Tears of joyBonjour from Mbale,<br />I am here with the girls to purchase treats for our children. Tomorrow is the official opening for Muungano Special Ed. school. I am planning a party for the kids!<br />My little friend George is taking care of the entertainement. He has been rehearsing with his group of singers; dancers and drummers for the last week. We will have games and lots of sweet treats to share. I am planning to take tons of pictures. I invited some grown ups but I reminded them that this is a party for the little ones so no long speaches and so on......<br />It was great to return to North Maragoli after another 10 hour bus ride. I saw baboons on the side of the road as we reached the rift valley area. What a sight! Time has been going so fast since my return. I have been really busy with the finishing of the construction of the classrooms and ordering supplies and furniture. I am also visiting all the homes of the children who are registered with us. I was pleased to discover that the majority of them are living in a fairly clean and loving home. The rest really need to be in residence with us and I hope that we will be able to build the dorm very soon. I went to feed John and Alex with our wonderful Kenyan volunteers Maggie and Lavendah. These girls have done an amazing job. They go twice a day to feed them a very high protein meal and the changes in the last three weeks is quite noticable mostly with Alex. He is now growing tuffs of dark hair on his head and is able to walk without the assistance of his brother. I just sat and cried for a while.... So happy to be a witness to this miracle. Our little one with cerebral palsy is also gaining strenght, I will go and purchase a special chair for her so that she can be supported when in a seating position. I went to visit Shawna as well. The surgery on her eyes has been successful and she only needs some post care. She has amazing eyes this girl! Our volunteer Zipporah is working really hard with our children who are HIV positive and I know that we will be able to help many more others in the community through her contacts. <br />Only 12 days before I return to Canada....... I am really starting to miss green salads!! The fruits and vegetables are hard to find at this time, it is planting season but I am managing ok with Ougali and beans.louhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05545255195145608318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263123949308948305.post-54392679676105960542010-08-06T03:13:00.000-07:002010-08-06T03:53:06.754-07:00KIBERABonjour vous tous,<br />I am still in Nairobi as it was not safe for me to travel yesterday morning. I will be leaving tomorrow to return to North Maragoli as I could not find a bus for today. The team left safely for their return to Canada at 6am yesterday morning. I was happy to connect with Emmanuel and Josh (Kenyan volunteer and Canadian student) who were staying in Nairobi for a couple of days. We spent the day in Kibera. It is the second biggest slum in the world with over 1 million people living side by side in cardboard and mud shacks. No sewer system and limited access to clean water..... It is so amazing that it is located so close to a very prosperous part of Nairobi. The difference between the rich and desperately poor is so striking..... I spent the afternoon holding a 4 week old orphan baby girl named Chantel. She gave me the biggest smiles and fell asleep in my arms. An angel living very far away from paradise......A seed was planted in my heart and I hope that Muungano will be able to reach out and help some of these little ones in the near future. <br />All has been very peaceful in the city since the outcome of the referendum. Most Kenyans are really happy and hopeful that the new constitution will make the changes necessary to end corruption at the government level and promote education and economic growth. I am personally hoping that some grant money will be allocated for special education as promised by the political leaders. We will begin writing proposal before I return to Canada. The classrooms are simply beautiful, I can't wait to show you the pictures of the mural and blackboards that a local artist in the community created for interior walls. I will purchase some card stock in Kisumu and will have the kids print their hands and Isaac (the local artist) will help decorate them. Hopefully we will be able to sell them as a fundraiser in Canada. <br />Isaac has also agreed to work as a volunteer with the school and he will do art therapy with our children. I am so glad that I discovered him this summer!! He knew exactly what I had in mind for the art work and blackboards. I am also thinking of building a small tree house on opposite side of the classrooms. We have a bit of wood and other stuff left over and I know that the kids would love it. <br />I will send you more news from North Maragoli next week. Wish me courage and strength to complete all necessary work before I need to return to Canada.louhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05545255195145608318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263123949308948305.post-16236059550773122182010-08-04T03:38:00.000-07:002010-08-04T05:01:14.893-07:00Zanzibar, TanzaniaBonjour!<br />I have had no access to internet or phone since I began the trip to the coast.... I have a lot to share today as I am back in Nairobi. It is referendum day today in Kenya and everyone is really excited to find out the results of the votes. All results should be in later on tonight. I have had very little news from the campain while in Zanzibar and I am trying to catch up on the last few weeks events pertaining to the vote. All appears to be ok in the city so far but there are twice as many police officers and army personel around Nairobi. My hotel is located right downtown but they have added extra security as well so I feel relatively safe here. The team went to visit the elephant orphanage this morning but I decided to sleep in a bit after the 18 hours bus ride from Dar As Alam to Nairobi. We arrived around 10pm, very dusty and hungry. We travelled on a local bus to save money and get a taste for what it is like to travel like the Tanzanians. Of course we were the only white foreigners onboard. <br />The Journey to the coast:<br />We boarded a night train from Nairobi to Mombasa. A very very old train with quite a bit of history! I hardly slept as the noise and bumpy road kept me awake most of the time. We were to arrive in Mombasa at 8 am the next day but around 7 am the train stopped and all passengers were informed that a cargo train was coming and we would need to wait until it came through before the journey to Mombasa resumed. Around 11 am most of the passengers had left on private busses and taxis to reach Mombasa by road. There was not one scrap of food or drink left on the train so in desperation we decided to pay the extra money for a taxi to take us to our hotel. We arrived 2 and 1/2 hours later to our little peace of heaven on the coast. We baked in the sun and played in the waves for two days and then boarded a small local bus to take us to Dar As Alam. I have experienced bumpy road trips in Kenya before but this was incredible!! They had no room for our luggage underneath the bus and we sat with luggage on top of us for most of the 12 hours ride. The locals were somewhat suspicious of us at the beginning but Andree began to sing some camp songs with the children and soon enough all the women were singing with us. The women were very protective of us as we crossed the Tanzanian border. There is an area called No Man's Land between the Kenyan and Tanzanian border. We had to cross it on foot as the bus was inspected and waited for us on the other side. No need to say that we crossed as rapidly as we could!! Not too many hassles from the officials but a long delay anyway as it is always the case in Africa. We had left Mombasa at 6:30 am without as much as a drop of water and it was now close to 12 am still no food and no Tanzanian shillings to purchase anything from the food vendors. Finally a stop in Tamba we were able to change some money and get some lunch and delicious water!!<br />Arrival in Dar As Alam later on that evening, the bus terminal is very noisy and crowded with people. Getting a taxi proved again to be a major challenge while keeping an eye on our luggage and each other. I named our little hotel in Dar As Alam "The coackroach Inn" but really the place was friendly and very cheap. Two young British girls were in the lobby as we arrived and they were told that all was fully booked for the night. As Andree and I had 3 twin beds in our room we invited them to share one of them. I did not have the heart to send them out in the night in the search for something else. They tearfully accepted the offer as they were so tired and quite sick with colds. They had just returned that day from Mount Kilamanjaro. <br />Early rise again the next day to catch the Sea Bus ferry to take us to Zanzibar. The ferry is quite luxurious for economy class and we watched old reruns of Mr Bean for the next two hours. The sea is beautiful and quite peaceful. Stone Town appears on the other side. Quite a sight.... Bleached stone houses surrounded by turquoise sea. We have reached our Paradise island for the next 7 days.<br />Our little beach resort is absolutely charming and we are located a few meters away from the ocean. We go to bed with all doors and windows open and fall asleep listening to the sound of the waves very cozy under our mosquito nets.<br />We spend our stay playing in the sea, walking on almost white sandy beaches but we also do quite a bit of touring of local attractions.<br />Jambiani Forest<br />This magical forest is the home of the Columbus Red Monkeys. They hang everywhere above us as we walk on the paths. The babies are absolutely adorable and stare at us with their huge eyes. I have tons of great pictures!<br />Sea Turtle sanctuary<br />We are able to pet and feed giant turtles who are more than willing to entertain us.<br />Again, I go picture crazy!<br />Butterflies<br />Next, a visit to a butterfly sanctuary established by a German woman. A feast for the eyes!<br />Spice tour<br />No visit to Zanzibar would be complete we were told without a visit to a spice farm.<br />We tour the farm of Mr. Spice, and independent farmer. We share a very tasty meal prepared by his wife and drink Zanzibar tea before we begin the tour of the farm.<br />We have the opportunity to sample a wide range of leaves,seeds and fruits and get a lot of information from our guide on all the spices grown on site. My favorite treat is the Coco Bean fruit! <br />Stone Town<br />We take a day to visit this old historical town and shop and shop!! We meet a local designer and we get bathrobes custom made for each one of us with Tanzanian fabric. The cost in Canadian money for each robe is about 8 dollars. Amazing!! <br />As I visit an historical Sultan house I meet a woman from South Africa and we take pictures of each other lounging on the Sultan's beautiful Swahili bed.<br />I have to say that we all have had gastro intestinal problems for most of the journey but we are all tanned and looking pretty good for our return to Nairobi.<br />The team is leaving for Canada tomorrow morning and I am returning to North Maragoli tomorrow or the next day depending on the safety of traveling on my own by bus after the referemdum outcome.<br />Can't wait to see my chilren again! <br />I don't know if I will have enough money to travel to Rwanda before I return home. I will decide later on. <br />Au revoir,<br />Mme B.louhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05545255195145608318noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263123949308948305.post-14712929388652154912010-07-20T03:39:00.000-07:002010-07-20T04:12:50.929-07:00HIPPOSgreetings everyone!<br />the internet was down for many days I am thankful that I am able to connect with all of you today. Thanks for all the birthday wishes! I spent the day in Kisumu with the team and my little friend George. We took a small boat on lake Victoria and we saw a family of hippos! It is the first time that I see hippos in lake Victoria. I bought George a pair of runners for his birthday and he was delighted. His first pair of new runners. His leg is doing very well and we are invited to his house for dinner tonight. We purchased a coucou this morning and took it to his mama's house. She will prepare it for us. <br />We had another long day at the local hospital yesterday...... The young girl who had eye surgery is doing well, she will have the operation on the other eye in two weeks. I am hoping that I will not be asked for more money...... I will take care of one more surgery this summer and no more as my budget for medical expenses is already spent. There is so much more that I could do if I had more funds..... It will have to wait until next year.<br />It has been really difficult for me to take care of the construction as well as all of the other businesses but Andree has been so helpful. The rest of the team has left for Rwanda on Sunday, they are having a great trip there and we will connect with them again in Nairobi on Thursday for our trip to the coast. I will be returning to North Maragoli to take care of business and see the opening of the school on August 14. I will then go to Rwanda before returning to Canada. Ahuga is really busy with the coming referendum for the constitution. The vote will take place on August 4. <br />I am already making plans for next summer. I really need to organize a group of social workers who will go to each house in the 5 villages and make sure that no child is neglected or sick. I have been really touched by some of the cases that I was made aware of this summer.We will really need to build the dorm next year as many of the children will need to be care for by the school.I was looking for some foster care especially for two of them but it is very difficult to find anyone to take them into their homes.The local hospital has provided me with a special powder diet based on protein and vitamins for Alex and John who are severely sick due to malnutrition and for Catherine who has cerebral palsy and who suffers as well from severe malnutrition. I am trying not feel overwhelmed and take it one day at a time. The construction crew is great and very easy to work with, the work is really coming along.Jack who is the construction manager told me yesterday that they do not mind working very long hours because they are so proud to be working on such a good project. <br />I must end this post as I have errands to run before it is too late. I will write again inlouhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05545255195145608318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263123949308948305.post-6104393861458631022010-07-13T02:15:00.000-07:002010-07-13T02:54:32.707-07:00ShawnaBonjour everyone!<br />I had to come to town to use the bank and do some shopping. <br />The internet is not working very well today but hopefully I will be able to write a bit before it shuts down.I had another meeting with the architect and the surveyor today and finally all is set for the digging of the foundation for the dorm area.I am still working on the furnishing and interior set up for the 3 classrooms and office that will be ready to receive the children before I leave in August. I have hired a wonderful local painter who will be doing a mural in on one wall of the classrooms. It will be a very cheerful environment for the children! We have 2 more students for our school. A beautiful 12 year old girl who is deaf and cannot speak. She is able to use some sign language.A 7 year old girl who is partially deaf and has some emotional problems, her mother has died recently and she lives with her grandfather.<br />Again, it is so wonderful to know that very soon these children will no longer suffer from neglect and will have a chance to learn all they can.<br />My little friend George who had a very nasty wound is doing amazingly well with the daily antibiotics. He will be able to join me to Kisumu for my birthday tomorrow. We share the same birthday and we always celebrate together. The plan is to go have lunch on a boat on the shore of lake Victoria. We will have sukuma and fresh fried talapia! A fanta for George and a beer for Mme B.! My sister gave me some birthday candles and I will be able to decorate a piece of ugali. He is very excited and so I am! <br />I have been busy going to the Sabatia eye hospital with a beautiful little 4 year old girl named Shawna. She is rapidly going blind as she was born with a malformation of both retinas and also needs cornea transplant in both eyes. The price quoted for the surgery was around $2,000.US dollars but after a lot of talking it was agreed that they would do the surgery if I give them a deposit for 20 thousand KS. which is the equivalent of around $340.US. Oh! La! La! Imagine this little girl will not go blind..... I have bought a bus ticket for her mother and father to travel with her to the hospital in Nairobi where she will get the surgery. They will leave for Nairobi on Thursday and hopefully she will be in surgery next week. I will keep you posted on her recovery. <br />My heart was very happy as I went to sleep last night but also sad as I know that so many more little ones need our assistance.Friday I will be at the government hospital in Kisumu with 7 of our little ones who need some medical attention. I will have a picnic with them on the hospital grounds as we will need to be there all day.<br />So between the school stuff; teas with the mamas; visits to the family of our children and hospital trips I am kept very busy. My day starts around 6am and usually ends around 10pm. My wonderful headlamp enables me to read and do paper work later than normally possible. I am doing well physically and the mouth ulcers I got last week are almost completely gone so is my eye infection. I was stung by a bug as I was riding a motorbike.<br />No Blog from Bradley today, our youngest team member as he was napping when I left the house. He is coming along for my birthday celebration and will have lots to say later on.<br />Missing everyone but I feel so lucky to be part of this adventure.<br />MmeB.louhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05545255195145608318noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263123949308948305.post-51993484349520480322010-07-08T06:16:00.000-07:002010-07-08T06:41:52.334-07:00kids love bubbles!!We arrived safely two days ago but I did not have a chance to get to Mbalee to use the internet. It was so incredible to see all my friends and children! I went to our school site as soon as I arrived in the village and sat in one of the classroom......tears of joy and very thankful for the great work that was accomplish by the crew. I had a meeting with the Maragoli board and the five classrooms will be ready for the children to start school before I leave in August. I am really busy right now working on the details regarding furnishing and painting and........... Great news as well the team of students who are at the house at this time from Canada and the States are wonderful and their team has donated all the ciment needed to do the walls and the floors. They will be involved with the work as well!! They have asked if they could start on the foundation for the dorm so the crew began to outline the area yesterday but unfortunately something is wrong with the blueprint and the architect will need to come on Friday before we can do anything else. He is not a very pleasant man and will charge quite a bit to come but it needs to be done. There is a lot more to that story but I will save this for later...... Just to say that he always prefers to deal with men and I need to be very assertive while remaining extremely patient and polite.....<br />Friday a big party has been planned on the school site to celebrate the school project and other community projects. We have purchased a whole cow to cook for the occasion as we are expecting around 500 people. Today I had to take my little friend George to the hospital in this town and finally had some time to blog. He was stabbed in the leg a week ago as he was playing with friends and the wound was so badly infected that he needed to be seen by a doctoc as the local health clinic is not really able to deal with severe wound infection. So here we are and now, our youngest and cutest team member Bradley, will write a few words about his experience at the hospital.<br />To all my friends in Canada<br />My name is Bradley and I went to the hospital with the Muungano team today because George has a leg injury and he has become my friend. While we waited in the waiting room my aunt Michelle (also an incredible and beautiful team member) blew bubbles for all the children and they loved it and everybody was smiling and laughing!! Over and out from Bradley.<br /><br />I will be writing soon again I hope......<br />All my love to you in Canada.<br />Mme B.louhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05545255195145608318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263123949308948305.post-82974833439228834172010-06-23T22:01:00.000-07:002010-06-23T22:03:48.152-07:00July 4th DepartureIn one day I will be back in Kenya......louhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05545255195145608318noreply@blogger.com1