January 2010 - Meandering home

January 16. Obama’s grandmother.

Later than planned, well, the whole concept of planning erodes like the barren soil of deforestated plains, we leave for Kogelo, the village where Obama's grandmother and aunt live. I must tell you straight away it's a publicity thing. Visiting this village, saying hello to the grandmother of the officially most powerful man - i ...

31 January, 2010

grandmother, Kogelo, Obama

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January 13-15. To the village.

An Irish priest is not necessarily a Samaritan.
We wake up in Talek and get a ride to Narok. But it is too late to hitch further to Kisumu and we are stuck for the night. A friendly guy, county clerk by profession, brings us to the house of an Irish priest. He is not ...

31 January, 2010

hitchhiking, Irish priest, Kenya, Kisumu, village

Travel

January 12. Birthday.

It's my birthday today. We get up at five am but of course Mr. Maasai Chief is not there. We ring him and he is still far away. We decide to go with another car and it seems we are going to have a friendly relation with the driver. But he has smelled money. He ...

31 January, 2010

birthday, Elephant, Hartebeest, Hippo, Kenya, Lion, ostrich, Rhino, safari, Talek, vulture, Water Buffalo, Wildebeest

Travel

Januari 1-11. Kayole. Joy Valley. Safari walk. Cheetah. Narok.

1
We get up early enough to make it to Kisumu town on time.
We have an interview with Mr. Masese for The Standard.
Then we take the bus back to Nairobi.
We arrive in the darkness, we meet some other couchsurfers who are enthousiastic about CT.
We have a chicken meal at Alanya's place, ...

31 January, 2010

cheetah, joy valley, Kayole, Kenya, maasai, Narok, safari

Travel

January 1. What exactly is a Community Excellence Center?

The idea is simple. In our information age we can share knowledge and expertise with a relatively low cost of resources. So we should support needy communities to do so. A CEC is a center in a small, mostly rural, community of say 1,000 people that functions as a link to the outside ...

31 January, 2010

CEC, Cente, Community Ecellence Center, Kenya, Vision Alive

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December 31. Happy.

Churchill is one of the community elders. We have our first press conference today. Unfortunately, the M.P. and the deputy mayor don't show up. We have put a tent in front of our orphanage and sit there on the couches we have taken from the house to answer questions.

A pastor has come ...

31 January, 2010

Churchill, happy, Kenya, Kisian, Kisumu, New Year, press conference

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December 27-30. Those days before newyear.

At 7:30 we start working with five people to complete the wallframes and prepare for the concrete foundation of the brick wall. We need more cement and metal rods. Perhaps the "big guy" in the village can chip in with a little donation. Until then, I have to play the big guy myself.

We ...

31 January, 2010

Christmas, Kisian, Kisumu, New Year

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December 25-26. Merry.

If you are a special a Luo host will serve you chicken. On our first night here this happened. A hen walked in and out in the afternoon. We didn't hear her at night as we tasted the rosy strong flesh of Kenyan chicken. But christmas is something else. We have a goatmeal today, and ...

31 January, 2010

Christmas, Kenya, Kisumu, rainbow, sunset, Vision Alive

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December 23-24. Those days before Christmas…

If buildings are painted in Kenya, the chances are high that they show the logos of one of the four mobile phone companies: safaricom, zain, orange, and yu. They pay people if they let them paint their houses with their bright green, purple, orange logos. We are proud to erect the first building with non-commercial ...

31 January, 2010

cash, Kenya, Kisumu, white skin

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December 22. Things are getting serious.

Things are getting serious. In Kisumu, I withdraw 100,000 Kenyan Shillings to buy most of the materials in a warehouse. Willis and Philip will do it on my behalf, since they are in a much better position to bargain.

We cut the wood for the walls with machetes, and we are told that they ...

30 January, 2010

hot sun, Kenya, machete

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December 21. Ilja’s birthday. Beginning of the orphanage.

And so we wake up and look around. We are in a house made of mud, the traditional Luo way of building, and we are surrounded by cattle, chicken, children, long grass and aloe vera plants. This is it. They show us the plot of land where we are going to build the orphanage and ...

27 January, 2010

orphanage, Vision Alive

Travel

December 20. Lake Victoria!

We have a safe but exhausting Matatu journey to Kisumu, Kenya's third largest city, where we install ourselves for the first time in the cybercafé in the Megaplaza, which will become our main communication channel for the next weeks. We meet Philip, the future managing director of the orphanage, and like him at first sight.
...

27 January, 2010

flowers, Kenya, Kisian, Kisumu, orphanage, rainbow, Vision Alive

Travel

December 13-19. Chameleon.

Picking up Yeon from the airport early in the morning. Her flight is delayed so we wait and introduce ourselves to a British lady who is on her way to Tanzania. There she is - she has made it, and we are happy. I brief her about what Charity Travel has been doing in Kenya ...

27 January, 2010

Kenya, Kisian, Kisumu, orphanage

Travel

December 13. Nonsensical.

Now let me write something nonsensical. This story takes the form of a travel account where it should be an account of the hopeful truth behind a playing face. You know how much I treasure the simple receipts I get from the pharmacies, hospitals, and groceries where I am buying my aid? I cherish it ...

27 January, 2010

Travel

December 12. And let there be darkness. Projection in a church.

We travel back to Nairobi in the morning, arriving at 4pm but still in time to do our session in the church. There are 200 children singing and clapping when we arrive and introduce ourselves. First we offer all of them a simple healthy meal of rice and beans, and they like it. We call ...

27 January, 2010

movie, Nakuru, orphanage, sensitizing

Travel

December 11. Nakuru.

We travel to Nakuru, about halfway between Eldoret and Nairobi, in the afternoon, where we visit a small orphanage and schedule another event for next week, when Yeon will be here. Pauline kindly invites us over and offers us a great meal and a comfortable night. Thanks!

25 January, 2010

Travel

December 8-10 Eldoret. A first-class graduation.

Today we travel to Eldoret for Willys' graduation. We are delayed a bit but we still make it. I take my chloroquine phosphate tablet to be on the safe side in case the mosquitos bite. The ride to Eldoret is long but comfortable since the east-west highway has been reconstructed recently. Upon arrival Willys has ...

25 January, 2010

Eldoret, graduation

Travel

december 7. Online

I work in a fastfood restaurant and get most things done. After eight hours of typing and clicking the websites are almost up-to-date and email-correspondence has been dealt with. It was nice not to complain about the massively delayed order and the white coffee they mistakenly brought me.

I am excited about next ...

25 January, 2010

Kenya, working

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Rainbow Community Excellence Center

In a small village near Kisumu, we have built an orphanage together with our Kenyan friends. Charity Travel provided building materials and wages for the workers. Many local and international volunteers helped out. Thanks! More than the foundation had been done after 2 weeks A small community can have a great vision. When we traveled ...

2 January, 2010

Africa, Community Center, Community Centre, Community Excellence Center, Kenya, Kisian, Kisumu, needy, orphan home, orphanage, Rota, Vision Alive

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