Meandering home

Flying to Kenya tonight

12 March 2012. Frankfurt am Main, Germany.Finally, plans materialize and we are flying one-way to Nairobi tonight. We're very much looking forward to seeing our friends again, helping the "Joy Valley" orphan home cum school in Kayole and learn a lot about hands-on local development. We don't have exact plans in Nairobi. All we know ...

12 March, 2012

Charity Travel, Kenya, Kisumu, Nairobi, planning

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We are going to Holland!

6. February. Istanbul, Turkey.For practical reasons, we have decided to visit the Netherlands for two weeks; Kamiel's family is there, and some unfinished paperwork. Add the fact that Dutch is his native tongue, so he can use the thing on media and potential supporters of Charity Travel. Plus we might get a chance to chime ...

6 February, 2012

Amsterdam, East Africa, family visit, Kenya, Kisumu, paperwork, planning, Travel

Uncategorized

January 17-22. Finishing the Rainbow.

Those are the days in which we finish the painting of the orphanage and travel back to Nairobi to talk to corporates interested in sponsoring our initiative.

We feel very welcome and are glad to see Philip again. The walls have been plastered but they need some time to dry, so the painting can't ...

14 February, 2010

CEC, Kenya, Kisumu, Obama, rainbow, Rainbow Center

Travel

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

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

Travel

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

Travel

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

Travel

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

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

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

Travel