Just Like Home

After 24 hours of traveling, I finally made it to Nairobi. After getting my visa and finally getting both pieces of luggage I found Chris and Joseph waiting to pick me up. Because of the traffic in the mornings they had to leave at 5 in the morning to get to the airport by 9. Getting into the car and driving through town was just like I remembered. People were crossing the street in front of us without looking and we had to zigzag through the chaos of Nairobi traffic. It didn’t feel like I was somewhere strange halfway around the world, it felt like I was home.

After dropping my bags off at the house Chris and I went to Yaya Center which is a mall down the road. Walking in we could hear Christmas music and as we turned the corner there was a group of people singing Christmas carols and it was all decorated for the holidays. It is very strange knowing that just down the road there is one of the world’s biggest slums. Kenya is in the process of developing but just for the upper and middle class. I cannot even imagine how the people in the slums must feel with so much developing around them and nothing is being done for them.

We made our way up the road and caught a matatu (public transportation) and took it to Cheryl’s Children’s Home where I had been teaching both years when I was here. When we made it to a shortcut to get to the orphanage there was a new cement wall and a metal door with a lock. We knocked but no one came and we couldn’t see anyone so we turned around and went another way. It turns out that the field where they were growing some food and where the kids had some space to play was government owned and they took it away from the orphanage. There is now a cement block wall cutting off the field from the rest of the land. It is disappointing that the government took away the only place where kids who have nothing were able play and run around with each other. Now there is nowhere for them to get there energy out and to enjoy being outside. Since I left last year there has been a new hall built where the kids can eat and have class. They also were fortunate enough to have been able to build a class 7 classroom which will start in January. Some of the kids have already left to visit their families in the upcountry and will not be back until after Christmas for the start of the new term. When I walked through the gate the first person I saw was Sam, the director of Cheryl’s. He was quite surprised to see me as I didn’t tell them I was coming back. I saw Rose, of the teachers next and she said her son Jeff who I had in class just asked if I was coming just the other day. There were some new children I didn’t recognize but there were still some of the original kids around. Rachel saw me when I first got there and ran up to give me a big hug and so did Mercy. I was so surprised to see how much they have grown. I went into Sam’s office to talk to him and he was telling me all about the new things that have been going on in the last year. I am going back on Monday to have a meeting with him to see what needs to be done.

The VCT counseling course I was planning on taking to counsel people who have just found out they have HIV/AIDS is very expensive which I didn’t know until I got here. It costs about $600-700 dollars so I don’t think I will be taking that anytime soon. Hopefully one day If I find a job over here I will be able to afford it.

On Saturday I woke late and took a walk to the shops down the road. Later on Chris, Lenew (the older child of the family we are staying with) and I went down to the pool for a swim. It was nice to do something with Lenew because there really isn’t anywhere for him to play in the apartment complex and his parent are usually working late and don’t take him out to do things.