First Full Week

On Monday I went to Cheryl’s to talk to one of the new coordinators to hear about the new projects they are working on. Every year I come back there has been more classrooms being built. Since I left last year they have finished building the classroom for grade seven and have built a hall so the kids have somewhere to eat and do other activities. There were some other volunteers there so we took them to a field down the road to play at. When talking to one of the older kids at Cheryl’s he asked how old I was and I said almost 23 and he shook his head saying no, no, you look like you are 18 or maybe 19.

Chris and I moved into a new house on Tuesday. Because of the drought we still do not have consistent water but the family said that they would fetch us water during the day when we are working so we have some at night. Since we are not going to have a fridge we are going to have to buy food to cook with each evening. We have yet to buy a cooker so we are trying to eat at the local cafes around where you can get a full meal for just about a dollar with a soda. We ate goat Wednesday with Cyprian for lunch. I don’t think the faint of heart should go into the butcher shops. No refrigeration in the shops so there isn’t very much sanitation at all. But it is still tasty.

the front gate and Keith the dog

another gate

The bathroom and shower

Our room. It looks better now because we finally have sheets and things are more organized.

I have some sad news to report. In order to have all the documentation to become a registered children's home in Kenya the organization has to own property so that the government knows they aren’t doing anything illegal such as child trafficking. The problem with that is, at the moment Robert Henry (the children’s home Chris started with Cyprian two years ago) is renting the units from someone. Next week someone from the Child Services of Kenya is planning on stopping by to see the deed for the property. If they do not see a deed they can close the center right away and the children will be dispersed to other centers around. Cyprian's friend may be donating some land to them but it is 12 hours away and does not seem likely. This is very worrisome to Cyprian and Chris because this can mean that all of the work they have been doing in the past two years will have gone to waste.

I am going to be working with one of the women who live at Robert Henry, Jackie, to start work on the profiles for the children. They have received new kids who do not have any information and the kids who have been there need to be updated. On Monday we are going to be taking the kids to Uhuru Park in the center of Nairobi for the day just so they can get out of the compound and experience other things. On Tuesday and Wednesday a VCT testing and counseling service will be coming to test all the children for HIV. Some of the children we know are positive but they are all going to be retested to be certain.

It has not rained here for some time now but last night there was a massive thunderstorm last night. We could feel the ground shaking every time there was a clap of thunder. There were buckets outside to catch the rain and this morning they were both full.

It does not feel like it is almost Christmas because I’m not used to warm Decembers. The only time it does feel like Christmas is when I go to one of the more westernized shopping centers because they are all decorated and have lights and sings saying Merry Christmas. In one of the shopping centers, Yaya they even had someone dressed as Santa and the people who worked there dressed as elves.

Playing with the children at Robert Henry