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I spent a few hours this morning getting the posts and photos on travelblog.org for everyone to see. I’m really far behind…there seems to be no time to do this, especially since we lost 7 hours along the way. We’re both still a day behind and can’t believe how quickly time is marching on. Nicole is doing fantastic - no baby yet, but boy have we been getting great service everywhere. They see the pregnant lady coming and everyone runs for cushions or to open doors or pull out chairs, etc, etc…you get the picture (funny enough, no one is running to get me cushions)!
I took a cab into Tenderfeet around noon and the plan today was to visit the Kibera market to purchase fruit for the kids today. Margaret, Frank and I hopped into a Matatu, something I promised my husband Michael I would never do…sorry honey :0) A Matatu is a mini-van of sorts that holds 14 people (or 15 or 16 or 20 for that matter). It costs about the equivalent of 16 cents for each ride and is a little crazy. Luckily the one we rode was not packed, but there was a bit
of commotion at the front and Frank started to laugh explaining that the driver was bragging loudly to his friends that this was the first time a white woman had ever been in his Matatu. Great…I’m glad I was the centre of attention as everyone turned around to take an extra look!
We arrived at the market which was like nothing I had ever seen. I’m sorry I don’t have any photos, but Frank and Margaret are very conscious of the fact that I am a foreigner with expensive electronic equipment, so we have to be careful of where we take photos. Frank also explained to me that since the filming of “The Constant Gardener” in Kibera several years ago, the locals get somewhat upset if they see anyone filming the sights and sounds. They feel that the producers and directors got very rich off this movie and gave nothing back to the people of Kibera. He says they are bitter, that they feel something of a spectacle and that Kibera should have been given something in return - like a simple watershed to store water that the community could have benefited from collectively. I must say I agree
that this should have happened and at times am embarrassed to be a Westerner as I know many of them look at me with the same kind of resentment.
Back to the market…oh my gracious what a place! Stalls and stalls of fruits, vegetables, clothing and just about everything else you could think of. Kind of reminds me of the Steeles and Airport Road Flea Market in Brampton on a Saturday morning! Corn is big here - there seems to be an abundance of it and there was one area in particular that was just covered in corn husks. The ground was blanketed in a sea of white and yellow husks which honestly was an improvement over the paths and walkways to get there.
We decided on pears for the children and found a big stall which sold only pears in all shapes, sizes and degrees of freshness. Naturally we chose the biggest, freshest ones we could and carried 60 back to the school on the Matatu. The total was 156 Kenyan shillings which is the equivalent of $2.40. It amazes me how cheap things are here in relation to things at home. The stall next to the
pear stand sold used clothing and shoes of all shapes and sizes. Not all of the shoes were in pairs - I’m not sure who would buy a single shoe?? There was a preacher walking up and down the stalls preaching the word of God or should I say screaming the word of God while a chicken and rooster ran after one another make a terrible racket. Despite the craziness, the market is also a meeting place for neighbours and friends, a place to catch up with people you might not have seen in awhile.
The kids hear me coming now and must know after the lollipops and crisps that another treat is coming! We got the pears washed and prepared for eating and handed them out. The kids were absolutely thrilled - some of the pears honest to God were bigger than the kids themselves! They enjoyed them so much.
In the afternoon, Margaret, Frank and Edwin (a Lahash representative) took me over to the other side of Kibera to meet Mama Collins, the mother of one of the boys at the school. As you may have seen on the tenderfeet website (www.tenderfeet kids.org), Mama Collins is
HIV positive and not very well right now. She is unable to work and is in need of financial assistance for rent and food. I’ve learned that taking HIV medication requires excellent nutrition in order for it to work. Mama Collins (whose real name is Jacqueline) lost her husband to AIDS last year and has no other family to support her. Margaret is helping to support her financially with Lahash’s assistance. She is a beautiful, young woman with a 13 year old girl and 5 year old boy who at some point will be left orphaned. Thankfully she is feeling much better now than she has been in weeks. Margaret told me that she had difficulty getting out of bed for much of April and really needed help in a big way. There is also some concern that her son Collins may not be well either and will hopefully be going to the community clinic to be checked out soon. Luckily, the HIV medication is free so there is no issue in supplying this, but she must eat very well and keep up her strength to get back on her feet.
Frank explained while we were at Jacqueline’s home
that the name Mama Collins is a Kenyan traditional way of labelling a mother and father. Apparently, the mom in the family is called after her eldest child or after the son in the family. In Jacqueline’s case, her daughter is the eldest, but as she has a son, she is called Mama Collins. I then would be Mama Kate, and Mike is Baba Kate - and people honestly use this form of addressing each other. I think it’s pretty neat! Although Nicole should really be addressed as Mama Amelia, Frank has nicknamed her “Connie” (pronounced Coney) - he can’t really explain why, he just likes it! The crazy thing is that it has now stuck and I even find myself calling her Connie!
We will definitely be assisting Jacqueline financially, taking into consideration that her rent is 1000 Kenyan shillings ($16) per month. We’ll let everyone know what happens in the end since I will be visiting her again before I leave.
Nicole and I had planned for Margaret, her husband Daniel, Frank and Edwin to meet us for dinner tonight. They were very excited as the prospect of a dinner out for them is not a
usual thing. We met at the Hilton and took a taxi over to an Italian restaurant called Trattoria. This was the first time they had ever tried Italian food and wine for that matter! This evening was truly a highlight of our trip as we sipped wine and filled our bellies with fantastic food on a patio overlooking downtown Nairobi. When it comes down to it, the saying “good food, good wine and good friends” takes on a whole new meaning. We enjoyed explaining about Italian food and what they were actually eating…they had never tried buffalo mozzarella or even cauliflower and broccoli. We had many discussions about life in Kenya and gained a great deal of insight about their way of life. A great time was had by all!
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