Matatu Ride from Hell

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A few days ago we needed to buy 20 mattresses for the children at Vihiga Childrens Home and I was the designated purchaser. Mrs. Agesa (director) and I caught a ride to the nearest village Majengo, and she negotiated a price of KS 550 per mattress. She had more shopping to do, so left me with her son Jeffrey to see the mattresses home. There we were in the village, hailing a pickup truck with canvas cover over the bed, which serves as a matatu (or taxi). About 10 people were already crammed into the back, and 4 in the cab. The drivers strapped the 20 mattresses to the top, I climbed into the back with the others, Jeffrey and another man rode on the back bumpers, and we were off. Or so I thought...because a few blocks later we stopped and they stuffed in 2 more people! Then a block later 2 giant sacks of corn and 2 more people. With 15 folks in the small pick up bed, and 20 mattresses on top we sped off for Vihiga (about 4 or 5 miles down an unpaved rutted road). It was impossible to move a muscle. The great news is that we made it to the children's home, off loaded the mattresses and I extricated myself from the truck without a broken bone.
And I am told that sometimes they have chickens or small goats along for the ride too!

Life is certainly different here in Kenya. This past week the Subletts and I scrubbed down the walls and painted the interior of the classrooms and dormitories at VCH. My job was mainly scrubbing walls and battling cockroaches and spiders. I'm happy to say that we evicted a horde of insect life from the dorms and sprayed the room with insecticide. We painted the rooms white with accent walls in pastel shades. The children and staff preferred the light blue, they say the yellow wall reminds them of drought. Speaking of drought, we haven't experienced that lately...lots of heavy rain the past few days.

The Subletts left this morning for Nairobi and then home...I remain but not alone. The Agesas have 2 British girls staying now, from a charity called Tenteleni. They will be teaching and tutoring at the children's home, along with me. We plan to embark on a tutoring and enrichment project this week...we'll do art, hygiene and coaching of students who need extra help.

It is a super feeling that we have accomplished so much in just a few weeks here. The orphanage looks and feels so much better. It is no longer run down and pitiful, but colorful, fairly clean and well-stocked with mattresses, school supplies, new textbooks, and even now they are getting a gate and watchman. Almost all the children seem happy and of course they have been very excited by all the changes.

Life here is rough though, make no mistake. Working here you get acquainted with poverty as you may have never seen it before, also the AIDS epidemic cannot be fathomed. Hygiene and basic health is very poor. Yet people have a light-hearted approach to life and they certainly enjoy music and dancing. More next week.

If you have specific questions about your sponsored child or any other issue, e-mail me this week. Kathi

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