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Jambo!
Just writing really quick to let you know i am still alive (just). i have been here not even 24 hours and i feel like it has been a year. not quite but so many things have hyappened. i finally got here after an extra 9 hours in nairobi airport. i actually used a sleep room there (kind of like a prison cell). thyink i really offended the lady working there by appearing before my reserved 'wake up time'. anyway, i am still wearing the same clothes as i was wearing when i left arran as my luggage is right now on its way to nairobi.
all is well though! our accomodation is fine. basic but fine. there are 2 other volunteers right now - an older english couple - helen and mike. they are great. was so glad to see them because i arrived at the airport and was there for a while before anyone showed! we also live with beatrice, regina, patrick and cornelius. beatrice is our cleaner, regina cooks (with camping equipment) and patrick and cornelius work on the project teams. beatrice ,regina and patrick all have really sad stories. they all had to quit school due to lack of money, and regina, it sounds like, has been all over uganda. moved around family - her dad died and her mum couldn't afford to keep her. she can't afford to go to school with the wages she is getting from this job but at least it keeps her off the streets. she's only 16 and is the sweetest girl you could ever imagine. everyone is really nice. we also have paul - our maasai guard. he's pretty entertaining. feel very safe when he is guarding our house with a spear! there's also a flea ridden dog who we have named kidogo toto (little child), and maria and ase - the next door neighbour's kids.....they are pretty well off it seems. their mum works for the president (not sure what she does) and they seem to not go to school a lot because of the roads being too muddy to get there....they are left on their own most of the time. 12 and 8 years old i think. it seems like they will be taking residence in front of our telly. we are going to get a football to play with them. turns out ase has been wearing a uventis (sp?) football top but he is not aware of this...
sorry i'm rambling this has to be really fast right now....
i was introduced to the project i'll be working on today. not where i was supposed to be but now not surprised already. i will be working at a day care centre on the LETOA project (learn to protect aids). it's very new - set up this year by a group of people who are all HIV positive. they all lost their jobs due to the stigma of this. they do a lot of things - the day care centre (2-6 year old orphans), drama performances and talks, and womans groups....i will be in the day care centre 8-12 and then joining other things too....
like you can probably see so much is going on here. i will send pics and talk normally when i can! remind me to tell you the story of the pregnant lady and the elephants.
need to try the kilimanjaro beer tonight.
kwaheri
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Mindy
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Pregnant lady and elephants
Don't forget to tell us the story, Jo!