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Published: October 23rd 2006
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Jambo! I can't believe I managed to finally log in. It has been too long. I hope you are all well. I have so much to say but not sure if I have time to write.
I first made a journey by mtatu (a small van or bus) to Kisii. I went with two friends...Ndemo and Godfrey. They were my guides. Ndemo grew up near Kisii and showed Godfrey and I around. I wanted to see the village Ndemo grew up in because my friend in the states....Jeff is from there as well....they are cousins. The roads here in Kenya are unbelievable. We spent over 4 hours to get to Kisii and it was on dusty....dirty roads with so many bumps your buttom hurts. I can't explain how much dust and how many bumps. The roads are so bad that they do not even drive on them...instead they go off the side into the dirt. Some how we made it. I was welcome by Jeff's family and spent my first night there. I saw some scary bugs and could not sleep at all that first night. In the morning we took another hour long ride into their village called Ikuruma.
I want you to imagine the smallest...oldest...Nissan pick up truck. Now put a lil' canopy over the back. We were shoved in the back....about 30 of us. My foot was twisted sideways and could not move. People were hunched over standing to fit back there. Ndemo had to ride on top. +We drove that way down another bumpy and dusty road. I joked about all the dust I was eating....and we called them dust-burgers.....I ate a lot of those burgers. At one point the tire blew out. They fixed it while we were in the vehicle. It was a long journey. When we finally arrived we had about 4 kilometers to walk to get to the home. We past a school and they wanted us to come in. So full of dust and so tired we toured the school. The children are barefoot. They have hardly anything and yet they are eager to learn. Most were orphans because of HIV/AIDS. The school had been through a storm that blew off the rooftops of part of the school. NIt was so sad to be there. I had to speak in each classroom. They are so excited to see someone from the states. I feel so odd and yet almost famous at times....it is rather alarming and a sick feeling comes over me just feeling that way.
The journey through Ikuruma begins and there is no time to rest or even clean up. From the moment the village sees a white person they are coming out to see who I am and what I can do to help. Ndemo is related to almost everyone in the village. We go from home to home. No one ever hesitates to let us in. We come un announced and they just invite us in. Almost every home has a fresh burial out front. Most are women left with children to feed and their husbands have died from HIV/AIDS...but no one says that. Each day we were there people were at funerals....because of AIDS....each day!! The houses have nothing and it feels so sad to go and see a young woman with 5 kids and no one to help. There are no places to work and most likely the woman is infected too and will die leaving more orphans. There seems to be no hope at times. I am overwhelmed and each house brings these burning tears that I fight back because the smiles and generosity of these people conquers all. Everything is so hard. There was no electricity....no running water....and no money. To see children with no shoes and no food is horrible. My heart ached for days.....it still hurts. I watched a new widow.....with her newborn baby trying to breast feed....she is so young herself and so skinny...she can not feed the baby and the baby just tries to suckle over and over but there is no milk. My tears are like oceans falling from the sky and I can't even speak.....I was going to interview her more...but I can't. Godfrey was there to do research as well so together we took a lot of video and photos to learn more about the problems in the village. To see these things humbled me in a way I will never forget. I have a new found love for American. We have it so easy. We are so lucky and I can honestly say I am proud to be an American. Being proud does not mean I will forget though. Others suffer so greatly.....even just to get water. I will never experience that...besides this and it has given me an outlook that will change me forever.
I ate a lot of bananas in Ikuruma. They have tons. They grow everwhere. And fresh avocados too. Plus I walked through all the tea and coffee fields. It was amazing. I walked up and down what felt like mountains each day. I was so tired. One thing for sure is you are fed so much here. The families with food are so giving. Ndemo comes from a more well off family. We ate so much. In Africa you must take if you are offered. So we would be having chai at one house and then leave and the next house would offer so we would have to take tea again. Sometimes 5 times a day we would. We even ate breakfast twice once. Such a difference culture. Just the way we show up with out being invited....no one cares...you are just welcomed.
On Sunday I was taken to church. Most people were at a funeral and so it was a small group. They asked me to give a sermon!! Can you believe that? I just could not and so they asked me to sing. I stood there feeling guilty for a moment since I did not give the sermon and so I stood up and sand a song I learned at Bible camp when I was young. They loved it and the children were so happy. It was an experience.
I have so much more to say but need to take a rest from this computer.....I have the Indian ocean waiting for me outside....I am in Mombasa now to relax a bit after all the hard work near Kisii. More to come on the coast....
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Jordy
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SO much....
Amy Jo, I'm so proud of you. To see what you are seeing and being able to relate it to all of us back home. It's very powerful and important work you're doing. Just witnessing what is happening there is beautiful work. Thank you for writing to us. Keep safe, kid. Love, Jordy