Where The Streets Have No Names (Or Street Cleaners!)

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Sunday, July 3, 2011

While waiting for all the other volunteers to arrive, we decided to walk through the city to get a sense of it and its people. Mind you, it was a Sunday, so the streets were quieter than any given weekday.

The first thing I noticed is the dirt. Not just grime and such, but dirt and sand on the roads in the downtown core. The roads are bumpy and a mixture of old asphalt, rocks, and whatever else they used to build them. I won’t say they are cobblestone, as that would be adding a charm to them. I am not complaining or putting the place down. This works for the locals and no one seems to be bothered by it, so let it be.

Off the main roads, you will find dirt, mud, rocks and streets that would take the suspension out of a car at home. The road leading to the Econo Lodge is a perfect example. In the picture, you will see that in the bottom left corner, there is a sinkhole stuffed with rubber tires that someone found. The is no Department of Roads. There are no City Employees patching potholes. I found the City Hall, but I don’t think there is any reason to go there.

The sides of the roads are strewn with litter. There are eaten cobs of maize (not corn, even though it looks like corn), litter, orange rinds.. you name it, it’s probably out there! If someone wanted to come here and start a “Clean Up The City” campaign, they could be here for centuries.

That being said, the people here are the kindest, warmest, most welcoming people I have met. When meeting them on the street, everyone says hello to me. They are patient when I try my Kiswahili out on them. They smile and they are genuinely happy and excited that I am making an effort to fit in.

The beggars on the street are polite. The street vendors ask you to buy but they don’t harass you. Everyone is trying to survive.

At the other end of the scale, there are 4 casinos in town. I can hear mom dialing Jackie’s Travel to book a plane ticket as I type this. My mother has never met a slot machine she didn’t like. For that, I adore her. I have not been to any of the casinos yet. They are not open 24 hours. They appear to be open only in the evenings. My guess is that they cater to the diplomats and politicians who live here. From what I can see, they are the only ones who can afford to lose money.

Take a look at the pictures I have posted. You will get a good idea of the lifestyle of the locals. While they don’t have much, they are genuinely grateful for all they possess.

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