BITS AND PIECES OF LIFE IN KENYA

Babysitting! Baby Shanelle wrapped up in my sarong and sleeping in my bed in Bungoma! So cute!!!! Nutrition presentation day at the school. Local women gather to learn how to make soy milk - which is surprisingly simple and delicious! Mamma Jane mashing the beans... Me... doing... something? Hanging out with Mattea! She likes me, really - she's just pretending not to!

Wendy !! She's 9 !! Me and my directors nephew - Emmanuel :) Christine with her huge hair between braiding! She was my neighbour while I was living in Kabula!!!!! She's also a superstar at basketball so I couldn't but buy her a ten dollar pair of running shoes - she thought she'd died and gone to heaven that day! Me and Habbah from the internet cafe. I'm pretty much an employee here now! A couple of hard working kids on the road to Shibanze. This is actually a very small load on top of her head!!!

Good friends! This is Mamma Jane and her two children. On the left is Ramzy and on the right her daughter Zulfah drinking my leftover soda! Mamma Jane recently gave birth to a baby girl but she died after only three days due to spina bifida - a disease that the healthcare system in Kenya cannot yet tackle. She used all of her small business capital in burrying her daughter but we were able to get her started again with once again - donations! Wow - I'm going to miss these people. My directors son, nicknamed WEPOGA - so cute! In fact, I just realized I don't even know his real name...weird! Junior. This kid definetley has a special place in my heart. Actually his whole family does. And below this picture his his mom and younger sister. Junior was sick recently and needed emergency surgery. To make matters worse the first surgery didn't fix the problem and he was back in for a second only one week later. Being so close to his family, his father wanted me to be there during the entire process so I've spent 12 hour days with this boy beside his hospital bed. He's the most energetic 3 1/2 year old I know and I'm happy to say he's FULLY recovered! Like I said - Junior's mom and baby sister Jennifer! Mom is only 21 years old but Junior's older sister is 6. She started into the mom/married world at a frightening young age but somehow does an amzing job. Her and her husband are incredible people and have been so helpful in my adjusting to life in Africa. My personal project that I funded myself since being here was helping this Mamma to start a small business selling dress materials from Uganda. It's been successful now for 3 straight months. Every time I see them they remind me of how thankful they are. Before this they were begging for food each day - now they are buying it themselves. In fact, I've noticed the kids in a few new outfits lately too! Life is good for them, and getting better! My directors oldest son, Joe. He coudn't resist a picture with me after he saw Junior getting one!

I can't begin to say how much these people mean to me. Although they aren't all present - these are the women I meet with every Thursday. I feel like I have 60 mothers in Shibanze and they are all such amazing people. I think my big smile shows how awesome they are. It's an honour to be in a picture with them. This ones getting framed - that's for sure! Meet Sylvia. She lives on the school compound with her two children - one of which is named Hellen who attends our school and this one in the picture with her, baby Tracy. Sylvia is an example of a young woman who was promised to be taken care of by a man by marrying. Her story tells about a different life - a struggling life where abuse and overall poor treatment is a reality. Food is scarce and the nights are long when they are filled with hunger pains. Boda-boda. This is Ann, another girl that I live with. Here we are returning to Bungoma after I brought her to Shibanze for a day to see what I was up to there. Needless to say, she also fell in love with the place right away - it's impossible not to! Me, Sheilah and her baby Emmanuel. Helping to serve lunch at the school! Today was beef, sukuma-wiki, and ugali! Good stuff :)

Our new cooking 'machine'. Another item purchased through donations from YOU! Three of our four teachers. From left to right is Lillian, Celina, and Emily. Missing is Dorrine because she was sent home to have a baby! Meet some of our new additions. This is what baby class looks like after lunch. It's nap time on top of some blankets that we were able to purchase with more donations! New uniforms for those without are coming soon! More babies! In the background our new school office. We are having a shortage of storage room so for now you can see all of our school supplies piled up behind the desk. Maybe soon we will be in a position to paint the school! Of course there are so many more important things to do that it keeps getting put off! Here's proof to all those who are worried that I do find time for myself. This is a picture of me and my friend Brent from Texas who is here with the peace corps! He's a Kenyan lifer - been here for 13 months and counting - makes me feel like such a rookie! Oh, right - we were out enjoying some Kenyan beer that night - TUSKER :) Highly recommended! I also have to point out how I'm wearing jeans and a turtle-neck.This is how I know that I've adjusted to life in Africa - when I can manage to feel COLD in this country!

Kids chasing my bicylce as I pass by a nearby school. My personal shopping mall. Everything you could ever want and more. Meet Lydia - the reason why I know so much swahilli. The house girl at my home-away-from-home who doesn't speak a word of English - but we get by! Millcent. Wow I can't say enough about this woman. She might be my best African friend. She helps me with SO many projects. She's struggling like everyone else in the village to make ends meet but will never ask you for anything. She lost her daughter when giving birth to her grandson so now take care of him on her own for the past seven years. She's an incredible woman. Clinic day at the Shibanze dispensary. This is me collecting nutritional data for a proposal I've been working on. Cross your fingers that it gets accepted and some money is sent for a year long health project in Shibanze.