Adela The third Lettter

Dear Friends,

 It is about midnight in Nairobi, in a few hours I will be making my way back home to New York. Looking back on the day I left to Kenya with a suitcase full of hopes, art supplies and clothes so much has happened. I didn't know I would be making over 400 picture frames with the Popsicle sticks, having six dance parties a day, that Girl on Fire would bring me smile so much. I had no idea that the people I met in Chicago would become my home, that we would laugh, cry, sing, cook and dream together. That in prayer we would face some of the darkness in our life and at camp create lasting light. All I knew was that I had to make that flight, that my path, my camino was pointing me here. Almost a month later my suitcase is almost empty of material things, but it's harder to carry for some reason. I think because memories weigh more than expectations. I also think its because lessons take up more space than worries. These past two weeks of blog silence have been busy with more beautiful children, meeting the families of friends, and saying goodbyes to people we just started knowing and those who we felt we've known forever. In writing this I thought about the theme or the story only to realize I have none right now. We spent the day on Safari and in the afternoon made it to Thigio for supper where I briefly said goodbye to my teammates, my home. It has been one of the most difficult parts of my trip. I wish I could tell you all in detail about these weeks, but where can I even begin? I could say that Breila has one of the most beautiful smiles I have ever seen, that Abantu has the best laugh, that the kids of Matisi have incredible talent, our helpers gorgeous homes. I could tell you the story of Anthony, how our friendship was meant to be, that I saw George a few times later and how happy he was. I could tell you how Innocent and Joseph's friendship inspires me everyday, Francis' unmatched compassion , the joy of singing at mass, the infinite beauty of Chepanyal, how much we learned from the daughters and how much we laughed too. I could show you our dance moves, maracas, journals and teacups, sing ya ya ya, or nyama nyama. I could quote lion king, wesley snipes, spirit and john legend. All of these things begin many of the great stories of our trip. While in this short night I can't tell them all, I hope sometime you can hear them, the cause of my heavy suitcase. Though everything is packed now, I can pull out one lesson from the top zipper, the one I have been visiting a lot today, friendship is one of the greatest gifts we can receive, a gift that is highly valued here. Marafiki means friends and I am so grateful to have made some here. Thank you everyone in Kenya who has made our time here unforgettable, and leaving so hard and asante sana Emily, Matthew and Dom for making this month awesome, I miss you already and cannot wait to see you in October and call you up this weekend, hug an elephant for me! And everyone reading wherever you are, I hope that these random thoughts scattered throughout the month have made you smile and inspired you in some way. Kwaheri!

Adela August 14th: The Second Letter

08/13/13

Dear Friends,

As Matt and Emily wrote about things have been going great.  I’m learning many new things on a daily basis about Kitale, the people and myself.  The first week of camp was definitely interesting.  After spending most of Sunday preparing T-shirts with numbers the big day arrived.  As we stood by the gate of the compound little eyes peeked through the gate excitedly. Once every child received a T-shirt, their name was written on it along with their group number (from 1 to 3) and they were asked to meet us outside.  The first day set the tone to our usual morning routine. 

We all stand in a big circle and do stretches; Dom does the funniest ones involving fun dances and numbers.  Then we play some circle games like ‘’nyama nyama nyama’’ which is a call and response game about what animals people eat or not.  Then we play Emily’s and my favorite game: ‘’Ya Ya Ya’’ which is a dance game about body itches and soccer so I’ve been told... Once we finish and everyone has arrived Aaron or another one of our amazing helpers introduces us and themselves. We have 6 helpers as mentioned, Sara, Bernadette( Berna), Mora, Aaron, Solomon(Solo) and Lawrence (Lawy). Then we split up into our number groups and each group does 1 of three possible activities: Arts and Crafts with dancing, Enrichment and Outdoor games. 

I lead the Arts and Crafts and dancing room, something that became norm after my first day.  I really love being there.  Not only because it reminds me of my time at the museum and my nostalgic Kid’s Day memories but because I have the chance to make a quiet activity exciting and fun for the kids.  Usually we start with stretching and some yoga and explain the logistics of the project.  After the project is complete, we go over some key words and all or some kids stand up in front of the class and introduce themselves, their project and their favorite part of it. Usually when a name is given everyone excitedly says ‘’Hi (Persons Name)!!!’’ with great joy and clap after the presentation.  I really enjoy watching each kid get a moment in the spotlight and be recognized. 

My helpers are Mora and Lawy who are fantastic.  Every day I feel very blessed to work with Lawy because I know how hard translation is.  In the words of my beloved Dr. Mitre ‘’Translations are just approximations’’ but he conveys my same enthusiasm and love for the project which I really value.  He also makes every child feel special and loved especially the shy ones which I see helps them come out of their shell, which inspires me to be at my best. Even when we have introduced the 70^th child on the fourth hour, he still smiles as if it was the first which is very special.  We also make a great team as we have begun to incorporate dance into our curriculum with Shakira, Alicia Keys and Mackelmore being favorites just to name a few.  That's Lawy.

With my wonderful team and VLM we were able to complete lots of fun projects like paper monsters, maracas, family portraits and frames, math books, journals, a soccer tournament and more. Another special part of camp has been being able to have tea time with the kids, something I think Americans should consider doing. Right in the middle of each session everyone stops to share Chai and Mendahzi. We serve the kids first, spend time with them and then share with each other.  The first day was hilarious as the kids were so amused at our skin color. Some of them played with the hair on Matthew’s legs, and carefully analyzed my finger nails, compared our complexion and were fascinated by my bangles as if I was under a microscope.  After carefully observing most of them shared laughs and hugs with us and their love which has been the most special part of camp.  The love the kids have for us and the helpers is enormous, as well as their gratitude.  I have never worked with such polite children, so well behaved and loving always open to share their sunshine. While there are many undeniable challenges within this community like hunger and brewing in certain areas, there is also immense light I experience every day at camp and through the Daughters and friendships we are building with Beatrice, our helpers, Alfred, The Nyota staff and each other.

 

Of the many friendships made one of the most special so far for me has been with George, one of the kids at camp from the afternoon session.  I first spoke to George on the first day when I noticed his drawing of all 6 farm animals perfectly on his shirt.  I immediately complimented him in my broken Swahili expressions Lawy wrote out and he got very shy but then shook my hand. Later that day he showed me the Kenyan handshake which is a pound, your fist onto your heart and then outward again. Every day at camp this became our tradition: greeting each other with our handshake, him showing me his beautiful artwork and laughing together about the silly dance moves Lawy, Mora and I did.  George and I are to the left :)

On the fourth day, George told me in English (which he probably practiced) that he drew me or kudro? in Swahili.  The very next day he handed me a beautiful picture of Emily, him and I and smiled waiting for my expression.  The paper was worn out and I could tell how hard he had worked on it. This moment meant so much to me because though I couldn’t always communicate perfectly, I knew that our friendship had been as important to him as it was to me. On the very last day, I knew we had to say goodbye which was tough. Even though we are only with the kids one week, we share so much with them, learn and care a lot.
 

As the gates opened and the kids waved goodbye joyfully George stood by the gate shyly. 
I ran up to him and from my pocket took out a picture I drew for him. He seemed a bit shocked but opened it and read: ‘’Adela, Emily, George…’’ looked down a while and looked up and smiled, then held the picture to his heart to express gratitude. I like to think that certain things like friendship and gratitude surpass the boundaries of language. I will never forget the look on his face of joy of that moment as it has been one of the most special on my journey here. All I could say in that moment was ‘’Rafiki’’ or friend and give him a handshake, our handshake. As I waved goodbye I was overwhelmed with joy for that moment and gratitude for a great first week.

                                                                        Love,

                                                                                  Adela  xx

(George's Drawing to the left, Adela's to the right)

Matthew August 14th

Hello,

My trip started rough as I threw up before passing through security at the airport. A security officer said he could transfer me to a later flight if I wasn’t feeling well. Luckily, I felt better and was able to get on the flight where I spent time reading Harry Potter 7 and watching Life of Pi and Argo. While waiting in line at Customs at the Nairobi Airport, a conversation began with a man from Kenya who lived in Rwanda. He just jumped in on a comment he heard from us about a rosary necklace. The friendly aura of Kenya had made its first appearance. As we left the airport, we watched in horror as it was quickly swallowed up in flames, the heat of the fire beating against my face.

Just kidding. No one freak out. We found out about the fire four days after we arrived in Kitale. We did, however, meet Alfred, who is a different kind of madness in himself. He drove us from Nairobi to Kitale and I regret that I did not appreciate his presence while driving. I, myself, was too wrapped up in the world of Hogwarts as I attempted to finish the book. After meeting him around our compound a couple times, he is super friendly and understands English very well, allowing him to make clever jokes and poke fun at us.

In the first couple days of our tenure, we went for a walk with Aaron and Manu, two gentlemen who help with our camp. I spent most of the time talking with Aaron, asking questions about the area and the struggles and the schools. We saw a lot of homes, some made of mud, some made of tin sheets, and some nicer ones made of Brick. Most of the roads consist of a red clay. We saw one of the schools along the road. It had a soccer field in front of it where I was told the kids participate in soccer tournaments to keep them busy when they are not in school. I love tournaments so that made me happy.

At the beginning of the walk, I was addressed by an older man who told me he was hungry and that he had two daughters and that he had come from another area. After I had been listening for a bit, Aaron came over, heard the story, and instructed the man to go to the compound of the Daughters of Charity for assistance. Aaron told me about how the man expected that I could fix all his problems because I am white. Aaron then proceeded to tell me how that the man’s food struggles were common in Kitale. Not just the hunger of himself and his children, but the cause of his hunger. The man had been drunk and Aaron said that many families struggle because one or both parents spend money on alcohol when they need to feed their families. It seems alcohol universally has the potential to destroy homes. Aaron told me that many adults get into brewing alcohol to make quick money. Another surprising thing I learned from him is that most adults in Kitale have cell phones. I had no idea that phenomenon was worldwide. I guess we all feel the desire to be connected. They use their phones to get on Facebook as well.

Another interesting aspect of the walk was how many eyes consistently follow us. This is what being a celebrity feels like. Except we didn’t do anything to earn it. Kids constantly yell out, “How are you?” and we respond, “Fine”. We are the only white people that I have seen, besides Sister Karen, in the area so we stick out, heavily.

At the camp with the kids, I began at the outdoor rotation with the kids where we played blob tag, ran relays, and shot on “basketball hoops” that consisted of an eight foot post leading up to a rim. I’m really glad they have a form of basketball for my sanity’s sake. I realized I did not like being the outdoor station as much as I thought I would. Aaron was my partner and he was really awesome but I thought it would be better for me inside and Dom said he wanted to try outside so we switched. Greatest decision. Dom says he communicates much better with the kids out there and I love trying to learn the language and teach with what I have. I read them a book in English and we picked out key words that they had to repeat to practice English. The next day we taught math which was awesome and we used plastic straws to practice simple addition and subtraction. It was really great. The last day of the week we just watched the Lion King which still has a strong impact on me. Beautiful film.

This past weekend, on Saturday, we walked with several of the camp helpers through the town market area of Kitale where people were selling various clothes, food, and timber. We ended up at a museum where we saw snakes, crocodiles, and traditional Kenyan huts. It was getting late in the day and starting to rain so we quickly picked up some food (spicy fries) and caught a cab back to the compound. While walking toward the cabs in the city, some boys came up to us saying they were hungry and put their hands out. They followed us toward the cabs and were persistent. We eventually fit seven of us in a cab and were promptly told, “f*** you”, by one of the boys. Aaron told us about a policy that was put in place that forced the children off the streets and into homes for a while but many of the kids ran away and returned to the streets. They were addicted to the freedom of that life. It feels safe to say, though, that a majority of the kids like school and learning and take advantage of it.

Finally, last Sunday, we went to the home of one of the cooks for the Daughters. Her name is Beatrice. She always has a huge smile and is very kind to us when we thank her for the food she made for us. She’s an unbelievable cook. At her house, we met her husband Benjamin and her son William. The beginning of the event involved obsessing over William but the end of the event involved us asking questions to Benjamin. Benjamin had an idea for helping his community which involved helping people with two major problems: alcohol and pornography. He discussed how both were very detrimental to the families and community in general. I asked him to send me a seven page paper he wrote about his thoughts and a program he is starting. I look forward to reading about it.

These people are amazing and overall fantastically kind. They have taught me many simple phrases and counting in Swahili and they make me feel very welcome in their community. I hope I can show this kind of welcoming to everyone I meet in my life and accept into my home.

 

Emily

August 11, 2013

I do not even know where to begin.  It feels as though I have returned to a place that I once called home.  On the journey here I had butterflies in my stomach and it felt as though it had been centuries since I had been in Kenya.  Once I arrived and saw some friendly faces—it seems like I was only here yesterday.  As I stepped off the plane in Nairobi, I knew that this was where I was supposed to be.  I felt tears of joy welling up in my eyes, and it has been wonderful to return to Kitale and see old friends while also meeting new ones.

There are so many things that I had missed so much without even realizing it…

The Kenyan nod upward with a raise of the eyebrows, stating “Yes,” in a Swahili accent.  If you have ever been to Kenya, you probably know what I am talking about.

The giggles of the Daughters of Charity when we act ridiculous.

The curious eyes of children courageously yelling, “Mizungu, how are you?!”  As a community mate mentioned, it seems as though it is a game to see who can get a wave or “I’m fine,” in response.

The stern, but kind waves of greeting from an older strong and beautiful Kenyan woman.

The cars buzzing past you that seem as though they are always on the wrong side of the road, and the drivers always use the blinkers or flashers, and none of us ever really understand the system of what these signals mean.  Thank goodness for our good friend and talented driver, Alfred.

There are many new joys that have been presented to our community this year.  We have been fortunate to spend a lot of time with the Daughters of Charity, sharing meals, laughs, and reflections.  We shared how we each got to Kitale, and why we are here.  These women continue to inspire me and bring joy into my life.  Matthew, Dominic, Adela and I have all expressed how much these interactions with the sisters have meant to us.  Many of us have done work with the Daughters of Charity in different parts of the world—Panama, El Salvador, Chicago, New York, and who knows where else.

It has been so wonderful to see some of the familiar smiles of the children.  Some of their pictures have been on my walls as a reminder of the times from last summer.  It is amazing to see how some of the children have shot up in the last year.  Rabecca sends her greetings and love to you, Alex.  She ran up to me and immediately asked about you.  It meant so much to be able to give her a big hug for you, but it was also a hard time for me.  We took this picture to send to you… 

 

 

The local people that help us with the camp for the children are amazing, as usual.  We have Aaron and Solo who returned from last year, and we seem to have a routine and understanding of how things work without even using words at times.  This year we have been lucky enough to make four new friends through the staff with Lawy, Mara, Berna, and Sarah. 

We went into town and to the Kitale Museum with Aaron, Mara, and Sarah yesterday.  We saw huge crocodiles and several poisonous snakes along with some of the historically traditional houses of different ethnic groups in Kenya.  I enjoyed seeing a new landmark of Kitale and spending time with the staff.

When we left Kitale last year, our beloved friend and the Daughters’ cook, Beatrice, told us that she was expecting a baby.  We left before she was even showing, and that has been one of the true indicators of time passed—now Beatrice and her caring husband, Benjamin, have a beautiful son named William.  They had us for lunch in their home, and I am so thankful for their hospitality and kindness.  It meant so much to hold little William and look through their photo album; pictures of last year’s chapatti lesson were scattered through the last few pages of her memory book.  Beatrice shared that little William is sick, but he is being cared for now.  He is a beautiful boy and takes after his mother with his bright brown eyes.

 

 

 

As we walk through the streets of Kitale, I struggle with the evident poverty that seems too normalized after being here last year.  It still pains me to see children with swollen bellies and without shoes, but as Adela expressed perfectly, the children will not let you focus on that.  We are working with the Daughters of Charity to work with children from the families that are suffering the most.  If all we saw of these children were infomercials on TV or a photograph, then we would be missing out on their joy and resilience that we all have so much to learn from. 

Illness is still a huge problem that the people of Kitale face.  Beatrice’s beautiful little boy has malaria in addition to one of the Daughters of Charity having Typhoid and Malaria.  I definitely feel the extreme amount of privilege we have to be vaccinated and have the medicine to prevent any of us from being infected with these illnesses.  Time and time again we hear of a person who has passed away or has to go to the hospital because of illness, often times they are the loved ones of those that we have come to care for during our time here.  It is difficult to see more and more people become deeply ill when I know that there are preventable medicines.  That has been one of the most challenging issues for me this time in Kitale.

As I return, I am reminded that there are so many misconceptions about Kenya and Africa that continue to be disproved to us every day and I feel that these are worth sharing.  We see people dressed up in slacks and polos or jeans and a cute top for the day.  We see the long paved road that continues all the way from Kitale to Uganda.  People want to add us on Facebook, and I still get notifications from the Youth Group at the Church in the Matisi area of Kitale.  Our friends text us when they are headed our way; almost everyone has a cell phone.  I continue to be surprised, challenged, and blessed every day that I am here.

Adela

Written Sunday August 4th

Dear Friends,

After a long two days between airports, we arrived to NBO Nairobi at about 9:00pm.  One of the most striking things about the airport was a sign with a very happy giraffe that read: Smile. You are now in Kenya.  The moment seemed almost surreal, before this, Kenya was just an idea so many people had different opinions and perspectives on. Now it was here, surrounded by my teammates at the start of this long awaited journey, the precipice. The first person I met was on the customs line, his name was Celestine like the color turquoise in Spanish or the jewel.  He explained how he was visiting Kenya only for a week before he went back to one of his many homes Rwanda.  He described Nairobi in the way I would describe New York and said that though leaving it was hard, there were more opportunities in Rwanda and less competition.  After getting luggage, we met our first friends, Gabriel and Alfred who would be driving us to our respective cities.

Alfred is our driver for Kitale and possibly one of the best drivers I’ve ever met.  Something notable about Nairobi is that driving in it is comparable to Santo Domingo, there are little signs and lights and the protocol and rules are subjective to the driver.  Driving requires superior alertness and skill which is why I am so grateful for Alfred.  We arrived to Thigio, where the daughters welcomed us with open arms and beautiful tables full of food.  The power was out so we sat in candlelight catching up with them and each other. Because the drive to Kitale is around 8 hours, we slept for about five and left at the crack of dawn with Alfred.  The most memorable moment of that day was seeing the surroundings of Nairobi at night, it is full of life and beautiful architecture made of very simple materials.

The next day consisted of a road trip from Thigio to Kitale.  The way was stunning, full of beautiful mountains covered in fog and animals I had only seen on the travel channel like baby gazelles and zebras crossing the road. I learned that a curio is a shop of handmade crafts.  The people along the way were very nice and seemed intrigued by our appearance.  A young boy holding a chicken on the side of the road stopped to stare and we exchanged smiles before he ran away out of shyness. We made a very special stop at the equator, a place I would have never imagined reaching but was so excited for and shared a wonderful Vegetarian lunch with the Chepanyal folks before parting ways. 

Yesterday was a great day, its best part being the arrival to our new home in Kitale with the daughters.  We live on their compound in a beautiful home that used to be a dairy.  My room is the first to the left and it’s perfect, it even has a canopy (mosquito net) that makes Dom and I feel like royalty.  Though the trip here was exhausting and sometimes seemingly infinite, it feels amazing to finally be in one place and know that we will be able to stay a while and call home.  Though we have barely been here a day, it already feels like home and with the warmth of the daughters and each other it will probably grow. 

 

Today we also went to our first mass and made tons of new friends, many kids that will start summer camp tomorrow here.  Right now we are about to prepare for the big day and the continual struggle of acclimating to this time zone so more news on mass next time, stay tuned!! Kwaheri!

P.S. Hello to all the New York folks, missing and thinking of a lot. Buen Camino J

Love,

Adela xx

Hello! My name is Dominic Buchmiller, and I'm from a small town in the St. Louis area. I go to school at DePaul University in Chicago and am studying Writing, Rhetoric and Discourse. I'm really looking forward to staying with the Daughters of Charity in Kitale. I work with them in Chicago and have had the opportunity to stay with them in El Salvador this past winter and I can't wait to meet them in Kenya. I love seeing their mission spread widely throughout my country and my wold. I'm also looking forward to running the a summer camp for the kids of the area. I just spent five weeks travelling with Catholic HEART Workcamp which is a service camp for high schoolers so I am in an amped up "campy" mentality so I can't wait to have some fun with whoever we meet!