The Last Full Day

Today was bittersweet, as I spent my last full day in Nairobi. In the morning, Maddie and I went to the pre-school center to paint the benches we had made on Monday- fun, and not too messy, though I would have given a lot for latex paint. The cheery colors of turquoise and yellow will add a great deal to the classrooms, both in the old center and in the new one when it opens in September.

Then after lunch and a meeting with an amazing woman, Terry, from an NGO working with the aged here in Kenya, it was off to the city market to make some last-minute gift purchases, including my son's vuvuzela (you know- the dreadful-sounding horn used at the World Cup soccer games to cheer for the teams. Am I crazy or what?). The word is Zulu and means, "Let's all celebrate!"

Briefly back to the hotel and then off to our early evening meeting with the grandmothers at what will be the new pre-school center, since several has not seen it. They were thrilled with the property, as was Elizabeth, the teacher, since there will be far more space, both indoors and outside. Our time together was made difficult by two things. First, the eight-year-old granddaughter of Beatrice, one of the original grandmothers, died on Monday of complications from AIDS and Beatrice had gone to the country to be with the rest of her family for the funeral. And second- though far less important in the overall scheme of things, it was our goodby to the grandmothers for this trip. There were many hugs, a parting prayer, and sincere wishes for safe travel, as well as the fervent remark from Elizabeth: "Please don't forget us." As if I possibly could.

And so, in just a little more than 24 hours, I will be on a plane heading for Cairo, then Amsterdam, then Boston, and then Charlotte. By this time Friday evening, I will be on my way up I-85 to my home...and Nairobi, Kenya will be far, far away once again. But a piece of my heart- a very large piece- will remain here with these courageous grandmothers, with their beautiful grandchildren, while I give my own grands many hugs and kisses...while I express continued gratitude for the blessing of their presence in my life...while I pray for the wisdom, courage, and strength to continue the work begun here and in Mwanza and in Kigali among women who are struggling so hard to give their own grandchildren a better life.

Kibera: Africa's Largest Slum

Let me tell you a bit about Kibera, the second-largest slum in the world, the largest in Africa. The statistics vary but  it seems to be generally agreed that somewhere between two and two-and-one-half million people inhabit 2 square miles. Houses- such as they are- are quite literally on top of one another and from the outside edges of Kibera, where roads can accomodate one car-width, the streets get narrower and narrower, until in the center, streets are barely wide enough to permit two people to pass one another.

With no electricity, the place becomes dark and dangerous when night falls. With no running water, people are forced to carry water from several taps maintained by the government for that purpose. With no sewage system, raw human waste runs in the streets or is placed in bags on the roofs of houses where it is susceptible to both vermin and weather. One of the estimates I have heard is that more than 500,000 children in Kibera do not go to school, which means that this extreme poverty will be perpetuated for yet another generation.

Stretching as far as the eye can see, these "houses", each composed of one room and sometimes housing as many as 14 or 15 people, are the growing-up place for thousands of children, the dying place of countless more. 

The desire to bring hope and education to children orphaned by AIDS and now being cared for by their grandmothers is what has prompted the Nyanya Project. Having spent time at the Pre-School Center, seeing these children being fed and educated and cared for by loving adults five days a week makes me more determined than ever to have more and more such centers established. With the rental of a larger property (where considerable renovations must take place), a second center will begin- we deeply hope- this fall. Both centers will be housed in the same building, which will have a play yard outdoors, an indoor kitchen, several classrooms, a office, and bathroom facilities. In all, a total of 80 children will be able to attend, with the goal of preparing them for elementary school, as well as teaching them good health skills and providing nourishing food (which might well be the only food they get each day). The grandmothers working at the center mix a "porridge" of several difference grains (very nutrient-filled) which the children drink each day in addition to their lunch. I found the smell less than appetizing, but the children drink it gladly and ask for more. And a considerable number of the children have grown and are thriving where before they were thin and sickly (most especially those who are HIV-positive).

Yesterday, a group of us spent the morning working with a carpenter and his helper to build some benches for the center. Presently, the children sit on the floor, with no surface on which to write. The benches will serve double- duty: a place to sit when they are eating and a "desk" surface on which to write and color. Tomorrow morning, Maddie and I are going back to paint them in bright colors, which will add some extra cheer to the classroom.

If you'd like to learn more about the Nyanya Project and its work, please visit the website and/or the Facebook page. And if you believe in what we're doing, perhaps consider a contribution to enable us to help more of the grandmothers of these children, the poorest of the poor. For it is in these little ones that the hope for the future lies- their grandmothers realize that, which is why their determination is so great, their dedication so unwavering.

                  

Jina Langu ni Linda (my name is Linda)

Well, my body finally rebelled! All of the activity, sitting three in the back seat of our vehicle, bouncing along dirt roads yesterday, as well as being fraught with so much emotion in this Land of A Thousand Hills caught up with me duing the night and my right sacro-iliac joint is well and truly inflamed. And so, while my traveling companions are driving for 2 hours to one of the Clinton Initiative/Partners in Health sites in eastern Rwanda, I am stretched out in MM's room at her hotel, trying to stretch out enough to restore some balance to my physical self. I am terribly disappointed since the site involves maternal-child health, my nursing speciality for a number of years, but I am trying to hold positive thoughts by spending some time with this blog, reflecting on all that I've seen and heard and experienced over the past three days.

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For you frequent fliers in the U.S., here's some interesting info: the flight from Nairobi, Kenya to Kigali, Rwanda was just a little over an hour. In that short while the staff found time to bring us warm towelettes to wash our hands and then serve us a lovely little meal with beverages, keeping us happy and most comfortable- and all of this done with the greatest courtesy and utmost efficiency. American airline companies, TAKE NOTE!!!!  

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From my journal on 6 July 2010:

In Kigali, Rwanda...a very clean city of about one million people...beautiful new airport...very modern with a great deal of constuction and refurbishing taking place. Eager to see it in daylight, to explore the city's heart...to drink real coffee and blog a bit...to go at a slow, observant pace. I am having trouble grasping the fact that a mere 16 years ago, the worst genocide since the Nazi holocaust took place here during one hundred days of living hell, with people tortured, hacked to death, shot, enduring every imaginable atrocity, the streets flowing with their blood- more than 1 million, I think. It boggles the mind...or perhaps it is only that the mind refuses confrontation with such horror, such recognition of human inhumanity. This afternoon, the Genocide Memorial/Museum... I wonder how that will be...feel...hard to anticipate...

And then the journal entry from 8:20a.m. on 7 July:

How do I even talk about the Genocide Memorial Museum? One of the most emotionlly draining things I have ever experienced...and no time at all to process the experience. What was populating my sleep, I wonder? What images are now implanted so deeply that they will forever be a part of me? I am finding our pace exhausting, not so much physically as mentally, emotionally. It is difficult for me to switch gears so quickly...I simple need to be able to dwell in what I am feeling a bit more...to let it sink in deeply so I can come to a place of clarity- at least about my inner experience. And I realize how much taking pictures pulls me "out there"- good in some ways not so good in others. So, time to leave once again- and I'm hardly ready- SAIDIA!   

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Met Pastor Deogratias today (isn't that a great name? "Thanks to God") He is the head of the Prison Fellowship of Rwanda and works with prisoners, many of whom are still there due to crimes committed during the Rwandan genocide. Quite a remarkable man, with a heart for the work of reconciliation. Four reconciliation villages have been established so far where genocide perpetrators released from prison and their families are living side-by-side with victims and their families. The government donated the land and building has been facilitated by Norwegian Church Aid. We've been invited to visit one of these villages on Friday morning before we return to Nairobi.

         

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Then- now change gears with me- we headed to Gahaya Links where women are taught crafts and Joy, the founder, designs fabric and jewelry items which are then made by the women for sale around the world. They have been helping to train some of the Nyanya grandmothers in paper beadcraft. Joy is a real dynamo- energetic, intelligent, and an excellent businesswoman. We saw about 30 women sitting outdoors on the grass, working on various projects as they develop their skills to enable them to earn a living which will help to support their families and raise their standard of living.

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Okay- one more shift...off to Ngiryi, in the hillsides northwest of Kigali, home of the grandmothers trained by Gahaya in cooperation with Nyanya (our dollars support this project on an on-going basis and these 15 women are "Nyanya Grandmothers"). The drive was beautiful, though the last several miles uphill were over rutted dirt roads. When we arrived at the local Ngiryi community center, a meeting of the area council was taking place on the hillside, a kind of neighborhod court in which disputes were heard and settled. Probably 50-60 people were there and things were still going strong when we left a couple of hours later. The grandmothers were so welcoming, greeting us with hugs and "Bon jours" and smiles as big as all outdoors. As usual, I was captivated by the children and got to know a couple of names- and stories.

The adorable little guy above is Moisies (Moses) with his grandmother, Anastasia, a beautifully regal woman...tall and slender as a model. At 3, Moisies is cheerful, laughing (though at first he feared that we were going to eat him, something his grandmother has warned him might happen if he played in the road!) He sported a clip-on necktie which he wore with a great deal of pride and during the lengthy afternoon displayed the same kind of patience I have seen in all of the African children I have met so far on this trip. Just before I took this photo, he and his grandmother had been singing a little song together, with much hugging and exchange of affection. And- if I may use a very American expression- I could have just "eaten him up"...though I would never tell them that!

And then there was Emmanuel, a wonderfully articulate 14-year-old who attends Primary 6 and speaks remarkably good English. He told me that he loves school and hopes eventually to go to university. "I love learning languges," he said with great enthusiasm, and then revealed that he also loves to sing and dreams of being a reggae singer. With a bit of encouragement, he sang an original song for us about himself, his school, and his life. And then, prompted by some questioning by Bosco, our driver, Emmanuel revelaled that he is an orphan, both parents dead, and he now lives with an older sister. Saying goodbye was not easy and we hugged tightly, as I thought of my grandchildren back in the States who have so, so many advantages of which this little guy can only dream- or perhaps not even imagine. What places one life here and one there? What chance of birth or genetics? And what really IS the responsible of the "haves" toward the "have-nots"?

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And so the day comes to an end. Are you tired yet? I certainly was- which may account for my depleted and "in pain" state this morning. But the rest- and a lovely HOT shower is slowly restoring my equilibrium and bodily homeostasis...the hip pain is beginning to abate, as m body, heart, and mind come more fully into alignment. Basi! basi! much love to mi watoto, mi wajukuu, mi mwenzangu. Kwaherini from Rwanda.

                   

Wanawake (women) of AFRICA