I get asked all the time from so many people what is it that you do when you are in Kenya?
It is hard to say as everyday is so varied so i thought that I would keep you up to date on my adventures in Kenya this year with this on line diary. I will try and keep it up to date as I can so make sure you check back all the time. I hope that this gives some of you people considering a trip over here the motivation to make the journey.
It will change your life for ever.
Monday, 15th October 2007
Since I last left Africa in 2005 I have dreamed about returning every day. The 30 hours of travelling from Australia and horrible drive from Nairobi to Nakuru was worth every second when arriving to the orphanage and seeing all of the beautiful children that I have grown to love from photos and stories that are constantly sent to me from Ivan and Mary. I didnt think it was possible for these children to be any more divine than they are in the pictures but now I see that it is.
Arriving at the orphanage building was a big shock as it was never as I had imagined. It is huge and so beautiful. Amazing views all around and the play areas for the children are fantastic.
The children are all very well behaved and have their routine that they follow every day. It is a wonderful environment for them all and you can see that they just flourish from all the love that they are being given.
When I came to Kenya 2 years ago we found the gorgeous Joshua Maina at the local hospital. He had been abandoned and left in the hospital for 3 months until we found him. Joshua sadly tested HIV + when we found him. He was given alot of love and a healthy diet here at Mission in Action and when I arrive here today one of the 1st questions i asked was if Ivan and Mary had tested Joshua again since... they had... and he is
HIV NEGATIVE !!
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Drive from Nairobi to Nakuru... |
My greeting when I arrived from the gorgeous Isacc. |
Tuesday 16th October 2007
Waking up today to the voices of all the children downstairs made it alot easier to get out of bed. Very excited to be here with them all. They are all playing downstairs and as I walk into the play room I hear 'Sarah come here' 'Sarah' 'Sarah' 'Sarah' It is nice to see that they all remember my name! We have worship and they all sing along and most of them know the words... even if they dont they sure put in a great effort.
Breakfast is served and it is a big serving for each child of fruit salad and cereal... this is after Antony so kindly hands out a mannabear to each of the children. They love to get them... 'I want teddy bear' they say.. little do they know that they are so good for them.
After breakfast we go out side and play in the fantastic new playground donated so kindly from some recent visitors. The children just love it.
Ivan and Mary take me to another village not far away called Piave. They wanted to show me the maternity ward and counselling centre that was recently built by the fantastic crew at ROTH (Reach out for Humanity) What a fantastic job they have done. They have already had 1 birth there recently and sure that many more will follow. Previous to this maternity wards being built there was only the local hospital for the woman to give birth at and the conditions are terrible. Many of the women and many of the children would die during birth.
We then went to see the Maturi family who I met last time i was in Kenya. They are a mentally ill family who Mission in Action have taken under their wing. Their mud hut was falling apart and needed a new house to live in. Roth kindly donated money and built a new house for this family to live in. They have a water tank and a new house and they are doing really well.
I am so happy to be here and to see all the amazing work that Mission in Action is doing for the local community. They really do go way beyond just looking after the orphans.
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Saying my hellos to all the children.. |
The view I woke up to... |
Dr Kaleb in the new Piave Maternity Ward.. |
Me and Warimu in her new house... |
Wednesday 17th October 2007
Another beautiful day here in Nakuru. Its hard to imagine such poverty all around me.
Kids are up and playing in the early hours (for me anyway) of the morning... mostly laughter and fun with the occasional chorus of screaming mixed in. We call the kids for breakfast and it is mostly a painless effort as the children head straight to the table and take their seats and wait for their food. My offer to help the workers with the washing up was gladly accepted.... after about 1 hour of cleaning I was a little happy that i did not have to do this everyday ;-)
Mary and I take a trip to Nakuru to go grocery shopping for the day. Driving here still freaks me out and for those who know me i am sure you can picture me holding onto the side of the door for dear life as we overtake matatu's and dodge the people and bikes. We finally get to the grocery store 'Stage Matt' and we get 3 trolleys and bulk of everything. The food we get today is only a portion of the food for the week and costs Mary over $500.
Wandering around the streets of Nakuru is always interesting with the street kids every where begging for money and the holes in the pavements everywhere and the many many market stalls taking up all the room on the foot path. You really have to watch your step or it would be quite easy to fall and seriously hurt yourself.
I am now sitting here in the orphanage and it has just started to rain which is wonderful for the crops. It is what many people need so we are grateful. Dinner time.
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Praying before breakfast this morning |
Thursday 18th October 2007
A wonderful start to the day today with a prayer from Lillian at the breakfast table.
'Dear Jesus, Food, Amen'
After breakfast Ivan, Martha and myself head into Nakuru to run some errands. First we are off to the Public Works to see if we can get approval to get speed bumps outside the orphanage building as cars and trucks drive much too fast and it is not safe for the local community and our children if they so happen to get on the road some how, to be walking near the speeding traffic. Anyway, they basically said that we can go ahead and do it but they will not give us approval in case anyone ever hurt themselves on it they did not want to be held responsible. So we will do it slowly, at our own cost.
While we were there there was a man working who had the thickest 'coke bottle' style glasses. Ivan couldnt help himself and asked how old the glasses where and if he was interested in getting a new pair. He advised the glasses where 20 years old and YES he would LOVE a new pair so Ivan is now arranging to get a new pair to him. He was thrilled and said that it takes a 'Mzungu (white person) to notice and help me'
We then made a trip to the prison as we had to go and see if one of our babies mama was in prison. We had to call the police on her as she dumped her new born baby at our gates. She was in prison and was upset because she was sleeping on cement floor and it was very cold. She will be back at court on the 29th of this month where a decision will be made if she is to take her baby back or if she will have to go back to prison. She also has another child.
The gardens here at the orphanage are wonderful. We took a walk down to get some vegetables for dinner and i was overwhelmed at the amount of fresh, organic food they had available in their garden. This food feeds many more people than just our orphans.
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Baby Purity. weighing in at a HUGE 1.6kg. Purity was born full term but her mother was very sick during her pregnancy and died after birth. Purity is coming along well.
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Looking up to orphanage and mud huts from the gardens
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Friday 19th October 2007
It dosent get any less exciting to see the children every morning. Their faces always making me smile and their actions always making me laugh. They all have such personalities.
We have about 6 visitors here with us right now. Everyone has bought with them beautiful donated items from all around the world.
The children just love all the people that come to the orphanage and i am sure that they love all the attention they get.
Mary, Ivan, Martha and myself getting prepared today for our very first board meeting. We have so much to discuss and so many future projects that we need to fund raise for.
I am hoping that one of the projects we complete first is the pool! but somehow i just dont think so..... i'll keep dreaming.
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Me and Isacc in da car....
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The streets of Nakuru |
Gracie, Chucky and Faith checking out the doggies. |
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Saturday 20th October
Today we are having church at the house so this morning was filled with dressing all the children in their church clothes. Normally only the big kids would be taken to church service but because it is at the house today we all must get ready. What a MISSION!
This kids all looked stunning in their beutiful clothes... which are all donated so thank you to everyone! They all love to be dressed up so special and the girls all walk around thinking how pretty they look. and they do!
A lot of the local community turn up for the service today which was great. All the kids where given a lolly pop after church and everyone was shwn around the orphanage building. The community members praise Mission in Action for what they are doing.
You will see from the photos just how beautiful all the children looked today
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The lovely Martha and me |
All dressed up |
Sunday 21st October
Today has by far been the most emotional day for me. I am still crying as i type this.
A lady came to the gates of the orphanage late last night saying she has come from Nairobi and has no where to go and if she could stay, we were her last resort.
She slept till after lunch from complete exhaustion no doubt and Mary, Ivan and myself went to talk to her after she woke up to see what her situation and what she wanted from Mission in Action. We sat down with her and i can easily say i have never seen such a vacant stare with also having so much sadness and heart ache in her eyes.
She started to tell us what has happened to her in her life and it was so hard to hear so i cannot even begin imagine how she (Cecilia) is feeling.
She was told about Mission in Action from a lady in Nairobi, we were her last hope as she quite clearly said that if we could not help she would have to end her life, after you hear what she had to say you will understand why.
She found out at a young age that her family she was with was not her family and they started to beat her and tell her she was not part of their family. They had found her at the Uganda border when she was young as her mother dumped her.
She was married at 14 and had 4 children to her husband and he later died.
She was forced to live on the streets of Nairobi and her 4 children were taken from her as she could not look after them properly on the streets. She was gang raped while living on the streets and becamse pregnant with twins. After giving birth to the twins they were taken from her and 4 days after giving birth she was forced back on the streets of Nairobi where she was raped again. She is constantly living in fear and says that she never sleeps as she has to stay awake until morning to make sure no one will come over to rape her or beat her.
She has had so much heart ache in her life, it was almost too hard for me to listen to.
She came from Nairobi with nothing but the clothes on her back (which someone had just bought for her) she has no one in the whole world to turn to and most of us cannot imagine what that must feel like. To go to complete strangers in the hope that they will help you...
Mary asked her 'if we cannot help you right now, what will you do' and the tears just fell down her face and she looked so scared. Mary had to calm her down and said you can stay here do not worry. Mary and Ivan have told her that she can stay here in one of our mud huts. She has a matteress and blankets and she can sleep with out the fear of anyone coming and abusing her. We took her a large plate of food for lunch and she was thrilled.
She made it clear that she did not just want money, she wanted to work and i guess she just wants a chance at a normal life that we all take for granted.
She will start work in the garden here tomorrow at 8am.
Tears keep welling up in my eyes and i have a huge head ache when i think of Cecelia.
I plan to look for someone who will sponsor her each month, to just give this poor woman a chance at life and perhaps some happiness.
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Beautiful baby Matthew whose mother asked someone to hold him and never came back |
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