Thursday, February 17, 2011
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Reflections december in Kenyan - Weeks 6-9
Strip malls, Large shopping centers., political, fraud.theft. There are 2.4 million orphans in Kenya There is such a dichotomy and diversity if life and life forms. If I look on one side if a street I see a sprawling shopping centers with Lexus, Mercedes Benz BMW's luxury cars and SUV'c pulling into paved parking lots with armed guards. Then 2 miles down the road, i turn my head to the left, and see people living in slums and in shanty tin building's.
It's hard to believe that 50% the population lives in abject poverty and squalar (no running water, no toilets, no electricity, cooking over wood pits. Although both countries have no support programs for the poor.
12/5: My initial view is that the poor in Kenya are worse off than the poor in Uganda , because at least in Uganda food is plentiful, because of subsistence farming and ability to make brick homes that has been from the clay soil. Kenya is a very stable, demographically diverse economy. It's population has been spared from war (although AID's has taken it's toll)
Me and Irene, in the Rift Valley , on our way to IDP camp in Nakurucentral kenya
12/22: This Irene Ngatia, VICDA exec director and my best friend in Kenya. . Her organizations' emphasis is on providing food, shelter, education and health care for orphaned/abandoned children and internally displaced people ( IDP'S) driven from their home after the 2002 and 2007 elections. We spent a considerable amount of time together, at her home, office, business trips with large project donors going to Polite and Nakuru IDP camps and in Central Kenya to buy building materials for shelters and health clinics. Jordan and I also went with her to South Eastern Kenya Masa Mara to a evaluate building a new vocational schools for Massi tribes. She also works with GVN to place international volunteers help care for and teach orphaned children at private and government oprphanges in and around Nairobi. She is a tireless worker and I witnessed many of her 15-18 hour work days.
She's involved in 2 other other business ventures and her story of success is similar to other "Kikiyou "tribe people of Kenya. It's being a hard worker. She said that most people think that she is rich, but she gives a lot of her income away to support siblings education and food/shelter for extended family.Irene came from a very poor family of 9 children. A family friend paid for her first 2 years secondary (high) school but then stopped. She pleaded to take a test that would qualify her to receive her secondary diploma She was the only one to past the test. but because she could not pay the past due tuition fee's, she stole and ean off with her secondary school transcripts, while the school superintendent temporarily left the meeting room so that she could apply to college.pply to college. While in college, she stole other peoples meal cards, to have food to live on (she felt it was OK) because the other students meal cards would be replaced at no cost. She did not finish college, but was driven to make life better for the "poorest of the poor", which including her extended family. She frequently puts in 12-15 hour days towards this effort.
12/7 We just checked into the Fairview Hotel in Nairobi Kenya . It is a lovely very high end, westernized business hotel. All the luxuries.. a large swimming pool with a bar and resturant service poolside, 3 restuarants, waterfalls private meetings rooms, executive lounges. Our room had 2 king size beds, dual showers, private ourdoor tables etc. etc. Little did I know what lay ahead of me.
12/9: In general, we are finding that Kenyans are not very friendly. If they look at us at all, it's with an expression of "why are you here". We are still trying to figure out the culture here and how to make friends. They are not always honest about honoring their commitments and many times tell incomplete truths. This leaves us feeling that we are unable to trust them. In general, they are very reserved and do not engage in personal discussions. When they do it's to express how they "made" it. They express their climb to success with an overly proud attitude, sometimes bordering in arrogance. For poor people who that have not "made it" the purpose of their conversation is to request that you "sponsor them to go to the US for a job, education etc., or better yet just give them money. It's pretty exasperating.
12/7: Irene took us to visit her church today which was located just outside of the very affluent suburb of Karen, which is just past the the Kiberia Slums. The Pentecostal style worship service was held outdoors under an enormous tents. The all African congregation was at least 3000 members in attendance. They announced that just behind the tents, they were 65% complete with the building of their 7 story church with a seating capacity of 8000, costing $US 7MM. They are debt- free to date.
1/1/11. We went to Carnivore Restaurant for New Years Eve Dinner and celebration with Irene W. VICDA Exec. Dir. and some of it's major international donors. The meal and restuarant environment was a comical over-the-top"carnival of flesh" eating humans. It represented all that to me seems illogical incomprehensible. Exotic meats relentlessly served in exhorbant amounts until no more could be consumed . Every type of drink freely provided throughout the night until half full glasses remained on tables. drunken caucasions and africans patrons staggered out on dance floors Souls seemingly replete of restraint, compassion and generousity. A place on our God blessed earth where two opposite worlds exist side by side; with mercedes benz on one side of the street and Kibera slums and shoeless children on the other side. Middle class will not help the poor. What's good about Kenya is that it is developed and things are very much like America. What's bad about Kenya is that it has lost it's sense of the value of it's African culture, there is a high level of pretense in being "westernized".
12/9 We visited the National Museum of Kenya,
12/9- I've been feeling increasingly sad over the last few days (actually since we arrived in Nairobi ). The reasons are many, the coldness of the people, I see very little genuine kindness. I get the feeling that people are too busy "doing" to be kind. I'm disappointed at the possibilty that we are not staying with a host family. I'm experiencing hot flashes and PMS. Jordan continues to not study. This hotel feels like a aseptic white enclave /fortress that won't let me be free out. The Internet communication system does not work well. Maybe it's because today marks 4 years since Dad passed away. Maybe, I've just got to get out of this hotel and find some "real" people to care about and love.
12/14 : Our stay at the Fairview Hotel in Nairobi was wonderful. It was one week of pure relaxation en-lux western style". It cost a lot...but needed it.
12/15: we arrived at our VICDA volunteer house. Most of the VICDA places that we've been placed at have been near foreign embassies and government buildings. This place is no exception. Despite oppulant living conditions of our neighbors, we've been placed in very modest living accommodations.
However, the garden setting is very pleasant. The gardener, Mulaey has lived on the premises in a small shanty house for nearly 35 years and over that time converted the cleared land around the house into a very nice plant garden. Brightly colored birds, familily of monkeys and
We sprnt thr first 3 days without power(no lights, no electricity and the past 5 days without running water( no bathing , no flushing toilets and limited water that has bern pilfered from thr onsite garden tender's ground water tap) which requires boiling before drinking and cooking).
Our house mates are three boys 3 girls from UK, Austraila, US(all in their late teen. Also a 37 year woman find her 12 year old daughter. The teens drink s lot and party. The mother from the UK is cool, but pretty driven.
We're across from the compound of IRAN's ambassador to Kenya . Jordan said. To tell you.....Boy will i have a lot of stories to tell. The "volunteer" house that we are staying Vodka, kissing, teenagers excessive drinking.. throwing up..sex...etc. ll first year college stuff Not the experience that I had intended... but it's the one God gave is.
12/30: It's a rarity and appreciation of it's a that in one conversation I can discuss, chemical reactions, politics of capitalism, poverty, nuitrion democracy. This afternoon when Jordan and I were walking towards NCH, I had that coversation with 35 year old Kenyan Peter Muirmiri. He said he was a chemical engineer, scientist for manufacturing, pilot, business entrepreneur alternative energy plant. For many reasons I don't believe he's any of those, but it sure was an interesting conversation!
12/17: We arrived at our volunteer house on Mugumo Lane in Spring Valley It is a beautiful rolling hills upscale neighborhoodin NW part of Nairobi. Jordan says the Nairobi Children's Home is awesome! Currently there are about 70-90 abandoned kids (age 0-6 yrs old).
NCH a govermment run orphange . Children are brought there by the police when they've been abandoned on the street or been severely abused. A heart breaking example is a 4 year old little girl who had been found after being repeatedly raped and then thrown in the fire. She survived but was internally injured so bad that she required 4 months of hospitalization for internal reconstructive surgery. She seems to be functioning, but
most likely will have lifeling the pain from obvious burn scars suffer lifelong and unseen emotional scars. The positive thing is the kids are have food and shoes, a good solid building with windows, doors, flloors and beds.
12/18: The best thing about our volunteer time is that we get to walk 50-60 minutes every day to our volunteer location. It's good exercise for muscle building and there are many beautiful flowering trees, plants.
12/19: We're having a good time. Jordan has a bit of a cold, but I am well... With the exception of a couple of "off balance" tumbles. *Our Christmas week celebration, was kicked off by a Christmas Celebration at the NCH. The little boys were doing their African dances, one volunteer rented a large bouncing house, we had dinnerat a friend friends daughter's home. Jordan joined a trip to a water park, organized by one of the volunteers for children at another orphanage. I went to the IDP camps(Polite, near Nakuru)
12/20: Today 4 of us female VCDA volunteers gathered the the 70+ NCH children outside on the on the play field to spot wash them apply treatment to their skin disorders(scabies, ringworm, impetego) cuts, scrapes abd infected sores). We only had 2 small basins of water a handful of ointments, wet wipes, band-aids and rubber gloves and a raisesd concrete block as the staging area. It was mayhem! Too many sores...too few medications.... Too many mischevious little hands..Too many children who just needed someone caringingly touch them...
12/23 Today, at NCH a christmas party was provided for the children by international students from a local international business school. They gave out many toys, candy, played songs and danced with the children earlier that day we helped the children make masks of paper plates and string. A returning volunteer, Guy rabbits d abought 2 lar
12/31 We have a family of small playful monkeys that visit the volunteer house a couple of times a month.They are sooo cute! but, Muwlee, our 74 year old Kenyan gardner, considers them a nusiance because they rampage his small vegetable garden. His deterence weapon of choice is a sling-shot. Despite his efforts the monkeys are somewhat used to humans. Jordan and another volunteers daugter,Nina were able to get them to take fruit out of their hands. Albeit they quickly scampered out reach to eat after snatching the fruit.
.
It's hard to believe that 50% the population lives in abject poverty and squalar (no running water, no toilets, no electricity, cooking over wood pits. Although both countries have no support programs for the poor.
12/5: My initial view is that the poor in Kenya are worse off than the poor in Uganda , because at least in Uganda food is plentiful, because of subsistence farming and ability to make brick homes that has been from the clay soil. Kenya is a very stable, demographically diverse economy. It's population has been spared from war (although AID's has taken it's toll)
Me and Irene, in the Rift Valley , on our way to IDP camp in Nakurucentral kenya12/22: This Irene Ngatia, VICDA exec director and my best friend in Kenya. . Her organizations' emphasis is on providing food, shelter, education and health care for orphaned/abandoned children and internally displaced people ( IDP'S) driven from their home after the 2002 and 2007 elections. We spent a considerable amount of time together, at her home, office, business trips with large project donors going to Polite and Nakuru IDP camps and in Central Kenya to buy building materials for shelters and health clinics. Jordan and I also went with her to South Eastern Kenya Masa Mara to a evaluate building a new vocational schools for Massi tribes. She also works with GVN to place international volunteers help care for and teach orphaned children at private and government oprphanges in and around Nairobi. She is a tireless worker and I witnessed many of her 15-18 hour work days.
She's involved in 2 other other business ventures and her story of success is similar to other "Kikiyou "tribe people of Kenya. It's being a hard worker. She said that most people think that she is rich, but she gives a lot of her income away to support siblings education and food/shelter for extended family.Irene came from a very poor family of 9 children. A family friend paid for her first 2 years secondary (high) school but then stopped. She pleaded to take a test that would qualify her to receive her secondary diploma She was the only one to past the test. but because she could not pay the past due tuition fee's, she stole and ean off with her secondary school transcripts, while the school superintendent temporarily left the meeting room so that she could apply to college.pply to college. While in college, she stole other peoples meal cards, to have food to live on (she felt it was OK) because the other students meal cards would be replaced at no cost. She did not finish college, but was driven to make life better for the "poorest of the poor", which including her extended family. She frequently puts in 12-15 hour days towards this effort.
12/7 We just checked into the Fairview Hotel in Nairobi Kenya . It is a lovely very high end, westernized business hotel. All the luxuries.. a large swimming pool with a bar and resturant service poolside, 3 restuarants, waterfalls private meetings rooms, executive lounges. Our room had 2 king size beds, dual showers, private ourdoor tables etc. etc. Little did I know what lay ahead of me.
12/9: In general, we are finding that Kenyans are not very friendly. If they look at us at all, it's with an expression of "why are you here". We are still trying to figure out the culture here and how to make friends. They are not always honest about honoring their commitments and many times tell incomplete truths. This leaves us feeling that we are unable to trust them. In general, they are very reserved and do not engage in personal discussions. When they do it's to express how they "made" it. They express their climb to success with an overly proud attitude, sometimes bordering in arrogance. For poor people who that have not "made it" the purpose of their conversation is to request that you "sponsor them to go to the US for a job, education etc., or better yet just give them money. It's pretty exasperating.
Our modest residence the "Volunteer House" in Nairobi Spring Valley neighbor hood, 
1/1/11. We went to Carnivore Restaurant for New Years Eve Dinner and celebration with Irene W. VICDA Exec. Dir. and some of it's major international donors. The meal and restuarant environment was a comical over-the-top"carnival of flesh" eating humans. It represented all that to me seems illogical incomprehensible. Exotic meats relentlessly served in exhorbant amounts until no more could be consumed . Every type of drink freely provided throughout the night until half full glasses remained on tables. drunken caucasions and africans patrons staggered out on dance floors Souls seemingly replete of restraint, compassion and generousity. A place on our God blessed earth where two opposite worlds exist side by side; with mercedes benz on one side of the street and Kibera slums and shoeless children on the other side. Middle class will not help the poor. What's good about Kenya is that it is developed and things are very much like America. What's bad about Kenya is that it has lost it's sense of the value of it's African culture, there is a high level of pretense in being "westernized".
12/9 We visited the National Museum of Kenya,
Jordan enjoyed the avian collection! 
I was mesmerized by the human origins anthropology exhibit....but it totally freaked jordan out!
12/9- I've been feeling increasingly sad over the last few days (actually since we arrived in Nairobi ). The reasons are many, the coldness of the people, I see very little genuine kindness. I get the feeling that people are too busy "doing" to be kind. I'm disappointed at the possibilty that we are not staying with a host family. I'm experiencing hot flashes and PMS. Jordan continues to not study. This hotel feels like a aseptic white enclave /fortress that won't let me be free out. The Internet communication system does not work well. Maybe it's because today marks 4 years since Dad passed away. Maybe, I've just got to get out of this hotel and find some "real" people to care about and love.
12/14 : Our stay at the Fairview Hotel in Nairobi was wonderful. It was one week of pure relaxation en-lux western style". It cost a lot...but needed it.
However, the garden setting is very pleasant. The gardener, Mulaey has lived on the premises in a small shanty house for nearly 35 years and over that time converted the cleared land around the house into a very nice plant garden. Brightly colored birds, familily of monkeys and
We sprnt thr first 3 days without power(no lights, no electricity and the past 5 days without running water( no bathing , no flushing toilets and limited water that has bern pilfered from thr onsite garden tender's ground water tap) which requires boiling before drinking and cooking).
Our house mates are three boys 3 girls from UK, Austraila, US(all in their late teen. Also a 37 year woman find her 12 year old daughter. The teens drink s lot and party. The mother from the UK is cool, but pretty driven.
We're across from the compound of IRAN's ambassador to Kenya . Jordan said. To tell you.....Boy will i have a lot of stories to tell. The "volunteer" house that we are staying Vodka, kissing, teenagers excessive drinking.. throwing up..sex...etc. ll first year college stuff Not the experience that I had intended... but it's the one God gave is.
12/30: It's a rarity and appreciation of it's a that in one conversation I can discuss, chemical reactions, politics of capitalism, poverty, nuitrion democracy. This afternoon when Jordan and I were walking towards NCH, I had that coversation with 35 year old Kenyan Peter Muirmiri. He said he was a chemical engineer, scientist for manufacturing, pilot, business entrepreneur alternative energy plant. For many reasons I don't believe he's any of those, but it sure was an interesting conversation!
12/17: We arrived at our volunteer house on Mugumo Lane in Spring Valley It is a beautiful rolling hills upscale neighborhoodin NW part of Nairobi. Jordan says the Nairobi Children's Home is awesome! Currently there are about 70-90 abandoned kids (age 0-6 yrs old).
NCH a govermment run orphange . Children are brought there by the police when they've been abandoned on the street or been severely abused. A heart breaking example is a 4 year old little girl who had been found after being repeatedly raped and then thrown in the fire. She survived but was internally injured so bad that she required 4 months of hospitalization for internal reconstructive surgery. She seems to be functioning, but
most likely will have lifeling the pain from obvious burn scars suffer lifelong and unseen emotional scars. The positive thing is the kids are have food and shoes, a good solid building with windows, doors, flloors and beds.
12/18: The best thing about our volunteer time is that we get to walk 50-60 minutes every day to our volunteer location. It's good exercise for muscle building and there are many beautiful flowering trees, plants.
12/19: We're having a good time. Jordan has a bit of a cold, but I am well... With the exception of a couple of "off balance" tumbles. *Our Christmas week celebration, was kicked off by a Christmas Celebration at the NCH. The little boys were doing their African dances, one volunteer rented a large bouncing house, we had dinnerat a friend friends daughter's home. Jordan joined a trip to a water park, organized by one of the volunteers for children at another orphanage. I went to the IDP camps(Polite, near Nakuru)
12/20: Today 4 of us female VCDA volunteers gathered the the 70+ NCH children outside on the on the play field to spot wash them apply treatment to their skin disorders(scabies, ringworm, impetego) cuts, scrapes abd infected sores). We only had 2 small basins of water a handful of ointments, wet wipes, band-aids and rubber gloves and a raisesd concrete block as the staging area. It was mayhem! Too many sores...too few medications.... Too many mischevious little hands..Too many children who just needed someone caringingly touch them...
12/23 Today, at NCH a christmas party was provided for the children by international students from a local international business school. They gave out many toys, candy, played songs and danced with the children earlier that day we helped the children make masks of paper plates and string. A returning volunteer, Guy rabbits d abought 2 lar
12/31 We have a family of small playful monkeys that visit the volunteer house a couple of times a month.They are sooo cute! but, Muwlee, our 74 year old Kenyan gardner, considers them a nusiance because they rampage his small vegetable garden. His deterence weapon of choice is a sling-shot. Despite his efforts the monkeys are somewhat used to humans. Jordan and another volunteers daugter,Nina were able to get them to take fruit out of their hands. Albeit they quickly scampered out reach to eat after snatching the fruit.
.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Nairobi 1/29/10_Nairobi Childrens Home, Nairobi Kenya, with just five of the 95 abandoned orphans.
This is Irene Wairmu, the Executive Director of VICDA. She has been committed to providing replacement housing at several the Internally Displaced People(IDP) camps. These 'temporary" camps were established by Kenyan government. In 2003 The United Nations tents provided for the surviving Kikiyu people and thier families who were viloently attacked, killed or forced from their homes and land because they failed to vote for " suggested" govrnement officials inthe 2003 elections. The UN tents have become unfit to live in. A few camps have a ground water, but no food is provided. Charitable contributions are the only means of survival. In visiting the IDP camps with Irene and meeting the people, once agian I am impressed with the intelligence and resilience of the African people. In spite of their starving and no medical treatment or santiation facilities. They able to be kind hearted, hopeful and resourful with the little they have.
These are a few of the 95 children at Nairobi Childrens Home(NCH). VICDA donanted the facility, but it's run by the Kenyan government run orphange. Most all of the children at NCH have been either severely neglected, sexuallly or physically abused and then abandoned. They were brought here by the local police. They suffer with emotional problems and various curable diseases( ring worm, scabies, impetago etc) . It's a very difficult place to volunteer. The staff could care less...Monday, December 13, 2010
in Kenya/ Trip Week 6
12/4 We arrived in Nairobi on Dec. 4. The first week we stayed at the home Irene Wairumi the Exec. Dir. of our volunteer organization VICDA. We mostly relaxed and got to know Nairobi,kenya. Jordan made friends with her 15 year old brother david, who was and briefly visiting her on his to his village home from his Boarding School. Irene is a 35 year-old single women who is vey dedicated to helping the neediest of the needy. She runs an organization that helps build schools, simple homes, hospitals and provides volunteers to those organizations.
Nairobi, is a very big, developed and commercially city. It is very much more developed than any city in Uganda. It's pace is just like that of a big city in the U.S. From what I can tell, It has all the benefits of capitalistic development, as well as all the drawbacks.
Downtown Nairobi, Kenya 12/7/10 Nairobi, KY, at the International Conferance Center
Nairobi, is a very big, developed and commercially city. It is very much more developed than any city in Uganda. It's pace is just like that of a big city in the U.S. From what I can tell, It has all the benefits of capitalistic development, as well as all the drawbacks.
Downtown Nairobi, Kenya 12/7/10 Nairobi, KY, at the International Conferance CenterUganda Summary & Relections/ Week 3-4 pictures
12/4 We had an absolute wonderful time in Uganda....very undeveloped country, but with such amazingly kind and geneorous people. The WOMF/UGANDA or UCOM, teated us so well! We experienced so much and loved on the babies right up until the hour we left. Jordan did not want to leave, but we had to move on to do our volunteer work in Kenya
What's most revealing is to see this country in "Africa" that is much different than what's portrayed in the media (TV and newsapapers). it's much much better than we expected As Jordan said "It's not at all how it is on TV.. the peple are very kind and not everybody is poor..In some ways it is better than the U.S". I also agree with him. Don't get me wrong, I've witnessed, first hand many travesties, some too horrible to put in writing.
But much what's keeping this country from moving forward is lack of infrastructure investment to provide adequate health care for life threatening diseases and inadequate investment in basic municipal services(i.e, realiable and clean supply of water, good roads and indoor plumbing,sewage treatment, power generation systems)
The next major issue is the death of the last 2 generations of adult parents, due to the savage genocide years of Idi Amin's leadership (1963-1986) and the lack medical care for curable an incurable diseases (1980- to current). This has left Uganda with greater than 50% of the population is less than 14 years old(that's 16 million children). In fact, most people under the age of thirty have been orphaned and raised without one or both parents for most of ther lives. They lack parental nurturing and moral guidance.
The bright side is that these young people are resilient innovative, creative, self motivated and hard working people. Did I mention that they are, very very smart! In addition, they are very articulate and speak English better than most of the Americans that I know. They are serious about getting a good education. Despite the the quality of their education being unequal (especially the poorest orphans). they have high career aspirations. Jordan made many friends like this (i.e, Brian, Aaron, Mark, Julius, Paul, John).
Even those that are fortunate to get a college degree have trouble finding jobs. So many start their own small businesss and there are literally hundreds of thousands of small ramshackle businesses. Unfortunately,because lack of infrastructure and poor business management skills there is little finacial success and most are unable to afford adequate shelter.
The final positive about Uganda is that this country is known as the Bread Basket of Africa! The soil and growing conditions are perfect for farming. Whether out in the village( bush country) or in the "city" there is plenty of fresh food an people are well fed and fit. if a person owns a plot of land and they can grow all kinds of tropical fruits(pineapples, mangoes, coconuts bannans of every kind,oranges) vegetables9 carrots, cabbage , potatoes) and a raise a variety of meats. In general the people are well nourished and fit from as walking the hilly terrain is a way of life . The weather was a very pleasant (70-80F a)nd flowers were growing everywhere. I often said that I felt like this region around Kampala Uganda was the "Garden of Eden) oddly mixed with undeveloped urban life). The economic growth in the region is good and there's huge business development opportunity here. It makes one want to go ....Hmmm!
We'll do our best to keep in towuch
What's most revealing is to see this country in "Africa" that is much different than what's portrayed in the media (TV and newsapapers). it's much much better than we expected As Jordan said "It's not at all how it is on TV.. the peple are very kind and not everybody is poor..In some ways it is better than the U.S". I also agree with him. Don't get me wrong, I've witnessed, first hand many travesties, some too horrible to put in writing.
But much what's keeping this country from moving forward is lack of infrastructure investment to provide adequate health care for life threatening diseases and inadequate investment in basic municipal services(i.e, realiable and clean supply of water, good roads and indoor plumbing,sewage treatment, power generation systems)
The next major issue is the death of the last 2 generations of adult parents, due to the savage genocide years of Idi Amin's leadership (1963-1986) and the lack medical care for curable an incurable diseases (1980- to current). This has left Uganda with greater than 50% of the population is less than 14 years old(that's 16 million children). In fact, most people under the age of thirty have been orphaned and raised without one or both parents for most of ther lives. They lack parental nurturing and moral guidance.
The bright side is that these young people are resilient innovative, creative, self motivated and hard working people. Did I mention that they are, very very smart! In addition, they are very articulate and speak English better than most of the Americans that I know. They are serious about getting a good education. Despite the the quality of their education being unequal (especially the poorest orphans). they have high career aspirations. Jordan made many friends like this (i.e, Brian, Aaron, Mark, Julius, Paul, John).
Even those that are fortunate to get a college degree have trouble finding jobs. So many start their own small businesss and there are literally hundreds of thousands of small ramshackle businesses. Unfortunately,because lack of infrastructure and poor business management skills there is little finacial success and most are unable to afford adequate shelter.
The final positive about Uganda is that this country is known as the Bread Basket of Africa! The soil and growing conditions are perfect for farming. Whether out in the village( bush country) or in the "city" there is plenty of fresh food an people are well fed and fit. if a person owns a plot of land and they can grow all kinds of tropical fruits(pineapples, mangoes, coconuts bannans of every kind,oranges) vegetables9 carrots, cabbage , potatoes) and a raise a variety of meats. In general the people are well nourished and fit from as walking the hilly terrain is a way of life . The weather was a very pleasant (70-80F a)nd flowers were growing everywhere. I often said that I felt like this region around Kampala Uganda was the "Garden of Eden) oddly mixed with undeveloped urban life). The economic growth in the region is good and there's huge business development opportunity here. It makes one want to go ....Hmmm!
We'll do our best to keep in towuch
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Last 2 weeks in Uganda
These are a few of the children at the Ckhlamblywa Orphange supported by WOMF/ Feed His Lambs Ministry. The kids there were so kind and very funny, once they got over how old I was! They danced and sang in traditional uganda style for us. We were only there for a day, but it was great. we played cards, jumped rope, played checkers and ate great food...especially the chipati and matoke with peanut sauce... mmmm!
At the equater in uganda on the masaka- jinja hwy.. 5 minute after this picture, it rained nearly 3 inches in 10 minutes, the temperature dropped 10 degress ..and then the sun came out and it was 85 degress again!
We took a quad ride through the village jungle..( theNile river is in the background) while in Jinja, UG. First we took a 'boat" ride on the Nile River and saw where this river first develops water way leaves Lake Victoria. On the Nile we witnessed class 4 whitewater rafting on the rapids of Bugali Falls(which in 6 months will no longer exist, due to a dam being built for much needed hydroelectricty(ugh!)... witnessed large rafts with expert Ugandan(black) raft guides! Next we saw wild komoto dragons speedily crawl across our path on the road as we were walking...What a day.. more pictures to come....
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Week 1 Pictures
This is me(Jordan) with baby Micheal at Bethany House. At first I was not sure how to hold babies. Now I spend time playing with them and spending time with them and let them sit on my lap. I even climb trees with 4 year old Seti and 5 year old sanjo(Joy). 
Annette(Left) nanny at Bethany House and Ester (right) our wonderful housemom at Segeku Guest House. 
This is sunrise over Masaka, Uganda.
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