Sunday September 28th, 2014
Greetings from scorching hot Nyumbani! The heat today is
almost unbearable haha. We are right on the equator so when the sun is out in
full force, all I want to do is stay inside. Therefore today (Sunday) was my
lazing day. I caught up on reading, took a siesta, and watched a movie. Its
nice every now and then to have just a lazy down day. Yesterday was a tiring
day, so I felt justified lounging today in the heat. The three volunteers and I
walked into Kwa Vonza yesterday morning and then climbed the “mountain” there.
It was the first time walking in and climbing for the volunteers. We beat the
heat cause we left in the morning, which was great because as soon as we
descended the mountain it got very hot. We stopped for some water in town
before taking a matatu (public transport) into Kitui for lunch and shopping.
After our morning activities it was nice to eat a big meal out in town and get
some much needed produce and groceries at the supermarket. While the boys got
on the internet at a web café, I walked around town and picked up a few movies
and tv shows. We have been watching an episode a night of this new FX series,
Tyrant, but it will be over soon so we needed to stock up on some more shows.
Our next series will be The Strain, which is about a deadly virus. It may leave
us with nightmares but its fun watching something every night before going to
bed (at approx. 9:30pm…. woot woot). We also got a copy of 22 Jump Street, the
sequel to 21 Jump Street. We watched it last night and it was pretty hilarious,
just like the first.
Other
than that, this week has been pretty low key. We had a visitor who works from
AMREF come to stay for a night in order to check at the agricultural projects
going on in the village. He works in the Northwest area of Kenya, Turkana,
trying to implement agricultural and health practices that will help deter the
effects of famine. It was very interesting to hear about his projects. Even
more to hear that he studied for 5 years in Boston! It was fun to talk about
home with him.
Our eco bench project is almost done, we
should get to painting the bench this week. And I will compile a video/photo
album explaining the process and what we have done. Many of the staff still
don’t understand what we are doing and we repeatedly have to explain/act out to
the grandmothers that it is a bench for sitting. We plan on making a plaque or
sign that explains that the bench is actually made from recycling garbage.
Construction
on the new rainwater tanks is coming along as well. The foundations have been
dug and all the supplies ordered so hopefully this week the tanks will be
placed in the sites.
I
am also currently working on writing up a report from the data I have collected
over the past couple weeks on water use. Now that I have all the numbers I can
write a report summarizing the average water uses/main users of water and what
I propose we do in the future concerning lowering water use and promoting water
conservation.
Until
next week! Xx Maggie
I have included below pictures that were meant to be in other posts but the photo upload was working before:
Nyumbani's craft showroom in Kwa Vonza
The canter being loaded with my rainwater tank materials in Nairobi
The helicopter that Jeremy Hunt and the Lawson family arrived in, landing on the soccer field
The kids running to and then away from the landing site as the dust flies up
Children watching the landing
Welcome signs in the high school
The honored guests at the high school assembly
Lawson High School students pose with Carol Lawson and family, Sister Mary and Jeremy Hunt
The girls of Cluster 19 prepping chapati for the party they had a couple of weeks ago.
Cooking the chapati in Cluster 19
Volunteers at the party
The cutest little boy, Ryan, we met at a restaurant in Kitui
Albright (right) helping Jim (left) did the foundation for our ecobench
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