January 19, 2015
Happy New Year!
I
have now been back in the Village for over a week. Its good to be back after
almost 4 weeks away. It was definitely an adjustment though, after being home
and in the cold for 3 weeks. It was an amazing holiday and so nice to be home
with family for Christmas. Much of my time at home was just spent relaxing, but
I did get a chance to go to New York to visit my friends, and meet up with
extended family in Massachusetts. It was nice to reboot and feast on good food
and the comfort of home. It went by too quickly however and soon I was back on
my to Dubai, where after a night stay in an airport hotel, I flew back to
Nairobi. It is summer here in Kenya, so the shock of the heat was definitely
notable, especially after experiencing snow just days before I flew out of
Boston. The Village is now in another dry season and the days are scorching. It
was very nice to come back to familiar faces and a place I now consider my home
away from home. Before when I left home in July, I had no idea where I was
going or what it would be like. Now, leaving home after the holiday it was much
easier, because I have my home here, where I am comfortable and have a
community I am part of.
I
have gotten back in the rhythm of things and begun to get my projects back on
track. Last week we had two new long-term volunteers arrive. Therese is from
Ontario and will be with us for about 3 months, working to interview and
document the history of the grandparents, so that their knowledge and stories
can be passed down to the children of the Village. The other volunteer will
also be here for some months, and has begun working with sustainability in the
agricultural unit and will also begin tutoring in the high school next week.
Sadly,
the principal of our polytechnic school passed away this month, leaving a huge
hole in the community. We had a service for him this past week but the
community of Nyumbani will continue to mourn the loss for a long time,
especially the children from the polytechnic where he was not just a teacher
and mentor, but a father figure.
On
a happier note, the basketball hoops, installed right before I left for
holiday, are in great shape still and the court is seeing much playing time!
Again, thanks to all who contributed to the basketball program and made the purchase
of new equipment possible.
Here are some recent pictures:
Above and Below = Hiking in Ngong Hills outside Nairobi
Some of the kids and I
