Random Thoughts

So far my trip has been wonderful and challenging. Several things about Kenya and the Kenyan people have really struck me. The Kenyan people are, by and large, very joyful. This is most evident when they dance or perform. Everywhere I have been children have performed for us. The dancing is amazing, even the young children move beautifully. Another striking aspect of Kenyan people is their faith in and love of God. Obviously not all Kenyans believe in God or are Christians, but the vast majority of the people I have encountered have vocalized their deep love of Jesus.This trend is of course more evident to me because I am working with HEART, a Christian organization. All of the staff at HEART are Christian and most of the people that HEART works with are Christian.
Another aspect of Kenya that is prominent is the poverty. The poverty is intense. When I was in Oldonyonyokie a girl asked me for a bottle of water. Even though the school we visited in Oldonyonyokie has a water tank and is connected to a water pipeline they frequently do not have water. The day that we visited was the first day that the children had lunch in three days; they had rice and ugali in the storage room but no water to cook the food with.
On my trip upcountry to Meru a councilman walked up to me as I was playing with a group of children and asked me if I wanted to "take the children home". I cannot fathom reaching a place of desperation where I would ask people to take my children away.
I continue to enjoy my time here in Kenya, and I will post my thoughts and impressions here. This coming week is going to be pretty low key; there is an election on Wednesday and we are staying at the HEART compound to avoid potential disturbances.
Best,
Margaret