The African Daze
Saturday 21 July 2012
Short Stories
Here are a few short stories for your brain.
- Recently there has been a crack down on the abductions of
Albino African children. The albinos are taken and sold to witch doctors in
rural areas where their genitals are then cut off and used in rituals.
- A man has been stoned to death by the community for stealing
a mobile phone. This is very common. There is very little faith the police and
justice system, so the community takes matters into their own hands. Every day
in the paper there is at least 3 cases where the community has killed a
suspected criminal.
- A hippo was killed for being disruptive to the community.
Around 3000 people showed up when the word got around for free meat. Nothing
was left.
- There were 2 lion attacks. One involved 2 females being
attacked by two lionesses. Another was 5 lions attacking cattle of the Masai
tribe. They hunted the lions down and killed all five with spears.
- There was a shooting in Yala some time ago. A group was
suspected of robbing a shop. Police shot dead the suspects, one believed to
also be a police officer.
- Every time we go past a police check in the matatu’s we
bribe our way through with 100 shillings.
- It is not common, but some Kenyan’s bleach their skin to
make them look lighter.
- For a Masai warrior to marry, they must go off into the
savannah and bring back a lion’s head. They are only allowed their club and
spear. If they do not return with a lion’s head, or refuse to go, they are seen
as not courageous and turned into a slave for the community.
- Circumcision of boys still occurs in some areas. In the Kakamega
forest, a tribe takes the boys into the forest where they live for a month. An
elder goes with them to teach them the way of the forest and circumcise them,
often using a knife up to 50 years old.
- Unplanned pregnancies, often due to rape are a major issue amongst the female youth's.
I'll update you with a few more in time
Bits and bobs
Hi guys and gals...it has been a long time between drinks and I
apologize. I have been a very busy beaver of late. I have had some
requests to write about our weekends and adventures. I'll give you a
quick insight of what we have been doing other than our placements and
volunteer work. Yala is a beautiful town and so incredibly green, yet so
densely populated. As many mornings or afternoons as we can bear, we go
on a trot into the villages. We are huffing and puffing, then an 80
something year old mama will coming running next to us in a dress and
bare feet. Children will line the dirt track waiting for high 5's or to
run with us, or sometimes just to feel a 'white' hand or your hair. It
truly feels like your a rock star at times. Josh and I went swimming in
some of Kenya's finest drain water. I think I have an ear infection, but
other than that we are fine. The locals thought we were crazy. We
adopted a pet turtle called Tiny Trevor, we feed him carrots. We have
been on weekends away to a village on the lake where Fred was from. We
rode a motorbike the whole way there no map just kinda knew the towns to
pass. Only took a few hours and made it safely. Absolutely gorgeous
country. Went to Uganda, but that is a whole new blog story. Highly
recommended. Visited Lake Naivasha and had a boat ride with thousands of
pink flamingos. Walked with giraffe's, buffalo, zebra's etc at Crater
Lake and Hell's Gate National Park. Walked in a giant gorge, saw where
Mufasa died in the Lion King, shed a few tears. Played with monkeys,
walked in bat caves, and watched the sunrise over Kakamega forest. Had
supply runs to Kisumu and visits on the lake, crossed the equator many times, eaten some local cuisine, visited Yala waterfalls and that is all I can
think of for the moment. Our home life isn't that interesting. It is
actually quite difficult at times being a volunteer. Come 5:30-6:00pm,
you are locked in your house because you cannot be out at night. It is
simply too dangerous. There is limited freedom to go and do the normal
things we do back home. Jump in the car, visit friends, get takeaway,
watch a movie, go for a ride, surf etc. When we do go out we say hello
to at least 30 people. Children want to constantly play, people are
always staring and watching, you are never inconspicuous. But that is
also part of the charm of Kenya. Our daily routine normally follows
something along the line of; wake up early, normally to a baby crying,
breakfast (weetbix or toast) and off to placement. Come home walk around
the corner for some fresh produce (avocados, tomatoes, onions are the
staple), cook tea (usually rice and beans or pasta and beans). Play with
our African family, talk to the volunteers and bed time. Maybe some
guitar or reading plopped in there somewhere. So that is the general run
down of what has been going on. We are working so hard in Kenya, but
also having lots of fun and meeting many smiling faces. I fear we will
definitely miss this place when we leave.
Tuesday 26 June 2012
Teddy Spencer
Teddy Spencer (couldn't rotate pic, sorry) |
Monday 25 June 2012
Sunday 24 June 2012
Periods...gross
Re-useable Pad |
The Menstrual Cycle. Say these words in front of some men and they may
quiver. We all know about the dare I say it...dreaded 'period' and women
can easily take care for it in Australia and continue their life as per
normal. But what about in the other places in the world? What happens
when you get your 'lady business' in a third world country like Kenya?
Well let me tell you, although you may not like to hear it. If the women
of Kenya can afford to use disposable sanitary items, they will. They
are expensive, but not everyone in Kenya is poor. If you cannot afford
them however, then it is a different story. The Masai women take an
unorthodox approach when they are menstruating. It is known that Masai
women do a number of things, the first being the use of cow dung to line
their underwear. Yeah you heard correctly, COW DUNG! They replace the
dung daily until they have completed their cycle. If they have duties to
carry out, they may insert pieces of cow dung into their vagina.
Clearly, this is not particularly hygienic, nor I imagine comfortable
and it can have some dire consequences such as infection. Finally they
may simply dig a hole and sit over that hole for days on end, just
watching the birds singing and clouds clapping until their cycle has
completed. Talk about sore legs. Now that is the Masai women and the
Masai hold on to their tradition very strongly. It is a different story
where we live. Firstly the girls are not educated on health, puberty and
the intricate workings of their body during this time. They obviously
know something about their menstrual cycle, but they do not understand
what is occurring, why they are getting it and the complications that
can arise from it. If you are a Kenyan women at home and your job is
your farm or family, you simply menstruate in your underwear and then
wash them. By the way no washing machines here, all items hand washed in
the river or a bucket. Do you know how hard it is to wash sheets in a
bucket. Takes all day and your arms ache so bad. This is also the same
for teenage girls. If they can get access to old newspapers, cardboard
etc, they may line their underwear with that. Some girls use old ripped
clothes that they may have at home although most just wear their old
ripped clothes. A major issue with girls that attend school is that
during their period they stay at home and miss school for the entire
time. This is very detrimental to their schooling as education is a key
avenue for these children to increase their quality of life and
prospects in the future. When girls are missing potentially up to 12
weeks a year, they have missed much and the teachers are not willing to
catch the girls up. So their are two issues here with teenage girls
especially. The unfortunate measures taken when menstruating, the
hygiene and not to mention comfort issue, but also the educational
issue. That is where we step in. Every Friday we visit schools within
the community and conduct health talks focusing on puberty, reproductive
health, sexual education and hygiene. We complete an informational
lecture, then have discussion and question time. We also help to donate
re-useable pads for the females when we have the finances. The North Gem
Community Resource Center make re-useable pads for girls with the
thought that they can then attend school when they are menstruating and
simply wash the pad at night. They are around $1 each so unfortunately
we do not always have them to hand out. Luckily my mum (love you mum)
and her friend Deb (you too Deb) have donated 200 re-useable pads and
some of the other volunteers have worked hard to gain support for this
cause. It is a difficult situation and one that I cannot fully
comprehend as I am a male and I luckily do not get my period, although
Jemma may think so at times, however, we do our best to help support the
women, in particular the school girls of the community.
Friday 15 June 2012
Home is where the heart is
Nicole a volunteer with WYI living in Mutumbu has built up a splendid relationship with a woman named Lily. Lily is deaf and a mute. You can only image the issues and struggles that can arise with being deaf and a mute in Kenya. There are no organisations or government support to help. There have been concerns about Lily and her family within the community for some time as it has been known that she has been exploited and taken advantage of. She has three children all too different fathers and there has been the suggestion that they are all the product of rape. Lily’s children are Brian (10), Vincent (7) and Oscar (3). Brian is sponsored by an organisation called Compassion which provides schooling for him and he lives with a lady Lily worked for. Lily wants Brian back, however there are complications that I cannot comment on. Nicole had taken an instant fondness to Lily and her family and decided to help. The decision was made to build a house for Lily on her families land. Lily would now not need to rent, the money can go to providing for her family and she has the safety and security of her extended family and house. Ok, now I have an exercise for you. Gee, reading a blog and I am making you work. Sorry, I just want you to really get the contrasting differences between Kenya and the Western world. I want you to think of the house you live in or the building you are in at the moment. Look around at the floor, the ceiling, the walls. Think of the processes that took place to build it. Think of the materials that were used, bricks, concrete, plaster. Look closer, at the paint on the walls, the carpet or tiles. The lights on the ceiling, the heating, cooling, ventilation. The tiny trinkets lying around on a dust covered shelf, the volts of electricity flowing through the walls. This is the Western world with much of our needs and wants. Enter the Kenyan world. The land is cleared but not leveled, tree roots sprout up in what is to be the living/everything room. The workers have gone to the river to retrieve mountains of reeds. Tree trunks and branches have been trimmed and prepared to form the structural frame. Holes are dug with a crowbar and machete to place the supporting tree trunk posts. Clumps of reeds are placed amongst the frame and tied on with string; meanwhile workers are digging up dirt with hoes and mixing with water to form a thick muddy paste. The frame is completed, the mudding to begin. Skilled workers begin on the roof as children distribute handfuls of mud around the house. All the volunteers are on hands and knees, filling in the frame with handfuls of mud. A good method is to roll your handful of mud in the dry dirt to form a kind of brick then place it in. We must work fast the rains are coming. If it rains before we are finished most of our work here has gone to waste. We work overtime, mudding, bricking. Men on the roof sit on rickety trunks which form the roof frame. Legs dangling down the side hammering in the nails. Mudding is complete; however the muddy walls do not go all the way up to the roof as a type of ventilation is needed, the crisp open air. The shiny new corrugated iron roof is placed on. The mud brick home is almost complete. A second mudding must occur in around two week’s time. The house, considerably large at around 5m x 5m is divided by a mud wall to form two rooms. Imagine living in a mud brick home. Dirt floor, muddy walls, no electricity, cool open breeze is your only type of ventilation, no insulation. Basic paraffin cooking stove, some pots and pans, a bed, maybe a wooden couch if you are lucky and some buckets for washing and cleaning. Think about it for a moment. Put yourself there. Nicole with her heart as big a giant Saharan Sasquatch is helping Lily with the basic living necessities in Kenya. Lily now has a home and a lovely one at that. A place to call her own. Although the mud brick home doesn’t sound too fancy, many last for up to 10-15 years. In Kenya it is not about the want, it is all about the need.
Lily, two of her boys and the volunteers |
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