Once again a huge thank-you to all those who contributed to the fund raising I did before I left. Some of it has started to be spent but there is still plenty more to go around! Another volunteer and myself spent the last two days travelling all around Kenya gathering 52 (was 53 but one didn't make the transportation) chickens and delivering them to an IDP camp to the families. After visiting the IDP camp a few weeks ago we started to think about what we could do to help that would allow the family to have steady food and possibly a source of income. We decided that chickens would be the gift that would keep on giving! We were introduced to a man from the camp named Rooney, who was extremely helpful, as well as open to sharing his experiences after the post election violence in 2008. He started to show us different options and after realizing that all chicken guys in the city were very expensive he took us on a journey to buy them from a market in small town Kenya. When we first got to the town we passed by people dressed in traditional Samburu dress which was interesting as it was the first time we had seen it when it wasn't just for tourist. We then trekked through some bush and grass to get to a Samburu tribe's village which was set in the most STUNNING area. Along the way we met some of the men from the village dressed in traditional wear, but we were not allowed to greet them by hand as they had just been circumcised and it would be unclean. At the village we stood around as the children and women ran around to snatch up the chickens for us to buy. This wasn't the easiest of tasks as the chickens are used to running free. We payed the people and left, literally carrying our chickens in our hands, 17 between the 4 of us. We then headed down to the road where we were met by men on bicycles carrying about 10 chickens in a crate on the back. Since they knew we were buying, men on bikes kept coming and soon we had 36 more. After paying the men to help us get them back into town we loaded the chickens into the matatu (mini bus) trunk and drove to the larger town where we got a taxi to take the chickens the rest of the way to the camp. Pulling up to camp we were meet by excited children who were even more excited when they saw we had chickens. Slowly people came out of they're tents and over to us where we passed out two females and one male chicken to 17 families. We assured them that the rest of the 42 families would be getting chickens after the holiday season. People in Kenya typically eat chickens at Christmas time so the price goes way up and supply goes down. I will make a trip back there in January to buy and distribute the remaining amount. Everyone at the camp was very happy, even those who didn't receive a chicken because they knew it was a good thing for the community. They sang and danced their "happy" dance. One vivacious women named Lucy came over to us and blessed us by holding our hands, spitting in her shirt and then looking up at the sky and saying something in Swahili. I was told it was a good thing. It was an amazing experience and I am so grateful to everyone who gave to allow me to be the one to bring these people something that may make their lives a little easier. They say thanks as well ;)
In the last few weeks I also went on safari and had the best time! We didn't see the big five, but did see lions, cheetahs, elephants, buffalo, zebras, giraffes, wildebeests, antelope, gazelles, and tons of other types of animals. The highlight was definitely seeing three cheetahs kills and eat a dyck dyck (small deer). Pictures will come soon! We also got the chance to go to a Maasai village to see how they traditionally live. It was a little played up for tourists but still interesting to see. They live off of a diet of blood, milk and meat. To get the blood they shoot a special arrow into a cows neck just to puncture the skin, but not do any damage. They did this for us and then offered us a sample of the blood. I've been told it's rude in Kenya to refuse something offered to you, so a took a taste. It was nice and warm which was welcomed on a cold evening.
Last weekend a friend and I ventured out to Mt. Longonout which is a senile volcano a couple hours outside of Nairobi. We hiked to the rim and as we got there it started to rain, thunder, lightening and hail. But we were already wet so we did the 2.5 hour hike around the rim anyway. It was cloudy for the first hour and we couldn't see anything. As we made it to the summit the clouds cleared and we got the most beautiful view! The rest of the hike was full of amazing views of the lush, green, Kenyan surroundings. The next day we were going to visit potential chicken dealers in a near-by town so we stayed the night at a cute lake-side cabin. Before checking out chickens the next day we went on a boat ride and saw hippos fighting outside of the water which was very neat to see.
Life in Kenya has been full of so many more interesting experiences but I would just continue to ramble if I went on. I love the things I see, meet and hear in everyday activities. I love being open to meeting new and interesting people and hearing what they have to say, even when sometimes it ends with "now can you give me 100ksh". Yesterday I even got a marriage proposal from Solomon who fell in love with me instantly! I said no, don't worry mom.
Talk soon!
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