New volunteers have arrived!

October 12, 2002

Wow, it's been so long since my last update...must still be in vacation-mode. Don't know where to start with this update - I've got too much to update on. With that teaser.... For most of September I tried to stay in Nunguni. I felt like I had spent too much time away from the group and my house. The first week of September however, I spent in Naivasha and Nairobi. Several of us SED and IT PCVs formed a committee to represent our sector. I'm the Chair. We went to Naivasha to help with the planning of the training for the new group of SED and IT trainees - they arrived Sept. 25. We included several things that we felt we missed out on during our training...like field trips to see other volunteers' jobs at their sites, vs. them just coming to the center and talking about what they do.

Also that first week there was another sale organized by the U.S. Embassy. JCI and my group were both there but no one was too interested in buying. Sadly, once all the programmed activities were over and people had a chance to mill about, it started raining. So, we all packed up and left as did most of the customers.

The weather in Nunguni has thankfully warmed up. My liquid turned solid vegetable oil actually turned back to a liquid for a while (it's now back to a semi-solid state). It was nice to spend several weeks at a stretch at home. I was finally able to make some fruit wine. It takes a week to make and then however long to drink it so you need to be around for a while to get the fruits (nice pun, huh?) of your labor. It turned out great - strong too. I also discovered that I had a new pet in the house. Yep, got another bat. It was actually so bold as to fly right at me. It of course waited until it was dark outside and I was about to light my candles. I think it has been there for a while but is good at hiding. It finally calmed down and went back into hiding. As far as I know, it's still in there somewhere. Thankfully it keeps to itself now. If it would show itself again my neighbor said he'd come over and kill it for me. I think it must have overheard this...clever little F-er. The last week of September I traveled back to Naivasha to meet with the new trainees. I was introducing our new committee to them and was on-hand to answer the multitude of questions they had about training, homestays, and general PCV life.

It was very surreal as I'd been in email communication with many of them months before they arrived. Some got my address from a Peace Corps Kenya Yahoo chat group, others said they were just searching on Google and came across MyWanderings. Freaky. They were asking me whether I have electricity yet, how the group is doing, etc. They know more about me than many of my fellow volunteers do! It looks to be a good group. There are now 20 SED/IT trainees (one girl never came to staging in D.C., one guy refused to get on the plane, and another lady left after the first week in Kenya). They'll be in training until December 4th, when they swear-in in Nairobi. I'll be going back to visit with them 2 more times before then. They find out where they'll be living and working on October 25. JCI might be getting 2 new volunteers but if so, then they won't be coming to Nairobi like me, they'll stay at their sites (my strong suggestion). There is one potential site near me (okay, like over an hour away, but that's considered near nowadays).

Let's see, let me give you some current news here in Kenya. Right now there is a teacher's strike. They were promised several hundred percent raises back in 1997. To date, the government hasn't honored them. They've been on strike for several weeks now and most people think they'll be out until after the elections in December. This means the PCVs that are teachers are just sitting idle. I'm trying to get many of them to come to Nunguni to learn how to weave. They'll all be given early COS (Close of Service) if it isn't resolved by February. I feel badly for the new group of trainees. Along with SED/IT, there are Deaf Ed trainees and new AIDS resource educators (they go into schools and teach teachers how to incorporate HIV/AIDS into the curriculum). Here they have to endure 10 weeks of training not knowing whether or not they'll have anything to do once they're done. The elections for president are heating up. The actual election won't be until December but they're choosing candidates today and we were warned to stay away from Nairobi as there could be violence. Wow, hate to end things on that note, but I've gotta run to catch my transport back to Nunguni (in Machakos right now). I promise to update more often!

October 20, 2002

Didn't I tell you I'd update more often? Just happen to be in Nairobi today as I'm heading out to Naivasha tomorrow for a few days. I'll be talking to the new trainees about grass-roots income generating projects and writing business plans. This will be a quick update as I'm craving a pizza and a movie and time is running short!

I forgot to mention on my last update some good news. Back in July I submitted a proposal for an AOL Peace Pack grant. AOL gives 60 grants a year to selected Peace Corps Volunteers who are trying to develop an internet-related project. Mine was just accepted!! I should get the funds this week, over $9000. It will buy a couple computers, copier, printers, UPS, 2 years of internet connectivity and some initial web design help.

This means that I'll finally be able to start developing my NGO's website to allow for online purchases. I don't expect the site to be launched for at least 6 months - I've learned that things move on their own timetable here. Also, I have some bad news. When I returned home to Nunguni 2 weeks ago, after a 2-week absence, I found my lovely tree in quite a state of distress. Let me give you a visual. Ever seen that Charlie Brown Christmas special...the one with his pathetic stick of a tree...yea, need I say more?

I've been nursing it back to health and taking it outside for sunshine but it seems to have some kind of disease that makes the leaves get icky and then fall off. Half of them right now are a very light green so I think they're new but still struggling. Oh, also I'm close to losing another plant. This one was doing great (no idea what it is, kind of looks like a maize stalk right now) until one of the goats ate half of it! Put it outside away from hungry mouths but the goat broke away from its bush (literally broke the bush) it was tied to and had a nice snack before I discovered the problem.

I guess that's life in rural Kenya...pretty much the same as America, right? :o) Ok, off to see a movie now. Later.

November 21, 2002

Ok, let's try this again...third time is a charm, right? After I typed my brief intro on the 16th, I was unable to get back into my site to continue with the update. If anything screwy happens with this one I'm gonna take it personally.

Oops, forgot to save that brief blurb on the 16th and paste it onto this page. Tough cookies. Ok, I'm in my site's admin page but we'll see if I make it to the end of my update and save it all before the power goes out or something. I came into Nairobi this morning for an American Business Association meeting. I'll go back to Nunguni tomorrow and catch a ride with JCI, who is coming out for a visit of the group. Since last time I've been out to Naivasha at the training center then spent a few days at a nice house rented by a U.S. embassy employee. He's a friend of Elizabeth's mom so the two of us stayed there and watched DVDs, took long hot showers, and made ample use of his kitchen and washing machine/dryer.

Elizabeth and I then headed back to the Naivasha area - to Crater Lake. There's an Environmental Ed PCV who lives at the Crater Lake lodge and does work in the surrounding area. Pretty sweet deal for her as she takes all meals (gormet) at the lodge and has a gorgeous view to wake up to every morning.

Anyway, she, Sally, had pre-arranged for Elizabeth to get one of her women's groups started with solar cookers. They made the kits with cardboard and foil and just needed Elizabeth and an assistant to come out and give the practical demo. Yes, I was that lucky assistant. We had a good turnout and despite the occasional cloud and high winds, managed to cook almost all of our samples. Even managed to solar cook ourselves. The area was dry and devoid of trees - Maasai grazing land. No shade in sight except indoors.

We stayed at the lodge for 2 nights and it was a great mini-vacation. It's a tented camp, but the tents are permanent - with stone floors, indoor plumbing and four-poster beds, all surrounded by canvas walls. Had a porch that overlooked the small lake (the camp is in the crater, hence the name crater lake). Hundreds of flamingos call the lake their home for the time being (arrived all of a sudden 3 months ago). It got pretty cold at night but we needn't fear cause in addition to a nice warm comforter on the beds, we got hot water bottles placed under the covers to welcome us in the evening. The food was clearly the best I've had in Kenya and beats many of the restaurants in America. My body didn't understand what was happening with all the rich food and put up a fit for the next few days but it was still worth it.

Had some good fortune when I got back into Nairobi. In addition to getting a free Peace Corps vehicle ride back to my site, I was able to sell a lot of sisal stuff to volunteers who just happened to be at the office doing their close of service medical exams. They were leaving the country in a couple weeks and really wanted to stock up on souvenirs. The new trainees were all placed on Oct. 25. Only one person is anywhere near me, about 45 mins from Machakos and thus about 2 1/2 hours from me. JCI managed to get one volunteer for their site near Mombasa. I expect to travel out there in the coming months to check it out for myself.

Let's see, got some news about my house. I've got running water! Ok, so I can't control the flow or location but it definitely runs. The fact that it runs from the roof right above my couch and completely soaked my cushions is a minor detail. I have since moved the couch out from the wall a bit and have a bucket under the drip. I figure once the rainy season ends, in January, I can put my couch back into position.

Tomorrow and Saturday I will entertain Elizabeth and her mother, who is here visiting for the next several weeks. I'll show them the group and its duka (shop) and we'll teach them to weave a small basket. Then on Sunday I'm off again to Naivasha, for the last time. I'll come to Nairobi for Thanksgiving dinner at John's house (the embassy guy with whom Elizabeth and I stayed before). He's got a Butterball turkey direct from the good 'ole USA and everything! I may just shed a tear or two. By the way, the teacher's strike was resolved a couple weeks ago.

The government said that they'd be paid next July - convenient seeing as the government will change after this year. Everyone expects the new government to not honor the deal. Speaking of a new government, elections will be held on Dec. 27 for President. It's really heating up, the debate over who should be President. We've been asked to stay at our sites for the week of the elections as a precaution. There have been some spontaneous riots in some areas mainly due to drunks wanting to show their support and thus get some cash (which candidates readily trade for votes). Ok, time for my meeting now. Hope everyone has a nice Thanksgiving!