We partnered with a humanitarian organization called One Horizon to help with a sustainable farming project that provides pigs and food so grandmothers who are caring for their grandchildren can break the cycle of poverty.
We met up with Soloman, our host for the day. An upbeat, loving local, he told us how he himself was raised in unimaginable poverty. Working 4 am to midnight for years, he made only $150 a month. Although married with two kids, he never saw them because of his hours. Only thanks to generous donors was he able to change his life and crawl from poverty.
As we drove, we passed Kibera slum. The slum is the largest in Africa. About 250,000 people call the slum home. With rusty tin rooms and broken down shacks, the residents are charged only 20 dollars a month for rent, but even so, many cant afford it and are kicked out to live on the streets.
Work is almost nonexistant, and Soloman tells us that people will do anything - we pass boys with shovels and he says that they fill potholes with mud and try to stop cars for 10 or 20 cents. They will do anything to try to make a living because there is just no work...life is hard.
We drove out of Nairobi, and past the slums were huge mansions. Rich along the poor, oblivious by choice. (I didn't get a pic of the mansions...these are office buildings, but either way, huge difference.)
Our first stop was at the home of Mary. Mary doesn't know how old she is, she has no clue. In Africa, most of the people have no idea when their birthday is. They're born at home and life goes on, every day the same.
Mary had a wrinkled face, telling stories her words never could. She had seven of her grandchildren living with her. A mother to 12, two of her kids had died from aids and hiv. After her other children married and divorced, they brought the kids back and left them with grandma. Many of the fathers are alcoholics and addicts, choosing to spend money on weak salve to their world problems instead of feeding their children. Unfortunetly, this is more often than not, the norm in Kenya.
Mary invited us into her home - two rooms, a old, flat couch and a few plastic plates piled in a corner under a tiny tv they said was the kitchen.
The visit was quick but we were assured we would meet up again later, and we headed to another home, Beatrice's.
Again we were welcomed in, first for a lool around her tiny farm of five pigs, all donated through One Horizon, and a few chickens.
Then, we were ushered into the small house and took a seat on the again old, worn couch.
Across from us sat Beatrice and her husbands parents. Although her husband is not often around, she lives with and cares for his parents, along with several grandchildren.
The house had open windows and doors, and every so often a chicken would wander in and someone would get up to shoo it outside. More flies swarmed around than I've ever seen.
Yet they were so happy just to have a house and a couch for visiters to sit on. Over the next hour or so, Beatrice shared her story with us.
Telling her story would take hours, but to summarize, she started work at age 4. She had one pair of clothes most her life, and couldn't afford to go to school. Like so many in Kenya, she lived off ugali, a corn mush, often just once a day, sometimes just a few times a week. Then, she was fortunate enough to be sponsored. Her sponsor provided money for food, clothes, and money for school. It was great for awhile...and then her sponsor died, sending her back to work and out of school. She was 14. She married, had marriage problems, raised kids, who also married and divorced, leaving her with her grandkids. Thanks to One Horizon, she is now raising pigs and teaching her grandkids about farming.
I couldn't retell her story to do it justice, but so many times I found myself wanting to cry, wondering how life can be so different just depending on where you're born.
We asked her questions, and over and over she thanked us for coming and helping. She hugged us and tears filled her eyes. When we took a photo, she grabbed our hands and hugged us like old friends.
I did take a video of her story, so if you're interested it is available.
We left her home, again being promised we would meet up in a bit.
We drove to a farm where we chose a pig to buy to give to a grandmother to help her get started in the project.
They loaded the squealing critter into a feed sack and strapped it onto the back of a motorbike and we headed to a third grandmothers little "farm."
Delivering the pig, the grandmothers, who had all united to cook us a traditional lunch and share more stories, fearlessly grabbed the piggy and posed for some pictures. So many smiles...
Then we proceeded to make lunch. The ladies showed us how they make their salad of pure greens, and cook it down to mix it with their Ugali.
Finally, after hearing about it for so long, we got to try the dish.
I can't say it was earth shattering - corn flour and water, but with the greens it wasn't bad. Eating it every day my whole life though...that would push it. I'm so thankful I had a choice.
While we ate, more stories were shared, and laughs, and thanks.
I felt so humbled and blessed by these ladies, and by their thanks, and farewell blessing song, I know they were as well.
On the way home, we got my beloved sugar cane!
The kids asked 20 shilling per stick, and their faces were priceless whe I handed them 200 - a mere 2.00. Nothing to me, everything to them...
Our last night in Kenya we finally went out dancing with our security gaurd friend Nick.
So, clubbing in Narobi is...different. Something that can't be explained beside saying its very African, and fantastic. Strange outfits, lots of prostitutes, and fantastic mysic in terrible remixes. Halfway through they interupted the dancing for a show by an incredibly happy dance crew. They weren't that great, but amazing to watch simply for their energy.
The last day in Kenya before our red eye flights was spent exploring Nairobi and driving through the national park viewing animals.
In the city we visited a Masaai market, the traditional market with vendors selling everything under the sun, grabbing you and begging you for a sale, and bartering for the best price.
If you stop for even a second and act interested, good luck getting away without buying something. The plus side of this is they often lower prices up to 80%. They also make deals in bartering - one guy wanted to trade for my hairbands to gice to school girls. I ddn't really want anything but gave him all I had anyway.
We also went up the tallest building in the city, where a school was touring. One girl asked for a selfie with us...and that was it. Every one of the 110 girls wanted one ALONE with us. No sharing here...my smile hurt. Aha. I felt like a celebrity and decided I never want to be one.
The park was a great way to end the trip, but seeing animals is not as easy as it sounds because the park is hundreds of kilometers of wilderness.
But we got lucky and saw some cool critters, including a rino, and even a lion hunting a gazelle...she missed, but it was fantastic anyway.
Oh Kenya. Too short of time and way more wonderful than anyone knows.
I'll be back soon, this time with a one way ticket to travel the right way.
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