My last days in Africa

Right now I'm at the airport. Leaving Africa I might never get used to leaving beautiful Africa behind.
It was so good to be back at the place where all my travels started. It has been a beautiful week being surrouded by beautiful people.
At the same time it was tough, the only Mzungu, white person in this village and people asking for attention, money or 'my hand'. Especially when walking around alone.

On sunday all the children went to church so I finally had the place to myself. Doing some laundry without children laughing at the Mzungu not being able to wash by hand. In the afternoon I went to 'the new CRC'. This building now is a childrenshome for babies. Only 3 babies at the moment instead of a place with 40 children, how I left this place 5 years ago.
Later this day I somehow ended up at someones birthday and had a lovely meal.

Monday I had big plans, making 'wentelteefjes' for all children of the childrenshome I'm living in. This ended up in waking up at 5 a.m. to make around 115 'wentelteefjes'. Phew, the children liked it (didn't do this for nothing)
After all this deliciousness I left to Kiandutu slum to volunteer at a project 'Oasis Life Skills'. Playing football with children at the field next to the slum.
After about 20 minutes a woman walks towards me clearly drunk and with a baby on her back, it's not even 10 a.m. This woman with a brown Tshirt with stains, traditional fabric as a skirt with many stains and the baby on her back wrapped in an oranje traditional fabric. This woman is very smelly, very drunk and I think she ia about my age.
She doesn't really talks English so she talked to me in Swahili. Giving me many high fives, many hand shakes, a hug (I was so smelly after meeting her).
With people around me to translate I understood she insisted on giving the baby to me. She was very persistend, when I tried to tell her that her beautiful babygirl really needs her mommy, is when I found out that this woman isn't the mom of this baby but the grandmother. And the woman is about my age!!
She kept insisting on me taking the baby She asked "At what age would you take this baby?", I didn't answer, but I would have loved to do anything for this baby to get a better life.
I don't think I can ever get used of people offering me their (grand)children. And the future for this girl.... with this rolemode......, I doubt if she can create a better life and will ever escape poverty.
After this intense meeting I played some games with the children of Oasis and taught them card games.
In the afternoom visiting another childrenshome Kiota to see 2 familiar faces, Edward and Carol, they do so well! And they have grown so much!

One day I went with the children of Shade to Blue Post, a playground, a small outdoor zoo and waterfalls. The children finally in their 4 weeks of vacation left their home and did something fun. Peter the smallest boy of 8 years old asked "Is this a big chicken?" The manager replied "No, this is an ostrich" :-)
The children had a lot of fun, and leaving to get back to Shade was quite a challange.
With the younger children I played some games. With the older children I did some small games/exercises.
The next day, I could feel the exercises, sore shoulders, abs and legs. I'm so out of shape! I was very glad to find out that I wasn't alone, all the older children had sore muscles.

The oldest child at Shade had finished her studies of tourism and a study of catering. She is trying to find a job so she can stay on her own. The difficulty of getting a job in Kenya is that you need a good network. This good network is mostly having your dad, or uncle having connections. If you don't have a good network then mostly you have to bribe people or companies into hiring you.
It's hard to wrap my mind around, paying someone to hire you.

Soon there will be elections in Kenya, in august '17. And elections in Kenya are always very interesting. It's more then 100 days before elections and posters are everywhere, seriously everywhere! And all the difefrent political parties give party's on the streets in big vans and give money to people so they will vote for them.
But the different people with different ethnic backgrounds will only vote for someone with the same ethnic background. This country is very divided!

On friday the different parties where having their nominations. Elections within the party to choose who the leader of that party will be for August elections.
The amount of people who went to vote was a lot more then the government particilated on. I was told to be back at the childrenshome before 18.00 because it might get chaotic. Well it was chaotic at 17.00 already.
Leaders have been stealing votes. (Literally stealing a box from the other(s) with their votes in it) People got angry and the police went with teargasboms to move people away. And that worked, people running on the streets away from the polling stations.
Somehow I needed to get back and I managed, just took a bit longer. Never I saw so many people on the street. "The people are protesting against corruption that's why everybody is outside" I was told.

Friday evening I had my farewell. I din't know it was going to be so official for only two weeks I was there. All the children needed to say something, and in the afternoon they all made something that made a beautiful book. I got a traditional fabric and a beautiful certificate.
Small Peter wrote "We are so sad that you are living" I hope he meant leaving ;-) and all the beautiful drawings and messages will keep that beautiful work to read many times for sure!
After many goodbye's, reading a goodnight story it was really time to leave.
I've had such a wonderfull time!

Back in the Netherlands to see everyone, repack and get ready for my next adventures!

What a crazy live I'm living now! :-)