Tanzania to Kenya
Jambo!
Last week has been so special!
On sunday I was in Tanzania and went to a small village. I had lunch with a local family. In this village there are mainly Maasai people living there. So when the family were catching up in Swahili I went for a small walk. So many Masaai people, a small group started talking to me. They don't speak English and my Swahili isn't that good (like non excistend) so I forced a kid that passed by to translate.
A beautiful lady with her child, who went to the hospital. A man who felt dissapointed in local women since he was cheated by his wives and wanted to exchange phone numbers with me (Score, my first Maasai phone number ) and a drunk Maasai man who could barely stand on his feet.
After spending some time here we went back to Arusha, but first trying some traditional Maasai thing, sniffing black powder trough my nose. Discusting! Not really my thing I've learned.
Back in Arusha I ran into 3 streetboys, they looked so clean! And they attend school, they know some English, it's very impressive from this three 13year olds. They were hungry so I had dinner with them, streetfood, an ommelet with fries and vegetables. After dinner they thought me some Swahili slang and I learned more about streetlife in Tanzania. Unfortunatly I coudn't visit their sleeping place since it was already dark.
Back at the hostel there are Maasai men who guard the place, one of Erma's assignments 'learn a local dance' so I asked these 5 Maasai men. They started to do their traditional singing and dancing what I would call roaring and jumping if it was im The Netherlands by Dutch men. But it was beautiful! And wow, the jumping is so high! And the roaring is so intense. The teaching skills was different though it ware the 5 Maasai men doing the dance and at one point they look at me and apparently it was my turn.... well I jump just a little less high.
After this dance class (I filmed it but my phone blocked and the film is gone) I played checkers with them, it was actually 4 against 1 since all the guys were trying to help me. (Otherwise I would have lost, for sure so badly!)
After winning 3 games and spending some more time I called it a night.
What a beatiful day it has been!
On monday after a very rainy morning I left Tanzania and went to my final destination, Nairobi, and the next day off to Thika.
Thika is were it all began.
Thika was my first time traveling.
Thika is where I started doing voluntairy work.
Thika is where I got to know myself a lot better.
All of this was exactly 10 years ago, in April 2007 and now I'm back. It is so strange to be back, and so good! So strange to walk in the same streets again and so familiar at the same time.
10 years ago I was at a childrens home.called Child Rescue Centre (CRC) now that centre doesn't excist anymore. I'm staying at a childrens home called Shade. Three of the children I knew from CRC, from10 years ago are living at Shade. Wow they are so big now! It's insane to see them again as teenagers. David with a clean nose not holding on to your legs anymore, Jane as e beautiful jong lady with good selfesteem and Francis is not stealing peanut butter in the middle of the night anymore, he is now taller then me and this big boy is so strong! In this home there are 21 other children between 8 and 20 years old that I'm getting to know. Card games, playing foodball and helping with their chores helps a lot to get to know them a little bit.
I learned that 12th of april is international day of streetchildren. I helped a bit at this day organised by Newton who works at Oasis, Life Skills project. First I was in Kiandutu slum and later in Thika Town to give a meal to about 50 street children. All of them high on glue. But most of them were happy to spend some time talking and just treating them like human beings. Many boys were very interested talking to a mzungu (white person) they kept asking my name and if I have a husband. The same kids kept asking about 20 times, I guess glue has it's effect on memory and being high on glue even more. These kids get glue for 20shilling, for one day they need between 3 to 5 times a fill up, that's between $0,60 and $1,- a day. To me that seems like a lot of money to get everyday by begging, especially in a country where minimum wage is about $3,- a day and many people not even making minimum wage.
The joungest child was about 12 years old, so sad seeing them addicted, with barely any oppertunity for a better life.
Spending time with these kids helps to create a bond. By connecting with them they might be able to influince them to join the Oasis Life Skills project and one day they might be in school. I learned that Oasis, Life Skills has helped many children to go back to school and to get away from glue. In the almost 10 years that the project excists.
On thursday I met with Jaanvi who I met exactly 2 years ago in Cali, Colombia.
She invited me to her home in Nairobi and I spend some time with her friends and family in their houses. What a big contrast with the past 3 months! So strange to experience such a big gap between the wealthy and the poor. I don't think I've never been in so many beautiful houses in my life in one day. And that in Africa, the continent with the worse stigma of deprived people and poverty. (Maybe my blogs are contibuting to this stigma)
I had a wonderfull day, European food again. (After two Ugali dinners I needed "normal" food again) a nice night out with wine (!) many mzungu's who weren't dancing but talking. And pancakes for breakfast the next morning, so good!
Friday and Saturday I met with James, Geoffrey and Winnie. It's so good to see all these familiar faces again!
With Winnie we went to the old CRC building in Kenya Tanning. Special to be back again! Now it's a student house for 60(!!!) students. I went to the old school of St. Patricks that building is in a terrible state! And went to my favourite juicebar on the market for a $0,20 juice with Andazi.
Next week is my last week in Africa. Going with the kids to 14falls, help another day at Oasis and visiting some other projects.
Saturday is my flight back to Amsterdam to repack and get ready for India, Nepal and Indonesia.
It's going to be tough again, leaving this beautiful place with beautiful people!!
Last week has been so special!
On sunday I was in Tanzania and went to a small village. I had lunch with a local family. In this village there are mainly Maasai people living there. So when the family were catching up in Swahili I went for a small walk. So many Masaai people, a small group started talking to me. They don't speak English and my Swahili isn't that good (like non excistend) so I forced a kid that passed by to translate.
A beautiful lady with her child, who went to the hospital. A man who felt dissapointed in local women since he was cheated by his wives and wanted to exchange phone numbers with me (Score, my first Maasai phone number ) and a drunk Maasai man who could barely stand on his feet.
After spending some time here we went back to Arusha, but first trying some traditional Maasai thing, sniffing black powder trough my nose. Discusting! Not really my thing I've learned.
Back in Arusha I ran into 3 streetboys, they looked so clean! And they attend school, they know some English, it's very impressive from this three 13year olds. They were hungry so I had dinner with them, streetfood, an ommelet with fries and vegetables. After dinner they thought me some Swahili slang and I learned more about streetlife in Tanzania. Unfortunatly I coudn't visit their sleeping place since it was already dark.
Back at the hostel there are Maasai men who guard the place, one of Erma's assignments 'learn a local dance' so I asked these 5 Maasai men. They started to do their traditional singing and dancing what I would call roaring and jumping if it was im The Netherlands by Dutch men. But it was beautiful! And wow, the jumping is so high! And the roaring is so intense. The teaching skills was different though it ware the 5 Maasai men doing the dance and at one point they look at me and apparently it was my turn.... well I jump just a little less high.
After this dance class (I filmed it but my phone blocked and the film is gone) I played checkers with them, it was actually 4 against 1 since all the guys were trying to help me. (Otherwise I would have lost, for sure so badly!)
After winning 3 games and spending some more time I called it a night.
What a beatiful day it has been!
On monday after a very rainy morning I left Tanzania and went to my final destination, Nairobi, and the next day off to Thika.
Thika is were it all began.
Thika was my first time traveling.
Thika is where I started doing voluntairy work.
Thika is where I got to know myself a lot better.
All of this was exactly 10 years ago, in April 2007 and now I'm back. It is so strange to be back, and so good! So strange to walk in the same streets again and so familiar at the same time.
10 years ago I was at a childrens home.called Child Rescue Centre (CRC) now that centre doesn't excist anymore. I'm staying at a childrens home called Shade. Three of the children I knew from CRC, from10 years ago are living at Shade. Wow they are so big now! It's insane to see them again as teenagers. David with a clean nose not holding on to your legs anymore, Jane as e beautiful jong lady with good selfesteem and Francis is not stealing peanut butter in the middle of the night anymore, he is now taller then me and this big boy is so strong! In this home there are 21 other children between 8 and 20 years old that I'm getting to know. Card games, playing foodball and helping with their chores helps a lot to get to know them a little bit.
I learned that 12th of april is international day of streetchildren. I helped a bit at this day organised by Newton who works at Oasis, Life Skills project. First I was in Kiandutu slum and later in Thika Town to give a meal to about 50 street children. All of them high on glue. But most of them were happy to spend some time talking and just treating them like human beings. Many boys were very interested talking to a mzungu (white person) they kept asking my name and if I have a husband. The same kids kept asking about 20 times, I guess glue has it's effect on memory and being high on glue even more. These kids get glue for 20shilling, for one day they need between 3 to 5 times a fill up, that's between $0,60 and $1,- a day. To me that seems like a lot of money to get everyday by begging, especially in a country where minimum wage is about $3,- a day and many people not even making minimum wage.
The joungest child was about 12 years old, so sad seeing them addicted, with barely any oppertunity for a better life.
Spending time with these kids helps to create a bond. By connecting with them they might be able to influince them to join the Oasis Life Skills project and one day they might be in school. I learned that Oasis, Life Skills has helped many children to go back to school and to get away from glue. In the almost 10 years that the project excists.
On thursday I met with Jaanvi who I met exactly 2 years ago in Cali, Colombia.
She invited me to her home in Nairobi and I spend some time with her friends and family in their houses. What a big contrast with the past 3 months! So strange to experience such a big gap between the wealthy and the poor. I don't think I've never been in so many beautiful houses in my life in one day. And that in Africa, the continent with the worse stigma of deprived people and poverty. (Maybe my blogs are contibuting to this stigma)
I had a wonderfull day, European food again. (After two Ugali dinners I needed "normal" food again) a nice night out with wine (!) many mzungu's who weren't dancing but talking. And pancakes for breakfast the next morning, so good!
Friday and Saturday I met with James, Geoffrey and Winnie. It's so good to see all these familiar faces again!
With Winnie we went to the old CRC building in Kenya Tanning. Special to be back again! Now it's a student house for 60(!!!) students. I went to the old school of St. Patricks that building is in a terrible state! And went to my favourite juicebar on the market for a $0,20 juice with Andazi.
Next week is my last week in Africa. Going with the kids to 14falls, help another day at Oasis and visiting some other projects.
Saturday is my flight back to Amsterdam to repack and get ready for India, Nepal and Indonesia.
It's going to be tough again, leaving this beautiful place with beautiful people!!
dank! :)