Malone Kenya Service Learning Trip, 2019
This blog serves as the journal for the WGM/Malone University trip to Kenya. Links will be sync’ed with the online blog post through Malone University as possible.
May 17, 2019
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6/23
Everybody met at CLE airport, just fine. The ticket agent for Delta (Scott) was exceptionally good working us through without a hitch (19 bags and 10 passengers). Our flight was delayed slightly, but enough so when we arrived in Detroit, we had to run 15 gates to make it to the next flight. We arrived just as “last call” was on the air and got settled.
6/24
We arrived in Amsterdam at about 10:30 and at least had a short layover for breathing space. One student lost her meds and we had to get back to the gate where we had arrived (which is harder than it sounds). The online info gave the wrong gate and things didn’t look familiar in the correct terminal so we tried to find an agent desk. KLM (the Dutch partner of Delta) does not place them in very visible spots. But we found it and then began the race for the departure gate and we ran for it (she said it was playing “frogger” as we dodged people, luggage and baby carriages). Of course, the flight was delayed. It also had a malfunctioning “movie” option so it was an extra long flight for those without books or pads.
We arrived around 12:30. It was a long time through immigrations: the line was about 100 ft long, four abreast and moved very slowly. They had three agents working this counter (for prepaid electronic visas; there were four in the one where you had to buy visa onsite.). We got to Robyn’s at 1AM, ready for bed and ready for a 7AM breakfast.
6/25
The students got to sleep in. Robyn (WGM’s medical pediatric NP for this part of Kenya, and our hostess) received a phone call from Musyimi, the pastor of the church hosting the medical clinic we were going to work at. The clinic was canceled because of circumstances beyond the church’s control. Robyn was able to contact a girls rescue center in the Ngong Hills, about a 45 minute drive to the west, and we headed there. I think it turned out to be better overall (although we all were disappointed in the clinic’s cancellation) for it was only a four-five hour activity and the students were jet lagged. They were all good sports, but you cannot go through the experiences they’d had so far and not be a bit overwhelmed! They’d gone on overseas flights, dealt with immigration policy, carted gear around airports, jet lagged, driving through African traffic in the night and day, through some very third-world areas as well as urban. And learned a few phrases of Kiswahili!
In this case, the rescue center had some girls who needed Robyn and Lori to look at them for various reasons and update their situations. That gave the students opportunities to read to them (“Esther,” read by Kaylah) and play games. The Kenyan girls were expectedly very shy as were the students in the new culture, and the story and discussion afterward helped, but it was the games that broke the ice. The students did an excellent job of engaging, asking names and playing the “cookie” game, which produced laughter as the girls tried to move a cookie from their foreheads to their mouths without touching it with their hands. We took a picture outside and headed back.
Lori and I went to stay with Myusimi and his wife while the girls “chilled” at Robyn’s. They had been our neighbors when we shared an apartment complex at Daystar University, about 40km south of Nairobi in the savannah, and it was good to catch up. They served us chicken which in Kenya is a “special” offering to honored guests as chicken is more expensive here than beef or goat.
5/26/19
Robyn and the students met with us at Musyimi’s church location. The music was very loud and is best described as mostly a Kenyan flavored American black gospel. It is very active, with a rhythm section, extensive verbal leadership with keyboard improvisation in the background. The singers had a lead and a background choir of about 14 people mostly on microphones. A couple of other choirs gave a special, one in Kiswahili and the other in English. The English choir was more traditional gospel, and the same that led the singing, but the “Jericho Choir” presented in Kiswahili and sounded more S. African. The women have a thinner, brighter sound than their American counterpart, which gave, with the Kenyan accent, a more African sound. Each song was very long and repetitive, with improvisation from the lead vocalist, and participation from the congregation. Other parts of the service were typically American evangelical (offering, announcements, intercessory prayer, etc). Musyimi spoke from the series on depression and God being in support, backing us up, taken from Psalm 46:1.
We were able to reunite with other neighbors from Daystar, who had lived ther
e with us and the Mutindas. They are from [Midd•e •stern country] and have a ministry to [this *thnic culture] students. They have had to do their training sessions in Kenya, as they would receive too much persecution from the [religious fundamentalists] in [ci*y in *fric*]. They did not know we would be there and were very excited when they saw us up front.
After lunch at Robyn’s house, some students went with Robyn to Yaya Mall, to buy groceries and check things out. The rest of us worked on blogs, read and “hung out.” That is the order of the rest of the day. Tomorrow, we leave at 7:00 for a long trip across the Ngong Hills, Rift Valley and to the Maasai Mara, where we’ll have a couple days on “safari” before we leave to work at Tenwek Hospital.
5/28
I forgot to mention that the girls got a chance to buy some souvenirs from a couple of dukas at Tenwek. It was a good opportunity to introduce those with no experience with the art of market bargaining, warning them that as each duka (one textiles and the other carvings) was the only dealer, they would not be able to get very good prices (somewhat comparing a Walmart in the middle of the city with a “convenience” store out in the boonies. I did some interpreting (trying to remember words for “hundred” and a “thousand”) but showed them how to bundle and deal. I think we will have better luck at City Market in Nairobi but it was a good intro and the students were able to buy some things they wanted.
To make things clear, we are only doing the Mara early this year because the prices go very high beginning June 1st at the start of the “high” season. We usually wait until the end of a trip after the work has been down to do this “vacation” part. The high prices coincide with the “Great Migration” which is very active. Thousands of herd animals (wildebeests, gazelles, elans and such) move up and down the Rift Valley, and where there is “food” there are predators and a lot of action. So Mara first, and then the bulk of the work. An added benefit is it gives a bit of cultural and travel settling before getting down to it.
We left Tenwek after a light breakfast of hot drinks and homemade cinnamon buns, made by the Roberts family (old friends of ours). We traveled to the road: 35km of dirt road (mostly exposed rocks with the new gravel patches) to our stay at the Fairmont Safari. We get a deal through our connections with Tenwek and through Robyn; it is our goal to be able to show service people, volunteer nurses and doctors and supporters of Tenwek the “wild” side of Kenya.
We made it to our accommodations and were greeted with “Jambo” and a glass of mango juice. After signing forms, and settling in the cabins we headed out to the Mara itself. The Fairmont is a main lodge surrounded by tents (“glamping” as the term is now). It is in a bend of the river. At night you can hear the hippos bellowing in the river below the cliff upon which the tents are set, and in the distance you hear night birds and wild dogs/hyenas calling. We didn’t hear the tree hyraxes last night, which sound like a human shrieking (you can’t mistake it). There are two points at the bend called “hippo point” where they like to sleep during the day and settle in the river. I have seen a crocodile there as well but not so far this time. With the moisture here at the river, it is very jungly, although has a lot of savannah trees as well. We are at about 6000’ above sea level so it is very dry and the sun strong. When it is cloudy it also become chilly quickly. In all, it is very like SW Colorado. The food here is very good. This morning each tent was greeted by the attendant for the tent with “Jambo” and a pre-ordered hot drink. Then off to the Mara game drive.
We went on a game drive last night and did an extended tour this morning. To consolidate the hours we spent driving and looking, I’ll highlight some old things and differences. Before, I have seen a herd of more than 20 temba (elephants) and only one real pride of simba (lions). This time, we saw several prides, with yearling cubs, those born last March, young males with barely a mane, females and even one old male with a heavy mane by himself, as is common. But we have only seen three elephants and these were not good views, feeding deep in the trees. We saw a female cheetah and two males on a separate drive. The males were looking hungrily at a herd of tommy gazelles off in the distance but while stalking, they did so very casually and took too long. We had breakfast on the savannah at that point, with boxed food and hot drinks on blankets (away from the cheetahs, in case you wondered!). There were plenty of herd animals: elan, gazelles, bushbuck, impala, dik-dik (tiny deer about the size of a small dog), wildebeest, African buffalo and of course, giraffes. We saw an eagle with a kill (a tommy), eating it in a tree very close to us; I got some good closeups.
At this point we are about to eat lunch and chill for the afternoon. We have an evening game drive at 3:30, then dinner. Sometimes they have a Maasai dance demonstration but have not seen much hint of that yet. We hope there are enough guests here to warrant that. We have an early morning game drive and then we head back to Niarobi for a variety of work and volunteer jobs at various centers for the next week. More tomorrow!
Wed-Thursday 5/29-30
Again, I’ll hit the highlights. We were not able to use the pool since they were treating it for the high season, but honestly didn’t really have enough time for it, especially as people needed some down time from this extended morning game drive. One of the girls asked me what my favorite game drive was: they’re all different. These have been unique since we saw and came very close to a small herd of elephants with very young ones and all the rest ranged in age. They were nursing and the rest were all mothers, with one matriarch leading them. We were very close but though they kept an eye on us they went on their way. The pictures we have taken will speak more than this narrative. But the Mara is like the high plains of the U.S., about 6000’ above sea level, ranging from grassy plains to shallow creeks surrounded by thirstier trees (in the U.S. they’d be cottonwoods). Then, like New Mexico, there are green hills that go up about 1500’-2000’ above the plain. The weather is similar: cool/cold in the mornings and evenings and warm (sometimes 80s) during the day.
Our evening drive surrounded the elephant sighting a few jackals and more prides of lions (once with both elephants and lions together. One highlight was finally a much older lion male. He had an antibacterial stain over a long stitch in his hide: we were informed that a buffalo had caught him napping and took the opportunity to try to gore him. The rangers and vet managed to stitch him up and release him. He had a magnificent mane. We saw him with the other lions and later, on the way “home” alone on the plain.
We were hoping for a Maasai dance but it isn’t happening for our time here.
Thursday:
During the night we had all the sounds of Africa, including Rachel screaming at a bug in the tent next to us (humor intended). She was not the only one as I killed three in Danielle’s and Mikaylah’s room. The bushbabys (tree hyraxes) shrieked in the middle of the night and both nights the hippos have been blowing and bellowing all night. Both are very loud. Others included monkey calls (although we really haven’t seen them) and some very beautiful bird calls and trills.
Up early and on another drive this morning. Although short, we saw two prides that had killed a wildebeest and dragged it into the trees to keep hyenas from scenting it, and a zebra out in the middle of the plain. We saw our friend, the injured male, off by himself. We also saw the cheetah pair, stained with blood and looking very full and satisfied with themselves.
We left around 10:30 after cleaning up and packing. It is funny how only a few days earlier the simple sight of a zebra thrilled everyone: they were so common that they invited a glance only. I overheard one person not of our team mention that they are starting to gather for the famous Great Migration, when they travel the Rift Valley. This time going through the Rift, it was beautiful and clear, barring a haze caused by numerous dust devils. However, we stopped at a viewpoint on the highway on the Escarpment that overlooks this entire portion of the Valley, including a mountain I and my family had climbed (Longonot) in 2013, which is 9,100’ high and a 13 mile hike.
We had lunch/dinner at 4 at Javahous at Junction Mall. Javahouse was started by an American who became a Kenyan citizen and modeled the coffee after Starbucks and added much much better food. At Junction, they have, once a week, the “Maasai Market,” where dozens of proprietors hawk Kenyan arts and souvenirs. I don’t know if I enjoy shopping or helping the students do so. Several are very good at it. The trick is being willing to walk away, have a pre-conceived idea of its worth, and knowing a bit of Swahili helps a bit. I don’t know if the word got around, but I had made it clear that I had once been a resident and I gave the girls permission to make me the “bad guy” as in “I don’t know, I’ll have to ask him.’” They did very well and I think we all had fun.
Then it’s chill time in the evening. Tomorrow we are prepping for “woman’s day:” a health clinic, on Saturday. I will be persona non gratis as I have different plumbing from the female community so will be meeting old friends here in town on my own.
Praying for your ministry and travels abroad Malone University family.
Friday was prep time, assembling packages for Saturday’s Woman’s Day, where there are different stations that included health education and other women’s issues and needs. This involved a couple of trips to the store at Junction Mall (“Carrefour” is the brand; there are others, such as Nakumatt and Tusky’s, which are analogous to Walmart and Marc’s in the ‘States). We also had a chance to swim for a bit and get some exercise in the apartments’ pool, which is only sun-heated and very cold (“refreshing”). The we spent time planning “the troops,” as there were several stations that needed to be assigned.
On Saturday, Tim (driver) and I dropped off the girls (all of them) and were politely told to “get lost,” so we had arranged for him to take me out to the NE side of the city where the U.S. Embassy was. I talked to some friends of mine who had taught at Daystar University with me, and then we headed back to pick up the students. The event was very successful. We had planned for 50 women and we had over 30, who were according to Robyn very happy with the event.
I spent part of the afternoon talking to one of my students (who is now a successful musician) about the state of music and the arts in Kenya. The feeling still is that kenya needs “its own identity.” It as a nation still feels lost and is a fusion of Africa rather than its own culture. Some of this is having 42 tribes, plus the international influence that colonialism and modern development have brought in (British, Indian, Arabian and most recently Chinese globalism, plus others). Nairobi is truly an international city.
Tomorrow is church and then heading out to Kitengela to work with a baby rescue center and stay the night.
6/3-6/4
Twas the day of “cute factor,” of course. We have been in prayer for several who are up for various levels of adoption or transition; one has turned out well so far and we wait for news on the others.
As with the orphanage, it is a matter of checking the health status (which, of course, is LOT’s primary job for WGM in Kenya). The students were all as active as possible, from holding babies (which none of them minded!) to scribing and other less involved roles. (Because Robyn and Lori are the only Kenya licensed nurse practitioners, it falls to them, legally, to do much of the assessment roles, with the students supporting.) After the assessment, which took several hours, Julie’s husband took us around the compound, showing us what they have done to make the center as self-sustaining as possible. They have chickens, turkeys and rabbits for eggs and meat, and grow – traditionally and aquaponically – vegetables. They have a pond where they harvested 500 tilapia last year (in one year they will grow from 3 inches to 2-3 pounds!) as they have a crocodile decoy to scare away the herons, which eat some of the fish they kill and leave the rest to rot on the shore.
We left there for Daystar University, where I used to live and teach. We got trapped due to road work and the team walked about half a kilometer to the gate, where Lori’s Daystar Staff pass was still “good” (!) and our hosts, O—- and W—-, a couple from a Middle Eastern country, made lunch for us. They have a ministry that equips Christians in these countries to pastor others and must have it down here to prevent persecution for them and for the underground Church there. They lived in the apartment below us when we were here. The monkey troop (albeit several generations ago) that stole mangoes from us six years ago are still there and came up to the doors and windows, curiously looking in and drawn by the food, to the delight of the girls.
The majority of the team left early to shop for groceries at the Hub and Lori, Hannah, Rachel and I went to say hi to the founders of DU, Dr and Fay Smith. He is almost 90 (August birthday) but is as involved with the running of DU as ever, having met the VC (like our university president) that very morning with advice and discussion of the institution’s policies. They lived below us, obliquely, in ’13 and ’14. He has the same wit and humor, as well as the brilliant mind and spiritual solidness borne of experience that I hope to achieve at that age.
We slogged through Nairobi traffic to meet the others at the Hub, which is close to Robyn’s home.
6/4
This morning, we went back to Hashema, to work and assess the health of the disabled children. In Kenya, the culture is such that many disabled children cannot be taken care of by the immediate or extended family and are not considered worth saving. There are those that are killed in light of these physical problems. The school works with them in PT and OT from a very young age, facilitating their growth with physical and mental learning. The kids are very fun and their PT/OT is impressive. They know exactly the right speed at which to push them and do so in such a way that the child has a lot of fun and progresses more quickly.
All in all, we’ve seen, assessed, prescribed when necessary and updated over 130 children over the last three days, and empowered and facilitated almost 50 mothers and working women.
We got back to the apartment and had lunch; Lori and I took the team to pick up some textiles (congas and Maasai blankets/cloth that we hadn’t had access to before). It was a matter of walking about half a mile, crossing Ngong Road (which is a challenge in itself) and buying in the open air market where the stalls are informal but permanent, if that makes sense. Then back; we took a different route in the back streets for Lori and I wanted to see if an “old” restaurant we loved was still there. If so, we wanted to take the girls to experience Ethiopian food. We dropped them off, (after more monkey sightings) and then went on a short, two mile walk to try to find it. After practicing my Swahili several times, we determined that it wasn’t still in business and we would need to go to an alternate one, Habesha, tomorrow night. That will still be fun: the other was unique in many ways and it’s too bad it failed.
6/4
This morning, we went back to Hashema, to work and assess the health of the disabled children. In Kenya, the culture is such that many disabled children cannot be taken care of by the immediate or extended family and are not considered worth saving. There are those that are killed in light of these physical problems. The school works with them in PT and OT from a very young age, facilitating their growth with physical and mental learning. The kids are very fun and their PT/OT is impressive. They know exactly the right speed at which to push them and do so in such a way that the child has a lot of fun and progresses more quickly.
All in all, we’ve seen, assessed, prescribed when necessary and updated over 130 children over the last three days, and empowered and facilitated almost 50 mothers and working women.
We got back to the apartment and had lunch; Lori and I took the team to pick up some textiles (congas and Maasai blankets/cloth that we hadn’t had access to before). It was a matter of walking about half a mile, crossing Ngong Road (which is a challenge in itself) and buying in the open air market where the stalls are informal but permanent, if that makes sense. Then back; we took a different route in the back streets for Lori and I wanted to see if an “old” restaurant we loved was still there. If so, we wanted to take the girls to experience Ethiopian food. We dropped them off, (after more monkey sightings) and then went on a short, two mile walk to try to find it. After practicing my Swahili several times, we determined that it wasn’t still in business and we would need to go to an alternate one, Habesha, tomorrow night. That will still be fun: the other was unique in many ways and it’s too bad it failed.
6/5
This was always planned to be a fun day to finish things off. The pictures again tell more than just my words, but shortly, we started off at the Giraffe Center for conservation and reintroduction of giraffes (Rothschild, which is endangered) into the wild, mostly at Tana River NP. We listened to a presentation on the giraffe, which also included the mission of the Center with giraffes as well as a general education/enivonmental awareness. The girls got to fed the giraffes, including being kissed! You place a pellet in your lips and they use their tongue to take the pellet, very gently, out of your mouth with their tongue. It can be very slobbery, but wasn’t with the students and quite an experience.
Then we went to the Baby Elephant Rescue Center, where we stood at ropes as they fed the elephants milk and they played. Some students were able to touch them as they passed by (they are only 3-5 feet high.
We did a bit more souvenir shopping while Lori and I got meat pies and samosas for lunch, and then we headed back to the apartment. In the afternoon, a professional masseuse and pedicurist that Robyn knew (Beth). We ate at the Ethiopian restaurant for dinner. There are no utensils: you use your fingers to pull off a spongy sour dough bread and dip them into sauces or use them to pick up meat. To their credit, the girls were all game to try it: the bread was really the only thing some had issues with.
6/6
The girls went to work with deaf children, including telling the Noah story, while I met with my former supervisor from Daystar and caught up. We spent the afternoon packing and weighing baggage, making sure gifts, souvenirs and items were safe and weighed. Beth attended to the massage and pedicures of those who hadn’t had time before. We held a debriefing/devotional in the evening after dinner. The general feeling of the two questions (What makes you most nervous about going back? What things stood out to you from your trip experience?) were that people were concerned about either complacency going back to the familiar American culture, or the ability to communicate appropriately about their trip. For the second, the response had most to do with the friendliness and openness of both Kenyan nationals and the missionaries here.
(So for food, the strictly Kenyan items:
Kachumbari
Ugali
Sukamawiki (sp?)
Chapati
Matoke stew
Banana “crisps”
“Chips”
Goat
Ethiopian food
Green Grams