Remember that episode of Friends where Phoebe and Charlie Sheen have oven mittens taped to their hands to avoid them scratching themselves and each other? I’m considering that trick to be the next option in an attempt not to scratch myself bloody from a combination of mosquito and flea(courtesy of the house cat) bites.
After the matatu-events of Thursday night, I was a bit apprehensive about taking one to work Friday morning. But as there were no alternative, we headed to the main stomping grounds of the Nanyuki matatus. We had barely walked onto the square before we were approached by maybe five men all asking us where we were going. We chose to go with the car that looked like it would leave sooner but as usual “in just a minute” quickly became 10. It was another run-down vehicle, but this time we got there without any problems. We have been told to get the matatu that looks the best but it is pretty hard to move around and survey when you are so obviously looking for a ride – it will be impossible to get through without being hassled so we will probably just have to suck it up and hope for the best!
We made it to the office and after about an hour we went back to Solomon’s place with Francis. We had learned that the community would be digging the last of the trenches for their Action Aid supported irrigation system and wanted to lend a hand to that project. We may have had a bit of hidden agenda to prove that we might be white girls, but physical labor is not completely strange to us. We met up with Solomon and the rest of the community at the trenches and soon learned that we might not currently be quite fit to really make a difference.
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| Charlotte makes an effort |
The soil was so muddy and heavy that we both struggled to make progress. The locals probably got a good laugh out of our desperate efforts. Charlotte did a better job than me as I soon realized that it was a lost cause getting us to dig that part of the trench – at least if they wanted to finish today. Instead I let Charlotte do a bit more digging, made a laughing stock of myself when trying to ride a bike without falling(I did not fall, but am sure that it was not pretty nonetheless) and took pictures of other people working. Solomon was running the show, so he was off tending to that. Instead we got company from Kibe, who found us just as fascinating as we him. As we walked the length of the trenches we talked about differences between Denmark and Kenya, about volcanic eruptions and the creation of the surrounding mountains and about the project and the community.
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Everyone participates |
He was very interested in knowing where Kenya was, development-wise, compared to Denmark and although we answered that, we also made a point of stressing that it was important that Kenya develops in a way that fits their country not the same way that Denmark or other developed nations did.
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| Kibe used his hand to explain the irrigation system |
As for the trenching project in itself, it works like this: the community is supported by a combination of their own investment, local and international funds and the government to purchase piping. Every investor/household has a responsibility to dig a certain length of the 16 km trench that will bring the pipes from the intake through the community. When you have done your part you are entitled to make a connection to the main pipe from your house. The water will be used for both household needs and irrigation. What I really liked about the experience today was that strong sense of community. People come together and get this to work because otherwise the whole community will suffer. Men, women and children all share the effort to finish the project. I remember moments of community unity from my childhood, but realize how different things are now at home. We always expect someone else to fix things for us. I have a problem, I call someone to take care of it or wait for someone else to do something. Of course there are things that we cannot do ourselves because we live in a world that is technically complicated and where the craftsmanship has disappeared from our range of abilities. Here, problems are not more complicated than you can manage to fix it yourself, whether it be building a house or digging a trench. People may not have a lot, but they are happy and the only thing they really complain about is the corrupt political system. Maybe simple really is better sometimes and maybe we should stop complaining so much and help each other solve the problems we have in common instead.
After the failed attempt at trenching and a good talk with Kibe, we went back to Solomon and had lunch. Charlotte and I shared the kitchen with his lovely wife, who we talked to about a lot of different things among others the increasing alcohol problems the youth of Kenya faces in parts because of a high unemployment rate.
After lunch we headed back to the office and eventually got a ride home from Francis.
We welcome the long weekend(Monday is some sort of holiday) after a week of intensity.
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