Life in Kenya

I’m from Louisville, Kentucky.  All day, everyday.  My friends know I have great hometown pride.  As I travel, and as people ask me where I’m from, I usually say Kentucky (because no one understands how native Louisvillians say Louisville in the states, let alone abroad), which is sometimes met with a perplexed look depending on where I am in the world.  Outside of the states, my follow up response is, “like Kentucky Fried Chicken,” which more often than not sparks some recognition; however some people don’t know they are related, as the company has re-branded itself to the abbreviation KFC.  It’s amazing that wherever I go, from Brazil to Thailand to Kenya, KFC restaurants are present.  I’m not sure if they’re the most popular fast food chain abroad or if I see it most often because it’s connected to home for me.  Other than the Yum Brands home quarters (KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell), Louisville has a few other claims to fame like the Kentucky Derby, Muhammad Ali, the Louisville Slugger, the Hot Brown and Bourbon of course.

Several people here have asked me to tell them more about my home state.  I typically describe it a relatively small state in the middle of the country.  Though each part of the state has its regional differences, I like to think Louisville is the perfect blend of the best parts of the South and the Midwest.  We say pop (instead of soda) and put spaghetti in our chili; we make a mean pecan pie and love to pass warm summer nights on the porch greeting the neighbors as they pass by.  Both regions of the country pride themselves on having a warm inviting hospitality.  We very well may meet you today and invite you over to our house tomorrow.

Everyone here has worked to make me feel at home and I have been blessed with great Kenyan Hospitality.  The staff and volunteers of CMMB made sure my dad and I were picked up at the airport, arranged to have dinner with us on our second night in country, helped schedule our trip to the National Park and made sure we arrived to Mutomo in one piece.  Two of the administrators of the hospital, Sister Mary and Anita, personally greeted us on arrival to the hospital compound.  And, David has been indispensable in my transition to Mutomo, making sure we had dinner each evening, acquainting us with the town and helping me figure out how to connect to the all-important Wi-Fi!  The night before my dad left to travel to Nairobi and then home, Anita said, I must have you two over to dinner tonight.  “We’ll have chicken!”  Well, we had chicken and then some… lamb chops, toast points, a variety of vegetables and potatoes.  Another volunteer joined as well, a dentist from Sweden, who has been coming here for about 6 weeks each year for 9 years!  Completely stuffed, we took the long walk home…one house over 🙂  I live directly next door to Anita.  And, we again marveled at the mighty Kenyan appetite.

As you can see, fellowship over good food with good company is universal.

We traveled to Mutomo from Nairobi on Monday morning.  The first part of the drive out of the city was comparable to any drive out of a major city.  A busy four-lane highway crowded with cars and motorbikes.  Green signs hung overhead listing nearby towns or countries, you could continue on to Ethiopia for example.  The traffic here is fluid, very few stop signs or traffic lights interrupt the flow.  There are intermittent traffic circles and speed bumps that slow the movement down from time to time, but let’s say crossing the street as a pedestrian is an adventure in and of itself.  Outside of the central business district, small vendor stands line the roads.  Some vendors stand in the middle of the expressway alongside the speedbumps selling fruit, water and soft drinks to drivers and passengers as they paused for only a few moments.

Soon we exited the expressway for a local highway, much like a state road.  We passed through more commercial areas, stopping once at a strip mall to purchase a few supplies before getting into the more rural part of the country.  The store contained limited food items and assorted household items like any other variety store.  We bought a large bottle of water and a few snacks.  As we drove further from Nairobi, the roads became smaller, the shops and businesses fewer.  After a little more than 3 hours time, we exited the paved road portion of our journey.  The road alternated from packed sand to red clay and back again.  Small towns popped up along the way, often school-aged children walked the sides of the road heading home from school, sometimes their commute can be more than 2 miles each way.  It was also common to see goats, cows, donkeys (usually carrying water) passing with their owners.  Our expert driver negotiated the road with its dips and turns masterfully while carefully avoiding the non-motorized traffic along the road.

The climate near Mutomo is dry, more like the desert.  There has been little rain this year, the few plants are mostly bare and brown. We can see small hills and rock formations in the distance.  Beautifully contrasting the mostly monotone background are the women dressed in bright colors.  The traditional dress includes wraparound skirts and shirts in various vibrant shades and patterns.  The hospital sits right in the town of Mutomo.  After passing several local shops and businesses, we enter through the gates of the hospital compound that will be my home for most of the next six months.

The hospital houses many of the staff onsite. The CMMB volunteers typically share a small two- bedroom house immediately adjacent to the hospital.  I will share the space with another volunteer when she is here, though she will split her time between Mutomo and Nairobi.  As I mentioned, there has not been much rain in the area this year.  The houses are outfitted with catchment systems that collect rainwater and store it large storage tanks.  These tanks are mostly dry now.  There is ground water, however this water is very salty and cannot be used for drinking.  The accommodations are modest but adequate.  Today there is no running water in the bathroom or kitchen.  But the toilet flushes!

Though I will be able to cook, if I desire, it appears as if most of the staff eats at the locally owned canteen on the compound.  Dinner our first night included, stewed beef and fried potatoes with a side of tomato, avocado and red onion salad.  Quite tasty. One of the staff members who was helping me getting acquainted with the facilities, was astonished when I marveled at the portion sizes.  I couldn’t finish the meal.  They were kind enough to wrap it up and keep it for me to complete the following day, which made me feel right at home.  I love leftovers 🙂

Karibu is the Swahili word for welcome