Settling Into Kasigau

I'm sitting in the late afternoon sun in Rukanga, the biggest of the Kasigau villages with the most shops and activity. There is a revival meeting across the street, with loud music and bright blue chairs, more indications of an increased standard of living and even some expendable income. The interns have begun their first week of full time teaching, after twice around the mountain to meet at length with each of the five schools and determine equitable schedules for their work. I've posted one photo that shows how easy our supervision task is since the interns and a few Kenyan friends slid to their demise on a mountain climbing expedition last week-end. :)


Our constant companion is John Mwambuso Kapombe (2nd from the right in the sliding photo and third from the left in the standing group), whose name many of you will recognize as the first of the high school students we sponsored at Moi High School. He has grown up and provides entertainment, interpretation, and instruction on all things Taita. He is staying with us in the banda and gets along famously with the interns, especially Jesse. We have visited his family and he accompanies us to town each time we go. Everyone listens for his voice and his laugh especially.

Everyday I see evidence of the dramatic improvements in the community here. There are more shops with more goods and more food. People who were ill are better; there are many new buildings, more solar power in the bush communities, more kerosene, more motor bikes and cows and carts for carrying water. On our way to Voi today in the predawn, we even saw lights in the darkness once we came to Rukanga. Still, we ride around in the only private vehicle I've seen in Bungule, and life is far from easy for those who live here.

It is an unusual and not altogether comfortable experience being a "mzungu" in the midst of the Kenyan bush. We stand out by our appearance and our western ways. Our skin is pale and we appear sick to the little kids, or just plain scare them at first. There are expectations about our financial resources, easy to understand but wearing to experience day after day.

Stay tuned for more photos and check previous postings for photos, as there is a lag between writing, getting to town, and getting the photos into shape for posting. We'll be posting stories and photos of the other students we have been supporting at Voi, the schools, and the people in this fantastic place.
Kris