A little on Food

One of the things I do with my time here is cook. I try to have dinner ready for my wife most nights when she returns from work. Sometimes we cook together. Fresh produce is very easily available in both the grocery stores and at the outdoor markets/kiosks. Things we usually pick up are eggplant, tomatoes (one variety- akin to roma), carrots, zucchini, butternut squash, green and red bell peppers, onion, garlic, ginger. Once we found broccoli at the grocery. And of course, kale (called sukuma wiki) grows in the garden. The produce must be used quickly after buying. Some days I just go to get veggies and look to see what looks good. Some days I pass and some days the produce looks great. We are enjoying the fruit. It is very tasty and most of the fruits are different than what can be had in MN. Or even if one can technically get a mango in MN, they taste very different (read: better) here. Or, it is such that the bananas here are not quite like the bananas in the States. We haven’t figured out when the “season” for ripe mangoes or avocados are, but we are waiting for patiently for this time. Other fruits one can get here include, pineapple, passion fruit, guava, small green on outside oranges, and papaya.

In cooking, I haven’t yet attempted any of the staples of traditonal Kenyan cuisine: ugali (made from corn meal and somewhere between the consistency of super thick cream of wheat and polenta), githeri (like red bean and corn stew), chapatti (fried flat bread). Instead I have been trying (with the help of an awesome cookbook loaned by friends) to learn more of the other readily available food style: Indian. There is a Kenyan community here who are ofIndian descent. The history of this is that during colonial times the English “brought over” many Indians to build the railroad from the coast to Kampala, Uganda. In the messy colonial history, Indians where favored over local Kenyans to make up what is referred to in the reading I’ve done as “the merchant class”. So there are Indian restaurants, a huge brand new Hindu temple, and what seems to be a tightknit and relatively rather affluent community. All that said, the ingredients are readily available in most stores. So far I have made eggplant/roasted pepper/cashew rice (See pictures below), a dahl (w/ kale standing in for spinach), a quick dish w tomatoes and chickpeas (see photo w mango below) and a squash(or recipe called for pumpkin) coconut curry. They turned out fairly well, I’d say. I look forward to cooking my way through the book.

Vista on Saturday walk

Saturday Walk

Last Saturday we decided to have a nice morning walk.  For some reason we had woken up early (I was up with the light of the day before 7 am). We have yet to really walk the direction out of town to just wander about. Mostly we walk into town as transport.  I had jogged out this direction, but had mostly stuck to the main road, where mtatus and cars and tractors (and bikes hauling loads too) scream past. So we walked in the beautiful warm sun from the paved road (bara bara) and found another small road that runs past the railroad tracks, some small houses, a few mud row houses, and then down to the river.  Then we walked back up this small road to the paved road, crossed it and walked up to the hill.  There is a very nice view of the surrounding area from this height.  It seems the hill is less of a hill and more the edge of a plateau or something.  This may be a nice future picnic spot. (see video below). Next we descended. On our way down toward the paved road and the small water treatment building we met a young woman who promptly and warmly invited us to see her house.  She lives in one of the very small houses next to the treatment building.  She said her mother and other people who work at the small building live here in this group of houses  She had just returned from her boarding school for the holiday break.  She invited us in to meet her sister and have a cup of tea.  We sat and talked with our neighbors for a good while enjoying their hospitality and sharing stories. We hope to see them again soon.

Video near Barracks

This very quick video was taken near where some of the streetkids stay. There is a river that runs through town and this footage is from up on a hill above the river. The edge of the central part of town is also here.  Garbage is dumped here where it mixes with mud.  It is scavenged and burned, also.

Where I try and catch up

        So much for my goal to post every three days.  It’s been quite a while since I have written, giving some narrative to the images.  I guess that means I have been busier, or that we are settling into our lives, or I have been avoiding reflection on our experiences.  Perhaps it’s all three.  Whatever the case, today I write and due to the length of my absence I think it will be quite a rambling post with bullet points, asides and non-sequiturs.

Work/Volunteering

I have been spending about 2 days a week at the Tumaini Drop in Center for streetkids.  Mostly thus far I am observing and trying to get a sense of the work, the culture of the streetkids, and how the staff work toward the goals of helping the kids.  Needless to say there are many challenges.  I won’t go into details now, as I hope to dedicate some time to writing what I am learning there soon.  My time is usually spent with the outreach type  work thus far. I do spend some time talking with kids about their health concerns (via interpreter for now) at the center.  I have helped dress some wounds on the boys’ feet (the real problem is lack of adequate footwear- more on this later) and referred them for more care is two cases.  During outreach the staff go to where the children stay, which the kids call “barracks” and each has it’s various name.  In reality, the barrack are a location only. It is a place where the kids group together at night.  It was explained to me that the will often find an old tire, set it alight, and sleep on the worn earth around the fire for warmth. Some of the barracks are near small garbage dumps, some are near the Sosiani river that runs through Eldoret, one is in a little used alleyway, and one on the outskirts of town under a tree.

My goals in helping at Tumaini (see the website for more info:http://www.tumainicenter.org/) are to help improve systems within their health work, help improve the health workers basic skills, and perhaps bring ideas to expand their current health work.  I will be a resource for direct health questions as well. I have been learning much and look forward to my time here.  I will continue with Tumaini throughout my time here regardless if I find more work or a paid position elsewhere.

Quick travel weekend/Security

            We spent last weekend in Nairobi. We got a ride from a couple who’s company we really enjoy.  It is about a 4-5 hour drive from Eldoret. We decided to follow the lead of our companions, who have lived in Kenya for nearly 5 years and take the trip to Nairobi. There had been a few incidents of violence in Nairobi, which I believe are still yet to be confirmed if they are directly connected to Al Shabab.  For those who are unaware, Kenya had made an unprecedented move in it’s military history and sent troops across the border to try to attach Al Shabab fighters, an extremist group who models itself after Al Qaeda . Kenya made this move after a series of high profile stories of western tourists and then aid workers were abducted near the Somalia border. There is some increased security here in Eldoret since these events, but it amounts to one place where bags and cars are checked upon arrival.  We saw this same increased security in many places in Nairobi, but mostly it seemed business as usual.

            We enjoyed the drive to Nairobi.  For Deb it was the first time in 5 weeks she had left Eldoret.  I had made one trip outside Eldoret to visit a smaller town’s district hospital, but mostly our lives operate within a 4 mile radius (which we mostly cover by walking, except at night, when we take cabs.  Walking at night is ill advised, especially for westerners).  So we had a chance to see the beautiful countryside.  The land is quite  green now and huge dark clouds often covered the hills in the distance as we drove past many rural vendors.  It seems people bring there vegetable and sometimes of good right to the roadside to sell to the passing truckers and mtatu (minibus) travelers.

            In Nairobi we spent most of our time eating good food. There is much more selection here and we enjoyed the treat of strong coffee, nice breakfast (huevos rancheros), and spicy Ethopian food.  We walked much, made a quick trip to the National Museum, and stopped by an open crafts market.  We shopped for some specialty items in the larger grocery store and health food store. Then we returned.

General thoughts

            It is starting to feel like we live here.  We have routines for groceries and laundry and those such things.  It has been nice to catch friends and family on the computer to chat and occasionally talk or skype.  We miss many from our community back home.  We have gotten a few updated from Henry’s new caretaker, which has been great.  We miss him very much. There a few dogs to pet and say hello to around the community here.  There are plenty of streetdogs too. I have time to take care of household things. I read. I try to keep up my “jogging”.  I saw a few real runners in the last few days (I tried not to look too sheepish).  I have been review health and nursing materials and had quite a few opportunities to talk with people about their work.  I was able to get a tour of the large public teaching hospital in Eldoret and accompany a few doctors on rounds.  It was quite fascinating and I think I will do this again while I have time. There a may be a few opportunities for other work on the horizon.  We continue to slowly get to know some of the ex-pat, as well as meet some Kenyans here.  I continue to work hard at learning Swahili.  I’ll keep trying to write as best I can.

Photos from Nairobi Nov. 4th, 5th

Deb with huevos rancheros at Java House

Thinking of my buddy Frankie Hopper outside the National Museum

I find the buildings in Nairobi strange and fascinating; This one looks like a spaceship

The view from Simmers' patio where we enjoyed a beer after visiting the market

Deb at Simmers

One the road back to Eldoret. Example of the crazy sights one sees on the road(notice the tires).

Huge moth

Was surprised to find this one morning- let it out promptly

Tree in wind

Walking in town

Quick shot of walking past one of my favorite kiosks, it plays vibrant music

On the path near where we live

multiple ways of transporting materials