Day 1 in Nairobi (December 24th):
Top 6 Reasons why my first day in Kenya will never be forgotten:
- Arrived just in time for the final election rallies for the PNU (Kibaki- current and hopeful future president's party) and ODM (Kalonzo- also known as the handsome one, and Raila). The Hilton Nairobi (my hotel for now) seems to have been the epicenter of the PNU rallies- without walking more than 5 feet, I was in the midst of trucks piled high with screaming blue-clad PNU supporters aided by bullhorns and posters. Thankfully, no clashes between the ODM and PNU and with my baby camera, I even managed to snap some shots before it became clear that photography and election rallies don't seem to be a good fit for someone who wants to make it on to the next part of her journey.
- Joined Ben and an ever-evolving cast of characters from the Humanist Movement (the nonprofit that Kids for Tomorrow, my Foundation, works with on the ground in Kenya) on a journey to deliver food supplies to a Salvation Army/Humanist Movement distribution Center in a small town 200 km away from Nairobi for xmas. I was not informed where we were going until I was already in the car! This trip involved two breakdowns, roads that really need a different name since they don't actually include pavement or a place to drive, spare tires that looked like they were meant for a scooter as opposed to a minivan-- and ended with a truck full of food left by the side of the road with two representatives from the town who were in charge of trying to get the broken truck with food back to town. (Don't worry, we armed them with tools and a mechanic- but this was at 10pm or so with a 2 or more hour ride back to Nairobi)
- Machakos is a great place to get stuck, as it has quite a nice Western Toilet (of course with no seat but still!) in the T. Tot Restaurant and a lrge, lively population who agree that music and dancing along the roads is quite acceptable behavior!
- The revolving passengers in the car included a LIVE CHICKEN-- yes, indeed. I did travel back to Nairobi with a live chicen in the back seat with me. No complaints here- the chicken was quite subdued- probably knew it was going to make for a great Christmas Dinner.
- During the ride back from Nairobi, I was "blessed" with listening to about 2 hours of Jesus Radio (I think we all know how I feel about this one!). So glad we've managed to export such high quality content abroad ;-)
- AND, because I met Ben, Martha, Peter, Griffin and many many more people who are working desperately to improve the lives of Kenyan children. This is one of the most impressive, politically vocal groups of people I have ever met. They kept me calm when we had cars coming directly at us from all angles, when I had no idea when/if we were ever getting back to Nairobi, and kept me endlessly entertained and excited with their political views and election theories! If this is the group of people leading the way in Kenya and the world, I am quite confident we're going in the right direction.
Merry Xmas! Asante (Thank You) to everyone!
Love,
Leah
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