Outreach Weekend.

Claire and I decided to spend the past two days working with the slum children of Mukuru and participated in a food project to assist in feeding the families at local Internally Displaced Persons camps. We also took on the physical challenge known as Hells Gate (hardest hike of my life) and discovered the literal meaning of pot shots.

Lucy with school children in KCC

Mukuru (KCC) is a slum located in Navasha. Until volunteer outreach the children were without a school in walking distance. Children in their teens could not read or write. Volunteers were able to build a school and employ teachers so that these children have an opportunity to learn. It was nice to see the efforts of volunteers paying off. The school is at full capacity and there is a wait list for children in the slum to attend. I went to find the children who weren't attending. I found many of them home caring for younger brothers and sisters and some orphaned as a result of HIV/AIDS and alcoholism. The hope is that we can expand the school and set up a day care type center so that these care taker children can have access to education and so that the children wait listed can also have the same opportunities. The children want to learn.

Internally Displaced Persons are persons or groups of persons who have been forced or obliged to flee or to leave their homes as a result of or in order to avoid the effects of armed conflict, situations of generalized violence, violations of human rights or natural or human-made disasters, and who have not crossed an internationally recognized State border. After the 2007 elections it is estimated that up to 400,000 people in Kenya lost loved ones, were separated from their families and were forcibly moved off of their property. We visited some of the families impacted by the violence and provided them with food rations.

When we first arrived at IDP camp a woman in her eighties hugged and kissed me so hard I almost lost my breath. This hug was in response to my giving her a ration of flour, rice and cooking fat. If not for these donated rations she would have no food for the next two weeks. As it is the families at IDP have only one meal a day. Up to ten people are sharing a tent which by American standards could fit no more than four people for a weekend of camping. One of the families I spoke with had a photograph hanging on the tent of them in their former home with their father who was killed in front of them during a post election riot. I could not even imagine how they have survived such tragedy. I thank them for allowing me to hear their story.

Claire climbing in Hell's Gate

Hells Gate was a nice opportunity to challenge myself physically after the emotional challenges of the weekend. I would place Hells Gate at a more difficult level than the Grand Canyon. It was definitely challenging for me and it felt amazing to finish it. I wish I had time to hike it again before heading back to the states. On your drive to the trail heads there are zebras, giraffes and buffalo all around you.

On a final note, you haven't lived until you pee and poop in a hole in the ground. I'm becoming an expert. Much love.