One Month Overseas

It has been 4 weeks at school, 2 weeks at the house and life is beginning to settle in. We do not have much of a social life outside the Army community, but the Army has been very warm and welcoming....tomorrow we will be guests of honor at a welcome tea! We still have the feeling that we are known around town. I was stopped the other day by someone who said he had met me and my daughter (Shanon is 29) and wanted to show me something. Since I was not near our house and I wasn't sure what was of interest, I simply passed. But I become more aware of just how different, unique we are here. People see me carrying groceries and think I should get a boda-boda to carry me home. There is a definite correlation between being white and having money. Children ask for money; the girl I hired (after a hard sell) to do my laundry and clean the house is already into me for Kenya Shillings, but she has done lots of work. I maintain a slight edge on services rendered!

Jobs here are scarce, so I feel fine about trying to spread the wealth. The girls here also seem to have small children, live at home, and are finished with their schooling. Many of the young people we meet through the Army are waiting for additional opportunities to go to school (college level) but are overwhelmed by "fees". The prospect of paying fees is daunting to kids who have not made any money in their lives and have slim prospects before leaving home of making any college money. Kakamega has no industry and the Box Store Nakumatt which is already built has not opened. It will certainly be a Big Deal here and provide jobs, but no one knows when.....it was first supposed to open just before Christmas. Shanon and I laugh that it will open next Christmas....

So when I refer in emails to Kenya time, you get the idea. This is not a rush-rush place...or even a hustle place. Boda-bodas stay patiently on the corner until someone comes along and asks for a ride. At the end of the day, the 'take' may be about 100 shillings...for us, that is $1.30, but things here are cheap and they can get by on that.

With your help, gang, I too get along! Love your notes and news and help keeping me in supplies for school and books to read. If you want to send something (c/o Salvation Army, Mumia Highway Road, P O Box 660, Kakamega Kenya 50100), colorful pictures from magazines are great and easy to send--there is very little paper here (magazines, etc) and the newspaper is tough to read: all Africa news mostly featuring corruption, massive cost overruns, or embezzlement. No, I have not read a word about the Olympics, though not too surprised.....