Hi everyone!
Village life update. So I guess the biggest news of the week is that my safari plans have changed to a trip to Uganda. Mainly deciding against safari because whenever something really cool happens here I wish there was someone from home here with me to share it with. It’s the main way my homesickness is manifesting so far! I know already I’ll want to come back again here and I’d rather wait till then with someone here with me and go then, the lions and elephants will still be there!

And also Nicole, who I get on with really well, left the village on Tuesday. Her plans are to backpack from here down to S.Africa and fly home to Arizona from there. That’s way too adventurous for me but I think I can cope with going to Uganda with her on her first stop. I assumed you had to take your time off at the end of your stay as for every 6 weeks you ecru 1 week off so I’d have 10 days after leaving the village before I go home. But Chris the volunteer co-ordinator said its fine to take it now and so did the village manager Nicholas. However Sister Julie who runs the volunteers at the orphanage in Karen wasn’t so cool about it. I was hoping to stay in Karen the night before we get the bus to Jinji, Uganda from Nairobi, but she said no because I can’t take my time off now. So Nicholas and Chris are mediating for me, definitely allowed to go just I might stay at a hostel in Nairobi instead...we’ll see! Sister Julie still thinks she gets the final say but everyone else says she doesn’t! Will continue next time on about how imp doing pretty well at annoying the nuns around here...

So after the 12hr bus ride we’ll stay in Jinji over night and then get picked up by the company that we’re going white water rafting with! Stay there for 2 nights and then get a bus to Sipi where we’re going abseiling. Then back to Nairobi at the end of the week. Before I hoped on the trip with Nicole she was going to go bungee jumping but imp too scared for that one. Already at my limit! Danielle went with the same company when she travelled there so imp not too worried!
Pretty happy with the plan since I get to hang out with Nicole for the week, have a break in the middle from the village. Nicole and I were definitely more alike, and the other girl volunteers aren’t exactly who I’d choose to hang out with even though they’re nice. And this makes up for no safari!

All’s the same in the village but doing more counselling since Nicole left. I’ve taken over the group counselling sessions for Lawsons and the polytechnic kids. I can’t do the hotcourses through as it falls at the same time as my dance club. We have a book from the Kenyan government to follow for the topics but it’s hard to find what we’re comfortable with teaching. It has very clear rules on what’s acceptable behaviour and there’s some things we just don’t agree on and choose to leave out entirely. And also the sections on grief and loss is obviously going to be a very difficult subject to manage and one I don’t feel comfortable talking about yet with the kids. But maybe will lead up to that as imp going to run out of topics like time management that im ok with! Counselling sessions with the shu shu’s are much more fun. It’s like an African W.I meeting done outside where they all have a good natter and talk about their life before the village and the problems they encounter now. Sometimes it gets a bit sad because they’re still grieving for their children and struggle with the grandchildren now because they’re getting on a bit. I can’t imagine a lot of 50/60 year olds in England looking after 10 children, farming, cooking and making baskets and jewellery to sell. Then to relieve all the tension and stuff they all have a big song and dance which is so cool! I’m used to Lillian now putting my on the spot saying dance for them! Teach them English dance moves! So we do a little jam sesh. Got some good videos of yesterdays one, they love like salsa stuff and shaking the bums! Deffos would not dance like that with my grandma!

Really excited to go to Uganda, going to be pretty funny with Nicole because we don’t stop laughing! Will be good to see another part of Africa too since all I’ve seen is Karen, the most affluent place in Kenya and the village which is like a little bubble.

Also I keep forgetting to write that when we travel to Kwa vonza we travel on boda boda’s which are motorcycles. Its sooooo much fun! They’re called that cuz it form when they were used to travel form border to border between Tanzania and Uganda etc. My first trip was at night and the stars here are so amazing and you can see the Milky Way. And over the mountains you could see lightening cracking and lightening everything up...so cool!!!! Tommy the Italian guy got a really cool picture of me on one as we over took him! (I don’t drive myself by the way you sit behind one of the drivers-ive not shared one yet with three people on but sure I will if there’s not enough one day!)

Hope everyone’s well, missing you all so much and can’t wait to come home! After Uganda im at my half way point! (I know I shouldn’t wish away my time here and I will be really sad to leave when its time-it’s just what lack of nice food and plumbing does to you!)

Lots of love to you all and happy birthday Dan! Sorry I’m not there with you to celebrate, going to catch up on everything im missing when imp back!
Charlotte xxxx