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Jambo!!
Well we were right on Saturday we did nothing, the internet was down so we could not go on so we just went to the local hotel and had some soup and samosas, I am loving how readily available soup is here, its not a patch on my Gran’s but it’s soup none the less, Craig even managed to get me pea and ham by Baxters at the supermarket. Then we spent the day in the flat watching movies, you can get discs with like 20 films on for about £2!!
On Sunday I had a bit of a dodgy stomach and we decided to just go to Mombasa as we had not seen the city and Craig had come across a great souvenir painting and I wanted to buy one seeing as this is our last place in Africa. We had a little walk round the town and got bus tickets then we went to Little Chef for one of their famous fruit smoothies and I had more soup. We got a little tuk tuk to Fort Jesus but it was expensive to go inside so we just went to the souvenir shop and I got my painting and some other stuff then we made it back to the internet which actually worked and we managed to get some photos on too then back home. At night we all went out for dinner as Sunday is the only day we are not cooked for, we went to a nice Italian place that was empty and not that great my steak was rare and I had to ask for it to be done more but it was ok in the end!
On Monday it was back to work at the centre. It was the first day of the rainy season today and it was minging everywhere we had to climb through puddles, go round the back of shacks and climb through barbed wire fences to get to work, I was glad I wore my hiking boots. Today there was a huge drama when one of the older boys Radjab told Rama to touch my boobs and he did it and then the older boy would not apologise so they ended up getting the managers and sisters involved then I had to go over where they all shouted at the boys and made them apologise until they were crying at which point I said it was ok they didn’t need to, it was all a bit over the top considering I had not even asked for him to apologise. I was not impressed at being made out to be the wicked witch. Its quite a shame as we think Rama is only about 4 years old and it seems he has come straight from the breast as he still puts his mouth next to your chest and makes a sucking kind of face when he is tired and constantly tries to touch you there. My social studies clas in the afternoon did not happen as we waited about 2 hours for lunch and by then it was too late to teach as there was no way they would settle. When we got home there was no power and had been none for the full day so Craig and I went for a swim in the local pool.
On Tuesday we went to work and at lunch time we had the same problem so we had no afternoon classes. In the morning I had social studies with class 3 who tried to tell me their wrong names as they were new to me lol, we did people in the Kenyan community as if I know about that lol, I had to shout most of the lesson which they all loved as the rain was belting off the tin roof. We have also found an alphabet jigsaw that Mtoyi and Geoffrey love so we have been doing that most days too. I teach first and last period and sit about playing with the young ones in between, there is not a lot of organisation but its fun to play with the wee ones. While waiting for lunch they opened a big crate that had came and gave all the kids lego, it was full of donations so we went trough all the stuff trying to find clothes and shoes that would it each child. It is actually so nice to know that when you donate stuff the stuff actually gets here. One day I saw a girl on the matatu with a New Look label lol! There was no lesson again this afternoon so we just came home and I tidied my room an did some washing. Craig and I are still getting away with our own room which is great. I had a bit of a dodgy stomach at night and constantly needed a pee.
On Wednesday I woke up with a dodgy tummy so I decided not to go in as the loos there are disgusting holes in the ground ones although they do flush and the matatu ride is smelly and sweaty and I did not fancy that. I felt a bit better later but I didn’t really want to make thee trip myself as it’s a bit scary as a white girl around here, it is safe but you do get a few looks and comments such as mizungo!! I did go to the internet and that was scary enough, two guys offered me a lift and then one asked me to wait on him and then on the way back someone wanted me to buy a necklace. I read practically a whole book , I am reading the one about Melissa Hawach about how she got her kids back when their Dad stole them and took them to Lebanon, its quite good. I was so glad to see everyone when they got back it was so boring on my own lol! We were annoyed with dinner as all we got was chips and I was starving and needed some proper food! After we watched Slumdog Millionaire which was amazing!
Today we got up and went to the centre, now that it has rained it is a bit cooler so it is not such a nightmare going to work. Today Craig wore his kilt to show the boys and they all thought it was hilarious that he was wearing “a skirt” we tried to explain it like Masi’s and they did not get it but it was so funny, even some of the adult teachers had never seen a kilt before. After lunch Karen, Amy and I went with Abdul to the streets in Mombasa to speak to the children living on the streets. We got a lift to Mtwapa off a guy at the centre and the got a matatu. We saw a young girl with a baby asleep with flies all over it and then went along the road and spoke to some boys. The aim is to get the kids to go to the centre at Mikendani to get off the glue and sorted out a bit and then they home to us for a home and education. The boys all had plastic bottles with glue in them constantly at their mouths to inhale and they are all dirty and totally out of their faces. When we went up into the street where they all live you could see all their beds up in the branches of trees and one boy had a makeshift shelter with a wall covered in Obama articles. They were a bit in your face here as they are all so wrecked and it felt a bit scary but nowhere near as bad as I thought it might be, they all just wanted to talk to you. We found this boy who had run away last week and we took him for a coke and managed to persuade him to come back to school so our day was a success. Now we are just back at the flat and have had chipatis for tea. We are going to look into a sponsor deal with the centre as you can sponsor a boy to go to school which is really cheap, one boy is going to school for £45 a year!!
I am off now to have an early night as I am trying to shift a bit of a dodgy tummy and finish my book!!
Hope you are all well.
Lots of Love
Eva and Craig xxx
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