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After the long flight we arrived to the Nairobi Airport where it was cooler than expected in the mid 60's. There to pick us up in the Macheo van was the driver, Chege, and Mikkhe, a lady who works here from The Nerherlands. They were very nice! The van smelled like dirt and dust from the roads. I was quite anxious to get off the plane and to see what Kenya was like. It seemed like such a mystery prior to the trip. At first it didn't seem very different. There were green trees and a grassy area around the airport, but as soon as we drove away from the airport there were 3 giraffes! What a nice way to be welcomed by Kenya :) . The road we drove on from Nairobi to Thika was freshly paved and very nice, but the roadside was a new sight. There were many buildings made of sand and water bricks with no roofs because the government here can't tax your house if you don't have a roof. We began to see herds of cattle walking along the side of the road led by herders, some of them Masai people. There was lots of hustle and bustle with people walking to work ALL over and green grocer stands opening up. There were multiple areas to buy these beautifully crafted bed frames and dressers along the road as well. One of the biggest differences was the way people drive. It is a two lane road and people pass multiple cars on one side going against traffic when there are cars coming at them head on. If it gets too close they veer off to the other side off of the road until they can move back to their correct lane. It's crazy but fun to watch!
We stopped to the main grocery store, Tusky's, which has everything from basic groceries to clothes and electronics. It was about 20 minutes to Macheo from there, off of a dirt road. We were driven right up to the volunteer house, which is Marnix's old house (the founder of Macheo) back by the farm which is used to bring extra income in to the organization.
Macheo is comprised of many different programs and has different sites but at the main compound there are about 11 buildings. There are 8 houses with 7 children in each of all ages with a house mother. This is supposed to model a family environment. Many of the children were out playing when we arrived. There is also an office, a volunteer house, farming buildings, and a couple other houses for workers. After getting welcomed by Sylvia, another nice lady from The Netherlands, and getting settled we walked to the office to say hi.
There were many people in the office we met and I couldn't tell you at that point all of their names! But one of the most beneficial things was sitting down with Marnix for an introduction to Macheo. He said the top things to be concerned with are safety, health, and being mindful of the culture. He described that many people here don't want to disappoint you so if you ask a directed question, the answer will always be yes. For example, saying something like "do you think this is a good idea?" would not be helpful because they would respond yes just to please you.
We made a simple dinner and I went to bed early! Mosquito nets are my new best friend ;)
- comments
Grandma p Hey sweetie I miss you but I am enjoying your blog glad everything seems to be going good for you keep up the good work keeping you in my prayers love you grandma
Elizabeth So happy you made it to Kenya safe and sound (MD was worried sick). Looking forward to reading about/seeing more from Kenya! xx