We have just arrived in Kisumu town itself after camping in a very remote area near Kit Mikai rocks for a week. (they are natural area of amazing granite rocks which were left from a volcano but the other rock erroded faster and left really random shaped rocks which look like a flinstone village!) We were staying with our giude/traingin organiser/general swahili contacts' rural family home... his father used to work in the government and the un until he left and now has set up his own NGO and chairties, very well respected man in the community and unusally well educted. Fred and his Dad helped us organise work shops with the local primary and secondary schools to learn about the teaching mehtods they use and just general cultrual exchange between us. The children were adorable! As soon as we arrived (at all three schools) they came running out to see us, eager to touch a Muzungu and practice their english! One thing that was very obvious when we were visiting the diff schools was the lack of consistency in funding. The first school was litterally 3 mud huts with nothing but a black board and half as many chairs as there were chilren. Wheer as the second school was concrete with atleast enough chairs etc Primary school eductaion (age 6 to 14) is now free accross Kenya, but the govt has not increased the number of teachers or resourses to sustain the project. Seciondary eductio is still private and therefore tend to be in better condition. My project starts on monday and it will be interesting to see what condition the school will be in, although i dont have high hopes as Tenteleni works with the poorest schools. What is amazing is that despite the poverty the children are still so happy! It is very humbling. We also had workshops about luo culture and how it adds the spread of HIV etc It is in the rural communities that the problems with tradition luo rituals still help HIV sprad. Wife inheritence for widows, polygammy and sexual cleansing is still prominant in the rural areas. The people re very comminty based, which is one good thing about thier culture, but it oes measn that if they dont abide by the rules then they are isolated and even punished. The area we were staying in had a HIV/AIDS prevalence of up to 80%. We visited one man whos whle family had dies from aids and children kid-naped by distant relaives. He relies well wishers to feed him. He was very greatful for mour visit to his humble home(trad. mud hut) We were camping in the familys garden, felt quite at home with the chickens and goats wondring about! Although 5 nights sleeping on rough ground was challenging! lol The washing facilities were somewhat intersting too, even by student standards! The tiolet was a long drop which bread maggots, and we showered with buckets of water behind corregated iron shack! Standards of hygine severly dropped! lol We are glad to under a roof now, although it was quite fun roughing it! Kisumu is much more chilled than Nairobi...it is alot smalle for a start but it is just much more laid back! There are lots of Boda Bodas (bycyle taxis) and Tuk Tuks (motor bike taxis) as well and Matatus and Goats runnning about etc! Went on a Boda Boda this morning into town, was so fun! It cost 20/ whihc is about 16pence! We are going to have a meal on the lake tonight hand have fresh fish from the lake yummy! Although i fear Ugali might be served with it which is not so good.... (Ugali is ground maise and water make into what looks like a giant mash potato mound, but it very grainy and sotdgy and tasteless!) By the Way, weather is al;pt hotter, mid 30s! Woo! Although i heard its 36 degrees in london?? Damn! Then again i bet its really humid and disgusting especiallyu on the tube! Anyway will email you soon, love suz x x x x