First Night Out of Nairobi!

Hard to believe I've been here for well over a month and have spent every night of it until Friday in Nairobi! But with Tami here and adventure in the air, we decided to be dropped in Naivasha (Lyndsay's favorite word) for a "hard-core" Mt. Kilimanjaro dress rehearsal. We didn't get to see that much of Naivasha Town since we were only there for a night, but that didn't stop us from having fun exploring our 1000 ksh/night (about $12) hotel room!

Mbili Goodbyes

Mbili bob. Mbili goat. Mbili goodbyes. Thank you, Lauren and Lyndsay, for giving so much of yourselves to the children of Kenya. It is much quieter here without you. xoxo

Lauren and a Dust Baby

Lyndsay shares a moment with Muffin

New Toys for the Dust Babies

Tami came with fun toys for the Dust Babies from her mom - KAZOOS! The kids had a blast with them and it was certainly a song-filled visit to the Dust Babies. Asante Mama Tami!

Tami gives a quick kazoo demonstration

Tami gets to know the Dust Babies

JKA Giveth, JKA Taketh Away

Heather and Tami were officially in Kenya for about 7 hours at the same time. Sadly, only about 2 of those hours were spent in the same house and the rest were stolen by JKA - the international airport. It was a bitter sweet day for me, saying goodbye to one friend who had given so much of herself to our projects in Kenya and welcoming another who, like the others, traveled so far and sacrificed so much to be a part of this experience. But I know that this is only the first chapter in Heather's Kenya book, and I look forward to reading the rest.

Face Paint: Always a Good Idea

To celebrate Heather's time at Jamii we decided to break out the face paint for her last day!






This last little guy is named Ochieng and I first bonded with him on Friday. The kids at Jamii get out early on Friday and within minutes the school was empty except for Ochieng. Apparently his sister was supposed to pick him up, but forgot him. I decided to wait with him until she arrived well after 5pm. We colored, played with stickers and just sat. Since then, I've noticed that he's forgotten everyday. He just sits with his sad little face on the bench and waits. I really feel for him and have made it a pet project to get at least one smile out of him before I leave. It's like he lacks human contact, so I try my best to hug him, hold his hand and give him a little extra attention and love.

Chicken Update

I know I haven't posted a bunch on Baruku lately, so I wanted to give a quick update on the chicken farm project for all of you generous people who have decided to become a part of it. The chicks were supposed to be transported to Baruku tomorrow, but the hatchery didn't have enough so we are now doing the transport next week. We are still heading back to Baruku tomorrow with some new volunteers to introduce them to the project and so Lauren and Lyndsay can say goodbye to the Dust Babies one last time. Stay tuned for more!

Where's Nikki?

Those two words were uttered countless times in the two weeks that Nikki was with us in Kenya, but now that she's actually left, they are truly felt. It was so much fun to have Nikki join our Yes We Kenya group in the final hour and there is one little girl who will never, ever forget her. Marion was a student at Jamii until yesterday when she was able to start in Grade Two at Olympic Primary in Kibera - one of the best non-government schools in Nairobi. At nine years old, Marion was far too old and clever for the pre-unit (kindergarten) class she's been attending at Jamii and, as Monica said, they were keeping Marion there, waiting for God to send someone to sponsor her. Well, God sent Nikki. It was a bit of a process with placement tests, matatu rides and several trips to Olympic, but I'm delighted to report that Marion is currently wearing a brand new uniform and learning with children her own age at her new school. By sponsoring Marion, Nikki has literally changed her situation and has given her the best possible way to succeed. Marion now has a brighter future. Asante Nikki!