Oriti Kenya “ Goodbye Kenya in Luo”

The blog was written by Village Volunteer Mariel Rosen on July 31, 2007
Evey029@hotmail.com

Oriti Kenya “ Goodbye Kenya in Luo”

I was not ready to say goodbye to the amazing people I grew to care so much about when the time came for me to leave Mama na Dada. The three weeks I spent in Kunya village allowed me to make lasting friendships and unforgettable memories with people who were more welcoming than I could ever imagine. I feel a piece of my heart will always remain there and I look forward to when I can visit that place and those people again.


Although I only visited Namunyak Masai for one week, it was long enough to see that Emmanuel Tasur is an inspiring, passionate and motivated person from who I learned a lot. Transmara is a beautiful place that is very peaceful. Though many of the programs lack financial backing, the vision that Emmanuel has for his people and community is worth every penny one can spend to visit and help support.

Karibu!

I have just returned from Namunyak Maasai Welfare and I had an amazing experience. I first arrived in Nairobi and stayed overnight with Junior. Another volunteer, Kit came in at the same time from England. Junior took us to an amazing Ethiopian restaurant for dinner. The next morning we were escorted to the bus station where we rode the bus to Kericho. Emmanuel and his wife Lillian greeted us there and we stayed the night in Kericho with other volunteers. The next morning we headed to the village. Transmara is beautiful. It is very green with many hills. When children hear the car coming, they run to the side of the road to wave to you. We arrived at the house and the boys were assigned to one hut and the girls to another.

            Everyday was different. We spent some time at a local secondary school for girls. Carol (another volunteer) and I did a girls empowerment group with one of the classes. We also met with a youth group and a women's group who were both trying to start a business to better their situation and to better the situation for their children. It was very inspiring to see their determination to bring themselves out of poverty. We went to many schools to meet the students and to see the current conditions of the schools. Emmanuel is running for Minister of Parliament so we attended political rallies. We were also able to meet orphans to hopefully get them sponsored when we got home. Emmanuel also took us on a safari at Masai Mara. I never thought I would be so close to lions, cheetahs, elephants and so many more! It is definitely worth the trip.

            The Maasai people are wonderful. They were so happy we were there and would always stop to greet us. The children were especially happy and would follow us as we would walk home and would want to shake our hands. Emmanuel and Lillian are very kind and work very hard to give you a wonderful experience.

            One of my favorite parts of volunteering was meeting other volunteers. You meet other people who have come from all over the world with a common goal. Everyone I met was wonderful and I plan on keeping in touch with each of them when I go home.

            I would highly recommend anyone thinking about volunteering to do it. You will have an amazing experience, one that you will always treasure.

 

Kara Berneathy

July 2007

klberneathy@yahoo.com

 

Jambo!

Jambo!
Village Volunteers was an amazing experience for me.  Since the time scheduling was extremely flexible I was able to fit it into my summer plans.  I spent three weeks in Muhuru Bay at the Mama Maria Clinic and one week in the Transmara province with the Namunyak Maasai Welfare Project.  It was very enjoyable at both locations, and staying with the two different tribes, the Luo and the Maasai, enabled me to get a well-rounded experience of life in Kenya.
    At Mama Maria, I was able to work in the lab at the clinic and test people for malaria. I also helped out at the new site they are building – a brand new expanded clinic with enough room for surgery and a maternity ward, all on the shore of beautiful Lake Victoria.  The huts at the compound we stayed at were very nice – and the solar showers in the evening made it an extremely comfortable stay. To top it all off, the food was amazing, with fresh pineapple and deep fried tilapia straight out of the lake every evening.  Before dinner we would go to a rocky hill near the compound and watch the sun set on beautiful Muhuru Bay.
    After my stay there, I took a bus out to Kisii where I was picked up by Emmanuel, the coordinator and man-with-the-plan for Namunyak.  We stayed at Emmanuel's house in Oronkai in the picturesque Kapune Valley. There I helped teach at local schools and helped Emmanuel at his political rallies (he is running for Minister of Parliament for the district).  While there I also went to the Masai Mara National Reserve for a safari in Emmanuel's car.  The view was breathtaking – the savannah stretched out to the horizon, covered with zebra, gazelle, and giraffe.  We also saw elephants, hyenas, warthogs, and hippos, all in the idealized African landscape.
Once I returned to Nairobi, I went shopping in the market and visited the National Aquarium and Reptile Habitat. The city contrasted sharply with living in the villages, so it was fun to look around. Overall, Village Volunteers was wonderful, and I hope to return to Africa one day to visit this lovely country again.

Hakuna Matata,
Ryan Dowdy
July 2007