TRAVEL UPDATE – DAY 2

Our expedition is in full swing having arrived at the Kamoti household in Rabai which will be our sleeping and eating quarters for the next week. From here we will head out each day to the villages, clinics and schools.

After a short nights sleep we started our day eating breakfast at the hotel and taking an opportunity to walk on the beach, a few even took a chance to ride a camel. Leah, who is the Executive Director of Koins for Kenya, came to the hotel to tighten the plans for building desks, teaching classes and the ceremony for handing over the school. Buffalo, another Koins employee, announced tonight that the construction of the the school in Kangakamo is complete. The school took less than six weeks to build. After lunch we loaded the mountain of suitcases in a van and in the back of a small bus and took the long ride to Rabai.

Along the way to Rabai we learned new driving techniques, how to navigate without street signs or stop lights. The two lane road would magically grow to four lanes as the smaller vehicles would pass the semi trucks on the dirt shoulder of the road. Our driver even took us across the oncoming traffic to the shoulder on the opposite side of the road to get to our destination faster.

After arriving at the house and learning about the shower and toilet facilities our bunk assignments were made. We unpacked the supplies to be distributed which just seemed to multiply. We are so excited to distribute the supplies many of you helped put together, collect or donated. Burt and Steve commented this is the largest amount of supplies ever sent. What a blessing each of you are to this expedition.

Just before dusk we walked on the narrow trails through the fields, passing many households, heading to the Crossfit Dam. The dam has been a great blessing to the villages as it provides a closer location to get water in the morning and evening. Along the way we greeted hundreds of children, handed out dum dum suckers and tried to learn a few Swahili words.

Miriam, Saudu, Lydia and Riziki prepared a wonderful Kenyan Dinner. After dinner we discussed the profound thought or observation of the day and two were mentioned: Sarah held a baby and realized quickly that the baby wasn’t wearing a diaper which started a very detailed discussion on the proper way to squat when a porcelain toilet is not available. The second observation was that as horrendous as the traffic was, the drivers were polite and the horns were used for communicating intentions and not a source of anger.

We look forward to building desks and having the women spending time experiencing the day in a life of a Kenyan Woman tomorrow.