fotographs

i made it home safely after 24 hours of travel, a small volcanic ash cloud, an orthodox jewish couple and their crying baby and all the toilet paper i could want.

i shot a few rolls of film while gone, here are some of the favorites:

the gas pump actually worked

mr. odukis

purity doing her washing

mwangi in the classroom

(lots of) shoes

koskey and the swarm of children

telephone booth graveyard on lamu

i am coming just now

as with most things this past (final) week has been full of a lot of 'lasts': last tae-bo class with the body builder, last Swahili class with chubby lil Wycliffe, last bike ride at sunset, last class with the Moi students, last time we'll have "mexican monday" at the IU House, last time with the boys at the street kid center...

it's been sad. yet, nice to genuinely feel as though i have a home on the other side of the world.

a few new developments have happened this week too. i got a package from aaron and j (!) it was naturally full of a danielle steele novel (my weakness), a sweet poem, and had a dozen firecrackers. i had to pop one in front of the customs agent so he could decide if he should tax me. he yelped and jumped a mile (and didn't tax me). the taxi driver also jumped and said "EH!", as did my friend, mwangi. learned learned: party poppers are not a popular toy in africa.

a guy here from Indiana has taken it upon himself to take care of the 5 puppies at Tumaini. their feast consists of dry food, soaked in milk, plus some wet food--and the Kenyans think he's crazy for caring for dogs so much. but the puppies are adorable, we typically kiss them on the head and let them kiss our face and the street boys erupt in laughter every time. but the guy is currently on vacation, so kayla and i are on puppy patrol. he printed out very detailed directions and twice a day we have been going to the center and playing with puppies. it's heaven.

puppies, patiently waiting

opposite of heaven (hell?), one of the boys at the center is deaf, his name is ernest. he is so sweet and active and plays with the puppies and was raped the other night while in the street. one of the older men sodomized him. he was taken to the hospital and put on prophylaxis within 24 hrs, but hearing that news just punches you in the gut. it's perhaps the shock factor, but i haven't cried here, but when i hear things like that it just gets me. i want to believe humanity is inherently good.

ernest

baby trina, bundled up and happy

the boys doing their math assignment

playing teacher with jeff, a smart 7 year old who counts out loud on his fingers

in other (happier) news purity regina had her baby! a beautiful little boy she named Leon Labon. she left the center yesterday afternoon and went down to "base" and delivered him, on the street, within two hours. her sister helped her, they bought a clean razor blade to cut the umbilical cord and she claimed she didn't feel pain. but she said he must have come early so he could meet me before i left {sigh}. we went to visit her today in the local slum. she looked tired but healthy and the one-day old was precious--he was just sleeping the whole time. we talked about how he will go to university and play football (errr, soccer?) and grow up to work at the street kid center and be so smart he will visit america one day.

i also learned a swahili lullaby:

lala toto lala (sleep baby sleep)

mama anakuja lala (mama is coming, sleep)

ataleta ndizi lala. (she will bring bananas. sleep)

marion, me, leon and purity

the 20-year old, happily exhausted new mother

last night we also had our farewell dinner. we managed to gather everyone that has shaped our time here stuff them full of kenyan food and beer. our favorite taxi driver was there, as was the dean of the school of public health and all of our kenyan dance partners. it was a great send off.

megan, kayla, kei and i with the tumaini staff

jani, enoch and i

the group with our dear kenyan friends

everyone with our teachers

last day tomorrow with the street girls, last market visit and a 5 hour bus ride to nairobi. i hope to visit my old host family and have lunch with the woman from the CDC (scoring an internship means i can return in january!). then 20 hours of travel and i will be in newark.

tutaonane kenya.

tulienda kwa safari.

last week coastin' by. few classes, meetings, some final episodes of six feet under, laundry, tae-bo at the gym and girl's day at the street kid center. i sat with purity and talked about her baby she's to deliver in the next month and how she wants to meet my mom (another reason you have to come visit kenya, cyndi) and how she wants to learn to sew so she can get off the street. she lets me practice my swahili and translates what i don't understand. i will miss her, for sure. and will be back soon enough to meet her baby.

purity and i

and for our final weekend in eldoret, we took off to maasai mara. world famous. home to the 8th wonder of the world. full of lions. we took the rogue route, and just hired a matatu and picked up a maasai warrior on the side of the road in narock. we camped and ate about half a dozen peanut butter sandwiches. the maasai guy's name was Lawrence and was 20 and married with a baby girl. he wasn't technically a warrior yet, 'cause he hasn't killed a lion, but that practice is becoming outdated due to conservation efforts. we cruised around in our van and saw all sorts of animals.

the sky is so huge and the african savannah is actually as beautiful as you have probably imagined. hanging out of the window brought that infinite feeling where you wish everyone you love could be there to see it with you.

{sigh} the final week is here. (see ya'll soon!)

Lawrence and our driver

the meg(h)an's jumping 'cause they were in tanzania

twigas

tembo

the rainbow we woke up to

playing games at the campsite

mwangi and i at dinner

water buffalo

zebras: as cute as you think they are

a view of the park in the morning

the king of the jungle

the african savannah

this article on rwanda is interesting. and on thursday night at da club, i spent the night collecting names of songs in my cell phone. here's a little taste of the hot kenyan jams (future dance parties just got a lil bit better.)