July 19, 2009

The Beginning of the End...

I almost made it the entire six months, but alas, my wallet was finally lifted. Stolen by use of diversion, on a matatu en route to a children's orphanage...oh irony. On the upside, this officially makes me a real Nairobian.

It's my last two weeks and I'm coasting. All in all I'm pretty satisfied--three different orphanages, three different schools, empowerment groups, two NGOs, corporate work, an HIV/AIDS womens' group, ZanaA website, and one article on African history. I'm also checking out an NGO called PASSOP (People Against Suffering, Suppression, Oppression and Poverty) as soon as I get into Cape Town. Last weekend I traveled back to Karatina and Nyeri town to bid adieu to all my kids upcountry and of course, Mama. The kids were amazing. The babies had grown so quickly, and some of my kids even started crying when I walked into class. No Mungiki sightings, thankfully, and I finished my 12th book throughout this trip. Read Three Cups of Tea. Seriously, read it.

Anywhere you are in Kenya...upcountry, the bush, the dirt, city centre...no matter where, if it's a Sunday, you hear the singing. Starting at 7am, you will hear the glorious sound of church music, and it's actually so beautiful. It's the one day where everyone unites, across tribes, across ages, across economic status, everyone is one. I will miss that, terribly...

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