Takaungu: August 2008

See you later!

That is what I am going to be saying to Takaungu and Kenya soon – in one week actually. I can’t believe it even though it feels like I have been here for a lifetime. I can not wait to see Bryan and all my friends and family and get so excited when I imagine making the rounds in Ohio and North Carolina, but I am going to be so heartbroken to leave this place. Leaving is going to be further frustrated by the fact that it is going to be extraordinarily difficult to get in touch with the people who I have gotten close to after I leave.

So in attempting to tie loose ends, I spent the entire day at the beach with some of the kids I have gotten close to. I got some great pics because I trained two of them to use and respect the camera and then just let them have it the whole day. I should have been doing that all along. That was my goodbye to the beach and some extra bonding time with the little ones. I am taking Saleem to Vutakaka tomorrow for what should be his last cleaning of that wound and checking on the items I have had made at the sewing cooperative. Tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday I will be finishing my projects and leaving behind my work and having dinner with various families to say farewell. Sunday some friends are playing in a big football (soccer to you) tournament and so I will check that out throughout the day. Monday I am spending the day at Mohamed Ngazi’s letting the students from the after school tuition program use the Polaroid camera I brought and getting a little more of his perspective on things. I plan on heading out of the village Tuesday morning and going on a safari for three days before I fly out on Friday. We will see if that works out.

I have certainly learned a great deal and am continuing to process it as much as I can. The divides here between Kiswahali and Girama are larger than I first thought and more detrimental to many in the area. What woman and children not having a voice or options does to a community. The types of programs that can make a difference in lives may be pretty simple and almost universal and I should have started one; gathering girls to visit people at hospitals, organizing a writing, debate or acting club with the public school kids who would really benefit from something like that, organizing more volleyball with the girls. Dang. Guess I’ll just going to have to come back….

Here are those things that I am going to miss:

Walking back from after-school tuition with the crew, laughing and playing the whole way.

The music blasting from the video theatre right next to my room, waking me with Shakira or Sean Paul and sending me to sleep with some KiSwahali or R&B tunes that I have come to love!

The waves of realization about why I am here – the constant and ever changing thought process I have gone through about development and the roles people play in programs like this.

The bucket showers! Yes, I love them and find that they center me very much somehow. They keep me present.

The silhouettes of the coconut and mango trees against the sky at night.

The piki-piki rides! And the rockin matatus!

The smells and sounds of this village even though goats are a main source of both those.

The laughter that I have come to understand as the perfect balance of laughing with me (50%) and at me (10%) and at something lame because Kenyans think things that aren’t funny at all are hilarious (40%).

The food – chapatti, cabbage and mangoes especially.

Playing volleyball after school gets out for the day amidst coconut trees, in the rain with rainbows and everything.

The kids and how they have changed me (I know, I know, I am getting a little too Whitney Houston on you here but its true).

Takaungu and the entire coast of Kenya, is going to be an important place to me for the rest of my life. Hopie – no worries, I am not going to be one of those Africa people, well maybe not. I hope to leave some impressions that aren’t bad with a few of the people here. I am setting my goals low because I realize how impossible it is to make any major impact in the span of only 10 weeks. I think I have succeeded in that and maybe will be able to work to do a little more than that. Love and miss you all! Will be home soon!!

Kwa Heri!
Jen

Peg, Anne and Floof – get that porch ready for this lady right here.

Leora – I desperately need you.

Kim – Hiya! How is the little one? She is probably dating by now. Get ready for some Jen time when I get back. I hope you are still loving life the way you do so well!

Owen – How’s the desert? Awesome. NYE is just around the corner you know…

Emerson and Dina – I am so excited to see you in NYC in a couple of weeks!!

Suz – I miss you little lamb. Told a story from Baltimore the other day, it made it to Kenya!

Brittny and Gabriel – Ahh! I hope you guys had such an amazing time in Thailand! I can’t wait to hear all about it and see all the photos!! Haha.

Hopie – puppies and rainbows, puppies and rainbows, puppies and rainbows, whew, thanks.

Bryan – no words.

Lynn – If you are reading this, fire up that grill cause I am taking the train out to see ya asap!

Elizabeth and Adam – Saleem is doing great! Took him again to Vutakaka today and he is much, much better. Spent the entire day with him and a couple of his friends and am with him now as I type this. I also got some amazing pictures of him and us at the beach. And I got the video of our dance routine – it’s amazing! I really just want to hide under a rock until I leave so I don’t have to say goodbye to anyone. I miss you guys – see you soon! Saleen says “Sema De Lonjo” and “Shak it Uh” to you guys. He still talks about you guys and calls this house yours. I hear your name in conversations with his boys. I am having dinner at his place tomorrow night I think… bringing cooking oil as a gift. I went to a movie with him and his friends last night (Species 4 – I can’t believe they made 4 of them, just grateful they did) and it was awesome!