by Heather Plett | Mar 3, 2005 | Uncategorized
I’ve seen too much of airports already. And I’m not done yet. I’m sitting in Schipol airport in Amsterdam waiting. Again. I should be home by now, holding my children close and trying to recuperate from jetlag.
Leaving Kenya was sad but uneventful. We flew Ethiopian airlines from Nairobi to Rome with a stopover in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. We flew overnight. I managed to sleep fairly well on the second flight. We arrived in Rome some time between 7:00 and 8:00. When we arrived in Rome, only one of my suitcases showed up. The one I’d bought in Nairobi and filled with souvenirs wasn’t there. We filled out the necessary paperwork and proceeded to our hotel – the Courtyard by Marriott.
The hotel is fairly high end. As much as I appreciated a clean, comfortable room, I wasn’t in the mood for complicated. Too little sleep and a vanished suitcase full of gifts for my family made me a little cranky, and not prepared to cope with a room that had to be “activated”. You have to slide your card in the slot and leave it there in order for the lights to work. Before I figured that out, I had to pee in the dark – not happily, I might add.
Dan and I had breakfast, and then I went to crash for awhile before our meeting. At lunch time, we took a cab to the WFP office. We had lunch with Brenda Barton and Philip Ward, and then had a short tour of their offices. We also had a short meeting with one of the women planning Walk the World who wants us to participate in Canada.
After our meeting, we went back to the hotel. We went for a walk to try to find a restaurant, but couldn’t find anything, so we ended up back at the hotel restaurant.
I was pretty tired, so I went to bed early. I’d been told that my missing luggage had been found and would be sent to the hotel, but nothing had arrived yet. When I woke up, it still hadn’t arrived, so I caught an early shuttle (7:15) to the airport.
When I got to the airport, I got sent to about 3 different desks, only to be told my bag had already gone to the courier. They tried to reach the courier office, but it wasn’t open until 8:00. So I sat in a baggage handling room waiting. At 8:05, they phoned and were told my bag had been dropped off at the hotel. They phoned the hotel and found out that it WAS there. It had been there all the time!! I’d asked THREE different desk clerks, and ALL three told me it hadn’t arrived.
After I lost my temper and took it out on the woman in the baggage room, it was finally arranged that the hotel shuttle would bring my bag back to the airport. I collected it and because it was badly damaged (I guess it doesn’t pay to buy cheap luggage) I had to get it wrapped in saran wrap.
That wasn’t the end of my mishaps for the day. When I got to the gate, they told us the plane would probably leave late because of snow in Amsterdam. Sure enough, it left quite late, and while we were en route, the captain announced that most of us would miss our connecting flight.
When we landed in Amsterdam, we had to sit on the tarmac for about an hour and a half because there was no gate for us, and then no staff available to hook up the gate. I have to admit, as frustrating as it was, I couldn’t help but feel sympathetic for the captain, who sounded very apologetic and frustrated each time he informed us there would be further delay.
When I finally got into the terminal, I found a transfer desk to try to book another ticket. Unfortunately, hundreds of other people were in the same predicament as me. I was number 909 when I arrived, and they were only serving #545. It took a couple of hours before I got to the desk and finally had another ticket. They were going to book me to Vancouver and then to Toronto, because that was where they were responsible to get me to, but I pushed the issue and finally they booked me to Winnipeg.
Fortunately, when I was done, I managed to find a hotel room by calling from the booking desk. I went outside to wait in the snow at what I thought was the right shuttle stop (it was hard to know since the signs were covered in wet snow). By this time, I was nearing the end of my rope, so I just stood there and cried.
The hotel turned out to be quite nice, and despite my blue mood, I tried to make the best of it. I ordered in room service, and then soaked in the luxurious tub watching a movie on TV. (There was a TV in the bathroom!) The room was on the 10th floor, so I had a rather impressive view of the snow-covered surrounding countryside.
This morning, I went down for breakfast and then caught the 8:00 shuttle for the airport. For all intents and purposes, things seemed to be on schedule when I arrived. Unfortunately, it is now more than 2 hours after we were supposed to leave and I’m STILL waiting. There’s apparently too much ice on the platform where the plan is and they have to clear that off before we can leave. AAAaaahhh!! I want to SCREAM! I just want to be home! Not sitting in a noisy crowded airport, surrounded by hundreds of people who are just as frustrated as me!
by Heather Plett | Feb 28, 2005 | Uncategorized
I have only a few hours left to savour the African sun. In an hour and a half, the taxi will be here to pick us up.
I wish I could capture this moment. I wish I could paint the memory of this place on the back of my eyelids so I could conjure it up any time I want. I would paint mighty trees with red-brown trunks. I would paint brilliant pink blossoms on luscious green shrubs. I would paint a poinsetta tree leaning over the fence – welcoming me back to my temporary home whenever I’ve been away. I would paint a massive majestic tree covered in soft pink blossoms. I would colour the roof of the guest house with rust-coloured crayons.
I’d capture the sounds too – the cacophony of birds singing their friendly choruses. I would isolate each birdsong and make it unique from the rest, but then blend them all together in a melodious choir.
Somehow, I would add the breeze touching my face and playing tag with the corners of my pages. Then there’d be the sunshine touching the multi-coloured leaves, the sweet sounds of children playing and conversing in another tongue, the shadows of people walking past the hedge, the sounds of faraway dogs guarding their domains.
There have been so many perfect moments on this trip. The gentle people, the magnificent animals, the warm sun, the cool refreshment of a swimming pool, the delightful innocence of babies, the coming together of community, the food that tasted like manna from heaven. I want to take it all home with me.
There goes a gecko running up the trunk of a tree. I’ve grown rather fond of those funny little creatures.
There are four little Finnish children playing in the play structure close to me. Their voices are quite delightful, chattering away in their mother tongue. The one I’ve seen the most of – I think her name is Philipa and she’s here with her parents waiting for the arrival of her baby sister or brother – is about the same age as Maddie. She’s quite chatty, and I’m sure we’d be friends by now if we spoke the same language. She looks at me with a rather puzzled look on her face – not unfriendly or shy, just puzzled. I wonder what she thinks when I open my mouth and speak – when I make silly jumbled noises that sound like language don’t quite make sense.
Soon, I’ll be home with children who know my language and know how to find a comfortable place on my lap.
by Heather Plett | Feb 28, 2005 | Uncategorized
We went for breakfast, and then Corrie Lynn and I walked to the triangle/zebra market. Most shops were just opening up, so we were almost the only customers there. That made the pressure even worse than usual. Everyone tried to convince us they would give us good deals if we would be their first customer of the day. According to them, the first customer is lucky. I bough a bunch more stuff – a mobile for Paul & Jo, a musical instrument for Dwight, some more soapstone, some wire bicycles for the nephews, etc.
After the market, we went to the Sarit Centre. I bought a duffle bag, but in order to use my credit card, I had to spend at least 1000 shillings. So I ended up with a kikoy and kanga as well.
We also stopped at the Uchumi Supermarket. I bought a bunch of spices and some tea. We also picked up a few buns and cheese for lunch.
We were going to take the matatoo (mini-bus) back to the guest house because we had so much to carry, but Corrie Lynn wanted to give away some clothes, so we decided to walk and try to find a woman who could use the clothes. We found a woman and three small children who were very happy to receive a bag of clothes and a few “fruit to go” I had in my bag.
It’s hard to know how to respond to the begging. I know I’ve got more than enough, so a few dollars out of my pocket doesn’t hurt. But at the same time, those few dollars makes virtually no difference for them – they might get a few bites today, but then tomorrow they’ll still be hungry. It makes me want to be part of some bigger solution.
When we got back to the guest house, we ate our snack and then went to lie in the sun for awhile. We didn’t last long though – the sun was too scorching.
Corrie Lynn had to leave around 4:00. I’ll miss her. She’s been one of the best things about this trip – finding a soul-mate to work through some of the experiences with. We think a lot alike, even though she’s at a different place spiritually.
After she left, Dan and I were picked up by Werner and Adelia Wiens. They’re originally from Winnipeg, and they’re in Kenya teaching at Rosslyn Academy. We met them last night when they came to the guest house to meet Micheline and give her some stuff to take back to friends in Winnipeg. I’d told them Marcel was studying to be a teacher, and that we might consider working at an international school. They said I should come check out Rosslyn, and in the end, they invited us over for faspa.
We had quite a nice evening. Werner gave us a tour of their campus. It’s QUITE impressive. They have K to 12 all on the same campus, and there’s beautiful staff housing on the grounds.
We got to spend a bit of time in the computer lounge, checking and sending e-mails. I got a few from Cynthia, talking about Mom’s new male friend. It sounds kinda freaky – like they’re already talking about spending their lives together. Yikes! I’m just not sure I could process this all so quickly! I don’t want her to move away. I want to see her happy, but I’m afraid she’ll take risks just because she doesn’t want to be lonely any more.
After faspa, Werner and Adelia drove us back to the guest house. It’s only 9:00, but I think I’ll be asleep soon. I’m exhausted.
by Heather Plett | Feb 27, 2005 | Uncategorized
It’s Saturday today, the last official day of the tour. This morning, Corrie Lynn and I went for breakfast with Stefan Lutz and his wife (I can’t remember her name) and their son Oliver. We ate at the Java House. Stefan works for CRWRC in Kenya. We had an interesting discussion about his views on food aid, the challenges with CFGB and the tied aid regulations, etc.
After breakfast, they dropped us off at the village market. It was a little expensive, so we didn’t buy much, but I did buy a few dresses for the girls.
We took a taxi downtown to the High Court market. It’s not a regular market – just set up on Saturdays in a parking lot. It was fairly intense being there – a lot of high pressure sales tactics. Some people work on your sympathy – saying they need to feed their kids – others work on guilt. Most are very skilful at convincing you that you really MUST buy their stuff. It’s really hard to say no. Even when you say no, they try to convince you to come back again later. I bought a fair bit of stuff – mostly gifts.
We got worn out from the heat and the high pressure sales, and so we looked for a place to sit down for a cool drink. Even on a Saturday, the streets of downtown Nairobi are packed with people. It was hard to manoeuvre ourselves through the crowds. And everywhere there were beggars, trying to appeal to our sympathies. I can shut most of it out – I’ve gotten kind of used to that in downtown Winnipeg – but what bothered me were the small children out on the street begging. Some were no older than Nikki and Julie. It’s hard to believe there is any future for kids who already have to resort to begging.
We took the bus back to Church Road and walked to the Hampton House. Everyone else was packing up their things. We hung out with them for awhile until they were ready to leave for the airport, and then we walked to the Mennonite Guest House for supper. Now, it’s only Dan, Corrie Lynn and I left.
After supper, I sat on Corrie Lynn’s bed and watched her pack, and then we went to relax in the sitting room for awhile.
by Heather Plett | Feb 26, 2005 | Uncategorized
This morning, Corrie Lynn and I went down to reception for some doughnuts. When everyone was up, we all got together for a group photo. We all dressed up in our African garb – kangas, Maasai blankets, jewellery, etc.
Once our photo was done, we headed out of Nairobi for our final project visit. Rachel and Tim stayed behind because Rachel was still recuperating and Tim had to get ready to fly home.
Once again, we picked up a few people along the way, and they took us to Maragua, the town where RODI is working with a local farm organization (Highbridge Banana Association) on advocacy and awareness building. We met with a group of local banana growers – mostly women. They told us about their challenges with unfair pricing, inability to compete with large corporations, lack of water, etc.
Some of their challenges are:
– There used to be an organized system for collecting bananas from various regions, but the roads got so bad that it stopped. Now they have to sell most of their products locally.
– Too many people are competing in the same industry, so the price went lower.
– They can’t compete with the multinational companies. They don’t have the capacity for irrigation systems, etc.
– They can’t produce the quality of bananas required by large supermarket chains.
– To certify organic to ship to Europe, they have to pay for inspectors to come from Europe and they can’t afford it.
After the meeting, we visited the farm of one of the members of the association. She showed us how they were trying to use good farming practices to make maximum use of their land. Unfortunately, though, there hadn’t been much rain lately so their crops were poor.
On their farm was a brick house that was partially built. They’d started it 5 years ago, but had been unable to finish it because of cost. The woman told us “we grow and grow, but the prices are still low.” Before we left the farm, the husband brought out a guest book for us to sign – a practice we’ve now grown accustomed to.
The second farm we visited was a little bit more comfortable. The farmers were Samuel and Agnes Njiba. Samuel showed us some interesting innovations on the farm. They’d devised a way to capture methane gas from cow manure and goat manure in a tank where it was stored and then used for household cooking. He also showed us the fish pond he’d dug in the back of his property. He’d stocked it with fish, but the water levels were a little too low now, so he was a little concerned.
Agnes and some of the neighbourhood women served us lunch in their comfortable, open-air sitting room. First they served us pop, and then we dined quite heartily on rice pilaf, veggies, plantains, stew, and some other dish made of cassava, maize and peas.
During lunch, we had the opportunity to purchase some crafts made of banana leaves. They were made by a local group of youth. I bought some jewellery boxes for the girls and some prints for Mom and Mom & Dad L.
I had an interesting conversation with Samuel, the owner of the farm. I told him that my husband was a stay-at-home dad who looked after most of the cooking and childcare in the home. He was quite surprised at that and said it would never happen in Africa.
After lunch we drove back to Nairobi. We stopped at the RODI office on the way. Esther, the woman from RODI, is quite impressive. We also met her daughter Rosemary. Esther is a single mother of 2 grown children, and she also cares for 2 children of her uncle who passed away. She has a tea farm, as well as some animals, and she also works for RODI. She’s quite intelligent and well-versed in the area of trade rules, etc. She’s travelled with Stu and Kenton to WTO meetings and trade talks.
After visiting the RODI project, we went back to the Hampton House and relaxed for awhile. Tim was the first of our group to leave. It’s hard to believe good-byes have begun already. It’s strange saying good-bye. We’ve become a unique kind of community with a unique bond. No one else has shared this common experience except these 12 people who were strangers less than 3 weeks ago. I don’t feel a strong need to cling to them, but there is certainly a sadness in letting go.
Later in the evening, Jim and Cathy Bowman brought Chinese food to the guest house and shared a last meal with us.
by Heather Plett | Feb 25, 2005 | Uncategorized
Last night, Rachel got quite sick and had to be taken to the hospital. Dan took her and Joyce went along. She had an allergic reaction to something we’d had at supper – probably cashews.
We had supper at some fancy Indian restaurant near here. We’d invited several people who work with CFGB in food security in the region – people from MCC, CRWRC, Dorcas, etc.
This morning we were up early again and on the road shortly after 6:00. Rachel and Joyce were still at the hospital and Dan stayed behind to help sort things out.
We dropped off Solomon and picked up Bernard somewhere downtown. Jim Bowman from MCC also came along today. We headed up to Munandani Region. We stopped at Machakos for tea and some delicious donut-type things called mendosas.
Awhile after we stopped for tea, we picked up Cyrus and Matthew who represent SASOL, and organization which develops sand dams. Cyrus is the leader. He’s an interesting fellow with a fascinating past and lots of stories to tell. He spent 10 years in the 70s living in the states. He attended the University of Florida in Miami and was the first black person there. he was associated with the Black Panthers, but he didn’t tell us much about what he was involved with. He studied political science and also taught in University. He married a black woman from New York and they have 3 children, all of whom now live in the U.S.
When they moved back to Kenya, he was managing editor at the Daily Planet, during a time when it was quite dangerous to be a journalist. Journalists were often thrown into prison for writing negative reports against the government.
I asked why he’d gotten into development work, and he laughed at me. I guess he’s been asked that a lot. He said he saw a need and felt it was his turn to give back.
The first sand dam we visited was a new one. It had only been built in November. They hadn’t managed to get much water from it yet, because silt had settled instead of sand. They assured us though that the silt will wash away and the sand will remain (because sand is heavier).
The second sand dam we visited was built in 1999. It wasn’t funded by CFGB, but he wanted to show us a successful project as a demonstration.
It was quite remarkable how the sand dam had changed the vegetation and availability of water in the region. They’d built 14 dams in a row along one stream, and all along the length of them, people had dug wells and had sufficient water available for livestock, gardens, and human consumption.
We climbed a hill to visit a farm. It was terraced across the hill. The woman who farms it was not expecting us, but she welcomed us nonetheless. Her name is Beatrice. She told us about how the water had changed their lives – made it easier to grow crops, increased the value of the crops, helped them make bricks for a new house, etc. She laughed when she said it allowed her to live like a white person. In other words, she now had some leisure time. She was relaxing when we arrived at her farm.
We were told that in regions where sand dams had been built, many families were able to reduce the distance they had to travel for water from 10 kilometres to less than 2.
The sand dams were built by community effort with outside sponsorship for material inputs. Matthew is in charge of community mobilization. He told us how they meet with the community and get them involved in the project. Anyone who does not contribute labour has to pay to collect water there. With the most recent project (the first one we saw) CFGB provided food for food-for-work, and materials to build the dam.
Beatrice seemed like a remarkable woman. Not only does she run a fairly large and diverse farm, but she is also chairwoman for the 14 dams in that region, and chairwoman of the Catholic Women’s League. In addition to her own well, she has also dug a well on her property for the Catholic Women’s League, and provided them with land for a nursery.
It was certainly nice to meet a strong woman who is a good farmer and a leader in her community.
After the sand dams, we headed back to Nairobi. It was a bit of a wild trip, coming back into town during the heart of rush hour. At one point, we were going up a hill behind a slow moving truck, and everyone was pulling out to pass in all directions. Suddenly, a 2 lane road became a 4 lane, with no logic to the direction of traffic. It was every man for himself..
Inside the city it wasn’t much better. Everyone was quite aggressive, shoving their way in everywhere whether or not they had the right of way. Two lanes became four lanes, or whatever would fit.
When we got back to the guest house, pizza had been ordered, so we all got together in the sitting room for supper and some wrap-up time. It was our last evening together since Tim is going back home tomorrow, a day earlier than everyone else.
There were a lot of mixed feelings in the group. Though we’ve had an amazing time, it won’t necessarily be easy to communicate this experience to other people or let it change our lives in a significant way. Joy expressed it well when she said making a change or entering a new phase in your life is like getting out of bed – you know it’s a good idea, and you know life will be more interesting, but it’s just so comfortable in bed!
