A little after 10 am, 17 of us, women's center attendees and volunteers, packed into the small room to start the day with song and prayer as usual. Wednesday mornings are reserved for hairdressing lessons but today two new volunteers, Lina and Jillian, offered to be "clients". While they waited for their hair to be … Continue reading Day 23
Maharage and Mchele
It's day 21 in Kenya. How is that possible? Five more volunteers arrived in Kitengela last Thursday while I was in Mombasa and they're all here to help at the women's center. Yesterday, we prepared the regular lunch of maharage and mchele while the women completed their hairdressing exams. It's beans and rice cooked in … Continue reading Maharage and Mchele
Everyday Breakfast
Most mornings I eat by 8:30am. Lucy, the woman mananging my homestay in Kenya, sets everything out on the coffee table. There's always chai (black tea and milk), sugar, bananas, sliced bread and red plum jam. Once she prepared scrambled/fried eggs. I'm getting the sense that meat isn't consumed before dinner. This morning she surprised … Continue reading Everyday Breakfast
Women’s Health
Last week, we had a "free style" discussion at the women's group. They peppered me, and each other, with questions about relationships, love, pregnancy and childbirth. I am not an expert on any of these subjects; they know that. But it was an open, non-judgmental space for them to ask questions about topics and beliefs … Continue reading Women’s Health
Day 11 – Karen
Karen - a suburb of Nairobi. Significantly fewer pedestrians compared to Nairobi. Lots of 4x4 SUVs, manicured lawns and gated houses. It's the site of the Karen Blixen house and museum. She's the Danish author of Out of Africa. In the early 1900s, her home sat on a 6,000 acre coffee farm until it went … Continue reading Day 11 – Karen
The Jam 