Coconuts Won't Grow Here

The whole of Jemo House (and a few of our friends) took the trek to the new land this weekend to see where their new home will be.  They were delighted to find mangos in the trees.  Thomas said a prayer over the land and all the good things that will come from it.  The kids walked the perimeter and gave their feedback on what we should grow in our Shamba (garden).  I will take their requests into account, but it seems Arnold thinks we can live on coconuts alone.  I am not certain he has ever even had a coconut.  They also do not grow in this region :)

Jemo House kids standing on the spot where their new home will stand

Daniel, Janet, Brian and Millie with Lavender, their tutor and our dear friend.

A cookie break to celebrate our new space :)

The driveway/road connecting our land to the main road.

Even with the kiddos running all over the land, it's hard to imagine what this will look like soon.  We are hoping to have the house done in a few months, but I have no idea if that's really feasible.  I am rushing more than is the Kenyan way because there is an election in August that I'm a little worried about.  There are basically two candidates, and if one of them wins there is a possibility that there may be some positive changes in the country.  If there other one wins (the current pres) there will mostly likely be rioting in the streets because people are tired of the flourishing state of corruption they are currently drowning in.   Beside the obvious threats of physical danger, this means schools will be closed, food will be astronomically expensive (relatively speaking) and building will come to a crashing halt if it is not completed by then.   We are currently renting a house within a hospital compound where I used to serve as the volunteer coordinator.  The hospital was sold last year rather abruptly and the new administration is much less than impressive-to put it nicely.  All reasons to get into our new home as soon as possible.

There is so much left to be done and so many unanswered questions that are floating around in my head; which  nearby school will be the best for our kids, how in the world will I raise the money for building, will we have to re-register our organization in a different county,  where will we do our shopping, what is the best way to get water out here,  will we need to find a new HIV clinic to go to,  etc, etc, etc.  I tend to immediately jump to the next step and start planning, but if Kenya has taught me anything, it is to enjoy these sweet moments as they come, and to celebrate the joy of NOW and acknowledge success as it happens in little pieces.  As the dark clouds started to mount over the hill and the rains drew closer,  I knew we should head back before we got drenched.  But before we left I took a minute to clear my mind and close my eyes, and I melted into the sunshine for a moment while listening to sound of my kids exploring their new land and climbing their new mango trees.   Despite the work ahead, this place will be a happy home for so many for years to come.  The idea of owning land has been a far away goal for a long time, that at times I was not totally sure we could reach.  We have been so blessed thus far, God has protected us, helped us, and never given us a challenge we could not handle. So I will continue to have faith that this next stage will be filled with help and blessings.  No matter what comes next, I appreciated how sweet this day was.   And how sweet this life is.  And how lucky I am to do this work.

Jessie

Plans and Projectors

Catherine and Kaitlin has to leave about a week ago, and Dave had to head back as well this weekend, so it's just me here now.  I've got what seems like a short time to get a lot done :)  The circus that is called purchasing land is complete now, so we now turn our attention to the building.  Michael showed us the final blueprint and we spent several hours pouring over it.  Michael is a man of few words-I'm not sure if it's a language barrier thing or he's just a quiet guy.  He takes great pride in his work-that much is evident, and he's a perfectionist.  I feel like we are in good hands.  That being said, the estimate was higher than I wanted, and it only got higher when we realized a ceiling wasn't included in the cost. (Before you go thinking he's a shoddy contractor, know that not all houses have ceilings here, only a roof is really necessary).  We did some negotiating. We did some trimming.  We ended up taking off a few square feet and rearranging to keep things within the budget.  Which means poor Michael has to redraw the blueprints again.  We got it to a cost that I think we can manage.  I signed the contract this week, so it's now official and legally binding.  Gulp.  The house will be around 2,600 square feet, and compared to building in the US it's an amazingly cheap.  But it's still thousands of dollars I have committed to be paid upfront, and I walked away equal parts excited and terrified.  From my life experience thus far, I think that is how most great things start though, so I will forge on until the excited outweighs the terrified.

A quick trip to the equator before Dave got on his plane!

Off to the airport in style :)

The kids and I had a movie night on Saturday-which is always a treat from them.  I brought my little projector and we made a theater out of the living room with a sheet for a screen.  It's not easy to pick a movie that appeals to an age range of 5 years to 18 years, but I think they all appreciated Ella Enchanted.  It's a fairy tale story with song singing and slapstick humor that Arnold particularly appreciated.  It had just enough action for the boys to forgive the fairy tale theme and romantic ending.   Selah fell asleep half way through, per the usual, but we left her in her spot on the couch as she does not like to miss the movie, even if she is not watching it.

Teddy was in charge of hanging the sheet screen.....which lasted about 3 minutes before
reinforcements were needed.   Thank goodness for my first aid kit-medical tape has many uses :)

The patient audience, waiting for their movie.

I am planning on taking the kids to see the land soon, as they haven't seen it yet, or really heard much about it.  My staff knows, but i didn't want to get their hopes up and then dash them if the purchase fell through.  I think they'll be pretty excited :)

Jessie

Schools and Street food

Okay........whatever I said about buying land in Kenya being easy-that was an untruth.  First you have to agree on a price.  Keep in mind this is a country of bargaining, so that can be a lengthy conversation on a good day.  Then you have to talk to the chief so he knows a land sale is about to go down, and to get his blessing, even though he has no legal claim to the land (can you imagine how well that would go over in Americaland?!).  Then you have to contact all the seller's brothers, uncles and cousins to make sure they don't want it and won't try to claim it after its been sold.  Then you go to the land office and actually purchase the plot.  When you go to the land office you have to make sure you get a real agent who works there, not a broker posing as an agent who will take your money and give you a fake deed.  Whew.   Thank goodness I have this great team with me or I'd be banging my head against the wall  :)

This week we have been breaking every rule those crazy travel clinics give you when you go in to get all your shots.....yup, we've been eating street food.  There's a new little shop that makes fresh mango juice, and I just couldn't pass it up.  We've gone there more days than we haven't, and no one has gotten sick, so the odds seem to be quite in our favor.

Kaitlin and Cat, having a nutritious meal of street food......everything their overzealous travel nurse told them not to do :)

Fresh mango juice-our daily guilty pleasure :)

Dave and I spent the good part of a day in Kisumu with Joshua touring a polytechnic school and learning more about courses, degrees, and what he likes.  Considering the fact that he changed his mind throughout the course of the day, I still think he is undecided.  He loves computers though, that much we know for sure, so it gives us a little bit to go on.  He sounds like he is most interested in computer programming, which I know literally nothing about, and he has no experience in it to know if it's really what he wants.  Thank goodness Dave knows what he's talking about.  We decided to put him in a computer basics class over the summer to see what he thinks of it all.

University stuff here is so crazy.  Since he is our oldest, we are learning about the search for schools and the process the government has put in place to do it.   The minister of education in Kenya is apparently as corrupt and inept as all the rest of the government and totally screwed up the  higher educational system.  First of all, they issued an application form that all students have to fill out and pay for (of course it's about money) that goes through the government before it goes to the schools.  You choose your top 3 schools and top choices of study, but you can be placed in ANY school in ANY course of study.  A student friend of mine had wanted a major in  international relations and got French instead.  On top of that, he changed the grading system this year to be considerable more rigorous, but did not adjust the qualifications for admission.  A larger high schools could have around a hundred students with a A average last year, and there are many throughout the country.  Due to the new scale, there were only 144 students who make A grades this year in the whole country!  But the programs are still using the old grading system for qualifications for admission, so there is a huge group of students who don't qualify for any of the programs they should have enrolled in.  What a mess.  But it's what we have to work with, so we're doing our best.

Dave and Joshua nerding it up-they talked techy for hours :)

Jessie

Fruit trees and fish ponds

Whew!  This has been a busy week :)  Dave and I had a 24 hour layover in Amsterdam on the way here, so we did some lightning-fast sightseeing and exploring.  The Anne Frank house is a chilling and fascinating place to visit.  And as always, the waffles were amazing.

Dave and I at a little local foodie spot recommend by our hostel owner :)

After what seemed like forever, we arrived in the motherland, and it felt like I had never left.  Kaitlin and Catherine have been in full swing for a while now, so they caught us up on what has been going on.  On our first day here we went to see the land.  It was surreal to walk around this acre and a half, to visualize what it will become, and to know that our kids will have a permanent and forever home.   It's bigger than I had pictured, and it has mature mango, avocado and banana trees already there. Can't wait to pick bushels from those.  The fish pond on the land  wasn't in the best of shape, but that's nothing a little TLC can't fix :)  The proposed spot for the house is at the highest point of the land, with a lovely view.

Me standing between the banana and mango trees :)

I've been pondering all week about our new home and what i want it to look like.  We've spent a long time talking with Michael, our contractor, and it's such a big decision to design your own home.  When it's finished you can't think things like, "I wish this room was a little bigger to fit the table" or "why would anyone put a door right here?"-becuase you're the one who did it.  A lot of pressure.  This in not my forte.  But then I walk in the boys room and see their double decker beds are squeezed 8 inches apart, and remind myself whatever I design will be better than this :)

As for the land, we met with my friend Florence, and she shed a lot of light on the land purchase process, which had been giving us quite a headache. I think it actually won't be as much a tangled web as I thought it would be.  Land ownership is just done so differently here.  Everything is inherited, and tied to families.

We've also been trekking around a bit wrapping up loose ends regarding the two girls that we gained custody of a few weeks ago.  We met with their grandmother and some relatives to finish some paperwork and updated them on our plans to move the children to our new home soon.

Crossing a bridge.

And of course, we've been enjoying the company of the kiddos.  It's never a dull day at Jemo House :)

Arnold, Daniel, Brian and Millie

So glad to be here!

Jessie

Kenya through Kaitlin's Eyes

(Blogspot by Kaitlin Backes, fellow nurse and friend of Jess and Catherine).

When Jess and Dave arrived this week, we were hopeful that they'd had plenty of rest on the plane because we had a busy week ahead of us! Our week was full of meetings about the land and building the new house. Buying land in Kenya is complicated enough for Kenyan natives, and it seems 10-fold to us mzungus. At least through our meetings, we met some awesome people who are doing great things for Kenya. The most impressive meeting was with Florence, a woman who runs an organization that sponsors  orphans who stay with relatives and provides them with lots of educational and spiritual support. They even run a micro-financing group among the guardians. Florence was an inspiration and told us to never give up.

We were also very impressed with our contractor, Michael. He seems like a very efficient, hardworking man and we are very excited about the house plan! We spent our walks to the land admiring other roofs that Michael has done. 

Jess drawing up blueprints 

Catherine revising house plans

Another meeting we had was with the house’s oldest boy, Joshua. He completed form 4 last year, and is sitting in limbo right now awaiting his next stage in life. We talked about the options he has for school, and set up a plan for him to take some short-term classes before polytechnic college starts in the fall. We’d also like for him to gain some experience shadowing people in fields he might be interested in. Like many American teenagers in his position, he has a lot of options before him and little experience to evaluate his options. But he is a kind, smart boy, and we’re excited to see what his future holds.

Valentine's treats for Jemo sweeties

 The rest of our week consisted of another pad talk and hanging out with the kids. Jess brought supplies to celebrate her favorite holiday with them (Valentine’s Day) before we took off for safari. Catherine and I’s last day in Maseno started with a sunrise hike, which was a challenge but worth the effort. 

A mountaintop experience :)

Our afternoon had an unexpected meeting, when a man that Jess and Dave met on the plane called and needed some wound care from trained nurses.  All the public hospitals are closed and have been for 2 more the because the doctors are on strike. Good thing nurses come prepared with sterile strips, and antibiotics  can be purchased over the counter here :) 


Kaitlin.  

Pool Party!

Kaitlin and I wanted to do something fun with all the kids one of the days, which is kinda complicated because kenyan kids are in school for more hours than American kids. I don't think I would have survived the school system here  (I'm not kidding). The kids need to be at school by 8 am and have class until 3 (our kids then are tutored until 5:30 pm) Monday through Friday and then Saturday anyone in class 4 and up goes to school from 8 am- 3 pm. This means that the only day everyone was home was Sunday...

We brainstormed some fun things to do in Kisumu (the closest big town) and decided on swimming.  We might be a little crazy to have two swimmers with 12 kids but what can you do? Jess took the kids swimming about 3 years ago and then the older kids swam when they went to Nairobi, but that means the most the kids have ever swam has been 2 times. The kids were so excited to be going to the pool but also going to Kisumu. We rented a Matatu for us to get down to Kisumu-which the kids loved. We happened to drive past the airport when a plane was taking off, and I think that was the highlight for Arnold :)

The crew at the pool!

Brian, Janet, Naomi and Griffin keep a tight hold on us :)

This is the biggest smile I've seen on Millie :)

We found the perfect pool for a bunch of children of different swimming abilities.  It had 3 pools- one baby pool, a 3 foot-ish pool and then a large pool. Each little child had an older child who was technically their buddy in an attempt to keep everyone above water. Ultimately it was just Kaitlin and I who kept scanning the pool and counting to make sure everyone was accounted for. But the kids all loved the pool!! The little ones loved the little pools and it helped keep Kaitlin and I sane. The older kids enjoyed the bigger pool. They were many moments when we both had two children hanging onto us as we swam! The kids all got cold and were shivering in the pool but would refuse to get out and warm up until we forced everyone to take a break!

Sweet boys after a long day of swimming :)

The plan was after the pool we would get lunch together and then surprise Jess and Dave at the airport on our way home. Sadly that didn't work because of some travel delays, but it was probably for the best because all the children fell asleep before we even started the ride home. The kids decorated a welcome sign for Jess and Dave that was waiting for them at the guest house when they arrived. The pool was an exhausting but fun experience for everyone, including the chaperones :)

Jess, Dave, Kaitlin and I will have time to work more on the land, meet with the contractor, do another pad presentation and then go on a little adventure to the Masai Mara.  We'll keep you posted!


Catherine

Karibu Kenya Kaitlin!

(Blogpost by Catherine Shumaker)

My first week in Kenya by myself went really well! It is amazing to get to see the kids all growing up so much since I first met them almost 2.5 years ago. All the kids are healthy and "fat" as they like to say in Kenya (I would say just a healthy kid size). They all are highly capable of eating way more food than one would think could possibly fit into their bodies! They are doing well in school and get along (at least most of the time). It is heart warming to see what a good home environment can do to a child in only a few months!

Janet has been with us for 7 delightful months now

Selah has only been with us for a few weeks, but seems to be adjusting well and loves having a house full of brothers and sisters :)

In other news Kaitlin Backes is now an international Traveler!   It was so exciting to know that another friend from work will be joining me in Kenya for a few weeks! I couldn't wait to introduce her to Kenya and the experience and people that I have come to love. We spent the night in Nairobi at a friends house where we ate amazing food! Kaitlin had a first Matatu ride that was unlike one I had ever been on. Matatus are 12-seater mini buses that enable you to get around Kenya on the main roads. They are cheap and reliably uncomfortable due to the fact they usually carry 20+ passengers. It is not uncommon to find a chicken strapped to the top of the car or inside the van, but this experience was a first. We stopped at a town where market day was happening when suddenly a goat was placed in the trunk, which is open to the rest of the van. The goat wasn't well tied and ultimately got loose under the backseat and was agitated (he hit his head on something when he hit a bad bump) and was rolling around on top of all of our feet. He ultimately bled all over my legs (yes the vegetarian had her legs covered in blood).. Thankfully Kaitlin and I weren't the only people who were horrified about this goat being loose and bleeding everywhere. He was retied and we went on our way. Looking back on the situation, it was a great Karibu Kenya (welcome to Kenya) for Kaitlin :)Just in case anyone is wondering, it apparently isn't legal to have a goat in a public car according to one of our Kenyan friends.

The kids were highly confused when meeting Kaitlin because hers is not a name used in Kenya so the kids just kept asking "what is your name"-which threw them off of their usual animated selves but only for a short time. Kaitlin and I kept busy visiting several hospitals and clinics. We ultimately made several trips to this small dispensary and clinic run by two nurses and two support staff. It was fascinating to see what was being managed by these nurses! We absolutely loved this experience! We saw lots of malaria, active chicken pox, some nasty wounds and a variety of other conditions.

We also made four sanitary pad presentations to local primary schools and a secondary school. The classrooms were all pretty standard for Kenya. The are many desks which the children usually share between 3 students.  One wall is painted with chalk paint for teaching, and some have electricity.  If there don't have it, they just use natural light from windows. It is also an extremely eye opening experience when you enter a classroom in Kenya and compare it back to the US. Many of the kids do not have shoes on, are often wearing their one and only uniform, and are carrying an old cooking oil bottle that is filled with water since the schools don't have access to clean water. We were able to give the schools underwear for some of their girls since you need underwear to be able to utilize the pad kits. We also were able to take some of the schools some soccer balls, which meant all the kids could play with a true ball as compared to a ball they made out of plastic bags and rubber bands.

Kaitlin on the back of a piki, following our load of pads

Catherine

Twister and New Sisters

(Blogpost done by Catherine Shumaker, project manager for TLC).

Karibu Kenya! Getting off the plane in Kenya is one of the biggest rushes of excitement for me!  This trip to Kenya has been a little different than other trips. For the first time I spent a week alone in Kenya in an attempt for Jessica and I to be able to spread our time further. It has been  eye opening, exhausting, but also wonderful. 

We were lucky enough to add two new girls full time to our house. Two of the girls we were sponsoring at home were no longer in a safe environment. We attempt to keep our children with family as long as possible, as long as it's a safe place to be.  Thankfully we were able to remove the girls from the home quickly and without resistance once we became aware of the situation.  Millie and Selah were put in a new school, which is where our full time kiddos go, so it helped ease the transition a bit. They have been thriving at our house since coming which makes all of our hearts so, so happy!

(Millie and Selah on their first day at their new school)

In addition to getting the girls moved to our house, my first week here was filled with other new and exciting changes.  We are getting ready to not only expand, but to buy our own land to create our permanent house! We are so very excited to be creating our own space, designing it for our needs and making it our own! The land is about 1.5 acres with a small fish pond and spread around the land are mango, banana and avocado trees! The house will be sitting up a bit over the fish pond and the land beyond with a beautiful view of our space. There will be plenty of land for us to grow our own crops in an attempt to be as sustainable as possible. The land appears to be extremely fertile with lots of crops currently growing on it, and all the neighbors seems to be lovely!

In the meantime, the kids love the game Twister so we decided we would create a Twister mat on the cement pad next to our current spot. They got Twister last year, but the mat did not survive as long as the board, so they could no longer play... The kids were the lead painters once I showed them how to do it, and they absolutely loved painting it. When we were done I found all their toenails had been painted with oil-based house paint... What can you do? The kids and adults have all enjoyed playing on the mat when they get home from school.

So my first week was busy helping get our new girls settled into our house, dealing with visiting the land, meeting with the contractor at our land to discuss the best location for the house, but also many nights filled with knowing the girls were safe, lots of laughter, smiles and pure child joy! What more could you ask for?

Catherine