Kenya day 1 (part 2)

Kakamega today was hot, but no hotter than I’m used to.  In fact a little cooler than recent Brisbane temps.  

Sarah looked like she was struggling a little but to be honest she doesn’t really get out walking and she is already exhausted from working so hard in the school.  All I had in my bag was Interim Dave and my water bottle so it was nice and light - until I bought a freaking massive watermelon and then it was much heavier than carrying Lily!  I took Interim Dave out for a photo on the watermelon stand and the vendor was ever so excited.  He had never seen anything like it and wanted to hold him and when I told him what it was, he kept exclaiming “Husky! Husky!  I keep!”

There is a massive funeral going on at the neighbour’s compound so it was quite interesting getting off the property.

Funerals here are massive events.  This one is running Thursday through Sunday.  They have about four marquees erected on the compound, the veggie patch has been completely destroyed to make way for charcoal fires for cooking, and the dirt road is packed with a motley assortment of vehicles, a seething mass of humanity alongside is making any travel difficult if not impossible.  The Africans will spend vast amounts of money on funerals, Jon suggested perhaps four months’ wages.  They appear to go overboard on all kinds of events such as this so no wonder the poverty is so extreme (70% unemployment).

The hardest thing in Kakamega was seeing the children.  Little boys, maybe 8 or 9, were running after us while sniffing (and even eating) glue from the glass bottles they carry.  Begging us for money that we can’t give them because they will just buy more glue.  They won’t live long, and it is terribly terribly sad.  

When the evenings come, the people just walk on the roads, or sit in front of their houses, even the children.  There is nothing for them to do, no hobbies, no toys, they just sit, they talk, and they watch the traffic go by.  

Here in the compound, the boys from Martin’s house (the pastor) come down every day hoping for food - bread, or chocolate usually.  You learn to ignore them after awhile or they will eat you out of house and home!  Today we have been visited by Kingsley (4), Vincent (K’s father, there is no mother) and Sammy and Jemo (Martin’s nephews, aka unpaid servants - the caste system here is another day’s topic entirely!)