Walking water blog

May 9th, 2012.....Ghana

Today I woke up at the break of dawn, I picked up my water container and followed Efu out the door. Our walk the water hole was long and agonizing. My feet were aching and my hands were already throbbing, not only was it a long walk it was extremely hot! I knelt down drenched in sweat and dropped my gourd in and started collecting my water. It was almost 5 am and there were about one hundred women bent over at the point of exhaustion trying to get the last drop of water. Efu had a scared look on her face knowing that if she doesn't fill her jugs she will be surviving on almost no water. In the U.S. society we won't drink water unless it is clean. If you go to a restaurant and there was a fly in your water most of us would ask for a new one. Where in some of the unfortunate places around the world would more than love to have a glass of cold water fly or no fly. After a long couple of hours my jug was full and so was Efu, so we started the long journey home. I was carrying my water on my back and Efu had one on her back and one on her head. I have a bad back from a couple of years ago so I knew it would be sore in a couple of minutes but knowing that women around the world are doing this every day bad back or not I knew I had to just do it and not give up. About an hour in my back was throbbing and Efu looked as if she was in a lot of pain but we one we had to keep going. Women next to us were dropping their water bottles and others were drinking theirs. I knew in order for Efu to have enough water to have a healthy life I needed to keep all mine, not drinking it. One women who was walking with us was carrying them on a stick on her back, she apparently had a really bad back and was looking as if she was going to faint, so I walked over to her and grabbed on of her jugs. At first she looked startled as if I was taking one of her jugs but I gave her a reassuring look and she smiled and said, " Thank you!" The small little things like this make me so happy! We were coming closer to a village but I couldn't tell if it was Efu's. We stopped anyway to take a little break and a welcoming family offered us a little bit of food. We thankful took and it and chowed it down. I am not really sure what it was but we were so hungry anything would have tasted good. WE both knew we had to get back to her village soon so we thanked the kind family and moved on. We had about two miles left on our journey. We silently walked one and a half both exhausted and then the silence was broken when Efu said," Ow!" She was tearing up and I asked what was wrong. She answered me in whimpers, I only got pieces of it... I pulled out of her whimpers.." my back...sharp....cracked." I figured her back was hurting from a sharp pain and maybe it cracked. I walked over and grabbed the water on her back and said," Let's make it back to the village and have you lay on the floor." We kept walking and finally reached the village and I helped her down to a comfortable position and I grabbed the water and moved it to a safe place. Once I got back to Efu she was sound asleep. I went outside and used a little bit of water to clean off my feet. I was getting tired and decided to go to bed. I learned from this experience that these woman have to do this everyday just to get a drip of water not even clean. This was a wonderful learning experience, I learned to persever as well as about different cultures. I want to donate and find a way to get these people clean water close to them. I want to loan my money I get back from kiva to a place to help get water.

Day 3 with Efu

I was awaken as a chill ran over my body. I slowly opened my eyes and found myself lying on a cold, hard rock. My body was stiff and sore, I pulled myself up and was lying next to Efu. I sat there and listened to the waterfall for and hour until Efu woke up. When she woke up she looked startled and in a hurry. She woke the kids up and they ran off. I found myself running in cold dirt until I reached their house. The kids were late for school they grabbed some food and ran off. I lay back down, exhausted and hungry. I was awaken by the sweet smell of Efu's cooking. She walked over and handed me a glass of sweet water, I had assumed it was sweetened with sugar or honey. I walked over to the table and sat down and ate her wonderful food. I thanked her and asked her if I could help her fish today. She turned to me and said, " I would love to have some help!" We walked outside and hoped in her boat. She just pretty much had her head in the water and was scrambling trying to catch fish. I joined in and we fished for a couple hours. After fishing we cleaned the fish and salted the fish. I wanted to do something special for them before I left so I prepared the fish and set the table. After setting the table I wanted to watch the sunset right outside their house. I grabbed my sleeping pad and set it up right by the water and lay there and just let all thoughts flow through my head. I thought about soccer, friends, school and everything I needed to let out, which right now is a lot. At that moment in time I wished I had someone who would listen to everything without judging me, telling me I am wrong or anything. Just let everything flow and let all the stress out. I had thoughts and memories of happiness and sadness of triumph and failure. I was as calm as ever, I felt relieved as if I had the rest of my life to make it amazing! My life is a rollercoaster, sometimes I ride it on the high points and low and sometimes I don't have enough energy to hang on. I try and try but I chug up to reach the top and it seems like right when you get there I find myself flying right back down. I work hard at soccer and work my butt off but what kills me is that one game that I don't play to my potential and ODP and ID2 are there watching me and I just screwed up. I decided as I sat there that today I would go with the punches and put my hands up on the fast downhill and remember that I will be chugging back up to reach the top in no time. I am done with people telling me I am nice, or a good soccer player that is not good enough I want to be the sweetest person you have ever met and the best soccer player. I am ready to live my life and make it how I want it. It was starting to get dark and I walked back to serve dinner when I found that I walked in and there was a line of candles so I followed it. It lead me out the back door and along the water and into a grouping of trees where I reached an opening. The candles ended and there was a wooden sculpture of a waterfall and a fish. Efu appeared and said," Well do you like them?"
"Yes, yes of course I do!" I answered.
"Well they are my way of thanking you for al that you have done for me!" I turned and gave her a big hug and said," Thank you!" She turned and sat down at the table, the only light was the candles. We ate and then walked back to the house where I packed up. I hand wrote a long letter thanking them for an unforgettable experience. I woke up at 4 and was off to the airport, I almost forgot to leave their presents, I had made them friendship bracelets I left them on the table with the note. I will never forget this trip. I learned so much about Ghana, Efu and me.... I am so happy I got the chance to fund and visit thank you John!

Day 2 with Efu

Today I wanted to get up bright and early to help Efu with her morning duties. When I woke up around 6:00 Efu was gone she had breakfast on the table waiting for me. It seemed as if the kid's were gone too. I stumbled outside in my sleepy state. I found Efu siting on her boat paddling out. Her kid's were walking towards me with water on their heads. I found myself wondering who to help. I ran inside and grabbed a bucket and joined the children. We gathered corn and water for the house and then the kids ran off to school and Efu headed back in with a load of fish. She looked at me and said," Today we will go to the store." I looked at her in agreement and went to grab my shoes. As I reached down to grab them and put them on my feet I resisted. I walked over to Efu and handed them to her, she didn't know what to do with them so she had me sit down and started to put them on me. I looked at her and thought wow! So I stopped her and had her sit down and put them on her. She walked around in them feeling them out. Then I said," Ready?" She looked and walked out. She seemed to be walking funny, it looked as if she had bricks on her feet. When we reached the store she opened the door for me and showed me around. The store was a very small room with a cash register, which she bought with some of the loan, and a case for the fish. She opened the case and showed me all her fish. The look on her face when she showed me them was the look of a little girl with a new doll. She knew the names of every one, it was her passion! After learning and "meeting" all her fish we cleaned off the catch of this morning and headed back home. She said she wanted to show me some of Ghana. I approved so we set of on the journey of Ghana. First we stopped at a small street market, we bought salt to season the fish and I bought a couple friendship bracelet that the woman made in front of me. For me the bracelets symbolized the journey to Ghana and the experience in Ghana. We walked the whole street market looking at the stores and talking to the owners. Efu said to me," It would be great to bring my fish here." Right as she said that it became my mission to put her in the street market by the end of my trip. After the street market we walked toward a mountain and found a beautiful waterfall! Efu's smile when we reached the waterfall was priceless! She jumped right in, I joined her and gave a little hoot and I hit the chilled water! She swam down to the bottom and smiled at me as she came up and held up a fish. I could tell she spent a lot of time her.. like I spend time at the soccer fields she spends it at a beautiful waterfall! She was at home swimming around and going behind the waterfall. I wanted to spend the rest of the day there! So I told Efu that and she just smiled and nodded. She stood up and waved me on. We walked back to her house and the kid's were sitting down talking and she walked over and whispered something to them and  they stood up. They grabbed a jacket and a bag with something that looked like food and walked out. I didn't know what to do so I grab a jacket and something that looked like food and followed them. They seemed to be following the trail we took to the waterfall but it looked different probably cause I knew the gift at the end. People in the U.S. ask for presents like clothes and video games but these people just want food or waterfalls, simple stuff. When we reached the waterfall the set down a handmade blanket and we all sat down on it and lay out the contents of our bags. Mine had some fish in it and salt, Efu's had two different kinds of rice and the kids had salsa and chip and other appetizers. The kids bags were not empty when we started to eat. They seemed to have something saved for later! Dinner was wonderful, it was the most peaceful dinner I have ever had. I listened to the waterfall and the stories about school from the kids. After dinner one of the kids handed me a dessert that looked like a brownie. I took a bite and right then and there I could have married that kid. It was a brownie with real sugar and almonds, it was amazing. All the sudden I was splashed with a bunch of water and turned around and Efu was in the waterfall. It was not only cold it was dark, but she didn't seem to care at all! So I carelessly jumped in after her. We swam around under the waterfall with fish hitting my legs underneath the moon. I was getting chilled and decided to get out forgetting that I didn't have a towel. I decided I was going to lay on a rock and hope to get warm when a warm towel hit me. I looked back and there was Efu lighting candles. She wrapped herself up in a towel and lay down looking at the starts, I joined in silence snuggled up next to her. I started to drift off and the last sight I remember after a great day was the moon on the waterfall..

First day with Efu

I woke up this morning and was so excited......I got on the plane and then the car and made it to Elmina, Ghana. 

When I arrived in Elmina I was greeted by a  group of young children who offered to take my bags to Efu's house. She lived by the ocean so that she didn't have to walk very far to fish. The conversations lingered about the United States. They wanted to know everything about my house, family, Santa Barbara.. basically my life story. The soil underneath my feet started to become damp so I knew I was getting close. The soil that I had been walking on for about thirty minutes soon vanished and I was in a hard sand that lead to the water. The sight was nothing like I had ever seen before, the ocean glistened in the sun and the youngster's who stood next to me light up when we reached the water. Before I knew it my bags were on the floor and the kids were running towards the water at full speed. It was as if they had never seen the ocean, they were swimming around in seconds. When I started to look around I saw a woman leaning over a boat exhausted floating on the water. I immediately assumed it was Efu, her boat was full from a long days work. Shortly after she paddled towards the shore slowly. Her boat skimmed across the sand and slide to a stop. She hopped out with a grin on her face and sid, "Hello I am Efu, You are Alea. Right?" I looked at this woman dripping in sweat, "yes, this is she." She leaned in and said, " I will show you to the house. I grinned and followed her. She showed me in and said, " This is your corner where you shall sleep." I looked at her in agreement and set my stuff down. I pulled out my sleeping pad and sleeping bag and rolled them out, oh and how could I have forgotten, then I set my pillow pet softly on top of my sleeping bag. I looked back up and she was gone, I thought to myself she must be at the water. So I walked outside to find her back in the boat at work. She was grabbing a fish and then sliced it open and set it in the boat. I sat on the ground in astonishment not only in her hard work but in everything. Her house is the size of my living room, she has three children to feed plus a husband. She must sit out there for hours each day just catching fish. Her hands must be horrible tired after a long day at work. About thirty minutes later she paddled toward the shore and hopped out. Grabbed the canoe and pulled it up and tied it around a tree. She grabbed a huge looking bag. Big enough to store two humans and slung it over her shoulders. The bag seemed to be bulging out the sides and looked very heavy. So I ran down and helped her out. She thanked me shortly after. And went inside with the fish. She started to cook them when I look noice rang through the house. It was her children. They came in yelling and screaming as if they were millionaires. To have no money and be so happy is one thing but to be barely surviving and be as happy as can be is amazing. The walked in gave their mom a kiss and shook my hand and walked out. My eyes followed them outside. Before I knew it they were in the water sloshing around like the kids who helped me bring my bags to the house. It seems as if the ocean is where they love to be. Jumping around, laughing and have the time of their lives. I walked back into the house to help Efu cook the fish. I walked in and she was singing and humming and dancing around with a salt shaker. She was seasoning the fish. She looked so happy it was great to see. When she realized I was standing there she abruptly stopped and I asked if I could help. She said, " no just go get washed up for dinner." She must have seen my unknowing because she walked over and pointed to the bucket. I sat down next to it, wondering how I was going to do it. I dunked my head in first and washed it then wrapped the towel around my head. Then I washed my body, the water was not very warm though. Then I went to my sleeping spot and grabbed my sweats and shirt, I changed and walked to the dinner table. Efu had the table nicely set with fish and rice on the table. The children say next to each other on on side. The boy got up and pulled a chair out and pointed at it showing me where to sit. I sat and ate and took in the whole essence of Ghana. It was an amazing first day! One I will never forget. I am very much looking forward to tomorrow!

Currency

1 U.S. dollar = 1.82449 Ghanaian New Cedi

5 U.S. dollars = 9.12245 Ghanaian New Cedi

10 U.S. dollars = 18.24490 Ghanaian New Cedi

20 U.S. dollars = 38.48980 Ghanaian New Cedi

100 U.S. dollars = 182.449 Ghanaian New Cedi

10 Phrases

Hello: ayikoo
Good day/afternoon: maaha
Thank you very much: media esa
How are you: hoe gaan dit met jou
What: wat
How are you feeling: hoe noel jy
What time is it: hoe laat is dit
What is your name: wat is jou naam
Where am I: waar is ek
Good day: goeie dag
I used google translate.
From english to afrikaans.

My ticket to Elmina, Ghana

I am driving to LAX at 4:00

Get on plane at 6:20

42 hours and 15 minute flight

Arrive in Accra, Ghana

Get there and drive 2 hours and 12 minutes

Arrive at Elminia, Ghana

Day 5 visit with Maruge......Last day

Today I woke up at 5:30 am to watch the sunrise. It couldn't have been better. It was so pretty. Once again, I sat under my tree in the field. Shortly after arriving, Maruge came and sat with me.  He had his coffee and brought me a glass of water. We sat until around 7:45 am. My plane was taking off at 12:00 noon. We went inside and he told me I had to find something to do while he made breakfast. As I sat and wrote and thought and hung out with his animals, the smell that lingered out of his kitchen was delicious. He came out and rang the bell as if it were lunch time at school.  I walked into the kitchen and he had candles and a delicious breakfast on the table and something that looked like a present. I told him I wouldn't take it, but he insisted. He said it wasn't anything big, just a token of his appreciation. I thanked him and chowed down on my delicious breakfast.

After breakfast he told me it was time for me to open my present. So, I unwrapped it and there sat a letter and something else underneath. I unfolded the letter and was very impressed with his handwriting. He said, "I worked on it all class time." I felt like crying.  It meant so much to me that he took his time and wrote to me. The note said many things, but the thing that caught my attention was how grateful he was that I asked him about his family. He said I took a huge weight off his back, he felt okay sharing it all with me and that it felt so good to open up about it all. He said that I was the only person he has shared about his family with, I am so honored and feel so happy about the opportunity to learn more about him. He is so humble like I said before, he is a ball of yarn -  hard to figure out where to start, but it just unravels from there on out.

I knew that I was going to have to get in a van soon and head home, but there were a couple things I needed to accomplish, I needed to say goodbye to the kids and a good long goodbye to Maruge. So, we headed to the school and I said goodbye to every kid.  I gave each of them a hug and by the end I was crying. The kids were really looking at me with their young eyes and giving me hugs, it was so hard not to sob and break down. Some kids you can see right through and know their stories, others you feel as if there is a barrier that you haven't broken through yet. Saying goodbye to these kids was tough.

Realizing how long it took to say goodbye was crazy, but I had to sadly rush my goodbye with Maruge. The goodbye was still thoughtful and wonderful. Then, I had to get on the plane and head on home. As I got on the plane everything hit me - what I experienced, saw, felt - everything I saw came back to me. All the moments good and bad, inspiring and depressing, were with me. Maruge sat and waited and once the plane took off he waved and headed to his home.

Maruge is a soft spoken and gracious man. He doesn't have all that much to say, but when he does it is very meaningful. The simplest things make him so happy. We take many things for granted, for Maruge he is thankful for almost everything. I would not trade meeting Maruge and learning about him for anything. I grew as a person so much from this experience. He showed me that everyday is what you make of it. You have to make a choice everyday to be happy, it is your choice! He showed me to take nothing for granted, let people be unhappy and just worry about yourself. You are your own person, don't let people bring you down. Just stand up for who you are and live and breathe happiness.

I took so many things for granted that I will appreciate now, and realize how special they are. You can grow so much from one person setting you on a different path. Maruge set me on a happy trail, where I focus more on me and my happiness. People will tell you that you can't, but you just have to look at them in the face, trust yourself, and say watch me. Prove the people wrong who don't believe in you and cherish the people who do. Don't waste your time on the little things, life is meant to be enjoyed.

I thank Maruge for teaching me so many wonderful new lessons that would have taken a lot longer to figure out. I cherished every word he said, because I know he has so much wisdom. Personally I love quotes and I could take so many quotes from Maruge!

Thank you so much Maruge!!!

Day 5 visit with Maruge

Today is going to be an amazing day, I can feel it. Although this morning was slow, I didn't feel like I had to rush. So, I took my time knowing tomorrow I would be leaving. Today Maruge and I made a beautiful dish for breakfast. It was a breakfast burrito, one of the best I have ever had. He wasn't in his school uniform, so I figured we weren't going to school today. It was going to be a travel day to see stuff and just be together.

We enjoyed the meal and talked and learned more about each other. Maruge is kinda like yarn to me, you have to find the start and then it will unravel. I started to ask about his family, to hear his thoughts and make sure I had the story right. At first he didn't have much to say, but then he let it all go like a bag of doves. They want to get out and when they do it is crazy.

I asked him solemnly what he named his child. He told me it was Nayeli. I told him it is a beautiful name. He gave me a little bit of a smirk and said, " Thanks!" Then, I asked if it was ok to talk about his family or if it was a tough subject. You could tell it was a soft topic, but it looked like he didn't have anybody else to talk to about it. So, I started asking questions, trying to be considerate and not invading his life. You could tell some of the questions I asked brought back memories, some unwanted. He told me how he had the most beautiful girl and that he had the most magical baby that was taken away from him. That day was the worst day of his life. He heard his wife and child suffer and there was nothing he could do about it. Just that one sentence made me cry, because if that ever happened to me, I would be so mad, but yet I would feel so powerless. To hear my family being shot would leave me scared, but yet he was powered by that, I mean yes the days after he was depressed, but he wouldn't give up trying to make things right and make a difference for others.

I learned so many things about Maruge today that are sad, but so inspiring. What Maruge has been through is horrific. Many people would be very unhappy and scared to go anywhere or mad at the whole world. Maruge has made a difference in the world and I hope to make a difference too. We talked for awhile about many things. He wanted to know all about where I live and I promised I would send a postcard. He loved that and couldn't wait to receive a postcard. In this world, it is the small things that make a difference.

Then we made a delicious dinner and headed off to bed. Sadly, tomorrow I will be leaving. Tomorrow I am waking up early to soak in all I can.

Day 4 visit with Maruge

Taking in everything that happened yesterday was crazy and life changing. Many of us have dreams that we are chasing, these kids have dreams, but are being held back from chasing them. They have to worry about things that we have the privilege to not even have to think about. These kids are so bright and wonderful, no different then us, although the life they live is a lot harder.

As I got up and out of bed, I smelled something delicious. Maruge was cooking. He had breakfast made and said, "We are going to school today." I rushed back, grabbed my uniform, which happened to be hanging on the hanger after being washed, and went to breakfast. In Kenya you have to hand wash all clothing, and then hang to dry. Not as easy as we have it in the U.S.

We hopped in our van and headed to school. The kids greeted me at the gate as they did yesterday. They are starting to make a routine of greeting me. It is really a highlight of my day, to see the smiles they share. We headed into class and I changed it up and sat with Maruge. I loved sitting with the children, but I haven't gotten much of a chance to sit with Maruge or learn much about him. In the van, I asked if tomorrow we could spend the day together. He seemed a little disappointed as if he wanted to go to school, but he agreed.

Knowing how much he loves school, I wanted to observe him doing what he loves. As I watched throughout the lesson he pretty much tuned the class out. He saw what was going on and just kept practicing his kittens and numbers until they were perfect. He would look up and realize what was going on, get a grasp, and tune out again. Although he was one of the top students, he did not pay as much attention as we are told to at SBMS.

As the school day ended, we hopped in our van to go home. Maruge and I made a lovely dinner and headed to bed. Today was not as much of an eye opener to their culture, but it was an amazing day.

Day 3 visit with Maruge

Today I slept in. By the time I was up, Maruge was up and breakfast was served. As I walked into the breakfast area, I could tell we were going to school. Maruge had his sweater and school shorts on. So, I hurried back and put mine on as well. This morning Maruge seemed to be in a rush so I chowed down on my food and we hopped in a van to school.

As we arrived the kids greeted me. Some remembered me, others not so much. Class had started, and I headed in and found my seat. They were learning to sound words out. As intriguing as that was, I was taken over by thoughts. My hunger was part of it, but that was not important at all. I realized these kids' routines everyday are much like mine, although not at all. I have soccer after school. The kids who want to play soccer here have to find a ball or make one out of paper. The things we have and can choose to do as after school activities are a privilege we take for granted. I am sure many of the girls at this school would love to do ballet or boys to play basketball or lacrosse or learn an instrument, but they sadly don't have that choice.

As lunch started, I decided I wanted to get to know some of the children's stories.  I sat with a couple of them. I sat with Dalia, Elea and Ayubu, all of which had very interesting stories. Dalia's family is what we call poor, most of their money goes to the schooling for her. That's why many of us should be donating to get little kids in schools so that it isn't ripping families apart like Dalia's. When Dalia's Dad realized they had no more money, he ran away and tried making a living for himself. So, now Dalia is being raised by a single mom with two other siblings. Elea's story was very interesting to me, her Mom and Dad work very hard to make a living for her. Her parent's are big believers in the next generation, they have two kids who they are trying to make their lives amazing. They both work all week, two jobs each. They make sure their kids get the tools to excel in whatever they want to. Ayubu was a very reserved little girl, she didn't want to share her story. So, I let her just think rather than share.  My perspective on her was her life at home was not enjoyable, which is a big disappointment to me.

As school ended, Maruge and I headed home for dinner and then bed. It was a full day with a lot of new and interesting things.

Day 2 visit with Maruge

Today I woke up somewhat early, either to the sound of Maruge's chickens or the way I slept. Either way I was so happy to have risen to see the sunset. The sunset was a beautiful pink and orange color. I decided to go find a spot under a tree and watch it rise the rest of the way. I found my spot underneath an Acacia tree. An Acacia tree looks somewhat like a a bush on a tree. It is not full, the tree does not have many leaves. As I sat down on a rock under the tree I was overwhelmed with thoughts like a waterfall rushing towards me. I didn't try to stop them, they were a pleasant surprise, as they rushed in I thought a little bit about them and then moved on. Things came up like; how would it be for me to live here, how would I spend my days, what would school be like, etc.... I came to a conclusion that I love the place I live and all the components to it, although Kenya is a great place to visit.

I set back for the house, walking through the deep brush and others farms and animals. Maruge was already awake and was drinking something that appeared to be coffee. He looked at me with a puzzled look as if wondering if I was lost. Then he built up the courage to say, "Where were you?" I looked up and pointed towards the fields, he still seemed very confused. Then I thought and said,"I was watching the sunset." He looked at me as if he was approving and then said, "You didn't seem like the adventurous type." "Well you guessed wrong", I answered with solemn respect. " Looks like we might have a change of plans", he said with a smirk.

Before we could go anywhere, we had to eat something. Maruge made us potatoes and beans, they were very good although not very filling. As you can tell by the meals, they do not have the abundance we have. Kenya is not the wealthiest place around.  The people are not greedy, they take what they have and use/save it wisely.

Maruge and I set off to find a van to take us to our destination. The problem was Maruge wouldn't tell me where we were going. So, once we found a van, we just headed toward our "destination". I started to become a little queasy, the car was hot, musty and the road was bumpy; I was not feeling so great. Then, all of a sudden, the driver said something I couldn't quite understand and opened the door and Maruge headed out.

The place was beautiful, I still didn't know where we were though. Maruge started heading up what looked like a trail, so I followed. All of a sudden I could hear rushing water, then we reached a clearance and there it sat -  a waterfall. It was so beautiful, trees were surrounding it. Then, all of a sudden I saw Maruge heading toward the water, he walked in as if it were a pool not a waterfall rushing down toward him. I decided I only live once, so I walked in as well. After a long swim in the waterfall we headed back and got in a van.  What a journey.

Later that night after dinner Maruge told me we went to Thomson Falls. After cleaning the dishes, I headed to bed.

Day one- Arrival in Nairobi

On the plane ride to Nairobi I was thinking about the memories I would take away. The things you see in these places are not like anything you see on the internet. Kenya and Africa isn't all bad, the things you see and learn about just portray it that way.

When I arrived I hopped in a van and headed to Maruge's village. The ride was very bumpy, and in a hot, musty car. The men who were driving were blabber mouths, they wouldn't stop talking. When they weren't talking, they were singing. When I arrived at Maruge's house, he was feeding his animals. The second I stepped out of the car I knew this visit wasn't going to be a high activity planned out week and a couple days.

Maruge then walked toward me with a warm welcome and showed me to my sleeping spot. Not too big or comfy, but enough to get the feel of Kenya. As he brought me outside and finished the feeding, he said we were going to go to school today. As I stood there just taking in the modern and beautiful place I was yet to explore, I realized Maruge is a very soft spoken man. He doesn't have too much to say, but when he speaks, it is so thought over and meaningful. The emotions that rushed into my mind were crazy. Maruge is very strong willed and everything he says he completely believes in.

After feeding we headed to school. He handed me his old torn up school uniform. Holding the uniform was like holding what we would call a rag. Then, he walked back in with a pair of something that looked like house slippers. He told me that they were my school shoes. Many people know the company Toms, as I looked at the shoes I became very grateful for what Toms does. The shoes' soles were as thin as five pieces of paper, worn out with a couple of holes.

As I walked into the school yard I was examined as if I was a popular actress. Everyone seemed to watch every move I made with their very small, yet beautiful eyes. As I headed into the crammed classroom I was shown to my seat. I was put in the back of the classroom next to the sweetest girl, named Amani. She had many questions to ask of me almost as if we were playing twenty questions. She wanted to know where I came from, why I was there and why I was in her classroom.

As I looked around the classroom to the children with their eyes so concentrated on the lesson of the day, I realized most of them were sharing chairs half the size of the ones we are used to at home. These kids have one pencil and use it until there is no lead left, where we use it and then change, because the next day we might want a pink pencil. The things we take for granted are things these kids pray for in order to go to school.

After the bell rang the mad rush headed for the door. Amani said goodbye and ran along with the others. Maruge headed toward me, not quite as fast as the others, to say we were going home again. Once we got home I told Maruge I didn't want him to plan certain days especially for me.  I want it to be a normal experience. He told me he understood and would make it as real as possible with some exceptions.

As the day was nearing its close, we watched as the sun went down. Then said goodnight and I headed to my sleeping spot.

Look at these photos of the school and the people whom attend.