From the plains of the Lion King to the bustling streets of
Aladdin, even Walt Disney couldn’t fathom the adventure we had during our last
days in Kenya. Ted Grant, our fearless leader, had been teasing the team the
entire trip about the surprise at the end, and he drew it out until the very
last second. After 9 days of clinics and a previous long travel day to Nairobi,
Sunday started with breakfast at 5:30am, so we could greet the animals of
Nairobi National Park at sunrise. In the ‘hakkunah hurraka’ (no hurry) fashion
of Kenya, we sat outside the park watching the sun rise over the gates, as the
computers were not working to check us in. We spent three hours in the park,
standing in the combi’s (a vehicle where the roof pops up so you can stand in
the vehicle) and saw giraffes, zebra, water buffalo, an ostrich, and even two black
rhinos. The people in one of the combi’s glimpsed the back of a lioness, who
disappeared before the other two combi’s arrived. We left the park satisfied, with the Lion King
soundtrack playing, some of us musing how close the movie replicates the
scenery.
From there, one teammember in particular, Nora Fleming, was ecstatic
to go to the Elephant Orphanage, a high item on her bucket list. Here the team
saw 30 elephants of all ages come out, play with toys, drink from a bottle, and
in general, entertain the crowd with their personalities. From there we were
off to the real surprise, which still, somehow, was not yet revealed. All we
knew was that we had to bring a bathing suit and pack light.
We arrived at Wilson airport, a small private airport in
Nairobi and flew out on a puddle jumper similar to the Charlottetown-Halifax leg.
Our team occupied half of the seats on the plane! We were headed to Lamu
Island, a beautiful spot untouched by the modern world (or as much as that’s
possible). The island boasts 18,000 people and 8,000 donkeys. There is only one
car on the island, owned by the chief, and the only way to access the island is
by boat after flying into Manda Island. We got off the airplanes and were
escorted onto two speed boats for the 20 minute journey to our hotel on the
back side of Lamu in a town called Kipingani. We were greeted with real
coconuts filled with ice-cold coconut water as we lounged in chairs and
hammocks waiting for our room assignments. The resort, which only had two other
people staying there, was a waterfront property divided into small private huts
for two. The floor, walls, and roof of the hut were made from woven palm trees
that were constructed in the small town of Kipingani. After marveling at the
rustic opulence, we all changed into swim-suits and ran like kids into the warm
ocean water. We spent the afternoon by the dhou (sailboat) showing off with entertaining
jumps from the cabana into the salty water of the Indian Ocean.
This idyllic scene was a stark contrast to our experience in
Mikinduri. We went from scratchy sheets on small beds to king size beds with
pristine white sheets. The sounds changed from chickens and church music to the
lapping of waves on the ocean. The food became more rich and plentiful, and our
duties were now to recover and relax before heading back to Nairobi. It was an
overwhelming, somewhat perplexing change, especially during the third course of
the candlelight dinner, sitting in awe under the stars. Looking into another
teammates eyes, you could see brief moments of guilt, trying to enjoy
ourselves, when the people we left in Mikinduri have so little. As nice as it
was to relax after we had worked so hard, it was still uncomfortable at times
to enjoy it.
Monday was spent in kayaks in the ocean and lazing by the
pool, followed by a sunset cruise in a dhou sailboat, ending with a fancy meal
on the beach. Our final day in Kenya (Tuesday) started with some of the team
going to Lamu to see the historic town that has been untouched by time. Walking
through alleys, backdrops from Aladdin, was a surreal experience. Tall buildings
with narrow walkways, the only hint of the modern world being the occasional
cell phone or power line. There is order and planning that went into the
construction of this village during the 18th century, evidenced by
the stone irrigation path running the waste down every alley to the ocean. Originally
inhabited by people from Zanzibar, then taken over by the Arabs, followed by
the Portuguese, German, British, then eventually Kenyans, this town is a mix of
cultures, where the majority of people are Muslim, covered from head to toe. We
explored a Portuguese fort, learned more about the local tribes, and wandered
through the streets trying to avoid the many donkeys, the main form of
transport.
Our days in paradise coming to a close, the team took the
small plane back Nairobi and enjoyed our last Kenyan meal at a Brazilian
steakhouse called Carnivore. They used to serve exotic meats but now just boast
the standard chicken, pork, beef, and crocodile on spits. We arrived at the
Nairobi airport around 9pm for our midnight flight, so spend the next 24 hours
travelling back to Canada.
Though hard to see our team split up and say goodbye, we
were grateful to have shared three weeks in the company of so many caring,
hardworking individuals. The work that is done in Mikinduri can only be
accomplished due to the donors who pay for the drugs, supplies, and salaries of
the Kenyan professionals. Those of us on the trip pay our own way, but there
would be nowhere to go without the resources Mikinduri Children of Hope (MCOH) makes
possible.
The KENCAN 2014 team witnessed many emotions: the joy of the
children having received school supplies, the hope of the families at the
promise of new classrooms, the smiles and relief of patients at the clinic, the
grief and sadness of those whose diseases couldn’t be cured, and the tentative
dreaming of the newly sponsored children. On this 10th anniversary
of MCOH, it’s remarkable to see what has been accomplished and how many
people’s lives have been touched through the feeding programs, water projects,
agricultural projects, sewing center, and scholarship program. I dare to dream
that this effect will exponentially increase over the next ten years, with the
help of the amazing volunteers and supporters of MCOH, to turn the fervent hopes
of children across the globe into a tangible reality.
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| 2014 MCOH |
