BLOG 15
22nd February
Up early; Father Alois was taking the
morning mass in he chapel and I joined him.
He made the sign of the cross on my forehead in ashes, and then asked me
to do the same for him. I am constantly
amazed at how liberal these Mill Hill fathers are … I would NEVER be asked to
do this, most especially as a woman, in a Catholic church in England. I think the Mill Hill fathers have a lot to
teach their own church.
To Pandipieri this morning … I still have
half a suitcase of bra's I must get rid of !
Then to try and find a working internet so I can upload several days
blogs, then lunch back here, and a final visit to the workshop this
afternoon. I'd better get to it
…......
…...... later. OK … the
bra's have been delivered
! Two large
bags of bra's … except
for two I've had
to purloin ! I'll 'accidentally' leave
those in my room
in Nairobi … they will
find a good home
!
I've
said goodbye to people
at Pandipieri, and promised to
return … but when ?? The clinics
there are busy this
morning … I spotted a
few ladies that might
fit the size 50-DDDD
size !!
What
else have I done
? I've checked
on the 'net for
a Virgin telephone number
to confirm my flight
when I get to
Nairobi … I can't do
it online.
(A virgin number ? Sounds a
bit dubious ! The sort of
thing you might see
advertised in a shady
shop window in Amsterdam
!) I managed
to upload my blog
to date, by using
Firefox; IE doesn't seem
to like it, though
I had to use
IE for my emails.
I've
bought an elephant for
Nickolas, some tea for
me and some spices
for Suzie.
I'm stuck for presents
as I don't want
to go by myself
to the main market
area … just hope Paul
has the baskets for
me to sell for
HATW.
I've
been wondering what I would
be doing now, if
I'd returned to Kisumu
10 years back. The heat and
humidity is no problem
… I feel fit and
healthy; the awful cough
left over from Christmas
that I came with
was gone in two
days. The Malarone seems to have no side effects,
as I take it with a large breakfast every day.
Its hot … and so
I sweat for 20
hours a day, and
have clean clothes at
least twice a day
after showers, sometimes three
times. Could I
have worked in Pandipieri
for ten years, like
Sr Bernadette, living by herself
in one room ?
Could I have lived
right in the slum,
sleeping on a mat
among the cockroaches and
rats like Fr Hans
? What about
working in MamaPat's orphanage,
living on a diet
of ugali and sukuma wiki
? ? Could I have
been a street worker
trying to get children
off the streets and
back to their families
? Alas … today
being Ash Wednesday when
we are supposed to
search ourselves … I know I'd
fail.
But
if there is just
one thing I feel
I have done this
trip that has been
good, its hearing about
the death of Carolyn,
talking to her mother,
and organising for Milly, her
identical twin,
and her mother to
get counselling help.
And I will stay
in touch with Bernadette
to check how things
are going for the
child. 'Giving a
hand, not a hand
out' as the HATW
motto says.
Sampson
has just been … he
makes the most superb
clay models of people
and mothers and babies. He told
me he has no
money for his daughter
for school fees, and
being a sucker for
a sob story … I
bought one of his
models, but I paid
him in English as
I'm running out of
shillingi. The money
may or may not
get to his daughter,
but then I remember
what Hans said … the
African way is that
if they receive a
gift or money from
you, it is theirs
to do what they
will; the donor cannot
control how it is
used.
Later
still ….. I went
to the workshop in
the hottest part of
the day; I see
tidying up has been
started and I deliver
the broom, which amused
Morris on the tuk-tuk
! ! Paul wasn't there
when I arrived, so
I talked to Emily
and the small children. I see
the water meter has
already been installed and
the tap moved nearer
to Emily's house. I made little
films of the children
dancing, and they thought
seeing themselves on my small
camera screen was hilarious
! Paul came .. he has ordered the
wood for the benches,
and has a man
there painting the windows
with red oxide, and
a blackboard on the wall
! Progress already.
Paul
has the baskets. We walked along
together, through the plastic
rubbish everywhere, to Lilians
house, and it was
good to see her
again. Her 'new'
house is still small
but it has electric
light for some hours
each day, which means
she can do her
sewing machining late at night. She is
so pleased with the
over-locking machine which Gill
and I gave her
the money for as
her bonus last year. She can now 'finish' garments much neater,
and thus earn more. I passed on the
presents Gill sent for her children … Shannon, the boy, and Shaila, the
daughter. We spotted her husband with
his piki-piki, (which is owned by someone else and he uses it … I assume
for a share of the takings) and I was introduced to him. He's a short man, and I think Lilian is the
boss in that family !
Then
back to the workshop
to call Morris, and
back here for my
last supper ! And packing ! Paul has
given me soap-stone, which
is heavy, including a
present for Tim and
Rachels wedding ! How very kind
of him … I just
hope I can get
it back to the
UK, wrapped in my
dirty clothes, without breaking
it. It has
added to my weight
allowance !
But getting rid of
all the children's clothes
and bra's has given
me lots of space
for the baskets and
books I have obtained,
mostly about Luo history
and the oral tradition,
which I have been
urging Paul to keep
up with his family;
it is his culture,
and worth preserving.
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