Farah in Africa

I am back online again and I missed blogging. It so happened that my co-volunteers and I had a chance to be in Nairobi for a much-needed R and R and there was Internet where we were staying. I just had to update my blog to tell my family I am fine and also to share this photo. The thing is, by the time this gets published, I would probably be on my way to Mombasa to resume my community work; or, maybe not (it depends on the situation as this is an auto-post anyway). We had a wonderful weekend watching wild animals and just being in the city with electricity, running water, and most of all, enjoyed the company of fellow volunteers and great food! And what a great weekend it was. This is a not so Wordless entry, so please excuse me. Ok, on to the picture.

This one may not be Pumbaa the lovable character in the Disney movie, the Lion King, and half of the dynamic duo Timon and Pumbaa, but it is a warthog. We found this one on our visit to Amboseli National Park in Kenya.

This is, specifically, a Central African warthog (Phacochoerus africanus massaicus) that is found only in Kenya and Tanzania. The warthog commonly reverses into burrows with the head always facing the opening and ready to burst out if necessary.

Anyways, this is my entry for this week's WW. 

Spotted in one of the trees inside while on a trip to the Gede ruins. Some of us stopped to take photos of these crawlies and I could only imagine how embarassed these two must have felt while we were taking their photos in, uhmm, horizontal position *lol*

Two weeks ago, my fellow Volunteers and I decided to spend our weekend together. We went to Gede ruins near the coastal town of Malindi in Mombasa. Gede ruins is a 12th century Swahili village that was mysteriously abandoned some 600 years ago for unknown reasons. It is now a national park  and the ruins are now overgrown with beautiful forest trees, such as this huge baobab tree. The place reminds me so much of the temple ruins at the Angkor Wat complex. It may have lacked the grandioseness of the temples in Cambodia, the Gede ruins give visitors an eerie atmospheric feeling from the massive trees with mangled branches reminiscent of Ta Prohm temple. The Gede ruins continue to attract tourists from everywhere.

Another update set in the auto-post mode. I am not sure which tribe they belong to but these women work as entertainers/performers at the hotel where the VSO Coast Volunteers had a 3day conference two months ago. I have a feeling that these women do not exactly enjoy what they're doing but they  have no other choice. They earn from performing their tribal dance every night.


Visit other Wordless entries by clicking the WW logo above.

Just a quick post for my sister who kept on bugging me for Kenyan beads. Apparently, older sister is into beading/crafting these days and so the persistent request for beading materials. I have, unfortunately, misunderstood her request. I thought she wanted a beaded piece of jewelry so while in Nairobi last week, I went to this Kazuri bead shop and bought her this:

I never had an inkling that a ceramics bead necklace like this could cost a lot! For a volunteer relying mainly on a meager allowance, it cost  me my one month food budget *lol* I know I have made huge efforts to lose weight before, but  depriving myself of food for a month is an idea not too appealing to me these days.  Just kidding. 

I don't know anything about jewelries let alone beads but these Kazuri beads are beautiful, are of high quality materials and hand-made by Kenyan women. The cost may be a tad too high for a volunteer like me but I'm glad to know that purchasing items there goes to helping disadvantaged Kenyan village women earn extra income. 

Just a little information, kazuri is a Swahili term meaning small and beautiful. So to my dear sister Sreisaat, a Khmer term meaning  beautiful, here is my something kazuri as my gift on your birthday. Hope ya like it!

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For those who are wondering how I was able to post this when there is no electricity nor internet connection where I work, this was set in auto-post mode. *grins* Wow, I feel like soo tech-savvy! hihihi.

After a hectic February and March and a 4day volunteers conference in Nairobi, I am back in Mombasa to spend the remaining days of the Lenten and Easter. So please excuse the long blog silence, just you be patient and I'll be updating as soon as my schedule allows me to. 

The volunteers conference in Nairobi was an opportune time to meet all the other VSO volunteers all over Kenya. It was great seeing new faces and reconnecting with others. It was a huge mixed group of newcomers (in my case, I have been in my placement for about 6months and yet I am still getting used to my new surroundings), some half-way through their placements, while others are preparing to leave. It was nice to finally see the people face-to-face whose names I only read in email exchanges between volunteers.

Nairobi was way cooler than Lukore as the rainy season has already began. I can only wish the weather is the same in Lukore! The hot weather is still making me sick. It is extremely, extremely hot in Lukore even at night. I come from a tropical country myself but the heat is nothing like here. The community cooperative has no office of its own and so we meet just about anywhere there is space we could find. I do not mind it at all as I am used to this kind of stuffs - in fact, I love that we are outdoors - but due to the unbearable heat at this time of the year, I am experiencing severe headaches which is very unusual for me. It could be dehydration, I don't know. While I am very enthusiastic about my work in the community, the heat and headaches are hampering me from doing my  job. I have asked my PM if I would be allowed to do 3days of field work and 2 days paperwork just only till the hot days are over and I'd go back to regular work activities. Up to now I have yet to hear from my PM. If not, then I will be forced to do the rain dance whether I like it or like it very much! *lol*

Anyways, the planned trip to Mt. Kilimanjaro by most of us volunteers was canceled because of the rains, much to our disappointment! So we all decided to go back to our respective areas. On my trip back to Mombasa, fellow Pinoy volunteers came with me and we were welcomed again at the Pinoy mansion where I decided to spend the Easter holiday. It's actually a company-rented townhouse provided to the Filipino engineers I met a few weeks after I arrived in Mombasa. These lads have graciously opened their house to us - VSO volunteers like me, garment workers, and a lot more - and has become our  "holiday house" of sorts. Not only did our gracious hosts provide us with a nice place to sleep with running water and electricity, internet connection, and above all,  they feed us Filipino food that we sorely miss and the much-yearned for companionship.  I'm sure many of you will agree with me that being thousands of miles from home, in a sea of foreign faces and tongues, being with your kababayans helps ease the loneliness and homesickness. My first Christmas and New Year in Kenya would have been earth-shatteringly lonely if not for the engineers at the mansion, who I consider now as my older brothers, I was spared and enjoyed a wonderfully holiday celebrations Pinoy-style. Truly, wherevever you go, the famed Filipino hospitality still comes shining through. Madamo guid nga salamat sa inyo. 

Now that holidays are over, I can't wait to go back to my community and continue the work.

Another wildlife I met while in Lake Nakuru.

Please excuse the huge silence. I am quite busy these days with my work in the field but the hot temperature here in the  coast is hampering my ability to think things straight. Anyways, on nights when I get bored and only when there is a network signal, I check my mobile phone to see if my elder sister is online just to while away the time. Luckily, she's online most of the times and talking to her eases the stress.

One time we got to talking about how I travel to and from work. Of course, there is the ever-reliable matatus. A matatu is the most common mode of transportation in Kenya; they are mini-vans (locals call them Nissans) or mini-buses that leaves several times daily to rural areas when it is already full. These matatus remind me of Toyota Camry taxis in Cambodia where I used to work. The vehicles used are second- (or third or fourth, you imagine that) hand , but don't let it fool. A matatu is equipped with powerful car-stereo systems blaring hiphop and African favorites. This along with the shouts of the driver and conductor and the screeching of brakes, are enough to numb ones senses.  Just like its Cambodian counterpart, a matatu, more often than not, is filled way  beyond its capacity. When seats are full, you, unfortunately will have to stand with almost nothing to hold on to. Your body is pressed against others around you so close that you can smell what they had for breakfast (or lunch, or dinner, depending on the time). You begin to realize now how it is to be like a sardine inside a tin can.

Now, just like its Cambodian counterparts, a matatu ride is not for the faint-hearted. Matatu drivers, once they start driving, transform into pedal-pushing madmen - oh so very, very fast. Not to mention, matatus often compete for more passengers to be picked up along the way, I can only mutter a simple prayer and thank the heavens for the brakes to work properly. With this kind of driving everyday, I wonder how often these vehicles break down in the middle of the road and, if at all, these are sent for a regular auto repair, or perhaps, whether drivers take heed when the check engine light indicator is blinking for attention.

Every time I get on a matatu, I get mixed feelings. I feel that every matatu ride is  a different experience and, despite the initial scare from the daredevil speed, it is helping me to see Kenya and Kenyans in another light. More on this later.

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Photo from the internet.

Captions are welcome.

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It's been more than a month  now since my arrival in the country, and wow, Kenya gid! A nice, chilly weather greeted us, contrary to what I was expecting. The flight was a long one. From Manila, it took about five hours to Dubai, where we had a five-hour lay-over. Waiting  for our next flight seemed like forever, and not even the sparkle of the boutiques at the airport boutiques could banish our anticipation. From Dubai, we then boarded another plane for another five-hour flight to Nairobi. Once we were up in the air, my fellow Filipino volunteers became quiet and kept to themselves. Each one was probably was thinking about what lies ahead, their respective families and the friends left behind.

I was told that Nairobi is the safari capital of Africa and I wasn't disappointed! Right after stepping out of the plane and on a VSO vehicle on the way to the hotel that we're supposed to stay for the following days, we saw a herd of giraffes by the roadside. Oh, what a treat. From where we came from, it's not everyday we see giraffes roaming freely like that.


The day after arriving, we immediately had our in-country training and language-lessons together with 18 other volunteers from Uganda, Canada, USA, and England (age range between 28-50) who arrived earlier or on the same day as we did. The best part of it all was -- Inglisanay naman ini! Tapos gid... Namag-uhan naman ako. hihihihi. I like listening to people with difference accents. The Kenyans speak good English but the way they speak is something new to my ears that I need extra attention to be able to understand them. I guess I will get used to the Kenyan accent in due time. While in Nairobi, we stayed at Graciahouse resort near Yaya Center. We were given a room each and the room was big, there's a nice comfy bed and toilet and bath. One volunteer joked that after our stay here, we won't be having the same comforts for a long time. Okay, tell me something I don't know. *lol*. I have already bought a local sim card and I will email to you my number. Better to communicate through sms, cheap and relatively fast. Right now, I'm looking at purchasing a laptop but with the current price, I think it will take me months till I am able to get one.Later in the week, we were joined by our "employers" for a briefing session before taking us to our placement areas.


Pardon the fragmented post... Up to now I am still... overwhelmed - I could not think of a better word. Finally, my dream came true. I am now in Kenya, standing on African soil. I have already begun my work in a community cooperative in far, far Lukore in Mombasa district. Mombasa is popular for its beautiful beaches. What will the people be like to work with, I wonder? Will I be able to cope with the demands of my work despite the many pre-departure preparations that I underwent? So many questions swirling in my head... more stories in my next post.

Miss you all. Prayers... prayers.
Asanti sana (thank you) and kwaheri (goodbye) for now.


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