We have one business project going on so far. Finding business related projects and projects that involve building something seem to take a little longer to get going. The one we have is with a Maasai village that has a group called the Utukufu support group. All of the women have HIV+. They come together every Saturday and Monday to bead and make jewelry, baskets, etc. We are trying to help them with their finances and recording the inflow and outflow of money. We started to help them learn to save a little bit of what they make to help support the group. They use the money they receive for supplies and medicine. We are also trying to help them market their products in town since they live further away and it is hard for them to travel often with their condition.
They fed us a MOUNTAIN of ugali, which is a popular dish here. It looked like a cake it was so big... (Fun fact: they eat their fish whole here and I had my first samaki (fish) yesterday. It was really good, but you have to eat it and everything for that matter with your fingers)
Pole pole has become our team's favorite/funny theme for Africa so far. Everything just takes longer here. Mia and I spent all day yesterday just trying to get alphabet workbooks copied for the students. We never got it finished, it lasted all day, and we "broke" two copy machines. They definitely ran out of ink and both places had to have someone come check it out. You definitely learn to enjoy the moment here.
Another example. We usually travel with a partner or a local and they don't like to give negative information about anything so if we ask how much further to a location, either time or distance, they will always reply that it is very close or only 5 or 10 more minutes when it could take 30-45. You definitely get used to walking. We love it because we get to see everything, but it's just funny.
We went to a place called Snake Park. It was a reptile zoo. We got to hold snakes, baby crocodiles, and ride a camel!
Today we went to meet with Paul, a local partner we met at church. He wanted to take us to his office and shoot some video with us but we didn't know what it was going to entail until we got there. We were proposed an offer to be the main characters in a movie called "Free Nation" that would be distributed to all of Eastern Africa. They really, really, really wanted some mzungus (white people) to be in it. It was hilarious.
Until next time my fellow mzungus!
Haha! Back in 1987 before China was open to many tourists, Dad and I traveled there and stayed in a non-touristy hotel. As we were taking the elevator to the lobby, a guy got on and became very animated and started gesturing and pulling on us so we would follow. We thought, "why not?" and ended up in a film set of sorts, playing the role of the token whites sitting and nodding around a board table with a bunch of Chinese businessmen. We have no idea who saw the film, what it was about, what we would supposedly nodding assent to. Kinda risky if you think about it, I guess! I suppose we're just a family destined for movie stardom!
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