Trip to Kenya, Jonna and Marja Leena December 9-21, 2005

Nairobi - Kitui - Malindi - Mombasa - Nairobi, and only two weeks time. There was so much to see and experience, but not enough time. My mom, my sister Miia and I visited Kenya in the beginning of December. Miia is the sponsor contact person for Hope for Tomorrow here in Finland, so we had the chance to have a closer look at the work in Mombasa.

Our tour of Kenya began from the capital city Nairobi, from where we continued the next day by bus toward Kitui. Fortunately Hope for Tomorrow's field coordinator Mikko was waiting for us at Nairobi's bus station, otherwise we could still be there trying to find the bus to Kitui. In my opinion, bus rides in Kenya are always an experience! On route from Nairobi to Kitui we admired the beautiful scenery. We even saw some giraffes and buffalo. At our destination there was awaiting us the whole reason for our trip, Camp David Centre's worker Onesmus' wedding. Enjoying the wedding party in Finnish style, our day was spent watching the guests dance and sing. The church was packed with people as well as with music. Even the rigid Finn was prone to some jamming...

We spent the night in Kitui and in the morning headed off to town to acquaint ourselves to everyday life at the market square and its surroundings. In the evening we continued through Mombasa to Malindi. The bus ride took about seven hours, and we planned on getting a good night's sleep, but those plans had to be cancelled during the first few kilometers. The roads were in quite bad shape, and if the bumps didn't wake us up, then the chicken that was riding behind us would always begin to cluck in the worst places. We spent a few days in Malindi with Joyce and her children. It was an honor to be their guest and a pleasure to participate in their everyday life. We felt very welcome. Throughout the whole trip we were stunned at the hospitality and kindness of everyone. People were always ready to share what they had, and to sacrifice their own time.

We spent a week in Mombasa, and during that time we got acquainted with Camp David Centre and its work. My mom and I got to meet the children that we sponsor, and we also had the chance to visit the home of Mapenzi, who is the child that my mom sponsors. She had been orphaned a few years back and now lives with Mama Alice, who has received other orphans to live with her. We also participated in a thanksgiving celebration that was arranged at the Camp David Centre with the purpose of introducing its work to the people living in the surrounding area. I was surprised by the scale and functionality of the work of the Centre. We were disappointed to be late because we missed out on the AIDS-widow support group gathering. But we got the chance to admire their handicrafts that they make during their gatherings.

Even though I had heard a lot about the problem of AIDS in Africa, its reality stared unblinkingly into my eyes. It's different to hear statistics than to look into the eyes of a little HIV-positive boy, whose mommy died of AIDS at my age, well under her thirties. The state of children was something really shocking. Even though elementary school is free nowadays, not all children can attend because they can't afford a school uniform. On the other hand many children spend the whole day looking for food, and if they'd attend school there wouldn't be any time to look for food.

It was nice to observe the children who are now in school because of the sponsorship program. When talking with Mary, the child that I sponsor, it dawned on me how studying and planning for the future gives hope and vision to life. The sponsored children were actively involved with the thanksgiving celebration at the Centre. They helped with all the arrangements, i.e. preparing and serving the food. In the beginning of the program we also got to hear them perform a few songs.

We continued our journey from Mombasa back to Nairobi. Again we took the bus, and despite our efforts, this time we could only spot a few antelope. We flew first from Nairobi to Amsterdam, and got back to Finland quite exhausted, but satisfied. Previously I had heard lots of interesting things about Africa, the people, culture and lifestyle. During the trip I noticed that you just have to experience it yourself before you can really understand Africa. Behind us we have a rewarding trip that went perfectly. A big thanks goes to all the local people who helped us with practical things, and of course Mikko, who tenaciously took care of us.

Jonna

Pictures from the trip