Surprise!!!
Welcome to my newest adventure.
All those who made it to Africa before me are now duly forgiven. It seems a lifetime ago that Mel and John and I sat in an Epping kitchen and discussed our big year in Africa, the big year which needless to say never happened. Ever since I first though of hopping on a plane Africa has always been my final destination in mind. My first big trip was to be briefly through SEA on the way to Europe and from there travel down from Morocco. Unfortunately my Dad got sick and I left Bangkok for Sydney not London. However, I still want to cross the Sahara. My greatest dream is still to sail from Darwin to Cape Town.
This is to be my reconnaissance mission. I have five weeks in Kenya with a small grass roots mob called AVIF. We have orientation in Nairobi followed by four weeks teaching in the middle of nowhere. Ostensibly we are going in as English teachers, however it sounds like we’ll be cover a wide range of bases. The HIV epidemic has hit Kenya hard, and as always, the women and children are the ones suffering most. Widows are hit especially hard; in some communities they have to undergo inhumane “cleansing rituals” which further expose them to the virus if they are so far clean. Children are pulled out of school to care for ailing relatives or to make money, or often because they simply cannot afford an education. Reading and writing are not necessary skills in many African communities. I’ve attached a couple of reports for anyone really interested.
However all this is on hearsay. Communications of all forms will be scarce, however I will be keeping extensive written, and hopefully video, records. After my comfortable life here in Japan, I’m looking forward to having scarce access to water and electricity. I need something of a shake up and going from one of the richest countries in the world to one of the poorest sounds like a sure fire way to make me re-examine everything all over again.
All those who made it to Africa before me are now duly forgiven. It seems a lifetime ago that Mel and John and I sat in an Epping kitchen and discussed our big year in Africa, the big year which needless to say never happened. Ever since I first though of hopping on a plane Africa has always been my final destination in mind. My first big trip was to be briefly through SEA on the way to Europe and from there travel down from Morocco. Unfortunately my Dad got sick and I left Bangkok for Sydney not London. However, I still want to cross the Sahara. My greatest dream is still to sail from Darwin to Cape Town.
This is to be my reconnaissance mission. I have five weeks in Kenya with a small grass roots mob called AVIF. We have orientation in Nairobi followed by four weeks teaching in the middle of nowhere. Ostensibly we are going in as English teachers, however it sounds like we’ll be cover a wide range of bases. The HIV epidemic has hit Kenya hard, and as always, the women and children are the ones suffering most. Widows are hit especially hard; in some communities they have to undergo inhumane “cleansing rituals” which further expose them to the virus if they are so far clean. Children are pulled out of school to care for ailing relatives or to make money, or often because they simply cannot afford an education. Reading and writing are not necessary skills in many African communities. I’ve attached a couple of reports for anyone really interested.
However all this is on hearsay. Communications of all forms will be scarce, however I will be keeping extensive written, and hopefully video, records. After my comfortable life here in Japan, I’m looking forward to having scarce access to water and electricity. I need something of a shake up and going from one of the richest countries in the world to one of the poorest sounds like a sure fire way to make me re-examine everything all over again.
posted by Kirstie at 10:51 pm
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