Third Chapter Kenya

Engagement…. No, we are not making an upcoming wedding announcement! We both have always attempted to be fully engaged in all aspects of our lives. In Kenya engagement has a whole different meaning.  What’s wrong with this picture? Take a close look. These are the control knobs for our oven. Notice that there are no temperature markings. We’ve been told that Kenyan’s don’t do much baking in ovens - rather they use the stove top for many things or an outside charcoal oven. So, making brownies and cookies were exercises in trial and error and vigilant watching and adjusting - on then off then on again then higher then lower and on and off etc . . .  Ice cubes? Kenyans aren’ t really fans of ice in drinks. We are. Our freezer came equipped with a mini ice tray which produces ten little cubes of ice each freeze. We searched a few stores for more ice trays. Nope. So we improvised. We purchased two mini bundt baking pans, and now we make the coolest ice in Mombasa! Ice patrol is

Just a bit of context... Many Hopes is a charity that was initially founded by two journalists to rescue young girls from extreme poverty and the traumatic situations that often are associated with it. In the past 9 years Many hopes has provided a home for these girls in a group setting filled with joy and love. Additionally, they have worked tirelessly through the legal system in Kenya to provide protections for children. Front entrance A current initiative of the Many Hopes organization is to create a primary school (pre-K - 8th grade) with a student population comprised of girls from extreme poverty and girls from privilege. The hope is that these girls from very different backgrounds will form a network of empowered young women who will work in their home country to stem the tide of poverty and abuse. As founding head, my job is to oversee the completion of the building, develop a curriculum, establish a school culture, furnish and equip the interior and hire all the sta

Every day is full of learning on many different fronts. It is challenging, but also invigorating. It makes you feel alive and alert . . .  and young! Kenya Time - As we plan our daily activities we’ve learned that Kenyan time is an important factor. Kenyan time usually means that a scheduled event will commence an hour or two or maybe even three (or perhaps not at all) after the scheduled time. So, it’s best to schedule important meetings in the morning as meetings scheduled in the afternoon may never happen. Driving - Driving in Kenya is like a demolition derby video game. The rules of the road are vague. The only thing that seems to be somewhat consistent is that you drive on the left- most of the time. Everything else is negotiable. The roads are narrow and there are no lane lines. It appears as if the numerous big trucks are coming straight at you. Thusly, Randy tends to drive on the right shoulder - a lot. Susie consistently remonstrates Randy as there are pedestrians an