I've arrived safely and everything is going smoothly. I'm enjoying the warm Kenyan hospitality and staying with Mama Margaret's wonderful family.
Yesterday, we visited the Riruta school location and got to see some familiar faces like Cathy Khulman, Everlyne Nyambura, and Nigel Vetto (pictured right).
We also escorted some of the older children who now are ready for the next level (3rd and 4th grade) to their new school, called Bensese Primary. These children are Faith Wambui, Alice Wanjiru, and Stephen Gichuki (pictured below). All three of these children fled Kibera during the post-election riots. They are adapting to their new environment and we are looking forward to seeing them grow at the next level of their educations.
Then Margaret and I sat down for a few hours and discussed all of the goals and tasks we need to accomplish during our visit. It's going to be a challenge, but we will do our best.
We also went downtown to get some supplies, and one thing I noticed is that it's about 50% farther to get to downtown from Riruta than from Kibera. While downtown, Margaret showed me at the market how much food prices have increased in the past year or two. It's clearly a struggle for families earning a dollar a day to afford staples like rice and beans.
Today (Tuesday), we visited the Kibera school and met some families. I got to see Edwin and his wife Christine, Teacher Karen, and saw familiar faces like Boaz and Winslet for the first time since my arrival.
We spent the afternoon visiting the guardians of Phelix, Wickliff, and Sharon Kwamboka. Each had their own story to tell, and each was tragic in its own way. Wickliff and Sharon are orphans, and Phelix's mother is a widow. Each of these families struggles to survive.
For instance, Sharon's guardians are her grandparents. Her grandfather is bedridden, and her grandmother washes clothes when she can find the work. She maybe can earn 500 shillings per week, about $8 US dollars. They have received assistance from the Tenderfeet orphans fund and Sharon's new sponsor, but even now they are 2 years behind on their rent and get threats from the landlord that they will be kicked out (the rent is about $15 per month). There are four children and two adults sleeping in a 10x10 ft room. Because of Tenderfeet and the child sponsorship program, there is hope for the future for Sharon.
Tomorrow, I am going with Boaz to his eye doctor appointment and running some other errands.
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