A place called Ugunja

Osoware (good afternoon)

Ugunja is very interesting – and complex. It is a town that is so different from anything I have ever seen that it is hard to explain, and still hard for me to fully understand. The main highway runs through the town, but by highway, I mean a narrow road that is somewhat paved. Green grass and trees surround the town, but the town itself is pretty much all red dirt. Garbage lines the narrow roads and streets, because there is no garbage or recycling system. The stores are tiny little concrete blocks that are gated with rusty looking gates. Everyone lines the streets trying to sell their products, which disappointingly isn’t very much jewelry or clothes. A lot of home grown fruits and vegetables and grain. The road to the compound I am staying at is also atrocious. Pot holes everywhere, rocks jutting out…I am amazed when the driver who took my luggage there made it to the compound.
The compound itself is fairly small. 4 mud huts, each varying in size, 2 outhouses and 1 kitchen type shack (made of tin). The compound has 3 roosters, which are SO annoying, 4 dogs, which are really skinny, and 2 chickens, which will probably soon be dead. There are a whopping 14 children living on the compound, about 10 girls and 4 boys, in addition to me and my hut-mate Wren (from McGill) and the director (Aggrey) and his wife (Mary). It is a huge amount of people, who range in age from about 4 to 18 or 19. Some of them are Aggrey’s children, and some of them are orphans he has taken under his wing. This man is amazing, I have profound respect for him every day.
It gets dark around 7pm and we eat between 830 and 9pm, so we get a chance to talk a lot with the children/teens. They are really interested in us, which is nice.
We eat Ugali, kale and some meat or eggs for dinner. It is not the tastiest thing, but when you are hungry is tastes really good, and it is filling.
For breakfast we have white bread and tea, which has at least 4 tablespoons of sugar in it. It is very sweet – but it keeps us hydrated for the morning.
Life here is very different – it is a stark contrast from life in Canada. The people here are so amazing though. I have met so many people who are just so generous, kind, patient, ambitious and accepting. I am learning to be more like them.
It is still hard to adjust from everyone staring at me though, and sitting in a room full of people talking and not knowing what anyone is saying. Both a little frustrating, but something I will overcome with time.
Did I mention there is no electricity on the compound or at the health centre? I am getting used to it though, we have a nice blue lantern that we carry around at night.
I am excited to learn more about the health centre, which I feel pretty useless at right now not knowing the language. But the staff are very helpful, so I am sure they will put me to good use.
Today I am helping a team from Global Youth Network build a hut nearby. They are mostly Canadian so it is nice to talk with people who can kind of understand – though they are living in better conditions than Wren and I. Wren has been so helpful to me these past few days which I appreciate so much, she has been here 2 weeks earlier than me. Anyways I am off soon, probably to get a great sunburn, haha. The plan for this weekend is to play some soccer with the kids and maybe to go to Kisumu to travel around a bit. Kisumu is very green and hilly, and Lake Victoria is right there, so I am anxious to spend more time there, and maybe buy some things.
I hope all is well in Canada! I miss it dearly, but am glad I am getting to experience life here.

Oriti (goodbye)