I was 'forced to drink blood at US varsity'

This was the headline of one of the stories I read in yesterday's issue of The Daily Nation, one of Kenya's main newspapers.  Although the story is still about allegations, rather than determined facts, I cannot help but believe that there is quite a bit of truth to it.  Here are some excerpts from the entire story:

A Kenyan has sued his former college and it athletics coach for allegedly forcing him to drink blood four years ago.

Mr. Charles Ngetich filed suit against Central Connecticut State University and retired track coach Mr. George Kawecki last Thursday alleging he was subjected to three years of racism.

Mr. Ngetich was allegedly forced to drink blood before being kicked out of the athletics team.  He lost his scholarship and was dismissed on September 4, 2009.

The lawyer, Ms. Josephine Miller, says in 2005 the coach told Mr. Ngetich he would like to see him drink blood.

Mr. Ngetich thought he was joking and declined but two weeks later, Mr. Kawecki approached him again, saying he had seen a documentary about a Kenyan group that drinks blood for rituals.

"At a track team meeting... Kawecki produced a cup of blood, told (Ngetich) he was too thin, needed calcium and demanded that he drinks it."

Why do people (allegedly) act in such a way?  People who are in positions of power abuse their position and cause pain to others.  Why do people act in such a racist and despicable manner?  Why do I have to speak out against the actions of some of my fellow Americans?  When will we learn that our actions perpetuate the feelings of dislike against us as a country?

I'd prefer not to write about this at all, but I have been involved in a couple of Facebook discussion threads on speaking out against others who are racially motivated.  I've stated that one has to speak out or he/she is condoning the action.  Those threads were about the vitriolic state of the health care debate, but the principal carries over into this specific story as well.

I cannot purport to know what documentary Coach Kawecki saw, but I have to assume that it might have been one on the Maasai tribe.  There are around 40 separate indigenous tribes in Africa and the Maasai are one of the smaller ones in terms of numbers.  However, they are probably one of the most well recognized ones due to their proximity to the Masai Mara wildlife and adherence to traditional practices and wardrobe.

So, is it a ritual to drink blood?  I wouldn't call it a ritual so much as simply common practice.  The Maasai people are herders and pastoralists.  They herd cows and goats and that is the measure of their wealth.  They do not grow crops.  Because they do not have crops, their diet is "peculiar" when compared to what we eat in the United States.  They rely almost entirely on either meat, dairy or some combination thereof.  Eating meat on a daily basis would mean diminishing their wealth through the killing of animals.  Thus, they rely on milk and blood.  They will "bleed" an animal and drink the blood as a way to get nourishment.  It's simply the way it is.

It is sadly ironic that Ngetich was forced (again, allegedly) to do something that is closely associated with the Maasai.  I did a quick Google search to find out what tribe is associated with the name "Ngetich."  It came back as part of the Kipsigis tribe, which is a sub-tribe of the Kalenjins.  The Kipsigis live mainly in the Kericho District which borders the Maasai lands.  I say, sadly ironic, because there was a lot of post-election violence in this area in January, 2008.

Wesley Ngetich, a well known Kenyan marathon runner, was killed in January 2008 during clashes with some people of the Maasai tribe.  The post-election violence is a matter that is still being dragged out without resolution.  However, the idea that an American coach would assume that ALL Kenyans partake in the same tribal practices shows his ignorance about Kenyan cultures.

I'd like to apologize to Charles for the actions of my fellow countryman.  I hope that he understands that not everyone in the United States condones the actions of the few.  I hope he is able to continue his university studies.  I hope that he can come away from this with more good memories than bad memories.

I Can Make a Difference, But I Can't Do It All

This post may end up sounding like a complaint but I don't really mean it that way.  It's just a way to point out the reality of what I've done, what I am doing, and what I can't do.  It's about the ability to do things with the backing of an organization versus on one's own.

When I first started coming to Kenya, I was volunteering with an organization that had infrastructure and the ability to pool resources.  I had a vehicle for transportation, a generator for a TV and video player, Kenyan staff support, and other volunteers to share the instructional duties.  That  support ended when I left the organization for reasons that I felt were well founded and necessary.  However, in doing so, it meant that I had a lot more responsibility to shoulder on my own.

Last August I did a 5 day Train-the-Trainers program in the village of Kimilili.  It was a class that got passed over by the organization for which I had been volunteering.  I felt that it was not their fault and that they deserved the opportunity so that they could better their community.  The organizer of that group is/was a very strong go-getter and organizer.  She gathered together 23 individuals and made sure that they were present and on time every day.

What did this mean for me.  It meant that I had to shoulder all of the expenses and logistics.  So, I printed off 24 copies of the manual.  I got a friend to accompany me each day for translation.  It meant that I paid him for his time, his transportation, and his lunch.  It meant that I traveled 3 hours each way to Kisumu in order to get "Red Ribbon" pins for each of the participants.  It meant that we spent at least an hour traveling each way to class on a matatu.  It meant that I talked for the whole time (minus the translation) rather than sharing the day with another mzungu.  Bottom line, it meant more energy than I really had to offer.

But, I have to say that it was completely worth it.  The group was incredibly attentive and welcoming.  They asked great questions which kept me on my toes.  I love it when I have to tell a class I don't know the answer but will look it up on the internet and get back to you.

So, fast forward a year and I'll give you an update.  I made arrangements to revisit the group.  After all, I had pictures taken on our final day to hand out.  I had promised to give them a CD with some resource materials, and I wanted and update on how they were getting along.  It took a while to get the date set, but it was finalized and so off I went with my friend/translator.

We arrived in Kimilili about an hour and 15 minutes later than the set time, which was still about a half hour early based on African time.  I was a little surprised by this since Sarah, the organizer, always had people there on the true time.  Slowly people trickled in to the room.  I was becoming a bit perplexed as to why I recognized so few people.  I've trained a lot of people and may not remember names, but I normally recognize faces.  Come to find out, this was a new group of people that she was hoping to train.  Only 3 people, including Sarah, had been through the training from a year ago.

It basically meant that the program I had planned for the day was not going to be entirely relevant.  I had wanted to hear an update on their successes and trials over the year.  I had prepared two exercises that built on the knowledge of what I had taught them a year before.  Instead, I was faced with a group of people eager to learn yet not ready for what I had to teach.  However, I plugged away at what I had prepared and hoped for the best.

Now, here comes the frustration part of my blog.  That frustration is that I can't deliver what people sometimes want from me.  It's not that I wouldn't want to do it all, it's just that I can't.  In the end, Sarah wanted to know when I would be able to train the new group.  Would I be able to do it by the end of the month (September)?  That would have meant doing it this coming week.  Then when I said know, she decided that I would be able to do it by the 8th of October.  Again, I had to tell her that I could not give her an answer as my schedule was not set yet.  Plus, it caught me so off guard that I just needed to buy some time.

I will not be able to go and teach the class.  As much as I would like to do it, the logistics are simply too difficult.  I don't have the energy to do it on my own.  It's one of those answers that I don't like, but it's the answer that is necessary if I am to be of any help at all to others.  I have to recognize my limitations.  I can make a difference in the lives of others, but I can't do it universally.  I have to pick and choose my opportunities.

I will be heading for Nairobi in the morning.  I'[m meeting up with a former volunteer from Canada who is working with a small organizations on the outskirts of Nairobi.  I can help her in the short term.  I'll also do a follow up meeting with two or three of the groups I've worked with in the past.  These are the things that I have the ability to do now.

So, what is my true message in all of this.  I wholeheartedly feel that my actions make the world a better place.  I know that if each individual would "pay it forward" in the way they can, no matter how insignificant it may seem, then the world is a better place.  But, I also know that I can't solve the world's problems on my own and have to know when to say "no."  It's not the way I would like it to be but I'm only human.

Pamoja Tunaweza -- Together We Can

I thought I would take the time to feature an organization that I have trained and worked with in the past.  The group is in it's second reincarnation, but many of the group members are still active.  I say second reincarnation, because they were forced to make some difficult decisions when some of the organizing members acted in a manner that raised some concerns among the primary fundraisers in Canada.  But, I'm getting a little ahead of myself.

On my first trip to Kenya, I met a couple from Canada named Phil and Maggie.  They are/were a wonderful couple committed to the betterment of the world at large.  After they left Bungoma, they attended a large conference in Nairobi where they met a group of former workers from the Ruaraka EPZ.  This group was made up primarily of former textile workers who had tried to bring a union to the workplace.  Their efforts were broken up and they were blacklisted from working in the EPZ.

The EPZ is an export processing zone in which manufacturers receive tax breaks and other incentives.  The work tends to be long hours and difficult work conditions.  The companies have provided clothing to well known American companies such as Walmart, Target, Levi's, etc.  Many would consider the conditions to be that of a sweatshop.

A year ago, I did an HIV Train-the-Trainer class for them.  They wanted to be able to provide support and information to their fellow workers and neighbors.  The training went well and they have continued to put it to use.  Unfortunately, as I said earlier, their were some concerns about the actions of some of the organizing members.  To the credit of Maggie, Phil and their Canadian friends, they remained loyal to the members that remained and were committed.  They reformed officially as Pamoja Tunaweza which means Together We Can.

The main reason for this entry is to bring attention to the working and living conditions within the EPZ.  Here is a link to a slide show that was put together as part of a labor rights workshop.  Many of the people in the photos are individuals that came to the training.  When you go to the webpage you will see the picture to start the slide show.  Below the picture, on the right, you'll see a tiny movie screen and the word "full."  Click on that and you'll be able to view it in the full screen format.  http://www.slideshare.net/davelettinga/the-lives-of-ruaraka-workers

Bits and Pieces

I thought I would do a post of some of the miscellaneous things that I come across in my daily life.  These are things that don't seem to fit anywhere else or aren't big enough to deserve an entry of their very own.

Miriam
What can I say about Miriam other than she is one of the most adorable children you can find.  She's about 2 1/2 now and really coming into her own as a mtoto (child).  When I first met her she was so reluctant to even come near me.  However, that's all changed.  In fact, when I was coming up to the building on the boda-boda after being away for a week, Miriam saw me and started yelling out.  There were some other kids with her so they all started chanted.  The people walking in the street weren't sure what was going on.


Miriam is sitting on the only tricycle I've ever seen in my time here in Kenya.  If you look closely you may notice that it is homemade.  The dolly she has came from my grand niece Lexi.  She's an African American baby doll, but is so light skinned that Miriam thinks she's an mzungu baby.  Like all children, she love me to play airplane with her by lifting her up and swinging her around.  It's pitiful but I certainly can't do it like I used to be able to.

Noontime  Down the Street

I love walking to the store around 12:30 in the afternoon.  Just down the way are the Jamii (Neighborhood) Mosque and the Moi Primary School.  The road becomes such a beehive of activity.  It's a sea of white, gray and red as students and worshipers make their way.

The school uniforms are a fine dark gray plaid with a little bit of red running through it.  The students wear sweaters of a rich red.  They come flowing out of the school yard and into the alley to head home for lunch.  It seems to be an unending flow of children.

The street is also full of Muslims heading to the midday prayer.  Because of Ramadan, attendance seems to be a little higher and the dress a little more traditional.  Men in white flowing gowns (kanzu) with their embroidered hats (kofia).  It's enjoyable to watch the young men walking together, joking, and laughing.  Older men seem to be engrossed in conversations as well.

This amalgamation of people just seems to be soothing to me.  It's simply a wonderful visual to watch.

All Roads Are Not Created Equal

I've already written about the trip I took to visit the paternal grandmother of President Obama.  It was such a great trip in terms of showing that patronage is alive and well in Kenya.  That's not to say it doesn't happen in the US.  After all, what would any appropriations bill be without a little 'pork' thrown in.  But, back to the point at hand.

There is a section of road between Bungoma and Mumias that practically defies a good explanation.  You see, Mumias is home to a very large sugar cane processing plant.  As such, overload trailers of sugar cane ply the road on a regular basis.  Overloaded trailers and poor quality asphalt do not make a good mix.  The road has never been worked on in the three years that I've been coming to Kenya.  Several miles have been reduced to the reddish dirt that is common in these parts.  In fact the matatus spend as much time driving on the side of the road as they do on the actual 'road.'  It's truly unbelievable.

The stretch of road between Kisumu and Bondo, on the other hand, is the polar opposite.  You see, Bondo is the home of Raila Odinga, the current Prime Minister of Kenya.  My guess is he never travels the road between Nairobi and Kisumu.  I'm quite sure that he prefers to fly into Kisumu Airport.  From there, he travels the next 35 miles by road.  That stretch of road is the nicest that I have ever seen.  I don't believe there was a single pothole anywhere.  It was so beautiful.

Stoney Tangawizi

Stoney Tangawizi has got to be one of the best drinks ever invented.  It's a ginger beer that is a product of Coca Cola.  It's not a beer in the sense of being alcoholic since it isn't.  But, it's not light like ginger ale is.  It has such a strong and tangy ginger taste to it and packs a punch.  It is such a great thirst quencher and I wish they had it in the United States.

Are you lying or is it just not quite the truth?

This is something that I could write a book on but will keep it short.  This, obviously is a bit of a generalization, but it happens often enough to make me write about it.  It is difficult to sometimes get an honest answer out of people.  It's not that a person is intentionally lying to you, it's just that they aren't quite telling you the truth.

Say I'm waiting on someone.  I can call them on the phone and they will tell me they are 10 minutes away.  An hour (or two) later they may arrive.  They may say they are in Bungoma but they are really in Kimilili which is about 30 miles away.

More on the Masai Mara

I’m back in Nairobi after three nights in the Masai Mara National Reserve. The trip was absolutely fantastic with lots of wildlife to be seen. I think already wrote an entry from the first couple days, so I’ll just tell you about the last day. We got up early so that we could do the drive to the Mara River where the wildebeest and zebra do the crossing. There was a couple from England that were catching a flight so we needed to make sure we could get them to the air strip for their flight. Anyway, the crossing is probably a good 12-15 miles from our camp and it’s not like you can go 30 miles an hour. Plus, you never know what wildlife you might see on the way. We had both a bush breakfast and lunch packed for us.

The mornings really are beautiful. It can be a bit chilly so layering is a necessity. We watched the sun break over the horizon and slowly make its way up into the sky. The Maasai boys and young men were bringing their cattle back to the homesteads after a night of grazing. Mornings can be quite chilly so you have to dress in layers. We watched 5 hot air balloons drifting over the Mara.

I should back track a bit and explain the difference between Masai and Maasai. The Masai Mara Game Reserve is often called simply "The Mara" which is the Maa word meaning "Mottled" - a reference to the patchy landscape. Both spellings "Masai" and "Maasai" are acceptable although the latter is more usual when referring to the people. The Maasai people are only 2% of the population but are widely recognized because of their proximity to the Mara and promotion within the tourism industry of Kenya.

As we slowly made our way to the river, we saw an abundance of warthogs, zebras, wildebeest, Thomson gazelles, topis (larger gazelle family) and more. We came across a lion and lioness. Because they were not with the pride, we knew that they were mating. In the distance we saw a large gathering of vehicles (8 or so) and knew that there must be something interesting there. It was in a large and very rock savanna area with lots of wildebeest. By lots, I mean thousands scattered across the horizon. These wildebeest had already made the crossing of the Mara River.

We were at the bottom of a large hill and could see the heads of three cheetahs using our binoculars. The cheetahs were at the crest of the hill. The vehicles were at a pretty far distance because the hill was really rocky making it difficult to drive up even with 4 wheel drives. Our driver, Jonathan, slowly found a path up the hill. There were only 2 other vehicles that were able to do the same thing. The reward was spectacular. We were able to get within about 15 yards of the cheetahs. Jonathan knew the trio as three brothers. They were just laying on a little mound and sunning themselves. They’re absolutely beautiful animals and so regal looking. The younger males will generally group themselves into about three or four. This was an exceptional grouping as they were brothers to begin with and had survived childhood. We watched for a good 15 minutes before deciding that we needed to pull ourselves away and continue on.

We drove down the backside of the hill and found a good tree to have our breakfast under. It’s strange to pitch a picnic blanket amidst a bunch of wildebeest and zebra. They weren’t extremely close, but still, pretty amazing. After a great breakfast we continued toward the river.

Next, we saw a lioness who appeared to be going off for a hunt. And, within 30 seconds, we saw that she left behind another lioness who was watching four cubs. They already had a fresh kill of a wildebeest. Only one cub was eating the wildebeest. I think the other cubs and lioness were already full. The youngster that was eating was so full. His tummy looked almost bloated it kept on pulling away at the meat of the hind quarter.

We only had about an hour before having to turn back towards the airstrip so we made our way over to the river which was only a few hundred yards away. There was an area on a small cliff where we were able to get out of the car again. (I guess I should mention that generally you can never get out of a vehicle. That being said, there are a few exceptions to the rule but the driver/guide will still maintain a good lookout) We could look down into the river where there were probably about 30 hippos and some crocodiles. The hippos are funny as they take turns raising their snouts out of the water and take deep breaths before sinking back down in.

We could see wildebeest and zebra gathering on the opposite side of the river but it didn’t appear that they were going to make a crossing. Reluctantly, we decided that we needed to leave to head back. No sooner had we pulled away from the bank than we saw wildebeest starting across the bank at a location about 200 yards from us. We quickly drove over and were able to watch a medium size herd starting across. It was a mixture of zebra and wildebeest. I have to say that it is a pretty aggressive movement. The animals plunge into the river and start swimming across. All of the sudden you could see one of the wildebeest struggle to swim. It’s head would suddenly drop under the water for a few seconds and then come back up. It was apparent that a crocodile had gotten it from underneath. The animal was putting up a good fight. As the herd on the other side saw this, they began to slow their entry into the water. Those already in, just seemed to swim faster. Pretty soon you could see another crocodile swimming towards the struggling wildebeest. That was the final straw. Once the crocodile reached the wildebeest, it opened its jaws and took in the whole head. The crossing had stopped for a while and we had to continue on.

After dropping of John and Wendy at the airport, we had our lunch and then slowly drove back to the camp. It was about 2:30 and most of the animals are in the trees hiding from the full force of the sun. We were back at the camp by 4PM. It was a really long day but was not over yet. The other couple was hoping to get some Maasai bracelets and Jonathan had agreed to find them outside of the curio shops. I asked if I could ride along with him and he agreed.

We went to the village where his future bride lives. She is in school and so I didn’t get to meet her. Jonathan confided that he wasn’t sure if he wanted her but she was chosen for him by his father. There were about 15 small children and I was the novelty. We were invited into a small boma. They are different from those in Western Province. They are still made of the same mud material but are much smaller (headroom) and smokier. I had to stoop to get in the door. We sat in a tiny vestibule that had a door into the main room and then a door into the corral where I could see some baby sheep.


From there we drove to Jonathan’s homestead. It’s always hard to keep track of relatives as the extended family is treated differently from the way we handle them. For instance, we met an uncle on the road who referred to Jonathan as his son. That’s the way it’s done since the extended family unit is so strong. As best as I can figure it, Jonathon’s father has 3 wives as does his grandfather. Jonathan is one of 10 children but I’m not sure if that is the total among the 3 wives or not. The family compound is a group of homes arranged in a circle. Around the perimeter is a circle of shrub limbs than from a protective barrier. Within the outer circle is another circle of shrubs. These “fences” are there to keep out the lions, hyenas, and other predators. It is dangerous to live in this area. At 20, Jonathan was attacked by a lion while out herding the cattle one night.

The Circle of Life Illustrated

The flight from Wilson Airport to the Okiombo (O-key-ohm-bow) airstrip is only 35 minutes yet the change in settings can be extraordinary. Wilson is the smaller of Nairobi's two airports and sits quite close to the city center. One fights the morning traffic and congestion to make it to the plane. Okiombo airstrip, on the other hand, sits within the the Masai Mara National Reserve. It's just a small maram, a clay and pebble mixture, strip in the open savanna.

I was met at that airport by Dee, a Maasai moran, who is one of the drivers and guides for my Tipilikwana Mara Camp where I am staying. The camp actually sits just across the Talek River which is one of the reserves official boundaries. However, animals don't respect boundaries, so sighting are possible from the camp. The drive is only about 10-12 miles, but can take 30-40 minutes.

Nature made itself known within minutes of pulling away from the airstrip. We encountered a small herd of Thomson Gazelle. A large warthog rans across the road not more than 50 yards ahead of the Range Rover. However, not too far in the distance we saw a small group of vehicles stopped. This was the tell tale sign that something good was up ahead.

As we drew near, I saw that it was a mother cheetah with her three cubs trailing her. The mother had a baby Thomson gazelle dangling from her mouth much like a mother cat would be carrying a kitten. I assumed that the gazelle had met already its end. She laid down in the grass and the cubs came up rumbling and tumbling around her.

Dee said that they had watched the gazelle be born the day before I arrived. He knew this was the same one as it was in the same spot and the mother could not have moved far with such a young baby. The cheetah cubs were still covered with a downy coat across their backs. They are about two months old and won't lose that fur for another month or two.

As we were about to pull away, the gazelle started running away, if you can actually call it running. The cheetah cubs then chased after it and one of them caught it and brought it back to the mother. Dee explained that the mother had only injured the gazelle and released it on purpose. It's one of the ways that the youngsters are taught to hunt.

We moved on to the camp but not before seeing animals such as topi, wildebeest, and elands. These are all within the antelope like family. We also saw an ostrich, numerous zebras, and hundreds of Thomson gazelles.

The camp proved to be beautiful and welcoming. Certainly a wonderful way to spend a few days. It's actually the next morning after my arrival and I've been out on two game rides. I've got great stories to tell once I find the time to get them typed up. Bear with me as I do this.

Visiting President Obama's Paternal Grandmother

Where do I begin in regards to the very surreal visit that I paid to Obama's paternal grandmother, Mama Sarah? I guess I should start at the beginning so that I can bore you with some of the minute details. Nah, I won't bore you but I will start with some minute details. [As an aside, if you have Google Earth, you can type in any of these locations and they will show up. In fact, when I put in Bondo, I can actually zoom in and see the hotel that I stayed in. Not all areas have enough resolution for zooming, but the town itself does.]

When I was in Kenya the last time I had done a training in Kasarani near Nairobi. It was for a group of workers from the Ruaraka EPZ. EPZ's are Export Processing Zones. They are tax protected areas where industries can manufacture products quite cheaply. It's where some of the clothing for Walmart, Target, etc. come from. Working conditions are typically very poor. Here is a link to a slide show on the Ruaraka EPZ http://www.slideshare.net/davelettinga/the-lives-of-ruaraka-workers.

One of the attendees was a young man named Kevin. His home is in Bondo which is only about 10-15 miles from the home of Mama Sarah. He is back in Bondo and had invited me down to meet an HIV+ support group to do my "meet and greet." That's not a real good name for what I do, but it's not really a training either. It's more of an opportunity for me to meet a group of people either infected or affected by HIV and hold a simple discussion. The stigma here is still quite strong and so to have a mzungu actually disclose his status is very powerful.

Since I was going to be in the area, I told Kevin that I also wanted to go and visit the birth place of Obama's father. He said that would be easily arranged. I knew that it had become a bit of a tourist stop for the few people that make it to this far corner of Kenya. The area is in the Southwest corner of Kenya and lies about 10 miles inland from Lake Victoria and 20 miles from the Ugandan border. It's people are from the Luo tribe.

One does not go to visit such an important person without taking a present. Okay, maybe one does, but not this one. Even before leaving Bungoma, I talked to my friends to decide what would be an appropriate gift. I had already thought of a chicken and sugar. A chicken because animals are always good gifts and a chicken is easily transported. The sugar because the price of sugar has almost doubled recently. So, after consultations, my list got refined a bit. The sugar definitely remained but some salt was also added. The chicken was good, but I was told that it should be a big hen and should be a white hen.

I wish I could have been a bird and flown to Bondo. It is only about 50 miles as the crow flies, but at least 110 as the matatu drives. It's probably a little longer since the road is so curvy, but that's my best estimate. One travels south to Mumias, east to Kakamega, south to Kisumu and then back west to Bondo. It also means that one changes matatus a couple of times. But, none the less, I made it to Bondo in about 6 hours. Yep, that's right... 110 miles in 6 hours. I had to change matatus 3 times which means waiting between each change for the matatu to fill up. To be fair, I spent an hour in Kisumu eating, so really it was only 5 hours.

My afternoon in Bondo meant doing a little tour and also looking for a chicken. I went to meet Kevin's family who live about 4 miles into the interior. The interior means anyplace that is not really a town. I met his mother and 4 brothers, his grandfather, some uncles, a grandmother, aunts, etc. It was a big deal to have an mzungu visit them. This is something that I've never been totally comfortable with in the sense that I'm afforded a level of distinction that is not necessarily "earned."

Kevin's grandmother had a number of chickens that she was willing to sell. However, it was decided that I should not present a hen, but that it should be a rooster. So, they pointed out one of the white roosters to me and we then agreed on a price. As the rooster strutted around the yard, it appeared really huge. I was to decide the next morning that it wasn't quite so big and scary.

I woke up Wednesday morning and had breakfast and was ready to go by 8:30. Kevin's brother had caught a ride into town with the rooster in a basket. I had the sugar and salt and was ready to go. We had already arranged for a piki-piki (motorcycle) to transport us to the homestead. it's roughly 10-15 miles by dirt road to Mama Sarah's homestead.

We arrived at the gate of the compound. Because of the popularity, a Kenyan Police officer is on duty and you must present ID and sign in to the "official" visitor's book. We were a bit early since, unbeknown to us, she does not receive visitors until 10AM. We went to the sitting area under the tree where chairs are set out for visitors. The compound is certainly well kept. Her house is a permanent structure, meaning brick covered with cement. There were a number of outbuildings. It was a beehive of activity with a woman milking a cow, some sweeping the yard, etc.

At about 10, a woman came out and introduced herself as the interpreter for Mama Sarah. Mama Sarah knows very little English and prefers to speak in her native tongue of Dholuo. Kevin had at least taught me how to say hello and how are you in Dholuo. When Mama Sarah came out and I greeted her in her tongue, she chuckled, greeted me back and then commented to the interpreter that she was surprised.

There was not a lot to ask or say to Mama Sarah. Basically, I made the simple comments about how proud she must be of her grandson. I explained what I was doing in Kenya. I asked about the two quite prominent graves near the sitting area. One, which was made of white porcelain tile is Barack Sr. and the second one is the grandfather.

It was then time to present the gifts. As luck would have it, as soon as I went to hand the rooster to Mama Sarah, it pooped in my hand. Although not pleasant to discuss, I was at least grateful to find out that a rooster's poop is firm rather than watery so I just let it drop onto the ground. I found out that she spoke to her assistant about how nice and larger the rooster was and that they had recently lost many chickens to illness and so it was a great gift. A group of nine Kenyan men had arrived at the compound to visit so I said my good byes and headed off.

It's amazing to think that one can just arrive at the compound and meet with Mama Sarah. As I said, the area is fairly remote. The nearest city is Kisumu and even it does not see a huge number of foreign visitors. Those traveling to Kisumu are usually their to do work for some organization. However, 3 days prior to my visit a group of 8 people from Portland had visited. One signed as an RN, so I'm guessing that maybe they were a medical team. I also saw signatures from a group of Japanese, someone from the Netherlands, and someone from Moscow.

All in all, it was so surreal and will be a great memory to maintain.