Walk to Water Blog

On Wednesday the sixth and seventh grade met at Rocky Nook park to fill up water jugs to carry to school.  We did this because the seventh grade is reading a book called the long walk to water.  It is about the need of water in Sudan.  Our goal was to get an idea of what its like to have to get water and carry it for a distance.  We only walked about a mile and it was up to us on how much water we carried.  I carried about 4.5 gallons in a backpacking backpack and it was heavy! I had it easy because I had the backpack but for some I could tell it was really a struggle.  I think everyone in SB should just put in money to send the people there either backpacks or wheelbarrows or something because something so small can save lives.  I think we should have carried the water every morning for a week because that one morning was more fun than anything and I dont think that was really the point of the assignment.

My visit with Kibet Day 3

Today is my second and last day with Kibet.  I leave tomorrow very early so I want to make the best of my last day that I have with him.  Today Kibet is going to teach me how to carve animals out of wood.  We have breakfast and then we go for a short walk around his house.  When we come back he takes me into the small tool shed behind his house where he keeps his carving stuff.  He opens a tool box with a bunch of whittling stuff and immediately I know that I'm going to suck at it.  I tell Kibet this but says that no one can be bad at carving.  Once we start I prove him wrong.  I decide to make a pig because it seems easy enough.  Kibet shows me how to hold the tools and which one to use for what.  Every single one of the tools feels awkward in my hands.  At first it seems easy and that maybe I won't be totally terrible at it but as my "pig" progresses it takes a turn for the worse.  In the end I have a piece of wood resembling a smaller one of what I started with and Kibet has a perfect wooden cow.  He holds it out to me and tells me that it is mine to keep.  I thank him and as a joke offer him my "pig".  He looks at me not getting the joke and thanks me sincerely for giving him my first carving.  After the carving disaster I go back inside the house and carefully tuck the cow into my suitcase.  I go back out into the main room and Kibet and I make dinner.  We are both super hungry because we missed lunch for our carving.  We eat and then we go outside to watch the sunset.  As I am sitting there I am happy to have helped Kibet.  It feels good to have made it possible for someone to get what they need to live happily.  And Kibet is one of the happiest people I know.  After the sun goes down we go back inside and go to sleep.  Kibet is going to wake up tomorrow and drive with me to the airport.  I am not looking forward to leaving and saying goodbye tomorrow.  I wish I could stay longer but above all I am just happy to have met my friend Kibet Peter.

My visit with Kibet Day 2

Today is my first full day with Kibet.  I get out of bed, walk outside, and spot Kibet with his new dairy cow mwokozi, which means savior.  I go over and help him milk her.  While we are sitting there he tells me that his girlfriend Jata (star) is coming over today.  She lives about an hour walk away so she only comes every once in a while, but Kibet told her to come today so she could meet me.  He tells me that he plans to marry her and have a family with her someday.  I can tell by the way he talks about her that he really loves her.  We decide to make lunch for Jata so that we have a nice meal when she arrives.  We use the milk to make butter and we get some vegetables from his garden like carrots and potatoes.  We decide to make a stew because it is on of her favorites.  We make the soup and after we “set the table” which consists of laying a cloth on the floor and arranging all of the food on it.  Finally we are done and right on que Jata arrives. When Kibet sees her he runs up and gives her big bear hug.  He introduces us and shows her the meal we made.  “Wow!” she says in English.  We sit down and begin eating our feast.  It was fantastic! Afterwards feeling full Kibet gets up and offers to make us tea.  We both say yes and he comes back with it.  It is slightly awkward because Jata doesn’t speak much English and my Swahili is still on level 0.  Despite our language problems we manage to have a conversation.  After about an hour it is time for Jata to leave, because she wants to be home before dark.  "Kwaheri", I say, "I ni fahari kwa kuwa walikutana wewe".  (Goodbye, I am honored to have met you)  She laughs.  I obviously didn't have all the words down, but she seems to have appreciated the effort.  Kibet and I sit and watch the sun set then we go back inside and go to sleep.  

My visit with Kibet Day 1

Today I am leaving to Kenya to visit my new friend Kibet Peter.  I have not met him in person, but I gave him a $25 loan on Kiva so that he could buy a cow.  He seems very nice and I'm sure we will be very good friends at the end of my three days with him.  The flight is supposed to take about 14 hours and then I will meet my guide, Abasi, and he will drive me to Kibet's home.  Since there are no direct flights to Kenya I will have to first make a stop in Europe and then fly to Kenya.  The flight to Europe is 10 hours so I just sleep the whole time.  When I get there I have a 2 hour layover and then I leave.  The time comes to board the plane and I get on when they call my section.  It is a small plane because the Kenyan airport is small.  This plane ride is pretty uneventful, although I did get my first look of some Kenyan people that where also on my flight.  I slept pretty much the whole time and when I woke up I was disoriented.  I asked the woman next to me about how much longer we had on the plane and she said a little more than 2 hours.  Finally we land and I get off and meet Abasi.  He drives me for about 2 hours along a bumpy dirt road when finally we arrive at a little stick dome hut.  Kibet is waiting outside to greet us.  He looks much happier than he did in the Kiva picture.  He is very tall and his legs are about 70% of his hight.  He welcomes both with hugs and invites us both inside.  Abasi says he really should start heading back because he has another person to drive somewhere soon and he doesn't want to miss them.  Kibet helps me with my bags and we go inside.  It is quite roomy on the inside even though it looked tiny from the outside.  Despite my long nap on the plane I am very tired and after we talk for a little while I take one of the beds in the room and doze off.  I cannot wait for my next couple of days with my new friend.

My visit with Kibet #3

In Kenya they use Kenyan Shillings.

$1=83 kenyan shillings
$5=415
$10=831
$20=1,662
$100=8,310

100 kenyan shillings=about $1

My visit with Kibet #2

Ten phrases and words I think will be most useful in Swahili while I'm in Kenya are:

hujambo=Hello
ambapo na bafuni=where is the bathroom
jina langu ni Emma=my name is Emma
habari gani=how are you
je, ni=what is this
tafadhali=please
asante=thank you
yes=ndiyo/no=hakuna
nzuri ya kukutana na wewe=nice to meet you
jina lako ni=what is your name

My visit with Kibet #1

I will be going to Litein in South Rift Kenya to visit my new friend Kibet Peter.  I will be taking a plane.  There are no direct flights so I will be stopping in Europe and then flying form there to Kenya.  It is predicted to take about 14-15 hours of flying and a few more for layovers.