ONE OF MY STUDENT IN LAIKIPIA UNIVERSITY. THE 3 DRIVERS/MECHANICS THAT WERE TRAINED THROUGH THE PROJECT, PICKED ME UP THE NEXT DAY WITH THE NEWLY PURCHASED "PAJERO" TRUCK: IT WAS A CELEBRATION ALL AROUND!
WE BOUGHT NEW TIRES, GAVE IT A TUNE UP AND ON WE WENT...!
THIS VEHICLE HAD NEVER BEEN DRIVEN ON ROUGH ROADS, ALL THE SHAKING CREATED A CRACK IN THE ENGINE....WE BARELY MADE IT TO MARALAL: THE FRONTIER TOWN.
THE NEXT DAY I VISITED THE MECHANICAL ENGINEER ASSIGNED TO REPAIR IT.
O M G...! THE ENGINE WAS COMPLETELY IN PIECES COLLECTED IN 17 BAKETS AROUND THE TRUCK!
I WAS HORRIFIED, I THOUGHT THAT IF IT EVER LOOKS LIKE AN ENGINE AGAIN IT WILL BE NOTHING SHORT OF A MIRACLE!
BUT I HAD A PLAN TO FOLLOW. SO THE NEXT DAY I TOOK THE BUS TO BARAGOI (A BUSH SMALL TOWN) ACCOMPANIED BY SAMWEL. THERE SOMEONE RENTED ME HIS LAND ROVER AND CHAUFFEUR TO GO TO LOYANGALANI TO VISIT PETER, VERONICAH AND GRANDMOTHER. I SETTLED AT THE CAMP. TEACHER JOHN WAS MOSTLY HELPFUL: HIS WIFE'S COOKING WAS AN AMAZING GIFT TO ME!
THE SCHOOL CHILDREN GAVE ME AN INCREDIBLE PERFORMANCE. THEY WERE SO HAPPY TO RECEIVE THE BOOKS AND GETTING THEIR MEASUREMENTS TAKEN FOR SCHOOL UNIFORMS (A DONATION FROM MRS GILL). MOST PARENTS CAN BARELY AFFORD THE SCHOOL LEVY, SO THIS GIFT WAS VERY APPRECIATED BY THE WHOLE COMMUNITY.
WE SPENT ONE WEEK THERE, HELPING THE FAMILY IN PRACTICAL WAYS. THE NEXT LEG OF THE JOURNEY WAS TAKING ME TO THE VILLAGE "PARKATI". WE ARRIVED VERY LATE AS THE ROADS HAD DETERIORATED SINCE MY LAST TRIP, WE WERE SLOWED DOWN QUITE A BIT.
"WE WERE WAITING FOR YOU THE WHOLE DAY, WE HAD PREPARED A CELEBRATION FOR YOU" THEY SAID.
WELL, IT TOOK PLACE THE NEXT DAY AND I WAS NEVER PREPARED FOR WHAT HAPPENED: I WAS STANDING BESIDE MY TENT, FAR IN THE DISTANCE CAME A LARGE GROUP OF WOMEN DANCING AND SINGING...THE SOUNDS WERE BEAUTIFUL. THEY CLOSED IN ON ME AND SUDDENLY THEY GRABBED MY BODY AND CARRIED ME THROUGH THE SCHOOL GROUND, ALL THE WAY TO THE HUGE ACACIA TREE BY THE WELL (AT LEAST 800 METERS). I WAS MESMERIZED, IT WAS SUCH A SURPRISE. MY MIND WAS BLANK...I WAS IN A TOTAL SENTIENCE STATE, BEING ROCKED IN THEIR ARMS THROUGH THEIR DANCING AND SPIRITUALLY ELEVATED BY THEIR SONGS.....IT WAS WAY BEYOND WORDS !
THAT DAY WAS "THANKSGIVING" IN CANADA! MY HEART WAS SO FILLED WITH GRATITUDE
FOR THIS AMAZING GIFT!
I WILL SHARE SOME OF THESE PICTURES, TAKEN WITH THE CAMERA DONATED BY http://www.artsvancouver.org